Tag Archives: Beyonce

Jul18

July 17, 2024 – Jason Gives the FBI What It Wants, Dubai In the House, Selling LA, You’re It, Still VanderMessy, Horrible People, Are They Done Yet, Sanctuary Please & Hold ‘Em

Posted on July 18, 2024 by theresakp

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Sonny says, if Nina can bury the hatchet with Drew, maybe she can do the same with him. She says, absolutely not… There’s no hatchet to bury. Everything that went wrong is on her. He says, not everything, and she says, almost everything. When she finally told him the truth, it was too late. Their relationship was founded on a mirage named Mike. Mike never really existed. Sonny says, he did and he cared, and Nina says, she can’t forgive and forget because there’s nothing to forgive and she doesn’t want to forget. He says, there are a few things he can forget, and they laugh. She says she wants him to be happy and he says he wants the same for her. She says, he’s happy being a father, and if Ava and Scotty are stupid enough to approach her, she’ll tell them that she’ll testify against him, then blindside them with examples of how great a father he is. He asks if she’s trying to make him fall in love with her again, and she tells him, good luck with Ava. She hopes he gets custody for Avery’s sake.

At the pool, Josslyn finds Gio daydreaming and tells him that people are waiting for towels. He runs to assist them, while Carly brings a pina colada to Lois. Lois says, Carly and Sonny… she can pretend nothing is going on and it’s none of her business… Carly says, she could accept it’s none of her business, but it’s good to see her. She thanks Lois for bringing Gio to Port Charles, and Lois says she asks him to play one wedding and he falls in love with the entire town. Carly says, Olivia hired him, but she thinks he’s a great kid, and Lois says she wants to make sure his future is bright. Gio comes back and tells Josslyn that it won’t happen again, but she says, her mom doesn’t care. She asks if everything is okay, and he says, it’s fine, except he may have overstayed his welcome.

Valentin asks Anna to come with him. They belong together. She says, they have no time to talk. He needs to take Charlotte and disappear. He says he’s ready to go except for her. He knows she wants to. She just put her life on the line to warn him. She says, for Charlotte. She needs her father in her life. If it was just him, she’d let Cates take him. He says, she wouldn’t. She’d face charges too, but she’s here because she loves him almost as much as he loves her. She can disappear as easily as he can. Come with him and they’ll start a new life together.

John yells, open up or he’s coming in, and Jason opens the door. John asks, what took so long? and Jason says, this is where he lives. They should talk at the warehouse. John (who’s becoming more of an a-hole every time he opens his mouth, which is a shame since he’s sooo good looking) says, they’ll talk where and when he wants on whatever subject he chooses. Jason forgets he holds all the cards. Jason says, how can he when John reminds him every ten minutes? and John says, Jason will do what he says, or Carly pays the price.

Nina says, she was warned about Ava over and over again. She should have listened. Sonny says he should have taken his own advice. Why did he think he could rely on Ava and let her in? Nina says she wonders why too, but he doesn’t owe her any explanation. He says, because of Avery. He’s very protective of his children’s mothers, even Ava. She says, it’s a very Mike thing to do, and he says, Mike is a great guy. She says, Mike has great taste in women, and Sonny says, the other reason was because he was so messed up over losing her. She says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she was messed up too. She’s better now. He says he’s glad to hear it. He’ll see her later. She says, what about him? How’s he feeling? He says he’s ready for anything, and she says, such as? He says, not letting anyone take advantage of him, and she says, there he is. She wants all the best for him. He says he wants all the best for her too, and leaves.

Josslyn asks if someone said something unwelcoming, but Gio says, it’s nothing like that. Don’t look. His Aunt Lois… She says, Lois is always going on and on about how great he is, and he says, she’s always been his biggest fan, but she suggested he go back home. She says, that makes no sense. Lois brought him to Port Charles.

Anna says, Valentin wants her to leave her life and be a fugitive, but she doesn’t want to live like that. He says, but it’s okay for Charlotte, and she says, it’s not ideal, but she’ll have her father. He’s her entire family. She left Robin once and won’t again. She’s not sacrificing her time with Noah and Emma for – she tears up – any reason. So unless he’s planning on turning her in… He says he’d never do that. When the FBI comes, he’ll be long gone, but they’re going to connect the dots. She says, dots aren’t proof, and there won’t be any proof, but he says, prison is no place for a cop, especially an ex-WSB agent. Don’t throw her life away. Come with him. She kisses him and says she’s sorry. She loves him, but can’t go with him.

Natalia is waiting for Sonny at the penthouse and says she’s sorry. His housekeeper said she could wait. He asks what she’s doing here, and she says she knows he’s upset with her and has every reason to be. Her comments did nothing but cause trouble for Allison and Kristina. Sonny says he doesn’t like what she said, but Ava was the one who used it and made it national news to get back at him. She, Allison, and Kristina are collateral damage. She says, that’s why she’s here. For Allison… Blaze rather.

Geo tells Josslyn that Lois lined up a gig for him as a session musician in Manhattan. He knows. First world problems. She says, what a monster. Maybe she just wants to get him back to New York. She was a music manager and knows what she’s talking about. Maybe she thinks it’s a nice opportunity. Gio says, that has to be it. Why else would she want him to leave?

Lois tells Carly that there’s nothing Gio can’t play. He once played a slow version of AC/DC’s Back In Black for her and had her sobbing. Carly says she heard Sonny paid for Gio’s music education, and Lois says, he did. Camilla was a cousin of the Cerullos from Italy. She was a violinist like Gio and came to America to play with the New York Philharmonic. She was there 6 months and fell in love with Francis Palmieri. He was as handsome as Gio, but was already scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan. They had a whirlwind romance and eloped. It wasn’t until after he left, she found out she was pregnant with Gio. But before she was able to tell Francis about the baby, she found out he was killed in action.

Valentin asks if there’s nothing he can say, and Anna says, don’t even try. He asks if she’s afraid he’ll convince her, but she says, no. It was just hard to say no once. What’s Charlotte’s ETA? He says, she’ll be here soon, and Anna says she has to ask. Does he have contingencies in place? Money, cash, new IDs? He says, they’ll be fine, and they both wipe tears away. She says, he was always going to be fine. He was set financially with ELQ and enjoyed the work. Charlotte was happy in school, and he built a good life. Why risk it all for Pikeman? What happened? He says, she did.

John says he needs Jason to turn over any and all information about Sonny, but Jason says, that wasn’t the deal. The deal was to get information about Pikeman, not Sonny. John says, Sonny is in the purview of the investigation because he was involved with Pikeman, and Jason says, let him make this clear. He’s not answering any questions about Sonny. John sighs (because it’s catching) and asks how Jason can be loyal when Sonny tried to kill him. When Jason came back and didn’t fall in line and assume his place in Sonny’s organization, Sonny tried to take him out. Jason asks, then why is he still here? and John says, because the guys Sonny hired aren’t as good as him. Sonny is only about Sonny. He uses people and discards them. He used Jason and discarded him. He literally destroyed Jason’s life. Jason says, Sonny didn’t destroy his life. John did. (Truth!)

Maxie goes to Nina’s office wanting to discuss the timetable for Deception’s ad campaign. She wonders if they should continue with No One Cancels Love campaign or put it behind them and move forward. Thoughts? Nina says, Sonny was just here, and they had a good conversation. He was like his old self. Maxie asks what he wanted, and Nina says, to bury the hatchet. Maxie says, in who? (ha-ha! that’s actually what I’d say) and Nina says she told him there was no hatchet to bury. It’s not like they want to fight anymore. Maxie says, not to open old wounds, but does Nina want Sonny back? and Nina says, she’ll always have feelings for Sonny and always love him, but she’s not hopelessly, desperately in love with him. She’s stronger now and she’s finally ready to move on.

Carly says, it’s so sad. Gio’s parents had such little time and Francis never got to know his son. Lois says, the family was heartbroken and rallied around Camilla. Sonny was in town and wanted to make sure Camilla was okay. She went back to playing after she had Gio, but just when they thought Gio and Camilla would finally get their happy ever after, Camilla died. Gio was ten at the time and had already started his musical education. It was expensive, so Lois reached out to Sonny. Of course (🍷) he agreed, and paid for everything, even Gio’s two years at Fordham. Then Gio got a scholarship at PCU. Carly says she gets that Sonny is generous, but she doesn’t understand why he never mentioned Gio to her.

Anna asks how long Valentin has been involved with Pikeman, and he says he’s always been aware of them, even in the planning stages, which included the head of the WSB. They wanted her on the ops team so they could look legit. Anna says she had questions, but wasn’t in a position to know, and Valentin says, they just wanted to get the ten million to form a money funnel for the weapons. He resigned as a traitor, but kept in touch with Pikeman. They liked his expertise, and he liked the money. When Anna busted Brennan, it created a vacuum. She says she knows why he couldn’t, but she wishes he’d told her, and he says he does too. She asks when he was going to that, and he says, maybe during the brief window when they were openly in love and said they trusted one another.

Jason says he’s been risking his life. He lived in hell when the people he loved thought he was dead. John says, he could have let Carly take her chances, but Jason chose to be an informant the way Carly chose to present herself as mob leadership. The only one who never had to pay was Sonny. He destroys lives and right now, he’s using his money and power to take Avery away from her mother. The woman is terrified. Jason says, Ava Jerome? He’d think twice about believing anything that woman has to say.

Natalie says, they worked so hard on Blaze’s career, and she trashed it in an instant by saying the wrong thing to the wrong person. Sonny says, it’s what she meant, and she says she’s painfully aware of the effect of her words on their daughters. Kristina made her thoughts on the subject spectacularly clear. She can see both Kristina’s mom and Sonny in her, and she had it coming. Even though she may not join a parade anytime soon, it’s clear Blaze and Kristina love each other. He says he’s happy she’s seeing clearly, but she says, too little too late. The damage is done, and she can’t say she blames them if they never speak to her again. He asks if she wants him to be a go-between, but she says, there’s not much she can do about her relationship with her daughter, but she can save her career.

Maxie asks, what happened? Nina was hellbent on getting Sonny back. Nina says she hates to say it, but Ava was right about her and Sonny. She was so desperate to hold on to their relationship, but their lives don’t fit. They never did. Maxie says, wow. Forgive her, but it’s about time Nina realized. She wanted to be wrong. It’s been known to happen. Nina says, the worst part is, Carly was right. They’re not special, and she feels like an idiot. The worst part was that she was turning herself into the perfect woman for Sonny, instead of holding onto who she is. Although a lot of people consider her the worst. Maxie says she’s not one of them.

Sonny asks if that’s why Natalia is here. She wants him to help save Blaze’s career. She says, Sonny was in the music business and owned L&B records in the 90’s, and he says he invested. The founder was an old friend, someone he was in love with. Natalia says, so for personal reasons, not unlike now for Kristina. If he invests in Blaze’s career, they’ll put the money toward releasing a new album and new material on a private label. There are so many indie labels now, it will take money to get noticed. She’d put every dime she has into it, but it’s not enough. That’s why she’s here. He says, she wants him to bankroll a brand-new record label?

Valentin looks out the window, and says, it crossed his mind to tell Anna, and she says, before or after he took over? He says, before, when they were in love and claiming to trust each other. She asks why he didn’t, and he says he didn’t want to force her into a position to arrest him. She says, yet here we are, and he says, she’s not arresting him and she’s letting him go. She says, before he does that, Cates got ahold of five years’ worth of correspondence between her and Brennan, all fabricated. Valentin says, that was him, but he was careful. So careful not to say anything that would hold up as evidence. Just red herrings to make John believe they were talking about Pikeman. Just a diversion. He’d never incriminate her. She says, he loves her, but still couldn’t resist using her.

John asks if Jason is so far gone that anyone who speaks out against Sonny is lying, but Jason says, trust him. Ava can take care of herself. John says, he sounds like Sonny. Jason got his and the hell with the rest of the world. Jason tells him, that’s not what he said at all, and John says, the Jason he knew was a good guy. Do the right thing and give him something he can use to bust Sonny so Ava can keep her kid. Jason asks, since when does the FBI concern itself with custody battles? And John says, Sonny has to be stopped before he wrecks his daughter’s life like he’s wrecked other lives. Admit Sonny tried to kill him. Jason says he has nothing on Sonny, and he looks at the clock. He gets the phone from the fire escape, and says, but he does have this. It’s Valentin’s phone and proof he’s the one running Pikeman. John asks if he’s sure it’s Valentin and not Anna, and he says, it’s Valentin. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of recordings, including the facilitation of illegal arms transports. John asks where he got it, and Jason asks if he really wants to know. John asks how long he’s had it, and Jason says, a few hours. John asks why Jason didn’t tell him sooner, and Jason says, John was so busy trying to get him to flip on Sonny, he couldn’t talk. John makes a call and says he wants all units at 2100 Belleforest Drive now.

Gio tells Josslyn that maybe he should go home and take the gig. Lois went through a lot of trouble and it would be rude to turn her down. Josslyn asks what he wants to do. The people who love them and want what’s best for them can still be wrong. He says, what if they’re the ones who are right? but she says, nobody learns from the right decisions. It’s up to them to figure out their own lives and what makes them happy.

Sonny says he doesn’t know anything about the music business, but Natalia says she does. He says, it’s risky, but she says, his investment will make a hundredfold when Blaze is touring. He says, if she’s successful, and Natalia says, she will be. She knows she can run a new label. He asks what Blaze thinks, but she says, Blaze doesn’t know yet. Even if Blaze never forgives her, she believes in Blaze’s talent and knows she’s a star. If Sonny says, no, don’t worry. She’ll accept it and no one will ever know he turned her down. He says he’s in.

Maxie says she’s proud of Nina. She wanted a relationship with Sonny, but realized there was no future in pretending she was the Nina that Sonny wanted. Nina says, she couldn’t swing it. It’s all on her. Maxie says, so much for girl power. Even though she’s sorry it happened, Nina got some wisdom. Nina says she’s not sure about that, and Maxie asks if she’s talking about the Drew situation. Nina says, they’ve gone through so many stages. From loathing to not exactly mutual respect, but they’re able to help each other now.

Valentin says he’s sorry he used her, and Anna says, he’d do it again. He says, that doesn’t mean he’s not sorry. The problem is, any good in him is because of her. She says, that’s not true. He has a good heart. She’s been here too long. As soon as Charlotte gets back, he has to take her and leave. He takes her hand and says, she can’t go with him, he knows that, but tell him that she wants to even if it’s not true. She says, if she could, she would go with him in a heartbeat. She cries a little, and he asks if she means that. She says, he’ll never know, when the door opens. Charlotte says she came as soon as she could… What’s wrong?

Natalia asks if Sonny just said yes, and he says, absolutely. They laugh, and she says she can’t thank him enough. He says, one condition. No one is to know he’s doing this. She says, okay, but she’s used to working with people who want credit, and he says he wants Brook to have credit. Brook is in charge. That’s his offer. Take it or leave it.

Nina says, being a good citizen, she’s giving it her all to make sure Drew is elected, and Maxie says, how civic minded. Nina says she does believe in Drew, and he’s helping her with Willow. Willow reached out and wanted to talk to her, mother and daughter, for the first time. Maxie says, that’s amazing. She’s happy for Nina. Nina says, there’s a chance Willow might let her be a part of her life. She can’t mess it up. If Willow is convinced Drew needs to be elected, she’ll support him for her.

Jason goes to the pool and asks if Gio is the one who played the violin at Brook’s wedding. Gio says he did, and he’s Jason Morgan. Is he looking for Miss Spencer? She was just here. Can he get Jason something while he looks for her? Jason asks how Gio would know, and Gio says, Josslyn said to treat him like a VIP, but Jason says, only Joss and her mom do that. He enjoyed Gio’s playing. Gio thanks him and says he’ll find Carly, but Jason says, it’s okay. He sees her right now. It was nice to meet him. Jason goes over to Carly, who asks, what brings him here? He says, it’s done, and she says, what? He says he gave the FBI what they wanted. If Cates keeps his word, they’re freed.

John shows up at Valentin’s house with some men. They draw their guns, and he says, 3… 2… 1… mark! They bust in, and John yells, FBI! Down on the ground! One of the men says, the bedrooms are clear, and John says, fan out and search. (I say, wah-wah.)

Outside in her car, Anna smiles.

This kinda, sorta brought tears to my eyes. I rarely invest in the couples, since most of the time there’s zero chemistry, but I love Anna and Valentin together.

Tomorrow, Blaze says, any hope of reviving her music career is gone; Carly asks Jason to promise her something; and Sonny tells Brook that his and Natalia’s plan depends on her.

🐪 There’s a Camel In My Soup…

What happened in Dubai. It was pointed out in an interview that you could get arrested for arguing in public, but it didn’t stop Taleen.

Real Housewives of Dubai Season 2, Episode 7 Recap: Beggars and Badass B*tches

https://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/hollywood/the-real-housewives-of-dubai-episode-7-recap-everything-you-missed-1328945

As NeNe once said, stay out of women’s business. At least when you’re the husband of one of the Housewives.

Taleen Marie Defends Husband After RHODubai Drama: ‘He Walked Away’

💰 Spiraling LA…

Tracy says, the market is sh*t, and JoshA says, in this market, you don’t sleep. Closets to die for, bigger than my first apartment. JoshF dressed as a shark. Read on for this week’s Listings.

Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles Season 15, Episode 2 Recap: Hate To Say I Told You So

🍊 Tag This Line…

Tamra works being rude like it’s a second job.

RHOC Season 18 Taglines Revealed: Stormy Weather, Terrible Form and a Middle Finger

🍸 VanderWTF…

What is wrong with this guy? The average sociopath has better social skills.

How Tom Sandoval Ruined Any Chance of Redemption After Suing Ariana Madix

To make it even creepier.

Tom Sandoval’s Attorney for Ariana Madix Lawsuit Is Rachel Leviss’ Lawyer’s Brother

Not surprising that he backpedaled. Dude. Cut Sandoval loose already.

Tom Schwartz Deletes Tom Sandoval Birthday Post After Ariana Madix Lawsuit

👿 The Internet Is Evil…

This is exactly what I hate about the internet. I can’t fathom what’s in people’s heads to justify this sort of behavior. I don’t care if she’s the freaking Elephant Man. There’s just no reason for it. The only conclusion I can come to is that they hate themselves and are taking it out on someone who is making the most of what they have and doing well with it.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1404738/my-big-fat-fabulous-life-star-whitney-way-thore-reveals-the-cruel-insults-that-led-to-panic-attacks

💒 Cringing In Plathville…

This was just so uncomfortable. As usual, he whined and she was stone cold, her big blue eyes filled with tears.

Welcome to Plathville’s Season 6 Trailer Teases Ethan and Olivia Plath Reunion Following Split

Seriously, I was shifting around in my chair.

https://people.com/welcome-to-plathville-recap-ethan-plath-pleads-with-olivia-to-make-it-work-8679099

🦍 Furred and Feathered Fringes Of Fame…

All I can think of when I see things like this is the woman who got her face ripped off by the pet chimp. By no means does this make the chimp bad. He’s just being the animal he is and proving he is not a pet, but belongs in the wild or a sanctuary. Tiger King was eye-opening, as well as trainwreck entertaining, so I’ll be watching this for sure.

https://people.com/tonia-haddix-subject-of-tiger-king-director-new-series-chimp-crazy-8678996

An interesting tributary.

https://people.com/pets/alan-cumming-missing-chimpanzee-costar-found-moved-to-rescue/

🦜 Hottest new couple.

https://people.com/zoo-tries-to-save-endangered-macaw-species-with-love-match-8679024

🤷🏽‍♀️ Summer Of Ambiguity…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and less than nine oranges in a bowl. Until then, stay safe, stay steering away from political discussion at get togethers of all kinds (my neighbor recently had a near fistfight at a family party), and stay knowing that the people who love you and want what’s best for you can still be wrong. Even if they’re right, nobody learns from the right decisions.

Jun17

June 16, 2023 – Ned Is Brought Out of Twilight Sleep, School’s Out, Not Too Late, Something, Après Rules, Messy Lou, Almost Here, Pets (!) Of the Famous, 3 Squared Quotes & Parade

Posted on June 17, 2023 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Finn plays a solo game of Backgammon in the breakroom, when Elizabeth walks in and asks if he’s playing against himself. He asks what she wants to hear, and she asks if he has no friends. He says, Tracy’s back in town, so he’s practicing. He can’t let her beat him. She’s impossible to deal with under normal circumstances. If she got a win… He’s got to stay on his toes. Elizabeth says, maybe she can help, and sits across from him.

Diane and Alexis find seats at the Bistro, and Diane says she keeps forgetting this place serves Earl Grey by default. She’s not a fan. Alexis says, take it back and get something else, but Diane says she can’t. Alexis calls her a martyr, and asks why she’s so cranky. Somebody on her mind? Diane says, if she’s referring to DA Scorpio, no. Holly left town; Robert told her himself. Alexis says, that sounds good… isn’t it? but Diane says, he couldn’t say if or when she was going to return. Alexis says, sounds like a win to her. She’s gone; he’s here. So is Diane.

On the phone, Cody says he knows they have a lot going on right now, but he wouldn’t call if it wasn’t important. Sam asks if he got arrested again, and he says, no, but he does need her help. She says, with what? and he says, exposing Gladys Corbin.

Sasha comes into Willow’s room, apologizing for being late, but Willow says she imagines it take time to get all suited up. Sasha says, that’s not what distracted her. She got hung up by an email. Willow says she has no concept of time in this room. She’s just glad Sasha’s here. Sasha says, Willow looks so much better, and Willow thanks her. She says she doesn’t want to sound insensitive, but Sasha’s eyes look red. Has she been crying? Sasha says, time to rethink Deception’s concealer formula (well, I would hope you don’t put it in your eyes), and Willow asks, what’s going on? Sasha says she was crying because of Nina.

