Tag Archives: Below Deck Mediterranean

August 8, 2022 – Obrecht Gives Nina an Unusual Gift, Rage Texting On Deck & Devoted

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Nina tells Jamika Pessoa, as the new co-owner of the MetroCourt restaurant, she’s hoping to shake things up, and thinks having a celebrity chef would be the perfect shake-up. Jamika says, it sounds exciting, and asks if Nina has anything specific in mind. Nina says she’d like to do a tasting menu every Saturday night. She wants the MetroCourt to be a destination venue, with more emphasis on organic seasonal items. Jamika says, these are some really interesting ideas, but the MetroCourt already enjoys such an excellent reputation. Why the change? Nina says, because she thinks this restaurant can be so much more. She wants this restaurant to be the best restaurant on the east coast. That’s why she’s talking to Jamika. Obrecht walks in, and Jamika says, she’s enjoyed the tour of the kitchen, the space is really nice, and she really likes Nina’s vision. Nina says, great. Has she persuaded Jamika? Jamika says, hold on. It’s a lot to think about, but she’ll definitely give Nina’s offer some serious consideration, and get back to her really soon. They shake hands, and Jamika leaves. Obrecht tells Nina, excellent work. She’s a natural. Nina says, maybe Obrecht should tell the staff, who still remain staunchly Team Carly. Obrecht says she’s watch Nina work at Crimson. She’s smart, she’s charming, she’s fair. Obrecht has no doubt Nina will win them over, given time. Nina thanks Obrecht for her vote of confidence, and Obrecht says she enjoys seeing Nina thrive. Speaking of which, she brought Nina a gift. She slides a case over, and Nina opens it. Obrecht says, it’s Japanese. Nina takes out a sheathed knife, and Obrecht says, it’s called a tanto. On a day to day basis, Nina can use it to open her mail, but in emergencies… Nina unsheathes it, and says, she can use it to defend her turf? Obrecht says, it’s always good to be prepared.

At Charlie’s on the phone, Kristina talks to a vendor. She says she knows they have a long relationship with Charlie’s, but if they can’t make the delivery by the end of the day tomorrow, they’ll take their business elsewhere… That’s what she thought they’d say. Thank you. Sonny comes in and applauds, saying, she handled that nicely. Now he knows why Phyllis promoted her to manager. Actually, that’s why he came by. He wanted to congratulate her in person. She thanks him, but says she has to ask. Phyllis is Sonny’s friend. Did he put Phyllis up to promoting her? He says, not at all. She’s earned it. She works hard, and he’s very proud of her. She thanks him, and says she has a good example to follow.

Spinelli says, Britt can’t go out with Cody again, and Britt asks who he is to tell her who she can and can’t go out with? He says he’s in earnest. She must resist spurious entreaties. She says, what? Plain English, Spinelli. He says, believe him. She must not see Cody Bell again.

Sam says, Cody is telling her that he had no idea Spinelli was giving him a dirty look the entire time he was talking to Britt? Cody says, maybe he doesn’t like cowboys. Maybe he should find Spinelli and clear the air. Maxie says she knows Spinelli is quirky, and he’s an acquired taste, and it takes time to warm up to him, but he’s the father of her daughter, so please don’t give him a hard time. He’s kind of sensitive. Cody promises he’ll go easy on Spinelli. Being new in town, the last thing he wants to do is create an enemy. He leaves, and Sam tells Maxie, spill. Spinelli’s been acting squirrely for weeks now. Does she know why? Does she know what he’s up to?

Brook asks if Dante has been a detective so long he sees conspiracies everywhere. Is it that hard to believe she just wants to help further Chase’s music career as a pop star? Dante says, yeah, it is. The way he sees it, this is less about Chase about more about her trying to stick it to her former manager. Is he getting warm?

Chase asks what makes Linc think Brook is up to something, and Linc says, he told Chase; he knows her. It’s right there in her music. Some people write vague lyrics, or lyrics with metaphors, but not BLQ. In her songs, she wears her heart on her sleeve. It’s in every note, every line. She’s looking for love, and he’s telling Chase, she thinks she’s found it – in him.

Michael is parked next to a dumpster, and Dex gets in his car. Michael says, be quick; he has a graduation to attend. Dex says, this couldn’t wait, and Michael wonders if it’s worth the risk of being seen together. Dex says he knows what he’s doing. He made sure no one followed him. Michael asks, what’s up? and Dex says, after what Michael’s dad asked him to do, he deserves a raise.

Willow tries to look for her test results on the hospital computer, but it says, pending. She says, damn, when Ava approaches, and asks if something is wrong.

Sonny says, Kristina’s mother is good role model. It’s amazing how she turned her life around, and made a legitimate success of The Invader. Kristina says she agrees about her mom and The Invader, but she wasn’t talking about her; she was talking about Sonny. He laughs, and says, that’s nice. According to Michael, he’s a traitor who turned his back on his family, and Josslyn feels the same way. Dante is stuck in the middle. He’s trying to keep the peace. She says she can’t speak for any of them, but she knows she wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for him. He stood by her when she turned her back on the family, and bought into Dawn of Day. Sonny refused to give up on her, even when she hated him for it. He opened her eyes and showed her who really loved her versus who was just using her. No way she’ll ever turn her back on him. He says her support means a lot, but… She asks, what is it? and he says, she seemed very careful not to mention Nina.

Nina says, leave it to her Aunt Liesl to say congratulations with samurai steel. Hopefully, she’ll never have to use it in anger. Obrecht says she’s confident Nina will make a success of her new venture. That it’s coming at Carly’s expense? Consider that a bonus. But don’t kid yourself. Carly isn’t the kind to just turn the other cheek. Nina says she didn’t buy Carly’s half of the MetroCourt out of spite, and Obrecht says she knows that. She also knows how deeply it wounded Nina when she found out Willow is carrying one more grandchild for Carly to love. Nina says, it’s just a reminder that the universe is always looking out for Carly, and Obrecht says, now that Nina knows that, maybe she should stop apologizing for falling for Carly’s husband.

Britt says she just doesn’t understand why her love life, or lack thereof, is so important to Spinelli, and he tells her not to be distracted by his motivations. Stay away from Cody. There’s too much at stake. She says, for who? and he says, actually, it’s for whom. She says, enough with the grammar lessons. What is he so afraid of? He tells her, who says he’s afraid of anything? He’s just expressing concern for a friend. She says she doesn’t understand him. He begged her to give Society Set-Ups a shot. She did, and they matched her with Cody, who, much to her surprise, didn’t turn out to be as horrible as she thought he’d be. But now that he wants a second date, Spinelli is all of a sudden telling her to run as fast as she can? He says, exactly. Don’t look back. She asks, why? What business is it of his? What does he know about Cody that she doesn’t? Cody comes in and sees them.

Maxie asks, what makes Sam think something is going on with Spinelli? and Sam says, when she and Dante were with Cody, Spinelli was acting strangely, as if he owed Cody money. He couldn’t rush out fast enough. Maxie says, Sam knows Spinelli. He’s really shy until he gets to know someone. Sam says, really? She doesn’t think Spinelli was shy about encouraging Britt to date again and getting back on the horse. And who better to do that with than the horse expert Cody? Maxie tells her, despite what the matchmaker says, things don’t work out for everyone, and Sam says, right. Maxie asks if something is going on. Is something wrong with Sam and Dante?

Brook says, it’s not that she doesn’t trust Dante, they just have different views of what is and isn’t… He says, legal? and she tells him, she was going to say appropriate. He says, if she doesn’t want to tell him, that’s fine; it’s her decision. But this involves Chase, and because she’s a Quartermaine, she has that gene that compels her to be plotting and scheming and stuff. She says, if he thinks that insults her, it doesn’t, and he says he’s not trying to insult her. He’s just trying to let her know that Chase doesn’t have that gene. And if Chase has a chance of getting his badge back, Dante doesn’t want to see him blow it.

Chase says, Linc doesn’t know Brook as well as he thinks, because their relationship is strictly professional. Linc says, for Chase, sure, but Brook isn’t going to go through all this trouble just to win a competition over who gets to manage him. Take it from someone who knows. He let his heart rule his brain when he first met her. That’s another reason Chase should sign with him and not with Brook. When you mix business with romance, it never ends well. Chase and Brook look at each other.

Michael says, they set Dex’s pay rate when he took the deal. Dex knew what the job was when he signed up. Dex says he’s not talking about undermining Michael’s father. His eyes were wide open on that when he took the job, but no one said anything about threatening civilians. Michael says he never asked Dex to threaten anybody, and Dex says, no, but his daddy did.

Willow tells Ava that nothing is wrong. She’s graduating from nursing school in a couple of hours, and she’s wrapping up some loose ends. She starts to leave, but Ava says, wait. She wants to congratulate Willow on graduating nursing school; that’s quite an accomplishment. GH is very lucky to have her. Willow thanks her, and asks why she has the feeling Ava wants something from her. Ava says, Willow is as preceptive as she is dedicated. They’ve had a member of the household at Windymere go missing. She disappeared from the island last night, and nobody’s heard from her. She’s been troubled, so they’re all a little concerned. Willow says she’s sorry to hear about that, but she doesn’t know how she can help. Ava says, if she’d been in some kind of accident, she probably would have been brought here, right? Willow says she can check recent admissions. Last night? Ava says, that’s right. She’d just hate to think of the poor girl lying helpless in the ER, or worse, the morgue.

Kristina says she should get back to work, and Sonny says, in other words, she doesn’t want to talk about Nina. He’s not there to get Kristina’s blessing. He knows Nina hurt their family, and he’s not saying she should be okay with that. She says, good, because he’s right; she’s not okay with it. Losing him was one of the hardest things she’s ever had to face. Losing Morgan still causes her grief. He was her little brother, but he wasn’t her dad. When Sonny came home, it was nothing short of a miracle, but Nina could have spared them six months of pan and suffering. (It was nine, but I’ll let it pass.) He says, no one knows it better than he does; only Nina, he would say. Kristina says, she doesn’t like what Nina did, but who is she to throw stones? She’s made some bad calls, and done things she wishes she could take back, so she’s not judging Nina or him. He says, her respect and opinion really matters to him, and she says, he seems to be avoiding the real question. Does Nina matter to him?

Nina tells Obrecht, the idea of Carly bouncing yet another grandchild on her knee on knee when she can’t even see Wiley triggered something in her. She’s going to go after what she wants, and she’s not going to feel bad about it. And anyone who has a problem with it, too bad for them. Obrecht says, that’s the spirit. Now there’s nothing to keep Nina and Sonny apart… Is there? Nina says, Sonny made it very clear Carly will always be in their lives. She is going to be the third person at their table for two. He claims he’s found some kind of peace with that, and unless she doesn’t the same… Obrecht says, Sonny is damn lucky to have Nina in his life. It’s up to him to tell Carly to find her own table for one, and if he can’t or won’t do that, Nina needs to walk away right now.

Britt says, if Spinelli is worried about her dating Cody because he has inside information, she’s entitled to know about it. Cody joins them, and says he thought his ears were burning. Is there a problem? Britt says, you tell me. Spinelli is warning her away from him. Spinelli says, it’s for her own good, and Cody says he knows Spinelli is friends with Sam and Dante, but what did he ever do to Spinelli? Spinelli says, as if Cody didn’t know, and Cody says, if that’s how Spinelli is going to play it, might as well put their cards on the table, and tell Britt what’s really going on.

Sam tells Maxie, things have never been better between her and Dante. Actually, Dante asked her to move in with him. Maxie says, that’s big news, and Sam asks if it surprises her, but she says, no, not at all. She sees how happy they are. It’s just that every step Dante takes with Sam, it’s one step he takes away from Lulu. She knows there’s no change in Lulu’s condition, and gets that Dante has to move on with his life… Forget she said anything. Let’s talk more about this idea of cohabiting. Are Rocco and Dante going to move into her townhouse, or are they going to move into his house, or are they going to… Sam says, slow down. It was just an idea. They haven’t told the kids yet. Maxie says she’s seen Rocco with Danny and Scout; they get along great. And if Dante wants to merge their two families, what more is there to talk about? This is something Sam wants too, right? Sam says she can’t get the image of Cody going after Spinelli out of her head. She feels like he needs back-up right now, so she’s going to go. She jets, and Maxie follows.

Brook says, Chase isn’t as squeaky clean as Dante is making him sound. He told a whole bunch of lies to a whole bunch of people when he pretended to be Bailey’s father. And what about the time he and Sasha pretended to have an affair to push Michael and Willow together to prevent Nelle from getting custody of Wiley? Dante says, Brook is proving his point. Chase sacrificed himself for the greater good. He punched Valentin in the face to defend Brook. Now he’s derailed his career by doing the same thing with Linc. She says, he doesn’t need to remind her of the million ways she owes Chase. That’s why she’s trying to help him with his music career to pay him back. If he doesn’t believe her, that’s his problem, not hers.

Chase tells Linc that he’s got it all wrong. Brook is way too smart to mix business with romance. Linc says he thought he was too smart too, until he met Brook. Stick with him, and kick BLQ to the curb. In 30 days, when he launches Chase’s career, Chase will forget he even knew her, and Chase will thank him for it. Chase looks at Brook again.

Michael wonders what his dad asked Dex to do, and Dex says, Sonny is hoping for a certain outcome at Trina Robinson’s trial. Michael says, Trina is his sisters best friend and a great young women. She’s being charged for a crime she didn’t commit; he wants her exonerated too. Dex says, Sonny isn’t just hoping for that outcome. He wants Dex to guarantee the jury comes back with a verdict of not guilty. Michael asks if he gave Dex specific instructions as to how, and Dex nods. Michael says, he had Dex pressure a juror, and Dex says, Michael got it on the first guess. Jury tampering is a felony, but he followed orders and did as he was asked.

Willow thinks Ava can rest easy. No Jane Doe was admitted in the last 24 hours. If Ava wants to give her the name of the young woman, she can double-check on her specifically. A doctor comes to the desk, and asks if Willow has the file he requested. She says she got his message, and goes to get it. Ava leans over to look at the screen, but doesn’t see Esme’s name. Willow comes back, and says she hopes Ava considers it a positive sign that nothing bad has happened to the young woman who vanished from Windymere. Ava says, they wouldn’t want that. She’s learned the hard way, life is short. You never know when your number’s up, do you? Willow excuses herself, and Ava wonders, what was that about?

Sonny says, Kristina knows him well enough to know Nina matters to him. They were on the verge of seeing where that was going to take them, and had to come to the reality that what they had in Nixon Falls isn’t what they have in Port Charles. It was like they were in their little bubble out there. Kristina says, but that’s the thing. He wasn’t alone there. He just didn’t know it, but Nina did. He says, fair enough, but Carly isn’t going anywhere. She’s Donna’s mother, and she’ll always be a part of his life, forever. He can face that reality, but he doesn’t know of Nina can. Kristina says she still feels horrible about the role she played in his divorce. She was the one who convinced him that Carly wasn’t going to show up to The Haunted Star that night. If she’d just kept her mouth shut, Sonny wouldn’t have given up so easy, and turned to Nina, and maybe he and Carly would still be married. He says he wants her to understand something. He did everything he could to go after Carly. He takes her hand, and tells her that she can’t blame herself at all. We make choices; we have to live by them. She says, all she wants is for him to be happy. It would be a shame for him to come back to them and not grab life with both hands and make the most of it. And if that means Nina for him, so be it.

Nina tells Obrecht, she’s being realistic. Donna isn’t even in kindergarten yet. Sonny and Carly are going to be co-parents forever – and ever. She didn’t want to buy the MetroCourt. She bought it so she could give it back to Carly. Carly refused, so she kept it for herself, even though she knew it was one more reason for Carly to keep a target on her. When she and Sonny were in Nixon Falls, it was easier. They were isolated. There weren’t all these people and problems coming between them. But she still sees that man, that man she fell for, and wanted in the worst way. Obrecht takes her hand, and says, that was then. Knowing what Nina knows now, does she still want Sonny?

Britt says, don’t keep her in suspense. What do Spinelli and Cody know that she doesn’t? Cody says, isn’t it obvious? when Maxie and Sam join them. Sam asks, what’s obvious? and Cody tells Spinelli, it’s no use, my friend. They’re going to find out sooner or later. Mr. Spinelli here doesn’t want him and Britt to be a match. Britt asks, why is that? and Cody says, because Spinelli wants her all to himself.

Dante says, if Brook means what she says, she’ll leave Chase out of whatever revenge scheme she has planned for Linc. Chase deserves better.

Linc says, this is how he’s going to turn Chase into a star. First, they’re going to book a studio and record Chase singing one of Brook’s songs; they’ll make that his signature song. Then, they’ll promote the hell out of it all over social media. He’ll sing at The Savoy to season himself as a performer, and build anticipation for his big splash at The Mercury Lounge. And then… Brook comes over, and says she’s been thinking. They should just call off this competition.  

Michael says, if his father was convinced of jury tampering, he’d only have himself to blame, and Dex says, all they have to do is find a third party to tip off the judge while he’s waiting for the jury to come back with a verdict. Michael says, Dex is going to get that bonus – he’s earned it – but he can’t tip off the authorities about his father.

Ava says she doesn’t want to pry, but is Willow sure she’s all right? Willow says, just a touch of morning sickness. Ava knows how it goes through the first trimester. Ava says, Willow is pregnant, and Willow says, either that or she’s developing a strange craving for pickles and pancakes. Ava says, that’s wonderful news. She’s sure everybody must be so thrilled, and Willow says, this baby is a gift for the entire family, which makes her the happiest person in the whole world. She bursts into tears, and Ava holds her and asks, is something going on beyond the baby?

Dex says he doesn’t understand. He just gave Michael the perfect opportunity to nail his old man, but he refuses to pull the trigger? Why? Michael says, he wants to take Sonny down, but not at Trina’s expense, and Dex asks, what’s the big deal? There’s a new trial, and Trina gets another day in court. Michael says, and put Trina through the stress of another trial, and her family? Not to mention, his sister Josslyn is the victim here. Maybe the jury was ready to acquit anyway. Dex says, but what if they were ready to convict? This way, Trina gets another chance, and Sonny goes directly to prison. Michael says, Dex is going to get his bonus, but he’s not going to risk this. Dex says, whatever; it’s Michael’s call. He gets out of the car, and Michael says, wait. If there’s a silver lining in all this, Dex proved himself to Sonny. It gets him a step closer, so next time… Dex says, if there is a next time. This all hinges on whether the jury got the message or not.  

Sonny says, Kristina’s support means everything to him. Can he get a hug? She hugs him, and he asks what he did to earn this kind of love and loyalty. She says, besides being loving and loyal to her? Not just with the Dawn of Day thing, but he didn’t judge her about Parker. He was upset when she tried to bribe her professor and got kicked out of Wesleyan, but he didn’t judge her when her partner was a woman. He shakes his head, and she says she knows she can always count on him to be there, no matter how hard she tries to push him away. He says, it looks like we’re stuck with each other, kid, and Kristina says, looks like it. They laugh, and hug again.

Nina tells Obrecht, she just asked herself that question; does she still want Sonny? And the answer is yes, probably more than ever. Obrecht says, it’s nice to see Nina this happy, but still, be careful. Wanting Sonny and having him all to herself are not the same thing. The man has five children. Not to mention, Sonny’s ex is never really an ex. They’ve split up more times than she can count, and they’ve always gotten back together. The pattern is consistent; they could get back together again. Then where will Nina be? Nina thanks Obrecht, and says she hears Obrecht’s warning loud and clear. They get up, and hug. Nina says she loves Obrecht and thanks her for the talk. Obrecht says, whatever Nina decides, make sure her little gift is never far away. She leaves, and Nina takes the knife out of its sheath and looks at it.

Dante asks what he missed, and Sam says, Cody just made the craziest suggestion. Maxie says, Cody thinks the reason Spinelli doesn’t want Britt to date Cody, is because Spinelli wants Britt all to himself, and Britt says, as if. Maxie says, no offense, but it’s kind of funny; Britt and Spinelli? Spinelli says, it’s a preposterous proposition, and Cody says, come on, little boy, let’s go talk this man to man, pushing Spinelli into the next room.  

Chase tells Brook that he doesn’t understand. Why the change of heart? Cancel the competition? She was the one who decided… She tells him, she knows what she said, but if he feels exploited, like they’re just two dogs fighting over the same juicy bone, now’s the time to call it quits. Linc laughs, and she asks, what’s so funny? He tells Chase, what did he say? He’ll be in touch. He leaves, and Brook asks, what was that about? Chase says, him… and her.

Willow tells Ava, she’s so sorry about that. She doesn’t know how she lost it like that. Ava says, Willow doesn’t have to explain to her. She’s been there. Willow says, that’s right. Ava knows the joy of feeling that little life inside you… the agony you feel when… Ava says, you lose it. Their situations were very different, but still, losing a child, no matter what the age, is devastating. She would give anything to be there to protect her darling Kiki, but she’s so grateful for every day that she has with Avery. She’s determined to do whatever she needs to keep Avery happy and safe. She’s sure Willow feels exactly the same about Wiley and the new baby. Michael joins them, and asks if Willow is okay. She says, she’s fine, but he says, she’s not fine; he can see it in her face. He asks Ava, what did you do to her? but Willow says, he’s got it wrong. Ava didn’t do anything to upset her. They were just talking about children, and her hormones got the better of her. Ava says, she heard the good news; congratulations. Michael thanks her, and Willow thanks her for the talk. Ava says, her pleasure. She knows Willow is going to take excellent care of her baby, but don’t forget to take care of herself too. Ava leaves, and Michael asks what Ava meant by that. Is there something he should know?

Ava’s phone rings, and she sees it’s Nikolas. She asks what he wants.

Maxie says, they know Spinelli has been lonely since Ellie left him, and Sam says, maybe that’s why he seems so interested in Britt’s love life. Britt says, they’re both wrong. Spinelli is not interested in her. He’s into Brandi. Dante asks, who’s Brandi? and Britt says, the woman he’s dating from Society Set-Ups. He showed Britt her photo. She’s a bombshell who speaks three languages; Elvish, Klingon, and Dothraki? Maxie says, no. She’s the mother of Spinelli’s only child. If he were dating someone, she would know. Dante says, something seems off with this whole thing. He’s going to check it out. He leaves, and Britt says, they’re both Spinelli’s friends. Why would he go on and on about this Brandi lady, if he’s not really dating her? Sam says she doesn’t think there is a Brandi. What are the chances of a bombshell speaking three made up languages? Maxie says, maybe Spinelli is trying to make Britt jealous, and Britt says, so she’s saying Cody is right, and Spinelli is interested in her? No.

In a private area, Cody tells Spinelli, sit, and pushes him into a chair. Spinelli says he doesn’t know what they have to discuss, and Cody says, Spinelli can start by thanking him. Spinelli says he’s supposed to thank Cody for lying to Britt, claiming she’s his destiny and love? Cody says, yeah, doofus. Think about the alternative. Spinelli tells her the truth. He imitates Spinelli, and says, yeah, uh, Britt, that cowboy you’re all hot for? He wasn’t selected by a matchmaker. I actually arranged it because he threatened to expose I am the genius behind Society Set-Ups. Spinelli tells him to keep his voice down, and Cody says, and Zelda? She’s just a front. The real matchmaker is an algorithm that Searches all sorts of private accounts of unsuspecting citizens, not just the people who sign up for the service. Does Spinelli think Britt wants to hear that? What does Spinelli think the NSA is going to say when they find out he’s been doing unauthorized data mining? Violating privacy? Breaching unauthorized data systems? Spinelli says, Cody wouldn’t… would he? Cody says, that depends on Spinelli.

Brook says, Chase should know by now not to believe a word Linc says, and Chase says, don’t worry. He told Linc that he had it all wrong. He said Brook had feelings for Chase. She laughs, and says, Linc actually said that? He tells her, Linc said she can’t separate business from romance, which is why he would make a better fit as Chase’s manger. Brook says, that man has no shame. He’s the one who sexually harassed her, and now he’s claiming she’d do the same thing to Chase? He says, Linc didn’t phrase it exactly like that. He just thinks she cares too much. She asks if he doesn’t see what that means, and he says, no, but he supposes she’s going to tell him.

At Charlie’s, Dex asks Kristina if she can tell him if his boss is here, and she says, she’ll bite. Who’s his boss? He sees Sonny behind the bar, and says, there he is. Kristina asks if Sonny knows this guy, and Dex asks if she’s another bodyguard. Kristina says, no; she’s his daughter. Sonny says, Dex is a new hire, and thanks her again for having his back. She goes to the bar, and Dex says he’d like to do a little digging; see where the jury stands. Sonny says he has informants at the courthouse. From what he hears, the jury’s still out. Nina comes in, and smiles at Sonny.

Maxie tells Britt not to worry about Spinelli, and Sam says, she and Maxie have been friends with him for a while. They’ll take care of him. Britt should focus on Cody. She thinks if Britt wants to give him another chance, she should do that. If not, kick that cowboy to the curb.

Cody says, Spinelli got himself into this mess. The way he sees it, there are only two ways to get out. Spinelli says he’s pretty sure he doesn’t want to hear what they are, and Cody says, option one. Spinelli comes clean with Britt, and gets ready for Society Set-Ups to go belly up when those Feds investigate the invasion of privacy, and all those other security breaches. Spinelli says, and the other option? and Cody says, make everyone believe his cover story. Spinelli needs to convince everyone that he’s crushing on Britt.

Brook tells Chase, isn’t it obvious? Their plan must be working. He says, she just told him that she wanted to cancel the competition, but she says, not now. Linc is getting desperate. If he thinks she just wants to jump into bed with Chase, that’s ludicrous. He must be feeling threatened. He says, so they just continue as planned? and she says, unless he wants out. He says, not unless she does, and she says, not when they’re this close… to winning. Right? He says, right.  

Sonny says, Dex can leave. Sonny will call if he needs him. Dex leaves, and Nina says, hi. Kristina tells her, welcome. She figures Nina would like some time alone with her dad, so she’s going to check on something in the kitchen. Nina thanks her, and she goes in the back. Nina asks if Sonny heard that; Kristina was almost polite to her. She figured Kristina would tell her to go take a hike. Sonny says he has a very complicated, loving relationship with Kristina. They’ve had a few bumps in the road, but they always have each other’s backs. Nina says she’s happy Kristina isn’t turning against him like Michael did, and he says, if she’s there to see Phyllis, Phyllis isn’t there, but she says, that’s okay. She thinks he’ll do just fine.

On the phone, Ava says she’s not going to tell Nikolas where she spent the night. He lost the right to know her whereabouts when he slept with his son’s witch of a girlfriend. Speaking of Esme, she has good and bad news. Esme’s not in the ER or the GH morgue. The bad news is she could be anywhere. Bye.

Michael tells Willow, talk to him, and she flashes back to Ava saying she’s grateful for every minute with Avery. She’s going to do whatever she can to keep her happy and safe. Willow says, believe it or not, Ava was very helpful. She’s more convinced than ever that she needs to do what’s best for their baby, and she will, whatever it takes. She hugs him.

Tomorrow, Dante tells Sam that he wants to make something perfectly clear; Ava says she’s giving Nikolas what he wants; Felicia asks if Anna ever found out what Valentin is up to; and Nina tells Sonny, their relationship has changed.

Below Deck Mediterranean

When we last left, Captain Sandy said, The docking was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and Raygan was called to the bridge. The captain says, on the first charter, they were down two people, but she could see Raygan’s lack of experience. This charter, she has a full team and it was complete chaos. It’s obvious Raygan hasn’t run a deck crew in a boat this busy of this size. Raygan starts babbling about how now that she knows the ins and outs, she thinks she should do better, but Captain Sandy says, it’s the final straw. When they were docking, Raygan said she had three meters when she had less than one and a half. That’s a big thing for her, so she’s letting Raygan go. If she had the time and wasn’t running a boat this size, she’d train and teach Raygan. She’ll give Raygan a recommendation, and suggests she work under a strong bosun. She truly hopes Raygan pursues her career because she wants to see more women on deck and on the bridge. Raygan thanks her, and the captain tells her, don’t give up. Go be a deckhand under a strong bosun on a busy charter boat. Raygan leaves, and Captain Sandy says, that was hard. Raygan asks for her luggage, and Tasha calls Storm, asking him to get Raygan’s suitcase. Raygan tells Tasha that Captain Sandy just sacked her. Apparently, she’s not strong enough for the deck. Tasha says she’s sorry. She doesn’t know what to say. They hug, and Storm wonders why Raygan needs her suitcase, and Raygan says, apparently, she’s not experienced enough, so she’s been sacked. Word spreads, and in Jason’s interview, he says, sounds about right. The day she had a hangover, and took off the whole day, he loved it. Storm hopes they can find someone in two days, and Mzi says, it’s going to be intense. Raygan says goodbye to everyone, and in her interview, she says, she feels sad to leave under these circumstances. It’s a bad feeling, like she hasn’t achieved what she was supposed to. She’s trying to keep positive, and see what happens in the future. Tasha tells Kyle hat she hates when someone is fired, and in Kyle’s interview, he says he thinks there are going to be challenges for the exterior, as opposed to the interior’s power team.  

The crew cleans the boat, and when Tasha opens the oven, she gets steam in her eye. Dave trots after her to the bathroom with a cold compress. In Tasha’s interview, she says, when they first met, they had fun and laughed, but now he’s suffocating her. Captain Sandy calls Storm to the bridge, and Natalya pins a paper that says, Third Stew Kyle, on Kyle’s shirt. The captain tells Storm that she needs a bosun who has experience on the lines. It can be dangerous, and it’s important that she feels she can trust them. She’d love to offer him the position of provisional bosun, and he says, bosun is his goal. She tells him to figure out a schedule, and he says he has something planned in his head already. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, it’s difficult to find a great bosun. She saw Storm’s potential and how he took command. She’s giving him the opportunity to show he can be bosun, but she needs to make sure he can lead a team. That’s why it’s provisional. Storm tells the other deckhands, and says, he’s over the moon, but it’s terrifying. Mzi says they have his back, and Captain Sandy radios the crew to meet in the main salon. She says, everybody knows she let Raygan go. It wasn’t easy; it was gut-wrenching. For now, Storm will be stepping in as provisional bosun. He’s going to show her what he’s got. Everyone applauds, and in his interview, Storm says, it’s been a dream of his, and he feels emotional. He’s been working hard, and has to rely on his experience. He needs to keep a calm head, and show the captain that she made the right decision. Captain Sandy tells them that the new female deckhand is arriving the first day of charter.

Dave texts Tasha, asks if they can talk, but she ignores him. In Dave’s interview, he says he has no idea where he’s standing with Tasha. She runs from any approach he makes, and he’s scared to confront her because he’s scared to lose her. He texts that he can’t do this. The crew wraps it up, and changes to go out. In Natalya’s interview, she says, she thinks something is going to happen with Storm, but she doesn’t know when. She tries to say, it’s inevitable, and fails miserably. They take taxis to the restaurant, ordering espresso martinis all around, except for Dave, who broods and says he’ll have a beer. Mzi sits in between Tasha and Natalya, and Dave says he’s jealous. Kyle says, if a newcomer thinks they can get between him, Tasha, and Natalya – the third stew – they’re highly mistaken. There’s a discussion about which cabin the new crew members will take, and Dave tells Tasha that not being able to go into detail is stressing him out. They need to talk. She gives him a hard no, and he says, it’s a joke. It’s driving him nuts that this is consistently going on. They all leave, and go to a club. In Jason’s interview, he says he doesn’t know his flirting style. He’s an introvert after the initial introduction. He’s either a fish out of water or a huge p*ssy. Mzi and Storm go for a smoke, and Storm tells Mzi some plans in his head. Mzi suggests he stop saying I; don’t make it about himself. In Mzi’s interview, he says, while he’s never been in Storm’s position, he felt the pressure last season just stepping on board. We flash back to the yacht education of Mzi, and a producer asks if Mzi’s nerves are gone now. He says he’s getting there. He and Storm bro hug, and Natalya dances on the bar. Dave hunts down Tasha, and says he wants to chat. He asks her not to hate him, and she says she doesn’t, but he says she seems uncomfortable. She literally can’t be around him, and he deserves more. She tells him, they’re not in a relationship, and she doesn’t play games. He says he asked her about it, but she didn’t message back, and she says, they work 20 hours a day. He says, she has time to read his messages, but she says, she should never feel like she has to answer to anyone. He tells her not to lead him on, and she says she’s not. He insists she is, and she walks away. Dave tells Storm that he’s potentially lost one of the best things that’s happened to him. Tasha gets in a taxi, and heads back to the boat, and Dave starts asking everyone if they’ve seen her. In Tasha’s interview, she says, the fact is, they’re sharing a cabin. She doesn’t know what to do about this.

The rest of the crew continues to drink and dance. Dave continues to text Tasha, asking where she is. On the boat, she moves some stuff to a guest cabin, and he texts, this is really not cool. The crew decide to call it a night, and in the taxi, Dave says, this needs to be over now. Natalya wonders what secrets Storm’s mustache is hiding, and they kiss. In Storm’s interview, he says, it’s been a wonderful day. They got a big tip, the charter guests are off the boat, and he’s just kissed the most beautiful woman in the world. A producer says, and he got a promotion, and he says he forgot. Dave sees Tasha isn’t in their cabin, and he says he’s over it. He’s been saving her rotten secret the whole time. He calls her, and she ignores it. Natalya bites at Storm, and he says he’s not an apple. Dave starts to rage text Tasha, saying he’s going to tell everyone if she doesn’t, calling her a slut, and telling her, f*** you. Kyle goes to the guest cabin, and asks, what’s going on? Tasha explains that she and Dave hooked up on their last boat. Kyle says he knew it, and she shows him the messages Dave’s been sending. In her interview, she says, when you hook up, you have a level of trust in the person. Now he’s sending her messages calling her names. Dave texts, goodbye rotten secret. You deserve this. Kyle says, that sh*t is stopping now, and Tasha says, Dave is psycho. In Kyle’s interview, he says he’s seen the type of person Dave is. We flash back to Dave trying to start something with Jason, and Jason saying, it’s a power move. Dave’s not getting the girl, so he’s trying to be the alpha. Kyle finds Dave in a ball in the bathroom, and Dave says he caused damage with his behavior that he can’t take back. Natalya and Storm kiss in her bunk, and Kyle comes in, covering his eyes. He tells them that Dave is having anxiety, and Storm suggests telling him to go to bed, and stop this sh*t now. Storm goes to find Dave, and asks if he’s all right. Dave says he’s feeling like sh*t. He and Tasha have been hooking up for the last two months. Storm says he already put that two and two together, and Dave says, the whole thing is frustrating because no one understands what’s going on, but he’s had enough. F*** her. He doesn’t deserve it. He’s been nothing but good to her. Storm says, this is toxic, and somehow gets Dave to go back to bed. Kyle stays with Tasha, suggesting they watch something funny. Storm goes back to Natalya’s cabin, and says, Dave and Tasha have been sleeping with each other for two months; it’s a big secret. Dave looks at photos of him and Tasha on his phone, and Natalya reminds Storm that there are two sides to every story, but Storm says he’s agreeing with Tasha.

Storm tells Mzi about Tasha and Dave, and Tasha tells Kyle, it’s going be hell having to work with him. Kyle says she’s overthinking it, and in Dave’s interview, he says he doesn’t remember what happened, but he knows he f***ed up. Regardless of being drunk and not remembering, what he said in the texts was unforgivable. You don’t talk like that even if people are in the wrong. Tasha tells Kyle that she’s trying to figure out how to get her stuff from the cabin. In Natalya’s interview, she says, she doesn’t know if she and Storm are having small romance or something else. She’s taking it day by day. Jason tells Storm, if they can be professional, go for it. Tasha goes into the cabin where Jason is lying on the bottom bunk, and heads straight into the bathroom. Kyle goes to the crew mess, and says he needs endless amounts of water and coffee today. Tasha gets her stuff, and leaves without talking to Dave. Storm says, when he got up this morning, he forgot he had to be bosun. In Jason’s interview, he thinks there’s going to be more order, and people will know what they’re doing. He expects Storm will act like a bosun, and he thinks it’s going to be good. Tasha talks to Natalya, saying, she’s obviously the one who brought this on, but Natalya says, it’s takes two to tango. It doesn’t matter what happened in the past; Dave had no right to talk to her that way. Tasha apologizes for the disruption she caused, and Natalya hugs her. Storm asks Mzi to be with him on the stern, and in his interview, Storm says he’s nervous. He knows he still needs to learn a lot, but he’s worked on a lot of boats, and they’ve shaped him to be who he is. He feels it’s a big mountain he has to climb, but he has the right set of boots on. Kyle and Tasha discuss what habit in a partner would send them over the edge, and in Kyle’s interview, he says, before he came out, he had a 12 year relationship. It was challenging because his whole life was a secret. It was tough when he was left for a woman, but when you lay manure first, you get the best veggies. Tasha says, they should enjoy being single.

Dave looks at the text he sent, and sighs. He cries in the bathroom, and Kyle asks, what’s wrong? Dave says he’s having an anxiety attack, and Kyle tells Captain Sandy. He says, Dave is a bit emotional, and he was hoping she could have a word with him. The captain goes to the bathroom where Dave is, and asks if he’s okay. She tells him to breathe, and he says his mind is literally out of control. She tells him, keep breathing, and he says, this hasn’t happened in a long time. He thought he had it under control. Captain Sandy says she thinks something made it surface; the lack of sleep, and the intense work environment. He says he can’t sleep. He can’t switch it off. She suggests they go for a walk and look at the water. Storm says, you can’t make this sh*t up, and tells Jason what’s going on. Mzi says he thinks it’s just emotions from previous things, and Captain Sandy takes Dave to sit on the dock. She asks, what’s going on? and he says he’s ashamed. She says, he’s human, and he says he sent Tasha texts she didn’t deserve; he was mean. The captain thinks they should change cabins, and says she’ll talk to Tasha. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, she’s not sure what happened, but as captain, it’s her obligation to make sure Tasha feels safe. That’s more important than anything. She goes back to the boat, and radios Tasha to come to the bridge. She tells Tasha that she doesn’t know the story, and Tasha says, Dave sent her texts that were not nice, but she feels she caused this mess. The captain says, it’s not her fault. People make their own decisions. Tasha says, the situation was that she’d just come out of a five year relationship. She and Dave had a thing, then she didn’t want anything else to happen, so there’s been upsetting things. Captain Sandy asks if she feels safe, and Tasha says, to be honest, she feels better. She hopes it doesn’t get out of hand, where one of them has to go, but she feels she can move on. The captain says she trusts Tasha and her judgment, so they’ll go from there. One of them does need to move out of the cabin. In Tasha’s interview, she says she’s not telling Captain Sandy about the messages. Dave is a lovely person, kind and caring. She wants the peace of mind to be able to carry on a professional work relationship, and thinks it’s best not to say anything. She says, if the captain is happy, let them carry on, and Tasha won’t let it affect anything. Captain Sandy says she already knows that, and in the captain’s interview, she says she’s not concerned if crew members had a relationship; it’s none of her business. She cares about their mental health and well-being, and getting through the season. When people go into yachting, some people are running from something, and others are looking for something. They have her support, but she’s here to do a job, and expects the same from them.

In Storm’s interview, he says, it’s his first time as a bosun. With all the boat drama, it’s important to have someone who’s passionate about what they do, and good vibes. They need to gel as a team. Captain Sandy calls Dave to the bridge, and Tasha tells Kyle that she created this mess.

Captain Sandy tells Dave that she had a conversation with Tasha, and this is not okay; it’s unacceptable. She needs to know everybody is safe. Dave admits he was out of line, and there’s no excuse for that, but asks that she please give him another chance. She says, if he does it again, he’s fired. Does he think he can get through the season? Can they reset and move on? He says, definitely, and she says she wants them to move cabins. It happens today. He says he’s sorry, and in her interview, Captain Sandy says, with interpersonal relationships on board, each crew member draws their own line, but if Tasha had said she felt threatened, she would have let Dave go. Tasha tells Kyle, she’s been in a relationship where she’s felt controlled, and it’s not nice. What she saw last night, it was like she was being owned. They’re not even in a relationship. At the same time, Dave isn’t a bad person; he was just drunk. She doesn’t know what to say to him. Kyle says she has to make him understand nothing can happen. Tell him that she needs to work on herself. There are lots of hugs and thanks. Natalya sings in the laundry about the new girl arriving. She’s ready for fresh faces.

Tasha seeks out Dave in what’s now his cabin, and he says he feels like he betrayed Tasha; he f***ed up. She says, he’s a good person, but he says he’s ashamed. The situation should never have gotten to this. She says she’s sorry she made him feel like he had to hide his stuff, and asks if he feels like they can work together professionally. Can he still do what he does best? They hug it out, and Tasha says, no hard feelings. In Tasha’s interview, she says she’s never seen Dave act this way. She doesn’t recognize him. Hopefully, he’ll never do this again.

Next time, the new stew arrives; a duel birthday celebration; Tasha needs to speak to her ex properly, and doesn’t know the right thing to do; and it looks like another close call with a dolphin (not the mammal).

🚂 Time To Relax At the Junction…

Roll on by tomorrow for soap, a cuppa tea, and a song. Until then, stay safe, stay thinking before you speak, and stay remembering, when you lay manure first, you get the best veggies.