On the phone, Michael asks Dex if there’s any news from the Pikeman camp… Keep him posted. It’s important Sonny thinks things are status quo. He doesn’t want Sonny to know they had any connection. Chase comes along and asks how Willow is doing. Michael says, she’s holding her own. Sasha’s in with her right now. Chase says, no more phones? and Michael says, they still have to wear masks and gowns to keep the room sterile, but she’s only allowed one visitor at a time. Chase says, that’s great. He’s sure she appreciates the human contact. Michael says, what about him? and Chase says he’s actually trying to avoid human contact. Everybody’s on the 10^th floor, waiting for news about Ned, and he doesn’t want to get in the way of… Michael says, Brook’s sweet Granny Tracy?

TJ checks Ned’s vitals, as Olivia stands by nervously. Tracy and Brook come in, and Brook asks how he is. Olivia tells them, the doctor said, it’s time to bring Ned out of his twilight sleep. Brook says, sounds hopeful, and Tracy asks TJ, is it hopeful?

Finn tells Elizabeth that backgammon dates back 5000 years, and she says she didn’t realize she was in for a history lesson. Elizabeth makes a good move, and Finn says, that was lucky. Gilgamesh, the Mesopotamian king who wanted immortality, would play. She says she guesses he had to do something if he was going to live forever, and Finn says, big time player? Cleopatra. Elizabeth says, wow, and Finn says, maybe the best of all; Lucille Ball. She and Sammy Davis would just sit down at parties and start playing backgammon. She asks if he’s trying to distract her with this amazing information and his dazzling charm, and he says, the dazzling charm comes naturally. The backgammon history is a bonus. She says, so he’s a charmer and a nerd; it’s a winning combination. He asks if she just called him a nerd, and she makes a winning move, saying, she thinks she likes this game.

Diane tells Alexis, Robert said his complicated life just got less complicated. Isn’t that attractive? Then their uncomplicated conversation became more complicated after Olivia Quartermaine came over and started pressing Robert for inside information on the SEC case, and was there a possible deal on the table where her client Carly could give up her client Sonny. Alexis says, and Diane was all ears, and Diane says, of course (🍷) she was. Robert didn’t seem to appreciate that. She just doesn’t know if they’re compatible. Alexis says, Diane really likes those bad boy clients, doesn’t she? and Diane says, she likes the bad boy clients? She coughs, saying, Jerry Jax…. cough, cough… Julian Jerome. Alexis says, stop. Everyone to their corners. Diane says, that’s not what she wanted to talk about anyway. She’s consulting on a new case, and she needs Alexis’s great wisdom. Has she ever heard of Bidz Secure? With a Z. It’s crypto currency. Alexis says she doesn’t do that, and Diane says, neither does she. Just stay with her. It’s a digital currency security start-up. Their client is the CFO who’s been accused of stealing the keys to a big wallet which has somehow gone missing. Alexis says, a big wallet? and Diane says, it’s not a real wallet. It’s a digital wallet. He says he’s being framed by the CEO, who’s apparently a real crypto bro, according to her associate. Alexis says, that’s a he said/he said, and Diane says, the wife of the crypto bro CEO says she actually witnessed their client downloading funds, so it’s a he said/she said/he said. Alexis says, it sounds like Diane doesn’t believe what she said. Does she have any evidence? Diane says, no. The security is all in the digital ether, so there’s no paper trail. It’s keystrokes and clicks, and no, she doesn’t believe her. According to Diane’s associate, her husband is a real shark. Alexis says, so where does the shark swim? What does the shark eat? Diane asks if Alexis is having a stroke. What is she talking about? Alexis says, hunger. She may not know anything about tech bros, but she knows something about bros, and if it were her, she would be looking into the proclivities and the extracurricular activities of this certain CEO, and Diane might find something that his wife doesn’t like. If she’s going out on a limb for a lying cheater, or worse, she might think twice. Diane says, Alexis Davis, you are yummy and brilliant and devious, and Alexis says, all’s fair in love and law.

Cody tells Sam that he’ll fill her in when she gets here. He’s at the stables. He thanks her, and flashes back to talking to Brook saying he has the support of her entire family, granny aside. He says, Comet would miss him. Wouldn’t you boy? He puts his forehead against the horse, and says, apparently, there’s a few people out there who would. Don’t worry. Gladys won’t get rid of him that easily.

TJ says, his hope is that the sedation allowed Ned’s brain to rest, preventing any further swelling and maybe decreasing it. Tracy says, hope; that’s carefully worded. He says, medical professionals are discouraged from giving blanket assurances, but he can tell them that Ned’s medical team is cautiously optimistic. Brook thanks him, and asks, what’s next? TJ says, they’ll wake him up and assess his cognitive state, and Olivia says she was told there was a slight chance of lasting effects. Tracy says, like what? and he says, they’re getting ahead of themselves. Instead of rattling off a list of possible complications, they’ll start with removing Ned’s IV sedation, and work from there.

Diane says, Alexis misses being a lawyer; she can hear it. Alexis says, miss it? Being a lawyer is like voluntarily signing up to go into battle with an army of paperwork and legal jargon. It’s like navigating a perverse maze of precedents and cases that have no mercy. Diane says, but cracking the case. Wiping the smug grin off the face of opposing counsel. That was never done to her of course (🍷), but then there’s winning, winning, winning. Alexis says, pages and pages and pages of statutory law that you have to memorize, only to find out that it’s just been revised, and Diane says, it’s like putting together a giant puzzle. Alexis says, you get no sleep, you have no life, because you know you have to be in court for the next 20 days in a row, and Diane says, that’s why we have caffeine. Alexis says, to watch an innocent person get exonerated and order restored to a chaotic world. God, she misses it so much. It’s like losing a limb. She misses arguing in court; she loved arguing. And the thrill of advocating for justice. It’s who she is. She can’t just stand on the sidelines and watch. Diane says, like a reporter?

Sam arrives at the stables, and tells Cody, this better be important. She’s got to go back to the hospital. He asks, how’s Ned? Leo and Brook were here earlier. So was Tracy. Sam says, so he met Tracy, and he says, it was quite the experience. She’s a mother who’s worried about her son. They’re all worried. Sam says she and Dante are at the hospital supporting Dante’s mother, so if Cody wouldn’t mind being brief; what’s his plan? He says, that’s what he needs her help with, and she says she thought he needed help executing the plan, not brainstorming the whole damn thing. He’s never had problems executing his own schemes before. He says, way harsh. Besides, she has proximity to the Corinthos family. She can gain inside knowledge on Gladys a helluva lot easier than he could. Besides, she’s the only one who knows the whole story and believes him. She says she doesn’t know the whole story. He never told her Gladys’s motive for framing him. He says, she does believe him, right?

Willow says, Nina made Sasha cry? What has she done now? Sasha says, it’s not what Willow thinks. These are tears of joy. Willow asks if they’re in a parallel universe. Nina sparked joy? Sasha says, very funny. Willow must be feeling better. Willow says she’s just trying to process, and Sasha says she knows Willow’s relationship with Nina has been… Willow says, disastrous… fraught, and Sasha says, and this is all her fault. There was a time when she and Nina were at odds, remember? Willow says, now Sasha will tell her again how that’s all changed, and Sasha says, it has changed. Nina just wrote her the most wonderful letter of commendation to end her guardianship. Willow says, that’s great. She’s so proud of Sasha. Sasha thanks her, and says she’s finally ready to move forward. How about Willow?

Michael says, so Tracy is putting Chase through the paces, and Chase says, oh yeah. Now he knows how Comet feels. Michael says, she’s not as bad as she seems. When the chips are down, she loves her family, and she’s extremely loyal. Maybe too loyal, but she loves Brook. They have this whole love/hate thing going on. Chase says, but Brook can hold her own. It’s actually kind of fun to watch. Michael says, looks like someone is getting desensitized to the Quartermaine ways, and Chase asks how Michael is holding up through all this. Michael says, it’s a roller coaster. But they’ll get to the other side. He’s just really thankful for the nanny, because with Wiley’s endless energy and keeping Amelia on track is a non-stop juggling act. Chase says he can’t imagine that. It’s got to take a lot of strength and patience, especially while worrying about Willow.

Tracy asks, how long is this going to take? and Brook asks if she has a pickleball championship. Why doesn’t she wait outside with Dante? Olivia says, TJ told them, it could be twenty minutes; it could be a few hours. Tracy is acting like a six-year-old on a road trip. Stop. Tracy says, where is the doctor? Can’t they be doing more? What happened to the Quartermaine name? Monica left them… Olivia says, seriously? Tracy can’t sit in her own son’s ICU room without complaining about everything? Tracy says, he’s used to it. It’s like home. Ned moves his head, and Tracy says she rests her case. Olivia says, they’re here, and Ned opens his eyes, the three of them coming into focus. He closes his eyes again, as we all would.

Elizabeth sets up another game, and Finn says, today’s the last day of being just Nurse Baldwin. How does it feel? She says, it feels good. She’s happy to have been chosen for this position. She hopes she can do some good. Maybe bring some healing to this hospital. Lord knows they could use it after losing Epiphany. He says he thinks she’s the right person to bring back the humanity they need, and she thanks him. She says she keeps telling herself, this isn’t about her. It’s about her service to the patients and the staff who work so hard. She’s been linked to this hospital her entire life. One of her grandfathers was Dr. Hardy, the symbol of virtue, the true hero of General Hospital. I find myself nodding. It’s in this place she’s had her highest highs and her lowest lows. This place has put her back together more times than she’d like to count. Let’s not forget all the legends of the nurses station; Jessie Brewer, Bobbie Spencer, and Epiphany. Sometimes she wonders if she’s strong enough to be like them. Finn says, she is strong. In the end, she might be the strongest of them all.

Sam says she bailed Cody out. If she’d thought he was a thief, she wouldn’t have bothered. He thanks her, and she says, maybe it’s best if he does this legally. Why doesn’t he ask Dante for help? He says he doesn’t want to compromise Dante, and she laughs, and says, but he’s compromising her? He says he could just skip town, but she’d be out her bail money, and she says she’d find him in a heartbeat. He says he has no doubt, and feeds Comet some carrots. He says, it kills him that Sasha doesn’t know who Gladys really is, and Sam says, which is why they need to prove that the bracelet was planted. He says, Sasha needs to know that Gladys can’t be trusted. So does Port Charles. Sam suggests they just focus on keeping him out of jail, and not bite off more than they can chew. Feeding Comet more carrots, Cody tells her, Comet says, why limit ourselves?

Michael tells Chase that his heart breaks every time there’s a moment with Amelia, and Willow’s not there to experience it. The other day, Amelia looked up at him and smiled at him for the first time, like she really saw him. It was incredible, but Willow wasn’t there; she was here. He tries to record what he can on his phone, but it’s not the same. Willow needs to be there, experiencing it firsthand, to see the look on Amelia’s face when she lights up. It’s time she’ll never get back. Chase says, she’ll be able to watch those videos forever, and she’ll treasure every single one of them. Even more because she’ll know Michael took the time to record, even though he was going through his own hell.

Sasha tells Willow that she just met with Dr. Montague. He’s the psychiatrist the court appointed to evaluate her. Willow asks, how’d it go? and Sasha says, pretty good? She thinks. It’s hard to know for sure. Willow is sure Dr. Montague was very impressed. Why wouldn’t he be? Sasha has survived things that would have broken anyone else. Sasha says, Willow’s one to talk, and Willow says, having the support of family and friends has made all the difference. Sasha says, same, and Nina was a very big part of that for her. Nina was there for her when she gave Nina every reason to hate her. She pretended to be the thing Nina wanted more than anything. Nina was searching for her daughter, and what she and Valentin did was horrible, but Nina somehow found the strength and love to forgive her. That could not have been easy. Willow says she sees what Sasha is doing, but Nina has put her and the family she loves through the wringer. Some things can’t be forgiven.

Finn says, maybe it’s time for a Hardy to be in charge again. Elizabeth’s Gram was a legend in her own right. It’s kind of her destiny. Elizabeth says, those are some big shoes to fill, and he says, the shoe fits, Cinderella. He’s sorry he couldn’t join her celebration last night. She says, couldn’t or wouldn’t? She realizes girls night out isn’t for everyone, but we missed you. He says, we? and she says, I missed you. He says, hopefully, there will be many more celebrations, but he knew she needed a night out with her best friends. She says she’d like to think he’s one of them, and he says, no doubt about it.

Olivia says, thank God. She’s been praying so hard. She knew he’d wake up. Tracy tells her, back off. His brain’s been deprived of enough oxygen. She tells Ned, say something, but Brook says, don’t rush him. Ned says, water, and Brook gets a glass, Olivia putting the straw in his mouth. TJ comes in, and says, that was fast. Tracy says she wouldn’t expect any less, and TJ tells Ned, welcome back. Does he know why he’s in the hospital?

Alexis says, Diane’s not the only one she complains to about her job. While Diane was chatting it up at The Savoy with Robert’s ex, she was complaining to Felicia about her job. Diane says, her, complain? and Alexis says she believes in free press. She believes in reporters. And maybe that passion for complaining just fuels that commitment… She just wishes she were more fulfilled at The Invader. Diane says, but? and Alexis says she sometimes makes a difference. She sometimes shines a light on a story that’s important, but those stories hardly ever happen. For every impactful story, it’s like there’s a zillion mundane, stupid ones, like celebrity gossip or fashion. It’s like finding a needle of significance in a haystack of triviality. Diane says, it’s not exactly Woodward and Bernstein, and Alexis says, maybe she’s just spreading herself too thin, and needs to take advantage of her support team, and do some serious outreach. Diane says, yes, her support team. That now includes – she clears her throat – the wonderful Esme Prince.

Michael says, Chase is right. He needs to focus on the future. Once Willow is released, they’ll have the rest of their lives to make more moments together. Chase says, and they will, but until then, don’t forget to send a flare up when things get tough. His friends are here, and they want to help. Michael thanks him, and says, despite all the angst and craziness with the kids, he wouldn’t trade being a father for anything. Chase says he can see that, and Michael asks if Chase ever thinks about children. Chase says, talk about turning the tables, and Michael asks if it’s a touchy subject. Chase says, no, of course (🍷) not. He grew up in a great family. His dad was always there. His mom was kind of busy, but they both loved him. Michael says, so how about it? and Chase says, let him put it this way. He definitely loves kids, and he and Brook are back together, but as for his own, that’s a long way off in the future. Michael says, the future kind of has a habit of catching up to you sooner than you think.

Sasha says, Willow’s relationship with Nina is complicated, but so is hers. She lied to Nina, she conned her, she broke Nina’s heart. And she put Brando through hell with her addiction. Both times, she was the recipient of grace; forgiven. And recently, she wrongfully accused a friend of something. Willow says, and she was forgiven? but Sasha says, he doesn’t hold it against her, but he’s not sure he can be her friend. Willow says she’s sorry, and Sasha says, so is she. It’s painful wanting to connect to someone you’ve wronged, even if they don’t owe you a thing.

Sam says, Cody’s innocence is going to be a lot easier to prove than Gladys’s guilt, and Cody says, tell it to his lawyer. She says, what lawyer? and he says, Scott Baldwin. She asks why Scotty isn’t dealing with this, and he says, Scotty is working on something else for him. She says, bigger than a conviction for grand larceny? They have to prove Gladys was in his pants the night of the Nurses Ball. He says, she was in his jacket, thank you very much, and the PCPD already looked into all this. There was no surveillance footage. She says, there are other ways.

Finn asks if Elizabeth wants to play, and she says, yeah, she wants to play. He asks if they’re still talking about backgammon, and she laughs, saying, yes, they’re talking about backgammon. He says, just checking, and they sit back at the board. He says he’s a little afraid. He thinks she cheats. She says she wants that cup, and he hands her the cup with the dice. She shakes them up, and spills them onto the board. They play another game, and she beats him again.

Alexis says, Esme Prince, the latest entrant into the Cassadine family Squid Game, and Diane laughs. Alexis says she did that as a favor to Laura, and Diane says, that’s some favor. Esme is a… not nice person… snake. That’s mild. Is Alexis sure that’s wise? Alexis says, since when has she done anything that’s wise? and Diane says, Alexis is one of the wisest people she knows. Occasionally, she’s led astray by her passion and idealism. Alexis says, in this case, she was just trying to provide Esme with some stability, so she doesn’t run off with Laura’s grandchild in tow. Diane says, it’s generous of her, and Alexis says, actually, she has a soft spot for Esme. Alexis knows firsthand what it’s like to have a psychotic parent, and Esme’s got two. And Gregory actually keeps her calm. Diane says, Gregory? and Alexis says, he’s agreed to join the editorial board. Diane says she thought Alexis was persona non grata when she went over his head and called the dean, but Alexis says, they have an understanding now. She can be his friend and care about him; she just can’t meddle. And the editorial board is actually happy to have him, and he’s happy to be in his erudite element. Diane says, so all’s well that ends well, and Alexis says, to quote the Bard.

Sasha asks if she can read Willow something, and Willow says, sure. Sasha reads: Sasha Gilmore is not defined by her past. No matter our mistakes, shortcomings, or circumstances, everyone deserves another chance to build a life that once seemed impossible. Willow says, that’s what Nina wrote about Sasha, isn’t it? and Sasha nods. Willow says, she writes well, and Sasha says, she writes from her heart. But maybe she was also writing about herself. Maybe it’s a prayer of sorts. All she knows is that Nina’s capacity for forgiveness is massive. Something tells her, it might be hereditary.

In the elevator, Michael says he’s glad Chase and Brook are back together. They’re good for each other. Chase says, there’s never a dull moment, that’s for sure. Last weekend, she took him to the Beecher’s Corners flea market. She said she had a surprise for him, and whisked him away on this whirlwind tour. It was like she was possessed; like she had this sixth sense for finding vintage clothing. They leave the elevator, and Michael says, Brook is usually all over the place, but Chase grounds her. She can be her own worst enemy. Chase is like a moral compass for her. It’s important each person bring something to the relationship, so they can complement each other. That’s what Willow does for him. She really helped him focus on what really matters, and Chase does that for Brook. Chase asks what Brook does for him, but Michael says, you tell me.

Ned says, his head… hurts, and TJ says, he has a head injury. They’ll get him a drip to manage the pain. Does he know how he hurt his head? Ned says, did he fall? and Tracy says, yes, at the MetroCourt pool. Ned says, pool… and Olivia says, hopefully, he won’t sue the owner. Tracy says, what she wants to know is why he came barreling out like he had some earthshattering news to tell Drew. What got him all fired up?

Diane says, she and Alexis need to exercise together, and Alexis asks, what’s wrong with her? Diane says, come on, but Alexis says, no. Diane says she’s going to take Alexis to her trapeze class. It is such a good workout. Alexis says, she knows a girl who broke her foot playing pickleball (WOTD), and Diane says, then they’ll do yoga. It’s nice, it’s safe, it’s close to the ground. All that stretching and core. Alexis says, it sounds hard, and Diane says, you are impossible. Alexis says, but consistent, giving Diane a thumbs up before she leaves.

Finn says he thinks the tide is turning, and Elizabeth says, we’ll see. She rolls the dice, and he says, ouch. That’s got to hurt a little bit. She calls him Genghis Khan, and he says, Genghis Khan playing backgammon? Is she sure? She says, if he did, she’s sure this world would be a much different place. He says he’s sure it would, and she rolls again. She says she doesn’t like this game anymore, and she has to get back to work. She doesn’t want that head nurse breathing down her neck. He says, she’s okay; I’ve heard some good things about her. She says she hopes it stays that way, and he says he’s sure it will. She bids him goodnight and leaves. He sighs and rolls the dice, getting snake eyes. He says, the tide is turning, and moves his pieces.

Sam calls Spinelli, and Cody says, no, wait, but she doesn’t pay attention to him. She tells Spinelli that she’s got a job for him, making a shushing motion to Cody.

Willow asks if Sasha thinks she’s been too hard on Nina, but Sasha says she didn’t say that. There’s been real harm done. All she’s saying is, the story doesn’t have to end there. Willow says she told Wiley, new beginnings are always possible, and Sasha flashes back to Cody telling her that Gladys framed him. He says, even if she doesn’t believe that, at least she believes he’s not a thief, and he hopes someday she knows he’s the one telling her the truth. She tells Willow, he’s got a wise mommy, and Willow blows her a kiss.

Chase tells Michael that he’s going to check in on Brook, and see how Ned’s doing… or he could just text her, and avoid Tracy. Michael says, that’s not really Chase’s style though, is it? and Chase says, no. He has to face things head-on. He just doesn’t want Brook to have to run interference with Tracy. Then again, it might give her something to do to take her mind off her dad. Michael asks how Ned is doing, and Chase says, they were waiting for Dr. Ashford to wake him up from the induced coma. Brook brought Leo in to sit with him earlier. Michael says, tell Brook that he’s thinking about her, and Chase says, and send Willow his love. Michael says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he thinks Chase would be a great dad. Chase heads for the elevator.

Ned says, this is all a bit fuzzy, and TJ says, totally normal. Let’s start with this. What year is it? Ned says, 2023, and TJ asks where they are. Ned says, Port Charles, New York, and everyone gets all happy. TJ says, seems like you’re on your way to recovery, Ned. He gave them a scare though. Ned says, his name is not Ned. And he and I say it together… My name is Eddie Maine. The happiness gets sucked out of the room.

On Monday, Austin tells Ava, it might be time for a new nanny; Brook tells someone that they need to step up; Ned wonders what they’re talking about; and Nina tells Sonny, once you know, there’s no going back.

🎓 They Made It…

It’s matriculation time.

Soap Stars Celebrate the End of the School Year!

🏆 How To See Them…

You can still watch the Daytime Emmys even if you missed them tonight.