August 5, 2022 – Deception Does Damage Control, Yesterday’s Charm, 2 Anniversaries, He’s Restless, Days Move, Kindness Please, Regrets, Sit Down, Med Captain, 50 Cent’s 2 Cents, Transformation, Who’s On, 5+5 = 10 Quotes & Here It Comes

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Chase lounges in a floatie donut in the pool. Dante comes by and says, this reminds him of a movie he saw once. Disillusioned guy spends the summer floating around in a pool so he can avoid his future. Chase says, The Graduate. It’s a good movie. The key difference is though, the main character had Simon and Garfunkel singing his confusion. Dante says, right, and Chase says, and didn’t have to pay for his pool chaise. Dante says, that’s true too. Don’t kid himself though. That guy was a lot younger than him. Chase says, thank you. Did Dante talk to his guy at the CCRB? Dante says, yeah, and Chase says, and? Is there a chance he’s getting back on the force? Dante says he’s sorry. He wishes he had better news to report.

Lucy comes into the Deception office, and tells Brook and Maxie that she’s sorry to keep them waiting. She was on the phone with Paris again and again, and she appreciates them coming to this meeting at such short notice. Maxie says she’s supposed to meet Britt for brunch, but if this is about what she thinks it’s about, Britt will forgive her. Lucy says, yeah, Sasha, and Brook says, it’s all over the news. It’s blowing up their social media. They need to release a statement. Lucy says, exactly, and Maxie says, one that protects Sasha’s privacy. Lucy says, that is a given, but they also have to consider Deception’s image and protect their company. Maxie says, more important, they help their friend, but Lucy says she’s not sure they can do both.

Martin gives Sasha some coffee, and says, it’s not Perks, but why doesn’t she try to drink it anyway; be as sharp as she can. She just stares ahead, and he says, Sasha? If she doesn’t have anything more to say, he guesses he’ll see what time transport is set for her arraignment. Outside in the squad room, Gladys arrives, and Brando hugs her. She says she brought Sasha fresh clothes. He looks like he hasn’t slept a wink. Where’s Sasha? He points to the interrogation room, and says, she’s int there conferring with her lawyer Martin Grey. She says, excellent. He’s Valentin Cassadine’s attorney; he’s high-powered. He’ll help their girl for sure. Martin comes out, and Brando asks, how’s Sasha? Martin says, she’s just great. Why shouldn’t she be? She’s only facing charges of reckless endangerment, disturbing the peace, willful destruction of property – both public and private – and oh yeah, attempted murder.

Gregory meets Alexis at some outside tables, and she says, he’s early. He says, only by a few minutes. He’s eager to hear the feedback on the op ed he wrote. She says, and so he shall. She promised to be honest. He tells her not to keep him in suspense. Who came out on top of their little wager? She says, you tell me, and hands him her tablet.

At the MetroCourt Gardens, Sam thanks Spinelli for meeting her. He says, of course (🍷). He’s always at her service. Cody walks in, and Spinelli says, unlike others, she’s entirely worthy of his time and efforts.

Cody sees Britt, and says, hello again. He sits next to her, and she says, and goodbye again, getting up. He says, come on. Don’t be like that. She doesn’t have to take off. She says, sorry. She has to go. He says, what? She needs something plugged in again? She needs to wash her hair? He knows she doesn’t need to see a guy about a horse because he’s that guy. She says, he’s right. She doesn’t need to make excuses. The simple truth is, she just doesn’t like him.

Chase says, so the Review Board is going to rule against him? and Dante says he doesn’t know about that. All he knows is, his guy on the inside, when he asked if Chase would get his badge back, he said the chances were slim. Chase asks if there’s anything he can do to derail this, and Dante says, the new member appointed by the public advocate is making a point of throwing the book at cops who step out of line, regardless of their exemplary record. Chase says, so that’s it, he’s no longer a cop, but Dante says, take it from him, you’re still a cop until you actually hand your badge in for good. There’s always hope until that happens. Chase says, hope doesn’t pay his late rent, and Dante says he’ll spot Chase rent money. Chase says he appreciates that, but he got himself into this, and he’ll get himself out. Dante says, even if it means taking a job outside the force? when Linc appears, and says, then it’s a good thing Chase has other options.

Brook scrolls on her tablet, and says, the comments are so rude. Poor Sasha. Maxie says, she kept insisting she was okay, but in retrospect, it’s clear she wasn’t. Lucy says, these media hounds are baying for blood. They’ve got to simply reset the narrative. They need to engender empathy for Sasha that maintains her position here, and hopefully placates the Board of Directors. Maxie says, they need to come up with a strategy that shields Deception from liability, while not abandoning one of their partners. Brook says, right. Where do they start? Maxie says, let’s get the ball rolling, and asks if Brook would mind taking notes. Brook says, of course (🍷) not, and Maxie says, Deception’s press release subject: Deception’s commitment on supporting health and mental well-being.

Gladys brings a garment bag in to Sasha, and asks how she’s holding up.

Alexis tells Gregory, this one says, Professor Chase’s opinion piece seems like a complaint in search of a cause, and he says, but if you scroll up, you’ll see Cronkite’s Ghost – he laughs – says his op-ed piece eloquently illuminates the necessity of objectivity. She laughs, and says, Cronkite’s Ghost. They say a handle says a lot about a person. She’s getting pompous blowhard. He asks if she’s ascribing that characterization to him, but she says, no, of course (🍷) not. Here’s one. Newshound86 thinks his op-ed piece is a dumpster fire. He says, how constructive… and poetic, and she says, this one just wants her to put the horoscopes back in. He says, he’d argue that astrology is subjective, so he marks that one in his favor. She says, by a slim margin, it appears the readers approve of his point-of-view. Cue the gloating. He says, him gloat? No. It’s enough he’s feeling validated that his so-called antiquated notions have merit. Thanks for following up. She says, a deal’s a deal, and he says, speaking of which, their deal was, if he won, she’d take more of his input on board. She wonders why the hairs on the back of her neck on end. Cue the smirk. He smiles.

Cody says, Britt hasn’t been shy about her disapproval, and she says, and yet, here he is. Haven’t they played this scene before? He says, yes, we have, but we keep screwing up the finale, and she asks what he means by we. He says, he can admit that he doesn’t always say the right things, and she asks if he expects her to say something to the contrary, but he says, no. He was just giving her the chance to admit that she’s unforgiving when it comes to human frailty. He takes a sip of his drink, and says he’ll wait. She says, by all means, help yourself.

Sam tells Spinelli that she thinks she hit a brick wall, but he’s busy staring at Britt and Cody. She says, then Felicia made a great suggestion to her. She said, think analog. He says, interesting, and she says, the documentation she needs is abroad. Is he available for a quick trip? He asks, where? and she says she was thinking Mars. She hears the planet is notorious for sloppy record keeping. He says, that’s just common knowledge, and she says, he’s not even listening to a word she’s saying, but he says, he is. Analog records… messy… Mars? She tells him, she said Mars, and the word she used is sloppy. What’s messy is him eavesdropping on Britt and Cody’s conversation. She wants him to tell her why, and no lame excuse or denial, because she’s not buying it.

Sasha comes out, and Brando her. He says he’s not going anywhere, and Gladys leads her away. Martin says he’s glad Brando’s mother brought fresh clothes; she needs to be as presentable as possible. Brando says, clothes aren’t going to do anything. Her eyes are vacant and she doesn’t look good. They need to get her out of here. Tell him, how are they going to beat these charges? Martin says, they can’t.

Cody tells Britt to look at it from his point-of-view. She tore into him about falling into the pool at the mixer. He was hired to jump, and she was standing smackdab in the middle of it. She helped him in the alley when he got beat up, but then she assumed he deserved it. He did not. Then she drenched him on their date because he went a little overboard trying to impress her. And she woudn’t even accept his apology. Then when she finally did accept his apology, she found some trivial reason to get angry at him again. It’s like she wants him to fail. He guesses if people don’t live up to her ridiculously high expectations she’s set for them, she gets to feel justified punishing them. She says, he’s right. He’s got her number. He says, he does?

Sam says, Spinelli is on good terms with Britt, so his beef must be with Cody. Why? He says, Mr. Bell is a scoundrel of ill-repute, and she asks if he realizes Cody and Dante are best friends from childhood. Leo loves the guy, as do the horses. He seems like a nice guy. What’s Spinelli’s issue with him? Spinelli says, he’s a man of many faces, and she says, meaning? He says he can read people well. Remember, he never liked Peter August. She says, nobody liked Peter August. Why doesn’t he save his incredible reading skills for the documentation they’ll be hunting down on their trip? She’d like to leave by the end of the week. He says he’s completely at her disposal stateside, but he’s too occupied with work to cross the International Dateline. She says, work. She’s so glad he brought that up. What is it he does these days?

Dante says he wasn’t talking to Linc. What does he want? Linc says, nothing to do with Dante. He has business with Dante’s friend here. Dante says, Chase is still a cop, so Chase is his partner, and Chase asks Dante to give them a second. Dante asks if Chase is kidding. This guy might be the reason he gets kicked off the force. What business could Chase possibly have with him? Linc says, standing right here, and Dante says, go stand over there. Chase tells Dante, he knows what he’s doing, and Dante says, all right. Just don’t let this punk bait him. He leaves, and Linc says, Chase gave him 30 days to show him what he can do. It hasn’t even been a week, and he’s booked Chase a gig at The Savoy. What has Brook done for him lately?

Maxie asks Brook to read that last part back, and Brook reads, together we pledge to stand up for the Deception family by breaking the stigma of mental health challenges, ensuring their partners and their families receive all the help they need. Therefore, Deception will make a one million dollar donation to help families with mental illness. Maxie says, sounds good. Just change the Deception family to our Deception family, and she thinks that’s their press release. Brook agrees, and says, Sasha’s arrest was definitely a cry for help. Hopefully, framing it this way will inspire compassion. Haters be damned. She’s going to make this change, email it to herself, and take it to PR. Maxie asks her to have legal put their eyes on it first. Then tell them to work with PR. She wants it posted on all their social media platforms as soon as possible. Brook says, she’ll make it happen, and leaves. Maxie asks if Lucy didn’t have anything she wanted to add, but Lucy says, no. Actually, everything Maxie and Brook said is fine. Lucy scarfs gummi bears as they talk, and Maxie says, she’s glad Martin is representing Sasha; he’s one of the best. And she’s not just saying that because… you know. Lucy says, my guy knows his stuff, and it’s good for Sasha’s sake, and for ours. Maxie says, ours? and Lucy says, it’s just that Martin sees the big picture, and understands how important it is to protect all of Sasha’s interests, which includes Deception. Which means they have some tough decisions to make. Maxie says, how tough? and Lucy says, Maxie’s not going to like what she has to say.

Martin tells Brando, he had a call into the DA’s office, and his contact just got back to him. Martin wanted to run something by him. Brando says, something about Sasha? and Martin says, Brando’s got to understand some things. Brando says, sounds serious, and Martin says, in the first place, he’s sorry he rattled off those charges at Brando like that. He wasn’t trying to be flippant. He’s a little punchy in the morning when he hasn’t slept, but he swears he’s taking this case seriously. He wants Brando to know, he’s looking at every possibility to help his wife; all of them. Brando thanks him, and asks if Martin was being punchy when he said they couldn’t beat some of these charges. Martin says, some of the charges he believe can be thrown out, or restitution can be made, but on some of the others, no way. They have to contend with a very damning video; a video where Sasha isn’t just out of control, she looks outright violent. All those assault charges are going to be tough to beat. Brando says, but he’ll try, right? They’ll do whatever he wants them to do. Martin says he believes Brando will, but can the same thing be said of his wife?  

Gladys wipes Sasha’s face, and Sasha pulls away. Gladys says, Sasha is still a little smudged. She’s just trying help. Sasha says, thanks, but nobody can help, and Gladys says, that’s not true. Sasha has a whole army behind her. Maxie’s been blowing up Gladys’s phone; she just hasn’t had a chance to get back to her. She’s sure Maxie and Lucy want to visit Sasha, but Sasha says she’s not. Not after what she did. Gladys asks why she did it, and Sasha says, she was standing up for herself, and she would do it again.

Gregory says, he heard Sasha Gilmore recently attacked the vehicle of one of Alexis’s reporters, and she says, Smoltz (who apparently has no first name) is a freelancer. He says, whatever Smoltz’s role at The Invader, he’s surprised there’s been no mention of it in her paper. Why is that? She says, because the story is still evolving, and they’ll cover it when they know more. Unless of course (🍷) he’d like her to report the salacious account of a spokesmodel having a nervous breakdown. He says, that’s a narrow way of looking at it, and she says, and his way? He says, the facts. A reporter – one affiliated with her paper – was attacked while doing his job.

Lucy says, maybe they should consider finding a new Face of Deception, and Maxie asks if she’s talking about pushing Sasha out, but Lucy says, no, absolutely not. Sasha is their partner, and always will be. She’s just thinking maybe Sasha should step aside as spokesperson, just for a while. Take a sabbatical or something. Maxie says, after everything Sasha has lost, Lucy wants to strip her of more, and Lucy says, it’s hard to say and hard to hear, but look at everything they’ve built; look at all this company means. All the money, everything, is tied up in its stock value. And if it goes belly-up, it’s Brokesville again; they’ll have nothing. She knows Sasha wouldn’t want that. Does Maxie? Sasha is their friend, always; this is just business. Maxie says, okay. Then as the head of this business, Lucy can tell her, and she walks out.

Gladys says, can’t the court just ask Sasha to pay for the damage to that reporter’s car? She’s good for it. Sasha says, Smoltz deserved it; so did Sienna. Pretending to be Sasha’s friend, when all along, Sienna wanted to ply her with more drugs so she could stab her in the back. She’s so sick of them. She’s tired of being exploited. Gladys says, of course (🍷) she is, but isn’t she also tired of feeling out of control?

Martin tells Brando, he doesn’t know what the hell’s going on or why, but they simply don’t have time to figure it out. For some reason, Brando’s wife has completely shut down. Every answer she gave him was model celeb, if she answered him at all. Brando says, Sasha’s in shock. Spending the night in jail didn’t help at all. Martin says, he’ll definitely ask the court to take that into consideration, but that’s not the only issue at play here, is it? He was up most of the night going over the evidence in this case, trying to wrap his head recent events, and he doesn’t have to tell Brando, it doesn’t look good. Sasha has blown up her sobriety, she’s spun out on national television… She caused a fatal car accident... Brando says, she didn’t cause that; Harmony ran out in front of her. Martin says, so what? His point is, with Sasha these days, it’s one thing after another. This is just something else in a long line of bad looks. Now, worst of all, she’s either in denial or she’s intentionally avoiding the help she so desperately needs.

Britt tells Cody, she is too hard on people; she always has been. He asks if she thinks she misses out on getting to know folks, and she says, probably. He says, it’s kind of worse that they end up missing out on knowing her, and she says, okay, this is sliding into the sappy zone. What he doesn’t understand is, she doesn’t really like people all that much, so it’s no great loss. He says he’s see how she and her buddy Brad get on, when she’s not scolding him, and she says, that weirdo? He says, besides, what’s a little sap between friends? Nothing wrong with that. Not to be presumptuous, but he has a sappy present for her. He knows they’re not friends or anything like that, but consider him a weirdo. He takes an envelope out of his pocket, and puts it on the table. He says, it’s just a little token to prove he’s not some conniving grifter, and she says, he just happened to be carrying it in case he bumped into her? Not conniving, eh? How did he know where to find her?

Spinelli assures Sam, his work is of the greatest importance. Not as important as hers of course (🍷). He has contacts all over the world who can be at her disposal. In fact, he’ll connect her with someone who can help aid in her investigation. She says, nice try. She’s not done interrogating him yet. He says, she’s an astute sleuth. Can’t she detect a dead end when she sees one? Speaking of sleuths, how are things with Detective Falconari? She says, well, he asked her to move in with him. Spinelli says, congratulations. Glad tidings… are they not?

Chase tells Linc, that’s great about The Savoy, but he’s sure Brook has some irons in the fire. Linc says, while she’s flailing around, he’s crushing it. How does a gig at The Mercury Lounge sound? Chase says, in New York City? Out of his league. That place is for the big acts. Linc says, it is, and it will be for Chase before he knows it, with Linc managing his career. It’s hard to have a serious conversation with a floatie between them. Chase gets out of the pool, and Linc hands him a towel. He says, it’s good to see Chase’s unemployment paid off with more gym time. When he’s through marketing Chase, their key demo is either going to want to be him, or want to be with him. Brook walks in, and says, Chase isn’t just a piece of meat; he’s an artist – a talented, beautiful artist. Chase gets dressed, and Brook says, he’s got talent, and smarts, and heart. Linc says, sure. He’s the total package, but he assures her, Chase’s fans will be more interested in his eyes than his IQ. His development department has put together a promotional plan for Chase. He’s also booked studio time for them to start laying down tracks with top writers and producers. After the gig at The Savoy, then they’ll focus on The Mercury Lounge. At both gigs, the concert goers will be able to stream and share his EP. They’ll be able to sell a ton of merch at The Mercury Lounge. Either way, it’s instant revenue for Chase. Chase says he could actually use the money, and Brook asks, how much is this studio time? What are they talking here? Chase says, it does sound expensive, and Linc says, you bet it is, but not for Chase; it’s part of the package. Like his styling, his wardrobe, and his voice lessons. Can Brook offer him the same? Dante watches them, and Brook says, no, but she can offer him something even better.

Britt asks if Cody is having her followed; paying people to let him know if she shows up here? He says, Maxie told him… Well, she mentioned something about brunch plans, and he took a chance. She says, it’s still invasive, and he says he hears her, but it’s still better than showing up at her hotel room or her office. He didn’t have any other options. Is she going to open it or what? She holds the envelope to her ear, and says, it’s not ticking. He says, no need. He’s blown up enough chances with her. She opens the passport and starts to read, and he says, she’s a hard woman to make arts and crafts for. He’ll totally understand if she hates it. She says she doesn’t hate it, and he says, does she think maybe they could add another stamp? Any night she’s available. She asks if there’s any way he’ll take no for an answer, and he says, statistically? Probably the same chances as her refraining from sarcasm. She says she calls the meal this time, and he says, deal.

Sam tells Spinelli, there’s so much to consider. She’s not sure about moving. She doesn’t want to uproot Scout and Danny; the penthouse is their home. He says, home is wherever she is. Doesn’t she want to live with Dante? She says she thinks things are really good the way they are. Why change it? He asks if there’s any other reason she’s hesitant to do this, when Maxie walks in, and says, hey guys. She’s having a morning. Is she interrupting if she sits? Sam says, not at all, and Spinelli says, have a seat. Britt says she never would have figured Cody for being the arts and crafts type, and Maxie says, it looks like Britt and Cody are getting along. She guesses she doesn’t have to apologize to Britt for missing their brunch. Looks like she gave true love an assist. Spinelli asks why she’s so certain Cody is right for Britt, and she says, because she trusts Society Set-Ups. And she’s spent some time with him; he’s a sweet guy. Sam says she happens to agree, but Spinelli says, they both couldn’t be more wrong, and storms out.

Alexis says, not everyone sees things through the lens of a journalism professor, and Gregory says, he’s also a citizen. It concerns him whenever freedom of the press is constrained by threats or violence. She says, she agrees, but he doesn’t know Smoltz. His tactics are less than savory, and she wouldn’t put it past him if he goaded Sasha into a reaction, hoping to provoke just what he got. So if she were him, she wouldn’t hang out the shingle of the First Amendment rights on this one. He says he’d like to invite her to one of his PCU lectures, and she says, he’s lecturing? He says, PCU wooed him out of retirement; convinced him to teach a course. He thinks she’d get a lot out of it. She says, really? She’s argued First Amendment rights in a court of law a lot more than he’s ever lectured about it in a classroom. He says, then she undoubtedly knows, the character of the victim doesn’t preclude the reporting of the crime. Mr. Smoltz may not be the kind of reporter she respects, but he was the target of violence, which makes it at least worthy of her attention, and in his learned opinion, most definitely newsworthy.

Sasha says, Gladys thinks she’s out of control? and Gladys says, doesn’t she? Lately, she’s not the Sasha that Gladys has come to know and love. Sasha says, love. Gladys didn’t even want her to marry her son. Gladys says, she didn’t. Not then. Not at the time, for a few reasons. It seemed like they were rushing, for one thing, and she didn’t like being excluded. But once she saw how much Sasha really loved Brando, and how happy she makes him, and how kind and smart she is, she’s been proud to call Sasha her daughter-in-law. And she’s done what she could to protect Sasha. She thought Sasha knew that.

Brando asks if Martin thinks he gives a damn about optics. He cares about Sasha. He cares about what Martin can do for her. Martin says, Brando needs to care about all of it. Just like he does. Sasha’s drawn the attention of the internet; she’s gone viral. Given the recent nature of political events involving their mayor, the DA’s office is doing everything to avoid the appearance of favoritism. Sasha’s a celebrity. Optics. Translation: don’t expect any kind of preferential treatment, because they’re in no position to give her a break. Brando asks what they do, and Martin says, he motivates his wife to take a more active part in her own defense. He agrees she needs help. She needs a psyche consult, but he doesn’t know if she’d be receptive to the idea. Most of all, she needs to demonstrate her commitment to intensive therapy and restitution. Brando says he doesn’t know if Sasha is ready to confront this, and Martin says, and that severely limits their options. He can only think of one other way to keep Brando’s wife out of prison.

Britt tells Cody, it’s official; she’s been stood up. She’s going to the pool. He says, he’d ask to join her, but she’d just say he’s pushing it, and she says, maybe he is getting to know her. Maxie and Sam join them, and Maxie says, they are getting along. Britt asks for a word with her, and they step aside. Britt asks, what happened to brunch; did Maxie forget? Maxie says, she got hung up at Deception, damage control, and Britt says, right. Sorry. How’s Sasha doing? Any word? Maxie says, nothing from her side; not happy things from theirs. Britt says, when she sees Sasha, tell her she has friends, and Maxie says, she will. It seems like Britt is all about friends these days. Looking pretty cozy over there. She asks, what’s that? indicating the envelope in Britt’s hand, and Britt says, just a silly gift Cody made her. Maxie says, oh… really, and Britt says she’ll overlook whatever part Maxie played in securing him a second date. Maxie gets excited, and says, they’re going on a second date? Britt says, calm down. It’s just a date. Don’t go pricing wedding venues.

Alexis tells Gregory, what Sasha did to Smoltz is news, regardless of extenuating circumstances, but is it newsworthy? He says, that sounds like leftover lawyer speak, and she says, it’s human speak, because she’s a human being. You know who else is a human being? Sasha Gilmore. Gregory says, one that she knows personally. Could that be precluding her view? She says, she barely knows Sasha. She’s looking at the big picture, and given the impact of social media, and various platforms, in contemporary journalism, that’s something that has to be taken very seriously. He says, by all means, put the truth out there, and she says, Cronkite said, in seeking the truth, you need to be able to look at both sides of the story. If they just tell the facts of what happened to Sasha, it’s a disservice to her and their readers. He says, don’t tell him she has alternative facts, and she says, she has context. In the span of a year, Sasha has overdosed, she’s gotten clean, she’s fallen in love, she’s lost a child, she’s been in a fatal car crash, she’s relapsed, and she’s still struggling with her mental health. So if they omit all that, and just print she attacked a car with a valet sign, that’s not showing respect to the Fourth Estate. It’s character assassination disguised as journalism.

Martin says he knows he can cut a deal with the DA’s office, predicated on the promise that Sasha stays out of trouble moving forward, but Brando says he doesn’t know if they can guarantee that. Martin says, in her current state? Brando had better guarantee it, because if he makes a deal, and she breaks her promise, she will be remanded to prison. Like he said, there might be one other way, if Brando’s prepared for it. Brando asks if it’s something that would get the DA to accept this deal, and Martin asks if he knows what guardianship is. Brando says, it’s like a conservatorship, right? and Martin says, exactly. In New York state, the guardianship is utilized when an adult is considered legally incapacitated. Brando says, Martin wants them to claim Sasha is incapable of taking care of herself? and Martin asks, what happened during her last therapy appointment? Brando says, she didn’t make it, and Martin asks if Brando would say her condition makes her less able to manage things, like her health and financial affairs. Brando says he doesn’t know about this, and Martin says, take it easy. They’re not talking about tossing Sasha into some 19th century house of hysteria; this is simply a strategy. It’s a way to keep her at home, and out of prison. Appoint someone, a guardian to watch out for her well-being, make sure she gets to appointments on time, safeguard her finances. It doesn’t have to be forever. Brando says, it seems extreme, and Martin says, it’s Brando’s call, but given Sasha’s state of mind, is she ready for a trial? He doesn’t think it would go well for her. Does Brando?

Sasha says she’s tired, and Gladys says she knows, but they’re all doing their best to help her. She can’t read Sasha’s mind, but she’ll tell Sasha what’s on hers. Sasha is her family now, and that means Gladys will do whatever it takes to look out for her.

Brook says, what she can offer Chase is unique, and Linc says, what is  this, a double-standard? Brook tells him, get his head out of the gutter, if it’s at all possible. Linc is only looking at Chase as a performer. She’s a songwriter and they’ve collaborated before. If they share songwriting credit, he’ll get a larger share of all songs produced and streamed. The money won’t be instant, but the residuals mean a lot more in the long run. Chase says, it’s very tempting, and she tells him, think about it, and leaves. She walks over to Dante, and he says he’d clap for her, but he doesn’t want to blow her cover. That was a great show. Is there anything she can’t do? She says she can’t understand what he’s saying right now. Why is he smiling? He says, it’s him. They go way back. The whole wanting to be Chase’s manager is a good angle, but he knows a con when he sees one.

Gregory tells Alexis, beautifully expressed. Miss Gilmore is lucky that Alexis is Editor-in-Chief. She says, he’s agreeing with her? and he asks if that’s so hard to believe. She says, given their interaction thus far? and he says, fair enough. He agrees this story can’t be told without including Miss Gilmore’s state of mind as a mitigating factor. It’s wise to take a more nuanced approach. Alexis says, she’s concerned about violating medical confidentiality. How does she inject nuance without compromising privacy? He says, it’s tricky, but there are ways, and she says, okay, professor. He’s offered a lesson. Okeydoke. She takes out her notebook, and says, school’s in session. He says he’s honored, but she says, don’t be. She’s doing it for Sasha.

Brando says, Martin is sure no plea deal can be made? and Martin says, not if Sasha doesn’t demonstrate some kind of cooperation. Brando asks if she wouldn’t have to agree to a guardianship, but Martin says, not necessarily, especially if she was incapable of making that decision. Brando says, she’s already accused him of trying to control her life. He doesn’t know if he’s comfortable with this. Gladys and Sasha join them, and Gladys says, comfortable with what? Are they talking a game plan, a strategy? Martin says, they have a couple options to consider, but for now they’re taking it one step at a time. He tells Sasha, this officer is going to escort her to the courthouse where she’s going to be arraigned. They’ll meet her there. Does she have any questions? Sasha shakes her head, and Brando takes her hands, and says, everything’s going to be okay. She says, promise? and he says, better than that, a vow. For better or worse, in sickness and in health. He’s got her.   

Maxie goes back to Cody and Sam, and says, Cody’s gift was a hit. Congrats. They high-five, and Cody thanks her for encouraging him to give it to Britt personally. Sam says, smooth move, Maxie, and he says, too bad all of Britt’s friends aren’t as supportive as they are. Sam says, if he’s referring to Spinelli, don’t worry about him; he’s been all over the place lately. Maxie says, she’s noticed that. What’s with him? Sam says she doesn’t know, aside from the fact he gave Cody a dirty look the entire time she was talking to him, and Maxie wonders why he’d be doing that. Does Cody have any idea? He says, not a clue.

Britt lies on a chaise, her eyes closed, when Spinelli clears his throat, startling her. He says, she’s about to make a mistake, and she says, his mistake was looming over her like a vampire. He almost got a swift kick. She gets up, and he says he’s serious. She can’t go out with Cody again.

Britt says she knows Dante wants his partner back, but whether he wants to believe it or not, Chase real future in music. Dante says he knows Chase is a talented guy, but he also happens to know, Chase is thinking things are pretty bleak right now, and he doesn’t want Chase to make a mistake. So please level with him. What the hell do the two of them have cooking up?

Chase tells Linc, that’s great. Tell the development team to send over the promotional package, and he’ll have his lawyers look at it. Linc says, he’s convincing, but not good enough for Linc, or himself. Chase says he’s not sure what Linc is getting at, and Linc says, don’t play a player. He knows Brook, and he knows what she’s really up to.

On Monday, Cody says, might as well put their cards on the table; Willow has the feeling Ava want something from her; Obrecht says, Nina needs to walk away now; and Dex says he just gave Michael the perfect opportunity to nail his old man.

Southern Charm

Austen joins Kathryn for a pedicure at a nail place, unoriginally called The Nail Place. He says he’s excited for girls day, and in his interview, he says he’s always had a soft spot for Kathryn. He did win Drama King in high school, and Kathryn can be dramatic as well. She asks if he’s getting a color, and he says he’s not Craig. Working at home, Craig tells himself, work smarter, not harder. Naomie calls, and he tells her that he’s working on his spring collection. She says she had a strange reaction at Olivia’s, and needs to pick his brain. She asks if he wants to get coffee, and we flash back to Paige saying, it’s inappropriate to hang out with one’s ex. Craig asks why she’s calling him about it, and Naomie says, it’s about Kathryn. She thought he’d be the best person to advise her. We flash back to Craig asking Paige, what about having lunch with an ex? and Paige saying, no. He says, it must be serious enough if she wants to talk in person. He’s going to be over by her later, and there’s a coffee shop nearby. In Craig’s interview, he says, it’s just coffee. He’ll get in and get out. They’re not getting their nails done together. Meanwhile at the nail salon, Austen says he loves Kathryn’s blond look, and she asks how things are going with him and Olivia. He says, they haven’t spoken since the party. It bothered him that after he’d talked to her about Madison, Olivia invited her to the party. He doesn’t want to pursue someone who wants to be friends with his ex. In Kathryn’s interview, she says, sometimes Austen can be a petty bitch.

Olivia and mom Robin discuss the party, and agree it was fun. Robin asks about Austen, and Olivia says, they didn’t end on the best note at the party. We flash back to Olivia telling Austen that she’s waiting for the day he doesn’t care about Madison, and she tells Robin about it. Robin says, he does seem more tense around Madison. She thinks it’s sensitive and sweet, and says, you usually don’t hear about a woman being… whatever [Madison] is. Olivia says, everyone has ex stuff, but she wants Austen to be right in that department. In Olivia’s interview, she says, a relationship with Austen is too much work. She’s not enough drama for him. He seems to like it; it’s what he’s used to. While they get a paraffin foot treatment, Austen says he’s happy Kathryn and Chleb are back together. Kathryn says, they’re trying, but in her gut, she feels like something is off. At the party, he was talking to Naomie a lot. It was weird super and disrespectful, and she felt hurt. We see a clip of Chleb telling Kathryn that Naomie was calling her names, and Kathryn saying, he should have shut it down immediately, not listen because he’s being a good guy. In Kathryn’s interview, she says she wishes he would be more aware of what he’s doing. Loyalty, hello? Austen tells her, if she thinks something off, then something is off.

Leva sees her trainer, and he does some kind of massage/stretching exercises for her muscles. In Leva’s interview, she says she wants to be present. She’s reading books about essentialism, so she doesn’t cook as much, lets the house be messy, and picks her battles at work. She’s consciously practicing to be a calmer person. But it’s not working. She loves Little Lamar, but he’s two and chaotic. We see some clips of Little in action, and she says, he’s so high energy from 6 am until his bedtime at 9 pm, which is her fault. Venita’s mom Vi visits her, and says she loves Venita’s big hair. When she was young, she had big hair. In Venita’s interview, she says, her mother didn’t tell her be perfect. She told Venita that perfect was however she chose to be. Venita tells Vi that she had a bad week. She didn’t get invited to Olivia’s party because Olivia didn’t want the garden party again. She guesses it’s embarrassing, and her feelings are hurt. Vi says, Venita’s got to talk about things, but when she’s rational; not in the heat of anger. Venita says she doesn’t know how to go about it, since she’s never seen it. Vi didn’t show her how to handle things, and hid any disagreements with her dad. Vi says she’s not talking about Venita’s dad, and in her interview, Venita says she was an only child. She was in high school when she came home one day, and her dad was gone. Her parents could have worked for the Secret Service. She had no idea it wasn’t working out. She tells Vi, all she knew was that she had two parents, and then one of them was gone, and Vi says, Venita still has two parents. In Venita’s interview, she says, her dad was probably living a double life since she was about 14. It took until her aunt called and said he was marrying someone else for her to understand her parents were done. Vi says, Venita’s dad was thinking with the wrong part of his anatomy, and it wasn’t something to discuss with her daughter. She didn’t want Venita to see her pain. Venita says she doesn’t have the insight her friends do, because they saw their parents argue, then figure it out. Vi says, it’s probably because she grew up in a house where they did argue, and Venita asks what it taught Vi. Vi says, not to do it, and in her interview, Venita says, teaching you how to avoid fighting doesn’t teach you how to deal with fighting. She’ll get overly upset at a simple confrontation, because she’s never seen anyone do that on a personal level. Vi says she tried to protect Venita from the pitfalls of life, which was not necessarily a good thing. Venita didn’t learn how to handle adversity, and Vi apologizes for what she didn’t do. Going forward, she’ll do her best. Books on parenting don’t work. You have to go through it to learn. She asks if that satisfied Venita, and Venita says, it’s more than she had yesterday.

Little Craig! Shep visits Whitney and Patricia, who’s gotten Little Craig a champagne bottle toy, which she says is unshreddable. Whitney says, Little Craig is like a piranha meets the Tasmanian Devil, and Shep says, his dad calls the dog a French terrorist. New guy Randy is doing the butlering, and Patricia says, nobody can take Michael’s place, but he’s good. Whitney says, Randy alleviates his duties, like official dog walker. In Patricia’s interview, she says, Randy is a lovely man. He’s a good server and fixes drinks so much better than Whitney. We flash back to Whitney bumbling through things, and see that Little Craig is already well on his way to totally destroying his new toy. Patricia says, speaking of incurring damage, Little Craig was involved in Peaches’ violation. Shep asks if they had a roll in the hay, and Whitney says, Little Craig is a feral mess. Done with his toy destruction, Little Craig runs to find Peaches, and Patricia says, let him; the damage has been done. In her interview, Patricia says, mounted is too strong a word. He sullied Peaches’ reputation. She tells Shep that Little Craig has to do the honorable thing. She’d like to have a wedding. (I can’t wait!) Shep asks if she wants Little Craig to make an honest doggy of Peaches, and Patricia says, he thinks she’s kidding. She doesn’t see anybody here doing anything in the near future. Shep says, so they’ll give her the wedding she richly deserves. She asks if Little Craig has a tux. She’s getting Peaches a wedding gown. In Shep’s interview, he says, if Whitney had his way, he’d be a bachelor for life. Still living in hope, Patricia says she doesn’t want to preempt any wedding bells, and asks Shep about Taylor. Shep says, Taylor’s not a pressure type of gal.

Taylor visits Marcie, and checks out the nursery, saying, it’s so pink; she loves it. Marcie says she’s glad she’s done. She’s due in 5 weeks. In Taylor’s interview, she says, in her perfect world she’d get married around 30, and have kids by 33. How old is she now? (I looked it up. She’s 27.) Marcie shows Taylor the outfit she’s taking the baby home in, and they move on to an entire closet full of clothes. In her interview, Taylor says she gets giddy looking at clothes and strollers. Shep’s clock isn’t ticking, but hers is. Shep tells Patricia that he thinks he’s in the clear, but Patricia says, don’t kid yourself. Whitney asks how long they’ve been going out, and Shep says, two years. Patricia says, if there was no proposal after four months, that’s it. In Patricia’s interview, she says, Taylor is making a mistake be acquiescing. She needs to give him an ultimatum. Patricia says, she’s amazed that any woman could put up with the two of them, and Shep says, they’re on the George Clooney/Warren Beatty track.

Naomie calls Craig, saying she’s at the coffee place, and they’re out of chai. She places both their orders, and when he gets there, she asks why he’s grumpy. He insists he’s not, and she asks if he had fun at Olivia’s party. He asks it was about Kathryn she wanted to discuss, and she says, during the party, Chleb came up and started going in about Kathryn. We flash back to that, and Naomie says, Chleb was saying not nice things. Craig says, like what? and we flash back to Chleb saying he could only listen so much to Kathryn, then he’d put on ESPN and tune out. Like practically every man doesn’t do this. She tells Craig, Chleb doesn’t seem happy. The one lesson she learned after her and Craig was, never air your dirty laundry to other people. She has regrets about talking bad about Craig, and she’s pretty sure Metul did the same thing to her. Karma is very real. She wonders what’s making Craig uncomfortable. He’s jittery, making no eye contact, and keeps looking over his shoulder. Who’s coming? She says, he’s acting like she’s part of a sting operation or something. She doesn’t know what’s going on, and wishes he’d just be straight and not act like a weirdo. In Craig’s interview, he wonders why they needed to have coffee for Naomie to tell him that Chleb was talking sh*t about Kathryn. Naomie says she feels bad for Kathryn. They’ll never be good friends, but she feels it’s the right thing to hand Craig the information. Maybe he could just talk to her. He says, maybe, but he’s got to be going. He’s picking up Paige from the airport. Naomie suggests they do a fun night out, and Craig says, one day, maybe. Naomie says she just wants to have fun, but Craig says, unfortunately, there are boundaries. He’s glad they can catch up and be friends, but at the end of the day, Naomie is his ex-girlfriend, and Paige doesn’t appreciate it. They can’t hang out just yet. Naomie says, they can’t forget the past, and in his interview, Craig says he thinks Paige is being understanding, even though she doesn’t understand the situation, since she lives in NYC, where you don’t run into your ex all the time or hang out with them. He doesn’t want to push or disrespect her any further. In Naomie’s interview, she says, if  she hadn’t thought she and Craig were on the same page, she wouldn’t have asked him for coffee. She’s not trying to get with him. She’s not the type who tries to get with a guy who has a girlfriend. If it feels awkward, that’s on them, not her. I can see it both ways, but I’ve never really wanted to hang out with an ex. Oh wait. I do hang out with my boyfriend from high school once in a while, but those feelings are long gone. If they were even real at that age. Now he’s someone I grew up with.

Olivia calls Naomie from the car, and says she’s meeting Venita. Naomie says, awesome; heal it up. They meet at a juice bar, and in Venita’s interview, she says, with her parents, all she’s seen is avoidance of fighting, confrontation, and issues. She wants to step up and resolve this, rather than letting it sit. Venita asks how the party was, and Olivia says, fun. They toast to this thing (i.e. their meeting), and Olivia says she appreciates Venita reaching out. Venita says, they had a rocky start, and she wants to be able to lay everything on the table. Olivia says she thinks Venita has a false perception of who she is, and she was thrown by Venita’s misconceptions. Insinuating something is not cool. Venita says, when Olivia walked away, it felt dismissive, and Olivia gets how it could be perceived, but it’s her way to cool off when she knows nothing is going to get resolved in that moment. Venita apologizes for coming at Olivia so hot. It wasn’t necessary, and it’s not who she is as an individual. She suggests they make it a clean slate. Now they just have to worry about everyone else. She says, with all that smoke and heat between Austen and Madison, why invite Madison to the party? Olivia says, she and Madison are fine, but she got an earful about it. We flash back to Austen acting stupid, and Venita asks if Olivia and Austen are dating. Olivia says, they only went out one-on-one once, and they’re in in that weird limbo. Venita wonders if Madison knows, and Olivia asks why it would matter. Venita says, Madison and Austen were so deeply involved, part of Madison feels entitled to know what’s going on. It’s not worth it.

Chleb goes to mom Debbie’s house, and she asks if he’s working hard. He says, seven days; he’s pretty damn tired. Debbie wonders if he didn’t take the tag off his shoes, but he says, it’s the style. She says, it seems awkward, but he says, it’s the drip these days. She asks how Kathryn is, and he says, they went through some stuff. There was a girl named Naomie at the party who Kathryn dislikes, and she and Chleb got to talking. We see a clip of Kathryn telling Chleb, it’s embarrassing. In Chleb’s interview, he says he doesn’t want to be in a relationship with someone he’s thinking negatively about. Debbie says, it takes work, and suggests he make a list of what he likes and dislikes about the relationship. She says, if you have more dislikes than likes, you ain’t gonna make it, baby.

Paige is at Craig’s, and he offers her every coffee flavor known to man. She says, yuck to maple, which is one of my favorites, but she also hates mint, and we’re in agreement there. My only exception is Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. She asks if he can imagine when they actually have a kitchen, and in Craig’s interview, he says, it’s hard to play house with no kitchen, and living out of boxes. The fact that Paige feels comfortable with things as is, is an incredible sign. Paige suggests sitting outside, and Craig wonders if they make an iced coffee maker. Paige is like, nooo, and says, he loves tea anyway. In his interview, he says, Paige loves how he is, and he loves that feeling. She’s his biggest fan. Aww. They’re not engaged yet, but he thinks he’s found his person. They sit in rockers on the porch, and he tells her that he’d like a big family, and wants to renovate the house with that vision.  

Event planner Erica goes to Patricia’s, and Patricia says she thinks it would be fun to have a dog wedding, so she needed a wedding planner. Erica asks how big it will be, and Patricia says, around 25 people. It might be the only wedding she throws. In Patricia’s interview, she says she has Whitney’s wedding planned. A medieval cathedral, a florist from Paris, Valentino for the mother-of-the-bride dress, but she doesn’t get to make those decisions. Erica asks, who is going to officiate? and Patricia says, Little Craig and Peaches go to the same vet. She thinks Dr. Berger will agree to officiate. They decide on having it in the garden, and Erica asks if Patricia wants the guests welcomed with champagne. Patricia says she does, but she wants it in coups, not flutes. Erica asks about cakes, and Patricia wants the ones featured in Steel Magnolias. The groom’s cake is an armadillo cake in red velvet. She tells Erica, the invitations have already gone out.  

To be continued…

Next time, Whitney and Shep talk human marriage; the dog wedding happens; Olivia brings a date that’s not Austen; Whitney plays guitar; and Craig tells Naomie that she left a loving relationship to be with a controlling a-hole. She won’t affect his life anymore.

🎉 Happy Anniversary…

Scotty celebrates his 45th.

💐 Another Congrats…

Not as long, but still. She took a small villainous part and turned it into being a major player.

🧼 Jumping Soap…

I vaguely remember him being Todd on OLTL for five minutes. Even they realized it was a bad idea. No one can replace Roger Howarth.

🦚 Goodbye and Hello…

Yep. They’re going to nickel and dime us to death. Or in this case, $4.99 us.

https://ew.com/tv/days-of-our-lives-moving-to-peacock/

💝 Sharing Is Caring…

NuTrina has a message for all of us.

🎡 Yeah, Yeah…

LisaR needs to get off the merry-go-round that’s her feelings. Next week, she’ll be back to the shading game.

💎 She’s Rocking the Boat…

Sheree can be on my fantasy spin-off too.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1340467/why-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-sheree-zampino-says-kyle-richards-should-sit-down

Cruising the Med…

Captain Sandy’s voyage to reality star.

🍸 Backing His Home Girl…

50 Cent is back to dogging Randall.

https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.72274/title.50-cent-randall-emmet-power-ex

⚰️ New Rick…

Daryl’s journey to leadership.

https://screenrant.com/walking-dead-daryl-rick-grimes-revolver/

🌜 On the Moon…

The VMA line-up.

📣 Quotes of the Week

A room hung with pictures is a room hung with thoughts. – Joshua Reynolds

Happiness depends to some extent upon external conditions, but chiefly upon mental attitudes. – Paramahansa Yogananda

Magic exists. Who can doubt it, when there are rainbows and wildflowers, the music of the wind and the silence of the stars? Anyone who has loved has been touched by magic. It is such a simple and such an extraordinary part of the lives we live. – Nora Roberts

The greatest source of unhappiness in the world comes from having unreasonable expectations about the behavior of other people. – Don Fehr

Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else. – Les Brown

Sometimes you make the right decision, and sometimes you have to make the decision right. – Dr. Phil

Security is mostly a superstition… Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. – Helen Keller

Life is like a novel. It’s filled with suspense. You have no idea what is going to happen until you turn the page. – Sidney Sheldon (Well, let’s hope it’s not like a Sidney Sheldon novel.)

If there’s a world here in a hundred years, it’s going to be saved by tens of millions of little things. The powers-that-be can break up any big thing they want… but what are they going to do about 10 million little things? They break up two of them, and three more like them spring up!Pete Seeger

The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off. – Gloria Steinem

🛣 On the Road Again…

It’s certainly been a week. If it’s been one for you too, or even if it hasn’t, you have my permission to take the next two days off. But be back on Monday for soap and a Mediterranean cruise. Until then, stay safe, stay away from overly processed foods, and stay never trying to play a player.

August 1, 2022 – The Heroine Of Her Own Story, Bad Bosun On Deck, Farewell Lieutenant & Sabotage

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Two young women watch Mac swimming, and one says, oh my God, Silver Fox. Hello daddy. Felicia listens, as they watch Mac get out of the pool, and the other women says, that’s Mac Scorpio, the Chief of Detectives; she saw him at press conference. The first woman says, he can slap handcuffs on her anytime. Felicia walks over to them, and says, sorry to disappoint, ladies, but that Silver Fox has a Mrs. Silver Fox, and that would be me. She walks over to Mac, and passionately kisses him.

On the phone outside Kelly’s, Michael says he has a business associate who’s being screened with a background check, and he needs certain information to show up… They said could handle it. Just get it done today. Sam comes out, and says, whoa. Now she guesses she knows what kind of boss he is; decisive and demanding? He’s got a lot on his plate. He says, she doesn’t know the half of it.

In an exam room, TJ says he couldn’t help noticing Willow giving Michael the runaround when Michael asked why he was taking the lead and not Britt. Is there a reason she’s not telling Michael this isn’t her usual OB appointment? She says, there is nothing Michael needs to know until the test results come back… Unless there’s something more serious he found out. Is that why he looks so worried?

Elizabeth tells Finn, at least she doesn’t have to worry about getting her steps in with some of the elevators being out of commission. Finn says, he knows it’s a pain, but the functioning elevators seem to be prioritized for the patients in trauma. She says she knows, but it’s a helluva way to start her first day back. He asks how she feels about coming back, and she says, grateful. She’s got a really good support system rallying around her now that she’s recovered. He says, maybe it’s the addict in him talking, but at meetings they never talk about being fully recovered. Every day is another day in recovery. It’s okay if she’s still got some recovery to do. There’s no shame in taking more time before she comes back to work.

Judge Young says, there will be a 30 minute recess, and tells Diane to be prepared to call next witness when they return. Portia says, all this time Trina had an alibi for when the revenge porn was distributed. Why didn’t she tell them? Trina says, if push came to shove, she was going to testify about it. She never expected Spencer to do it himself; he could go back to prison. Taggert suggests she just focus herself. While Spencer’s testimony isn’t a not slam dunk, it could create reasonable doubt with the jury. Portia says, at least Spencer seemed adamant when he told the jury that he didn’t believe their daughter would do this.

In the hallway, Spencer tells Nikolas, whatever this is, it can’t take long. He needs to get back in the courtroom. He wants Trina to see him when she testifies. He needs her to know whatever sacrifice he made was worth it. Nikolas says he hopes it helps Trina, because Spencer might have just thrown away his freedom.

Ava tells Esme, playtime is over. They’ll deal with Esme sleeping with her husband another day, but right now, Esme is going to go directly to the courthouse. She’s going to exonerate Trina. She’s going to tell the world that she filmed Joss and Cam. Esme says, they’ve already had this conversation. She has no idea where Ava is getting this crazy idea from. And besides, why would she even do it? Is Ava offering to help her disappear, so she doesn’t have to go to prison? No. She has no intention of being a fugitive for the rest of her life. Ava says, darling girl, you misunderstand me. She moves closer to Esme, and says, Esme either confesses to framing Trina or she will make sure nobody finds her… not while she’s still breathing. Esme asks if Ava is threatening her, and Ava says, if one were to believe the rumors, she’s killed for a lot less. Esme says, Ava is judge, jury, and executioner, all rolled into one person, and Ava says, Esme tried to take her husband from her. She and Spencer teamed up to try and take her sanity, and now she wants to take Trina? Ava will not let that happen. Either tell the truth or it’s the end of the line for Esme Prince. You decide.

Felicia tells Mac, those two women were totally checking him out when he got out of the pool, but Mac says, they were not. He’s too old to be checked out. She says she’s not kidding. One of them called him a Silver Fox, and the other one knows he’s Chief of Detectives. She was fantasizing about him slapping some handcuffs on her. He laughs, saying, get out of here, and she says she had to get a little possessive. She let them know that Silver Fox is married – to her. He says, now she knows what he has to deal with when they go out. She’s usually the one turning heads. She says, stop, but he tells her, what can he say? They’ve still got it. He kisses her.

TJ tells Willow, he knows waiting is hard, but they don’t want to speculate about things until they get information back from the lab. Like she said earlier, raised white blood cells can mean any number of things, or it can be an anomaly in the first reading. She says, but if the results are consistent, he’s afraid the issue is serious? She’s about to graduate from nursing school; he can’t bluff her. He says he’s not trying to bluff her, which is why this makes for a good example that doctors and nurses make the worst patients. Though he has to ask, if she’s worried it’s bad news, why doesn’t she want Michael here to support her?

Taggert asks what Diane thinks. Is Spencer’s testimony enough to cause reasonable doubt with the jury? Diane says, they definitely made progress in the right direction. Although, as the ADA demonstrated, Spencer’s alibi isn’t foolproof. Trina says, she doesn’t understand. Why put Spencer back on the stand? Why have him admit he snuck out of prison if it isn’t going to do her any good? Diane tells her, like her father said, it creates reasonable doubt in the mind of the jury, and that’s like money in the bank for them. It actually didn’t help that Spencer said he bribed an official in order to sneak out of prison. It’s not a good look for a star witness, but it just means Trina has more work to do.

Spencer tells Nikolas, he had to do it. He can’t stand by and let Trina take the fall for this. Nikolas says, that’s where Spencer lost him. All this time, Spencer and Esme have been insisting they thought Trina was responsible. Spencer says, it was just an act to try and get Esme to slip up and admit she was guilty. Does Nikolas think for one second Spencer thought Trina would hurt Joss and Cam that way? It was Esme who was insisting Trina was guilty.

Ava says she woudn’t hesitate to give up her life to save Trina. She certainly wouldn’t think twice about sacrificing Esme’s. So Esme had better think very hard about how she’s going to play this. Trina is like a daughter to her, and she won’t allow Trina to go to prison, where someone as demented as Esme belongs, locked up. Esme says, Ava’s devotion is touching, but where was all this motherly devotion to her daughter Kiki? Is that why Ava is obsessed with Trina? Because she’s filling the void of the real daughter Ava drove away? She certainly can’t blame the dashing and gorgeous Dr. Griffin Monroe for upgrading to a younger model, especially when the current model is Ava, because Ava is just downright awful. Ava drove away her daughter, just like she drove away Nikolas. The only problem is, when she drove away Kiki, she didn’t just skip town. Ava drove her to her death. Ava cracks Esme across the face, and the envelope flies out of her hand.

Felicia asks if this means Mac is having second thoughts about Dante  taking over for him as Chief of Detectives when he retires, and Mac says, he told her. He only mentioned it to Dante as a possibility; something to think about down the road. He’s not planning on retiring anytime soon, but this day off has its appeal. He’s had so many careers. He’s been a mercenary, he’s owned a bar; he’s been a P.I. and a Police Commissioner. He’s always been a bit nomadic when it comes to his career. He’s looking for what comes next. She says she agrees with all that, so she’ll ask him directly; what does come next?

Sam suggests she and Michael take a seat and talk about it. She has the feeling she knows what’s going on. He says, she does? and she says, it doesn’t take a P.I. to know what he’s up to. It’s Aurora, isn’t it? Michael says, she’s got him. The stock price went into free fall when the merger with ELQ fell though. She says he heard about that. How bad is it? He says, the bleeding stopped, but it will take a while for Aurora to get back to where it was a few months ago; not to mention his mom inflated the price. He’s just a hired CEO, but he takes it personally. He had big plans for the merged company, plus he feels like he let Sam down. She says, her? How? He says, Aurora only started because it was her dream with Drew, and she says, that was like, five lifetimes ago, and they only did that for Scout’s future. She’s not saying that to pressure Michael or make him feel bad. She knows he’ll do everything it takes to get it back for Scout, and for Wiley too. He says he thinks she means Wiley and his new sibling. She puts her hands over her mouth, and he says, yeah, he and Willow have some exciting news to share

Willow tells TJ, Michael is going through a lot right now. His parents’ divorce, his anger at Sonny choosing Nina over his family, and Aurora’s in trouble ever since the merger with ELQ didn’t happen. TJ says he’s aware of all of that, but he’s also aware she just lost her mom, and she’s about to become a nurse. Her plate is pretty full too. She says she knows, but Michael’s finally got some good news when he found out they were having another child. She doesn’t want to take that happiness away from him, not until there’s an actual reason to worry. He says, that’s a heavy burden to be carrying all by herself. If she doesn’t want to talk to Michael, isn’t there someone she can confide in? What about Sasha? She says, talk about someone who has a lot on her plate. Besides, it’s hard for Sasha to be around her, knowing she’s pregnant. He says he gets her point. What about Michael’s mom? She says, no. Carly is dealing with her divorce, and the loss of the MetroCourt. She’s telling him, she can handle this. It’s not going to be a very long wait. The test results will come back, and fingers crossed, TJ will tell her it’s nothing, and she and Michael will laugh about this later… right?

Taggert asks if Portia is okay, but she says, not really. She knows their daughter is in college, and she’s growing up and not going to tell her parents every single thing, but that girl had an alibi since day one, and she’s had all of them running around, scrambling, trying to help her for months now. Portia is upset and hurt. Trina chose to protect that spoiled entitled brat over herself. He says he was shocked too, but they’ve got to remember, she said if she thought it was necessary, she’d bring it out in her testimony. She says, that’s her point; why wait until the last minute? If Trina would have been honest from the very beginning, maybe they could have gotten the PCPD to use their resources to find the real criminal, who isn’t their daughter. He says he knows. It’s tough watching their daughter suffer. She says, this is just all so completely unbelievable to her. Their daughter is on trial for a crime she didn’t commit, and for the first time in Spencer’s life, he’s decided to tell the truth, which is great, she guesses. She just doesn’t know if it’s enough at this point to help Trina.

Rory and Josslyn go over to Trina, and she says she knows what they’re thinking, but she was always planning on admitting she had an alibi for when that video was distributed. What doesn’t make sense is Spencer. Why would he admit he escaped from Spring Ridge? He has everything lose, and nothing to gain. Josslyn says, maybe Spencer couldn’t sit back, knowing what it was costing Trina, and Diane says she needs a word with Trina in private. They step away, and Diane says, Trina is up. She’s putting Trina on the stand next. Trina says she knows; she’s ready. Diane says, except things have changed. The calculus is a little different, so she needs to pursue a different line of questioning. Trina asks what she means, and Diane says, it might be a little more personal than they’d originally intended.

Esme’s lip is bleeding, and Ava says, Esme’s been begging for that for months. Esme asks if that’s all Ava’s got, because she’s not afraid of Ava. She wipes the blood with her finger, and licks it off, adding, at all. Ava says, the walls are closing in on Esme, but she’s too arrogant to understand. She’s the definition of a poor little rich girl; she will never be loved. Esme says, she’s so done with Ava and her entire family. She starts to get her suitcase, and Ava sees the envelope. She picks it up, and says, Esme seems to have forgot something, fanning herself with it.

TJ tells Willow, he predicts outcomes of professional sports or awards all the time, but a patient’s diagnosis, never. His phone beeps, and she asks if everything is okay. He says, yeah. He needs to check on a patient. He promises he’ll be right back. He leaves, and goes to the reception desk. He picks up the phone, and asks, who’s on call for oncology today?… Okay. Have Dr. Singh paged… Yes, it’s very important. He needs a consult on some lab results.

Nikolas says, Spencer believed Esme made the revenge porn, and he was just trying to get her to slip up to save Trina. He should have let Nikolas know. Esme was a guest in his house. Spencer says he understands Nikolas is confused. but the more people who knew about his plan, the greater the chance of him being found out. They both know how smart Esme is – Nikolas flashes back to you-know-what – and how quickly she can twist things to her own advantage. It’s complicated, all right? Nikolas says, he just wishes Spencer would have included him in his plans. It would have changed so much. Spencer says, they can work out this mess later, but he needs to get back into court. Nikolas says, there’s something he needs to tell Spencer, and Spencer says, when the trial is over for the day, they’ll go someplace, and talk, but Nikolas says, he has to tell Spencer now. It’s very important Spencer hear it from him, and no one else. So does Nikolas think someone might tell Spencer in court? This guy is the king of bad ideas. Which is no small achievement in Port Charles.

Ava says, the letter, the one Esme didn’t want her to see. She wonders what kind of incriminating evidence is revealed in here. Esme flashes back to writing to Maggie, saying, she doesn’t quite have everything she wants just yet, but she’s well on her way. Ava says, how does she know this is Esme’s at all? It could be a Cassadine letter she’s stolen for some kind of leverage. Esme says, it’s hers, and she wants it back. She lunges for it, but Ava holds it away from her and laughs. She says, Esme is so desperate to have it. She wonders what’s written here.

Elizabeth says, she appreciates Finn’s concern, but she’s ready to get back to work. Keeping busy is going to help her feel normal again. And she processed her grief over Franco, and as long as she doesn’t overwork herself, or self-medicate with sleeping pills, the worst is behind her. Now she just needs him and Terry to understand that she can handle this. He says, of course (🍷). He owes her an apology… She says, they’ve already talked about this. He doesn’t owe her an apology, but he says, if Terry is guilty of smothering her, so is he, and he apologizes. Maybe he’s a little gun-shy. His last relationship kind of went off the rails because of all the secrets being kept. It destroyed everything they had, and he guesses he went all-in on the truth, and no middle ground. He knows it’s a terrible excuse, but he’s still trying to find the right balance with privacy and someone he loves.

Michael tells Sam, keep it down. He’s excited, but Willow is still in her first trimester, and they’re not telling everybody just yet. Sam says she’s really happy for him, and he says he’s so excited. The last time he found out he was going to be a father, it was turbulent to say the least. She says, that was different because it was Nelle was the one having his baby, and he says he hated the way she lorded it over him. Then after she gave birth… Sam says, it’s going to be different. He and Willow love each other. He says he’s so happy he and Willow make such a good team. This time around, he has nothing but hope for the future.

Willow paces, her hands on her stomach. She says, it’s okay, little one. It will be just fine.

Dr. Singh looks at the report, and TJ says he really hopes his diagnosis is wrong. Please tell him that he’s overreacting. Dr. Singh says, unfortunately, he thinks TJ’s diagnosis is spot-on.  

Ava says, there must be something really juicy in here. Did Esme write about how she framed an innocent woman for a crime she committed? Or how she seduced Ava’s husband? Esme says, Ava is so self-centered. Her letter said nothing about Ava, but it’s hers and she wants it back. She reaches for it, but Ava pulls it away again, and says she believes she’s detecting some real genuine emotion. Rage mostly, but fear underneath. There’s something here Esme doesn’t want her to know, and she can’t wait to see what it is. She starts to open the envelope, and Esme tackles her.

Spencer says, whatever Nikolas has to say to him is obviously weighing on him, which means it will probably be a long discussion. So it really needs to wait until the trial is done for the day. Nikolas’s phone rings, and Spencer says he really needs to go back inside. He jets, and Nikolas says, what is it?… What kind of commotion?… Who’s upstairs with his wife?

Elizabeth asks Finn what he just said, and Finn says, he thinks he said… you know… something about love. And by love, he means he really, really cares about her… and there’s no getting out of this one, is there, after his truth speech? He knows he’s been taking things deliberately slow, and he’s not sure how she feels about him, but he’s pretty sure he knows how he feels about her. He loves her. He’s in love with her. And she doesn’t have to say anything back. She doesn’t have to say anything at all. Her phone dings, and she says, TJ needs her help with something, so she should… He says, she should, and she leaves.

Trina tells Diane, don’t worry. She knows exactly what she needs to do. Diane says she’s Trina’s attorney; it’s her job to worry about Trina. She’s endured so much during this trial. She can’t imagine what it’s like, sitting there listening to that woman try to convince everyone that Trina would betray her friends in such a heinous fashion. A lesser woman would have crumbled under the pressure, but Trina’s not a lesser woman. Her mom and dad raised a strong, confident woman. Trina thanks her for the pep talk, but Diane says, it’s not a pep talk; it’s the truth. She can’t believe she’s going to say this, but Spencer actually helped their case. But the ball’s not in the end zone yet. That’s up to Trina. She needs to be the heroine in her own story. Trina says she likes how that sounds, and Diane says she thought Trina might. They go back to Portia and Taggert, and Portia says she knows Trina is testifying next. How is she feeling? Taggert says, she’ll do great, but Trina says, she’s going to do better than great. She’s going to be the heroine of her own story. She looks at Diane, and Diane says, let’s win this. The bailiff says, all rise, and Trina sees Spencer come in with Josslyn. The bailiff tells everyone to be seated. Court is now in session. Judge Young asks Diane to call her next witness, and Diane calls Trina to the stand. Trina looks at Spencer once again.

Ava and Esme struggle, knocking over furniture, and rolling around on the floor. It’s actually pretty funny. Ava gets away, and Esme pushes her down. Esme grabs the envelope, but before she can skate, Ava grabs her ankle, and she falls, the fireplace screen falling on top of her. Now I’m really laughing.

Diane asks if Trina can confirm Nikolas’s testimony that she and Nikolas were together at the very moment that revenge porn email was distributed. Trina says, yes. She was at the cemetery, working on an assignment for her Art History class at PCU, and the last person she expected to see was Spencer because she knew he was serving his sentence at Spring Ridge. She was shocked to say the least. Diane says, if she’s always had this very clear alibi, why did she wait until now to bring it to the court’s attention? Trina says, as the ADA demonstrated, emails can be sent by a timer. So Spencer being with her when the email came out, was never going to be enough to clear her name. And if Spencer came forward and admitted he bribed someone to let him go for the day so he could visit his mother’s grave, he would get into a lot of trouble. So she was hoping there would be enough of the other evidence to prove her innocence without jeopardizing Spencer’s future. Diane says, but Trina is on trial for felony charges. That’s an awfully big risk, doesn’t she think, to put someone else’s well-being ahead of her own future? Trina says, she’s sorry; what’s the question? Diane asks her to please tell the court why she put Spencer’s future ahead of her own. They’ve already established she’s an intelligent young woman; she gets excellent grades. And yet she sat on a key witness that could have provided her with a rock solid alibi because she didn’t want to harm him. She’s just trying to understand Trina’s motivation here, and she can only come up with one reason. It was an act of love. Spencer looks like he might cry, and a tear rolls down Trina’s cheek.

Mac tells Felicia, Dante is super focused on the day to day; raising Rocco as a single parent, forging a new relationship with Sam, playing the go-between with Michael and Sonny. He’s an extremely good detective, but he’s not thinking about his overall career objectives. Sometime way in the future when he wants to retire, Mac wants someone to replace him that he knows can do the job as good as he can. So the conversation he had with Dante, he was just planting a seed. He’s not turning his badge in anytime soon. She thanks him for the clarification, and he says, on the other hand, when he stepped in and hosted open mic night at the Haunted Star, it reminded him of how much he enjoyed running The Floating Rib. Sure, the insurance check they got from the explosion made a nice nest egg for them, and for that he’ll be eternally grateful. (Yikes. Did he forget it killed Dev and Dustin, and put Lulu in a coma?) He says, but he misses it as his home base. He felt anchored to the community. It’s where people came to get engaged, to celebrate an anniversary, or an entire office would come to celebrate a retirement. Or if someone was just having a bad day at work, it was someplace friendly to unwind. He loved all that. She says she knows what he means. When they lost The Floating Rib, it left such a void. She thinks she tried to fill that void by revisiting her P.I. skills. Between working with Anna and giving Sam advice, it was fun for her. He says, as he recalls, she was the best in the business. He knows they’re grandparents, but they’re still young at heart. She says, that’s true. When she was working with Sam, she felt so useful. He says, about that. She told him that Sam was struggling with a heavy case load, and she pointed Sam in the right direction concerning someone’s biological parents? She says, she suggested Sam look for a hard copy of the analog records, and he says, maybe Sam could use more than her advice. What if she stepped in and lightened Sam’s case load?

Sam tells Michael, it’s amazing news. It’s the kind of surprise she could actually use on a day like today. He says he’s surprised Dante didn’t tell her, and she says, his brother knew and was holding out on her? He says he thinks Dante was waiting for the official green light to tell anybody. It’s no secret, but the doctors tell them not to broadcast the news until they’re safely through the first trimester. And Dante’s got a lot on his plate, navigating things between him and Sonny. She says, Dante’s pretty good at keeping things close to his chest. Sometimes she feels like she needs a decoder to figure out what’s going on inside his head. She’s not saying he keeps secrets from her, but like Michael said, it’s a big job negotiating between him and Sonny, and she just thinks there’s a whole world going on inside Dante’s mind. Which means she’s always in for a surprise as they take their next steps in their relationship. He says, that sounds newsworthy. What kind of next steps are they planning?

TJ tells Elizabeth that he needs a favor, and asks her to go to the lab and print out a more detail analysis of this patient’s bloodwork, and bring it to his office. He needs to make this a priority. She says, of course (🍷), and leaves. TJ asks Dr. Singh, what happens now? and the doctor says, when he gets the results, he’ll share them with Dr. Randolph, and they’ll discuss what options Willow has. Willow steps outside the exam room, and sees them talking.

Ava grabs the envelope, and Esme gets herself out from under the fireplace screen. She grabs at it.

TJ tells Willow, the blood work shouldn’t take too much longer, and then he can answer her questions. She says she saw him talking to Dr. Singh. They both seemed extremely serious. She has to ask. Were they talking about her? She knows he doesn’t want to scare her, but she’s about to be a nurse; she can handle it. Dr. Singh is an oncologist. Does he think… Does this mean he thinks she has cancer? He says he’s worried she has leukemia.

Elizabeth finds Finn, and he says, that was really fast. She says she just had to pick up some time sensitive results. Now she has to take them downstairs. He tells her, what he said before… He doesn’t want to put any pressure on her. She’s been through a lot, and they haven’t even… She kisses him, and says she loves him. He says, she does? but she says, if she doesn’t leave right now, Epiphany is going to think she’s playing hooky. Will she see him after her shift? He says, absolutely, and she goes into the stairwell. He raises his arms in a sign of victory.

Elizabeth walks down the stairs, and stops suddenly, her pen falling from her hand. She remembers Peter lying on the landing, and taking his pulse. She drops everything, and sits down on the step.

Sam tells Michael, she didn’t mean for that to sound so big; she was talking in the abstract. She and Dante are happy, but they’re taking it slow out of necessity. They have three kids involved between the two of them, and Rocco’s mother is in a coma, and it’s complicated. And she and Dante are consumed with work and parenting, and her caseload is intense. He says, his mom told him she was looking into ways to get Trina exonerated, but she ran into a brick wall. Sam says she did, but she got some excellent advice from a veteran P.I. tis morning, and she has the feeling this tip could get them closer to the proof they need.

Felicia asks how many Mai Tais Mac has had. Sam never told her that she’s looking for a partner. He asks if she’d be interested even if Sam wasn’t. They’re both Jacks of all trades, and love dabbling in everything. That doesn’t mean Felicia can’t scratch that itch by helping Sam out every now and then. She says, it could be fun. Plus, Sam told her that she needed to be stealthy about this investigation because it would hit close to home for some people. She can speed the process along by doing the legwork. It’s not like she has any connection to the client’s biological parents.

Esme grabs the envelope and runs out onto the turret, as no one with any sense would do. Ava is right behind her, and Esme balls up the envelope. She’s about to throw it over, when Ava grabs her hand, and they struggle.

Diane says, the prosecution alleges that Trina filmed that video of Joss and Cam because she was jealous of their relationship. So let’s clarify things. Was Trina ever involved with Cameron Webber? Trina says, no, and Diane says, but she once had feelings for him? Trina says, they kissed twice, and decided they were better off as friends. Diane says, and at the cabin last January, did Trina have feelings for Cameron then? but Trina says, no. Diane says, because she had feelings for someone else, and Trina says, yes. Diane asks, and who would that person be? and Trina says, Spencer Cassadine. Spencer smiles, Diane looks smug, Portia looks like she wants the earth to swallow her, Josslyn looks at Spencer, and Rory looks grim and annoyed, although I don’t know why, since it was before his time.  

Nikolas comes flying into the sitting room, calling for Ava, and hears Esme and Ava on the turret. Ava and Esme are battling over the envelope, and Esme gives it a good pull, falling back and over the turret wall, as Nikolas comes out.

Tomorrow, Jordan tells Curtis that he needs to talk to Esme; Trina says she told the truth, now her fate is out of her hands; and Ava asks if Nikolas found Esme. I’m starting to think that fall from the turret is only about four feet, since pretty much everyone survives it.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Captain Sandy tells Raygan that she needs a bosun she can trust, and who makes the guests a priority. Raygan promises to prove herself. The captain says, sometimes she sounds harsh, but she doesn’t want them to be learning in front of the guests. They should be there already. The theme of tonight’s dinner is Morocco, and Natalya says she’s ready to live her best life in Morocco, with a rich old guy about to cork it, and he has a tragic death. Raygan tells Storm that Captain Sandy’s not happy with her. They’re not organized. Storm suggests they put everything in the water, and Raygan says she’s going to have a meeting. The captain says, the weather is going to be terrible, and Raygan calls the deck crew together. Dave tries doing something nice in leaving coffee for Tasha outside their cabin, but she steps on it when she comes out. Seriously, placement is everything with liquids. She tells Dave that she’s struggling to wake up, and Dave says, she’s grumpy. She says she came out of their cabin, and kicked coffee everywhere. She wonders why he’s being weird, and in Tasha’s interview, she says, they seem in a good space, but deep down she’s struggling with this situation with Dave. She broke up with her ex just before they got on the boat, but ever since she cheated, she’s felt guilty. Now she’s trying to keep Dave from telling the crew, since a lot people have different perceptions of cheating. Some people might think she’s the worst person in the world, and she doesn’t know how the crew would react to the situation. Raygan tells the deckhands, try to be as quick as they can, and inflate everything. She says, Storm is more experienced with mega yachts than she is, and asks who’s good with smaller boats. Jason says he’s good on the tender, and in Raygan’s interview, she says she feels pressured. Captain Sandy is annoyed with her, and she feels like her job is on the line.

Breakfast happens, and guest Noah says, hangovers are bullsh*t. Why do they have to be the consequence for drinking? Ah, the age old question. We flash back to them harassing Dave the night before, and primary Emily says she’s seen them worse. Natalya tells them, a swim helps with a hangover; it washes them away. She suggests a trip to the caves for a swim or dip, and Jason packs the tender. In Jason’s interview, he says he’s used to smaller boats, and he’s comfortable taking guests out on adventures. All he’s doing is inflating and deflating things, and he could be used more in the tender role. He’ll keep working hard until his time. Tasha tells Dave they’re doing a Mexican theme for lunch, and in Dave’s interview, he says he’s struggling. The night before he and Tasha joined the boat, they made an agreement. They’d give it a week and then slowly adapt. Otherwise he woudn’t have shared a cabin with her. Now he feels like she’s avoiding him, and he can’t handle the pressure anymore.

Tasha and Natalya do the cabins, while Storm takes the guests to the caves in Crystal Lagoon. The guests all jump off into the water, and I could cry, it’s so beautiful and looks so relaxing. On the boat, Captain Sandy says she doesn’t trust the weather, and monkey brain welcome back shots are prepared. I look this up, and it’s vodka, Irish cream, lemon juice, and grenadine. Urghhp. The captain says, the storm is coming early; she sees it building. The guests return, and take photos. Captain Sandy points out the sky, and says, they’re going back to the dock. The wind is going to be 30 knots, with 4 meter seas, which are massive. She feels bad, but it’s a safety issue. In her interview, she says she never wants to have to go back. They’re here to show the guests a good time, but it’s all about safety. It’s her responsibility, and they have to go back. She radios the crew, and Kyle says, heaven help me, probably because the pressure is now on the interior to be entertaining. Raygan eats tacos in the crew mess, and Captain Sandy says, they’ve got to hustle; the wind is picking up. The stews decorate for lunch, and the guests are bummed. The captain calls Raygan to the bridge. Noah asks Jason about his career path, and Jason says, he’s been captain on smaller boats; in particular a 60 foot sailboat. Before that, he was in corporate America. He tells Noah, America is a sh*tshow right now, and he doesn’t want go back. Captain Sandy says she wants the stern clear to swing away from the dolphins, and in her interview, she says, there are too many variables; wind, the current, too many dolphins. She has to zig-zag, and it’s difficult. Raygan tells the deckhands the plan for docking, and Noah sprays beer in his own face, trying to poke a hole in the can. Anchor is home, and they head back.

Raygan says she hasn’t eaten all day, and jets to the mess. I guess she means she hasn’t eaten since ten minutes ago. Storm radios Raygan, but she ignores it. In Storm’s interview, he says, WTF is she doing? This is bullsh*t, dude. Right now what she’s doing is eating a jam donut, which she says is proper jammy. In Mzi’s interview, he says, Storm likes to take charge. He has a big work ethic, and can be a perfectionist at times, but he always steps up. Raygan finally tears herself away from the donuts, and joins the deckhands, saying, they’ve got 40 minutes to bang this out. Dave throws down some laundry, and it hits Tasha. She says she got a G-string in her eyeball; it’s the lowest point of her life. Dave says he’s so over this. The guests decide to wait until after they dock for lunch, and in Dave’s interview, he says, delaying lunch is the worst because of the potential of the food drying out. Then if dinner is later, it’s the same nightmare, but he carries on. He has to be flexible, but this could be a disaster. The guests ask for more cocktails, and Natalya says, the laundry room makes her feel like she walked into a brothel. When the laundry is out of control, she feels out of control. The wind begins to gust, and the guests go inside. Mzi and Storm go over the docking procedure, and in Raygan’s interview, she says, she’s comfortable when it comes to docking. She knows what she’s doing. Noah makes Jason explain what he’s doing until Raygan comes along, and tells Noah that Jason has to concentrate on what he’s doing. They come into port, and wow, the dolphins are tight. Captain Sandy asks if she’s clear, and Raygan says she’s got three meters. Jason says, it’s one meter; they’re going to hit. The captain hits the dolphin, and because that’s not bad enough, Noah yells, you hit it. Captain Sandy dashes to the deck.

In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, no captain wants to hit anything. It’s the first time in her career that she’s touched anything. It’s not okay. The guests are impressed with the table décor, and the lines are thrown ashore. I see a fly, but I’m not sure if it’s on the lunch table or my TV. Jason says, it’s a bit of a sh*tshow, and in Mzi’s interview, he says, the environment makes it difficult. There’s no leadership. In the captain’s interview, she says, when she approaches the dock, she expects the bosun to have things in order. This was mismanaged, and lines were everywhere. Raygan doesn’t know her job. Tasha tells Dave that he can’t expect to function on two hours sleep, and in her interview, she says she’d like to think Dave is respecting her wishes, but she can tell it’s eating him away inside. She doesn’t want to hurt him, but she feels like she’s treading on eggshells around him. Captain Sandy tells Storm, nice job, and in Raygan’s interview, she says, they could have done a few things better. They docked safely; that’s the main thing. She tells the captain, they just slightly touched; there’s no damage. Guest Anna says, food is her love language, and this is love. Natalya tells Kyle that the laundry is like a brothel, and he says, that’s because she works there. BA-DUM-CHH! They set up a plank so the guests can go ashore, and Captain Sandy says, they have permission to take the tender down. In Storm’s interview, he says, structure is needed. It’s a new team on a new boat, in a new area. There’s a pace at which they need to do things. Jason is sucking his thumb, and packing a box that should take two minutes, and it’s taking thirty. Kyle says, when he laughs, he farts, and Natalya says, his butthole needs a plug. They pretty much banter like this all the time. Noah whines about having to dock, and Mzi says, it’s for safety. Noah says, when you don’t follow rules, life is better. Obviously he’s drunk away his hangover. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, the docking was a mess. It starts with leadership. You have to be able to lead your team. We flash back to Raygan’s lack of leadership skills, or any skills except smoking and eating, and the captain says, the docking was the straw that broke the camel’s back. She texts Norma from Yacht Staffing, and says she’s looking for a bosun. Norma says she has none available, and asks if a deckhand could work.  

Storm takes the guests on a ride around the city in the tender. When they get back, it’s vodka/lychee/raspberry shots which is finally something that doesn’t turn my stomach. The guests get ready for dinner, and Natalya says, her life is doing laps. In Dave’s interview, he says, the guests want Moroccan; Moroccan is sick. If he was doing cooking like he did in Morocco, he’d dig a hole in the mud, and use charcoals, but he can’t. He has to settle for braising it in a big pot, and adding spices and herbs. Storm flirts with Natalya in the laundry room, and in her interview, she says she’s not on the hunt, but if it pops up, she won’t say no. He has to be cool, from a good family, with a good friendship group. She just broke up with her boyfriend, so she’s not rushing into anything, but she’s happy to ride the train and see where it’s going. In his interview, Dave says, on their previous boat, he and Tasha were always together. She was going to leave her current boyfriend, and he thought he was in the door. He’s afraid she’s regretting it now, and it’s making him feel worthless. When he falls in love, he want to talk about it, but he can’t. What a drama queen, but what he can do is make amazing food. He comes up with the dinner, and guest Kelly says, he’s the man. She’s trying so many new things. Kyle says, are we happy penis? then insists he said happiness. In Kyle’s interview, he says he’s a born service queen. The interior is excellent. Tasha’s cocktails are extraordinary, and Natalya excels in housekeeping and laundry. He’s all for supporting the team, but if the tip is whopping, it’s because of them. The guests go to the upper deck for dessert, and it’s decorated with gauzy white drapes, low tables, and floor pillows. Noah asks if this is more of that hippie sh*t. Dessert is a white chocolate pie, which Kelly says, rocked their world. I’m not a huge white chocolate fan, but I have the feeling that I’d even like things I don’t like from some of these yacht chefs. Emily says, this day of the charter was a terrible day, and she lost a sh*t ton of stocks. Noah says, she’s still rich. In their cabin, Storm bitches at Mzi for missing the toilet. Tasha asks if Dave is okay, and he says his mind won’t stop. She says, stop what? and he says, thinking about everything. Is there something she’s not telling him? She says, he’s starting to freak her out. It’s like she’s on eggshells. He asks if she’s scared of what he’s going to say, and she says she just doesn’t know what he’s going to do. It’s not stuff anyone needs to know. Dave says he feels like crying all the time, and doesn’t like it. She tells him that he needs to get some sleep, and he tucks her in. Ugh. These chefs are always so sensitive.

It’s breakfast time, and Tasha says, Dave must have slept, but he says he got no sleep. She says, that’s not all right, then they move to the topic of bread making. Captain Sandy asks Storm to meet her on the bridge for a quick chat. They talk about the docking, and she says she loves how he took charge. He understands it’s critical to get the lines on shore. She wanted to acknowledge that, and says she’ll talk to him later. Emily says they went above and beyond, and Anna says she’s so sad to leave. The guests pack and the crew changes to their whites. The captain radios the crew to meet on the dock for guest departure.

In Mzi’s interview, he says, at the end of every charter, there’s a woo-hoo. It’s been tense, so he’s looking forward to a drinky winky tonight. Emily tells them, it was unreal. They were all amazing, and the only complaint was being kept waiting to get in the water. We flash back to that, and yeah, there was no excuse. Emily gives the captain the tip envelope, and says, well done, team.

At the tip meeting, Captain Sandy says, it was a difficult docking. The lines took a long time, and she touched the mooring buoys. That can never happen. Interior, as always, did an amazing job. She hasn’t had a chef like Dave in a long time; he’s doing a great job. It was overall a great charter. The tip is $19K or $1,727 each. The crew applauds and toasts themselves. The captain thanks them, and tells them to enjoy their night out.

Captain Sandy calls Raygan to the bridge, and tells her, have a seat.

To be continued…

🥀 Final Frontier…

She was truly a trailblazer.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/31/entertainment/nichelle-nichols-star-trek-dies/index.html

👢 Walking the Line…

Drop by tomorrow for soap and a tea leaf or two. Until then, stay safe, stay away from pettiness, and stay not struggling over anything on a turret.

July 25, 2022 – Josslyn Catches Sonny Threatening Felty, Captain Sandy Needs a Bosun She Can Trust & Something

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Dex shoves Felty down some steps in a stairwell, and Sonny comes out. He says, Felty. He’s heard a lot about Felty. Felty says, it’s all a big misunderstanding, and Sonny says, we are way beyond that. He comes down the stairs, as Dex shoves Felty up against the emergency door. Sonny says, Felty’s been exploiting Sasha Gilmore, pushing drugs on her, but Felty says, she asked for them, because apparently, he’s an idiot. Sonny punches him in the stomach, and Felty doubles over. Sonny tells Dex that he didn’t want to do that, and tells Felty, listen to me. He doesn’t want Felty to talk; Sonny just wants him to listen. Felty offends him, and people who offend him, they tend to disappear. Understand?

Valentin pours champagne at a table near the pool, when Anna walks in. He says, if memory serves, she likes roses, and hands her one. She thanks him, taking it, and says she also like champagne. He says, then he’s two for two, and asks her to sit, pulling out a chair. She does, and he picks up his glass, saying, to her, the most beautiful sight he’s ever seen, and they clink glasses. She says she can’t do this. She’s sorry. She doesn’t want to put up with this anymore. She picks up her bag, and he says, put up with what? She says, the dishonesty.

In the MetroCourt lobby, Ava says she’s going to need Nikolas’s help. He says, anything, and she says, martini first, yes? He agrees, and she says she has every intention of ordering a second, but under no circumstances should she be ordering a third, so don’t let her, no matter how much she insists she needs it. He asks why she’d need a third martini, and she says, to numb the pain of how badly Trina’s trial went today. He asks, what happened? when Spencer comes in. He greets them, and asks if they’d mind if he joins them. It’s important.