Daytime Emmys 2023: Everything You Need to Know

🥪 Magical Sandwiches…

Stassi gives us a tour of Something About Her.

https://pagesix.com/2023/06/13/stassi-schroeder-gives-look-inside-something-about-her-sandwich-shop/

VIDEO: Katie Maloney Takes Stassi Schroeder on Tour of Sandwich Shop, See New Pics and the “Magical” Something About Her

🍸 VanderHits Still Coming…

A million times hotter than Sandoval, who looks like a leftover beatnik from the 60s.

https://okmagazine.com/p/ariana-madix-new-boyfriend-daniel-wai-instagram-official-scandoval/

Again, when Jax is the voice of reason, we are living in Bizarro World.

https://okmagazine.com/p/jax-taylor-trolls-tom-sandoval-apart-inviting-brittany-cartwright-concert/

Eww.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/relationships/raquel-leviss-blasted-for-2013-post-about-making-your-ex-feel-uncomfortable-after-tom-sandoval-affair-not-much-has-changed/ar-AA1crJR1

At first I gave Schwartz credit.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1377111/where-tom-schwartz-stands-with-tom-sandoval-after-incredibly-messed-up-affair-with-raquel-leviss

And then I didn’t.

Tom Sandoval Addresses Ariana T-Shirt Comment Amid Backlash, Denies Body-Shaming Her, and Reacts to Claim Tom Schwartz is Done With Friendship, Plus When Raquel Will Leave Treatment

More about those not-so-secret revelations.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2023/06/14/vanderpump-rules-secrets-revealed-recap-tom-sandoval-raquel-leviss-lies-ariana-madix/70321716007/

Yeah, yeah. Hindsight is 20/20. I wouldn’t be so quick shame anyone for wanting a paycheck either. Still not loving Charli.

Charli Burnett: Why I Might Not Return to ‘Pump Rules’ After Scandoval

🍕 Just Another Juicy Joe…

I don’t believe for one second this guy’s on the up and up.

Margaret Josephs Thinks There’s Something ‘Strange’ About Luis Ruelas’ Finances

Teresa Giudice on Pizzagate: ‘I Was Doing What Luis Ruelas Told Me to Do’

This time she didn’t understand the question.

Andy Cohen Reveals PI Bo Dietl ‘Tracked Him Down’ & Shares His Text, Plus He Calls Part 3 of RHONJ Reunion “Upsetting” & “Shocking”

🎉 Juneteenth Is Bustin’ Out All Over…

Read all about it.

https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-juneteenth

Juneteenth.com

Home

🐖 Latest In Celebrity Fashion…

Pets never go out of style.

https://parade.com/celebrities/celebrity-pets-on-instagram

🐳 Quotes of the Week

I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. – John Burroughs

Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful. – Annette Funicello

For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. – Ralph Waldo Emerson (Uh-oh.)

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

We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future. – Steve Maraboli

Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant. — Robert Louis Stevenson

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

There’s a difference between undercooked and raw. – TomColicchio, Top Chef

There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. – Elie Wiesel

📼 Made You a Mixtape…

If you still believe in weekends, do something outside of your usual routine. Then meet me on Sunday for a little Dead and/or on Monday for the usual soap and a lotta Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay using your time wisely, since there’s a limited supply, and stay believing new beginnings are always possible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WFrnJydtQc

Feb16

February 15, 2023 – Trina Confronts Stella, Celebrating Not Being Open, Anniversary Preview, Possible Not Probable, Après Bowl Plus Puppy (!) & Girl

Posted on February 16, 2023 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Heather asks why Ryan wants to make a stop; he’s jonesing for a Slurpie? He says, hardly, and she says, this is about his precious Ava. He says, the heart wants what it wants, but she doesn’t think it’s his heart calling the shots. Get his head back in the game. The longer he dilly-dallies, the closer Detective Falconari and his girlfriend come to blowing them up.

Sam and Dante go back to their room, and Sam says, the barmaid knows more about Maggie than she’s letting on. They could be closer to finding Esme’s parents than they thought. He agrees, but thinks they shouldn’t get ahead of themselves. They have a hunch, but no proof. Sam thinks he should go to the pub and push the barmaid for more answers. He asks if she’s still feeling jet-lagged, and kisses her.

Maggie flips through Esme’s letters, and shoves them all in her bag. A man named Cyril comes in and asks for his usual lager, but she says, they’re closed. He says he’ll see her in the morning then, and she asks, when’s the next train to London? He says, the express leaves on the quarter hour, and asks if she’s going on holiday. She says, something like that.

Drew says, to the best of the best. Congratulations! The guests all raise their glasses, and say, to the best of the best. Curtis and Portia thank and hug Drew, and he says he meant every word. He announces, it’s the maid of honor’s turn next, and tells Trina to show herself, but Trina’s nowhere to be seen. Portia says she knows Trina was excited to give her toast, and wonders where she could be. Curtis suggests she didn’t know the toasts would be so soon, and says, she can give hers later. Portia says, every wedding has their hiccups, right? She guesses this is theirs. He asks if their hiccup wasn’t Aunt Stella taking a sick day, but she says, that was a hitch. He suggests they go with the flow, and she says, it is their day after all. Molly clinks her glass, and yells, kiss! and they oblige.

Stella asks if everything is all right, and Trina says, it’s fine. The wedding was beautiful, and everyone’s at the reception. She was really worried about Stella, and thought she must really be sick to miss the wedding. They come in, and Spencer asks if she’s feeling better. Trina says, nothing from room service, no boxes of tissues, no cough drops? and Stella says she may have exaggerated the state of her health somewhat. She just needed a quiet evening. Trina says, instead of a major family celebration? She doesn’t understand what would keep Stella from her mom and Curtis’s wedding.

Curtis says, they’ll pick up the speeches later. In the meantime, he encourages them to eat, drink, and be merry. Elizabeth asks to give a toast, and he gives her the mic, conceding to the lovely lady.

Sam asks if Dante is trying to distract her, but he says he’s just trying to collect his thoughts. Sam just told him to go back and hold the barmaid’s feet to the fire. She says she didn’t mean Dante should interrogate her. She only said, the barmaid knows more about Esme’s nanny than she’s letting on, and Dante says, it’s something they can do in the morning. Sam says, and give her time to warn the nanny? By that time, Maggie Fitzgerald could be off in the wind.

Maggie walks Cyril to the door, and tells him, get home safe. She turns the sign to closed, and looks out the window. She looks at her phone, and says, an hour before the train. She makes a call to pub owner Archie, and says she’s coming down with something terrible. Can he open up for her in the morning?… She can’t reschedule because she’s not going to be here. She slams the phone onto the bar.

Heather says she’s trying to save their little family from ruin, and Ryan is planning a rendezvous with that harlot? She grabs her Valentine, and says she’s taking this back. He says, her jealousy of Ava is getting old, and asks if she’s thought of deep breathing. She says, he wants her to meditate while those two nosybodies are on the hunt for Esme’s nanny? He says, they wouldn’t be on the hunt if she wasn’t so willing to talk to Dante, but she says, Dante gave her no choice. She was protecting Esme. While he sits lounging all day long, she’s doing all the work. He says he’s looking for his violin, and she asks, who broke out of prison? Who’s the one seeking retribution for everyone who wronged Esme? Who broke back into prison? He’s never once thanked her for all her hard work. She even let that perky, wannabe princess, Felicia, cozy up to her. He says, you what?

Elizabeth tells everyone to raise a glass to the happy couple, and they all say, to Portia and Curtis! Portia tells Marshall, what a wonderful speech that was (oops, I think I missed something), and he says, all these people express love and admiration for them both. Curtis says, they are blessed.

Josslyn tells Ava that she’s recording wedding messages for Portia and Curtis. Is there anything she wants to add? Ava says, get everything in writing, as she eats the olive from her martini. Josslyn says, what was that? and Ava says, may the road rise up to meet you. Josslyn moves on, and Sonny and Nina walk over. Nina says, at the risk of complementing her own hotel, everything is spectacular, and Ava says, to Nina and her classy hotel. Nina says, half the hotel, and says she’ll go get Sonny some more food. She leaves, and Ava says, she’s overcompensating, but Sonny says, she’s just worried for Willow, and doesn’t want to spoil the wedding. Ava says, it must be tough putting on a brave face. She’s proud of Nina. Sonny says, him too. He asks Ava to keep Nina distracted, and Ava says, will do. He says he appreciates her being such a good friend to Nina, and Nina brings back a plate for him. She asks if Elizabeth’s toast wasn’t sweet, and Ava says, sweet… saccharine, but nice. Sonny goes to see Laura, and Nina asks what Ava thought of Drew’s speech.

Sonny asks if he can sit with Laura, and she says, of course (🍷). It was a nice ceremony, right? He says, the officiant was top-rate, and she says, not too last minute? He says he doesn’t think anyone would know she didn’t have time to prepare, and she thanks him. She feels sorry for Stella; to come down ill in the eleventh hour? He asks if Laura thinks she’s all right, and Laura says she hopes so.

Molly says, will Portia look at that cake just dying to be eaten? and TJ says she’s been eyeing the cake since they got here. Marshall says, she’s not the only one, and Curtis guesses this is their cue.

Stella tells Trina, there was a good reason she wasn’t at the wedding; a reason her mother would understand. Trina says, but Stella didn’t tell her the reason. She said she was sick. Stella says she hated lying, but she didn’t want to make Portia’s day about her, and Trina says, her mom is worried about Stella. Why would she understand Stella’s absence? Did they talk about something when they picked up their dresses? Otherwise, she doesn’t understand. Stella says, it’s not for her to understand, then apologizes, saying, that didn’t come out right. She just didn’t want to complicate things. She knows how difficult it is planning a wedding. That’s why she asked Laura to take her place. One less thing for Curtis and Portia to worry about. Trina says, that still doesn’t explain why Stella wouldn’t perform the ceremony. What is Stella not telling her? Spencer says, in his experience, the longer secrets are kept, the more damage they do, and Stella says, with all due respect to his experience, this is a family matter, and the last time she checked, he’s not family. He says, she’s right, and apologizes. Trina says, but she’s family now, right? and Stella says she is. She wanted to be there, but simply couldn’t in good conscience.

Curtis and Portia cut the cake, and everyone applauds. She tells him if he smears cake in her face, he’ll live to regret it, but he says he wouldn’t dream of it. He feeds her a tiny piece, and asks if she still wants to be his wife. She says, that’s all she wants. Marshall steps away, and TJ asks if everything is okay with him. Marshall says he wishes he could do more to show how much he loves them. TJ says, Uncle Curtis knows, and being here is the best possible gift. Josslyn asks to borrow TJ, and TJ tells Marshall, try not to worry so much. Promise. Marshall says, hell to the no, and TJ says he loves Marshall. They hug, and Marshall says he loves TJ more. TJ leaves, and Marshall takes a clarinet reed out of his pocket.

Josslyn films, and TJ says, welcome to the family, Portia. Molly tells him not to forget about Trina, and he says, Trina, you have always felt like family; now it’s just official. Step-cousin doesn’t do it justice; he sees her as a sister. Molly tears up, and he tells her, this is a happy occasion. She says she is happy.

Ava says she thought the speech was very nice, but Nina says, Ava doesn’t want to hear what she thinks of Drew. Ava says, now she does, and Nina says, he and Carly are involved, and they’re trying to hide it for some reason. Since Carly doesn’t do anything without an agenda, she’s sure the reasons are less than legitimate.

Sonny asks if Laura saw the smile on Spencer’s face when he saw Trina; like the weight of the world was off his shoulders. Laura says, she brings out the best in him. He needs that now more than ever. Sonny says, little chance he’s going to get that from Nikolas, and Laura looks over at Ava.

Ava tells Nina, who knows why Carly and Drew are keeping things quiet? Their reasons might not make sense to anybody but the two of them, but she’s clearly no expert in relationships.

Ryan says, you idiot. Heather knows better than to play games with Felicia Scorpio. She asks if he just called her an idiot, and he says, if the shoe fits. She says, he was with her when Felicia came here with her hubby, threatening to send them both back to D’Archam. It’s not like they were having tea and crumpets. He says, and Heather hasn’t seen her since? and she says, no. The brothers Scorpio ganged up on her when she had her physical at GH, again threatening to send her back to D’Archam. But since of course (🍷) she’d prefer Spring Ridge as her base of operations, she told them that she’d get some useful tidbits about Ryan’s relationship with Esme, which would prove of course (🍷) she’s the one who killed their boy in blue, Officer Cabrera. He asks what she told them, and she says, nothing useful. She was just stringing them along, and protecting him in the meantime. He’s welcome. He says he doesn’t need protection. She knows what he’s capable of. She says, maybe back in the day, but he’s not exactly in practice. He’s not much more than a piece of furniture. He laughs, then grabs her by the hair and slams her against the wall. He puts the knife to her throat, and says, think again. She says, he’s back, ladies and gentlemen. The Ryan Chamberlain we all know and love. The Ryan Chamberlain we need. Just get himself ready to act. She feels it in her bones; the hour is nigh. She opens the door, and says, just in case he feels like exercising his legs tonight… She puts her piece of gum in the door frame to prevent it locking, says, feel free, and closes the door.

Esme reads about bedtime routines for the baby, and says, spend time in the rocking chair. She puts the book down and gets up. Heather tells her not to sweat it. Baby books are for suckers. You know more than you think you do; Dr. Spock. He was the foremost pediatrician of the twentieth century, and a very wise man. Esme says, that may be, but she’s in prison. There aren’t exactly any rocking chairs in here. She doesn’t know what’s going to happen to them. Heather tells her that she doesn’t have to worry about a thing. Everything’s going to be taken care of. Esme asks what that means.

Dante says, Sam might have a point. Who is that barmaid anyway? She says, exactly. They just happened upon the pub and thought she was someone local, but what if she knows more about Maggie than she’s letting on? Dante says, Sam’s not going to let this go, and she says, not a chance.

Maggie pours herself a drink, looks at her phone, and says, come on. She drains the glass, and takes some cash from the register, saying, sorry, Archie. She stuffs it into her bag.

Finn tells Elizabeth that her toast was beautiful, and she says she meant every word. When she was speaking, it suddenly hit her; what if this was her last chance to tell everybody how she feels?

Josslyn asks if Marshall wants to say anything for the wedding video, and he says he’ll try. It’s been his pleasure… no. It’s been his honor to… He’s sorry. He’s not good at speeches. Drew comes along, and says, Marshall will say something later with the band backing him up. Marshall says, right.

Laura says, it means the world to her that Spencer still has Sonny in his life, and he says, Spencer’s all he’s got left of his sister. He loves that kid. Laura wishes Spencer could have that kind of closeness with his father.

Nina says she’s sorry. Here they are at a wedding, and Ava just finalized her divorce. Ava says, Nikolas should have never come back to Port Charles. They’d all be better off.

Portia tells Curtis that Trina isn’t responding to her calls or texts. She’s officially getting worried. Where is she? He says he’ll go look, but she says she’s probably just overreacting. Besides, he’s the man of the hour. He can’t just disappear too. Josslyn comes by, and Portia asks if she’s seen Trina. Josslyn says, Trina texted earlier that she and Spencer needed some air. She’s sorry. She should have told Portia that before. She moves along, and Curtis says, see? She’s fine.

Trina says, good conscience? What does her mom marrying Curtis have to do with Stella’s conscience? Stella says, Trina may be too young to understand this, but as you get older, there are some things you just don’t say. You equivocate, because you want everybody to get along. Most important, you don’t want to hurt anyone. And all that stuff you didn’t say, catches up with you. Trina wonders what Stella hasn’t said, and asks if she’s upset that Portia had an affair with Curtis. That was twenty years ago. Or does she think because Portia cheated on her dad, she’ll cheat on Curtis? Come on, Trina, do the math.

Drew asks if Marshall is ready, and Marshall says, Drew should tell everyone that he’s a little rusty and they shouldn’t expect anything. Drew says he’s going to introduce Marshall, Marshall is going to walk out on stage, and he’s going to play because he’s a pro. He’s got this. Marshall says, right, and Drew says, all right, everybody. He asks if the band doesn’t sound fantastic, and everyone applauds. He asks if they’ve ever wondered where Curtis gets him impeccable style, rhythm, and charm. It’s his great pleasure to introduce the father of the groom. Put their hands together for Marshall Ashford. Marshall comes out to applause, hoots, and whistles, and Curtis wonders if Portia knew about this, but she says she’s just as surprised as he is. Marshall thanks everyone, and says he wants to dedicate this song to his son and his lovely wife. He plays as the band backs him up. If that’s not him really playing, he’s doing a good imitation. I used to play sax; same thing.

Dante asks if Sam doesn’t want to go back to the pub with him, but she thinks the barmaid would be more willing to talk without her there. She’s going to be busy cyber-sleuthing the local school areas. Maybe Maggie was a third grade teacher or something. He says he respects her and her doing this, and kisses her. She tells him, cheerio, and he says, cheerio, my lady, and leaves.

Esme asks what Heather means by it will all be taken care of, and Heather says, she needs to relax. The baby hormones are driving her a little crazy, aren’t they? She just meant, it will all work out, and Esme asks how she knows that. Heather says, her baby daddy is very rich. He’s not going to let her languish in here, or his baby. The guard tells them, five minutes to lights out. Time to get back to their cellblocks. Heather says she’ll take Esme back to her room. She’ll even show her a shortcut.

Marshall finishes playing, and everyone applauds. Curtis says, wow, with tears in his eyes.

Stella says, it’s not about Portia’s affair with Curtis, and Trina says, but that’s part of it. Stella says she’s sure Trina knows she kept a secret from Curtis, and it almost ruined their relationship. Curtis spent 40 years without a father, and her silence was part of the reason. That experience changed her, and she won’t keep a secret like that ever again. Spencer thinks he should leave, but Trina asks him to stay. She’s kind of freaking out. Is there something her mom doesn’t know about Curtis?

Portia thanks Sterling and Zeke for coming, and Sterling says, thank her groom. Zeke says, Curtis made all the arrangements, and Curtis says, they still had to show up. Sterling says, they wouldn’t have missed it for the world. It’s wonderful to see Portia so happy. Zeke is sorry he didn’t get to see more of his niece; it’s so weird. Portia says, she’s off with a friend, and Zeke says, instead of with her mother on her wedding day? but Sterling tells him to go easy on his granddaughter. You’re only young once. They hug Portia and Curtis, and leave.

Stella says, there’s something Portia needs to tell Curtis, and needs to tell Trina too. Trina deserves to know the truth. Trina asks why Stella can’t tell her, and Stella says, even though she’s family now, it’s not her place. The truth is going to be hard for Trina to hear, but she believes Trina will be better off for it, and she trusts Spencer will look after his friend. He says, yes, ma’am, and she hugs Trina, saying, she’s a strong, young woman. She believes Trina is going to make it through. Trina and Spencer leave, and in the hallway, he asks, what was that about? She says she has no idea, but she’s going to find out.

Sam looks at her tablet, and says, come on, Maggie Fitzgerald. What happened? Did you marry? Did you change your name? What am I looking… There’s a knock at the door, and it’s the B&B manager, Miss Buxley. She asks if she can come in, and Sam says, of course (🍷). Miss Buxley says she forgot to ask at check-in if they preferred coffee or tea at breakfast, and Sam says, coffee… Is there something else? Miss Buxley says she noticed Dante went out again. It’s none of her business, but the village closes early, and he’ll be disappointed if he went sightseeing. Sam says, Dante likes to take long walks at night; it helps him sleep. Miss Buxley starts to leave, and Sam asks if she’s been in this village long. Miss Buxley says, her entire life, and Sam says she’s sure Miss Buxley knows practically everyone. Miss Buxley says, indeed she does, and Sam says, and she doesn’t miss much. Miss Buxley says she supposes she’s more observant than most, and Sam wonders if she’d mind if she asks a few questions.

Esme asks where Heather is taking her, and Heather says, she’ll see. A guard comes out, and asks what they’re doing here. Esme asks what Heather has gotten her into.

Stella asks the Lord if she did the right thing. Please tell her that she didn’t destroy her family.

Miss Buxley says she’ll help if she can, and Sam thanks her. Sam says, she and her partner are looking for a Maggie Fitzgerald, but Miss Buxley says she’s sorry. She is observant, but not terribly good with names. Sam asks if she knows of a woman in the village who may have worked as a nanny or possibly a schoolteacher, and Miss Buxley thinks a moment, then says she believes the barmaid at the pub once worked with children. Sam asks if she’s talking about the tall woman with curly red hair, and Miss Buxley says, that’s her. She worked as a nanny in America. Her name’s Margaret. Is that the one Sam’s looking for?

Dressed to go out, Maggie wheels her suitcase through the pub. She turns out the lights, and opens the door. Dante is there.

Josslyn offers to look for Trina, but Portia suggests she throw the bouquet. She doesn’t want Trina to catch it anyway. Josslyn announces that the bride is ready to throw her bouquet, and tells the women to get on the floor and take their chances. Sonny sees Ava putting on her coat, and he says, she’s not going for the bouquet? She says she’d rather crawl over broken glass, and he says, she’s not the only one leaving early. They see Laura go out the door, and Sonny says, Nikolas isn’t taking her calls, and she’s worried. The way he feels, he wouldn’t care for one second if he never saw Nikolas again.

Heather apologizes to the guard, and says, they just got turned around. Esme says, Heather told her this was a shortcut to her cell, and the guard says he’s escorting Heather back. He grabs her arm, and a set of keys falls to the ground. He asks where she got them, and she says she found them in the dayroom. Are they important? He says, don’t move, when Ryan puts a knife in his back. He says, hi, Esme. Road trip?

Terry tells Portia to toss the bouquet already. She’s not getting any younger. Portia turns around, and there’s a drumroll. She throws the bouquet, and it goes over everyone, landing on the floor in front of Trina, who’s just walked in with Spencer. Portia says, they’ve been trying to find Trina, and Trina says, and she’s been trying to find answers. Curtis looks at Portia.

Tomorrow, Sonny asks, who’s buying what Pikeman is selling; Ava says, no more putting this off; and Trina asks what Portia is keeping from her.