Oz seems like he’s having a hard time breathing, and pulls off his jacket. Esme says he’s not looking too well, and he asks what she did to him. He passes out on her shoulder, just as Curtis knocks at the door. Esme jumps up, and Curtis bangs harder, saying, Oz, open up. He tries the door, then kicks it open, seeing Oz passed out on the couch, but no Esme.

At the hospital, Molly brings TJ a smoothie, loaded with greens and antioxidants for immune support. He thanks her, and asks what she’s doing here. He thought she’d be tied up at the DA’s office until way late. She says she needed a mental health break. Trina’s trial has just become a glaring example of how broken their legal system is.

Carly lets Drew in, and thanks him for coming. He says, she told him she had a major announcement, and he wasn’t going to miss that. What’s she got? A plan to get her hotel back? She says, it’s way more important than the MetroCourt, and he says he guesses it is pretty major. She points him to the living room where Michael and Willow are waiting, and he asks if they’re here for the big announcement too. Michael says, actually, they are the announcement, and Willow says she’s pregnant. Drew says, get out of here, and Michael says, true story. Drew says, well, it’s about damn time this family had some good news, and congratulates Willow, hugging her.

Dex is about to toss Felty down another flight, when Felty says he’ll do anything. Sonny says he’s already done too much, and nods to Dex, who throws Felty to the floor instead. Dex kicks Felty, and Sonny says, they’re going to bury his body so deep, no one’s ever going to be able to find him. He nods to Dex again, and Dex beats Felty with a Billy club. Felty passes out, and Sonny puts his hand on Dex’s shoulder. He says, you bastard, a bullet would be letting you off too easy. Josslyn appears at the top of the stairs, and says, Sonny is so busted. She just recorded the whole thing, and he’s going down. Obviously, there’s some irony here, but really? She had to pick the good thing he was doing?

Curtis tells Oz to find the energy to wake up. He has some questions to ask Oz about a phone he sold a young lady. Someone’s future depends on it. He comes closer and says, Oz? He pulls Oz to a seated position, and says, you’re not hammered. What did you take? We see Esme hiding in another room, and Oz comes to a little. Curtis asks what he’s on. He’s just here to help Oz. What did Oz take? Oz says he doesn’t know; she gave him something. Curtis says, she who? What’s her name? Esme looks panicked, and Curtis says, stay with me, but Oz passes out again. Curtis takes his phone out, and calls for an ambulance.

Ava asks Spencer if Esme will be joining them as well, and Nikolas flashes back to That-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named. Spencer says, she doesn’t even know he’s here, and Ava says, in that case, have a seat. Although be warned, it’s been a very long and terrible day, so if a sparring match is what he’s after… Spencer says, it’s not, and asks, what about Nikolas? Is Nikolas okay that he’s here? Nikolas says, of course (🍷), and asks, what’s going on? Spencer says he was actually looking for Ava. What happened at Trina’s trial?

Valentin asks Anna to sit down, but she says, what’s the point? He says, please don’t end this before it starts – please. She sits again, and he thanks her. He says he hasn’t lied to her, and she starts to get up again, but he says, wait. By omission? Sure, he’s held things back; things he wishes he could tell her, but he can’t. She says, things like where he was when he was supposed to be at the clinic? He says, supposed to be? and she says she contacted them, which she can do, and knows he left the clinic weeks before he came back here. Where was he?

Molly says, when she was first assigned Trina’s case, she was conflicted, and TJ says he remembers. She says, could she do her job without being biased, or should she recuse herself? She made a choice to trust the system; the way the system is supposed to work. The prosecutor makes the strongest case they can, based on the evidence, and the defense makes the strongest case they can for innocence or extenuating circumstances, and the jury, given proper instructions from the judge, makes the call. He says, clearly, she put a lot of thought into this, and she says, the joke’s on her, because it turns out her role as prosecutor was never up to her. He asks what she means, and she says, ADA Arden pulled some strings, and now she’s loaded down with all these other assignments. Arden has effectively moved her off the case. He says, so instead of her asking Molly to recuse herself, Arden did it for her? and she says she loathes all these behind-the-scenes politics. That’s why she busted her butt for a law degree? No. She did it to pursue justice. He says, that must be insanely frustrating. He’s so sorry. She thanks him, and he asks if he can say something selfish. She says, sure, and he says he’s glad she’s not the one arguing to put Trina away. She says, they had many conversations, sometimes arguments when she joined the DA’s office, whether it was really possible to change the system from the inside. She’s starting think he was right. She’s fighting a losing battle.

Sonny asks what Josslyn is doing here, and she says, she had a very hellacious day in court today, so she decided to go for a run to let off some steam. She saw Sonny get out of his car, and thought, A, it was weird for him to be alone, and B, he was going down some sketchy alleyway. So she decided to follow him, and as a precaution, she pulled out her phone, and good thing, because she saw him and Mr. No Neck here beating the pulp out of some guy, and threatening to kill him and bury him where nobody will ever find him. She’s pretty sure that’s assault and premeditation, which will send him to prison for the rest of his life. So her hellacious day just got a whole lot better.

Drew congratulates Willow and Michael, saying, he’s so happy for them both. Carly passes out champagne, and Drew gives Willow some sparkling cider. He says, there’s a lucky kid in there. You just can’t be born into a family more loving. Carly says, if he’s referring to Michael, Willow, and Wiley, absolutely, but some of the other distant relations can be a bit prickly. Drew says, if she’s referring to the Quartermaines, he thinks prickly is too kind. More like backstabbing, blackmailing, and a lot worse than that. Carly says, Ned and Tracy maybe, but that doesn’t apply to them, and they’ve already established Drew is following Lila’s tradition. They’re the good Q’s. Drew says he knows what his mistake cost Carly, but Michael says, their mistake, which wasn’t attempting to merge the companies; that was a sound business strategy. Their mistake was trusting Ned. Carly says, amen, and Michael says, setbacks aren’t final. Carly says, amen again, and he says he means it. They won’t stop until they reclaim what she lost.  

Valentin says, Anna checked up on him, and she says she’s not proud of it. She really wrestled with how to proceed, but in the end, she trusted, but verified. He says, that’s how she knows about his time in the clinic, but she doesn’t know the whole story. Everything he’s done, he did for Charlotte. She asks what Charlotte has to do with him leaving the clinic, and he says he left for the same reason he put Charlotte in boarding school. He developed a severe staph infection that spread to his spine. As she can imagine, it’s particularly sensitive after all the corrective surgery he’s had. The first clinic wasn’t equipped to handle such a severe infection, so he was moved to a second clinic, where he underwent 30 days of intravenous antibiotics, and extensive physical therapy. It was one long winding road, but he made it.

Ava says, things went very badly for Trina in court today. Spencer might be happy to know that. Spencer asks why it would make him happy, and she says, because he’s seemingly loyal to Esme, and Esme framed Trina. Nikolas says he thinks it’s clear by now Spencer doesn’t wish Trina ill, and Spencer says, exactly the opposite. Nikolas says, at the same time, Spencer simply can’t write off Esme. His son is caught in a difficult situation.

Curtis asks where they’re taking Oz, and an EMT says, General Hospital. Curtis says he’ll meet them there, and an officer tells Curtis that they’ll take it from here. Curtis says he wants to check the apartment, as Esme looks for a way to escape, but the officer says, it’s officially a crime scene

Carly says, enough shoptalk. They’re here to celebrate their growing family. She just wants to say that when Nelle told them she was pregnant, it was difficult to find the joy, but she gave them Wiley, so they’ll forever be thankful. She takes Willow’s hand, and says she wants Willow to know, she’s kind, loving, generous, and Carly is so grateful Willow and Michael found each other. And she’s so excited for this family they’re creating… Enough. She doesn’t want to cry. Cheers. They clink glasses, and Drew says, to family.

Sonny bounds up the stairs, and says he doesn’t think Josslyn understands what she walked in on. She says, that’s fair. She’ll leave it up to the cops. He says she doesn’t want to do that, but she says she can’t wait. He says he knows she’s angry, and he doesn’t like how it ended with her mom; he regrets that. She says, now he regrets it, and he says, the pain the family is going through… but she says, no. The pain he put them through. He says, if she has him arrested, it’s not going to hurt just him; it’s going to hurt everybody else. Donna and Avery need their father. She says, they needed their father all the months he was gone, but he didn’t remember them, or couldn’t care to. He says he didn’t know who he was, and she says, Michael told her when Sonny was on the stand at Nina’s ridiculous visitation hearing, he stopped asking where he came from. He says, right, and she says, because he didn’t want to know? He was having too much fun with Nina to care about those little girls. They got by fine without him then, and they’ll get by fine now.

TJ gives Oz oxygen, and says a bunch of medical stuff to the orderly. Curtis comes into the hospital, and Molly asks if everything is okay. He says he’s checking on a guy the paramedics brought in, Oz Haggarty. She asks if he’s a friend, and Curtis says, no, but he could be a criminal witness to prove Trina was framed.

Spencer says, whatever else Ava thinks of him, he really does care what happens to Trina. Please just fill him in on the trial. Esme is about to walk in, sees them, and steps back. Ava says, maybe talking about it will help. For starters, Scott Baldwin had some kind of family emergency, so Trina is being represented by Diane Miller. Spencer says, that almost sounds like good news; Diane is badass. Ava says, she definitely can be, and Nikolas’s phone dings. Ava says, the ADA went on the offensive by calling Cameron and Josslyn as witnesses for the prosecution. Nikolas sees a text from Esme that says: Here outside the MetroCourt. Can you meet? Or do you want me to come to you? Spencer says, but Joss and Cam have been saying Trina’s innocent from the start.

Valentin tells Anna, he was in no condition to take care of Charlotte, so he trusted Victor to take her to boarding school. Anna asks, why not Laura or Nina? but he says, at the time, Nina was preoccupied with the Sonny Corinthos situation, and Laura had extensive mayoral and personal responsibilities. She says, they sound like valid reasons, if they were talking about anyone other than his daughter. She knows he’d do anything for her. He says he would. Not too many people know that. It makes her a target. So as much as he despises Victor – and he does – he felt Victor was best equipped to protect her. She says, from who? and he says, enemies from his past, on both sides of the law, of which there are many. He was flat on his back in a hospital bed, fearing for his daughter’s safety. She asks why he didn’t tell her what was going on.

Carly says goodbye to Michael and Willow, and Drew says he guesses he should go too. She says, if he has to, but he says he doesn’t have to do anything.

Sonny tells Josslyn, she can say what she wants and think what she wants, but if she sends him to prison, does she think Kristina is going to thank her? Dante? Donna and Avery? She says she notices he left Michael off that list, and he says, what about when Donna and Avery are old enough to understand what happened? They’re going to see their father in prison, and Josslyn did that? She says she loves how he’s making this her fault. Like she forced him to beat up some guy in an alleyway. That was all him. Just like sleeping with Nina and trashing their family was all him. He says he’s not going to sit here and try to tell her that there’s two sides to every story, but punishing him and punishing her siblings are two different things, and he thinks she can tell the difference. He goes up the stairs, and Josslyn starts to leave, but Dex says, wait. None of this was his idea; he had no choice. She says, explain then, but keep his distance, and just so he knows, she has pepper spray.

Anna tells Valentin, she understands what it’s like to be scared for your child’s safety; to know that at any point they may be made to pay the price for stupid decisions you made in the past. She went through that with Robin, and could have helped him if he’d told her what was going on. He says he knows, and she asks, why didn’t he? He says he was helpless. He was flat on his back in a hospital bed, and then he was hobbling around on a walker. He didn’t like her seeing him like that because it takes him back to when they first met, and all she felt for him was pity.

Nikolas says, there’s a situation at Cassadine Industries; he needs to make a call. He leaves, and Spencer says he doesn’t get what could have gone wrong at the trial. Josslyn would never say anything against Trina. Ava says, she didn’t mean to. It’s just, the more Joss tried to defend Trina, the more damage she did.

Nikolas asks Esme, what’s this about? and she says she was hoping he’d be able to restore her internship at Spring Ridge, but while she was waiting for him… He says, what? and she says, she realized this secret their keeping is weighing on her. She can’t keep going like this; she wants to come clean. He says, she doesn’t mean that, but she says she does. She’s sick of the cover ups, the lies of omission. She wants to tell Ava and Spence that they slept together.

TJ says, the paramedics said a bystander called 9-1-1; was it Curtis? Curtis says he wasn’t exactly a bystander; he went looking for the guy. Oz Haggarty is a bartender at The Highsider, and he also sells black market phones like the one that was planted in Trina’s bag. Molly says, Trina has maintained from day one that the phone was planted, and Josslyn has been just as adamant that Spencer’s girlfriend Esme Prince is responsible for the revenge porn and framing Trina. Could this Oz ID Esme as being the one who bought the phone? Curtis says, that’s the hope, but when he found Oz, he was too out of it to answer questions. The orderly pops out of Oz’s room, and tells TJ that Oz is coding. TJ runs in.

Dex says, if Josslyn gives that footage to the cops, it won’t just be Sonny who gets arrested; he will be too. She says, maybe he should have thought of that before going to work for a gangster, and Dex flashes back to Michael telling him, coming to the Quartermaine estate was out of line. His family is off limits. Dex says, it’s ironic, considering Michael hired him to take down his father. Dex tells Josslyn, his work situation is complicated, and she says, he helped attack a man. Dex clubbed him unconscious and planned to kill him, but Dex says, no. They weren’t going to kill him. At least he didn’t think they were. As far as he knew, they were just supposed to scare him.

Carly asks if Drew would like more champagne, and he says, who is he to say no to that? She pours them both a glass, and I can hear the bubbles hiss. Um… I don’t think champagne is that loud. He says, to the new baby, and she says, can he believe it? He says he can, and she guesses she can too. They clink glasses and he asks how she’s doing. She says, great, but he says he means it. How is she doing really? She says, okay. She bounces from fury to frustration all day, and he says, sounds like fun. Fury and frustration over Nina? and she says, yeah, and the fact Nina now owns her hotel. He says, half her hotel, and she says, but you know what? She’s so grateful for everything she still has. He says, it sounds like she’s all over the place, and she says she is, but Michael’s right; it’s just a setback. And as someone who’s been down this road, she would know. She asks why he’s not throwing her out a window, and he says, what? She says she’s had some bad things happen to her, but nothing compared to him, and he says she’s right. That was outrageously insensitive of her. He gets up, and says, come on. She asks what he’s doing, and he says, getting ready to throw her out a window. He tells her to look at him, and says, no comparisons. The past is behind him, and sometimes he lets himself think about it, but only to realize how good he has it now. She says, she agrees, and he says, of course (🍷) it could always get better. He smooths her hair, and she says, any idea how? He says, one or two, and they’re about to kiss, when Sonny barges in. He says, Carly’s got to get her daughter under control.

Nikolas tells Esme to think about it,  but she says, she has. It’s all she can think about. He says, telling Ava and Spencer about their encounter, it’s only going to cause unnecessary pain. It’s not like they have any feelings for each other. It was a one-time lonely vulnerability. It’s better to put this behind them. She says she just wishes she knew there her life was going. She had an internship at Spring Ridge, and was going to be studying psyche at PCU; now it’s all up in the air, and she feels like the only way she can get a fresh start is if she gets the truth out. He says he gets that. If the internship at Spring Ridge makes her feel grounded, he’ll get her reinstated. She says, what if it’s already too late? She might have missed her window to use it to get into the psyche program. He asks her to give him until tomorrow. He promises she’ll get everything she wanted. She says she knew he’d come through, and hugs him.

Ava tells Spencer that Josslyn said in her testimony, Trina would never buy a black market phone. Then the ADA called Officer Cabrera to the stand, and he said Trina tried to do just that. Spencer says, he said that about Trina? Why? She says, apparently, Joss and Trina went to find the man they believe sold Esme the phone, and tried to buy one themselves in the process. (Wait, what? No one ever said that.) Spencer face palms, and she says, ironic, isn’t it? Trina tried to prove her innocence, and only made herself look more guilty.

Anna says, she and Valentin aren’t the same people they were when they met. She’s not an angry young woman anymore, and he’s not… He says, a scarred hunchback, and she tells him, don’t do that. That was part of his transformation… She doesn’t have any illusions about him. She knows he’s done regrettable things; so has she. But she’s seen him work to be better; to grow and be more honest, to try to make amends. He wonders if she knows how bad he wishes he could make amends, and she says, it’s always going to be like this. They’re never going to walk a straight line, are they? This whole process is just going to be a series of stops and start. He says, it feels like two steps forward, two steps back sometimes, and she says, are they ever going to trust each other? Did she just break that trust by checking up on him? He asks why she did, and she says, ever since he got back, he’s been different, and she wanted to figure out why.

At the stables, Michael says he hopes Willow is okay with his mom’s little announcement get-together thing. She asks if he thinks she wouldn’t be, and he says, she just kind of threw it on them, but Willow says, no, she loved it. Could Drew’s reaction have been any sweeter? She’s so happy they’re working together, and he says, it’s nice having someone in the trenches that he trusts. They’ll get Aurora back in the black. She says she knows they will, and his mom seems good. She’s moving on from the divorce, and the loss of the hotel. She seems freer. He says, she’s the strongest they’ve seen her in a long time, and Willow asks if that changes anything. Does seeing his mom happy and moving forward give a little more room for grace for Sonny?

Dex asks if Josslyn knows Brando, and she says, he’s extended family. Dex says, this guy she thinks is innocent has been pushing drugs on Brando’s wife. Sonny was pissed, and just wanted to make sure they scared him bad enough to leave Sasha alone. She says, even if he’s telling the truth – he says he is – there’s a chance that Sonny wasn’t telling him the truth. Sonny could have killed this man if she hadn’t shown up. Would Dex have stopped him? Dex says he doesn’t know, but he’s glad he wasn’t faced with that choice.

Sonny tells Carly, this guy was pushing drugs on Sasha, so he put the fear of God in this lowlife, and there’s Josslyn. She’s filming the whole thing, and threatened to take the footage to the cops. Carly says, okay. What does Sonny want her to do about it?

TJ tells the orderly that Oz will have to be monitored closely, and goes back out. Curtis asks how Oz is doing, and TJ says he had to put him in a medically induced coma. His brain is swollen, and needs a chance to heal. Curtis asks when TJ thinks he’ll wake up, and TJ says he’s requested a neuro consult. Once Oz has been evaluated, they’ll know more. He also ordered a blood panel, so they can see what drugs are in his system. Curtis says, before he passed out, Oz told him that a woman gave him something. His guess is, Oz was drugged on purpose to shut him up, by none other than Esme Prince. Molly asks if Curtis has ever seen them together, and Curtis says, no, but he followed Oz to Spoon Island. What the hell would Oz be doing at Spoon Island, if he weren’t meeting Esme? Molly says, it all fits, but Curtis says, there’s no way to prove it until Oz regains consciousness, and Trina’s almost out of time.

Esme calls the hospital, and Deanna answers. Esme says she was notified that her father, Oz Haggarty, was brought into the ER. Is he going to be all right? Deanna says she’ll take down Esme’s information, and have the attending call her, but Esme says, she’s in Oregon, and can’t be there for hours. Can she just talk to him? Deanna says she’s sorry, but her father’s been unconscious since he arrived. He is stable though, and he’s been admitted to the ICU. Esme asks when he’ll wake up, but Deanna says she really needs to speak to the neurologist. Esme says, neurologist? Is he in a coma? Deanna says she’ll take down Esme’s information whenever she’s ready, but Esme hangs up and smiles.

Nikolas says, sorry, and Ava says she hopes his emergency wasn’t too dire. He says, it’s a problem that requires immediate action, but it’s solvable. Spencer gets up, and says, he hopes things go better for Trina tomorrow. Ava says, she does too, but unless some miraculous witness drops from the sky to exonerate her, Trina may well lose everything.

Anna says, there’s a darkness in Valentin’s eyes ever since he came back; like something is really bothering him. He hides it well, but it’s there. He says he loves that she can read him like this, and she asks, what’s going on? He says, she’s right; something’s troubling him. It’s no big mystery, but he doesn’t think they should be thread pulling. He likes her, and the closer they get, the more he knows it’s going to hurt when he loses her. She asks why he’d lose her, and he says, a thousand reasons, but when she looks at him like she is now, he doesn’t want to think about them. She says, let’s not think about anything, and kisses his hand. He gets up, and kisses her forehead, then they make out like bandits.  

Willow says she’s not advocating for Michael to reconcile with Sonny, but drop this vendetta against him. All this anger and hate isn’t good for him, and can lead him to do something he’ll regret. He asks if she wants him to let it go, and she says, for his own sake, especially since it’s clear Carly is doing fine. He says, this isn’t about revenge, and she says, isn’t it? He says, it’s about doing what right, and for him and his family, it’s not having Sonny in his life anymore. She says, that will make him happy? and he says, she makes him happy. Thinking about their future makes him happy. Thinking about them, Wiley and the baby, that makes four. Maybe someday five or six. She tells him, slow down, and he says, the point is, they have a lifetime of love ahead of them. She flashes back to TJ telling her that she has an elevated white blood cell count, and he doesn’t think it’s related to her pregnancy. Michael asks how she could think of anything else, and she says she can’t.

Dex says, if Josslyn turns that video over to the cops, Sonny’s lawyer can maybe get him out of it, but not him. He’ll 100% be convicted. And not for nothing, it doesn’t feel like she took that video to uphold the law or prevent a crime. It feels like she did it to get back at her stepfather. Maybe Sonny deserves it, but she doesn’t know Dex, and he’s never done anything to her. This could ruin his whole life… please. She takes out her phone, and looks at the video. She says, Sonny’s ruined enough lives. She doesn’t see the point in adding his name to the list. She deletes the video, and tells him, it’s gone. He thanks her, and she says she still thinks he’s an idiot to work for Sonny. He says, noted, and she leaves. He looks at Felty at the bottom of the stairs, and says, he guesses they both got lucky tonight.

Sonny says, just call Josslyn, and tell her to delete the footage, but Carly says, Josslyn is an adult. If Josslyn witnesses a crime in progress and chooses to report it, that’s none of her business. He says, so if he gets convicted and sent to prison, does she think Josslyn is going to feel good about that? She’s got to stop Josslyn now. She says, isn’t it perfect how what works for Josslyn also allows him to get off scot-free? and he says, this is on her. She asks how it’s on her, and he says, Carly keeps egging Josslyn on about him, and now she’s out of control. Drew says, Sonny should leave before this deteriorates any more, and Sonny asks if Drew is telling him to leave his own house. Drew says, it’s not his house anymore, and Sonny says, last he checked, it wasn’t Drew’s house either. Unless they’re moving in… Carly says, enough. Sonny doesn’t get to barge in her house and start barking orders. She’ll consider the situation, and guide Josslyn to do what’s best for her. If it lands Sonny’s ass in Pentenville, so be it. He doesn’t have to worry. They allow conjugal visits. He and Nina should be just fine. He says he would pull back if he were her. She already lost her hotel. There’s a lot more to lose. He leaves, and Drew asks if Carly is okay. She says she’s fantastic. She’s got Sonny right where she wants him.

Tomorrow, Jordan asks what Curtis knows that she should know; Spencer tells Esme to figure out how to set Trina free before it’s too late; Rory says he wants to make it up to Trina, if she’ll let him; and Sonny tells Nina that if she can’t deal with it, it’s not going to work.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Julian’s Bay, Malta. In Dave’s interview, he says, when they were on their last boat, he and Tasha got on. There was a flame. In Natasha’s interview, she says, when she joined her last boat, her relationship wasn’t in a good place. Dave paid her compliments and they had fun. Dave says, Tasha would sneak into his room, and that made it more passionate and fun; it was epic. Tasha says, the first time she hooked up with Dave, they were drunk. Her ex had cheated on her, but was it right to cheat back? She’s not proud of it. Dave says, he thought when they joined this boat, it would be secret for a while, but then they’d be a couple. Tasha says, Dave is a ticking time bomb. He wants to release their secret, but she doesn’t want people judging them. At the restaurant, the crew wants to party it up. They do shots, and Kyle takes a picture to send to his boyfriend. They move on to a techno club, and most of them get on the dance floor. Storm says he and Natalya have a vibe. Tasha almost sits with Dave, but Raygan asks her to dance. We see it’s 11.5 hours to charter, and in his interview, Dave says he feels like Tash is going out of her way to push him away. They get in a couple of taxis, and Jason says, Dave and Tasha need to quit the bullsh*t; it’s exhausting. They get back to boat, and Kyle remarks that Raygan is knackered. A few of the crew have something to eat in the super nice crew mess. Dave bugs Jason about flirting with Tasha, and says Jason is going after all the girls. Jason tries to extract himself, but Dave follows him. Natalya tells Dave not to antagonize Jason, but Dave insists he’s not fighting. Storm wisely suggests going to bed, and Jason says he’s going, but Dave tries to stop him. Jason suggests Dave not touch him, and Dave backs off, but tells him to go wash his hair. In Jason’s interview, he says, he’s too old for this. The first time he was knocked out, it was a Taco Bell, and he was a drunk college frat kid. It’s exhausting, and will only make it worse. Dave waits in their cabin for Tasha, and waits… and waits… Finally she comes in, and he says he swore at her boyfriend. She’s like, huh? Kyle asks Jason what happened, and Jason says, it was a power move because Dave is insecure, but that’s just his opinion. Tasha moves to the master cabin, and in her interview, she says, Dave is drunk and angry, and the last thing she wants to do is share a cabin. She needs space. She cries herself to sleep, which is no way to end the first outing with a new crew.

Grand Harbour Marina. Everyone is hung over, and Raygan sums it up best, but opening her eyes, and saying, oi. Tasha tells Dave that she went to the master cabin because he was in a rage. She needs to focus on herself, and she can’t deal with the drama or stress. Dave says he respects that, and he’s sorry. It’s so stupid that they can’t talk about the real reason. In Dave’s interview, he says he obviously f***ed up. He was out of order, and now Tash can’t look at him, and he can’t blame her. He tells her that she didn’t deserve that, and he’s sorry. Kyle tells Captain Sandy about last night, and says, when they start doing somersaults on the dance floor, it’s time round them up. She asks if he was doing somersaults, but he says, no, Raygan was. Natalya does laundry, and the captain looks at charts. Storm tries to radio Raygan, who says, everything is spinning. The deckhands wander around, and Raygan throws up. Tasha gives the stews their tasks, and in Jason’s interview, he says, if you’re hung over or sick, fine, but what’s important is to be there. He used to go to father events for his sisters, because their father was a POS. (I wasn’t totally paying attention, but it sounds like they don’t have the same father.) He says, laziness makes him frustrated. Natalya sings as she does laundry, and Dave apologizes to Jason. They shake hands. Raygan is still sleeping.

Tasha makes Dave some coffee, and Captain Sandy calls Tasha, Dave, and Raygan for a preference sheet meeting. Raygan answers the radio from her bunk, but she is fully dressed. When the captain gets to the mess, she asks where Raygan has been, and Raygan says she was sick. Captain Sandy says, that’s called a hangover, and Raygan tries a Hail Mary Pass, saying, it could be food poisoning, but the captain says, nope. It’s alcohol. Don’t kid herself. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, the last thing you want to show her on the second charter is that you’re incapable of your job because of a hangover. It’s okay to have fun, but you need to bring it. The primary is Emily, who’s in her family business of real estate. They expect a fully stocked bar at all times, and want to be in the water from sunup to sundown. They’ve requested a Moroccan inspired sunset dinner, and Dave notes that there’s one who hates seafood. The captain says, Raygan can jump in any time, and Raygan says, all waters toys will be in the water. The captain says, water sports, water sports, water sports. It’s the second charter, and now that Raygan is familiar with the boat, pull out everything first thing, or it will make her mad. On deck, Raygan tells the deckhands to do whatever they feel like doing. Jason tells Mzi that there needs to be a procedure, and Mzi says, 100%. Tasha texts Dave, asking if he wants to chat in their cabin, and he says he’ll be right down. He teleports there, and she says she has to take a shower. He goes in with her, and she says she has five minutes. We have no clue what they’re doing, and only hear running water, but 28 minutes later, Tasha comes out fully dressed.

Provisions come in, and Raygan says, teamwork makes the dream work, but I’m not sure if she’s being sarcastic. Kyle says, Tasha and Dave are a power team; they’re so in love. Tasha says, that’s not funny, but Dave says, no argument from him. Kyle says, if it doesn’t work out, Dave always has him. Raygan drops off the deckhands’ schedule to Captain Sandy, and the captain radios the crew to get in their whites, and be on the dock in five minutes. In Raygan’s interview, she says, the first charter, it was just her and Jason. She didn’t have time to make up a schedule. She had a hangover, and she understands that’s not professional, but now they have a whole team. She thinks they’re going to kick it.

The guests are welcomed with mini margaritas and pineapple upside down cake shots. My stomach turns over, thinking of how sweet those must be. Tasha shows them around the boat, and guest Noah says, the amount of beers he’ll be drinking will be absurd. The luggage is brought onboard, and Captain Sandy checks out what’s going on in the galley, telling Dave that his food is art. In her interview, she says she’s had some chefs who were incredible. We flash back to them, and she says, but Dave is like no other chef on the planet. He’s a true artist, and it’s incredible to witness him at work. They begin to pull out of the marina, and Noah says, this is a legit boat. I’m not sure what he thought he’d be on for the price of a small country. Tasha and Natalya make drinks, the fenders are pulled up, and they’re on their way. Dave blowtorches some apples, and Raygan tells the deckhands to start inflating the inflatables. Jason tells Mzi that Captain Sandy wants it to look like a toy show out there. Mzi realizes the Seabobs aren’t charged, and Jason says, no one made him aware they should be. Raygan manages to make her way to them, and Jason says, he thought they ran on gas. Raygan says, Seabobs are always charged, like he should know, and in Jason’s interview, he says he’s been on the boat for five days, and it’s a clusterf***. He’s getting irritated because no one is leading. It should have been explained.

One of the guests asks if Kyle isn’t married, and Kyle says he’s gay. She says she thought he’d been flirting with her, and I can’t imagine making that mistake. In Natalya’s interview, she says she likes to rearrange and coordinate things. She’s a compulsive organizer, and that’s why she loves being on laundry. She has everything organized her way. Mzi gives Jason some instruction, and in Mzi’s interview, he says, last season, he gained knowledge and confidence, so he’s comfortable taking more authority. With Raygan, there are miles to go. Tasha hugs Dave, telling him that she’s proud of him, and in Kyle’s interview, he says he thinks they’re a cute couple. He loves seeing Tasha dainty and smiling around Dave, and Dave melts like Jell-O around her. Something’s going on here. Raygan radios Mzi to bring out the jet skis, and realizes the banana should have been inflated. Captain Sandy watches her talking to the deckhands, and Jason tells the guests that he needs to get a ladder for them to get in the water. Raygan tells him to do the passerelle (it’s like a gangplank), and Jason says, he needs someone to tell him what to do. The captain comes out, and asks where the inflatables are. She tells Raygan that she’s got to manage this deck, and tells Jason, get everything in the water. She takes Raygan over to the side, and says, Raygan’s got to organize her team; it’s chaos. She told them to get everything out, and Raygan was sitting and watching when she should be working. She needs to manage this; give directives, and do it out of the way of the guests. She doesn’t want to hear complaints. She wants Raygan to do her job. She doesn’t want to be the bosun.

Raygan gets the banana out, and tells Jason to pick up the pace. Captain Sandy talks to herself, saying, Raygan is in over her head. Raygan tells them to get everything out and ready, and Jason asks what she thinks he was doing, twiddling his thumbs? Then she starts bitching about the passerelle. Don’t start nitpicking; he’s doing his best. I wonder if the guests can hear them, and Raygan says, just try to pick up the tempo. Kyle says Dave looks super stressed out, and in the laundry, Natalya sings, laundry it’s your friend; it never ends. Tasha goes over the dinner menu with Dave, and in his interview, Dave says he loves to experiment. There are a few people who don’t like seafood, but he doesn’t follow preference sheets. It’s a bit of a gamble, but he does do extreme stuff and gambles. In Storm’s interview, he says he gets his passion from his mother. She had a full 8 to 6 job, and when his sister was born, they needed to drive her around for her to go to sleep. His mother was too tired, so he’d drive, which was totally illegal, but he was on work mode. Tasha asks Kyle for help setting the table, and goes over the service plan with him and Natalya.

The guests are seated, and Kyle asks if they’re ready to get the party started. Guest Tommy wonders what their eating, and Noah says, there’s a menu in front of him, but Tommy says, it’s too much to read. Primary Emily asks if Captain Sandy would like to join them, and the captain says she’d love it. I think, wouldn’t the chef like to know? but it looks like she’s just going to stand there a while and talk to them. Emily tells the captain that her family owns a brokerage, and everyone in her family sells real estate. The first course is served, and Emily says she doesn’t like octopus, but tastes it anyway (good for her!). She says, she wouldn’t order it again, but it’s good. The way it’s prepared is fabulous. Another guest says, it can be chewy, and this isn’t, which makes me want to taste it, but I don’t eat that anymore. Mzi tells Captain Sandy that the Seabobs weren’t charged, and Jason had never used one, so he woudn’t know. It’s the small things that creep up. She tells him that he had someone he worked under who was very experienced, and now he’s under someone who doesn’t have experience. In the captain’s interview, she says she understands the expectations of the crew. It’s the bosun’s job to teach the crew. We flash back to Malia, and Captain Sandy says, a bosun has to lead the team and give direction. Raygan isn’t demonstrating leadership. She just hopes they make it through the charter. Mzi says, if they had direction, it could make a difference.

Dave’s dessert is white chocolate/ginger cheesecake inside a hollow chocolate bomb, and I want to cry, I want one so badly. Kyle congratulates the guests on staying up so long after what they’ve consumed. Natalya fights with a doorknob that keeps coming off in the master cabin. Tommy falls off his chair after what he’s consumed, and Natalya radios Kyle for help. Tasha tells Dave that his food is unreal, and he says, her drinks are unreal. Tommy says, everyone who can be cool is fly. Is he right or wrong? Emily says, they have no clue what he’s saying, when Dave brings the chocolate balls up, and pours hot chocolate sauce over them. Sigh… Dinner breaks up, and most of the guests go to bed, but Tommy and Noah run drunkenly around. Noah bugs Dave in the galley, while he guzzles beer, and Tommy howls for him on deck. They finally call it a night.  

Captain Sandy calls Raygan to the bridge, and says, she wants to see Raygan succeed. She needs to be organized, and that’s when she’ll gain the trust of her deck crew. She should practice; put the toys where she can get to them. Raygan says she’s realizing where she needs to be, the captain says, it’s not where she needs to be; it’s how she needs to lead. The deckhands need clear, concise instructions. She wants to build Raygan up, but she’s also here to do business, and no one is being told what to do. Raygan says she’s figuring the deckhands’ weaknesses; today will be better. Captain Sandy says, Raygan needs to figure out her own weaknesses, and where she’s struggling. It’s complete chaos, and she has no system. She understands Raygan had positions on other boats… and Raygan says, but they weren’t as horrendous and busy. The captain says, superyachts aren’t like what Raygan worked on. They have a system in place, for safety. Raygan needs to show the captain that she can do this job. She needs a bosun she can trust, and who has guest priority.

Next time, the guests do cannonballs; Dave thinks Tasha is different; Dave is starting to freak Tasha out; and Captain Sandy hits a dolphin for the first time ever. A marker, not the mammal.

✈️ Oh Babe, I Hate To Go…

Peek in tomorrow for some soap and a spot of tea. Until then, stay safe, stay bucking the system, and stay remembering setbacks aren’t final.

July 18, 2022 – Another Win For Carly, Anniversary Party On Deck, Kyle’s Almost Kiss & Hey

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

In the steam room, Brando tells TJ that he’s going out of his mind. TJ says, he gets that, but it’s no good for Brando to be so stressed. Sit, breathe, sweat. Brando says, one out of three ain’t bad, right? His wife has been lying to him for months. What is he supposed to do with that?

Carly walks into the courtroom, empty except for Diane, and says she can’t believe this is happening. Trina is going to trial for a crime she didn’t commit. Diane says, fear not. She’s willing to poke so many holes in the ADA’s case, it will look like a doily when she’s done with it. Josslyn comes in, and Carly asks how she is. Josslyn says she’s terrified, and angry, and frustrated. She still doesn’t understand why this is even happening. Diane says, her mother just said the same thing, and her response? Carly tells Josslyn, Diane said not to worry, and Diane says, Scotty did an amazing job with the prep work. Now she’s going to bring it home. Carly says, she knows Josslyn is worried about Trina – so is she – but when she asked Josslyn how she was, she was asking about Josslyn. Josslyn says she answered, and Carly says, she answered and told her about Trina. She knows it’s going to be really awful to relive that experience. Josslyn says, obviously, she doesn’t like it, but they could play that video in open court for all she cares. Anything to exonerate Trina. Carly hugs Josslyn, saying, she’s such a good friend, and Diane says, the best kind. Josslyn says, this is such a waste of time, prosecuting Trina when the real criminal is out there, thinking she got away with it.

Esme says, Spencer does know her every desire, and she’s been aching for him to give it to her, but he says, that’s not what he’s talking about. She says, but it’s been ages. Doesn’t he want to be together again? He says, of course (🍷) he does, and she asks, then what is it? Is he still worried about Trina’s trial? He says, yes, but that’s not what he’s focused on right now, and she says, then talk to her. They used to be a team, remember? She kisses his neck, and he says he remembers everything about their time together, which is why he’s been focused so hard on this surprise for her. It took some doing, but it’s finally ready. She says, don’t keep her in suspense. What is it? He says, he found her birth mother.

Trina arrives at court, flanked by Portia and Taggert. Portia asks if she’s okay, and Trina says, what if she goes in there, and when she comes out, the only place she’s headed is prison?

Sonny spars with Dante at the gym, and Dante says, time out. What’s going on? Sonny asks, what’s the matter? Is Dante tired? Dante says, no, he’s not tired. He’s wondering why Sonny is so intense. Is Sonny trying to kill him?

Nina puts coins on Nathan’s headstone, brushes it off, and sighs. Her phone rings, and she says, Olivia?… What?… Hold on. In an hour? Why didn’t she say something earlier?… No, it’s not a problem. Olivia’s new partner wouldn’t dream of missing her first MetroCourt staff meeting. She’ll be there. She thanks Olivia for giving her ample notice, and says she’ll see Olivia soon. Obrecht walks into the cemetery, and asks if her ears are deceiving her, or has her niece made a career change?

Portia says she knows this is terrifying, but Trina is a strong, kickass young woman. Taggert says, a strong, kickass, innocent young woman, and Portia says, her father is right. She can do this. Trina says, they know she’s innocent, but what if the jury finds her guilty? Portia tells her, don’t say that. She doesn’t want Trina to even think that, but Trina says, it’s a possibility. Portia says, any sane person would take one look at Trina and know she didn’t do what she’s being accused of. Taggert says, not that it even matters. They’re going to find the evidence to clear her name. Curtis is still out there, tracking down a lead that will tie Esme to the phone she planted on Trina. Curtis joins them, and Portia asks, did it work? Did he find evidence to prove Trina didn’t do this? He says, the lead didn’t exactly pan out, and Taggert thanks him for trying, but Curtis says, they’re still working on it. Trina says, her trial is about to start; they’re out of time. Taggert asks if she’s ready to go in, and then adds, sorry, dumb question. She’s got this. He and Trina go into the courtroom, and Curtis tells Portia that he’s sorry. He really thought they were onto something. She says, he did everything he possibly could, and she’s grateful. She thanks him.

Spencer says, surprise, and Esme says, surprise is a massive understatement. She didn’t even know he was looking for her birth mother. How did he find her? He says he wishes he could take all the credit, but it was actually his Uncle Victor. He asked if Victor could use his connections from his WSB days. She says, and he was able to track down the woman who left her in the church as a baby? He says, that’s right, and she says, but she contacted that church, and was told there was no information. So how did Victor…? He says he guesses everyone has a price, and Uncle Victor spared no expense. He said he was eventually led to a nun who remembered her mother’s name. Her mother lives in Portugal now. She laughs, and says she doesn’t know why it seems fitting, but it does. Her smile drops, and he asks, what’s wrong? She asks if Victor was able to find her father too.

Diane asks how Trina is holding up; give her an honest answer. Trina says she’s freaking out, and Diane says, that’s natural. Of course (🍷) she is, but don’t lose hope. No matter what ADA Arden said yesterday, it’s far from an open and shut case. Ava comes in, and says, Diane is right. Trina is going to beat these charges, and put this entire nightmare behind her. They hug, and Ava says she brought this, showing Trina her necklace. Diane asks if it’s Trina’s lucky charm, and Trina says, yeah. Her dad gave it to her on her 18th birthday. Ava puts the necklace on Trina, and Trina thanks her for going back to Windymere to get it. Ava says she’d go to the ends of the earth for Trina, and don’t forget it.