Vanderpump Rules

It was two days before Schwartz & Sandy’s Daily Mail party to promote the restaurant, and the Toms’ partner Greg was concerned since they had no chef or staff. As usual, the boys were on top of the important stuff. They interviewed servers, and while Sandoval wanted those who could handle stress and had experience, Schwartz said he’d take personality over experience. Sandoval said they had yet to impress Greg, who was a hard-ass. Translation: Greg actually wants them to work and get sh*t done. Raquel went out with Peter for lunch, and in her interview, she said, some part of her was still holding on to the relationship with James. She didn’t know if she was into Peter, but said, your tastebuds change every five years. Maybe your taste in men does too. Um… I don’t think it works that way. She told Peter she’d been on an all-carb diet since after the Miss California pageant. We saw clips from that, and she said she placed in the top 15. It was heartbreaking, since it was her last pageant, as the top age to compete was 27, and it had sent her into a deep depression. She started crying at the table, and it reminded me of when I went on a class trip to Russia in high school. One of the girls was bawling because she hadn’t been prom queen. Like anyone cares about this stuff 15 minutes afterward. I felt bad for her, but only because I couldn’t fathom something like that being important enough to cry over while on an amazing trip. In Raquel’s interview, she said she hadn’t broken free of the relationship, and was figuring out who she was. She told Peter that she’d used James as a crutch, and was now on her own. She loved it, but it was expensive. Katie and Lala went for a spray tan, and Lala said she wasn’t in a place to practice compassion and forgiveness. She wanted to feel safe again, and it had to be enough not to drink. In Lala’s interview, she said, when she found out about Randall, she went into fight mode. Just existing and not picking up a drink had to be good enough. She needed any extra energy for her kid.

In Ariana’s interview, she said her love language was quality time. These days, the quality time she and Sandoval had was collapsing in bed and passing out. Lala visited Lisa at Villa Rosa, and said she felt happy, but also felt the weight of the custody battle. It was more disturbing with every person who talked to her about Randall. Lisa wondered why Lala hadn’t seen red flags early on, and in Lisa’s interview, she said she thought Lala had been blind, and she’d persuaded herself that the relationship was what she wanted it to be. Someone waving a red flag was doing you a favor. In Lala’s interview, she said she should have listened to what people were telling her, but if she had, she woudn’t have Ocean, who was the only reason she wasn’t banging her head against a wall. Lisa said, Randall had wanted to see her, but she nixed that idea, and Lala said, the girlfriend Randall took up with when she was pregnant had moved in two days after she left. Ugh. That guy is such a troll, inside and out. I can’t imagine anyone’s wallet being that attractive. And that’s not a euphemism. I can’t think of any other reason anyone would want to be with him.

Raquel’s dog Graham did not want cheese, and I wasn’t surprised when she said he didn’t feel good, since cheese is the universal love language in the animal world. In Raquel’s interview, she said she’d recently learned, to make a clean break, boundaries were needed. That meant James could no longer see Graham. I’m no James fan, but that seems like cruel and unusual punishment. Scheana and Ariana came over to see Raquel’s new and fabulous apartment, and Ariana mentioned that Raquel had been making out with Peter when she was drunk. Raquel said she didn’t remember, and Ariana said she thought Peter had feelings for Raquel. In Ariana’s interview, she said, Raquel was free now, and should run like Forrest Gump. In Sandoval’s interview, he said he understood the strain of opening a venue, and was grateful that Ariana had stayed by his side. We flashed back to Greg saying that opening a business could destroy a marriage, and Sandoval said he hoped if they made things look good enough at Schwartz & Sandy’s, no one would notice they were held together by duct tape and hope. James and Ally went out to lunch, and James said he’d felt weird about Raquel seeing Peter. He’d been pissed, but he was over it, and had no anger. He was in a good place. In Ally’s interview, she said she thought the relationship got serious a little quick. He ate food from her mouth which totally grossed me out.

Katie said she was trying to be excited for Schwartz, but had a complicated history with the bar. James arrived early to the party, saying, he brought the funk, and the Toms gave him cases of toilet paper to sit on for nostalgia purposes. We flashed back to his first DJ gig in 2018. In Lala’s interview, she said, Schwartz was on her sh*tlist, but she liked Sandoval, and appreciated hard work. She wasn’t shocked that it looked amazing, but was aware that it was a party to celebrate that they’re not open yet. Lisa came with Ken and Puffy (!), and in her interview, she said, a lot of good music had been created on mushrooms. Apparently restaurants could be too. She asked how James felt about Raquel dating Peter, but Ally said, Raquel just made out with Peter when she was drunk. Peter went to get Raquel a drink, and Raquel told Scheana that it was awkward, and she knew it wasn’t going anywhere. Scheana said she was going to make herself scarce, and Raquel needed to tell Peter how she felt. I actually think Peter is the only promising guy in this bunch, but he’s a bit mature for someone who’s weeping over losing a pageant.

Lisa told Peter that it wasn’t 2012, and he couldn’t be shagging employees. In Lisa’s interview, she said, in the enlightened time of metoo, an employee underneath a manager could no longer literally be underneath a manager. It would be like her shagging Andy, which was a really poor example. Even a producer said, that wouldn’t be happening for other reasons. Raquel asked to have some real talk with Peter, and told him that she didn’t see a future between them. She wanted to break things off now before it became complicated. Peter flashed back to what Lisa told him, and agreed. In Raquel’s interview, she said she was under the impression Peter was more into her, and her feelings were hurt. Apparently, there’s no pleasing some people. She told Peter that he’d consolidated [sic] her when times were tough, and he said, she meant consoled. Yeah, maybe Lala was right the first time, and she is stupid. Scheana asked Schwartz to be on her podcast, and in her interview, she said, all of her friends had been on, but she’d never interviewed Schwartz solo. She told him that he had to get himself out there again, but he said, the thought of going on a date still felt like cheating. Sandoval passed out shots in chocolate shot glasses, and I yawned, since I used those a million years ago at parties. Lisa talked to Greg, who said, trying to get everyone on the same page was exhausting. It wasn’t about bullsh*t. Lisa told him, that’s where the Toms’ strength lies, and he said he didn’t realize how big of a learning curve they needed. They knew nothing about business. Again, why am I not on TV and making millions?

Greg told Lisa, every day they didn’t open, they lost $1000, and we flashed back to Sandoval and his many, many, many ideas for the bar. Lisa said she was happy Greg had adopted her children, and he asked if he could give them back. Katie told Schwartz that the place had good vibes; he’d worked hard. Schwartz said, no amount of success could replace not being there for his family and Katie. He’d been sucked into a parallel universe. Katie said, it broke them, and he said he didn’t want her to think he’d chosen the place over her, but she said he never chose her. Even when she had his back, he never took her side of any argument or conflict. In Katie’s interview, she said, the other woman in their marriage had been the bar, and now she was standing inside her. She told Schwartz that she’d chosen to ignore or try to live with what wasn’t okay. Schwartz said he was trying not to beat himself up about it, but he was self-aware. Ha-ha! Doubtful. He’s not even not-self aware. In Schwartz’s interview, tears streaked his face as he talked about watching The Notebook, and Ryan Gosling saying, it’s still not over. He thought, maybe he should have had more of that, and sometimes asked himself if it was worth it.

Next time, Lala goes on a double-date with Katie; Raquel asks James how many times he had sex with Lala when they were together; Scheana grills Schwartz about making out with Raquel at Coachella; and Ariana tells Katie that she’s left holding the bag while Schwartz looks like the nice guy.

🚑 Sneaky Peek…

Hard to believe it’s been on 60 years. When they talk about the longest running TV show, it’s always about prime time. GH should be given a medal for outlasting, outwitting, and outplaying when most of the other soaps were getting the ax.

A Sneak Peak at GENERAL HOSPITAL’s 60th Anniversary Cast Photo!

💎 VanderReturn…

I wish, but I think it’s doubtful. And why should she waste her time? They should bring back Overserved. That was the best.

https://extratv.com/2023/02/09/lisa-vanderpump-on-rhobh-return-rumors-and-lisa-rinna-s-exit-exclusive/

🏈 After the Bowl Is Over…

The commercials. The good, the bad, and the WTF?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/super-bowl-2023-commercials-best-and-worst/

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/best-and-worst-super-bowl-commercials-2023-1234678821/

Rihanna’s bump.

https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/parenting/rihanna-performance-pregnancy/

The movie trailers.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/super-bowl-2023-new-trailers-movie-tv-marvel-dc

The National Anthem.

https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/babyface-america-the-beautiful-2023-super-bowl-1235252492/

And while this article technically came out before the Bowl, I could not resist including this little nugget of a pup.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/2023/02/12/puppy-bowl-2023-joey-two-legged-dog/11236954002/

🎈 Love Has Left the Air…

Come set a spell tomorrow for soap and tea with a dash of a tune. Until then, stay safe, (which has so many more meanings now), stay straight up, so you’ll never have to keep your story straight, and in the same vein, stay not keeping big secrets. The longer secrets are kept, the more damage they do.

Jun28

June 27, 2022 – The Merger Is Officially Dead, Keep Writing, West Review, Deck Tomorrow & Parade

Posted on June 28, 2022 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Valentin says, as CEO, he will now address new business, namely the merger between Aurora and ELQ… is not happening. Shall they have a show of hands to make it unanimous?

At Kelly’s, Brook tells Chase, this is possibly the longest she’s ever gone without speaking in her life. He hasn’t said a word since he walked out of Jordan’s office. It reminds her of the times she messed up. Her dad would bring her into the study, and it’s not like he would yell and scream at her. That wouldn’t have been so bad, but he’d give her this look of disappointment, and it was the absolute worst. Is that what it was like with Jordan? Funny, since when Jordan said she was disappointed in Chase, I thought she was playing the parent card. Chase doesn’t say anything, and Brook takes his hand and tells him, whatever Jordan said, whatever’s happening, he’s not alone. She’s here. Please talk to her.

Sonny comes to the garage, and says hi to Brando. He says, he’d give Brando a hug, but doesn’t want to touch him with that grease all over his hands. They laugh, and Brando asks, what brings Sonny by? Sonny says, Brando did such an excellent job refurbishing his Camaro, he brought Brando his vintage Corvette, so he can give it some tender loving care. Brando says he’s happy to help out, as long as Sonny knows vintage cars take a little more time. It’s not impossible, but it’s pretty close. Dex comes in, and Sonny says, see what he’s talking about? His cousin Brando is going to make his ’61 Corvette purr. Dex says, yes, sir, if you say so, and Brando asks what that’s supposed to mean.

The pool guy adjusts a chaise, and tells Nina that it should give her the exact angle of sun she wanted. She thanks him, slipping him a few bucks, and he asks if there’s anything else he can get for her. Olivia strides over, and says, as a matter-of-fact, there is. He can show Nina to the nearest exit.

Josslyn and Bobbie meet Carly at the MetroCourt Garden, and she thinks them for showing up. Bobbie asks if there’s something wrong; Carly’s text sounded urgent. Carly says, everything is great, and Josslyn asks if they shouldn’t have included Michael in this little get together. Carly says, Michael is busy at this very moment. He and Drew have teamed up to make sure this family’s future is going to be brighter than ever.

Drew tells Valentin, don’t push it, and Valentin says, calm down. Willow says she doesn’t understand; how could this happen? Lucy says, maybe it’s important to remember that what just happened wasn’t really personal. It’s just business. Michael says, she’s wrong. This isn’t about business; it’s about blood.

Chase says, you know that disappointed look Brook’s father used to give her? Amplify that by a thousand. That’s what it was like sitting across the desk from the Commissioner. Brook says she knows Jordan cares about Chase, and Chase agrees she does, and he let her down – again. You’d think he’d have learned his lesson when he punched Valentin. She says, Jordan’s got to know he got caught up in the heat of the moment, defending her about Bailey. Plus, he put his time in with his punishment. He says he must be a glutton for punishment, since he took a swing at her former manager, and she says, he barely touched Linc, and Linc flopped over like a soccer star. If the DA decides to prosecute him… He says, Linc agreed not to press charges, and she says, he did? He made her believe the complete opposite. Why didn’t Chase say something? His problems are over. He says, no. His problems are just beginning.

Sonny says, it’s pretty obvious Brando and Dex don’t like each other, and while he appreciates they have his best interests at heart, he doesn’t want any competition. He tells Dex that his cousin Brando is family, and tells Brando that Dex is new; learning the ropes. He’s done a good job so far at driving. Dex says he can do a lot more. All he needs is a chance. Sonny says, he’s getting a chance right now, but Dex has to trust that Sonny will bring him in at his pace. Sonny checks for his sunglasses, and asks Dex if he minds. Dex says he’s on it, and leaves. Sonny says, it’s clear Brando doesn’t trust Dex, and Brando says, after the way Dex went after Michael, does Sonny trust him?

Nina compliments Olivia on her pool staff’s incredible manners, and suggest she take lessons from her waiter. Olivia tells pool guy that she’ll handle this, and he leaves. She tells Nina, this may be the nicest pool in town, but it’s not the only one. So she has to wonder, why is Nina choosing to be somewhere she’s not wanted? Nina asks if she needs to remind Olivia that the Crimson offices are in this building, and she runs up a sizeable tab when she meets someone in their restaurant for business, which is exactly what she’s doing today. Olivia says, cut the crap. Nina knows she’s here to stick it to Carly, who’s not only her business partner, but who happens to be one of her best friends, so if she were Nina… Sasha joins them, and says she invited Nina. So if Nina isn’t wanted here, neither is she.

Carly tells Bobbie and Josslyn, the Quartermaines are going to vote Valentin out, and Michael and Drew are going to take over as co-CEOs. Josslyn says, okay, but if Michael and Drew are both at ELQ, what happens with Aurora? Carly says, ELQ and Aurora are going to merge, which not only gives ELQ media presence, it gives Drew a majority share, and bigger and better ELQ means Valentin can’t engineer another takeover. Josslyn says, and since Carly just made a pretty big investment in Aurora… Carly says, rumors that ELQ and Aurora might merge have sent Aurora’s stocks skyrocketing, so she can’t wait for it to actually happen. Bobbie says she takes it Carly will have done very well for herself, and Carly says, very, but you know what? The money’s great, but that’s not why she’s smiling. She’s happy that Drew and Michael are going to be working together. Josslyn says she’s happy for both of them too, but especially for Michael. After that nightmare of a trial with Nina (um… it was a hearing, not a trial), and the way Sonny treated him… She’s sorry. Carly says, don’t be. That trial was joke, and she’s just glad the judge could see that. Michael deserves a win (again, it was a hearing, and Michael did win), and so does Drew. She’s just happy she could help a little. Bobbie says, a lot, and Carly says, it’s money well spent, and she couldn’t be prouder or more hopeful for the future.

Michael says, this is twice Valentin has used the family against itself. The first time, he maneuvered Brook out of her stock, so tell him, what did he do to bring Ned over to his side? Valentin says, Michael and Drew took their best shot, and it was not good enough. So as Lucy so wisely pointed out when casting the deciding vote, it’s time to think of the good of the company, and to that end, he proposes they name Ned new Chairman of the Board. Lucy seconds the motion, and tells Willow, maybe this is a good time to help Michael see this is the only and best way to keep the family involved. Willow asks if that’s how Lucy rationalizes it, but Ned says, Lucy doesn’t need to rationalize anything. He believes there’s a motion on the floor, and he, Valentin, and Lucy raise their hands. Drew looks at Michael, and says, in the spirit of family unity, and raises his hand. Ned says, then he accepts, and Valentin says, let’s shake on it. He and Ned shake hands, and Valentin says, to the dawning of a new era of cooperation and prosperity. He tells Lucy, let’s document this historical moment, and she takes photo of him and Ned with her phone.

Chase says, as for his prior violation, his suspension has been extended, and Brook asks, for how long? He says, indefinitely, without pay, and she says, that’s not fair. If Linc’s not pressing charges, what’s the problem? He says, it’s not a legal matter. It’s for them to decide whether he’s fit to carry a badge again or not. She asks, who decides that? and he says he has to face the Civilian Review Board, and they decide whether he can go back on the force, or if he needs to find a new career. She says, a bunch of strangers get to decide whether he’s worthy of being a cop? and he says he was thinking about saving them the trouble… but she says, don’t say it. Don’t even think it. He’s not resigning. It’s not like he just went into bars and started random brawls. Both times, he was defending her. She’ll fix this. She’ll go to Linc, and she’ll get him to go in front of the Review Board, and tell them it was a misunderstanding; that Chase was just stopping him from embarrassing himself with her, and he’s grateful. Chase says, they both know Linc’s not a good guy. Why would he do that? She says, because Linc’s still really interested in her as a songwriter. She’ll go back to him and sign a contract. She’ll write as many songs as he wants, and he can keep the profits. He can use all her songs for dog food commercials for all she cares. She’ll do whatever it takes to get him out of this.

Nina thanks Sasha for sticking up for her, and says, whether Olivia wants to believe this or not, she’s not here to make trouble. Olivia says, for someone so well-intentioned, it’s astonishing how trouble just seems to find Nina. Babies get kidnapped, pregnancies get induced, and men wander around for months not knowing who they are. Loving parents get dragged into court, and none of it is her responsibility. Sasha asks if Olivia could send someone to get them two ice teas. She and Nina need to discuss her upcoming appearance on the Home and Heart Shopping Channel. Olivia says, of course (🍷). She would just tell Sasha to proceed with caution. She would hate for Sasha to be the next person Nina never intended to make trouble for. I guess Olivia forgot that Sasha was the one who made trouble for Nina, but okay. On her way out, Olivia tells pool guy, two ice teas, lots of lemon. Nina says she owes Sasha, but Sasha says, not half as much as she owes Nina. Nina asks how Sasha is doing, and Sasha says she’s not quite sure where to start; the accident that killed Willow’s mom, or Gladys moving in with them. Nina asks if she’s okay, and Sasha asks, is she? Nina says, Olivia’s tirades are no fun, but she’s heard worse. Sasha says she’s not referring to Olivia. She knows the judge denied Nina visitation with Wiley. She’s so sorry. They sit, and Nina says, the judge’s ruling was heartbreaking, and the whole hearing was surreal. Scotty warned her that Michael and Willow were going to attack her character, so she agreed to let Scotty attack them, but she didn’t know how far he was going to go. If Michael and Willow didn’t hate her before, they definitely do now. Sasha says she’s sure they just need some time, but Nina says, after the judge denied her petition, she literally begged Willow to let her spend time with Wiley, any time, even supervised visits, but she refused. She made it very clear there was no path forward, and Nina was devastated. She even thought about leaving Port Charles. Sasha asks, what stopped her? Or should she say, who stopped her?

Sonny tells Brando, Dex going after Michael was a mistake. They had a talk… Actually, no; he talked, Dex listened. Dex understands, no matter how Sonny’s family feels about him right now, anybody goes after his family, targets them or tries to hurt them, he will not tolerate that; no matter if they’re trying to help him or not. Brando asks if Sonny is sure Dex got the message, and Sonny says he knows Dex is headstrong. He was the same way; he wanted to prove himself when he was young. Brando says, Sonny made his point. Are things any better with him and Michael? Sonny says, no, they’re worse. Michael knows how he operates his coffee business, and Michael is using that to undermine him. Brando says, let him reach out to Michael, and help end this feud, and Sonny says, he appreciates that, but Michael made it clear that he wants nothing do with him.

Carly says she couldn’t be prouder of Michael, especially after everything he’s been through. Bobbie says she can’t believe what happened at the hearing (thank you). She didn’t want to get into it with Scotty at the game, because it wasn’t the time or place, but a reckoning is coming, and Scotty is going to hear exactly what she thinks about him trying to imply her grandson is violent against women. Carly says, he didn’t imply it; he straight out said it. He attacked Michael on the stand, and Michael kept his composure. Josslyn says, that’s impressive. She would have jumped down from the stand, and punched Scotty in the face. Bobbie says, back in the day, she would have too, but Michael handled it the right way. Carly says, he did. He kept his cool, and didn’t bite the bait from Scotty. Josslyn asks where Carly thinks that comes from. How was Michael able to stay so calm and cold? Carly says, Jason was like that. It must be somewhere in the Quartermaine gene pool. Come to think of it, Drew is like that too. Josslyn says, Drew is so warm and friendly. Not that Jason wasn’t warm and friendly – they laugh – but she thinks Drew is a little more… accessible. Carly says, accessible and successful, now that he’ll be running ELQ. Josslyn says she’s so proud of Carly; she backed them. Carly thanks her, and says she’s a little proud of herself too.

Valentin asks Lucy to send him the photos of him and Ned shaking hands. He wants them to remember this great day. Michael says, some of them don’t need a reminder, and Valentin says, if there’s nothing further on the agenda, this meeting is adjourned. Willow tells Michael, there has to be something they can do. Let’s call Diane. Ned says, Diane can’t do anything, and Michael tells her, just forget it. It’s just Quartermaine in-fighting, business as usual. Willow says, it doesn’t seem that way to her, and Michael says, trust him. She doesn’t want to stick around for the fallout. He suggests she go to the pool and catch some sun; they’ll meet up later. She asks if he’s sure, and he says, he’d feel better knowing she’s enjoying herself. Lucy says she can give Willow a ride, but Drew says he’s guessing Willow doesn’t want any favors from her, since Willow can’t speak up for herself. Geez, Drew. Willow stomps out, and Lucy says she knows they’re really, really angry at her, but better the devil you already know, right? Another Quartermaine, Lila, would really enjoy seeing them work together against one, then always see them fighting among themselves. Drew tells her to quit while she’s ahead, and she starts to say something more, but decides better of it, and leaves. Ned says he’ll walk Valentin to his car, but Valentin says, that’s okay; he knows the way. He leaves, and Ned closes the doors. In the foyer, Valentin calls Martin. He says, they did it. He’s sending Martin a photo of the CEO and new Chairman of the Board of ELQ. He wants it in all the financial publications from here to Hong Kong, and cc the obituary columns. The merger between Aurora Media and ELQ is officially dead.