Josslyn asks, how was Carly’s last day at the MetroCourt? Was it brutal? Carly says she doesn’t want to talk about that. She wants to focus on Josslyn right now. Josslyn says she’s ready. They can ask her anything, and her only answer is, Trina didn’t do it because she didn’t. Carly says, and that’s what the jury is going to hear, and Josslyn says she can’t even think about what will happen if they don’t, but Carly says, Trina is going to get through this. How could she not with amazing friends like Josslyn and Cameron by her side. Josslyn says, where is Cam anyway?

Dante says, Sonny must have had quite the morning, and Sonny says he got into it with Nina about Carly. Dante says, that explains it, and Sonny asks if Dante’s mom told him that Carly lost her half of the hotel. Dante says, yeah. He kind of assumed she and Ned were going to buy it back for Carly, and Sonny says, Olivia offered, so did he. Not to buy it personally but to give Carly the asset so she could do it herself. She turned them both down. Dante says he’s sorry to hear that; it sounds like they made a reasonable offer to help. Sonny says, Carly’s not interested in being reasonable. He hates that it’s come to this. Dante says, the divorce? and Sonny says, not just that; it’s the lack of understanding. Obviously, he has feelings for Nina. He just wants to move forward, but Carly thinks he’s siding against her, and her attitude is starting to spread, especially toward Michael. Dante says, Sonny didn’t choose what happened to him. He didn’t chose to lose his memory. He didn’t choose to separate himself from his family. He does get to choose what the aftermath is; what he gets to do next. He chose to hold Nina accountable, but stopped short of hating her. Dante admires that because it’s the only way to heal. Sonny asks how Dante got so wise, and Dante says, he had his own homecoming, remember?

Nina says, Obrecht heard correctly. She’s the new co-owner of the MetroCourt. Obrecht asks, who’s out, Olivia or Carly? and Nina says, Carly. Obrecht says she never thought she’d see the day Carly parted with her precious hotel, but Nina says, she didn’t give it up willingly. They sit on a bench, and Obrecht says, she needs details this instant. Nina says, Carly made a bad business deal and lost her half of the MetroCourt in the fallout, and Obrecht asks where Nina fits in. Nina says, she bought Carly’s half of the stake, with the full intention of gifting it back to her, and Obrecht says, a very generous gesture. She’s sure one that stood to benefit Nina as well. Nina says, it sort of backfired, and might have ended her and Sonny before they even started.

Cameron says he’s so sorry he’s late. He got held up at home. Aiden is a little bit sick right now and his mom is taking care of him. She’s so sorry she can’t be here; she sends her love. Trina says, if he needs to be with his brother… but Cameron says, there’s no other place he’s supposed to be than right here. Josslyn says, they’re with her all the way to the end, and Cameron says, and whatever comes after. They have a three-way hug, and Carly tells Portia, those three have stuck together through some really tough times. Taggert says, a bond that can’t be broken, and Portia says, it has to turn out okay; it has to. Carly says, it will, and Esme Prince will regret the day she ever messed with our kids.

Spencer says he doesn’t know anything about Esme’s father; the only name Uncle Victor discovered was her mother’s. Esme says, it’s just… She can’t believe it, after all of this time. He says, it’s a lot to process, isn’t it? and she says, it’s like she doesn’t know what emotion to feel first. She thinks for a moment, and asks, why did he do this for her?

Brando says, TJ is a good friend, and TJ says, Brando would do this for him. Brando says he’s a recovering addict. How did he not see Sasha was using again? TJ tells him not to blame himself, and Brando asks, was he blind to it, or is she just that good at hiding it? And which of those options is better? TJ says he doesn’t know, and Brando says he really thought he and Sasha were getting their relationship back on track after they lost Liam. He really believed they were on the same page. TJ says he’s sure in a lot of ways they were, but Brando says, she was lying to his face. What does that say about their marriage? Is he supposed to trust her again? TJ says he’s sorry, and Brando says he loves Sasha more than anything. He just wants her to be okay. She’s in denial, and of course (🍷) his instinct is to run in and fix everything for her. TJ says, Brando can’t help Sasha unless she helps herself, and Brando says he doesn’t know where to go from here, but TJ tells him, it’s like he said; he loves Sasha and she loves him. He’s not saying it’s going to be easy, but he believes everything will work out. Brando says he hopes TJ is right.

Nina says, once Carly shot her down, she decided to keep her half of the MetroCourt, and Obrecht asks how Sonny feels about that. Nina says, not great. He says it will make her look like she’s spiteful. He insists they’re together and wants to move forward with their relationship, but the minute Carly is in trouble, he rushes to her rescue. Obrecht takes Nina’s hand, and asks, then why keep the hotel? Surely she’s busy enough with Crimson. Nina says, don’t call her Shirley she is busy, but it’s an amazing business opportunity. The MetroCourt is hugely profitable, and it’s a huge success. Obrecht says, not to mention, owning half lessens the chances of Crimson being evicted from its office space, and Nina says, exactly. She never intended for this to happen, but now that it’s fallen into her lap, is she supposed to just back away from it because Carly’s feelings got hurt? She offered to give it back to Carly, but Carly said no. So if you look at it from that perspective, 50% is Carly’s doing, and 50% is hers. Obrecht says, but the satisfaction is 100% Nina’s.

Dante says he really struggled when he came home; Sonny of all people knows that. Different circumstances obviously, but they both know what it’s like not being able to fit back into their old life. Dante’s was self-inflicted. He volunteered for that op that set everything in motion. Sonny says, Dante wanted to do the right thing, and paid a hell of a price, and Dante says, Sonny understands because he’s going through it. Trying to piece together a new life; trying to figure out what matters to you now, because everything changes based on your experiences. It did for him, and now Sonny has feelings for Nina which he can’t deny because that would be a lie. A lie is a crappy foundation to build a life on. Sonny says, the truth comes with its own problems, and Dante asks if Nina is pissed because Sonny offered to help Carly. Sonny says, that’s part of it, and Dante asks, what’s the other part? Sonny asks if Dante’s mom told him that Nina is her new partner at the MetroCourt, and Dante asks how that happened. Sonny says, Nina bought Carly’s half of the hotel intending to give it back to make amends, and Dante says, and Carly shot her down? Sonny says, yeah. Now Nina owns half of the MetroCourt. She could have sold it to someone else, which would have been really bad, but she’s keeping it. Dante says he understands how that could make Carly feel, and Sonny says he told Nina that people are going to think she’s sticking it to Carly. Nina got all upset, and said, it feels like there are three people in the relationship. Dante says, there are, and Sonny says he doesn’t want any trouble with Carly. Dante says he’s not talking about Sonny and Carly, but Nina and Carly.

Diane tells Josslyn and Cameron that ADA Arden is going to call them as witnesses to try to get ahead of her defense. Answer truthfully, and she’ll make it work during the cross-examination. The bailiff says, all rise. The honorable Judge Young presiding. Arden tells the jury, they’re here today to obtain justice for two victims of the insidious crimes of revenge porn and illegal surveillance. Opposing counsel will have them believe the defendant is above reproach, a straight A student from a good family. That may be true, but does that give her a pass to act out of jealousy when things don’t go her way? No, it doesn’t. And as they’ll see, the defendant had the means, the motive, and ample opportunity, which she intends to prove beyond a reasonable doubt.

Spencer says, he got the idea when he saw Esme’s letters to Maggie, and she says, her private letters, that were never meant for his eyes. He says he told her it was an accident. He wasn’t snooping around, but he’s glad he read them. He thought she’d made peace with not knowing who her birth parents were, but those letters made him realize that he was wrong. Ever since, he’s been looking for a way to find them. She says, even though he accused her of filming Joss and Cam? but he says, it’s because of that. He never should have attacked her the way he did, but he can’t think of a better way to make it up to her. Can she?

Obrecht asks if Nina wants her opinion, and Nina says, uh… Obrecht says, if Nina wants to be at peace with her reasons, don’t concern herself with optics. Zur holle nit (to hell with) to anyone who criticizes her decisions. This is her life. Nina says, but Sonny’s part of her life; at least she wants him to be. This whole hotel stuff doesn’t sit well with him. Obrecht is right; it’s her life, her choices. But what if this choice brings her nothing but misery?

Dante says, Michael is coming in a bit, and asks if Sonny is going to stick around. Sonny says, he’s not going to let his own son run him out of his own gym, and Dante says, good, and Sonny asks what Dante means about Carly and Nina. Dante says, Nina kept the fact that Sonny was alive away from all of them. Carly’s not going to forget that – ever. Neither is Michael. Toss in the fact Nina and Carly had their own stuff going on before this whole mess… Sonny says, and? and Dante says, whatever happens with Sonny and Nina, Carly and Michael are always going to be part of it. That kind of history you can’t untangle; it’s impossible. Michael comes in, and Dante says, good to see him. Michael says, him too, and thanks Dante for making the time. Dante says, always, and Sonny says he’s going to go, but Michael says he’d like Sonny to stay. There’s something he needs to hear. Sonny is going to hear about it eventually. Willow is pregnant, and he’s only telling Sonny this because he wants to make it perfectly clear, Sonny will have no role in this child’s life. He’s not their grandfather. For all intents and purposes, Sonny is a stranger to them. Dante says, don’t do this, and Sonny asks if Michael is just going to erase him from his life. Michael says, pretty much, and Sonny asks if Michael just had a set back in his business. Michael says, Sonny’s girlfriend took advantage of it to screw over his mother, but Sonny says, he offered to help Carly. Michael says, she doesn’t need his help. She’s not Sonny’s concern anymore; neither is he. So they need him to stay the hell out of their lives. Dex comes in, and asks if there’s a problem, and Michael says, is this where they’re at? He pushes back, and Sonny sics his attack dog on him?

Willow visits Jonah’s grave, and says she has big news. She’s having another baby, which is very exciting, but it also makes her think of him. She wishes she could have been a mother to him too; to love and protect him, and watch him grow up. Every single day she wishes he were here. He and Wiley would be thick as thieves, driving them all crazy… in the best possible way of course (🍷). She misses him, but the good news is, he’s always with her and will always be a part of her family. What does he think? Does he think he would have made a great big brother to the new baby? She does. Nina and Obrecht appear, and Nina says, new baby? Is Willow pregnant?

Michael tells Dex to take his best shot, but Sonny says, stand back. Michael says he doesn’t need Sonny’s protection. Come on, let’s do this. Dex says, Michael should respect his father, but Michael says he has a horse more worthy of respect. Dex lunges for Michael, but Sonny and Dante hold him back. Brando flies in, and gets in Dex’s face, saying, Sonny gave him an order. He suggests Dex follow it or deal with him.

Cameron is on the stand, and Arden says she understands he and the defendant are friends. He says, that’s correct, and she asks if their relationship ever turned into more than friendship. He says, briefly. They both went through something traumatic, and things got confusing, but in the end, they decided they were better off as friends. She says, and he’s currently in a relationship with the other victim, Josslyn Jax. Is that correct? He says, yes, and she asks if Josslyn is a friend of the defendant as well. He says, they’re best friends, and she says, so he and the defendant developed feelings for each other, then he ended up dating her best friend. Is that a problem for Miss Robinson? Diane objects, saying, Mr. Webber can’t speak for the defendant, and the judge sustains. Arden asks if anyone else was present the night Cameron and Josslyn were recorded, and he says, yes; Trina was there, along with Spencer Cassadine and Esme Prince. She asks if all of them were in the cabin when he and Josslyn were intimate, and he says, no. She asks who else was there, and he says, just Trina.

Spencer asks if Esme is okay, but she says she’s not sure. He says he thought this was what she wanted, and she says she just assumed she would never find her mother. Everyone told her to just let it go, but somehow he made the impossible possible. He says, nothing is impossible for a Cassadine, and she says, even when he fell out of love with her? Or at least she thought he did. It was like, no matter how hard she tried to reach him, it didn’t matter. He says he’s sorry. He’s been carrying around this secret for so long, he guesses it blended in with everything else. He didn’t mean to shut her out. She says she guesses he didn’t want to get her hopes up. Oh my God. Knowing who she is and where she came from… He’s right. It’s everything she ever wanted, but how does she know it’s real? That this name his Uncle Victor found is really her mother; anyone could say that. He says she’s right. He was worried about the same thing, so he had a DNA test done. He takes out the envelope, and shows her. He says, here is the only proof she needs… if she wants it.

Sonny tells Brando, everything is fine. He and Michael are finished here. Dante calls Michael over to the side, and Michael says, this is definitely not the way he planned on telling Dante he was a father again. Dante says, it’s Sonny’s gym. Michael knew there was a chance he’d be here, but Michael says he didn’t want to wait to share the good news with his brother. Dante says, okay, but maybe a part of Michael couldn’t wait to share the good news with his father. Brando says he takes it things haven’t gotten better between Sonny and Michael, and Sonny shakes his head. Brando asks if Sonny wants to talk about it, but Sonny says he’s done talking. It’s time for action.

Willow says, not that it’s any of Nina’s business, but yes, she and Michael are having a baby. Obrecht asks if that’s why Willow fainted at the MetroCourt, and Willow says, yes. She heard Obrecht helped, and thanks her. Nina says, congratulations. She and Michael must be thrilled. Willow says, they are, and Nina asks how Wiley reacted. Willow says she’s not talking to Nina about her son, and Nina says, her grandson. Willow asks if they’re really going to do this every time, when her phone rings. She steps away, and says, hey… Now?… Okay, she’s leaving now. She’ll be right there. She tells Nina and Obrecht, she has to go, and jets. Nina says, Willow is pregnant, and Obrecht says, that appears to be the case. Nina says, fantastic; another win for Carly. She may be down, but that woman will never be out.

Diane asks how long her client and Cameron dated, but he says, they never dated. She asks if they ever acted on any feelings the may have had for each other, and he says, they kissed twice, months apart, two years ago. They both decided they were better off as friends. She asks when he started dating Josslyn, and he says, last July. She says, so a long time after he and her client… She would have said, ended things, but they never really began, and he says, correct. She asks what his relationship is with Trina now, and he says, she’s one of his closest friends. He believes her, and believes in her. Diane has no further questions, and Cameron steps down. Josslyn is called to the stand, and Curtis tells Portia, this is going well. Diane’s got this. Arden asks Josslyn to describe events leading up to her and Cameron being recorded without their consent, and Josslyn flashes back to telling Cameron that she wants her first time to be with him, and him saying he feels the same way. She says, then tonight’s the night. On the stand, she says, they went skiing during the day, came back to the cabin at night, and played games, and Arden asks, what kind of games? Josslyn flashes back to playing Never Have I Ever, and says, a drinking game. Arden asks if the defendant drank, and Josslyn says, something very strange was going on, but Arden says, yes or no. Josslyn says, yes, and Arden says, while under the influence, did the defendant comment on Josslyn’s relationship with Cameron? Josslyn says, if this is going to make any sense, she needs to explain the rules, but Arden says, a yes or no will suffice. Josslyn says, one player says, never have I ever done something, and if you’ve done that thing, you have to drink, and all of the questions were designed to make Trina drink. Arden tells Josslyn to confine her answers to the questions, but Josslyn says, she’s not asking the right questions. Trina was set up by the person who actually did record them, and she’ll tell them exactly who that person is. Arden says she’d like permission to treat Josslyn as a hostile witness, and Judge Young says, granted, because nobody really cares about justice.

Esme snatches the envelope from Spencer, and looks at the paperwork. She tells him, it says it’s a match. He found her birth mother; this is really happening. She throws her arms around him, and asks if he met her. What’s she like? He says, not yet, and she looks again. She says, there’s no name here, and he says, she won’t find any names in the file; it was kept confidential. She says, because he wanted to tell her himself? She can’t believe he did this for her, but he says, no. She’s the last person he did this for.

Arden asks if, on the night in question, Trina was upset because Josslyn and Cameron were dating, and Josslyn hesitates. Judge Young says, the witness will answer or be held in contempt, and Josslyn says, they were playing a drinking game. They were supposed to be having a good time. She doesn’t remember every word Trina spoke. The judge says he’s directing her to answer the questions to the best of her ability, and reminds Arden that the witness isn’t on trial, and is in fact the victim. Get where she’s going, get there cleanly, or excuse the witness. Arden says, at some point in the course of the drinking game, did the defendant become upset? and Josslyn says, yes. Arden asks if Trina’s upset was the result of Josslyn and Cameron dating; that they were together, and she felt left out? Josslyn says, yes, but Trina wasn’t herself, and Arden asks, what happened next? Josslyn says, Trina went to her room, and Arden says, and the other guests, Mr. Cassadine and Miss Prince? Josslyn says she called Miss Prince out for the lying snake she is, Esme got upset, ordered a car, and took Mr. Cassadine with her. Arden says, so Josslyn, Cameron, and the defendant… Josslyn says, she has a name, and Judge Young says, careful. Arden says, so Josslyn, Mr. Webber, and Miss Robinson were the only people remaining inside the cabin, and Josslyn says, yes. Arden asks if Josslyn saw Trina after she went to her room, and Josslyn says she checked on Trina, and spoke to her through the closed door. Arden says, but to be clear, Josslyn didn’t see her? and Josslyn says, no. Arden asks, what about before Josslyn and Cameron got intimate? and Josslyn says, Trina felt sick, and went to sleep. Arden asks how she knows, and Josslyn says, because Trina told her and she believes Trina. Arden says, so she only has Trina’s word, and Josslyn says she trusts Trina with her life. Arden asks if that’s a yes, and Josslyn says, yes, but she would have seen Trina if she’d left her room. Arden says, so they were inside the cabin the entire time? but Josslyn says, no. They stepped out for a breath of fresh air, but… Arden asks if she can attest to the defendant’s whereabouts; not where Josslyn thinks she was, or assumes she was, but her actual whereabouts from the time Trina entered her room until the time she and Cameron entered theirs.

Esme tells Spencer that she doesn’t… Who else would want to know who her mother is? He says, just her, and she says, but he just said he didn’t do this for her, and he says, the reason he kept it confidential is so she’d have to go through him to get answers. He’s the only one who has this information. She says, aside from his uncle, but he says, Uncle Victor will follow his lead. Trust him. She says, what is this? and he says he gave her what she wanted. Now the only way she’s going to learn the identity of her birth mother is to give him what he wants. She says, which is? and he says, Trina’s freedom.

Brando says, it goes without saying, whatever Sonny needs, he’s here, and Sonny says, what Brando can do for him is stop worrying, and take care of himself and his family. Brando says, Sonny is his family, and Sonny says he gets it. Sonny loves Brando like a brother, but Brando has a lot on his plate. Let him deal with what he has to deal with. He pats Brando’s shoulder, and starts to walk out. At the door, Dex says he’s got some ice for Sonny’s hands; it should cut down the inflammation. Sonny says, good thinking, and Dex says he learned a thing or two when he was substitute manager here. Sonny gives him a thumbs up and leaves.

Dante tells Michael, it’s got to hurt underneath, or it wouldn’t have gotten as bad as it has. Is he sure he wants to cut that tie with the baby coming? Michael says, Dante is his brother and he loves Dante. And he respects that Dante wants to have a relationship with Sonny, but he needs Dante to respect that he doesn’t. Dante says he just doesn’t like seeing that it’s come to this, and Michael says, Sonny threw away his marriage to Michael’s mom with both hands, and he testified for Nina at the visitation hearing. He put Nina’s feelings above Wiley’s welfare. That’s not a grandfather he wants for his kid. It’s not a person he wants in their lives. Dante says, Sonny doesn’t see it that way, and Michael says, that’s why there’s no point in talking about it. And on the subject of a new baby, is there anything Dante would like to say to his little brother? Dante says, dad, be ready to get no sleep. Congratulations. Michael says, and there it is, and Dante says he’s really happy for him and Willow. Michael thanks him, and Dante says he gets to be an uncle again. Michael asks if he’s ready, and Dante says he can’t wait. They hug and exchange I love yous.

Willow sees TJ at the hospital, and asks, what’s going on? He suggests they go to an exam room to talk, and she says, she just assumed it was about work; this is medical? She didn’t even know he was on an OB rotation. He says, this isn’t an OB visit, and she says, then what? He says, after she fainted, he ran a series of tests. She says she remembers. That’s how they figured out she was pregnant. He says, yes, but they need to discuss the rest of her results.

Tomorrow (maybe), Josslyn says, one person did this and she knows who that person is; Esme tells Spencer, there’s no way to get around something; Cody says, there isn’t any danger, there isn’t any fun; and TJ tells Willow that he doesn’t think it’s related to her pregnancy.

Below Deck Mediterranean

I’m going to tell you right now, there’s a good chance I will be mixing up Natasha and Natalya this entire season. They look like twins. It’s unbelievable.

When we last left, the stabilizers were down, causing the boat to rock dangerously. Everything is flying, and Captain Sandy confers with Chief Officer Ray, who comes to the expert conclusion that something’s going on. He tells everyone, hang on, and they try, but it’s impossible to keep a grip on everything. The guests are freaking out, and in the captain’s interview, she says, the stabilizers are fins that stop the boat from moving side to side. Losing them is dangerous. A crew member could get hurt or a guest could fall. Anything can happen. Tasha says, oh my f***ing word, and Ray explains to Captain Sandy that the stabilizers run off the air conditioning. If one thing goes down, everything goes down. The captain says, they’re in a real pickle. They need a cold front. Interior tries to clean up, while Raygan takes a smoke break. Guest Leslie says, it’s crazy bonkers, and Captain Sandy explains they had a glitch. The boat is a hybrid, and when one cooling system starts to heat up, everything shuts down. She’s thankful no one was hurt, and apologizes. One of the guests says, this is a joke; they’re all pretty cranky. The captain tells Raygan to get the toys in the water. In Tasha’s interview, she says, she was on one boat that actually tipped. We see the newspaper article, and yeah, that’s tipped. It’s on its side. She says she thought she was going to die. She was calling the crew, and no one was answering. There were electric smells, and fuel everywhere. They finally started letting them off, three people at a time. It’s times like that, you put on a brave face and carry on; you have no other choice. Kyle cuts himself on broken glass, and Storm comes back from being out on the tender. He says he heard they had a bit of a tumble, and Captain Sandy asks if everyone is okay. In Dave’s interview, he says, he’s never experienced that before. A pot of water went into the fryer, and he tried to catch it. There’s food everywhere; it’s a nightmare. He’s going to have to work as quick as he can. Primary Chris says he’s living sex fantasies with a Walmart reality, which I don’t quite get. Jason introduces Tasha to the Americanism of using the word noodle for one’s head. In her interview, she says, she’s single, and can flirt, but it’s not too much different from when she’s not single. She’s just being herself. She’s a warm, bubbly person. We flash back to her asking if Dave wants to screw, and Dave sighs.

Kyle makes infused cucumber vodka, and in Natalya’s interview, she says she’s never been passionate about a career path. She doesn’t understand though, how people aren’t passionate about cleaning; it’s relaxing. Raygan oversees Storm hooking up a Nautiboy, and it’s starts floating away with him on it. He tries throwing her a line to pull him back, but keeps missing, and in his interview, he says, it’s so embarrassing. Jason comes to the rescue, and we see the guests have been waiting an hour and 25 minutes to get in the water. The guests cheer for Storm, and are finally able to dive in. Tasha tells Dave that he’s the quietest roomie, and Dave asks if she wants to share with Jason. She says she loves her roomie, and we flash back to them hooking up. Natalya does laundry, and Captain Sandy tells Raygan that she’s got to organize. When they get the slide and the pool, they’ll need a place to put them. She tells Jason to get the toys blown up fast. Tasha tells Natalya that they need to decorate for the Japanese party, and in Tasha’s interview, she says, her management style is trusting. She checks things, but she has a great team, and trusts them 110%. Raygan asks Mzi how it’s going, and he says he thinks they need to organize, and it would be better. Raygan agrees, saying, Mzi and Jason should be resting now. In Mzi’s interview, he says he doesn’t know what Raygan’s management style is. He’s put Malia on a pedestal. We flash back to his season with Malia, and he says, there’s no style or structure, but he doesn’t want to step on any toes. She’s the bosun. Kyle asks Dave, in what style are they serving dinner, and Dave says he’s doing sushi. Raygan sits down to do a schedule, and in her interview, she says, before she makes a schedule, she needs to know who’s capable of doing what. Figure out who has what weaknesses, so she can plan it out. I’m not sure how she’s observing this when she’s on smoke breaks most of the time, but okay. Kyle finds out the guests are going to Greece next, and says, he’s still searching for love. He asks how long Billy and Chris have been together, and they say they met seven years ago. Kyle says he had a 12 year relationship, but they left him for a woman. Guest Twanna says they need to unpack this, and Kyle says he just came out last year. They applaud, and in Kyle’s interview, he says, it’s the first time he’s worked for guests in the LGBTQIA+ community; people like himself. And it’s a chance to celebrate their anniversary, finding true love as it was meant to be. He tells them that he’s jealous, but happy.

Ray discusses engine stuff with Captain Sandy in the crew mess, while the guests enjoy the sunset. Raygan shows the captain her schedule, and the captain pronounces it, awesome, probably just glad to get anything. Interior starts decorating, and Raygan goes over the schedule with Jason. In Jason’s interview, he says, it looks like a math problem with no solution. He’s done a lot of equations, formulas, and spreadsheets, but he can’t solve this puzzle Raygan’s constructed. He’ll just see what happens. Hmm… maybe see what happens is her style.

Some of the guests jump off the boat, and Tasha asks to borrow a deckhand to help with the decorations. Mzi puts together and hangs lanterns, and Tasha tells him, it’s a super romantic Japanese night. Raygan gives Jason some instructions, and in his interview, Jason says, he’s missing some aspects of skipping his own boat. He’s a strong type A personality, and wants someone to manage, but his position is low man on the totem pole, so he can’t. In Dave’s interview, he says his plan is for today to make up for yesterday, and we flash back to Billy expecting him to be a mind reader. Dave says, he’s suppressing his anxiety, and constantly battling himself. He grew up in a rough neighborhood, and he was the guy who was bullied. It gave him the drive and courage to keep fighting. Tasha flirts with Dave, and Kyle rolls his eyes. Mzi sets up the lighting for dinner, as Natalya sets the table. Captain Sandy takes a look, and says, the decorations are absolutely beautiful. The guests get dressed up, and Happy Anniversary is sung as they walk out on deck. Billy says, it looks amazing, and I die over the sushi platters. In his interview, Dave says, it’s a lot of pressure. He’s hard on himself, and has his fingers crossed that they like it. The guests say it’s delicious, incredible, and gorgeous. Dave gives Mzi some steak tartare, and says, if they ask for it to be cooked more, just say no.

In Raygan’s interview, she says she’s disappointed. It’s not the way it should be. It hasn’t been everything that everyone, including the captain, knows she’s capable of. Obviously, she knows what she’s doing, but she’s only one person; she can’t be everywhere. Translation: she can’t smoke while she’s working, so she just avoids working. Billy and Chris go through a list of gay movies that Kyle needs to watch. They find out he’s never seen Mommie Dearest, and Billy says he’d take Kyle’s gay card if he had one. They need to usher him into the community. The cake is amazing – red with the prettiest little decorations cascading down one side. The guests stand and applaud, and Dave nearly drops the cake.

Dave recovers nicely, and the cake is saved. More applause. Natalya (I think) says, the guests are so much fun, they need to step it up. She’s got feathers, eye masks, and edible underwear. She loves being around good vibes. After dinner, the guests are having a PJ party, and Billy and Chris are met with an eye masked Kyle, being stroked by Natalya with a feather. Kyle says, their every seduction will be tantalized, and luckily, they find this humorous, since it could have gone horribly wrong. Meanwhile, Captain Sandy tells Storm that the marina is tricky. She asks how he is with calling distance. In her interview, the captain says, it’s a narrow space with the dolphins close together. It’s basically a wind tunnel, plus there’s a current. She likes how Storm took charge, and wants to see how he does calling distance from the stern. There’s no room for error. Everyone goes to bed, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, her house is a party house. She loves keeping people up all night, and even though she’s not drinking, she’s having fun. She wants a boyfriend who has his own room and gives her space. She brings a lot to the table, so if someone can’t meet her halfway, she’s happy being alone. In Storm’s interview, he says, someone like Natalya is his kryptonite. Tasha tells Dave that he’s a champ.   

Final day of charter. Captain Sandy tells the deckhands this docking is going to be difficult, and in her interview, she says she’s concerned about the wind and the current direction. Last year, they had tenders that could pull the dolphins apart so she could get in, but they don’t have that this year. She doesn’t hit things. Dave torches the eggs benedict, and I say, I’ll take three, please! In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, it’s the first docking with this crew in a new marina. It’s critical everyone do their job. She needs to get this in without hitting anything.

There’s a crane shot, and wow, it is narrow. Billy says they need a valet, and it comes close, but the boat is docked. Captain Sandy says, well done, and Storm says, thank God. The guests pack, and the captain radios the crew to get in their whites and meet on the dock. There are thank yous and hugs, and Billy says he’s never had better food. He thanks them, and says, the interior was incredible. They travel around the world, and it’s the best service they’ve had. The deck, however, didn’t seem connected, and it took a lot of time to get the toys out. Regardless, he thanks them again, and says, bon voyage. Captain Sandy tells the crew to get into their reds, and meet in the main salon for the tip meeting. Champagne is poured, and the captain congratulates the crew. She says, they were down two deckhands, and the boat malfunctioned, but they pulled it off. The interior was incredible, and carried them; and Dave is an awesome chef. She’s grateful to have him. The crew applauds, and the captain says, the deck has training to do; the client made it known. She knows they were down two, and that’s not fair, but she feels they should have pulled it up another notch. Next charter, they need to be organized. The tip is a whopping $27K, or $2454 each. The captain says, that’s all they’re drinking; work.

Mzi tells Storm that he smells like updog, and Storm says, what’s updog? Mzi just laughs. Think about it. Tasha tells Dave, well done, and Natalya asks if Kyle is going glam. He says he is, and she says she wanted to make sure they were on the same page. In Raygan’s interview, she says she gets her crazy side from her mom. They sometimes club together. She’s interested to see what mischief will be going on. Most of the guys get in one taxi, but Kyle goes with the women in the other. Dave lets fly that he dated Tasha for a short time, but says they never hooked up. Like anyone would believe that. They go to a restaurant, and order tequila shots. Why does it always have to be tequila? Doesn’t everyone think it tastes foul? Storm tells Natalya that he has a thing for Australians, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, Storm has a rugged, pirate, homeless, hot look to him. They toast to the crew, and Natalya says, everyone has a different vibe. The food comes, and Raygan goes to the restroom with Tasha. Dave tells the others that he wants to be a couple with Tasha, but they’re not a couple. In Dave’s interview, a producer says, Dave claimed he and Natasha were just friends, and now he’s telling people that he wants to be with her. Is more going on that he’s not telling? Dave says, it’s good, bro, and the producer asks what that means. Is something going on between them? Dave is very visibly uncomfortable, and says, on the last boat, they had a connection. When they got together, she asked him to keep it a secret because she was still with her boyfriend. They were basically broken up, and not getting on. Now he’s struggling to keep it a secret. It’s difficult. Tasha and Raygan come back to the table, and Natalya says, she’s going to do this, although it might take days or weeks. She tells Tasha that Dave has genuine feelings for her. They’d assumed it happened, but he said he wanted it to happen. In Tasha’s interview, she says, what is he doing? She made it clear she doesn’t want anyone to know. It’s only a matter of time before he tells everybody that they hooked up.

To be continued…

🤨 I’m starting to think to be continued is somebody’s lazy way of not editing a preview.

🛥 About That Kyle…

And the movie that I think he should see is Trick. Despite the title, it’s very sweet, and Christian Campbell and Tory Spelling are wonderful in it. Anyway, moving on…

I forgot all about it, and TBH, I didn’t think anything of it at the time. So here’s the trailer if you forgot too.

🖐 Making Jazz Hands…

Stop by tomorrow for what a hope is soap and a cup of tea or two. Until then, stay safe, stay being a visionary, and stay remembering, a lie is a crappy foundation to build a life on, but the truth comes with its own problems.

July 11, 2020 – Cody Meets His Match, Drama Queen on the Med Deck & Tree

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Dante wakes up in a chaise next to Sam at the pool, and says, they’re losing sun. How long was he out? She says, about an hour. It’s been a glorious day in the sun. He asks, thanks to Drew, and asks if they had any SOS calls, checking his phone, but she says she thinks with Drew’s Navy SEAL training, he can survive a day with Rocco, Scout, and Danny. He says, don’t forget, they have a sleepover at the Q’s tonight too, and she says, ouch. All for this? They may have pushed it a little. He says he thinks they’re in good hands. Plus it gives them a chance to focus on nothing but them.

At the MetroCourt Gardens, Esme suggests she and Spencer snag a spot on the roof terrace to watch the fireworks, but he says, they’re already pushing it by being here. Carly banned them from the pool, remember? They could go to the park. She says, but it’s so much better on the terrace, and he says, which is reason number two to skip it. Joss, Cam, and Trina are probably already out there.

At a table by the pool, Trina tells Josslyn, sorry. Maybe coming to the pool was a bad idea. She can’t seem to get out of her own head. Josslyn says, her either. She can’t help thinking about the trial starting tomorrow. Trina says, it feels like it’s been looming over her for so long. Part of her is glad it’s finally happening, but she hate the thought of listening to that ADA trash her to the jury. Josslyn tells her, don’t worry about that. The jury is going to hear from her and Cam too. They’re the victims and they’re testifying on her behalf. That’s got to outweigh anything that over-eager ADA has prepared.

Valentin goes to Nina’s office, and says, this is how they’re celebrating the birth of the nation? When she called, he hoped she was meeting him with hot dogs and a marching band. She kisses him on the cheek, and says, the marching band was booked. She’s super busy, and he’s busy too. Congratulations on getting over on Michael and Drew, and maintaining control of ELQ. He says he thought she’d be pleased, and she says, pleased? Someone finally told Michael that he can’t get everything he wants? Absolutely. He says he was thinking more along the lines of Carly.

Money manager Reggie tells Carly that he doesn’t like what she’s proposing. Is she comfortable assuming more debt? She says, no, of course (🍷) not, but from what he’s telling her, she has no other option. She has to secure a loan to buy back her half of the MetroCourt. He says he’ll make some calls, but prepare herself. The interest rate on such a large loan is going to be quite high. Olivia comes in, and says, a loan? Is Carly out of her mind?

In the park, Maxie tells Austin, this is the perfect place to watch the fireworks. Port Charles always puts on the best show. No offense to Pautuck’s lightning bugs. He says, none taken, and she’s probably right. She says, he’s not even going to defend his home town? and he says, what’s the point? He’s a lucky guy. He’s here enjoying the holiday, and he’s so happy to be with her. He takes Maxie’s hand, and we see Britt is sitting with them. She says, kill me now.

Cody sits on the chaise next to Dante, and says, what a day. He can’t wait for the fireworks. Dante asks if he means the ones the city puts on, and Cody says, unless Dante has some cherry bombs hidden somewhere.

Temp Michael and Willow walk into the MetroCourt Gardens, and Michael says, his mom must be in her office. Willow suggests they go; she’s kind of tired. He says, they don’t have to stick around for the fireworks. They can grab Wiley, and watch them from the house. She says she’s a little tired, but just because she’s pregnant; nothing to worry about. He says, worried? He’s on top of the world, and she says she’s right there with him. Sonny walks in, and he and Michael lock eyes. Michael tells Willow that his mom might be in the restroom. Why doesn’t Willow look for her there? She says, fine, but first… She leads him over to Sonny, and Sonny says he’s glad to see her up and about. How’s she feeling? She thanks him, and says, much better. He asks if they found out why she fainted, and she says, yes. There’s something he should know.

Olivia says, please tell her that she misheard that. Carly can’t possibly be considering taking out a loan when she’s so deep in the hole, she can’t even see daylight. Carly says she knows it’s a big risk, but it’s the only way she can buy back her half of the hotel before Stillwater Venture Group gets better offer. Olivia says, and this is the only way. Carly can swallow her stubborn pride, and let her friends help her. Carly says, unless pride is the only thing she has left.

Valentin says he didn’t realize how heavily invested Carly was, and Nina says, it was a surprise all right. He says, they’ll just file it under unintended collateral benefits. When he stayed in power, Aurora stock tanked, and Carly lost big. Nina says, don’t expect a standing ovation, and he says, don’t tell him she’s softened toward Carly. She says, not her, but Sonny has.

Sonny says, Willow told him she’s fine; he hopes she’s better. She says she is, and she’s been meaning to thank him for his help at the pool. She understands he caught her when she fainted, and even went to GH to make sure she was all right. He says, of course (🍷). She’s family. Michael says they should get going, and catch up with mom. Willow thanks Sonny again, and they leave.

Britt says she’s out of here, and Maxie asks why; she said she’d stay. Britt tells her, she said she’d come for the picnic. Now that’s over, and sitting here watching them make goo-goo eyes at each other all night isn’t what she signed up for. Austin says he wonders what happened to all the other people, and Maxie says, they had no way of knowing no one else would show up. Britt says, maybe they had better things to do, and Maxie says, they still had fun, didn’t they? Britt says, so much fun, but now it’s time to leave. Spinelli struggles in, pulling a cooler, and says, celebratory greetings, friends. Apologies for the late arrival. Maxie tells Britt, look! Spinelli! and Spinelli smiles.

Dante says he doesn’t know what Cody is talking about. He’s an officer of the law. Cody says, how things change. Dante was the one who snuck fireworks into camp; impressive fire power. Dante says, it was. Cody was actually the one who told the counselors it was the Gallagher twins. Cody says, please don’t tell him that with maturity comes remorse, and Cody says, hell no. Those two little punks? They’re probably Wall Street hot shots by now. Sam comes back, and says, look who’s here. She asks what they’re talking about, and Cody says, illicit firework stories; got any? She says she pleads the fifth, and Cody says, good woman.

Trina says she should go, but Josslyn says, forget it. She won’t let Trina go back to her room and obsess about the trial. Trina says, she should obsess in public? and Josslyn says, she gets it. It’s like this black hole that’s a gravity well, and you try to think about other things, but somehow it all connects back to the trial and keeps pulling you down. Trina says, that’s it exactly. She’d give anything to forget about the trial, even for an hour. Rory joins them, and says, easy. He can make that happen.

Esme says she doesn’t see how Joss, Cam, and Trina have anything to do with their plans for the evening, and Spencer says, the last time she and Joss were face-to-face, they both ended up in the pool. Trina’s trial is tomorrow, and he’s sure emotions are running high. He’d rather avoid another confrontation… for her benefit. Carly’s probably up there anyway; she’d throw them out. Esme doesn’t need the aggravation. She says, so considerate, always thinking of her, and he says, night and day. She kisses him, and Sonny clears his throat, getting their attention. Esme gasps, and he says he’s glad he ran into them.

Spinelli wonders, where’d everybody go? Don’t tell him they departed before the fireworks? Maxie says, her mom and Mac took the kids home. They played so hard, they could barely keep their eyes open. Austin says, everyone else was pretty much a no-show, and Spinelli says, no Terry? No Amy? and Austin says, no. Spinelli says, Epiphany? and Britt says, no one; just the three of us. Spinelli says he’s sure a good time was still had by all, and Britt says, it was a blast. Now that Spinelli is here, the party can continue. Thanks for inviting her. She jets.

Sam asks how the job is at the Quartermaines’, and Cody says he loves it. She says, Danny keeps going on about how Leo just loves Comet, and she tells Dante, Comet’s one of the horses. Cody says, the Quartermaines couldn’t have picked a better horse for Leo. He’s calm, steady, he’s almost impossible to startle. The other day, Cody accidentally knocked over this metal bucket. It was so loud, it sounded like a firecracker going off. A couple of the horses shied, one started going crazy in its stall. Comet barely even noticed. Half the time, he pretends that he’s asleep, except when Leo is there. When Leo’s there, he’s totally engaged; he’s focused. Leo will groom him, and he’ll suddenly connect. Sam says, don’t let Leo get it in his head to take Comet out solo, but Cody says, another thing about Comet. If Leo were to hop up on him alone, no one grabbing the lead rein, he’s not going anywhere. That horse is smarter than most of the dudes he knows. Dante tells Sam, this guy is basically half-horse… Smells like one too. Cody says he took a shower after work, and smells his shirt. He says, oh my God, I’m sorry, and they laugh.

Trina asks what Rory is doing here, and he says, looking for her. Does she have plans for watching the fireworks? She says she was planning on taking off. He says he knows it’s short notice. Being one of the newbies, he had to work crowd control for the parade, and wasn’t sure he’d be done, but he’s free now and has plenty of time to take her mind off tomorrow. Trina asks what he has in mind, and he says, dessert in the park while they watch the fireworks? Josslyn tells Trina, go, but Trina says she doesn’t want to leave Josslyn all alone. Josslyn says, go, and she’ll hang out with her mom; she hasn’t talked to her in a while. This is Trina’s chance to escape gravity well. Rory says, sorry? and Josslyn says, Trina will explain. Take her, please. Rory says, Trina heard her girl. How about it? He promises to be as distracting as possible.

Esme says, please, Mr. Corinthos. You promised Laura you wouldn’t kidnap me again. Sonny says, first of all, he didn’t kidnap her, and Spencer says, he woudn’t have to. He had one of his people do it for him, but Esme’s right. His grandmother assured them that she had his word Esme had nothing to fear. Sonny says he did and she doesn’t. He just wanted to give Esme the opportunity to tell the truth, and since she doesn’t want to tell the truth, she’s smart to stay away from him. Ain’t that right, Esme? Will she do him a favor? Can she give him some time with his nephew? Spencer suggests Esme go to the park, and find them a good space to watch the fireworks. She tells him, be careful, and he says he’ll join her soon. She leaves, and Spencer asks what he can do for Sonny. Sonny asks Spencer, what the hell has happened to him?

Nina gives Valentin something to drink, and says, Sonny’s first instinct, once again, is to rush to Carly’s rescue. She’s the one who asked for the divorce. He shouldn’t feel guilty, but he does, and that guilt is making him feel responsible for Carly’s financial misfortune. Valentin says, well, he shouldn’t. She took the risk, she rolled the dice, and she lost. That’s not Nina’s problem. Nina says she’s sure Michael and Willow will blame her for everything, like they do all the time. He says he’s sorry to hear that, and sorry hear she lost her petition for visitation with Wiley. She says she doesn’t absolve herself of the mistakes she’s made, lying about Sonny when he was in Nixon Falls, but losing her grandson is an unbearable price pay. He says, soon enough, Wiley will be making his own decisions, won’t he? and she says, she’s holding out hope, but what are the chances he’s going to choose to get to know her, hearing how she’s the schemer who blew up his family? She’s tired of being the villain all the time. He says, maybe it’s time to change that.

Carly says she doesn’t appreciate Olivia barging into her office and making her second guess herself. Olivia says, she didn’t barge; she entered with urgency, because she cares. She doesn’t want to see Carly make another mistake that she’s going to regret. Reggie says, maybe he’ll wait outside while they confer, and Carly asks him to look into the loan, and let her know their best terms, and she’ll make a decision. He leaves, and Olivia says she’s only trying to help. Carly says she knows, and she’s sorry she snapped at Olivia. She’s angry at everyone; she’s angry at herself. Helping Drew and Michael is a great thing, but as usual she took it too far. Olivia says she talked to Ned. He’s completely behind the idea of buying Carly’s half of the hotel and holding onto it until she can buy it back. Carly thanks her, but says, she has no idea when that will be. Olivia says, however long it takes. She doesn’t care. Michael and Willow come in, and Olivia says, look who’s here. She asks Michael  to talk some sense into his mother. Carly tries to stop her, but Olivia continues, saying, talk some sense in to your mother. Tell her the only idea that makes any sense is Olivia buying Carly’s half of the MetroCourt. Michael says, she’s selling her half of the hotel? and Olivia says, he didn’t know? She has a big mouth; she’s sorry. Carly says she didn’t have a chance to tell her family her plan, and Olivia says, or maybe she knew that her family wasn’t going to agree with her. Please, think long and hard about her offer. Please. She leaves, and Carly asks if Willow is okay; any more dizziness, fainting? Willow says, like she told Carly on the phone, she’s doing great, and Carly says she knows, but she felt like Willow was holding something back. Michael says, Carly is deflecting. What were she and Olivia talking about? He knows she took a financial hit when the Aurora/ELQ merger fell apart, but she can’t possibly be thinking about selling her half of the MetroCourt. Carly says, she can’t… because it’s already gone.

Spencer says, he’s the same as he’s always been, and Sonny says, really? He heard Spencer made a deal with Ava to loosen the purse strings on his trust, and he heard Spencer quit Kelly’s, and Spencer lost all his friends because of his shifty girlfriend. Loyalty and friendship are very important. He doesn’t take that lightly, and Spencer shouldn’t take that lightly. Spencer asks if that loyalty shouldn’t extend to his girlfriend, and Sonny says, his girlfriend is a liar. She made a sex tape on Josslyn and Cam, and framed Trina. They can’t forget that, can they? Spencer says, as long as the evidence proves otherwise, he’s staying by Esme’s side.

At the park, Rory opens a container, and Trina says, brownies; pretty basic. He says, not his brownies, and she says, so his amazing, stupendous, spectacular dessert is brownies. He says, try one. He made them himself. She says, they’re not special brownies, are they? (ha-ha; I was thinking that too) and he says, remember? I’m a cop. Just taste. She takes a bite, and looks at him, saying, oh my God. This is amazing. He says, and stupendous and spectacular. Best brownies she’s ever had, right? She says she’s in heaven. She’s sorry she doubted him. He says, it’s okay. Maybe she’s used to being let down. She can count on him. He won’t disappoint her.

Austin’s phone rings, and he says he’ll be right back. He leaves, and Spinelli says, Britt left in a hurry. Did he miss something? Maxie says, no; she was angling to leave the entire time. She’s actually a bit worried about Britt. He asks, why? Hasn’t she had any more matches? Maxie says, Britt hasn’t mentioned any, but she’s trying to stay positive with Britt about the whole Society Set-Ups thing. She’s afraid Britt’s soured on the idea, especially after the whole pool incident. She thinks Britt’s given up on dating altogether. He says, maybe that’s for the best for now, and she asks why he’d say that.

Cody brings Dante and Sam something to drink, as Britt walks in. She takes a look at them, and keeps walking. Cody says he forgot the napkins. He’ll grab a menu too, for appetizers. He goes over to the bar, and Britt says she doesn’t really need this right now. He says, good evening to her as well. He’s just here to get a menu and some napkins. Happy 4th, by the way. She asks if he wasn’t bragging that he had access to the Quartermaines’ pool? Why isn’t he there? He says, because he’s here, hanging with his friends, and she says, great. She’s sure Dante told him to stay away from her. He should listen. He asks what makes her think she knows what he and Dante talk about, and she says, because Dante hates her guts, for good reason. She hands him a menu and napkins, and says, bye, but he asks why he should leave now that he’s met his match?

Olivia asks if Sam and Dante are enjoying the holiday, and Sam says, yes, very much. She thanks Olivia for letting the kids crash at the Q’s, and Olivia says, no problem. Drew wore them out at the fair, and the nanny is an expert at getting them down. No work for her. Although she will be doing all the work around here pretty soon. Dante asks what she’s talking about, and she says she guesses she can tell him; he’s family. Carly lost her half of the hotel. Sam asks if it’s because of the drop in the Aurora stock, and Olivia says, she leveraged her half of the hotel, and now she can’t cover what she lost. And the woman is too damn stubborn to let her help. Dante says, Olivia is pretty stubborn too. Don’t let Carly tell her what to do; do what’s right.

Nina tells Valentin, she’s kept a low-ish profile, and she’s tried to make almonds amends to Sonny’s family. But when that didn’t work, she wanted to focus her attention on restoring her public image. That Invader article didn’t help at all, but she’s just going to keep trying, and maybe it will pay off in ten years or so. He says he’s no stranger to the court of public opinion. He tries not to pay too much attention to it. As long as Charlotte’s all right, the rest of the world can go hang. She asks if that includes Anna, and he says he admits there are certain people whose opinion matters to him; Nina is actually one of them. Nina says she’s glad they get to be friends. She forgot to tell him, Charlotte emailed her, and included pictures of her equestrian event. She’s ribboned? He says, she’s pretty competitive, and Nina says she never would have predicted it, but this boarding school seems like a really good fit for her. He says, seems that way, and she says she’s still surprised Charlotte wanted to live away from home, and that he could bear to see her go. He says he’ll do what he has to, to make sure Charlotte is okay, whatever the cost to him.

Carly says, Stillwater intends to put her half of the hotel on the market, and Willow says, that’s terrible, but Carly says she’s going to buy it back. Michael says he knew it was a mistake for her to buy in, just like it was a mistake to include Ned. Carly says, this is why she didn’t want to tell him. It was her decision to bet on the merger between ELQ and Aurora, and it didn’t happen, so she has to suffer the consequences. Michael says, so now she’s going to take out a loan. What’s she going to use as collateral? The house? No. Just let him give her the money, or he’ll buy her half and sign it over to her. She says, no. She knew he’d do that, and she loves him for it, but she just wants her family to be happy and safe. That’s it… What’s going on? She saw the look. Did something happen with Willow when she was in the hospital? Willow says, they hadn’t planned on saying anything this early… Michael says, he and Willow are having a baby. Carly gets all excited, and hugs them both.

On the phone, Austin says he was only in town for a couple of days; he’s not in Pautuk… Now they need to live up to their end of the bargain. Don’t contact him again.

Trina tells Rory that she was around six or seven, and was convinced her dad was a magician, and of course (🍷) he encouraged her. That 4th of July, he had a real wand, and he’d point it at the sky, and say, presto. The sky would light up with fireworks. He probably heard the whoosh when they sent it up, but she didn’t, and thought, wow, her dad is magic. She could use some of that magic now… She’s so sorry. She’s really trying not to think about the trial. He takes her hand and says, she can’t ignore reality; he doesn’t expect her to. He just wanted her to have a few moments where is wasn’t the only thing she thought about. She says she appreciates his efforts, but he says he wishes he could do more. She moves closer to him, and says, he’s doing just fine.

Carly asks why they didn’t tell her, and Michael says he thinks that’s what they’re doing right now. Willow says, keeping quiet is so much harder than she expected, and she certainly didn’t want Carly worrying she was ill. Carly says she’s so happy they told her. She really needed good news today. Josslyn walks in, and says, her too. What’s the good news? Willow says she’s pregnant, and Josslyn congratulates them and hugs them, saying, she’s going to be an auntie again. Reggie comes to the door, and says he has those numbers for Carly, and she tells the others to go to the Garden and she’ll meet them. Michael says, they’re still not done talking, and they leave. Carly invites Reggie in, and says, well?

Maxie says, she thought Spinelli was the champion for love and romance these days. He thinks it’s better for Britt to be alone? Spinelli says, alone is better than being with the wrong person. Austin returns, and Maxie asks if everything is okay. He says, it was just the hospital, and Spinelli says he thinks he’ll take his leave, but Maxie says, he just got here. Spinelli says, they should have an evening alone together. Farewell. He drags his cooler back out, and Maxie wonders, what’s up with him?

Sam wonders if Carly is coming back, but Dante doesn’t know. He asks if it matters, and she says, as much as she loves hearing stories about his outlaw past, she wants to go somewhere private to watch the fireworks, just the two of them. He asks if she has a place in mind, and she says she does. She was thinking, the view from her bedroom is spectacular, and he says he happens to know that for a fact. She says, the harbor lights up, and it’s so beautiful. She was thinking it would be incredible. He says, it probably would be incredible. Does she want to get out of here? He kisses her, and they jet.

Nina says, Valentin didn’t tell her what he wanted to see her about, and he asks if Victor has approached her. She says, no, why? and he says, Victor is determined to stay a part of his life. So much so, he’s reaching out to the people closest to him. She says, not a fan, and Valentin says, stay away from him. He’s a dangerous man, and Valentin doesn’t care how devoted he seems to be. She says, duly noted, and thanks him for his concern. It’s actually refreshing not to be the perpetually guilty one. He says, she doesn’t care that much what people think, and she says she doesn’t, but Wiley is a different story. She’s never going to be considered a saint, but she does want to be than the woman who destroyed Wiley’s family. Valentin says he knows a way she can balance the scales.

Sonny says, Spencer wants to be a better man, and have a better life? He respects that. Spencer says, but Sonny doesn’t respect him now, and Sonny says, Spencer is living at Windymere, standing with his girlfriend, he quit his job… is this about money? Spencer’s got to tell him. Spencer shakes his head, and Sonny says, tell him; what is it? Spencer says he’s still trying to be better. Sonny, of all people, should know you have to do what’s in your heart, not what other people are telling you to do. He knows how it looks, but he swears on his mother’s memory, he’s doing the right thing. He loves Sonny, and would never ever do anything to hurt or disappoint him. Sonny says, okay. He guesses time will tell. Just be careful. Understand him? Sonny leaves, and Spencer says, time’s running out.

Cody says, Britt feels it too, right? There’s something between them. She says, he’s delusional. He’s clearly fallen off a horse one too many times. He says, the first thing they teach you in riding is how to fall off a horse, and she asks why he’s pushing this. He can’t be that hard up for a date, and he asks if she just called him handsome. Charming? A catch? She says, he’d do in a pinch, and obviously, he keeps up with his physique. He thanks her for noticing, and says he feels she’s easy on the eyes as well. He bets if she didn’t treat every conversation like a prizefight, she’d have her pick of men. She wonders how she can put this… He’s not her type. He says, obviously, dating her type hasn’t worked out for her, and she says, he’s relentless. He says, she doesn’t know the half of it; he has a lot of stamina. If she really wants to be alone, he’ll respect that, but he thought they could have a few laughs and try to enjoy each other’s company for a change. She says, one date, and he says, sweet, let’s go, but she says, not tonight. She’ll find him on Society Set-Ups. He says he’s looking forward to it, and leaves.

Carly asks if that’s really the best offer she can get, and Reggie says, unfortunately, news of her sizeable investment in Aurora has made the rounds. The lenders know she’s over a barrel. She says, and sharks smell blood in the water, but it’s just business, right?  He asks what she wants him to do, and she says, she just got the best reminder in the world that there are more important things than money. She can’t risk her house; she can’t buy back her half. She guesses she’s no longer co-owner of the MetroCourt.

As they lie in Sam’s bed, Sam asks Dante to tell her more about the cherry bomb capers. He says, it was his second summer at camp, and he was trying to make up for his first summer at camp. She asks, what happened? and he says, he was doing pretty good for a city boy out in the country, when the 4th of July rolled around. In his neighborhood, come 4th of July, everybody’s out in the street; the Falconaris, the Cerullos, the entire neighborhood. And there he was in this place he didn’t want to be in, surrounded by people he didn’t want to be surrounded by. So he found a spot by himself, and started to break down about everything. Then Cody comes looking for him, and he told Cody the whole thing, about his aunts and uncles and cousins and his grandmother, and the food, and the stickball games, and the fireworks. Even Cody started to get sad, thinking about their situation, because he said it sounded like the coolest 4th of July ever. She asks if the two families still get together, and he says, they’re probably out there, 100 tables strong, still in the street as we speak. She asks him to promise they’ll take the kids next year, and he says, it’s a date. She kisses him as the fireworks begin, and they watch through the window.

Carly starts to leave her office, but just puts her forehead against the door. There’s a song part, as everyone watches the fireworks. At the pool, Britt looks at Cody, who raises his glass to her. In the park, Austin and Maxie watch, lying on a blanket. Esme texts Spencer: You’re missing the fireworks! Where r u??? Rory and Trina kiss. Finally.

Cody sees Spinelli walk into the pool area, and says, my man. Come. Join him. He’ll let Spinelli buy him a drink. Spinelli asks, why, pray tell, would he do that? and Cody says, to celebrate his date with the lovely Dr. Britt Westbourne. Thanks for setting that up. He claps Spinelli on the shoulder, making him jump, and Spinelli says, Cody didn’t give him much choice. Cody says, Spinelli doesn’t want everyone to know matchmaker Zelda’s just a front, and the real man behind Society Set-Ups is Damien Spinelli. Spinelli tells him to keep his voice down, and Cody says, once that came to light, it wouldn’t take long for everyone to figure out how he matches one lovelorn sucker with another. He’s doing Cody a solid. Spinelli says, Cody got what he wanted. Spinelli engineered his match with Britt. Their business is concluded. Buy his own drink. Spinelli walks away.

Josslyn, Willow, and Michael go back to Carly’s office, and Josslyn asks why she didn’t come down. Carly says she got caught up in a few things here, and she kind of wasn’t feeling it. Michael says, they’re going to figure out something that doesn’t involve Carly taking out another loan, and Carly says, okay. He says, they’ll talk tomorrow; they’ll drop off Josslyn. Carly tells Willow, congratulations again, and everyone exchanges I love yous. They leave, Carly’s smile disappears, and she says, oh my God.  

Maxie tells Austin, what a perfect night. Clear sky, not too muggy… Austin is lost in thought, and she says, should they have some more wine? He says, sounds nice, and she asks, where was he? Is everything okay? He says, everything’s fine. It’s just… some old memories, that’s all. She says, such as? but he says, nothing. He’s much happier being here in the moment with her.

Rory says, Trina is just so beautiful… If he overstepped… She says, he didn’t. They kiss again, just as Spencer is walking into the area. He sees them, and leaves quickly and quietly.

Britt takes out her phone, bringing up the email from Society Set-Ups. She hesitates, then accepts her match.

Olivia sees Sonny having a cup of coffee, and he says, why the face? She says, he knows about Carly and the hotel? She offered to buy Carly’s half and sell it back to her, but Carly’s too stubborn to let her help. He asks if she’s surprised. She wouldn’t let him help her either. She says she was going to do it anyway, but someone beat her to it.

There’s a knock at Carly’s office door, and Carly says, come in. Nina walks in, and Carly says, get out. They have nothing to talk about. Nina says, that’s not true.

Tomorrow, Trina tells Rory, this can’t happen again; Nina asks Carly to let her do this; Sonny wants some information checked out; and Sasha asks Brando how bad the fallout is.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Ugh. I hate when it’s all new people and I have to learn their names. Even better, this season there’s a Natasha and a Natalya – and they look alike. I don’t even mean similar. They could be twins. Moving on.

Captain Sandy says, they’re going to Malta this season. It’s a new place with a new boat, and new department heads. Challenge accepted. We see a preview of the coming season.

Grand Harbour Marina, Malta. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, Malta is a small country off the coast if Sicily; a little piece of paradise, undiscovered by the superyacht industry. Chief stew Natasha (who later introduces herself as Tasha, so we’ll go with that) arrives first, and the captain says she loves that Tasha has had a lot of experience. In Tasha’s interview, she says she’s been in yachting almost 10 years. She likes to lead by example, which she knows sounds super cringe. Bosun Raygan and Chef Dave are next, and we find out Dave and Tasha have worked together before. Captain Sandy tells Raygan, it’s nice to have a female bosun again, and in her interview, the captain says, she tried to get Malia again, but she’s Chief Operating Officer on another vessel. But someone once gave her an opportunity, so she wants to extend it forward. In Dave’s interview, he says he and Tasha are good friends. They get on like a house on fire, and her smile is unreal, so yeah… He says he’s trying to dig himself out of this hole. Hmm… a boatmance?

Raygan examines the boat, and Dave meets the captain. In his interview, Dave says, he’s been in yachting for 8 years, and owns his own restaurant in the south of France. He’s won the British Ski Championship, done skydiving, and climbed Mt. Everest. He’s cheated death so many times, it’s a joke. Deckhand Jason, and stews Natalya and Kyle show up. Natalya remarks that she and Tasha could be twins, and seriously, they could. In Raygan’s interview, she says, she was born in Essex, but moved to Turkey when she was 12, because her parents had a business there. It’s a Muslim country, so she calmed down, but she’s loud when she goes to Essex. They divvy up the cabins, and Captain Sandy calls Mzi, who’s the only repeat this season. In the captain’s interview, she says she saw potential and growth in Mzi. Bringing him back and watching him flourish will be incredible. He referred his friend Storm, who will also be a deckhand, but unfortunately, they’re both stuck in quarantine for another day. Mzi says, they’re being released at 8 pm, and Captain Sandy says, that’s a bummer. Tasha and Dave decide to share the one co-ed cabin, and in Dave’s interview, he says, it’s cool. He doesn’t know what to say. The captain radios the crew to meet in the main salon for the welcome meeting.

The captain tells the crew that the boat is a hybrid, a Motor Yacht Home; futuristic, white and stainless, and ultra-modern. She explains, they have two deckhands that are still in quarantine. It’s going to be challenging, since they have to pick up a charter tomorrow. With the turnaround time, it’s a disaster. In Raygan’s interview, she says, just her and Jason; that’s bad. Captain Sandy says, she likes the crew to help each other, and she’s there for them. They’re adults, and she expects them to act like it. She doesn’t tolerate hate comments or sexual harassment. If you fall in love, that’s not harassment. She introduces, Chief Officer Ray and Chief Engineer Carlos, and says they’ll be helping until the deckhands come. In her interview, she says, it’s been a while since she’s had a whole new crew, and we flash back to previous seasons. She says, how they handle pressure and can lead is critical. There’s no room for error. They ready the boat, except for Raygan, who goes for a smoke. In Tasha’s interview, she says she’s not a scream-in-your-face chief stew. She’s worked a 107 meter boat, with 10 stews under her. She’s worked with people who scream and swear, and she doesn’t like negativity. When her parents divorced, she was the peacemaker. She tells Kyle and Natalya, she doesn’t think they need ranks, and Kyle jokes that he deserves his rank. In Kyle’s interview, he says he was a service queen from the get-go; an extreme personality and extreme service. He grew up around 18 cousins, and had to stand out. Provisions come in, and Kyle says, this is the most meat he’s ever handled. He’s no Josiah, but he might turn out to be fun. Jason says he’s not used to a mega-yacht, and in his interview, he says, his perception was incorrect. He did commodities training, and when his company was bought out, he was like a divorcee with a new lease life, and went into yachting. He’s one of the wild cards for sure. The captain calls Tasha, Dave, and Raygan for a preference sheet meeting.

The primaries are Billy, who has an ad agency, and his fiancé Chris. They met in Japan, and will be celebrating their anniversary with a Japanese themed evening. They’d also like a local drag performer to come out, and have an all-out drag night. They also expect all the water toys. Captain Sandy says, it’s a bummer (her WOTD) that their slide is still in customs. They need to pull out all the stops. Chef Dave reads that they like a lot of seafood, and beets taste like dirt. He says, you can’t beat a root, which the captain finds funnier than I do. She says, Ray will be helping when they pull out of the dock, and in her interview, she says, being down two deckhands, it’s a safety issue. She needs the Chief Officer to call out distances; they need the support. Natalya says, on her last job, she was the sole stew, and it was lonely. She was every department, and she’s super excited to have 8 crew members. Raygan sits on the dock, having a smoke, while everyone else readies the boat.   The crew goes to bed early.

In the morning, Tasha tells Natalya that Dave brought her coffee. Natalya wonders if there’s romance, but Tasha says, they’re just like Musketeers. In her interview, she says, she just went through a break-up, and she’s focusing on herself. Captain Sandy thanks Jason for working so hard, when the floating dock arrives. Jason tries dealing with it himself, and the captain wonders where the bosun is. She ends up helping Jason herself, and I’m thinking Raygan seems lazy. In Kyle’s interview, he says he grew up in South Africa, where it’s not popular to be a homosexual. Plus, he went to an all-boy’s school, and hid being gay. He had a relationship for 12 years that was kept secret, and it damaged him, but he likes to make humor out of an uncomfortable situation. Don’t look at the gay guy, look at the funny guy. He tells Natalya that he wants to get married and have kids one day. They need to get all the provision boxes out of the guests’ site, and Kyle says, wherever you find a hole, fill it. The captain radios for the crew to get in their whites.

The guests arrive while everyone is still getting ready, but somehow they manage to be lined up in time. Captain Sandy tells them, welcome to Motor Yacht Home. Their goal is to make it their home, and give them the best holiday. They’ll head out as soon as the luggage is on board. Tasha says, they have blue Jolly Rancher shots (gag), as well as champagne. She gives them the tour, and it’s definitely a different boat design than we’ve seen before. Raygan tells Jason, the suitcases are too heavy for her, and in his interview, Jason says, she could help. The luggage is on board, and Tasha confers with primary Billy to have their fabulous Italian luncheon at 3. Sandy says, they’re ready to depart, and in her interview, she says, the current in this marina pushes the vessel starboard, and the dolphins (markers, not to be confused with the sea creatures) are really close. They get out of the marina, and Ray says, slow and easy wins the race. In Dave’s interview, he says he follows the preference sheet, but not recipes. He’s always bouncing ideas against himself. He shuts his eyes and envisions the plate.

Jason says he’s lifting more than everyone, but Raygan (who’s not lifting anything) says, he’s just not used to it. In Jason’s interview, he says, he’s trying to bite his tongue. He stands by his work ethic, but it’s easier to take it on the chin. Raygan tells him to get the toys out, and Jason says, she couldn’t lift a bag, but she has energy now. They eat, and Jason says, there’s only one of him. Raygan says, that’s because the other deckhands didn’t come. Dave tells Tasha that lunch is a family style Italian buffet, and she seats the guests, as Jason struggles with the water toys. Tasha tells Dave the food looks beautiful, and he says, she looks beautiful. Lunch is served, and the guests pronounce it delicious, although Billy says, it’s very peppery. Captain Sandy radios Raygan, telling her to get the toys out, and in her interview, the captain says, it’s difficult having the toys in the hull of the boat, but it’s so the guests don’t see behind-the-scenes work. It’s magic. You step outside, and the toys are there. The food keeps coming, including beef cheeks (Chef Leon would approve) made with cinnamon. Billy whines about the cinnamon, telling Kyle, it’s like his kryptonite. Kyle tells Dave that he hates to be the barer of bad news, but he needs some beef without cinnamon. Billy demands to look at his preference sheet, but when it’s produced, he can’t believe he didn’t put no cinnamon on it. In Natalya’s interview, she tells us that she can’t pronounce cinnamon or ambulance, and demonstrates. In Dave’s interview, he says, the first lunch is important, and sets the tone for the charter. And the beef wasn’t seasoned with cinnamon, it was just sticks to give it aromatic flavor. But if the guest doesn’t like his food, he’ll keep going until they do. Billy says he can still taste the cinnamon, and guest Twanna thinks they should be in the water.

Billy wants a Seabob, but one isn’t available, and Raygan suggests a kayak, but he says, that’s too much exercise. He tells Kyle that he’s not sure Raygan is his favorite. She gave him a stank face, and he thinks she hates him. In Kyle’s interview, he says he thinks Billy has had one too many, and he’s going to be overdramatic about everything, but at the end of the day, he’s the guest. Chris complains that Raygan is being a stupid bitch to him, and treating him like he’s stupid. Captain Sandy wonders what’s going on, and Billy says he’s irritated. He’s sure they think he’s a drama queen… but the captain lies assures him that no one thinks that. He says, Raygan wouldn’t put the slide out, and Captain Sandy explains, it’s in customs. Billy says, well, make up for it then, instead of realizing he is stupid. The captain says, they’re without two crew members, and Billy says he’s in customer service. Raygan isn’t rude, but she’s not warm and fuzzy. The captain says she’ll take care of it, but tells him, using the WaveRunner and drinking can’t happen. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, she’ll shoulder the complaint, but she’s concerned about Raygan not getting the toys out. They need to work with what they have. She should have communicated, and not blindsided the client. Billy says, the captain is hands-on, and she says, that’s how she started; she didn’t start out driving a boat. In Tasha’s interview, she tells us, people say if you don’t laugh, you cry. She also doesn’t have time for it. The guests get in the water, and Raygan takes primary Chris for a ride. Using a paddleboard, Billy says he’s like a dolphin.

In Dave’s interview, he says, it’s not like he has all day to prep, but he puts pressure on himself. He grew up poor, and started working at 13. He’s afraid to fail. The dinner table is decorated, and Natalya steams the guests’ clothing. The guests come out, and Billy asks if he’s the only one wearing suit, and says the other guests are trash. Mzi and Storm are on their way, and Captain Sandy freaks over how disorganized everything is. The guests are seated, and Wagyu beef with wild mushrooms and mashed potatoes is served. I want some very badly, but Billy is already making faces. He tells Kyle that it’s more rare. More rare than what, he doesn’t say, but he wants it cooked more. Kyle takes his plate, and Billy says he can’t believe he had to send it back. Kyle tells Dave that he’s sorry. It’s perfect, but Billy wants it cooked more. In his interview, Dave says, you can eat Wagyu raw. It’s ridiculous.

Billy whines some more about how his steak wasn’t medium, and guest Crystal says, it was like it was a mooing cow, not exaggerating too much. Mzi and Storm arrive, and Captain Sandy says it couldn’t be better timing. She takes it back. It could have been yesterday. Billy gets his new steak, and the captain says she’s so happy. She meets Storm, who says, it’s been a long 14 days. She says she’s happy to have Mzi back, and in Mzi’s interview, he says, it’s like breaking out of prison. It seems like they’re chilling, but quarantine isn’t easy. He wants to hit the ground running. The captain says she’ll give Mzi the lowdown, and he can relay it to Storm, who she wants to start sorting out the mess; it’s a safety issue. Raygan goes for a smoke, which seems to be the only thing she does. Billy puts his placemat on his head, and in Storm’s interview, he says he’s a dirtbag pirate. Some people don’t enjoy him, but if everybody likes you, you’re doing something wrong. Dessert is served, and everyone loves it. In Natalya’s interview, she says, Storm is pretty fit.

Tasha and Kyle get dressed in drag, and discuss the drag themed evening. In Mzi’s interview, he says, Storm is a childhood friend. When Storm was 13, he looked 18, and they were petrified of him. The same mustache he has today, he’s had since he was 13. Drag queen Trihanna Wilde arrives, and in Tasha’s interview, she says, theme parties are her strong point. When she was growing up, they had no money, and her grandma would treat them to the theater. She wants to make other people feel how she felt as a child; it’s magic. Trihanna does a show, and in her interview, Tasha says, thank the Lord they pulled tonight together. She’s happy that they guests are happy. She says she’s had two long term relationships on boats. It’s nice to share a cabin, and blow off steam, and you can trust the other person won’t say anything. She asks Dave if he wants to hook up, and he nods.

Captain Sandy consults a chart, and says, they’re going to have a swell. In her interview, she says, every bosun should have their watch schedule on day one. She wants to see it and approve it, so she’s comfortable with who’s on anchor watch. She asks Raygan for her schedule, and tells her, the tender should be in the water. The toys are a priority, and she wants the tender and WaveRunner out. In Raygan’s interview, she says, the last boat she worked on was a private yacht, and it was more relaxed. This is the most demanding job she’s had in a long time. Well, that’s obvious. The captain tells her to get the tender in the water, and get the schedule done. The guests get ready to go in the water.

Around noon, the guests are back on board, and things start rocking. Captain Sandy realizes they’ve lost their stabilizers; they’re malfunctioning. Everything starts falling, and Crystal wonders what’s happening. The boat rocks like crazy, and the captain radios for all crew to hold onto everything. Everything is just crashing everywhere, and it’s worse than Sailing Yacht. A guest asks where the lifejackets are.

To be continued…  

🦋 Catch You Later…

Join me tomorrow for soap, and who knows what else. Below Deck Down Under is on in the evening, and although I’ll no doubt be watching, too many Decks spoils… something. So until then, stay safe, stay fighting the good fight, whatever that is for you, and stay knowing that, being alone is better than being with the wrong person.

June 21, 2022 – GH Deferred Again, 15000, Soap Dads, Reunited, Heated, Not Skimping, Diana’s Room, Worst Ever, New Med, Chris’s Pups & Nights

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Foiled again.

🎉 Still Standing…

A definite reason to celebrate. The episode we would have seen today, and will hopefully see tomorrow.

👔 More Celebration…

The fathers of GH.

❄️ Hell Officially Frozen Over…

Did Bravo meet Bethenny’s unaffordable figure? https://realityblurb.com/2022/06/21/photo-bethenny-frankel-and-jill-zarin-reunite-on-a-plane-as-andy-cohen-jokes-a-crew-is-en-route-with-their-paychecks/

🤼 Sparring Again…

I dunno. Joe #2 might be a hothead, but Luis is starting to not look so good.

💋 Gotta Have Glam…

It looks like she’s not skipping any meals either. Sorry. I know that was mean, and not something I’d normally say, but I can’t stand her.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10929081/Erika-Jayne-arrives-Elite-Aesthetics-medical-spa-claiming-afford-2-2M-tax-bill.html

🚪 Pricey Room…

She didn’t want to talk about it on the show, but I’ll bet she cashes the royalty checks.

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a40310562/diana-jenkins-book-room-23-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills/

🎤 Fillers Can’t Buy You Class…

Wow. Worse than Tardy for the Party? That’s pretty hard.

🛥 Steering Closer…

The latest on Below Deck Med’s new season, beginning July 11th.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/below-deck-med-season-7-cast-premiere-date-trailer

🐕 Squee When Ready…

Chris Evans + puppies. What’s not to like?

https://www.buzzfeed.com/ehisosifo1/chris-evans-puppy-interview

🧜🏽 Boogie Oogie Oogieing Out…

Hopefully, all will be right with the world tomorrow, and you can join me for some soap and Beverly Hills drama. Until then, stay safe, stay discerning in all things, and stay taking comfort in the fact, no matter how bad it gets, there are always puppies.

June 6, 2022 – Willow Makes a Decision, Extra Dead, Postponement & I Know

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly finds Drew at the pool and says she heard he was there. He says she seems to be in a better mood, and she says, things are finally starting to come together. He says, nothing like being released from a dungeon after a couple of years, and she says, it’s not quite that, but he says, it’s her version. It’s been a rough couple of years. She says, it has, and now there are blue skies ahead for Nina and Willow, Nina is finally in the rearview, and she knows Nina finally can’t do harm to this family anymore. Michael and Willow come in, and Drew says, it is such a relief to find out Willow isn’t Nina’s daughter.

At the neatest stables I’ve ever seen – I mean, like you could live in them – Leo looks at a white horse and says he loves him. Olivia tells Ned that Leo loves his new present. She knows getting horses, cars, and stock options for your birthday might be normal for Ned, but this girl knows how lucky they are. He says he’s the lucky one; he has her and Leo. She says, it turns out equestrian therapy is all its cracked up to be, and Leo pets the horse. Ned says he knows it’s supposed to help kids on the autism spectrum develop emotional bonds, and sensory skills like balance, but this looks more like a kid loving getting a horse. She asks if he’s getting all misty on her, and he asks if she’d believe him if he said no. She says, not for a minute, and suggests she and Leo go up to the house and get the horse some food. I wonder if she’s going to make it a sandwich, and Leo says, apples or carrots? She says, dealer’s choice, and they leave. Ned tells the horse, all right, mister. I’m trusting you to look out for my son, and since he clearly already loves you, welcome to the family. He guesses they’ll have to give the horse a name, and Valentin walks in, saying, he’s always been partial to comet. Comes around once a decade. Much like the offer he’s presenting Ned.

Terry gets a text from Chet, saying: Just landed. She sees TJ, and says, she thought he requested the whole week off work. He says he did. He had a family situation, but it’s been handled. She asks if everything is okay, and he says he couldn’t begin to tell her.

Curtis comes in with Marshall and Stella, and Portia says, he’s home. He says, yeah. They’re home.

At Shadybrook, Laura says, Elizabeth looks wonderful, and Elizabeth says, compared to what? Laura says, compared to yesterday. She looks more rested than she has in months. Elizabeth says she thinks it’s the first good night’s sleep she’s had since… It’s been more than months. She thanks Laura for helping her settle in, and Laura says, that’s what family does. Doc is going over some details with Elizabeth’s doctor. Unfortunately, it’s going to take a few days for the sleeping pills to get out of her system. Elizabeth says she figured, and Laura says, so don’t be alarmed if she can’t sleep and goes through… Elizabeth says, withdrawals? Laura says, it will only last for a few days, and Elizabeth says, it’s funny… Not funny, but irritating. She’s been a nurse for how long, and she didn’t see this coming. If she’d been her own patient, she would have caught this a lot sooner, but when it’s you.. Laura says, you’re too close to it. Elizabeth says she sees it now, and if it’s a choice between sleepless nights and hurting the people she loves… Finn walks in with flowers.

Portia hugs Curtis, saying, she was on her way to work, and she was afraid she was going to miss him. She tells Marshall that she’s so glad he’s okay. She heard he went through quite an ordeal. How is he feeling? He says he feels like he’s had a lifetime full of doctors in the last few days, and Stella says, maybe Portia wasn’t asking him as a doctor, but as the woman who loves his son. Marshall says, his bad. He guesses he’s still a bit on edge. He appreciates her concern though. She says, good. Because he’s going to have to get used to it. She made up the spare bedroom for him; make himself at home. Stella suggests Marshall get freshened up. He’s been in those clothes for days. Marshall says, he knows he promised Curtis answers, but Curtis says, they have time for that, and tells him to get settled first. Marshall leaves with Stella, and Portia says she’s so glad Curtis found his father. When he told her about the robbery, even though it had already happened, it’s scary. But all of them are okay, and that’s all that matters. Curtis saved the day. He says he doesn’t feel like much of a hero, and she asks, why not? He says, because if he hadn’t broken his father’s trust, he never would have put Marshall in danger in the first place.

Finn asks how Elizabeth is feeling, and she says, a little better. He says he thought he’d find a florist on the way over, but he only found a little convenient store. She takes the flowers – which are pretty damn nice for being from a deli and even wrapped in a brown paper cone – and he wonders if she hates them, but she says she doesn’t. She is a little confused. She asked him not to visit her. He says he heard her, but didn’t want her thinking he’d abandoned her, and didn’t want to hurt her. She says, but he is hurting her, more than he realizes.

Valentin tells Ned that he heard Leo got a new horse. Mind if he takes a gander? Ned says, sure, and Valentin says, he’s a good looking animal. When he and Charlotte were living here, they very much enjoyed riding in the area. Ned says, Charlotte is always welcome, and Valentin says, unfortunately, Charlotte is still away at boarding school. Ned is surprised she has school in the summer, and Valentin says, apparently. She’s as independent as her father. He holds out a box, and says he wanted to offer Ned this. He opens the box, and Ned says, equestrian gear, taking it from him. Valentin says, some of Charlotte’s helmets, riding crops and the like. Too small for her, but maybe Leo will enjoy them. Ned says, it’s very thoughtful of Valentin, but they both know that’s not why he stopped by. So what does he want? Valentin says, Ned knows what he wants. He wants to work together at ELQ before Drew and Michael push Ned out.

Carly says she didn’t know Michael and Willow were stopping by, and Willow says, Wiley has a swimming lesson at the club, and Michael says, he convinced Willow that they could step away for a little relaxation. She’s graduating next week. Carly says she’s so proud of Willow; she’s been working so hard. Willow says, that must be why she’s so exhausted, and Drew asks if he can steal Michael for a second about some ELQ stuff. Carly asks if this means they’re reconsidering her offer to help, but Michael says, no, it doesn’t, and steps away with Drew. Carly and Willow sit, and Carly says, she knows Willow has been working and studying, but she thinks Wiley’s custody hearing is what has her so exhausted. Willow says, that was so insane, and so unnecessary. They said, no, and Nina should have respected that. Honestly, she’s never been as angry with someone as she is with Nina right now. Carly flashes back to reading the DNA results, and saying, it’s true; Nina is Willow’s mother. Carly tells Willow, what’s important is, she gets to choose who’s in Wiley’s life; Nina doesn’t. Don’t let her live in your mind rent free. Willow tells her, easier said than done, but there is one good thing to come out of this. Dealing with Nina helped her come to a big decision. Carly asks, about what? and Willow says, finding the identity of her biological mother.

Curtis tells Portia, his father was in that hospital, lying unconscious because that street trash slashed him with a knife. He thought he was going to lose his father all over again. She says, but he didn’t, and he says he’s had a lot of time to think. He keeps going over the last few months in his head. Here’s a man who was just trying to make things right with him, his son, and he was so angry, he just pushed Marshall away. He led Marshall to believe that he was letting him in, only to go digging through his closet for whatever skeletons he might find. Marshall left Port Charles because he felt like there was no place for him; like he and Marshall would never have a relationship, because Curtis didn’t trust him. She asks if Marshall gave Curtis reasons to trust him. Trust is earned. You’ve got to be there; be present. For whatever reason, Marshall wasn’t there for him, and Curtis asked for an explanation, and Marshall didn’t give him one. So he has every right to be frustrated. He says this coming from the woman who made the guest bedroom for Marshall, and she says, Marshall is still Curtis’s father, and Curtis is still Marshall’s son, and she cares about the both of them. As far ask Curtis blaming himself, he didn’t send Marshall packing or put him in harm’s way. Nothing. Curtis says he still couldn’t leave well enough alone, even when Marshall asked him to. She says she knows he thinks Marshall is selfish, just as she knows Marshall has his reasons, his regrets. She truly believes once they air it all out, the truth, like most truths, lies somewhere in-between. Curtis looks at the prescription bottle, and says, she’s probably right.

TJ tells Terry, there’s a lot going on with his family; a lot. He could use the distraction, and he’d be happy to go on the rotation if the hospital needs an extra set of hands. Terry says, always, but they need steady one. If he’s going through something heavy, he could be liability to the patients, and they have to come first. He says he can’t argue with that, and she tells him, that being said, there might be a surgery or two he could observe, if he doesn’t mind being hands-off and just learning. He says, it sounds awesome, and thanks her. She tells him, scrub in, and he leaves. She looks at a picture of Chet on her phone and sighs.

Finn asks Elizabeth to forgive him. He just wanted to see her. She says she’s scared. She’s scared she’s going to hurt someone the way she hurt Chase. What if next time it’s one of her boys or Violet? Laura says, everyone knows Elizabeth would never intentionally hurt anyone. It was a side effect of those pills, and she’s not taking them anymore. Elizabeth says, the doctors called it a dissociative fugue, and Finn says he’s heard of it. She says, in her case, it was caused by the pills. That’s how it happened biologically. Psychologically – why she did what she did – they still haven’t figured that out yet. He says, that’s okay. She just got here; there’s time. She says, something is broken in her, and she needs to fix it, and he says, of course (🍷). If there’s anything he can do to help, he’ll do it. She says she thinks she convinced herself that she was ready to move on when she really wasn’t, and he says, if he rushed her in any way… She says, no. That’s not the problem. He asks, what is their problem? and she says, when he’s with her, he convinces her everything’s okay. Like it’s all going to be all right. But if he keeps coming around, she’s going to start believing it, and she’ll never face what’s really wrong.  