Chase says, it was a very generous offer, but he can’t let Brook do it. She says, she wants to, but he says, Linc already owns a catalog of her music. The last thing she wants to do is give him more. She’s free of the guy; stay that way. She says, he could lose his badge because of her, and she knows how much his job means to him. He says, something else means more to him… Doesn’t she have a family meeting to get to? She says she doesn’t get a vote, so it doesn’t matter if she’s there or not, and he says he thought she wanted Valentin gone. She says she does, and he says, so go help her dad save the family business. Don’t worry about him. She says she doesn’t want to leave him alone, but he says, he’s okay; he’ll be fine. She leaves, and outside, she phones someone, saying, she needs their help.

Nina tells Sasha, when the judge ruled against her, and Willow shut her down, she didn’t know where to go; she was lost. So she went to Nelle’s grave to apologize to her for letting her down. She missed the chance to help Nelle when she was alive, and missed the chance to bond with her son. She doesn’t know how, but her half-heart necklace came loose, and she lost it. She didn’t realize until she was in the car on the way to the airport and she can’t go anywhere without the necklace; it’s her last link to her daughter. When she came back to get it, Sonny was there. Sasha says, he was looking for Nina? and Nina says, yeah. Sasha says, so Sonny asked her not to leave town? and Nina says, sort of. Not for his sake, or hers, but for Wiley. He said if she ever hoped to be in that little boy’s life, she couldn’t run away. Sasha tells her, she can just hear him say that. She’ll never forget how Sonny came to see her at the hospital when she and Brando faced letting Liam go. He knew just the right thing to say. Nina takes Sasha’s hand, and Sasha asks if Nina is sure Sonny isn’t part of the reason she didn’t leave.

Willow is on her way to the pool when she runs into Olivia, and Olivia asks how the EKQ meeting went. Did Valentin get the boot? Willow says, Olivia better ask Ned about that, and Olivia says, no, and runs out.

Michael says, Chairman of the Board; it’s impressive. Ned says, if Michael is expecting an apology, it’s not happening. Because whether they want to admit it or not, ELQ has thrived under Valentin. His decision was based on good business. Isn’t that how they explained it to him when they offered him COO? Michael says, so Ned’s hurt pride was more important than his family’s welfare, and Ned says, so Michael thinks he doesn’t care enough about the family’s welfare. Be honest. Did Michael care more about ELQ or this precious merger of his? He doesn’t know what Michael intended to do with it, but he would guess ELQ came in a distant second to Michael’s own selfish motives. Or is he going to stand there and deny it?

Bobbie says, look at the three of them, sitting here in Carly’s hotel. When she thinks of all the mistakes she made, all the wrong turns she made along the way, with the daughter she never knew, who came to find her with revenge in her heart. Carly says, that’s ancient history, and Bobbie says, but it’s their history, and it wasn’t always pretty. Fortunately, her granddaughter has learned from their mistakes. No late nights in sleazy bars for her. Josslyn says she’s no angel, and Carly gives her a look. Bobbie says, they just hope Josslyn shows more common sense than they did at her age, and Josslyn says she knows they were a little wild. But you could be the hardest working, most intelligent person on earth, and life isn’t always fair. Carly asks if she’s talking about Trina, and Josslyn says she’s thinking about the Title IX decision that went against her. Carly says, she could get expelled from PCU. It doesn’t make any sense; she did nothing wrong. Josslyn says she knows, and she told Trina that she could have any of their family’s resources to help prove her innocent. She was going to talk to Michael and dad, but with this new Aurora-slash-ELQ merger, Carly might be able to help her. Carly’s phone rings, and she says, it’s her broker. He’s probably calling to congratulate her. She hits ignore, and says, not now. Bobbie says, she doesn’t want to take the call? and Carly says she doesn’t want to interrupt her time with them. Good news can always wait.

A paper airplane flies next to Chase, and Violet says, gotcha, Uncle Chase. Chase asks what she’s doing here. What happened to her camping trip? Gregory joins them, and says, don’t blame Violet. They both had their fill of mosquitoes after one night. Violet says, and boys who think they know everything. She rolls her eyes, and Chase says, boys can be dumb like that, even big boys like him. Gregory says, then wouldn’t you know it, they run into him here, and Violet says, total coincidence. Chase says, yeah, it could be. Or they showed up at Kelly’s because Brook called them. Right, dad?

Dex hands Sonny his sunglasses, and Sonny asks, what took him so long? Dex says, Sonny’s glasses fell under the seat; it took him a while to find them. What did he miss? Sonny says, nothing. They were just talking family stuff. He has a car waiting; he’s got a lunch date. He wants Dex to go over repairs with Brando. He’ll have to find his own way home. Dex says he’ll call a Ride Share, and Sonny tells them, be careful. He doesn’t want scratches. Do they understand what he’s saying? Dex says, you’ve got it, boss, and Sonny puts on his sunglasses and leaves. Brando says he’s going to take a look at the Corvette, and Dex asks him to hang on s second. Brando says, what is it? and Dex says, they need to get something settled, just between them.

Willow asks if pool guy can find her another chaise, but he says he’s sorry; they’re all reserved. Sasha comes over, and asks if Willow is feeling okay; she looks pale. Nina suggests Willow take her chair. She and Sasha can talk someplace else. Willow says she doesn’t need Nina’s chair, and I notice she does look a bit like a zombie. Sasha says, Willow really should lie down for a bit, and pool guy asks if he can get Nina something else. Nina asks him to get Miss Tait an iced tea, and Sasha asks if Willow wants her to call Michael, but Willow says she’s fine. She’s just upset about what just happened at the Quartermaines. Sasha asks, what happened? and Willow says, business went badly for Michael. She bets that makes Nina’s day.

Drew asks why Ned is going after Michael. The merger was his idea. Ned says he doesn’t want trouble with Drew, but Drew says, it’s a little bit late for that. He’s going to remind Ned of a conversation – actually, the first of many. It was the night he got back. His family welcomed him home, and pulled him aside, telling him how vital it was they take ELQ back from Valentin. Ned says, that’s what he believed at the time, and Drew says he didn’t want to hear it then, and truthfully, didn’t give a damn, but Ned kept circling back. Ned pressured Drew to work with him, and take ELQ back from Valentin, so he did. He put it all on the line. He put Aurora on the line, and Ned screwed him over. Michael says, welcome to the Quartermaines. Right, Ned? If Ned didn’t like what they had to offer, all he had to do was… Ned says, it was a figurehead position, out of the action. Why would he accept that? Drew says, for the good of the family? Isn’t that why they’re doing this? Ned kept saying ELQ should be under Quartermaine control, but what he what meant by that was that it should be under his control. Ned says, he’s given years of his life to the company, and Michael says, so did he. He was practically a kid when he took over because Ned walked away. First, to do something with music; then to be the mayor of Port Charles. Michael had to learn on the job, and he did, and the company was profitable. The only time he took a leave of absence was to fight Nelle for his son, and during that time, Ned lost ELQ to Valentin. It happened on Ned’s watch, and what did he do to redeem himself? He giftwraps ELQ, and gives it to Valentin a second time. Drew tells Michael, don’t worry about it. If it’s any consolation, Valentin’s going to double-cross Ned, probably sooner than later. And what is Ned going to do when that happens. Hold his hand out? Ask them to come together as a family, and back each other up? Well, don’t hold your breath. Olivia comes in with Brook, and asks, what’s going on? She ran into Willow at the pool, and she seemed upset. Brook says, she wouldn’t tell them what happened with the vote. She said Olivia should ask Ned. She asks Michael if congratulations are in order, but Michael says, it’s Ned’s news to break, and Ned says he’s the new Chairman of the Board of ELQ. Olivia hugs him, saying, congratulations, and Drew says, otherwise known as Valentin’s right hand man.

Bobbie has left, and Josslyn asks Carly if she thinks Bobbie will ever retire, but Carly says she doesn’t see that happening; she loves working at GH. Josslyn asks if Carly regrets not finishing nursing school, and Carly says, there were times over the years she regretted it, but she feels like every decision she made brought her to this place in her life, and she’s exactly where she’s supposed to be. Josslyn says she hopes she feels that way one day, and Carly says, she will. Josslyn says she wants Carly to know, if she does, it’s because of her. She’d have never gotten through that horrible video had Carly not given her the courage to keep her head held up high and ignore the haters. Carly takes her hand, and says, Josslyn didn’t need her to tell her that; she was born with that kind of courage. Josslyn says, it certainly helps to have a strong role model, and Carly says, Josslyn is going to make her cry. Josslyn says she hopes to be that way for her kids, and Carly asks if they can’t her get through college first. Josslyn says, deal, and Carly suggests they order food. Valentin comes by, and says, what a charming mother/daughter moment. Don’t let him interrupt them from talking. I just thought of something. I wonder if Valentin is behind the company who bought Carly’s half of the MetroCourt.

Chase says, it was sweet of Brook to call Gregory, but he didn’t need to run down there. Violet asks if she can sit on Chase’s lap, and Chase says, sure. She tells him that Grandpa Gregory says he needs cheering up, and Chase tells her that her grandpa means well, but he worries too much. Gregory says, indulge him. What’s going on with Chase? Violet asks why Chase is sad, and he says, it’s hard to be sad around her, but honestly? He let some people down. Some people whose respect means the world to him. Gregory says he doesn’t know all the details, but he heard Chase was defending a friend. Chase says, he was, but like Gregory taught him, there’s a right way and a wrong way. Violet says, like making a paper airplane. If you don’t get the wings right, you crash.

Dex says he knows he and Brando got off on the wrong foot, and that’s on him. He’s still new, and when he found out Michael was going after his father, he thought it was his job to protect Sonny. Brando says, that’s not how Sonny does things, especially when it involves his kids, and Dex says, that’s exactly what Sonny told him, so lesson learned. And he has Brando to thank for it. Brando saved him from making a serious mistake before he started. He thanks Brando, and asks if they can hit the reset button.

Sasha says she doesn’t know what’s going on with Willow and Michael, but Willow is clearly upset. Just sit down and try to relax. Willow says she doesn’t need to relax. First, Nina’s lawyer tried and failed to ruin Michael’s character during the hearing… Nina says, the judge sided with them. She doesn’t have any legal rights to see her grandson anymore, so why is Willow upset? Willow says, because today a member of Michael’s own family, someone he was only trying to protect, turned against him. She’s sure that just thrills Nina. Nina asks, what happened? Did it include Wiley? Willow yells, leave Wiley out of it! and tells Nina, if she has any questions, why doesn’t she ask her old friend Valentin; he’ll explain everything. Sonny joins them, and says, ask Valentin what exactly?

Brook asks if they’re saying Valentin is still CEO, and Olivia says, that’s impossible. They had all the votes to toss him out. Michael asks Ned to tell them how he sold his votes to Valentin, but Ned says he didn’t sell anything. Olivia knows him. She knows he’d never make a decision that would hurt this family. Whatever they think about Valentin personally, he has been very good for the bottom line at ELQ. Brook asks, what about the merger? They were going to bring a whole new media component to ELQ. Drew says, Valentin is not interested in the merger, and his phone dings. Michael asks what it is, and Drew says, the word has already hit the street that the merger isn’t happening. Oh my God, Aurora’s stock is tumbling. Drew jets, and Michael follows him. Michael asks where Drew is going, and Drew says, to do damage control, if it’s not too late already.

Carly asks if Valentin shouldn’t be clearing out his office at ELQ, but Valentin says, actually, he was hoping to reserve a table tonight for some of his closest friends. If she could have the kitchen set aside a few Kobe steaks, they’ll want them with all the trimmings, and bottle of Chateau de Pap 2018 (or at least that’s what it sounded like). He thanks her and moves on. Josslyn says, for someone who just lost their job, he seems cheerful, and Carly says, too cheerful.

Violet tells Chase that she knows what will make him feel better, and he says, what? She says, a donut. Donuts make everything better. He says, then get him two; one glazed and one chocolate. Violet goes to the counter, and Gregory says, his health conscious rock climbing son is devouring donuts. Is it really that bad? Chase says he doesn’t think a plate of donuts is going to make him feel better.

Brook asks how Ned could do this. How could he side with Valentin after everything she went through to get that stock back? After Ned treated her like dirt for losing it to Valentin in the first place? She faked a pregnancy, for God’s sake. She made Valentin believe he was going to be a father again. This doesn’t even make any sense; Ned was leading the charge to get rid of Valentin. Olivia tells Brook that it’s not fair to judge her father before they know all the facts, but Brook says she knows enough. Valentin is going to come out of this smelling like a rose, and Ned planted the seeds. She storms out, and Ned thanks Olivia for her support. Olivia says, no one gets to second guess her husband except her. What the hell did he do?

On the phone with Martin, Valentin says, Ned voted exactly how he expected, with his ego… Of course (🍷) they’re going out to celebrate tonight, and bring the lovely Lucy. She earned it. As a matter-of-fact, they all have.

Drew looks in at the MetroCourt Garden, and sees Josslyn and Carly talking. Josslyn says, hopefully, when Trina is found not guilty, they’ll reverse the Title IX decision and remove it from her record. Her hope is that, all this goes away, and she and Trina can do their spring semester abroad. Carly says, that would be amazing, and Josslyn gets a text from Trina, asking her to meet in the park. Carly tells her, go have fun, and they hug. Josslyn leaves, and Drew approaches the table. Carly says, she was just about to call him. What happened at the meeting? Her broker’s been trying to reach her, and Valentin came by acting strangely happy. Drew asks what Valentin said, and Carly says, he pretended like he didn’t have a care in the world, but they both know better. Drew sighs, and she asks, what happened? He says he knows why her broker was trying to reach her. It’s not good news.

Dex holds out his hand, and asks Brando to shake on it. After all, they both want the same thing; what’s best for Sonny. Brando says, yeah, and hesitantly shakes hands, saying, he wants that too. He guesses he just has to remind himself that it take time for new people to learn the ropes. Dex says, he appreciates Brando giving him the chance, and his phone rings. He says, it’s his boss calling; he has to take it. Brando says he’s going to take a look at the Corvette, and leaves. Dex says, that you, boss? and Michael says, there was a setback today. Now Dex has his full attention.

Sonny asks, what’s going on with ELQ? and Willow says she really doesn’t want to be the go-between. She tells him to reach out to Michael himself, and if Michael doesn’t respond, that means he doesn’t want to discuss ELQ with Sonny. Nina suggests she and Sonny get a drink or something. She doesn’t think Willow’s feeling great, so it’s best not to pressure her. Sonny says he just wonders if there’s something he needs to know, and Nina says she can reach out to Valentin. She’s sure Valentin will tell her what happened. Sasha says, if she can’t take Willow to GH, then she insists on taking her home. Willow says, for the last time, she’s fine, looking even more like a crazed Walking Dead character. She turns around and faints, Sonny catching her in his arms.

Tomorrow, Nina says, it sounds like Obrecht approves of her and Sonny; Olivia says, Ned doesn’t realize how bad it’s going to get; and Michael tells Dex, they’re going to have to get creative.

🐉 Write Faster, George…

There will probably be a spin-off of the spin-off by the time he’s done.

https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/latest-george-rr-martin-gives-update-on-game-of-thrones-book-20220502

🐎 Wagons West…

A review of Westworld’s latest.

https://www.avclub.com/westworld-review-season-4-episode-1-1849104783

⛵️ Below Deck Sailing Yacht had an extra-long Reunion, even though Ashley was a no show. Boo! Hiss! It still needs some editing, and I need some sleep, but I swear on the ship’s log, you’ll have it tomorrow.

👯 Tennessee Waltzing Out…

Come back tomorrow for soap and the promised Reunion on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay rising above the fray, and stay remembering, donuts make everything better. Out of the mouths of babes…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WFrnJydtQc

Mar14

March 13, 2022 – Pamela Makes Maggie an Offer, New Element, Coupling Up, All Of Them, Fear’s Return, Strand Spin, Not Involved & It’s For You

Posted on March 14, 2022 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

The Walking Dead

In the alleyway, Max tells Eugene that It was just dumb luck she found the radio parts in a dumpster. It would have never been dumped there for security reasons, so someone thought it was trash, but it just needed some love. We see her putting it together, turning it on, then talking to Eugene. She says, they talked about everything and nothing. We flashed back to Eugene saying he thinks it’s a celestially ordained meet and greet, and Max saying her people are uber cautious. She tells Eugene that she never let herself believe it was possible to leave. Then her brother got involved, and he wasn’t happy. We see Mercer finding her radio equipment, and Max tells him, it’s not what he thinks. He says, a massive communications breach from an unauthorized station is being investigated. Someone’s been talking to a community outsider outside the walls, and Lance is all over it. Please tell him it wasn’t her. Please tell him that she’s not about to sneak out to meet a stranger. It’s dangerous for everyone in the Commonwealth, especially the two of them. Pray Lance doesn’t realize it’s her voice. She tells Eugene that she crossed line, and Lance was on the prowl. It was impossible for her to turn up. Then some other girl was calling herself Stephanie, using her words and voice. We flash back to Max getting ice cream at the same time fake Stephanie did. Max passes Eugene, who asks, that wouldn’t happen to be Rocky Road? but Max doesn’t respond, and walks away. She turns to see him eating ice cream with fake Stephanie, and Max says Eugene seemed happy, so she kept her head down. She didn’t know what else to do. We see Max go in to Pamela’s office to give her some files. She asks if she can get Pamela anything else, and Pamela says, a day her son isn’t acting like an a-hole. She asks Max to have the bank cut off Sebastian’s credit line. Maybe that will whip him into shape. (Doubtful.) Max tells Eugene that Lance was bugging out about him and Alexandria, and Eugene asks what Lance is planning. She says she doesn’t know. Lance is ambitious; it could mean anything. Or it could mean nothing, just the rebuild. He says, the guy in orange armor is her brother? and she says, yes. He asks if she’s Stephanie, but she says, no; Max. There is no Stephanie. It was her mother’s name. He says he’s sorry, brushes past her, and goes out the gate.

In a Humvee, Pamela tells Lance that they’re a long way from home. She’s not convinced they should stretch their resources. In growing their empire further than their power can stand, they could lose that power. He tells her, it’s not that dramatic, and she says, there’s enough to do at home without worrying about the small communities. He says, give it a chance. She might be surprised. They go into Alexandria, where Aaron has some of the people quickly doing some housekeeping. Mercer, Daryl, Pamela, and Lance step out of the caravan, and Aaron welcomes them. He asks if Pamela wants the grand tour, and she says she’d expect nothing less. He explains that they’re a self-sustaining agricultural community, and have water and solar power. She asks, who was the engineer? but he says, no one. Maggie, the leader of their allied community Hilltop, gave them the plans. Mercer asks Daryl how safe it’s been here, since they’re isolated, and Daryl says, they’ve fought a lot of fights. Mercer asks if Daryl was the leader here, and Daryl guesses he could say that; they all were. Mercer asks what Daryl did before this, but Daryl says, it doesn’t matter. Not to them anyway.

Pamela looks at a picture of Deanna, and says, Deanna looks like how she remembers her. Daryl says, Pamela knew her? and she says, they used to cross paths in philanthropy circles, but back then, Pamela had no interest in politics. Deanna was born to run things. She asks what Deanna was like as a leader, and Daryl says, she brought them in. He’d never met anyone like that. He admired her very much. She built all this for them; something worth fighting for. Pamela says, but it fell, and he says, they always brought it back. She says, it fell more than once? and Mercer’s radio says they’ve got a breach. Daryl says he’s got it, and sees a zombie toddling around outside. He and Mercer jet. Pamela asks Aaron how they lost Deanna, and he says, she got bitten. She asks if Deanna turned, and he says, they had to put her down. Daryl stabs the zombie in the head, and Pamela says she thinks she’s seen enough.

Ezekiel gets some bloodwork done, while Jerry keeps him company. Tomi tells Ezekiel, no food or solids for 12 hours before they see him in the morning, and Jerry says, they thought it was a routine check-up, but Orderly Theo says, it’s pre-op bloodwork before surgery. Ezekiel looks puzzled, and Tomi says, they’re going to take out the tumor. Ezekiel says, no one told him. He thought he was on the list. Tomi says, now he’s at the top of the list, and Theo says, he’s lucky; some people wait years. Jerry asks about the bill, and Tomi says, it’s paid up. However it happened, Ezekiel should be thrilled. They’re going to take good care of him. He’ll see Ezekiel on Friday at 9. He leaves, and Jerry laughs, saying, it’s so frickin’ awesome. Ezekiel doesn’t look happy, and Jerry says, what? Ezekiel wonders how it happened, and Jerry says, maybe it’s a coincidence, or a clerical error, or divine intervention, but doesn’t Ezekiel think he deserves some luck?

Pamela sits with her feet in the water – I note her perfect French pedicure – and breathes the fresh air at Oceanside. Lance tells her that Rachel is ready for her. She tells Rachel that they’re blessed to have the water at their doorstep. She heard Oceanside battled the Saviors and the Whisperers. That says a lot about the strength of their community. She’s excited to be partners, but Rachel says she talked to Maggie, who isn’t partnering. Lance tells Pamela that Hilltop declined, and Rachel says, Maggie has always been there for them. If Maggie decides to be a partner, they will be, but otherwise, it’s a no.

Aaron and Lance ride together to Hilltop, and Lance asks what the point of bringing Aaron along was when he has no helpful intel? Aaron says, it’s not his fault, and Lance says, Aaron should have known about Rachel and Hilltop. Now it looks like they’re not prepared. Aaron tells Lance to stop acting like Alexandria means more to him than it does to Aaron, and Lance says, they’re all in the same sinking boat. He asks if Maggie is going to make it difficult, but Aaron has no answer. Lance says, it’s all or nothing for Pamela. If Maggie says no, Pamela will walk, and Alexandria will be cut off. Aaron says, then they’ll figure it out, and Lance says, it was going so well before they stepped in. Their caravan stops, and zombies are trickling out of the woods. There’s some zombie dispatchment, and Maggie, Dianne, Lydia, and Elijah are part of the fray. Done with the zombies, Daryl helps Maggie up from where she landed, and Pamela says, she must be Maggie.

Aaron brings Maggie some food, but she says she already ate. She says, it’s good to see them, and asks why they trust these people. Daryl tells her, who says they do? When does he ever? She says, fair enough. It’s good Alexandria is getting cleaned up. At least their word meant something. Aaron says, out of 50 thousand people, at least 49.9 of them are decent folks. It’s not forever. Is she sure she doesn’t want to come? Lance approaches, and says, they brought some extra rifles. Pamela proposed they go hunting, if they’re up for it.

They go through the woods, Pamela wearing safari gear, and Pamela says, they’ll scare the food away if they go as a big group. She’ll go with Maggie, and the rest of them can pair off. She doesn’t need a minder. They split up, and Pamela asks Maggie how things got so bad. Maggie says, how do they ever? She can’t figure out why some of them are lucky enough to fight off the world, while other can’t. Pamela says she doesn’t believe in luck, and Maggie says, luck is about opportunity. She doesn’t know anyone who’s had more opportunity than Pamela. Pamela says, being honest, cards on the table, she didn’t want to come on this tour, but it’s her responsibility. It’s what keeps her up at night; the price of leadership. Everything costs something. For her, it’s sleep. What keeps her awake at 3 am is, who does she trust, and how do they stay safe? She wasn’t sure the risk going out was worth it, but the world belongs to them. What she believes to be the natural order of things has vanished, and has to be restored. It will provide a future for their kids. She’s offering a mutual protection pact, like Maggie has with Oceanside. They’d have her back.

Ezekiel is cooking on a hotplate, when Carol knocks at the door. She says, she wanted to see how he was doing, and he says, Nabila and Jerry left him a buffet. She takes over hotplate duty, and says, Jerry told her that Ezekiel had a check-up today. She asks if anything came up, and he says, funny thing. Tomi said he was having surgery on Friday. Carol says, great, and he says, did she… What did she do? She says she didn’t, and he says his debt was wiped out. She says, Lance owed her a favor, but he says, it’s cheating. Why did she do that? She says she doesn’t want him to die. The lines are a lie. Pamela wouldn’t think twice about doing the same thing for her sh*tty son. He says he’s been inside the hospital, and seen all those people suffering, the same as him, and waiting for treatment, the same as him. She asks if he’s supposed to die because the system is broken. Lesser men have been given more, and done nothing with it. He’s not lesser.

Maggie calls Pamela an autocrat, but Pamela says she’s a leader who makes decisions. Maggie is the same thing. Is she an autocrat? Maggie says, Deanna and George taught them how to divide things up. Pamela drives a nicer car, and has a nicer house than a lot of her people. Pamela says she also has more responsibility. Her people need something to look up to. Doesn’t Maggie want her people to look up to her? Maggie says she wants them to look up to her for what she does and has done, not what she has. She asks if she should get the zombie coming up behind Pamela, and Pamela says she was just thinking of going after the one behind Maggie. Maggie stabs the zombie behind Pamela, and Pamela shoots the other one’s head off. Maggie nods appreciatively.

Eugene sits on a bench by the lake, and Rosita joins him with Coco in a stroller. She asks if he’s okay, and he says he’s great. She tells him that he’s got a great poker face, and he asks, how’s the new job? She says, it’s a lot, and he asks if she regrets coming here. She says, does he? He says he thinks she likes it here, and she says, they all get to be together, and everyone is safe. It works for now. He says, going with the flow, and she says she didn’t think she’d end up being a cop. She’s pretty good at it. He says she’s good at everything she does, and she thanks him. She admits she misses home though. She misses the freedom they used to have, but it’ll come when Alexandria is fixed. People will have choices, and that’s good. He says she’s excited about the future, and she says she guesses she is. What is it? Spill. He says he was thinking about when they first met, and he was lying to her about who he was and Washington DC. She says, it was a long time ago. They found their home, and they’re going with the flow, What is it? Get it out. He’ll feel better. He says, Stephanie… isn’t missing. He saw her. He holds back tears, and says she broke up with him. Rosita hugs him, and he cries. He tells her that Stephanie wasn’t who he thought she was, and she says, he can do better. He’ll find his person. She’s out there.

Maggie brings a couple of game birds back to Hilltop. Dianne tells her that they’ve been working on reinforcing the water tower. Lydia sees Daryl, and they hug. He asks how she’s holding up, and she says she’s doing her best, but it feels like some things can’t be fixed; it seems pointless. She asks how you know when it’s time to walk away, and he asks if that’s what she wants to do. Lance asks Maggie if it’s okay to hand out supplies; they have more than enough food and fuel. Maggie tells him, sure, and thanks him. Mercer tells Daryl, it must be hard to be a kid growing up here, and Daryl says, they’re a different kind of kid. This place used to be special, but they’re going through a hard time. They’ll be up and running again. Mercer says, not all places are as lucky as Alexandria, and Daryl says, not all places are as lucky as the Commonwealth. Mercer asks if Daryl is coming around, but Daryl says he wouldn’t go that far. They’ve done good stuff, he’ll give them that, but they ain’t perfect. Mercer tells Daryl not to get comfortable out of his armor. Lance thought it was good for appearance sake, but Daryl has his role to play, and Mercer has his. I’m liking Mercer.

Jerry and Carol visit Ezekiel in the hospital, and Ezekiel says he wants pizza and ice cream, no pineapple. Pineapple on pizza makes no sense. Theo tells Ezekiel, it’s going to be nothing but Jell-O for a while, hotshot.

Maggie sits on some steps, and Lance approaches, one of his hands kind of moving, Maggie says, nervous twitch? and he says, lucky coin. She says she had a lucky rabbit’s foot when she was a kid. Her dog brought it home with the rabbit still attached. Lance says, when he was a kid, he thought the coin was gold, but it was really gold plated, just a lowly nickel. Has she decided? She asks what he gets out of all this, and he tells her that he’s not going to pretend. She’s in over her head. She says he doesn’t know, but he says he knows she’s smart enough to know a good offer… and he’s smart enough to know he’s pissed her off. Maggie says he didn’t answer her question, and he says, the first time he saw Alexandria, he saw potential, as he did in Hilltop and Oceanside. They can have so much more. Imagine picking Herschel up from a concert at the Commonwealth, or taking him to a doctor’s appointment in Alexandria, or going for a boat ride up the coast from Oceanside. And what’s up the coast? Another protected town, another school or a university. Maggie says they tried to build one, and Lance says, of course. They see things the same way; the world as they want to build it. Picture the power of fifty-thousand Commonwealth workers making it a reality. They hear, swarm incoming, and Lance says, as it is, there’s reality.

The Hilltoppers run out with weapons. There are a ton of zombies in the woods, and Maggie and the Hilltoppers start picking them off. Mercer joins them, looking badass, and flips one over himself before killing it. His troopers line up, and he yells, fire! They shoot, and the zombies are done. The bodies are piled up, and Dianne tells Maggie, imagine not dealing with this. Lydia says, they could keep building; no stops and starts. Dianne says, we need this, and Maggie says, she knows. Mercer calls, formation! Let’s go. He tells Daryl, fall in, and when Daryl gets closer, Mercer quietly tells him, they’re always watching. Got him? Daryl says, yeah, and marches behind the troopers. Maggie watches, and Pamela says, never a dull moment here. Maggie says, we try, and Lydia says, everyone’s okay. No injuries, all limbs intact. It’s a good day. Maggie tells Pamela, Hilltop is passing, and Pamela asks, why? Maggie tells Pamela that she said it herself; everything costs something. Aaron watches, and looks mega worried.

Eugene knocks at Max’s apartment, and says, please don’t shut the door. He found raspberry goodness of the Inside Scoop variety. She lets him in, and he sees the radio in pieces. He says he’s so sorry for his ungentlemanlike behavior. He wasn’t listening to her because he was bruised and confused. Max says, he was rude, and he says he let Lance get in his head. It was an infiltration of epic Proportions. Lance is like a snake. Max says, he’s like a worm, and Eugene says he let fake Stephanie into his life. He let her read his manuscript. He’s writing a novel. She asks if a sepulcher is involved, and if it takes place in the Carpathian Mountains. They talk some nerd talk, and she asks how he could let fake Stephanie read it. He says he thought she was Max, but Max says, after all that time, how could he not know it wasn’t her? He says he doesn’t know. He’s not like most folks; he’s used to rejection. Sometimes he didn’t even realize he was being rejected. Let it suffice to say he had his fair amount, and part of him wondered if the connection they had was in his head. When got here, and fake Stephanie didn’t push him away, he wanted so badly for it to be real. The subtle clues escaped him. He never meant to hurt her, but the intent doesn’t excuse the impact. How can he make it up to her? She says she doesn’t know, and asks if she can read his novel. He says, as ill fortune would have it, she came up on him when he was burning the only copy. But he’s committed the text to memory. She asks what the concept is, and he says it’s about a gumshoe going on a rollicking caper to stop a nuclear threat. He also gave the detective an unsavory twin brother, and Max says, an evil twin, nice touch. If Eugene makes the evil twin a scientist, it will ramp up stakes of the nuclear threat. Eugene says, that’s exactly what he did, and she says, it’s like old times.

Daryl gives Maggie a mason jar, saying, it’s something from Judith in case she makes Herschel eat horse meat, She hugs him, and he says she knows where to find him. She says, same for her, and Daryl joins the troopers. Dianne tells Maggie that she’s leaving. Some others are coming, and Maggie should too. Maggie says, be careful who she trusts. Dianne knows that better than anybody. Dianne says, she also knows when to ask for help. It’s become harder, but it doesn’t have to be. Dianne respects the hell out of Maggie, but she can’t do this anymore. She’s sorry. She, Elijah, and another guy leave.

Lance goes to Pamela’s tent, and she says, it was a worthy effort. He says, it’s not over. They still have Alexandria. He just needs time to get the other two. She says, it’s a bold move getting three communities on board. She can see why it would be attractive. He says, it’s ultimately her decision, and she says, he pretends he’s doing it for the good of the Commonwealth, and not for himself. He says he’s doing it for her, and she says, they’ve both had ambitions their whole lives, and ambition is notoriously hard to reel in. So if he wants to try and make it work, fine, but if his job at home suffers, there will be consequences. The Commonwealth always comes first. He leaves.

Lance takes a stroll in the woods, and shoots his gun in the air. A zombie comes toward him from all four directions, and he shoots three of them, one by one. Aaron shows up, and asks if he’s okay. Lance says, A plus, and Aaron asks, what about Alexandria? Are they good? Lance says, everything’s fine. Pamela is on board, and they’re bringing even more in. Get ready. They’re going to remake the world. He blows the last zombie’s head off.

Next time, Aaron talks to Gabriel, Lance needs a solution, and Maggie discovers some dead troopers.

🕶 Going Rogue…

The politics of Eugene and Stephanie.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-rogue-element-eugene-stephanie-angela-kang/

👏 I Can’t Wait…

More on Negan and Maggie’s partnership.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-lauren-cohan-jeffrey-dean-morgan-isle-of-the-dead-spin-off/

🎡 Hold On…

All the Dead spin-offs.

https://www.insider.com/walking-dead-spinoff-shows

⚰️ What the Fear…

Everything about FWD’s return.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/fear-the-walking-dead-season-7b-premiere-synopsis-follow-me-alicia-clark-alycia-debnam-carey/

https://undeadwalking.com/2022/03/13/fear-the-walking-dead-season-7-episode-9-release-date/

🥂 The Thirst Is Real…

Everybody wants more than their fifteen minutes. Not that I blame them.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/fear-the-walking-dead-colman-domingo-victor-strand-spinoff-amc/

🐉 Not Us…

Apparently, not everyone is down with Game of Thrones spin-offs.

https://www.ign.com/articles/game-of-thrones-db-weiss-and-david-benioff-not-involved-with-spin-offs

🦵🏼 Shaking a Leg…

See you tomorrow for soap and Sailing. Until then, stay safe, stay using your time wisely, because there’s only so much of it, and stay knowing that everything costs something.

Mar12

March 11, 2022 – Video Aftermath, Why, Recast, Bel Air Return, Sonny’s Son, Wu’s Back, Kandi’s World, Claims, Deaf Shah, Sly Guest, Lala’s Ex, Ringless, Excuse, Changes, Winning Country, Ennead Of Quotes & Run It

Posted on March 12, 2022 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Willow asks Michael, on a scale of one to ten, how much does he think Wiley loves Annabelle II? He says, it’s an eleven for sure, and she says she wishes their schedules weren’t so hectic; they could get a dog of their own. (Let me just note here, they’re having this conversation in the nook of the main house, so I guess someone from there can’t look after a dog?) He says, someday, and she asks, when will that be exactly? It’s not as if things will slow down when she becomes a nurse. He says, you know what he can’t wait to do? Sleep in when they’re in Paris. She asks if he’s out of his mind. She’s never been, and there’s so much to see; the Louvre alone. He says he guesses he’ll have to find other ways to get her to stay in bed, and she says, he can be very convincing. They kiss, when Brook walks in. She says, it’s good to see some things haven’t changed. At least the two of them are still together.

Chase goes to Finn’s office, and Finn asks what Chase is up to. Chase says, very little. Does Finn want to know how many hours are left for his suspension? Finn says, Chase has two more months to go, and Chase says he does, but he can still tell Finn the answer to that question. Finn says he knows Chase may be bummed, but Violet is loving having her Uncle Chase at her tea parties. Chase says, that is one up side to unemployment. When is Finn’s next date night, so he can babysit? Finn says Chase is welcome to visit Violet any time he likes, but his date nights with Elizabeth are over.

Elizabeth asks how Cameron wants his eggs, but he says he’s not too hungry right now. She says, who is he and what has he done with her son? Is he not feeling well? He says he went to bed late, so he’s half asleep; he’s fine. Jake comes in, and asks, what’s for breakfast? Cameron says he thought Jake didn’t have school today, and Jake says he doesn’t. Cameron asks why he’s up so early then, but Elizabeth says, this is so nice, all of them eating together. Jake says, Finn too? and she says, no, but she’s glad he brought Finn up. They need to talk about him.

At the MetroCourt, Ava and Nikolas look at her phone, and she asks Nikolas if it isn’t a little ornate. He says, it is, but isn’t that the point, to make a show of their vow renewal? Draw Uncle Victor in under the guise of family togetherness? Assuming Spencer shows for the ceremony and the family is actually together. She says, that is the plan, but the ceremony isn’t only about Victor, or Spencer for that matter. It’s still very much about them, isn’t it? She loves him, and can’t wait to exchange vows with him and actually mean the words. He says he can’t wait for that either, and they kiss.

In the elevator, Esme looks at her wrist, and pulls her sleeve down. She walks out into the MetroCourt, sees Nikolas and Ava kissing, and tells herself, it’s show time.

Josslyn walks into the kitchen, and Carly tells her, good morning. Josslyn says she hopes it’s okay that she slept here, and Carly says, is she kidding? Best surprise ever. Josslyn says she would have given Carly a heads up, but it was late, and Josslyn didn’t want to wake her. Carly says, no heads up needed; this is her home. Is everything okay? Josslyn says, yeah. She just didn’t feel like sleeping at the dorms last night. Carly says, any particular reason why? and Josslyn starts to cry and says, she can’t go back to school. Never. She throws herself into Carly’s arms.

Ava says, the flowers must be spectacular of course (🍷), and a fabulous bouquet for when she walks down the aisle. Esme says, wedding planning? and Ava says, for their vow renewal, yes. Esme sits down, and says, Laura told her that they were having a private ceremony, just the two of them, which is super romantic, but Avery would make an adorable flower girl. Nikolas says, actually, they’ve changed their mind about that, and decided they want their family there. Esme says, really? Spence didn’t mention anything; does he know? Nikolas says, not yet, and Ava says, they just decided last night. Nikolas says he’s going to visit Spencer, and invite him in person. Esme says, she hates to say it – Ava says, but she will –she wouldn’t bother inviting Spence at all.

Michael asks how the visit with Brook’s mom went, and Brook says, good. Her mom said and did all the right things, she got to see her cousins, and they went to all their favorite spots. Michael says, Giuseppe’s? and Brook says, of course (🍷). Willow asks, what’s that? and Brook says, only the best pizza in Brooklyn. Michael says, it’s off the charts, and Willow says, sounds like Brook kept busy. Brook says, it was great to back in the old neighborhood; she needed to get away. Michael says, now she’s back, and Brook says she guesses the first order of business is getting her stuff out of the beach house. Michael says, that’s done. Everything had to be out last week, so he and Chase moved her stuff. Brook says, what? Sorry. Thank you. He says, no problem, and she says she guesses it’s time to get back to real life. Willow asks what that looks like for her, and Brook says, she has absolutely no idea.

Elizabeth says they won’t be seeing Finn for a while, and Cameron asks if they broke up. She says, more like taking time apart. She just wants to be able to spend time with their family right now. Jake asks if it’s because of the weird stuff that’s been happening, but Elizabeth says, it’s more than that. She does have to figure out what’s going on, but she wants to make sure her boys are safe and happy. They are her number one priority. Cameron says they know that, and Elizabeth asks if Jake does. He says, yes, and she says, good, but things haven’t really felt safe and happy lately, right? Which is why she made Jake an appointment to see Dr. Massey today. Jake says, a shrink? and she says, a psychiatrist. She thinks it might be good for him to talk about his feelings. Jake says, that’s just great. She thinks he’s a psycho. He walks out of the kitchen.

Chase asks, what’s going on with Finn and Elizabeth? and Finn says, she’s concerned about the whole portrait thing. Chase says he gets that, and Finn says, he does too. Chase says he spoke with Dante, and he has a patrol going by every hour, and Finn says, that’s a big relief. Chase says, but? and Finn says, Elizabeth thinks it might be something closer to home; in the home, to be exact. She thinks Jake might be acting out. Chase sits down, and says he thought Jake and Aiden denied doing it. Finn says, they did, but now that Betsy Frank has been crossed off the list, Jake is the mostly likely suspect unfortunately. Chase says, so Elizabeth breaks up with Finn because she’s having issues with Jake? Isn’t that an overreaction? Finn says, not when you consider everything the kid’s been through.

Carly tells Josslyn, talk to her. Let her help. Josslyn says she can’t. It’s too horrible. She can’t even think about it, let alone say it out loud. Carly says, Josslyn can tell her anything. Tell her what’s going on, and they’ll fix it. Josslyn cries and says, it can’t be fixed, but Carly says, try her. Josslyn says, the weekend they spent at Sonny’s cabin, she and Cameron had sex, and it was their first time. She never thought something like this could even happen. She feels so stupid. Carly asks if Cameron got her pregnant.

Nikolas says, Esme really believes Spencer won’t come to the ceremony? Last time he saw Spencer, it felt like they were making progress. Esme says she thinks things are getting better with Nikolas and Spence too. It’s just… Ava says, Spencer will never accept her as part of the family, and Esme says she’s sorry, but he won’t. Nikolas says he hopes she’s wrong, because Ava’s not going anywhere. Ava’s phone rings, and she steps away to take the call. Esme peers at Nikolas, and he says, what is it? She says he’s not the man she thought he was. She had a picture in her head from everything Spence told her about his father. He says he can guess what Spencer said about him, but she says she doesn’t think he can.

Michael says he guesses it’s hard to get back to normal life without Bailey, and Brook says she still has Deception. She gets up, and says she’s going to be fine. This was always the plan. Actually more than the plan; this was the goal. For Bailey to go back home to Maxie where she belongs. Willow says, of course (🍷) that was always the plan, but that doesn’t mean Brook didn’t fall in love with that little girl, and it’s not hard on her. Michael gets up, and says, it’s okay to admit that. She wasn’t in Port Charles at the time, but he’s sure his family filled her in, when he found out Sonny was responsible for AJ’s death. Brook says, the father that raised him killed his biological father; that must have been brutal. He says he retaliated. He took from Sonny what he loved the most – Avery. He was able to find legal grounds to prove Sonny was unfit, an was appointed Avery’s custodial guardian. For months he was her only parent. He knows it’s not a perfect parallel, and she says, close enough. He says, Avery was his child, she was his sister. He knew the whole time deep down that the situation was only temporary, but all those months, he saw her and was with her every single day. He was the one to read her stories, to feed her, to change her. He brought her to work, and played blocks with her… Willow joins them, and he says, then when his mother convinced him to give Avery back, Avery left a huge gaping hole in his life and in his heart. And even though he knew it was the right thing to do, that didn’t make it any easier. Brook says, okay. Giving up Bailey is excruciating, but she’s going to get over it. And when she does, she’s going to go back to her single, carefree life; the life she always wanted before all this. Michael asks if she thinks she’s the same person, and Willow says she doesn’t. Michael says, Brook did an amazing thing protecting Bailey from her father, and Brook says, it didn’t start out that way. Michael says, it doesn’t matter how it started, and Willow says, Maxie was in trouble and Brook came through for her friend. Brook says, they didn’t expect that from her, did they? and Michael says, no, but he should have. He’s always known she had a big heart. Brook says she didn’t do it alone. When she needed help, Chase was right there.

Chase says, wow, he didn’t know Jake went through all that, and Finn says, pretty grim stuff for anyone, but a kid that age? Chase says, no wonder he’s having a hard time, but that was years ago, right? Wasn’t he doing better? Finn says, he was, after some serious counselling. He was doing really good, but think about it. First, he loses Franco, then Jason, Finn enters the picture, and all of a sudden, these strange things start happening. Elizabeth’s wedding ring, her dress, the portrait… Chase says, all unsettling, but not overtly dangerous, and Finn says, exactly. What if it’s Jake crying out for help?

Elizabeth says, first of all, she doesn’t like the term psycho, and Jake says, fine. Nuts? Crazy? Loco? Take your pick. She says she doesn’t think he’s any of those things, and Cameron says, look. Seeing a therapist doesn’t mean you’re crazy. Elizabeth says, they all need to talk to someone once in a while, and Jake says, they think he put the painting there, even though he swore he didn’t. They don’t believe him. Cameron tells him, that’s not what mom’s saying; Jake’s just been through a lot lately. Jake’s phone dings, and he says, Conner sent him a video, asking if it’s really Cameron. What did he post? Cameron says, nothing, and as Jake is about to open it, Cameron says, don’t!