Carly asks what it was about the custody hearing with Nina that influenced Willow’s decision, and Willow says, in that courtroom, she saw firsthand that biology doesn’t make a family. Nina, the blood relative, prioritized her own needs over Willow’s son’s. Harmony told Alexis that her birth mother disappeared from a commune and left her behind. Carly asks if she believes that, and Willow says she thinks it’s likely. Her parents spent a lot of time in various communes before Dawn of Day. They met some very damaged people. The chances are good that her birth mother wasn’t concerned about what was right for her child, any more than Nina was concerned about what’s right for Wiley.

Drew tells Michael, things were still pretty tense between him and Ned this morning. He doesn’t think they’re any closer to getting Ned on board with the Aurora/ELQ merger. Michael says he’s not surprised. It’s a matter of pride, because Valentin made a hostile takeover on Ned’s watch. As much as he doesn’t want to ignore Ned’s concerns, now’s not the time to back off. Drew says he doesn’t disagree, but Ned insists he doesn’t want the COO role, but he’s not suggesting another job he’d be okay with. Michael says, because he only wants one job – CEO. And from where Michael stands, it would be a mistake to give it to him.

Valentin says he made Ned an offer a few days ago, and he’s heard nothing; why is that? Ned says he’s been focusing on his family, and Valentin asks, isn’t ELQ one and the same with his family? Ned says, once upon a  time maybe, and Valentin says, but not anymore? Ned says he’s still living with the consequences of putting the company over family, and Valentin says, Ned means his tenure as CEO, but Ned says, no. He means Brook is still dealing with the consequences of her contract with Linc Brown, which Valentin exploited to take over the company. Valentin says he thinks Ned needs to stop looking at him as the problem, and remember he’s the one who got Brook out of that contract. Ned says, for a price, and Valentin says, everything has a price. The question is, what is Ned’s? Ned says, to betray his family? Valentin couldn’t afford it. Valentin says, from where he’s standing, Ned is the one being betrayed.

Elizabeth says, she knows Finn drove all this way, but he says, it’s okay. He should go. Laura says she’ll walk him out, and he tells Elizabeth, he’d do anything for her. So if she wants him to stay away, he’ll do that, but he’s not giving up on them. Someday when she’s ready, he’ll be there. He leaves with Laura, and in the hallway, he says, he’s been there every step of the way with Elizabeth, and now it seems like it’s been all his fault. She says, absolutely not, but he says, his presence made it worse. Laura says, she didn’t say that; she didn’t mean that. He says he knows, but he hates this, and she says, of course (🍷) he does. He asks why Laura thinks Elizabeth allowed her to visit, and Laura says, maybe because she’s been where Elizabeth is. She had issues of her own with mental illness about 20 years ago, and she lashed out at people; Luke, Scotty, even her own mother. She was dealing with a repressed memory, and even though she loved these people very much, just seeing them subconsciously triggered her drama. He says he’s sorry she went through that, but she wasn’t necessarily dealing with grief. She says, it was a lot of things, but not that, and he asks if she thinks the root of Elizabeth’s problem is something other than losing her husband.

Valentin says, Michael and Drew are going to put Ned on the sidelines, giving him a meaningless title and menial responsibilities. What about Leo? Ned asks if Valentin is concerned that they’re going to give Leo an inferior position at ELQ too, but Valentin says, the only shares Leo is in line for are Ned’s. Ned has to be in a position financially to protect Leo and Olivia. Ned says, in case Valentin hasn’t noticed, they’re not exactly paupers. He thinks they’ll be just fine, whoever leads ELQ in the future. Valentin says, of course (🍷), but it’s not just the money. It’s the power, and the respect, and if Ned votes to keep Valentin in place, he’ll guarantee Ned a suitable role at ELQ. Ned says, what role is that? and Valentin says, name it. Ned says, CEO, and Valentin says, no. They both know, however Ned votes, that role is filled. Ned says, then why vote for Valentin? and Valentin says, he maintains they can reach a mutually beneficial arrangement, one where they both win. Ned says, he doesn’t want the COO, and Valentin says, then get creative. Come up with a role where they’re practically equal. Ned says, that would mean Valentin giving up a significant chunk of his power. Why? What’s in for him? Valentin says, in case Ned hasn’t noticed, he’s being squeezed out. And 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing. Doesn’t Ned agree? Olivia comes back with Leo, and asks, what’s going on here?

Michael tells Drew, Ned is throwing a tantrum because he’s not getting what he wants. Is that who they want in charge? Drew says, Ned needs to be respected, the same way he’s respecting Michael in regard to Sonny. He wasn’t thrilled that Michael was going to use ELQ to bring Sonny down, but Michael promised to leave ELQ out of it, so he’ll step aside. Michael says he can afford to take things slower now that Wiley’s custody is secured. Drew asks why he doesn’t let it go entirely, and Michael says, why should he, if Sonny’s priority is Nina, protecting her and supporting her? He doesn’t care about the harm she’s done, or what it’s cost his own family. There’s no coming back from that. Drew says, you know who you sound like? and Michael tells him, don’t say Sonny. Drew says, he’s not going to say it, but Michael does. He can practically hear, you’re dead to me. Michael says, Sonny’s not dead to him yet. He has to crush him first. And he wants Sonny to know it was him. After that, he can get around to dying.

Portia asks, what’s that? and Curtis says, the medication that Marshall had with him. Portia asks if he wants her to look at it. She can tell him what it’s for, but he says he thinks he’s violated Marshall’s privacy enough. It’s his father’s job to tell his own story. Stella comes in, and says, Curtis’s father is washing up now. He wouldn’t even let her wait outside the door, so she guesses his pride is still intact. Portia says she better get going, but Stella says, before Portia leaves, she owes Portia an apology. When Marshall first came back in their lives, she wasn’t honest with Portia. In trying to keep her promises to Marshall and her sister, she gave Portia the runaround. She supposes that’s another way of saying she outright lied, and she’s not a person who likes to do that. Portia says, Stella doesn’t owe her an apology. Stella said she had promises to keep, and it wasn’t her story to tell; it was Marshall’s. And she’s not going to blame Stella for making a choice to protect her family. Now why doesn’t she give them some space? Portia tells Curtis to let her know if he needs anything. She loves him. He says he loves her too, and Portia leaves. Stella says, the patience of a saint, that one, and Curtis says, he got lucky, and she really stepped up for the family. Stella says, so when is he going to make Portia an official part of it?

Willow tells Carly, the way Nina weaponized Michael’s past. The extremes she was willing to go to, to win. It was like a warning. Willow shouldn’t go looking for someone who might be indifferent, even harmful, to her needs, as Nina was to Wiley’s. Carly asks if she’s sure, and Willow says she is. Between Wiley and Michael and the Quartermaines, and of course (🍷) Carly, she has all the family she needs. She sees Carly tearing up, and says she didn’t mean to make Carly cry. Carly takes Willow’s hand, and says she just appreciates being appreciated. And for what it’s worth (🍷), she thinks Willow is making the right decision.

Drew says, he just doesn’t want Michael doing something he’s going to end up regretting, but Michael says he won’t regret it. It’s already in the works. Drew says, what is? and Michael tells him, don’t worry; it doesn’t involve ELQ. Drew is in the clear. Drew says, even so… and Michael says, instead of focusing on his differences with his father, why don’t they focus on increasing Aurora’s stocks, so when they merge the companies, they’re on more equal footing? Drew says, Michael is right, and so far, it’s been more difficult than they thought.

Ned tells Olivia that Valentin was dropping off some of Charlotte’s old riding gear for Leo. Olivia says, what a lovely gesture, whatever Valentin’s motives are. Leo asks if he can see, and Ned says, go ahead. Leo runs to the box, and Valentin says, if you ask him, Leo is going to be one heck of a horseman. Olivia asks Leo what he says, and Leo thanks Valentin. Valentin says, you’re welcome; happy trails. He should get going. If there’s anything else Ned needs, let him know. He tells Olivia, arrivederci, and she says, ciao. He leaves, and Olivia tells Leo to have Cook give him some sugar cubes for the horse. Leo runs off, and Ned says, Olivia seems to be getting along with Valentin. She says, he was always great with Bailey, and he’s been exceptionally kind to Leo. Sue her, but it’s kind of hard to stay mad at someone like that. Why? He tells her, just saying. She’s right. It’s some nice stuff Valentin dropped off. She says, good will gestures aside, she’d sleep with one eye open with that guy around. Even on his best day, he’s up to something.

Laura says, Finn knows better than anyone what grief can do to a person, and he says, he does. She says she knows he wants to be there for Elizabeth, and he will be, eventually. He says, just not in the same room, and she says, for now, no. He really has to respect Elizabeth’s request for space from him. He says, okay, and leaves.

Curtis wonders if Stella is really asking if he’s going to propose to Portia now, after everything that’s happened. She says, it’s during troubling times that people prove themselves. And Portia has shown time and time again that she’s a true member of this family. He says he appreciates that she’s grown to care for Portia, and she says, he knows how rare it is for her to think anyone is good enough for him. He says he’s aware. It’s just that he and Portia have only been together a little over a year. She says, long enough to buy this house. Sounds like a commitment to her. He says, this is an investment… to a commitment, and she tells him, all she’s saying is that if you find someone who makes you happier than anything else in this, don’t waste time, because it won’t wait for you. She learned that the hard way; so did his father. Curtis says, it’s just that the divorce between him and Jordan is still fresh, and Stella gets troubled look on her face. He asks if she’s okay, and she says, she’s fine. She guesses the last few days is catching up with her; that’s all. Marshall comes in, and Curtis asks how he’s feeling. Marshall says, better, and thanks Curtis. He says, also a bit terrified, and Curtis says, about what? Marshall says, whatever happens next. It’s time to give Curtis the answers he’s been looking for.

Valentin joins Drew and Michael, and says, lovely day, isn’t it? Drew says, he’s awfully chipper for a man who’s about to be voted out, but Valentin says, nothing’s set in stone. And he’s pretty sure if he doesn’t win the round, he can still win the match.

Marshall says, before they get into all this, he needs to clear Curtis’s mother Irene of any blame. The lie, telling Curtis and his brother that Marshall had passed away, wasn’t something she came up with after he was gone. He made that decision, and pressured her to go along with it. After what happened… he felt it was for the best. Curtis says, after Marshall was arrested, and Marshall says, yeah. Curtis might recall he served in Vietnam before Curtis was born. When he came back to the world, he was disillusioned about a lot of things. He could hardly pick up his clarinet. He needed a purpose, and he found it in protests. First, it was just the war, then civil rights, and then no nukes. Any injustice anywhere, he was there. Not just to make the world a better place, because that was part of it, but he needed to give himself purpose, and in doing that, he found music again, but Curtis’s mother thought he was pushing himself too much, and not getting enough sleep. That’s why he was having these paranoid thoughts. Curtis asks, paranoid how? and Marshall says he was convinced they were being watched.

Finn comes out of the hospital elevator, and Terry asks if he saw Biz. How is she doing? He says he saw Elizabeth. As to how she’s doing, she wouldn’t tell him.

Laura suggests Elizabeth put the flowers in her room to add a little color; it can be so dull in there. Elizabeth says, it’s better than a cell. Part of her is still afraid she’s going to be arrested, or sued, or both, but Laura tells her, Chase made it clear he isn’t pressing charges. Elizabeth says, what about the art studio? She torched a building in her sleep. Laura says, they don’t know that yet. Elizabeth doesn’t remember, and there’s no evidence linking her to it. Elizabeth says, but what if she’s charged? and Laura says, the sleeping pills had been in Elizabeth’s body for almost a year before the incidents starting happening, right? What if there’s something more going on here? Elizabeth says, Laura doesn’t think the sleeping pills were the cause? but Laura says, no. The sleeping pills were definitely the why; they made her sleepwalk and disassociate. It’s the when. Elizabeth had been taking them for almost a year before the sleepwalking incidents started happening. So she was wondering if maybe anything more recently happened to trigger the behavior in Elizabeth. Has she brought up at all in any of her sessions? Elizabeth says she thinks she needs to lie down, and Laura tells her to get the rest she needs. She’ll come back soon. Elizabeth thanks her for coming, and walks out, leaving the flowers.

Terry says, Elizabeth asked Finn to leave? and he says, she implied he was making it worse. That he makes her feel like things are really okay when they’re not, so she can’t do the work she needs to. He wants to respect her wishes, but he cares about her and it’s hard. Terry says she knows he loves Elizabeth, but she also knows what it’s like not to be able to help someone you care about. But trust her, they’ll find their way back to each other, when Elizabeth works through her grief. He says he thinks it might be more than grief. He thinks Elizabeth might be repressing something else. She says, such as? and he says, you tell me. Terry has known her the longest. She says, other than losing Franco? They already discussed Elizabeth’s falling out with her parents. Has anyone reached out to Carolyn and Jeff to let them know what’s going on with Elizabeth? He says he doesn’t know, but does she think it’s time someone did?

Olivia says she knows Ned is upset about this argument with Michael and Drew, but the Quartermaines are always squabbling about ELQ, and they always work it out. He says, that was back when grandfather ruled with an iron fist, or when his mother and AJ served as a common enemy. This time, he’s the one on the outside. She says, if he’s truly worried about being put out to pasture, go to Michael and Drew; make  deal. It’s what he’s best at. This doesn’t have to be a blood feud. He says he guesses she’s right, and she puts her head on his shoulder, saying, she always is.

Drew says, they’ve got no intention of losing the round or the match, and Valentin says, of course (🍷) they don’t. No one intends to lose, but somebody has to. Maybe it will be them. Michael says, back at him, and Valentin says, that’s the spirit. Drew says, let’s go, and Michael and Drew jet.  

Carly asks what that was about, and Drew says, posturing, but Michael says he thinks it’s more than that. His gut says Valentin is planning something before the shareholders vote. Carly says, like what? and Michael says he doesn’t know, but it’s all he can think about, which is probably Valentin’s plan. So much for relaxation. Willow says, same here. All this talk about Nina makes her wish they’d stayed to watch Wiley’s swim class. Michael says, they can probably catch the end of it, and Willow says, sounds perfect. They leave, and Drew sits down. He asks if Willow is okay; she seems off. Carly says, Nina got into her head; that’s all. Drew says, she can kick her right back out, because Nina’s out of Wiley’s life, and she’s not Willow’s mother; she’s nobody to any of you. Carly did the right thing not looping Willow in. Willow is lucky to have Carly as a friend. Carly says she’s not that great of a friend, but Drew says she helped him settle back in. She offered to buy Aurora stock to drive up the price. She says, then let her be his friend. Let her help him save ELQ from Valentin.

At the hospital, Portia says she saw TJ was observing today. She thought he’d be home with Curtis and his grandfather. He says he wanted to more than anything, but the way he sees it, Marshall promised Uncle Curtis answers, and Uncle Curtis has been waiting a lifetime for those answers. She says she hopes he’s right, and he says, and whatever explanation Marshall gives helps heal the emptiness and uncertainty Uncle Curtis has lived with all these years. Still, he has to wonder if there’s anything Marshall can say to help Curtis understand why he disappeared.

Curtis says, Marshall doesn’t sound entirely paranoid to him. They know the government keeps tabs on protestors and people they deem instigators. Stella says, it’s more complicated than that, and Marshall says, when Curtis was three years old, he went to another protest. There, the police were involved. Some people got arrested, and he had an episode. Curtis says, when he was resisting arrest? but Marshall says, that’s just it. He wasn’t resisting arrest; at least not intentionally. Anyway they dropped Marshall off at a psychiatric ward. There, they put him under observation for 72 hours. That’s when he was diagnosed. Curtis says, with what? and Marshall says, schizophrenia.

Tomorrow, Stella says, now is not the time to turn away; Brad tells Britt, welcome to her intervention; Carly says she can help Drew whether he likes it or not; and Sonny thinks he knows who’s behind both.

⚰️ More Dead Stuff…

Mostly about Madison’s return.

https://ew.com/tv/kim-dickens-colman-domingo-fear-the-walking-dead-return/

https://ew.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-madison-kim-dickens-return-season-finale/

🚶🏽‍♀️ Sneaking Out Early…

A thousand apologies, but due to circumstances beyond my control, my whole day has been running late, so I’m postponing Below Deck Sailing Yacht until tomorrow. Otherwise, I’ll be seeing the sun come up, and like Captain Glenn, I need my beauty rest. So see you with soap and Deck tomorrow. Until then, stay safe, stay not quitting when things get tough, and stay not letting anyone you’ve got beef with live in your mind rent free.

April 1, 2022 – Trina Makes Her Plea, Byrne Return, Another Year, Annulled, Sponsoring, Deck Wedding, Maid Chosen, NYC Reaction, Dragon Due Date, In the Grammy Know, Music In the Quotes & My Name

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brick and Sonny bro hug, and Sonny says it’s good to see him. He asks how Brick got there so fast from L.A. Brick says he knows a guy, who knows a guy, who has a jet fueled and ready at LAX. When Sonny calls, he’s here. How can he help? Sonny says, there’s been a void in his life for too long that he’s been trying to fill, and Brick says, someone used to fill that void. Sonny says, yeah, Jason.

The guy from Charlie’s comes to Alexis’s office and says, it’s been a long time, Miss Davis. She says, it’s you, and he says she remembers. She says she never forgets a face, especially when it belongs to the man who blamed her for his brother’s death.

Harmony walks into Charlie’s, and sees Nina, who apparently lives there now. Nina asks how it went with Michael and Willow. She saw them, right? Harmony says she did, and Nina asks if Harmony told them that it’s in Wiley’s best interest to visit her. Harmony tells her, she said all that and more, and Nina says, don’t leave her in suspense; what did they say? Harmony says, not what Nina wanted to hear.

Nikolas walks into Windymere’s living room, and says, there’s nothing to fear. You’re safe. Esme and Spencer follow him in, and Esme says, this place is extraordinary. Even the name sounds grand – Windymere. Spencer says, it’s not like she hasn’t been here before, and Esme says, not for months. It’s good to be back. Nikolas says, more important, she’s safe from Sonny and his goons here, and Spencer says, what about the lady of the house? When is he going to loop Ava in?

Ava slips into the courtroom and sits down, as Judge Young is saying, Trina Robinson, you have two counts against you. How do you plead? Trina hesitates, and Scotty starts to talk, but she says she’s got this. She tells the judge that she pleads not guilty, and I say, yes!

Brick says, it’s the perfect time to raise a glass to their gone, but never forgotten, friend… What happened to the bar? No single malt aged twelve years? Sonny says he’s taking a break from that stuff, but the bar’s loaded if Brick wants to go help himself. Brick says, whither thou goest, I will go, and Sonny laughs. They sit down, and Sonny says he was hoping Brick would say that. Brick asks, how he can help fill that void? Is Sonny up for adventure? San Juan? Hong Kong? Marrakesh? Sonny says, not adventure. Monica has declared Jason legally dead, so they’re all going to be going to the memorial service. Brick says, may he rest in peace, and Sonny says, maybe Jason can, but he can’t. Does Brick remember Selena Wu? Brick says he does. Formidable lady. Is she causing Sonny trouble? Sonny says, she gave him advice, something he’s heard already, and Brick asks, what advice? Sonny says, that he can’t run the business alone anymore. He needs somebody else to step up and fill that hole Jason left behind. Brick says, I accept, and Sonny smiles and nods.

Alexis says, Brendan, isn’t it? and he says, it is. She says, the last time they saw each other, it was at Neil’s funeral. Not a very pleasant occasion for many reasons. Alexis flashes back to the funeral, and Brendan telling her, this is a celebration of Neil’s life. Alexis stripped Neil of everything he considered worth living for. He doesn’t want this service tainted with her presence. She’s not welcome. We see her leaving, and in the present, she says, he made his feelings crystal clear. And if it’s any consolation, that moment was devastating to her, and sent her into her own personal hell. He says he heard she lost her law license, hit the booze pretty hard, and didn’t stop until she attacked a cop and went to prison. She says she’s very flattered that he kept up with her life. What does he want?

Nina says, Willow just told Harmony what she thought Michael wanted to hear. Get her alone. She’ll change her mind and let Nina see Wiley. Harmony says she’s sorry. Willow doesn’t think it’s in Wiley’s best interest to have contact with Nina. Nina says, so Michael and Willow want a fight. They’ll get a fight, especially after her run-in with Carly earlier. Harmony asks, what happened? and Nina says she was reaching out to Carly to compromise about Wiley, but she wasn’t having it. Harmony says, she’s going through a rough patch, right? She just got divorced from Sonny? Nina says, Carly filed for that divorce. She pushed it through practically overnight. She threw away Sonny with both hands. Harmony tells Nina, give it some time; let Carly lick her wounds. Give her time to heal. Nina says, if that ever happens. And then what? Wiley will be in college, asking, who’s Nina? and he’ll never know who his birth mother is. If only she knew Nelle was her daughter before Nelle died. She could have saved Nelle from herself, and she wouldn’t have to be begging for a chance to get to know her grandson, or for him to know her.

Nikolas says, they can let Ava know when she gets home. Right now, she’s at Trina’s hearing. Spencer says, right, that was today, and Esme asks if he wishes he was there. He says he’s the last person Trina wants to see, and she says she didn’t ask what Trina would want. Nikolas asks if Esme wants to drop her bags off in the bedroom. It’s the same one as the last time. Spencer says, Nikolas can’t stop Esme from bringing up Trina; she’s obsessed. Esme asks if she doesn’t have reason to be. It doesn’t matter that there’s evidence Trina posted that video of Joss and Cam. Sonny Corinthos still believes it was her. Nikolas says, which is why she’s at Windymere and Spencer is home. And she’s safe. She asks if any place is really safe from Sonny, and Spencer says, Uncle Sonny will do anything and everything to protect his family. She says he means protect them from her, and he tells her, he didn’t say that. She says he didn’t have to. She’ll take her bags up. She leaves, and Nikolas asks why Spencer is treating Esme this way when he invited her to stay here. Spencer says he’s sorry, but Esme pushes his buttons; the way he’s been known to push other people’s. By the way, is there a bomb shelter on the island? Nikolas asks, why? and Spencer says, because he’d like to be inside it when Nikolas tells Ava that he and Esme moved in.

Scotty tells Trina, stick with me, kid. They’ll be sorry they tried to railroad you. ADA Arden says, this was a premeditated act that required a significant amount of planning. The defendant specifically targeted her friends with the intent to cause harm. The state requests bail be set at $250,000. Scotty jumps up, and says, your honor, my client is a freshman in college. She’s not Lizzie Borden. She has ties to the community. She’s innocent until proven guilty. She should be released without bond. Arden says, if the defendant is released without posting significant bail, and access to a computer, she has the capacity to do significant harm. (Huh?) Who knows who else she’s taped? Scotty tells her to save that for her closing statement, if she even gets that far. Judge Young tells Scotty, that will be enough, and tells Arden, there’s no indication the defendant poses a threat to the community. Therefore, the defendant is released without bond. He bangs his gavel, and Scotty dusts off his hands. The judge tells Trina that she’s free to go, pending a trial date to be determined. The bailiff says, court is adjourned, and Portia runs over to Trina, saying, she’s never been more prouder of her. She hugs Trina, and Curtis says, Trina was great. Ava says, may I? and hugs Trina, who thanks her for coming. Ava says she’s so proud of Trina, proclaiming her innocence. Josslyn says, they’ll prove it, no matter what it takes, and she and Trina hug. Trina says, you too, Webber, and Cameron adds to the hug.

Brendan  says he was in pain, and he wasn’t ready to face his brother’s failings, so he lashed out at Alexis; blamed her for Neil’s death. Alexis asks if that’s an apology, and he says, it is. She says she wishes she’d known about Neil’s addiction. She could have helped. But he hid it from her, and she had no clue. He says, she suffered enough. Look at her now. Brand new career, off the booze, respected, productive member of her community. She thanks him for the compliment, and says, he was really hostile to her at Neil’s funeral, so what is it with the sudden attitude adjustment? He says he’s had some bad luck himself; failed marriage, failed business. It brings humility. She says, and the need to make almonds amends? He says, as two people who loved Neil, he hoped they could come to an understanding.

Harmony tells Nina that she’s sorry. Nothing can bring back Wiley’s birth mother, but she has to know that Willow loves that little boy like he’s her own flesh and blood. If Nina gives it some time, maybe Willow can convince Michael that she should see her grandson. Nina asks, how much time? Because this is the same woman Harmony told her thinks she isn’t good for Wiley. She remembers when Willow was Miss Tate, and taught her former stepdaughter Charlotte. She didn’t like Willow then, and she should have trusted her instincts. Harmony says, Willow is highly principled, and Nina says, oh please. Willow says she’s going to help Nina, and the next moment, she pulls a 180 and sides with Michael. She doesn’t have a backbone. She only pretends that she’s compassionate. That weeping Willow is no oak. Harmony says, just because she’s gentle doesn’t mean she’s weak, and Nina says she’s sorry. She knows Willow is Harmony’s daughter. She’s just frustrated. Look how Willow has treated Harmony. She’s barely spoken to Harmony since she got out of prison. Harmony says things are much better between them now, and Nina says, until Michael shuts her down. Then what’s going to happen? She’s incapable of standing up to the man, or Carly. Nina would be better off to ask a stranger for help. Harmony hisses, Willow is no stranger, and she’s just as strong as her mother, but Nina says she’s never going to be as strong as Harmony. Harmony has overcome a lot, and turned her life around. Willow would be lucky to have even one drop of her courage. Harmony says she forgot; she has an appointment. She has to go. She walks out, and I’m starting to wonder if Nina is delusional.

Sonny asks Brick if that’s a serious offer. He could use Brick’s areas of expertise. Brick says, he can definitely help with the logistics, business support, definitely cyber security, but Sonny will need to bring in somebody else as a facilitator. Sonny says he’d trust Brick with his life, and Brick says, trust goes both ways; Sonny knows that. Sonny nods, and says, Jason used to do the day-to-day, but since he passed, Sonny has to deal with the other families, and try to figure out who targeted his stepdaughter. Brick asks if he’s talking about the tape of Josslyn and her boyfriend, and Sonny says, he saw the tape? Bricks says, hell no, but he saw people seeing it. It took every bit of self-control he could muster, not to take every one of them out. (What? Where are people watching this? And where is Brick hanging out?) Brick asks Sonny to please tell him that he found out who did this, and Sonny says he knows who’s responsible. He doesn’t have proof yet, but he put them on notice.

Ava says, congratulations. Scotty has one courageous client, and he says, tell him about it, but she’s got a big fight ahead… He sees Arden, and says, counselor, get used to the judge seeing things my way. Arden says, cyber crimes are insidious. The law is still catching up. The fact is, whatever goes on the internet, stays their forever. His client taped her friends without their knowledge and put it up for the whole world to see. Scotty says, hey Molly, tell your boss here… and Molly says, he can address her as ADA Lansing-Davis. He rolls his eyes, and says, okay, but she can’t really believe Trina did this. She says she believes DA Scorpio offered a generous plea bargain, and it was his obligation as Trina’s attorney to advise her to take it. Arden says, her associate’s right. She should have taken the deal, but she didn’t, so they’re going to trial. She’s going to take a stand for everyone who’s ever had an intimate picture or video weaponized against them. His client might have thought it was no big deal, but she was mistaken, and she’ll go to prison for the full term. She and Molly leave.

Trina thanks Josslyn and Cameron for being here and standing by her. Josslyn says, that’s what friends do, and Trina says, they took back the narrative when they told their story to The Invader. Their courage made her realize she doesn’t need to give in to cyber bullies, to Esme. The world needs to know she’s not the one who hurt them. Scotty says, they’ve got to talk strategy, and Portia says, now? Is that really necessary? Trina’s already been through so much today. He says, that ADA’s out for blood, and Curtis says, the judge hasn’t even set a trial date yet. Trina says, honestly, she just wants to take a long hot bath, and Scotty says, okay, she can do that. Tomorrow, they have a lot of work to do. Trina thanks him, and Curtis says he noticed there were reporters outside in the corridor. They’re going to want a statement, which he doesn’t think any of them should be making. Ava says she knows her way around this courthouse. They can exit this way. Portia tells Trina, let’s go home, and they follow Ava out. Josslyn tells Cameron, if she were her mom, she’d walk out of this courtroom with her head held high. He says, but she’s not her mom; she has nothing to prove. Josslyn says, only to herself, and Smoltz stumbles in. Cameron says, he’s too late; Trina went out the back. Smoltz says, it’s not Trina he wants. It’s Cameron and his girlfriend.

Josslyn says, they already told their stories to The Invader. Read it himself if he can afford the paywall. Smoltz says, he did read it, and Cameron says, then he would know they have nothing else to say. Smoltz says he knows Alexis Davis stole his scoop, and cut him out of the story, and Cameron says, oh boo-hoo. Life’s unfair. Smoltz says, what about their friend Trina? Their story did some good, but what about their friend? Josslyn says, what about Trina? and Smoltz says, did she do it? Did she film them and post it? Cameron says, hell no, and Smoltz asks, how can he be so sure? Do they know who’s responsible? Cameron and Josslyn look at each other, and he says, they do know. They just can’t prove it? Josslyn asks what he wants, and he says, an exclusive. Tell him stuff they didn’t say in the interview, and he’ll help them get the goods on whoever set up their friend. Sound good? Ava comes back, and says, you. Get the hell away from them.

Portia says, welcome home, and asks what Trina thinks. Trina says she liked it when it belonged to Joss’s dad, but she likes it even better now that it’s Portia’s. A safe harbor. Curtis says, good memories? and Trina says, yeah. Six months ago, their biggest problem was opening a jar of Sonny’s marinara sauce. Now everything’s changed. Curtis says, she heard what the lawyer said. They’re going to fight this. Portia says, they’re going to fight this, and they’re going to win. Trina says she told Joss and Cam that their courage gave her courage, but Portia and Curtis’s support helped her out a lot too. Curtis says, they can do a lot more than offer moral support. He could find evidence to exonerate her. He hasn’t forgotten how to find clues in dumpsters and garbage cans. Portia says, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, and Trina says, Spencer’s right. On one hand, there are tons of people who believe in her. Curtis says, and on the other hand? and she says, there’s evidence that proves she did it. Esme made sure of that.

Nikolas tells Spencer, Ava is well-aware of Sonny’s methods when he feels someone has crossed him or his family. She’ll understand the need to protect Esme. Spencer says, but will she understand why he’s sitting across from her at breakfast? and Nikolas says, it’s not a permanent arrangement. If Trina is found guilty, Sonny will have to accept the verdict and back off. Spencer says, even if Uncle Sonny does, he doesn’t think Ava will. Ava loves Trina like a daughter. She’d happily throw Esme to the wolves if it means Trina goes free. Nikolas says, and if Esme is carrying Spencer’s child? Ava may not like it, but she’ll make peace with it. Spencer says, and if Esme’s not pregnant? and Nikolas says, that’s all the more reason for Spencer to find out.

Brick says, so little Spencer has a girlfriend, and Sonny says, he’s not so little anymore. Brick says, Sonny has always liked this kid, and Sonny says, he still does, but not his company. Brick says, Sonny is convinced this Esme Prince is behind the video. Is he sure Spencer didn’t help? Sonny says, Spencer has done some terrible things, but he’s known Josslyn since they were in kindergarten, and Cameron is part of his extended family. He thinks Spencer’s hands are clean. Brick says, so the girlfriend is operating behind his back, and Sonny says, yep. If they can prove Trina is innocent and Esme is guilty, it won’t be just justice for Josslyn and Cameron. It will be a way for Spencer to dump his girlfriend. Brick says he knows Sonny’s got his own people on it, but as always, if Sonny needs him… Sonny says, yeah, he needs Brick, and Brick says, then he’s on it, but in the meantime… Sonny says, what is on his mind? and Brick says, Sonny is always running around looking out for everybody else. Who’s looking out for him?

Scotty goes into Charlie’s, and asks Nina what she wants. He’s very busy. He has a young woman who needs his help, unlike her. She says she’s sorry. She thought she could avoid going to court, and he says she thought she could get somebody to intercede with Wiley’s parents? Somebody like Sonny? But he threw her to the wolves, didn’t he? She says, no, this has nothing to do with Sonny. Her go-between couldn’t really do anything because Willow is so besotted with Michael, she won’t stand up to him or Carly. He says, why would she? Her mother couldn’t even stand up to that snake oil salesman Shiloh. Nina says, he’s not making this easy on her. Can they sit down? He asks, why should he? He kept her out of prison, and she turned her nose up at his legal expertise. So if she wants his help now, he’ll have to hear her say it.

Alexis says she assumes this understanding comes at a price, but Brendan  says, he wouldn’t put it that way. She asks how he’d put it, and he says, she couldn’t have risen from the ashes without help. Is it wrong of him to want the same thing? She says, that depends on what he means by help. Forgiveness? Friendship? He says his brother lost his life by getting involved with a self-destructive alcoholic, and she says, there it is. She was wondering how long he was going to keep up the Mr. Nice Guy act. There’s the door, move toward it, and don’t look back. He says, his brother was never a rich man, and funerals are expensive. She can deny it all she wants, but she contributed to Neil’s death. She needs to make things right. She says she’ll never stop wondering what happened to Neil, and starts to get her stuff together to leave. How he became an addict, and how that addiction took his life. She’s not at all satisfied that’s the truth, but she won’t be browbeaten into paying for his brother’s mistakes. There’s nothing he can say that will make her change her mind. He asks if she’s sure about that.

Alexis says, he needs to leave, but Brendan  says he’s not leaving until he gets what he wants. Harmony walks in, and asks Alexis if she’s early. Alexis says, actually, she’s right on time. Brendan was just leaving. Harmony introduces herself, and he says, Brendan Byrne, Neil’s brother. Harmony Miller. Where does he know that name? Have they met before? Harmony says she doesn’t think so. He might have seen her on TV, in connection with an organization called Dawn of Day. She was pretty notorious back then. Alexis says she and Harmony were just leaving, so if he doesn’t mind… He says, of course (🍷). He’ll send her his contact information. If she sees an opportunity she thinks he might be right for, let him know. He leaves, and Harmony says, what was all that about? Alexis says she doesn’t know, but it was scary.

Sonny says, Brick doesn’t have to worry. He survived all those months in Nixon Falls; he can survive anything. Brick says, but he wasn’t alone, and Sonny asks if he’s talking about Nina. Brick says, yeah. She must be one helluva lady to come between Sonny and Carly. Sonny asks if Brick still has something for his wife, and Brick asks if he doesn’t mean ex-wife. He just admires Sonny’s taste, but he gave up Carly. Brick just hopes this new lady’s worth it.

Nina and Scotty get a drink, and Nina says, okay. He needs to hear her say it. She clears her throat, and says she made a mistake. He says, what? and she repeats it louder. She says, she shouldn’t have pinned all her hopes on Willow’s compassion. Does he feel better? He suggests she hire Martin Grey, that folksy downhome charm works with a few judges. She says she doesn’t need folksy downhome charm. She needs a fighter, a killer, that will leave his opponents bloody in the field. He says, that’s him. However, he’s busy right now with Trina Robinson. Nina says she needs his help, and she’s willing to put him on retainer immediately. He says, before he takes her money, he needs to know she’s going to fight for Wiley, no matter what. And if that means kicking Sonny to the curb, then she’s going to do that.

Trina comes back downstairs, and Portia asks what she thinks. Trina says, great room, and thanks her. Portia says she made it up like Trina’s old room, but she probably wants to get rid of the stuffed animals now that she’s grown up. Trina says, no, never, as all of us who have them past our teenage years would say, but she’s still looking forward to returning to her dorms when this nightmare ends and she proves her innocence.  Then this place is theirs. Portia says, it’s Trina’s home too. And she doesn’t have to be brave. They’re in this together. Curtis says, all of them, and they have a family group hug.

Josslyn says, what part of no way doesn’t Smoltz understand? and Smoltz says, give it up, man. Ava faces him, and says, a journalist like Mr. Smoltz won’t stop until you slam the door in his face, or better yet, on his writing hand. He asks if she hasn’t heard of the first amendment, and she says, it comes right before the second, and I literally lol. Smoltz says, that sounds like a threat, and Ava says she was hoping it would. Cameron says he and Josslyn can handle this, and Josslyn tells Smoltz, they’re not interested in boosting his career. Cameron says, in other words, get lost. Smoltz says, fine; their loss. He stomps to the door, and says, and their friend Trina’s. He slams out, and Josslyn says, this wasn’t Ava’s fight. Ava says, on the contrary. Avery would never forgive her if she didn’t stand up for her sister. Cameron says, that guy had one thing right. Trina’s in deep trouble until they prove she’s innocent. Josslyn says, and Esme’s guilty.

Spencer looks out the window, and Esme tells him, she just got an alert on her phone; Trina pled not guilty. He says he hopes she can prove it, and she says, even if Trina tries to accuse her instead, when she might be carrying his child? He says, let’s find out. Why hasn’t she taken that home pregnancy test yet? She says she’s scared, and he asks if she’s scared that she’s pregnant, or that she’s not?

Harmony says she assumes Brendan was there talking about his brother, and that’s what caused all the tension when she walked in? Alexis says, it was really weird. He shows up all sympathetic, not at all like the guy who heaped abuse on her at Neil’s funeral. Harmony asks if something changed, and Alexis says, he thought the Mr. Nice Guy act would convince her to help bail him out of his troubles. When she refused, he went from Jekyll to Hyde. He thinks she owes him because she caused the relapse that caused Neil’s death. Harmony flashes back to injecting Neil, and says, it was good thing she walked in when she did. Just stay away from Neil’s brother. The farther the better.

Ava tells Josslyn and Cameron, don’t lose any sleep over Esme. The truth will come out. Trina will be vindicated. Cameron says she sounds confident, and Josslyn says, Esme has skated so far… Ava… Ava says she’s spoken to someone who has an interest in seeing Esme punished for targeting the two of  them. Cameron looks at Josslyn, and says, who’s that? Ava says she knows it’s difficult for them to trust her, but this time they’re going to have to. Esme is going to get what’s coming to her. Ava strides out the back way.

Esme says she wants Spencer with her when she takes the test, but she doesn’t need a test to tell her what she really wants. He says, which is? and she says him; she wants to be with him. Does he want to be with her? Don’t answer that now, but ask himself this. If it were without the baby, does her being here work to his advantage? He asks, how? and she says, by driving a wedge between his father and Ava. Isn’t that what he wanted all along?

Sonny tells Brick, he’s taking it day to day. As far as him and Nina, he can’t read into the future, but he will say this. The connection they had in Nixon Falls was real. Brick says, he knows Sonny, and when he wants something, he goes for it, and he usually gets it. Sonny flashes back to him and Nina dancing at Charlie’s, and Brick says, Sonny is thinking about her right now, and Sonny asks if they can get back to the matter at hand. Brick says, the future… without Jason. That’s something they can work on. The future without love, with all due respect, is not for Sonny.

Nina says, Sonny knows she won’t force him to pick sides, but Scotty says, Carly, Michael, and Willow will. So if Sonny has to choose… She says, Sonny is going to do what’s best for his family, and she’s going to do what’s best for hers. He asks if she’s willing to lose lover boy, but she says she won’t lose him. Not if he’s the man she knew in Nixon Falls, and the man she sees in Port Charles. He asks what makes her think she can have it all? and she says, she’s going to have her grandson in her life, and she’s going to have the man who changed her life for the better. He says, sorry, nobody gets it all, nobody, but she says, there’s always a first time.

Sonny says, he and Brick will regroup after Jason’s memorial service. In the meantime, is Brick willing to take on more managerial responsibilities? Brick says he can search for a facilitator to take on some of Jason’s other skill sets; don’t worry about that. Sonny says, okay. He has one more job for Brick. He wants Brick to find out how Esme Prince engineered that video. Brick says, he’s on that; no problem. Sonny asks if Brick wants a drink to seal the deal. Raising his glass, he says, sparkling water. Brick says, to think he’s always admired Sonny, and Sonny says, not anymore? but Brick says, now more than ever, and they clink glasses.

Scotty tells Nina, Michael is out to win, and Diane Miller is a tough cookie. She will dig up whatever she can. Nina says, she understands, and he gets up, asking if there’s anything he needs to know before he files the petition. She tells him, don’t faint, but she thinks her life is pretty much an open book at this point. He says, no little secrets in her diary? No skeletons in her closet? She says, no. Wiley is the only thing left of her daughter in this world. She owes it to Nelle be in his life, whether Michael or Saint Willow like it or not. He says, then hang her hat with him. She won’t regret it. They shake hands, and she says she hopes not.

Alexis says, Harmony never said what brought her by, and Harmony says, it can wait. She’s going to cook Alexis dinner; she’ll make something soothing. Alexis says she could use something soothing. Neil’s brother being here reminds her how horrible Neil’s death was. She can’t help wonder if that eviction is the thing that caused his death. Alexis turns out the lights, and they go to the hallway, but Alexis says  she forgot her phone, and goes back to her desk in the dark. Harmony stands in the doorway, and looks around.

Brendan  looks through a bunch of folders, and finds one that says Harmony Miller. He says he knew that name was familiar.