Josslyn says she’s not pregnant, and Carly says, thank God. Josslyn says, they used protection; that’s not the problem. Carly asks, what’s going on? and Josslyn says, that night was perfect. At least that part was. It was everything a first time should be. But then, in sociology class, everyone’s phones started blowing up, and all eyes were on her and Cam, and they had no idea why. She begins crying again, and says, someone sent this video to Professor Kahn’s computer. And the whole thing played in front of the whole class on this giant screen. Carly says she doesn’t understand. What was on the video? Josslyn says, Cameron and her, having sex. Someone filmed them and sent it to the entire school.

Esme tells Nikolas, that’s not what she meant at all; Spence loves him. It borders on worship actually. He said Nikolas was the best father in the universe. It made her jealous of how close they were when Spence was growing up. Spence made it seem like it was the two of them against the world. He says, she told him that he wasn’t the man she expected him to be, yet Spencer painted him in a positive light. She says, glowing light, and he asks if that means he’s worse than she expected.

Carly asks how someone could do that to Josslyn, and Josslyn says, she guesses it’s not the worst thing in the world. Everyone has sex tapes or naked photos… Carly says, it’s not funny; this is not a joke, and Josslyn says she doesn’t know what else to do. Carly says, this is a complete violation. Someone took a private moment between Josslyn and her boyfriend, and made it public without her consent. She’ll get Spinelli to take it off the web. How did this happen, does she know? Josslyn says she doesn’t know. She didn’t even know there was a camera (ha-ha! I typed Cameron) in the bedroom; neither did Cam. Sonny wouldn’t have… Carly says, God no, and Josslyn says she didn’t think so. The only people in the cabin that night were her, Trina, and Cameron. Carly asks, what about Esme and Spencer? and Josslyn says she told Carly, they left. Esme had the nerve to accuse Trina yesterday. Carly asks if she’s serious. Did Esme really think they’d fall for that? Josslyn doesn’t say anything, and Carly says, Joss? Josslyn says she doesn’t know. Trina got pretty drunk at the cabin, to the point she didn’t remember what happened. Carly says, that doesn’t sound like Trina, and Josslyn says, and she didn’t drink that much. It just seemed to affect her like that. She also told them she felt left out when Josslyn and Cam got together. Carly asks if Josslyn really thinks Trina could have sent that video.

Cameron grabs Jake’s phone, and Elizabeth says, what is going on? Cameron says, it’s just a stupid video of him, and he doesn’t want Jake to see him making a fool of himself. He deletes it, and Jake takes his phone back, saying, he can still find it or just have Conner send him the link. Cameron says, leave it alone, please, and Elizabeth tells Jake to get dressed; his appointment’s in 45 minutes. Jake says, what about breakfast? and she says he can eat after he’s dressed. He says, fine, but he knows she’s just trying to get rid of him. He goes upstairs, and Elizabeth tells Cameron, he’s going to watch that video. Cameron says he knows, and she says he may as well just tell her. He asks if he can just die instead, but she says, not an option. Did he do something stupid or dangerous? He says, nothing like that, and she says, then what? He says he can’t tell her while she’s looking at him, and she keeps her back to him, pouring herself some coffee. He says, there’s a video of him going around, and she says, that much she gathered. A video of what? He says, him and Joss having sex.

Chase says, knowing that about Jake, he can see where Elizabeth is coming from, but it’s still a bummer. Finn says, the hardest part for him, is thinking about Elizabeth dealing with this on her own. He’d like to be there for her, but if he does, he’s not respecting her wishes. Chase says, Finn’s between a rock and a hard place, and Finn says, pretty much. If she feels the only way he can help is to keep his distance, so be it. Chase says, how long? and Finn says, how long what? Chase says, how long is this… pause going to be? Finn says, it’s hard to tell. It’s all very depressing. Tell him something good. How’s Brook? Chase says, as far as he knows, she’s still out of town, and Finn says, as far as he knows? Chase says he hasn’t heard from Brook since she left.

Brook says, it blows her mind that Chase just stepped up. He said he was Bailey’s father without her even asking him. Willow says, that’s a good friend, and Michael says, they regret giving Chase a hard time. Willow looks at the clock, and says she has to go; she’s observing rounds at GH. Michael tells her, show those doctors up, Nurse Tate, but she says she’s not a nurse yet. He says, soon enough, and she leaves. Brook tells Michael that he and Willow are nauseatingly cute, and he says, things are going well. What about her? It’s nice to have Willow by his side, someone to do life with. She says, so? Coupledom isn’t for everyone. Some people value their space. He asks if she’s saying she’s one of those people, and she says, isn’t it obvious? He says, not the way she was talking about Chase.

Finn tells Chase, that surprises him. Brook is dodging his calls? Chase says he hasn’t called her, and Finn says, yet people say Chase is the people person. Chase asks what that means, and Finn says, Chase is the one who said he wanted to at least be friends with Brook, and he hasn’t reached out to her? Chase says, he texted her, and Finn asks what he said… wrote… whatever. Chase tells him, he said, how are u? He just put the u; he didn’t spell it out, Finn says, pure poetry, and Chase says, Brook replied, but all she put was a thumbs up, nothing else. So obviously she doesn’t want to talk to him. Finn says, Chase should definitely give up then.

Brook asks if Michael is forgetting the part where she and Chase were pretending to be partners in crime, not romance, he says, she told him Chase was there for her. She says, he was, because he’s a good guy and they’re friends. He says, that’s it? and she says, that’s a lot. It might be a shock to him, but she doesn’t have a long list of close friends; she can’t afford to lose one. Besides, even if she felt something for Chase, it was probably a result of the situation; heightened emotions from taking care of Bailey together. He says, it looked like more, and she says he needs to get his eyes checked. They sit on the window seat, and he says he went over to Chase’s to apologize. She asks how it went, and he says, pretty good, actually. He thinks in time, if he plays his cards right, he and Chase might be friends again someday. But the point of him telling her that is, he could tell Chase was lost without her and Bailey. Just like she is. She says, he could tell how? Did Chase say he was interested in her?

Josslyn tells Carly, there’s no way. Trina would never humiliate her like that, or Cam. Carly says, it sounds more like something Esme would do, and Josslyn says, my God. Everyone saw her having sex. Carly puts her arms around Josslyn and says she’s sorry, and Josslyn says, a lot of people think she did this on purpose; not only film it, but make it public. How sick is that? Carly says, no one who knows her and Cameron would ever think that, and Josslyn says, people who don’t would think that. She’s just a freshman; she’s new on campus. She had so many messages, she had to turn her phone off. Carly says, from random people? and Josslyn says, mostly, but some of the girls on the volleyball team texted her, wanting to know what’s going on. How will she face them? How will she face anyone again? She sits on the floor, and Carly holds her.

Elizabeth says she can’t believe someone sent that video to Cameron’s whole class, and he says he thinks to the whole school. She asks if he can find out who it was, but he shakes his head, and says, it’s pretty easy to stay anonymous when you send stuff out like that. Plus, once it’s out there, it’s out there. Even Jake’s friends are seeing it. She says she’s sorry he’s going through this, and he says, it’s way worse for Josslyn. There’s still a double standard about sex. While he’s getting virtual high-fives, she’s being called a slut. It’s not right. She says, it’s not, and asks how Josslyn is holding up. He says, she turned off her phone last night, and Elizabeth says, smart move. He says he hasn’t heard from her, and he’s a little worried. Elizabeth says she’s worried about him. Double standard or not, this is happening to him too. Does he wasn’t to tell her how he’s feeling about it? He says, he never wants to talk about it ever again, and she says, he can tell her anything. He says, just not this, okay? but she says he should talk to someone. He says, a friend? and she says, if he wants to. He says he doesn’t. He wishes Franco was here. She says, her too, and he says, Franco would know what to say. Or at least find a way to get him to laugh about all this. She says, he’ll get through this, but he asks, how?

Nikolas says, letting Spencer believe he was dead, he’ll always regret that decision, but Esme says, he misunderstood what she meant. Spence described him as a man with singular focus. For example, when Spence was young, that focus was on him. Now. according to Spence, he’s all about Ava, but she can see that’s not true. There’s room in his heart for more than one person. He says, of course (🍷) there is, and wonders why Spencer can’t see that. Ava is no threat to him or Nikolas’s love for him. Esme says she’s so sorry she helped Spence hurt him and Ava. They were wrong, and she’d like to make ~~almonds~~ amends. She’s been talking to Spence on his behalf, urging him to reconcile with Nikolas. Nikolas says he appreciates that, and she says, maybe she should talk to him about the vow renewal; soften him up before Nikolas speaks to him. Ava comes back, and says she’s sorry she took so long. Nikolas says, important call? and she says, it was about Ryan.

Elizabeth says if Jake wants breakfast, he should come downstairs. He comes down in the same clothes, and she says she told him to get dressed, but he says he’s not going. He doesn’t need to see a shrink. She can’t make him go. She says, actually, she can. It’s not punishment. She thinks talking to Dr. Massey can help him. He says, he knows he messed up after Cassadine Island, but he was a kid then. He’s fine now. Why doesn’t she believe him? She says she doesn’t think any of them are fine, not after losing Franco the way they did. Now Jake’s lost his dad. She knows he misses him; she misses him too. He says, it’s not the same, and she says he’s right. She hasn’t been with his dad in a while, but she’ll always love him because they made Jake. She can see him in Jake. Jake says, she can? and she says, he’s so strong, just like his dad was, and when Jake gets upset, he gets quiet like his dad. He says, dad didn’t talk a lot, and she says, he didn’t, but he always listened to Jake, didn’t he? Jake has so many people who love him, but sometimes it’s easier talking to a stranger. It helped when he talked to Dr. Maddox, didn’t it? He says, yeah, and she says she’s sorry he isn’t around anymore, but Dr. Massey is great. Will he at least give it a try? Cameron listens from the kitchen.

Carly says, Josslyn has nothing to be ashamed of. The video was made without her knowledge or permission, and she didn’t decide to make it public. Josslyn says, people don’t know that, and Carly says, the people who matter do. As far as the rest of them, screw ‘em. You can’t control what people think. Josslyn says she can’t believe this is happening. She’s never been so embarrassed in her life. The whole world saw her naked. Carly says, that’s not true. She doesn’t want to minimize what Josslyn is going through or how she’s feeling, but she wants Josslyn to keep it in perspective. She knows Josslyn feels like everyone is judging her, but they’re not. Josslyn says, but the people she sees every day, what about them? Carly says she knows this seems insurmountable, like she’ll never be over it and never live it down, but life goes on. People forget, and the next scandal is going to replace this one. Trust her, she’s weathered her own and she’s still standing. Josslyn says Carly is stronger than she is, but Carly says, no. Josslyn is stronger.

Michael says, Chase didn’t come out and say he was interested in Brook, but they’re not exactly buddy-buddy right now, so why would Chase confide in him about something like that? Brook says, here’s the deal. If she told Chase that she wanted to be with him, and he wasn’t into it, there aren’t enough words in the English language to describe how awkward that would be. They wouldn’t be able to look at one another, let alone be friends. Why would she risk losing Chase altogether, when she doesn’t even know how she feels about it? He says, she’s looking at it all wrong. Instead of focusing on what she might lose, how about focusing on what she might gain?

Chase sees Willow at the hospital, and she says she’s sorry. She has to run. She doesn’t want to miss rounds. He says, the life of a nurse? and she says, nurse in training. She got so caught up talking to Brook, she didn’t realize the time. He says, she spoke to Brook on the phone? but Willow says, in person. She’s at the house right now. Willow keeps walking, but Chase stops, stunned.

Nikolas asks who’s calling Ava about Ryan, and she says, Doc. He’s been monitoring Ryan from a distance to keep tabs on him at Spring Ridge, but he went to see him face-to-face, and there’s no change. Ryan is still locked inside his body. He wouldn’t even communicate with Doc; no blinkity-blink like he does. Under the table, Esme digs her nails into her palm, and Nikolas says, Ryan shouldn’t be communicating with anyone after what he did to Ava. They should toss him in a cell and lose the key. Ava asks Esme if there’s something wrong, but Esme says, no. It’s just terrible what Ryan did to her. Ava says, yes, but it’s over, and so is he. She’s just relieved they can plan their ceremony without worrying about that monster. There’s absolutely nothing Ryan can do to them from Spring Ridge. Ava’s phone chirps, and she says she has to get back to the gallery. Nikolas says he’ll go too, but Esme says she was hoping they could talk a little more about Spence. Ava tells him to stay, and he says he’ll walk her out. He wants all the time with her that he can get. Esme says, aww, that’s so sweet, and Ava says, they don’t call him a prince for nothin’. Esme tells Nikolas to take his time, and looks at her palm.

Elizabeth walks into the hospital, and sees Finn. Jake walks in behind her, and she tells Jake that she’s proud of him for agreeing to see Dr. Massey. He tells her, let’s just get it over with, and keeps walking. She exchanges looks with Finn and follows.

Brook flashes back down Chase Memory Lane, from her seeing him again for the first time after pretending to be pregnant, and ending with their kiss in the hospital. There’s a song part, and she looks at his number in her phone. She wonders what she’d even say, when Chase walks in, and says, hi. You’re back.

In the MetroCourt elevator, Carly tells Josslyn that Spinelli was able to wipe the video from all the public websites. That’s good, right? Josslyn says, yeah, but who knows how many people have it saved in their private files? Carly is sure not as many as Josslyn thinks. It’s a start. Josslyn agrees, and Carly asks how she’s feeling. Josslyn says, exposed? She guesses a little better after making through the lobby without any whispers or stares. All she can say is, these better be the best blueberry pancakes she’s ever had. Carly says, they will be. She’ll make sure of it. Everything is going to be okay. Spinelli’s on his way to the cabin; he’s searching for a camera. They’re going to find out who did this, and they’re going to make them pay. They get out, and see Esme on her phone. Carly takes Josslyn’s hand and marches her over to the table. Using her best concerned voice, Esme asks how Josslyn is doing. Josslyn asks how should she be doing after someone purposely humiliated her and Cam with that video? Esme says, it’s so awful. Josslyn is so brave to be out in public with this. She doesn’t know if she could do it. If they’ll excuse her… She gets up, but Carly blocks her path, saying, I don’t think so. Sit down.

On Monday, Curtis asks Selina, what’s in it for him besides the money; Josslyn tells Carly that she needs to fight her own battles; Cameron says Spencer can’t drag him down; Carly asks whose life Esme is going to ruin now; and Britt asks, how much trouble could they get into? I’m guessing a lot.

🌡 Absentee Inga…

Luckily, she wasn’t out of commission for long.

Inga Cadranel Reveals Why Harmony Was Recast on GENERAL HOSPITAL

👩🏾‍🎓 A Different Path…

While I’m sad to hear there will be a new Trina, good for her in furthering her education. I wish I’d done that.

Trina Recast on GENERAL HOSPITAL!

🌴 Fresh Move…

She’s going back to a town called Bel-Air.

‘Fresh Prince’ Alums Daphne Maxwell Reid & Vernee Watson-Johnson To Guest Star On Peacock’s ‘Bel-Air’

👨‍👦 Proud Papa…

Like father, like son.

Maurice Benard’s Son Joshua Returns to GENERAL HOSPITAL!

👠 Wu Wu…

Glad to hear she’s back. I like the female mob boss thing.

Exclusive: Lydia Look Returns To GH!

🍭 Inklusive Kandi…

Kandi gives brings the diversity to her new show.

https://pagesix.com/2022/03/04/kandi-burruss-talks-lgbtq-inclusivity-on-kandi-and-the-gang/

💰 Bandwagon Of Claims…

The number just keeps growing.

RHOBH: Tom Girardi’s Bankruptcy Reveals $517 Million in Claims as Erika Jayne’s Company Remains Suspended

💵 Marketing Op…

But is she paying taxes on it?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10596451/RHOSLCs-Jen-Shah-releases-not-guilty-merch-ahead-fraud-trial.html

🛥 Shady Rose On Deck…

I don’t like this woman.

https://pagesix.com/2022/03/08/bdsy-guest-erica-rose-gary-is-too-good-for-two-faced-daisy/

💫 In Lala’s Orbit…

What a toad.

https://pagesix.com/2022/03/10/lala-kent-claims-randall-emmett-calls-paps-when-hes-with-daughter/

By God if they’re not right.

PHOTOS: Randall Emmett Steps Out With Rumored 23-Yr-Old Girlfriend as Fans Deem Mystery Woman a Lala Kent “Knockoff”

💔 Possible VanderSplit…

Why all the mystery? It just seems like with all the blabbermouths on that show, there would be something more definitive.

PHOTOS: Katie Maloney Seen Without Wedding Ring Amid Divorce Rumors, See Her Instagram Posts Amid Potential Tom Schwartz Split

😍 Exclusively Charmed…

Sounds pretty flimsy.

Why Craig Conover Didn’t Want to Be “Exclusive” With Paige DeSorbo

🦋 Ever-Changing…

I dunno. The Kardashians are magicians with makeup and filters, so who can tell?

PHOTO: Kathryn Dennis Accused of Looking Unrecognizable in New Pic, Did Southern Charm Star Go Under the Knife?

🪕 For Those a Little Bit Country…

The winners and the fashions at the ACM Awards.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/07/entertainment/acm-awards-2022/index.html

https://www.eonline.com/photos/34087/acm-awards-2022-red-carpet-fashion

🎺 Quotes of the Week

You keep coming back like a bad smell. – Tom Brooks referring to Jesse Meester, Darcy and Stacy: Tell All

Judge a man by the reputation of his enemies, and the character of his friends. – K@SH

Survive and tell me what’s harder, zombies or senior year? – member of the archery team, All Of Us Are Dead

Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you don’t know about. Be kind. Always. – Robin Williams

I was pretty well grounded. I was being teased and whatever and I didn’t have anger skills, so I would go to the parents and say your children are brats and tell them they were bad parents. – Michael Berryman

Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. – Carl Gustav Jung

People get addicted to feeling offended all the time because it gives them a high; being self-righteous and morally superior feels good. – Mark Manson

I don’t know if I have the strength to keep going back and forth with this lady. – Cynthia Bailey referring to Ramona Singer, Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip

Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right. – Henry Ford

🎆 Rocking Off To the Casbah…

See you next time the Dead Walk. Until then, stay safe, stay remembering to turn your clock back, and stay knowing you can’t control what people think. So if they don’t matter, screw ‘em.

May24

May 23, 2021 – Teddy Reveals What the Key Unlocks, Jumping Dead, Traveling Beyond, the Skinny On the Dead & Telephone

Posted on May 24, 2021 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

We hear the news on the television saying that patients no longer have their faculties, and the hospitals will no longer offer medical care, because the patients aren’t in their right minds. We see Teddy in a Department of Corrections uniform, writing notes. On the walls on his cell are news articles about him, and John Dorie Sr. arresting him, along with a picture of his mother. He hears someone yelling, no! and the guards drag a guy down the hall. Teddy tells him, don’t be afraid. Remember, the end is the beginning. He’s about begin a new life. A guard asks if Teddy actually believes all that bullsh*t he spews. Get it all out. He’ll walk this walk soon enough. Teddy sets aside his dinner tray, and goes back to his notes. Alarms sound, and all the doors open. Zombies come through the hall, and Teddy looks out, then goes back in his call. Chaos begins, and as they go by, an inmate attacks a guard, then a guard attacks an inmate. A zombie walks into Teddy’s cell, and backs him against the wall. Teddy holds the zombie back, and stabs it in the head with his pen. It drops to the floor and he looks at his mother’s picture, saying, he was right. He just needed to be patient. He tells his mother’s photo, it’s not bullsh*t. It’s revelation. He scoots past the mayhem, and out.

A loudspeaker says, you have been here before. You have lived this moment before. We don’t want to believe it. We don’t want to accept it. We are in a loop. Alicia lies on a mat on the floor, while the recording repeats. The world wears it’s ugliness on its sleeve. It has told us who it is… Riley comes in and asks if she’s ready to accept his word. She just looks at him, and he tosses her a can of soda. We hear, we must break it, or we are doomed to repeat it

Teddy comes in, and Alicia is sitting at a table. She said he stopped sending his errand buy, and he says it wasn’t his preferred method of abduction for her. She says, locking her up like a prisoner? and he says he was locked up once. He thought it was the end of the road, but it was the opposite. He’d hoped it would hold the same revelation as it did for him. She says, sorry to disappoint him, and he says he brought good news. They’ve found a new home. They’re packing up as they speak. The Holding served its purpose, but they needed something safer and sturdier, where they can truly begin again. Before they take those first steps together, he needs assurances that she’s dedicated and committed to what they’re doing. She says he’s not going to get them, and he asks what he is going to get. She says she doesn’t know. Probably something he doesn’t like. Riley says he’s wasting his time, and aims his gun at Alicia. Teddy says, Riley… and Riley says, leave her behind. Teddy grabs Riley’s balls from behind instead, and says, no. She’s coming with him. He tells Alicia, it’s surprising what pick up on death row.

Teddy puts gas in the truck, and Riley asks where he’s taking Alicia. Teddy says, it’s a personal matter, and he wants her to accompany him. Riley says, why her? and Teddy says he’d like to get to know Alicia better. He has the feeling she’s going to be critical for their new beginning. Don’t question him about her again. A school bus arrives, and Teddy applauds. Alicia asks, who are they? and he says, new recruits, picked up while they were scouting. He says, welcome, and tells them to come and see their new home. Alicia says, Dakota? and Teddy asks if Dakota is a friend of Alicia’s. Alicia says, that’s not the word she’d use. Dakota killed someone she knew. Teddy asks, why? and Dakota says, it was something that had to be done. Teddy asks if Dakota came alone, with no family, and Alicia says Dakota actually tried to kill her own mother. Teddy asks if she succeeded, and Dakota says, someone else did. He tells her, hop in; she’s coming. Alicia says she’s not going anywhere with Dakota, but Teddy says she’s not at liberty to make that call. Alicia says, if he was smart, he wouldn’t bring her, and Riley says he shouldn’t bring any of them. Teddy puts his keys around Riley’s neck, and says if they don’t show by tomorrow, he knows what to do.