Trina says, it’s one thing to plead not guilty, but she has to live with that decision. That ADA is obviously out to get her. She couldn’t believe when she said $250,000 bail. Curtis says he believes she was just grandstanding, and the judge ignored her recommendation. Trina says, this time. The ADA thinks Trina’s guilty, and Scotty said she’s out for blood. What if the ADA convinces the jury she’s guilty? Portia says, that’s not going to happen. And instead of dwelling on it, why doesn’t Trina take that nice hot bath she was talking about earlier? It will make her feel better. Trina says Portia talked her into it, and goes upstairs. Portia tells Curtis, she doesn’t know how long she can keep this up. What if Trina’s right? They have no idea what’s going to happen. Curtis says, Trina has a lot of people by her side, and more courage than anyone he knows. Portia says she doesn’t disagree; she has faith in her daughter, just not in the world. Curtis says, as long as they have faith in each other, they can’t lose.

Cameron asks if Josslyn is  ready to go home, and she says, actually, she’d like to go back to the dorms. He says, Trina’s not the only one being brave, and she says, she’s not being brave. She just wants things to go back to normal, if that’s even possible. He says he’ll try to help make that happen, and she thanks him. They kiss, and he says, let’s go. He starts to head to the back, but she says, actually, she’d like to go out the front. He asks if she’s sure, and she says, if she can face a bunch of people on campus, she can face a couple of reporters outside. It’s hard to believe Trina is going to come back here and fight for her innocence. He says, it doesn’t matter what Ava says; this is going to be tough. She says, this is why they need to help Trina. They need to find a piece of evidence that Esme framed her. He asks how they pull that off, and she says, by proving Esme can be in two places at once. She leads him out of the courtroom.

Ava walks into Windymere, calling for Nikolas, and Esme says, he’s upstairs. Ava walks into the living room, where Esme is sitting. She sees Esme is reading What to Expect When You’re Expecting

On Monday, Violet asks Brook how her baby is; Gregory comes for a visit; Ava asks Nikolas what it’s going to be; and Spencer tells Esme, it’s time to take that pregnancy test.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Forgotten Brother…

I forgot about him anyway.

🍾 Happy Anniversary…

A look at GH over the years.

👰🏼 Never Happened…

I think the rules regarding annulments must have relaxed. I thought it either had to be fraud or that you didn’t consummate the marriage. And being realistic, the latter probably hasn’t been an issue since the 1600s.

👭🏼 Sisters Helping One Another…

It’s hard to think of Leah being anyone’s sponsor, but stranger things have happened.

🛥 Her New Deck…

She certainly looks a lot happier than she did on the Mediterranean.

https://people.com/tv/below-deck-med-hannah-ferrier-marries-fiance-josh-roberts/

👰🏻 But She Seemed Like the Normal One…

Proof that the world has gone mad. Maybe Dina is still grieving over Grandma Wrinkles and not in her right mind. In other news, I had no idea Kim D had a last name.

🗽 Reboot Raspberry…

I don’t think Jill Zarin ever stopped expressing a desire to return from the time she was let go.

🐉 Flying In Soon…

An update on House of the Dragon.

🎶 Can’t Stop the Music…

All you need to know.

https://www.grammy.com/news/2022-grammys-nominations-64th-grammy-awards-looking-ahead-how-to-watch

Who’s performing.

https://pitchfork.com/news/grammys-2022-performers-list-see-the-full-lineup/

How no one wants to be there. That’s how I feel seeing a performer in Atlantic City. They don’t want to be there. I don’t want to be there. Why are we here?

🎷 Quotes of the Week

Smile, breathe, and go slowly…Thich Nhat Hanh

Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife. – Kahlil Gibran

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. – Buddha

Music is the soundtrack of your life. – Dick Clark

Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me. – Zora Neale Hurston

One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain. – Bob Marley

If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down. – Mary Pickford, 1892-1979, American actress

The only truth is music. – Jack Kerouac

I’d rather see my face aging than a face I don’t recognize at all. – Cameron Diaz

There are two means of refuge from the misery of life — music and cats.Albert Schweitzer (Hey, what’s wrong with dogs?)

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. – Steve Jobs

Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent. – Victor Hugo

✍🏽 Don’t Forget To Write…

I’ll return to the keyboard at approximately Dead o’clock. Be there or be an octagon. Until then, stay safe, stay seeking truth, and stay letting the courage of others give you courage.

February 21, 2022 – Maxie Runs To the Wolves, Sailing In Spain On Deck, New Crew, Subbing Chef, Summer Smack Talk & Message

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Maxie looks at a map, and Peter comes back. He asks if she’s planning a hike, and she says she thought they could take a walk together. Talk some more things out. He says, what a lovely idea. He’s afraid they’ll have to wait until tomorrow though. It’s getting dark soon. That’s when the wolves come out. She asks if he means to sound so ominous. What is she saying; of course (🍷) he does. The way she sees it, she has two options. She could ignore the implied threat, wolves after dark, and keep pretending they’re in this romantic refuge together; or she can tell him to his face, she plans to escape the first chance she gets.

Leo and Ned come into the MetroCourt, and Olivia says, what a pleasant surprise. Ned says, Leo suggested they pick her up so they could go for a little swim at the lake this evening. Olivia asks if they think it’s warm enough for that, and Ned says, clearly, she hasn’t been outside. They should take advantage of the unusually warm weather. She says she has a couple things to take care of, then they can go. She leaves, and Leo tells Ned he heard heat waves can drive people insane. Ned says, let’s hope this one doesn’t last.

On the other side of the room, Laura says she admires Ava, and Ava asks why she said that. Laura tells her, even after all of the horrible things Spencer did to her, she still encouraged Nikolas to mend that relationship. Ava says, she wants what’s best for both of them, and Laura says, so does she. She’s also trying to take the high road right now, for Spencer’s sake, but if this girl doesn’t show up soon… Esme comes in and says, she’s here, and she’s famished. She thinks she’ll have the surf and turf tonight.

At Kelly’s, Trina tells Josslyn, it’s so hot out, she almost has to wear shorts. It’s wild, and a little terrifying. Josslyn says, she knows one thing, this weather’s going to give her wardrobe whiplash. Trina tells her, they say it’s a temporary warm front, but if this keeps up, she might have to go home and get her summer clothes. Josslyn says, they might have to share. There’s no way she’s going back to the house, and risk running into Sonny. Not after what he did to her mom. Trina asks, how’s that going? and Josslyn says, horrible. Nina’s a liar, and Sonny’s… just as bad. It would be easy to blame the whole thing on her, but nobody tells Sonny what to do. He could have stopped it at any time. Instead, he chose to protect Nina, and they’ve blown the family apart. Trina says she’s not making excuses, but she’s sure it’s confusing for everyone involved. Sometimes, you can’t help caring for someone you probably shouldn’t. Josslyn says, like Trina with Spencer?

Spencer says, Nikolas’s visit wasn’t in his daily horoscope, and Nikolas says, it’s good to see Spencer hasn’t lost his sense of humor. How is he? Spencer says, great. The food here leaves much to be desired. The magazine selection is a tad pedestrian, but there are fans in the public rooms. What’s going on in the outside world? Did he sleep a few months and skip to June? Nikolas says, the outside world is just as puzzled as Spencer is, but he’s right; the fans do feel good. He can stay there a while, if Spencer doesn’t mind. Spencer says, there’s a table right next to a fan. Would Nikolas like to join him?

WSB Field Office – Switzerland/Austrian Border. Malone says she’s searching for properties around the salt mine. So far, she doesn’t see anything obvious. It would help to have some names to narrow this down. Anna suggests she try the names of Faison’s companies; maybe one of them owns the property. Malone says, ready when Anna is, but Dante says, this is taking too long. Every minute counts. Anna says, try EuroTech, and Drew steps away with Dante. He tells Dante, this is their best option. He needs to try and chill out a little bit. Dante says he gets it, but this guy – he taps the folder in his hand – knows they’re looking for him. They can’t let him slip through their fingers again. Drew says they can use his arrogance against him this time; he’s overconfident. He thinks he’s so well-hidden right now, no one can find him. He’s going to stay too long, and that’s when they finally get the smug son of a bitch.

Trina says, Josslyn knows all relationships are complicated, friendships included. Josslyn asks if they’re good, and Trina says, 100%. Why does she ask? Josslyn says, it seems like they haven’t been connecting. Like they haven’t shared as much after what happened at the cabin. Trina says there’s something she’s been keeping from Josslyn, and Josslyn says, there’s something she hasn’t told Trina either.

Esme says, how nice to see Ava. Is she joining them? Ava says, she can’t this time; she has an art sale to coordinate. Laura says, sounds fun. Good luck with that. Ava thanks her, and tells them to have a wonderful time. She leaves, and Esme sits down, saying, she intends to have a wonderful time. She’s positively famished. Laura says, she’s positively late, and Esme says, is she? Apologies. In France, we say, le quart d’heure de politesse; it’s the quarter hour of politeness. It’s so the host has time to compose himself or herself. Laura says she’s familiar with the phrase. The thing is, they’re not in France, and she’s not giving a party. She was left to wait here in a public place. Esme says when she’s waiting, she checks her favorite fashion pages, and Laura says, that’s not the point. They need to have a serious sit-down, because some things need to change.

Nikolas asks if Spencer needs anything, and Spencer says he wouldn’t mind knowing what’s going on in Port Charles, aside from the weather. Last he heard, Peter August escaped and kidnapped Charlotte, and Uncle Victor rescued her. Have they captured that bastard yet?

Malone says, no hits on EuroTech having properties in the region, and Anna says, try Vogel Industries. Both of them were shell companies for the DVX, and she’s assuming Peter would have access to the holdings, given he’s Faison’s son. Malone says she’s coming up empty; negative on Vogel Industries. Anna says, Modesto Media, and Dante says, they’re wasting time. Anna asks if they can at least try this, and Drew says, Modesto Media was on Peter’s references when he came to Aurora, so definitely try that. Also try properties owned by Victor Cassadine. Lethe Limited; try that. Malone says, no holdings whatsoever with Modesto Media. She’s searching for Lethe Limited. Dante says, no way in hell. Peter’s not going to associate himself with Victor at this point. He puts himself in one of Victor’s properties, he opens himself up to being taken advantage of and sold out by Victor. Drew says he hears Dante and understands. He knows they don’t trust each other, but Peter has some leverage over Victor, and that’s why Victor kept Drew on his compound for over two years. Anna says, that is true, and Victor was instrumental in Peter’s escape, but she’s with Dante. She doesn’t think Peter would include Victor in his hideaway. Malone says she’s got something.

Peter tells Maxie that he’s disappointed. He thought she would have kept up this charade for at least 48 hours; maybe even a week or two. This effort was pathetic. She says he’s right. She’s ashamed of herself. She planned to play that fantasy version of herself that he seems to be so fixated on, the one who sees the best in him, but she just couldn’t do it anymore. Nope. She doesn’t want to, because she got what she wanted. Her children are safe on the other side of the Atlantic, away from him. So no more games. From now on, all he’s going to get from her is the truth. Can he reciprocate? Does he even know what the truth is anymore? He says she just admitted to lying to his face. Now she wants him to be honest with her? She says, it’s the least he can do after the scorched earth he’s made of her life. Why don’t they go back to the beginning? To the death of the man she really loved; Nathan West.

Olivia tells Ned, ready to go, when Ava walks up. She asks if Leo is having a fun night with his folks, and Olivia says, Leo remembers his Aunt Ava, Avery’s mom. They were at her gallery the night they saw the photographs of all the animals. Ava says it’s nice to see him again, and Leo asks if she has any new animal pictures. Ava says, not since the Photo Ark exhibit, but promises to let him know as soon as she does. She quietly tells Olivia, she’s glad he has fond memories of that night, and Olivia says, her too, especially since he practically gave her a coronary running off like that. Leo says, sorry, mom. He wanted to see the octopuses. Ned suggests he and Leo give his mommy and Aunt Ava a chance to talk, and they go to a table. Ava says, little pitchers have big ears, and Olivia says she didn’t know he was listening. Ava says, he must get that from his father. They could never get anything over on Julian. Leo is so special. He reminds her of Julian in many ways. Olivia says, he’s a little bit of both of them, but also very much his own person, and it turns out, even more special than she knew. Ava asks what she means, and Olivia says, she’s his aunt and it’s no secret; Leo was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Ava says she didn’t know, and Olivia asks how she could. She didn’t know, and she’s Leo’s mother.

Esme asks if there’s a problem, and Laura says, the problems is Esme’s complete lack of respect for her and her home. Esme says, if this is about the nail polish and the sofa, she shouldn’t have disregarded Laura’s wishes… but Laura says, it’s not just that. It’s Esme’s sense of entitlement, and the way she pushes back the boundaries. It’s completely unacceptable, especially when it’s in her house. Esme says, if she had someplace else to go, she would, but she understands. When in Rome… Laura says she doesn’t understand. This is not about respecting customs; it’s about respecting people. What Esme did to Ava wouldn’t be acceptable in any country, would it? She gets that, right? Esme says, she regrets helping Spence terrorize Ava, and she promises not to get caught up in anything like that ever again. Laura says, what about getting caught up with Ryan Chamberlain?

Trina asks, who shares first? and Josslyn says, all you. Trina says, Spencer got her a Valentine’s Day gift, and Josslyn says, what? Trina says, she got it on Valentine’s Day, but it was really a just because gift, and Josslyn says, she’d ask just because why, but let’s put a pin in that for now. What did he get her? Trina says, remember that modern artist Richard Molyneux, whose work she was obsessed with? Josslyn says, the guy with the squiggles, and Trina says, Spencer got her a book of those squiggles. No big deal. Josslyn says, super big deal. He remembered Trina’s favorite artist, and somehow got a book delivered to her from inside prison. How’d he manage that, by the way? Trina says, his grandmother, and Josslyn says, he had his grandmother, the mayor, deliver his gift. Wow. All that’s missing is an inscription. Trina looks guilty, and Josslyn says, stop. What was the inscription? Trina says, that’s why she didn’t want to tell Josslyn anything. She’s getting it twisted. Josslyn says, is she? Let’s see. First he defends his snake of a girlfriend for basically setting Trina up, and then he slips her some just because gift on the side. What are they again? Trina says, they’re basically friends, but Josslyn says, just take a minute and think about it. Then open her eyes, because she’s nobody’s sidepiece.

Spencer asks Nikolas why truly disgusting people, like Peter August, keep getting away, while here he sits. After everything he’s done, Spencer was hoping Nikolas would tell him that Peter was dead, not that he escaped again. Nikolas says, all indications are that Peter’s time is running out, and Spencer says, maybe Uncle Victor can help find him. He found Charlotte after she was abducted. Nikolas says, there are limits to what even Victor can do, but Spencer says, not from what he’s seen. Nikolas says, he’s glad Spencer is being protected, but he doesn’t know Victor like Nikolas does. Spencer says, of course (🍷), pile on with the haters. Uncle Victor is one of the few people who has come through for him, so if Nikolas is going to badmouth him, he can leave, and Spencer will go back to his cell.

Maxie says, their flight gave her plenty of time to think about her and Peter’s tortured history. Back to the beginning, when he showed up in Port Charles, took that job at Aurora Media, and didn’t tell anyone he was Faison’s son. He asks if she’s really surprised. It’s not like it was something he was proud of, and if anyone knew the truth, no one would have trusted him. She says, right, and he needed people to trust him; people like Lulu. Peter manipulated her, so she would convince Nathan to go public about the fact he was Faison’s son. In turn, it lured Faison to Port Charles, which is exactly what Peter wanted. He says he kept Jason alive in that clinic all those years because he knew Jason was the one person who could rid him of his father; the one person who wouldn’t fall for the legendary Cesar Faison mind tricks. Someone who would simply point the gun and pull the trigger, which is exactly what he did. She says, not before Faison killed Nathan. Tell her. Did he plan for Nathan to die? Did he set that whole thing up to get rid of the brother that he knew in his heart was a better man than he would ever be?

Malone says she went back to the original title search for properties in the region of the salt mines. Then she cross-referenced properties that have been acquired in the last 15 years. There were 39. Diving deeper, one stands out. It changed hands ten years ago; a cash purchase by an Octavian Stone. Anna says, that’s him, and Dante asks how she knows. She says, Cesar Agustus, the Roman emperor, his original name. He was originally known as Octavian, and the Latin word for stone is petra. Petra, Peter; Augustus, August. Pull up the coordinates. That’s their destination. Kreger says, he’ll notify the Swiss police of potential WSB action near the salt mines, and leaves. Drew says, he has to hand it to the bastard, that place is perfect. It’s isolated in the woods; it’s got plenty of cover. He points to the screen and says, the road runs right past the property, and straight out to the Autobahn. Anna says, that means if Peter gets any advance warning, he’s going to be on that road, on to the Autobahn, and over the border. Malone says, assuming he’s changed vehicles, and has papers to support an alias, the screening at the border won’t stop him. Dante says, and they’re back to square one. They can’t let that happen.

Esme takes it Doc told Laura what happened, and Laura says, of course (🍷). They have no secrets between them. Esme gave him pushback because he tried to restrict her contact with Ryan. Why is that? Esme says, the class at PCU and her internship give her a sense of purpose. She hasn’t felt that way in a long time. Laura says, okay; that is a good thing. It’s okay to be focused, but not to have tunnel-vision at other people’s expense. Esme promises to do better, and Laura says, good. She’s glad to hear that. Now she just has one more concern. Esme says, the bathroom? and Laura says, no. Well, yes, but no. She’s concerned about how Esme’s doing with Spencer being away. Esme says, it’s tough. He’s miserable on the inside, and she’s miserable on the outside. Spence is really the only person who gives a damn about her.

Trina asks if Josslyn thinks she’d ever let herself be a sidepiece. As far as she’s concerned, she and Spencer are just friends. Now let’s change the subject. There was something significant Josslyn wanted to tell her. Josslyn says she’s pretty sure Trina already knows, but she never actually said it. That night at the cabin, she and Cam had sex. Trina says, she figured. When she woke up after Spencer and Esme left, they seemed… different. So how was it, now that they’ve taken things to the next level? It’s major. Josslyn says, it is, but it also feels regular. She and Cam were so close before, getting closer felt natural, and he was so sweet and so romantic. There was no pressure. He made her feel safe and loved, like she was the only person on the planet. Trina says she’s proud of Cam for making Josslyn feel special, and Josslyn says she wants that for Trina too. She deserves to be someone’s one and only, and no matter how things shake out, she doesn’t think Spencer is going to be the one who could ever give that to Trina.

Nikolas tells Spencer, Victor shows up for his family when it suits him, yes. He can personally attest to that, but he can also attest to the fact Victor’s methods are questionable at best. Spencer says, they work, but Nikolas says, that doesn’t make them right. Spencer says he’s impressed with these newfound scruples of his. He pulled strings to get Alexis a pardon, but won’t lift a finger to keep his own son safe from imprisonment. Nikolas tells him, he’s only saying, Victor’s protection comes at a price, and Spencer says, whatever. Uncle Victor takes care of his own. Can Nikolas say the same? Nikolas says, he’s here. They can’t go back in time; they can only go forward, and he wants to do what he can for Spencer. Spencer says, really? Get Ava to drop the restitution. Nikolas says, it’s court ordered; it’s not up to Ava. Spencer says, like Cassadines are so law abiding. There are ways around that, but Nikolas won’t even bother. When he saw Nikolas, he thought something had changed, but now he sees it’s business as usual. Ava is Nikolas’s priority, not him. Nikolas is still putting her ahead of his own child. Show of hands. Who wants to slap Spencer silly?

Ava tells Olivia that she feels terrible. If she’d been more involved, if she’d visited more… Olivia says, life happens; everybody gets busy. Ava says, busy, right, but the fact is, she’s been so involved in Cassadine family drama, she’s neglected her own. She barely knows her nephew. Olivia says, maybe that’s for the best. For a while, when anyone even suggested something might be off with Leo, she practically bit their head off. She just couldn’t see that he needed a little bit more support. Ava says, sometimes the closer they are to something… She appreciates Olivia letting her off the hook about spending or not spending time with Leo, especially considering their past. Olivia says she hasn’t forgotten, but this isn’t about them; it’s about Leo and what’s best for him, and he has her focus. Ava asks how they’re managing, and Olivia says, they’re very lucky. They have a great team at GH, and Leo has an after school program that’s teaching coping skills and calming techniques, and time management. She’s personally found negotiation techniques and patience she never imagined she had. They say, it’s important to keep it consistent each day, and make sure Leo has avenues to express himself. Ava looks over at Leo, and says, however Olivia got here, she got here, and she’s glad Leo has such a supportive family. Olivia says Ava is part of that family, and Ava thanks her. She says she thinks Julian would want her to spend more time with him, especially since Leo doesn’t have his father. Olivia says, obviously, Leo is lucky to have all the love in his life he can have, but as far as a father is concerned, they’ve got that covered. Ned is in the process of adopting Leo.

Peter tells Maxie, Nathan was never his target. He’s quite the planner, but he never could have orchestrated the events that led to his father killing Nathan. She says, so even his plans have limits; that’s why his brother wasn’t a target? He says, she’ll hear no proclamation of brotherly love from him. She’s asking for the truth, right? Here it is. It couldn’t have worked out better for him if he had planned it. She never would have looked in his direction if Nathan had lived. She never would have given him a chance. She says he’s right. In her grief, and desperate need to fill the void Nathan left in her life, she believed Peter’s lies because she wanted to. She convinced herself, after losing the man she loved, that his brother was the next best thing. She never asked the questions that need to be asked. She never looked past his façade to the horror underneath. He played her, but let’s be real. She let him, so that’s on her. He applauds and says, brava. Now that she’s had her reckoning, her moment of self-reflection, what does she intend to do about it? She says, well, she dug this hole. She guesses she’ll have to climb out of it, or die trying.

Laura says, she and Doc care about Esme, and Esme says, that’s kind of her to say, but she knows they only tolerate her because of Spence, and his friends won’t even do that. Laura says, there must be someone in her life she’s really close to, and Esme says, there is one, but she’s not in the picture anymore. Her nanny helped raise her after her adoptive parents died. Laura says, Spencer told her about that. She’s sorry Esme had such an unhappy childhood. Where’s her nanny now? Esme says, kids grow up, and nanny’s move on; it’s not like they had a falling out. Laura says, like she had a falling out with Spencer’s friends, and Esme asks if it’s that obvious. Laura says she’s learned she can either burn bridges or mend fences, and trust her, the second one is so much more rewarding. Maybe right now, instead of working so hard to analyze inmates, perhaps Esme should focus on getting herself a support system that doesn’t consist solely of Spencer. Esme says, in other words, get a life? and Laura says, something like that. Esme says she can see why Laura is Spence’s favorite person, and Laura says she adores him, and anyone who matters to him, matters to her. Is Esme ready to eat? Does she want to hear the specials or does she just want to order? Esme asks if Laura minds if she takes a raincheck on dinner. She has fences to mend. Laura says, good for her. Wonderful. She thinks she knows what Esme likes, so she’ll bring something home. Esme says, home. She likes the sound of that.

Trina says, she doesn’t have any expectations where Spencer is concerned, and Josslyn says, just protect herself, please. Trina is always protecting everybody else. Who’s looking out for her? Trina’s phone dings, and she says, Josslyn won’t believe this. Esme. She wants to talk. Josslyn says, because talking at the cabin went so well? Block her.

Nikolas asks why Spencer insists on making this a competition his affection, and Spencer says, he didn’t; Nikolas did. He lost that competition long ago. Nikolas says, Spencer is his son. There’s going to be a place in Nikolas’s heart for him always. Spencer says, a place, and Ava takes up every other space. Nikolas says, there’s room for both of them. It’s frustrating, because Spencer refuses to accept that, and spends his energy on a vendetta against Nikolas’s wife. Where has it gotten him? Here. Spencer says, he was friendly with Ava once upon a time. It was her betrayal that made him begin to despise her. He was trying to find justice for Nikolas’s supposed murder. He prioritized his loyalty to Nikolas, and their relationship above all others. Nikolas says, repairing their relationship is his priority, and Spencer says, prove it.

Trina says, she’s on her way, and Josslyn says, great. After this, they’ll book Trina a skydiving lesson with faulty parachutes. Trina says she’s curious about what Esme has to say; isn’t Josslyn? Josslyn says, Trina’s not protecting herself, but Trina says, her dad always tells her, the best defense is a good offense. Josslyn says, that’s great advice; take the initiative, seize the momentum. Just make sure Esme gets what she deserves.

Peter asks what Maxie intends to do. Her resources are thin; make that non-existent. She says she’ll figure it out, and he says, the nearest village is 30 kilometers away, and she doesn’t know the area. She steps ten feet into those woods, and she’ll be hopelessly lost. And let’s not forget about… the wolves. Maxie says she’d rather hang with the entire pack than spend one more minute with Peter, and he says, don’t be ridiculous. Let’s relax and have a glass of wine. The Swiss are known for their pinot noir. Come on. They’ve had a long trip, and she said she hasn’t even slept yet. She knees him in the groin, and jets. He yells, dammit, Maxie. You can’t get away. He’s never letting her go.

Maxie wonders why she’s always in the woods. She looks up, and says, there it is, and thanks Spinelli for all his lectures about the night’s sky. The map said, the road is to the north, and according to that star, north is that way. She runs again.

Olivia tells Ava, Leo will always know Julian as his biological father, but Julian is gone, God rest him – she blesses herself – and Ned got to be the day-to-day dad, that stable presence. They’re bond is so great, and she’s so grateful for that. Leo is just becoming so much more socialized. Ned takes Leo to GH for a class every week, and just knows how to encourage his interests. They’re writing a book together right now. It’s a picture book about aquatic animals. They’re bond is really amazing. Ava says, Olivia doesn’t have to sell her. She and Ned are obviously on it. Olivia is a terrific mother, and she can’t imagine a better father for Leo. She’s sure that Julian would agree with her. Olivia thanks her, and says, that means a lot. And as far as getting to know Leo, it’s never too late.

Nikolas asks what more he can do to show Spencer how much he matters, and Spencer says, give him his trust fund. No more scraping for pennies. Don’t renew his vows with Ava; tell her to hop in a handbasket and go straight to Hades. Spring him out of there early. Tap that contact he used for Alexis. Be his father. Nikolas says, he is Spencer’s father, and Spencer says, what about the rest of it? Nikolas says, his job as Spencer’s father is to teach him accountability. He’s willing to do anything but helping Spencer avoid taking responsibility and retaliate against his wife. Spencer says, so that’s it then. He’s to remain an impoverished ex-con, destined for indentured servitude at the mercy of a bitch… Nikolas says, that’s enough. He puts his finger in Spencer’s face, and says, Spencer has no right to refer to any woman that way, and Spencer says, but it’s okay to arrange to have a woman shot? Nikolas says Spencer’s out of his mind, and Spencer laughs and says, what’s the matter? Is Nikolas worried everyone else is going to realize he belongs in here too? Samuel asks if this guy is bothering Spencer.  

Esme walks into Kelly’s, and asks if it’s always this hot in Port Charles at this time of year. She tells Josslyn, hi, and says she didn’t know Josslyn would be here. Can she sit? Trina says, be her guest, and Esme thanks her, and sits down. She says she owes them both an apology, especially Trina, and Josslyn asks, what’s the catch? It’s too hot for hell to have frozen over. Esme says she deserved that. Josslyn is right. She was trying to create drama during that drinking game. Trina asks, why? She hasn’t done anything to Esme. Esme says they both intimidate her. They’re the ones with great families and friends; everything she doesn’t have. They have lots of people to love them, including Spence, but he’s all she’s got. She guesses it made her feel territorial. Trina says, no one is trying to take Spencer from Esme, and Esme says she’s not sure they could if they tried, but point taken. They’re not the enemy, but do they still think she is?

Laura asks if Ned has spoken to Tracy. Does she know about Leo’s diagnosis? He says he has, and she’s planning to visit when she gets a chance. Laura says, can she? and he says, the WSB has cleared her of all charges. They were able to prove that the Ice Princess diamond was swapped without her knowledge, weeks before she made the sale. Laura says she’s sure Tracy is happy to have that behind her, and he says he’s not sure about that. She’s actually contemplating a lawsuit. Laura laughs, saying, that’s just like Tracy, and he says, it’s actually good Luke wasn’t alive to discover the diamond was stolen; there’d be hell to pay. She says, maybe that was the point, and he says, meaning? but before she can answer, Olivia and Ava join them. Olivia tells Leo that his Aunt Ava is thrilled to hear about some of the new stuff he’s learning, and Ava says, she heard he’s working on a book. Would he be willing to show her and Avery sometime? Leo says she can help if she wants. Can she draw? She says she’ll let him in on a little secret. She appreciates art a lot more than she attempts it, but she’d certainly be wiling to try for him. He says, cool.

Spencer says, his father was just leaving. He wouldn’t want to keep that precious wife of his waiting. Nikolas says, as he wishes. He’ll be visiting soon. Spencer says, don’t bother, and turns his back on Nikolas.

Trina says, apology accepted, and Josslyn says, she’s curious. Why the sudden change of heart? Esme says, Spence’s grandmother Laura got her thinking. Spence can’t be her entire world. She needs to be her own person, more open, mend fences, and not burn bridges. Trina says, Mayor Collins is a wise woman, and Esme says, she and Trina are certainly close. Josslyn says, they all are. Don’t forget, she’s Cam’s grandmother too. Esme says, of course (🍷). Next time Trina is visiting Laura, she’ll join her. Trina says, it’s not like she’s there all the time, and Josslyn says, Trina just went over there to get her gift. Esme says, what gift? and Josslyn just looks at her. Esme says, she means the gift her boyfriend got for Trina.

In the woods outside Peter’s house, Drew asks how Anna wants to do this, and Anna says, carefully. She doesn’t want Maxie caught in the crossfire. She says, Drew’s had experience with these types of situations. He understands the rules? He says, all too well, and she tells him to call it, and he says, they’ll move now, while the clouds are broken and they have a little moonlight. The goal is to approach, and access how many are inside. Once they get eyes on Maxie, that’s when they take the house. Obviously no radios, so keep eye contact for communication. He’s one, Anna is two, and Dante is three. He tells Anna, take the perimeter, and Dante, over there. He’s going down the middle, but will need some cover. Got it? Dante says, copy that, and Anna says, ready when he is. Drew says, let’s do this, and they move closer. Drew nods, and they move faster.

Maxie finds the road, and says she did it. Now she just needs to find her way to the village. She sees headlights, and waves, yelling, over here, because apparently, she’s learned nothing.  

Tomorrow, Maxie tells Peter to come and get her; Trina says Josslyn just made it worse for her; and Carly says, the plan was set in motion when Sonny decided to sleep with Nina.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht

Captain Glenn tells us, the thing with sailing is, you never know the conditions you’ll run into. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. Daisy, Gary, and Colin are back, and in Colin’s interview, he admits to enjoying a little drama here and there. It keeps him entertained. We meet the new crew members. Chef Marcos is from Venezuela, and stew Gabriella says she’s like a chihuahua, all bark and all bite. Deckhand Kelsie says she has two brothers, and growing up, it was either fight back or get farted on. Deckhand Tom tells us not to let his baby face fool us, and stew Ashley says she looks innocent, but she’s not. We see a short preview of the season. A lot of people will fall down, and champagne glasses will be broken.

Menorca, Spain, Port Mahon. In Gary’s interview, he says he’s back and ready to rumble. He has a lot to teach, and hopes he has a team that’s willing to learn. In Glenn’s interview, he says the beaches in Menorca are spectacular. He first came there in 1984, and has an apartment there. He offered Gary a full-time job, since he knows the boat and Glenn can depend on him. Daisy arrives, and says she’d rather be on the beach, but a girl’s got to eat. It’s her first charter since last year, and she hopes she remembers how to be a chief stew. In Daisy’s interview, she says, her role as chief stew is to be puppet master. If the team looks good, she looks good, and she hopes they learn quickly that she’s always right. In Marcos’s interview, he says he grew up eating pasta and plantains, and now runs a food truck in L.A. with a business partner.

In Gabriella’s interview, she says she’d be described as funny, loyal, and passionate, but she’s a sh*t talker and likes to bust balls. In Tom’s interview, he says he grew up in Windermere, north of England, where there are more sheep than people. He’s worked in yachting for three years, but this is his first time sailing. Colin is the last to arrive, and in his interview, he says he’s glad to be back on the Parsifal with his boy Gary. He thinks Glenn has an amazing leadership style, and when you sail with him, you know it will be a good time. He gives Daisy a big hug.

Glenn wants to do a quick brief with the crew. Chef Marcos seems mild mannered… for now. The chefs always seem to end up pitching fits at some point. Glenn is excited about the season, and to see both old and new faces. He tells them, no drinking on charter, and communication is of top importance. Last season, they had a communication problem. In Daisy’s interview, she says, everyone else had a communication problem, but she didn’t. We flash back, and I’m like, oh yeah, Chef Natasha and the eggs… Glenn tells them that they can take some time to get to know each other tonight, but it’s a school night.

In Kelsie’s interview, she says, she went on a charter in Croatia with her cousins in 2015, and thought it was the coolest job. She’s gone from being a guest to a skipper, and has her own boat, but she’s never worked  on a superyacht. It’s like a Great Dane versus a chihuahua. Daisy tells Marcus that she’s not strict, but don’t take anything she says personally. In his interview, he says, even though he’s the new guy, he’s not scared. He’s cooked for the likes of Shakira, Beyoncé, and Alicia Keys, among others. Gabriella says she’s been in yachting for a year, and Ashley says, it’s her one-year anniversary. In Ashley’s interview, she says, she always wanted to be the best, and got straight A’s in school. She wants to be a chief stew someday. Tom says he thinks Ashley is hot. Glenn calls Gary, Marcos, and Daisy to the saloon for a preference sheet meeting.

Primary Mccordia is a real estate investor, being joined by some other hard working business owner friends to celebrate Black entrepreneurship. They’re looking for beautiful scenery, elevated cocktails, and five-star dining. Gary says, they want a beach picnic, and Daisy says guest Aleah wants a hip-hop PJ party for her birthday. They’ve requested the crew dress up with them. Because I’m sure the crew members always carry their hip-hop wardrobe with them just in case. Provisions come in, and Daisy calls for some hip-hop themed stuff. She asks Gabriella and Ashley to meet her in the crew mess, and makes Gabriella second stew because she has more experience in bartending. Ashley doesn’t seem happy, but says she’s good. She’s put on mornings, and Gabriella on the late shift. The deckhands finish up, and grab a beer. Daisy tells the stews that they can finish up tomorrow, and suggests they get a drink.

Gary, Colin, and Daisy hang out together up top, and the newbies gather on deck. Gary says, Tom likes Ashley, and Daisy says, Ashley likes him, and we’re transported back to middle school. Tom approaches the OGs, and Colin jokes that it’s an official meeting. Gary tells Tom that Ashley thinks he’s hot, and in Tom’s interview, he says, yachting is like Never Never Land. He’s never growing up. (Actually, that’s Neverland, but we’ll let it pass.) Going to their lockers bunks, Gary asks Ashley if she has a type, and she says she thinks they’re both cute, and she’s not picking. She asks their ages, and Tom is a year younger than she is. Gary is in his 30s, and she says, she usually goes for older. In Tom’s interview, he says, just because he’s younger doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what he’s doing. But he needs to get on with Gary, so if Gary likes Ashley, he’s taking a backseat. Tom tells the rest of the crew about Ashley choosing Gary over him because of his age, and in Gary’s interview, he says, he’s in a predicament. He was the cause of a predicament last season, and we flash back to him sleeping with Sydney the first night on deck, and then almost sleeping with Dani until she found out. He admits he’s an idiot, and says he’s not going to make the same mistake twice. He’s turning a new leaf.

At 10 pm, the crew is still clicking bottles and doing shots. Tom is getting pretty sh*tfaced, and in Colin’s interview, he says Tom reminds him of himself at Tom’s age. He wanted to have a good time, and didn’t think about the consequences of going too far. They haven’t even started the season. Gary flirts with Ashley, who wants a kiss. He obliges and then says, no. He’s still an idiot. No new leaves happening here.

Tom is bunking with Glenn, and finally turns in. Gary’s mom sends him a message not to do something stupid. Around midnight, the others are still outside talking and drinking, and Tom says he doesn’t feel well. He gets up, and pukes his guts up in the bathroom. He tells Glenn that he needs to sleep low (he’s in the top bunk), and Glenn tells him to sleep in the mess. Tom leaves, and Glenn gets up and gets dressed. Kelsie has wisely chosen to go to bed, but the others are still partying. Glenn trudges upstairs, and tells Gary, let’s get everybody to bed. They have a charter tomorrow, and they’re already a man down. In Glenn’s interview, he says he doesn’t want to be a buzzkill, but he has to make a point. This is why you don’t do what you did. He says, they’re going to be picking up guests; get their asses to bed. Gabriella tries to clean up, and drops a bunch of bottles. In Gary’s interview, he says, it’s not a good look. It’s an example of what not to do on a school night.

In the morning, it’s not pretty. Tom wakes up confused, and in his interview, he says he just wanted to prove he could fit in and drink like everyone else, and gave the worst impression. Gary tells Colin about Ashley wanting a kiss, but insists he wasn’t even flirting. Ashley tells Gabriella about it, who says, just wear a condom. Tom says he’s never been more embarrassed in his life, and Glenn tells Tom to clean the bathroom he puked all over. In Tom’s interview, he says, he already made himself look like an idiot. He’s got to move forward, and let his work do the talking, In Glenn’s interview, he says he thinks Tom understands the gravity of the situation. It’s strike one, but it’s never going to happen again.

The crew gets last minute stuff done, and Daisy does a walk through. She’s happy with everything, and Glenn tells them to get in their uniforms. The guests arrive, and Glenn welcomes them. The crew stands in line to greet them, Ashley with damp towels, and Gabriella with champagne. Glenn passes them to Daisy for the tour, and their luggage is brought on board. Marcos makes appetizers, and they look fabulous. Even Daisy is impressed, and says, this what a canapé should be; pretty and elegant. I’m betting he can make eggs too. The lines are clear, and they set sail.

Marcus says he’s working fast because he knows sh*t goes sideways. The sails go up, and in Kelsie’s interview, she says, the sails are freaking huge. She’s excited to learn from Gary. The guests are loving the boat’s tilt. One of them falls over, and laughs, saying, it’s only the first day.

In Ashley’s interview, she says, something about Gary makes her think he’d be great in bed. She knows what she’s doing. The sails come down, and Daisy tells Gabriella that the guests want a sparkly dinner with lots of candles. They stop at Cala Blanc, and Glenn eats a gigantic matzo cracker in the mess, while Kelsie uses her hair as dental floss. Possibly one of the grossest things I’ve ever seen someone do. In Marcos’s interview, he says, it’s a little bit of pressure, but he’s not going to show it. Daisy says, with her junior stews, it’s like raising children. The guests are still hungry, so Marcos makes more appetizers, along with some shrimp in whiskey butter sauce. In his interview, he says, they definitely want their money’s worth.

Dessert is served, and I suddenly realize, primary Mccordia is the only dude. A guest falls, but it’s not from the boat tilting this time. Daisy goes to bed, feeling she’s finally working in a team environment again, and Gabriella is left to handle Mccordia, the only guest left standing. He keeps telling Gabriella that she’s sexy, and says, he doesn’t like girls, but she’s cute. For whatever drunk reason, he tells her that he has a little d*ck, and in Gabriella’s interview, she says, there’s no sense in trying to talk a drunk person out of their f***ing f***ery. It’s an exercise is getting someone to respect her. He asks who she’s f***ing tonight, and she tells him that he’s getting inappropriate. He asks who she’s interested in, but she says, no one on the boat. He tells her that she’s full of sh*t, and in her interview, she says, bring it on, mother f***er. Since she’d said she likes both men and women, he asks what two women do together, and she tells him to go to bed.

This season, a wedding, Gary does a striptease, a guest faceplants against the mast, Gary and Ashley get busy; and Glenn says, it’s about as serious as it gets. They might be stuck.

⛵️ The Newbies…

Meet the new Sailing cast.

https://www.bravotv.com/below-deck-sailing-yacht/about

🍳 On the Chef Subject…

I couldn’t remember Natasha’s name, and when I was googling, I came across this. I guess it would have worked as long as a guest didn’t ask for eggs.

‘Below Deck Mediterranean: Chef Natasha From ‘Below Deck Sailing Yacht’ Could Have Stepped in as Chef?

🏖 I skipped Summer House because my hatred for the show finally won out. Not really. I’m a glutton for punishment, but I was busy at the times it was on. I caught the tail end, and Danielle – looking fabulous in some kind of silver and black Mardi Gras-ish outfit – told Ciara and Paige that Kyle had been talking smack about his fiancé Amanda. He’d said the only thing they had in common was their business, Loverboy. The girls took note of how Kyle was chatting up some random babes, and Amanda was dancing around with some dude, and Danielle said, it just wasn’t them. I’ll say it again, these people are their thirties for God’s sake. Get it together. Get something together. Not drinking so much would be a start.

Dream Of You Tonight, See You Tomorrow…

Come set a spell tomorrow for some soap and a look at New Jersey. Until then, stay safe, stay being positive, but not toxically, and stay not leaving people waiting. Le quart d’heure de politesse or not, it’s rude.