Dakota tells Alicia, this isn’t what it looks like, and Alicia says, it wasn’t the last time either. Dakota says, this time it’s different. They went looking for Alicia, and she came there to help. Alicia says she doesn’t want or need Dakota’s help, and Dakota says Alicia left before she heard what happened. It was getting bad. Morgan tried to bring them together, but she thinks it’s worse. She wants to make up for what she did. She needs to, whether Alicia believes her or not. She’s heard what’s taking place. Teddy has a place stocked so they don’t have to step outside for years. They can kill him. He’s scary as hell, but he’s old. He’s stupid for not believing who we are. Alicia says, there is no we, and there never will be. Just stay out of her way. She wants to know what they’re up to and where they’re going. And why Teddy has those keys. Dakota asks what Alicia is going to do, when Teddy comes back, and they get in the truck.

As they’re driving, Alicia says, it’s not going to work, and Teddy says, what? She says, bringing her out there. It’s not going to break her. Cut the sh*t. She knows Riley heard their recordings, and told him about the stadium where she used to live. He says, the place where her mother grew crops? It’s no coincidence she’s there. The universe sends signs, and it’s up to them to interpret them. Dakota says, like what? and he says, it’s no accident they’re there; the timing and reason for their arrival. Things can reveal themselves.

They go to a cemetery where there are several crypts, and Teddy opens one. He asks for a hand. They applaud. Just kidding. Alicia helps him pull out a casket, and he opens it. He says, hello, mother, and pets the corpse’s head. Alicia asks how she died, and he says, she was taken way before her time, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be a part of the new beginnings. When they’re finished, all this will be gone. I assume by that answer he means he killed her.

They drive with the corpse in the truck bed, and Alicia asks if that’s why Teddy brought them, to dig up his mother’s corpse. He says all three of them lost their mothers, and he wanted them to help him accompany his to their new home. Dakota asks, why? and he says he’s wanted to do this for a long time. He told his mother he was going to do it, and he ended up in a prison cell, condemned to death. He thought he’d failed. Every night, he looked at this. He shows them his mother’s picture, and says he was disgusted with himself. He thought was wrong, and what he’d done was all for nothing. Then he realized he wasn’t wrong. He just needed to be patient. And then it happened. Alicia says, what? and he says, the world changed, and with it his freedom. He had a chance to reshape the world, and everything in it. He could preserve what he loved, and destroy what he didn’t. Alicia asks if he thinks he can do all that with a pair of keys, and he laughs. She asks what it unlocks, and he says, their future. Dakota says he’s sounding like her mom, when the front tire hits something, and they careen all over the road. The corpse falls out, and Teddy stops the truck, yelling, mother! He gets out, and opens the blanket covering the body. He kisses her cheek and says, it will be all right. He asks Alicia and Dakota to please help him get her back on the truck. Please. They lift her, and Dakota sees that a bunch of zombies are about to approach them. Teddy is about to shoot, but Alicia says the sound will just draw more. Even without the sound, more are coming. Dakota picks up a chunk of hard wood, and she and Alicia smack TF out of the zombies’ heads, as Teddy stabs them. Suddenly, the zombies who are still on their feet are shot. Alicia says, Cole? Cole says, Alicia? She says, is that you? and he says he was about to ask her the same question. She goes over to Cole, and Teddy asks, who the hell is that? Alicia says, an old friend, and Teddy asks, what kind? Cole says, Alicia’s mom is the only reason he’s not a skinbag, and Teddy says, how’s that for a sign?

Teddy picks up the walkie talkie, and radios Riley, saying they’re in need of roadside assistance. Does he copy? He gets no response, and says he’ll see if he can fare any better up the road. Dakota goes with him, and Alicia says she can’t believe it’s Cole. Has he been on the road all this time? He nods, and says, a long time. They spent weeks looking for her, and finally figured she’d died in the fire at the stadium. There are some others still around, thanks to what her mom did. He asks how her brother is, and Alicia doesn’t say anything. He says he’s sorry, and she shakes her head. She tells him, Luciana is still alive; Victor too. Cole asks where they are, and she says Luci is living in the same place she is, and Victor went his own way. Cole says, he always does, and he asks what they’re doing out that way. They’ve come far, and have a lot of gas. You don’t see much of that these days. Alicia says, Teddy has been stocking up for a while, and Cole asks who Teddy is. What’s his deal? She says she’s still figuring it out, when Teddy comes back and says he can’t get a signal. He doesn’t suppose Cole knows where they can get a new car. Cole says there’s an old auto parts shop nearby, but they shouldn’t go there on their own; it’s not safe. He’s seen them set zombies on people as they’re passing through. Dakota asks who they are, and he says, unsavory types. A lot of the dead they see, they killed them. Some of them look like Swiss cheese after they take what they want. He can get them where they need to go. He knows the roads they need to take. Alicia says he doesn’t have to, but Cole says he believes he does. Lead the way. Teddy says he’ll need Cole’s gun, and Cole says he’s not handing Teddy anything. Teddy says, fine; hand it to Alicia. He’s beginning to trust her, and wants to make sure she trusts him. Cole gives Alicia his gun, and tells her, it’s all right. Teddy stabs one last zombie in the head, and they walk off.

Dakota asks how long Teddy was locked up, and he says, almost 30 years. She asks what he did, and he says killed the people who got in his way; who didn’t see the world the way he did. His mom had him locked up. He did what he could to get away. She asks if he knew the people he killed, and he says, some of them. She asks if he feels bad, and he wonders if he detects some guilt. She says she only killed when she had to, and he asks if she knew them. She says, one more than the others. They were starting to become a family. He asks if she feels bad, but she says, no. She didn’t have much choice. People look at her like they’re scared of her, but it’s just the way things are. Teddy says, if they’re frightened by what she’s saying, it’s because it’s the truth. She’s right. That’s the way things are.

As they walk ahead, Cole says, Alicia has his gun. They could take Teddy out, but she says they can’t, He says, it doesn’t seem like much of a worry if he’s gone, and she says, he’s a guru. If he doesn’t do it, his people will. Cole asks if she has any idea what it is, and she says, no, but it’s something big. He has followers, and a bunker with enough food for years. Cole says Alicia could join them after she finds out what it is. They have it good. She says she can’t, and he says he’s been looking for a way to pay her mother back for the favor she did. Maybe this is it. Maybe he found it. They arrive at the auto parts place.

Teddy watches Alicia, and she asks if there’s a problem. He says she reminds him of her, and she says, who? He gets teary, and says, his mother. Has she decided yet if she’s going to join them underground? She says, no, because he’s wrong. Suddenly a bunch of people come in, wearing bandanas bandit style, and carrying guns. Cole cocks his gun, and says, those unsavory types he told them about, he’s one of them. They take their bandanas off, and Doug says, sorry, Alicia. Next to him, Viv takes off her bandana, and Alicia says, they’re kidding her. Cole says they’re not, and Teddy says, after her mother saved their lives? and Cole says, maybe she should have let them die.

Alicia asks, what happened? and Cole says they were looking for a place to hole up and regroup. They looked for her, Nick, Victor, and Luci. They went to a motel off 78, and people were waiting for them. Most of them were killed. Alicia asks, who’s left? and he says, she’s looking at them. She says, so they decided to do the same thing to whoever else they crossed paths with? Teddy says, that’s what he’s trying to get her to understand; the patterns of the universe. It’s the people like Cole in the world, who they need to destroy. Dakota says she’s not proud of what she did, but it was all she could do. Alicia says, they had another way, and Cole says, they know how that ended. They tried to find a way to do things that was more than looking out for themselves, but most of them are gone. So they found this way, and they’re still standing. Alicia says, they became the people they’d been fighting off, and Cole says, there are always bad people waiting to make things go south. For you, not them. Teddy says he knows how to fix that. Get rid of Cole. Cole says, that will be hard to do when Teddy is on that end of the shotgun. Teddy laughs, and Cole says, keep walking, gramps.

Doug fixes the tire on the truck, and Teddy approaches Alicia. He says he doesn’t want to rub salt in her wound, but he knows what she’s thinking. She says she highly doubts it, and he says, she’s thinking her mother died for something. She’d thought the people her mother saved went off to live meaningful lives, but most of them are dead. Those that aren’t, are living like bottom feeders. Alicia asks if this isn’t what he wants, and he says he doesn’t want to see her in pain. He wants her to understand they’re both after the same thing. She can fulfill her potential more than she knows. He’s confident that she’s the person he’s been looking for. She says he’s delusional, and he says she doesn’t know what he’s set out to do. She says she’s been trying to figure it out for weeks, but has no clue. Just tell her. Cole comes over to them, and asks, what about a gun pointed at them makes them think they should take a break? Alicia tells him, take the truck. Take what they want, and let them walk out. Cole says, and they’ll never bother them again? but Teddy says, he doesn’t make promises he can’t keep. Cole says he tried Alicia’s way, and nearly got killed. Teddy’s place sounds nice. Tell him where it is. There’s got to be a map in the truck. Teddy says they won’t find anything in there, and Cole aims his gun at Teddy, saying, he’ll be more than happy to open it. Alicia says, Cole… and Cole asks why she’s protecting this a-hole. Doug calls to Cole, and tells him, they’ve been way too long, and Viv says, forget it. They have the truck, gas, and food. It’s more than they had this morning. Cole says, Teddy has a place stocked with supplies. They have water and power. They’ll be safe there; they can live there. He asks where it is, and Teddy says, go ahead and kill him. He’ll return to the earth, and live on. Someone else will finish what he started. Cole says he knows how to get Teddy to talk. Move. He pushes Teddy along.

Cole pulls the corpse out of the truck bed, and on to the ground. He says he saw upset Teddy was when the body went flying out. He shoots it in the chest, and Dakota says, what the hell? Cole says he’ll blow her head off, and Teddy says, go on. Cole asks what kind of psycho Teddy is, and Teddy says, Cole is the one shooting a corpse. Dakota says she’s sorry, and Teddy says, don’t be; that’s not his mother. His mother is buried on the family farm. Alicia says he lied, but he says, no; he showed her the truth. She was right; he confesses. Her journey was not a coincidence. He was hoping to find proof that the people who her mother saved were dead, but he didn’t suspect to find a living one. It proves his point even more. Cole says they’ll take the truck and tells Alicia he’s sorry. He really is. He knows what her mother did for them, so he’s going to do something he normally wouldn’t. Come with them. Alicia says she can’t. She has to find out what they’re doing. He asks, why? and she says, people will die. He says, who? Victor? Why isn’t Victor out looking for her? They have a truck and gas. They can get the hell out, and drive smart, far away. Whatever they’re doing, Victor is doing the same thing. He’s got to warn her. If she doesn’t take him up on it, he’ll have no choice but to kill her too. Alicia nods, and says she guesses that makes her decision easier. Go to hell. He cocks his gun, and tells her to get on her knees. He’ll make it fast.

Dakota and Alicia kneel, while Teddy sits cross-legged in the road. Cole says, one more chance, old man. Where are you going? Teddy tells Alicia and Dakota, everything he’s planned will proceed without them. Alicia asks if Cole is really doing this, and Cole says he gave her an out. He’ll put her down, and bury her. She sarcastically says, thank you, and he says they can be a warning to others. They hear zombie noises, and Doug tells Cole to get it over with. They’re about to have visitors. Alicia says, it doesn’t have be like this, but Cole says he’s heard that too many times. Sorry. Teddy says, these people don’t know what they know. They’re killing people off, but don’t know the difference between a weak and good thing. They don’t know him. Cole aims his gun at Teddy, but Alicia jumps up, and pushes the barrel away. The zombies arrive, and chaos happens. They eat Doug and Viv, and I think, it couldn’t happen to nicer people. Teddy laughs, as he slices away, and Cole shoots some of them. Alicia comes toward Cole, using a zombie as a shield, and aiming a gun from under the zombie’s arm. Teddy says, shoot him; do it. Instead, she shoves the zombie on Cole, but he shoots it. He and Alicia stand face to face, aiming their guns at each other. Alicia says, her mother died so he’d have a chance, and Teddy says he knows she doesn’t want to get rid of her mother… She tells him, shut up. She’s not talking him. She tells Cole, he was supposed to make it mean something, and threw it all away. Cole says, maybe in time she’ll listen to her friend… Maybe in time she’ll let go… She shoots him in the head. She says Teddy knows he’s wrong. They don’t have to destroy everything to make it better. Just people like Cole. Teddy smiles.

Zombie Doug gets a knife in the head from Alicia; ditto with zombie Viv. Dakota says, it’s not as hard as Alicia thinks, and Alicia says, for Dakota. Dakota says, not just for her. It’s how the world is working. She tried to explain to John, so he’d see it the same way we do. Again, Alicia says, there is no we, and Dakota says she had to do it. Alicia says she believes in something better, and Dakota says, like Alicia’s mom did. She never had that. No one gave her anything to believe in. Alicia says, that’s not true. She tried, and Dakota threw it away, like Cole did. Teddy says he’s proud of Alicia; she let go of the past. He laughs, and says she isn’t afraid to change. Alicia says, that doesn’t mean she’s going to fall in line behind him, and he says she’s not afraid to question him. She reminds him of his mother. Alicia asks if his mother thought he was a nutjob too. He says when he was at mortician school, he was trying to figure out how he could change things. He read about it in journals, but they only saw part of it; why they need to end everything. His mother thought he was sick… no, disturbed was the word she used. She threated to call social services, and have him committed. She said she wanted to put an end to his sick thoughts about new beginnings. She never knew how right he was. Alicia says she takes it his mother didn’t listen, and he says he killed her. (Points for me.) He buried her body on the farm, and waited through fall and winter. He was worried someone would find the body, but when spring came, the strangest thing happened. The most beautiful morning glories bloomed over her body. He realized, it wasn’t enough to change things – that was the first part. They needed a new beginning where people like his mother could thrive, free of the patterns of a broken world. Alicia asks how he plans to destroy the world, and he says she earned the truth today. The key will launch a missile from a beached submarine ashore in Galveston. That should do job, doesn’t she think? Alicia says she thinks – she takes the walkie talkie out of his hand – that Cole is not the only person they need to get rid of to make the world better. She aims her gun at him, and behind her, Dakota aims hers at Alicia. She says, Alicia will have to get rid of her too.

Alicia asks, what happened to making things right, and Dakota wanting to make a fresh start? Teddy says they’re not going to stop what he’s doing. He wants Alicia alive. Alicia goes up the road with the walkie talkie, and Teddy says, it’s okay. Alicia radios Morgan, and asks if anyone is there. She sees Riley coming with the others, and backs away. She asks if anyone can hear her, and Victor asks if she’s okay. She asks if she can trust him, and he says, of course. What’s wrong? She says she knows what they’re going to do. There’s a beached submarine in Galveston. Dakota is part of it, and they need to get themselves far away. Riley draws his gun, and Teddy says Alicia is what he’s been hoping for. Alicia asks what he means, and he says she’s the right person for what’s to come. One of Teddy’s followers grabs her, and Teddy follows them to the car, along with Dakota.

They go to a hotel, and get out of the car, Alicia with her wrists bound. Teddy says, in the 1950s, Uncle Sam built a bunker beneath the resort for government officials to wait out the country’s inevitable destruction. It was long forgotten, but Riley found a mention in the newspaper. Uncle Sam was smart about what was coming, just not when. He asks Riley what it’s like, and Riley says, better than The Holding. Teddy says he supposes he should thank Alicia for burning down the other place. Alicia asks if his followers know, and he says, they know they’ll live in a well-stocked new home. He wants to show Alicia around himself. He tells the others to wait there. He’ll be all right. There’s nothing to worry about.

Teddy and Alicia go inside, and he says he wanted to get to know her, and he’s glad he did. She’s the one who can finish what he started. She says she’s not finishing anything, and he says, it’s nearly the end. He’s the ending, and can’t be the beginning, but she can. She asks, what makes him think that? and he says, she’ll do what needs to be done without losing sight of the one thing that will be in short supply when this is over. She says, what’s that? and he says, hope. He opens the door to the bunker, and Alicia says, she told them what he’s doing. They’re going to stop him. He locks her inside, and says, he knows it’s hard for her, but it’s what’s happening. They’re going to rebuild the world from there. He and Alicia are alike. He was ahead of his time, and while he was inside, the world changed to be perfectly suited for him. And that’s exactly what’s going to happen. She shakes her head, and he tells her, good luck. Alicia yells that she will not make the world the way he wants it, but he says he knows. That’s what he’s counting on. She watches him leave.

Next time – two episodes left – Teddy says things are about to get started, Dakota asks if everyone knows they’re going to die, Morgan and Victor go to the beach in Galveston, and Morgan asks if Victor is ready to do this.

🕰 Jumping Time…

I don’t mind a time jump, as long as there aren’t several within an episode. That makes me dizzy.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/fear-the-walking-dead-season-6-finale-time-jump-season-7-nuclear-missile/

🗺 New Places…

Oh, so they mean it will be more like Z Nation? Yes, I’m still bitter about it being canceled.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-world-beyond-season-2-crazy-different-places-new-locations-rick-grimes-scott-gimple/

⚰️ Everything…

Absolutely all you need to know about Season 11 of The Walking Dead, coming to you on August 22^nd. This year.

https://www.tomsguide.com/news/the-walking-dead-season-11-release-date-cast-episodes-rick-grimes-return-and-latest-news

🌃 Calling It a Night…

Whether the Sunday scaries are back for you, you have nothing to be frightened of, or everything freaks you out, stay safe, stay environmentally conscious, and stay preserving what you love, but not by destroying anything.

Mar12

March 11, 2021 – Cameron Believes Franco Is Alive, Not Going Anywhere, Worst House In the Hamptons, Starting Out, Seeing Red, Coming Soon, High Class Hoarders & Girls

Posted on March 12, 2021 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jackie goes to Anna’s place, and says she’s sorry for dropping by unannounced, but she needs to talk to Finn. Anna says, Finn’s not there. He didn’t come home last night, and she’s not sure he’s going to.

Chase tells Finn, good morning, and Finn says, is it? Chase says, is it good, or is it morning? which is already more talking than I can handle first thing. Finn asks, where’s Violet? and Chase says he figured with the day Finn had yesterday, he’d want to sleep in. He called the nanny to take Violet out to breakfast, and maybe the park afterward. He told her that Finn would be in touch. Finn’s phone dings, and he sees 12 missed calls from Jackie.

Phyllis tells Lenny, the bank won’t give them an extension, so they pay the mortgage. It’s as simple as that. Lenny says, it’s not simple at all. They have to replace the stock the vandals smashed. Otherwise, they’ll be serving the customers tap water, and how much can they charge for that? In the hallway, Sonny makes a call. He asks if it’s still on for today, back of the garage. He’ll be there.

Jason meets Carly by the hallowed bowl of moss, and she gives him some coffee. She asks if he slept much, and he says, not much. She says, her neither. She gets that Elizabeth has to blame someone because she’s grieving, but she shouldn’t have blamed him.

On the phone, Elizabeth thanks Nikolas, and tells him, just get home safely. She looks at a picture of her and Franco, then goes to the kitchen. Terry is there, and Elizabeth tells her that Nikolas will be on the next flight out, after he tells Ava. She and Franco were good friends. She asks where the boys are, and Terry says, Jake and Aiden are watching a movie upstairs. Elizabeth asks if they ate breakfast, and Terry says they did. Cameron, not so much. He left early, and didn’t say where he was going. She assumed to clear his head. She says, there are some eggs on the stove if Elizabeth wants, and Elizabeth says she didn’t have to do all this, but Terry says she wanted to. She takes Elizabeth’s hand and says she’s not alone.

At the hospital, Josslyn asks Trina what she thinks Cameron’s text was about, but Trina says she doesn’t know. Josslyn can’t believe it, and Trina says, they’ve all lost so much, and now Cameron loses Franco? Josslyn says she feels awful for him, when Cameron comes in. She goes to him, and hugs him, saying she’s so sorry. Trina says, her too, and asks how he’s doing, hugging him. He says he’s all over the place, and Josslyn says, sounds about right. He thanks them for meeting him, and Josslyn says, of course (🍷). Trina asks what it’s about, and he says he needs their help getting out the truth. Trina asks if he knows who killed his stepdad, and he says, it’s nothing like that. He spent all night going over everything in his head, and it hit him. Franco’s still alive.

Jackie says Finn’s not returning her calls, and Anna says, so she thought she’d try the sneak attack. Jackie says, it doesn’t really work if he’s not there, and Anna asks if there’s anything she can do to help. Jackie flashes back to Gregory telling Finn that they hadn’t planned on having a family. Chase was a happy surprise, and they joked that he was a souvenir from their honeymoon… Oh. Finn and Jackie were together the night before their wedding, and nine months later, Chase was born. Is Chase Finn’s son? Jackie tells Anna, it’s just a family matter, and Anna says if she hears from Finn, she’ll tell him to get in touch. Jackie thanks her, and asks if she’s okay. She knows what happened between Finn and Anna is none of her business… Anna says, it’s hardly private at this point, and Jackie says, Anna didn’t tell Finn that Peter was her nephew and not her son. Maybe if she explains, Finn will understand where she’s coming from. Anna says, there really isn’t an explanation. She was completely at fault.

Chase asks, what happened? and Finn asks if he wants to narrow that down. Chase says he means between Finn and Anna. Does he think it can be salvaged? They fold the blankets from the couch as they talk, and Finn says he doesn’t know. The lies cut pretty deep. He can’t help wondering if it’s not symptomatic of something greater. He thinks the question is, if Anna had been involved with Robert or Valentin, would she have kept the secret from them? Chase wonders if Finn asked her, and Finn says he wants to ask her a lot of things, but she walked out.

Carly says she doesn’t want to speak ill of the dead, but she can’t believe Franco involved Jason in that ridiculous plan of his; to have Jason kill him if he starts showing signs of psychotic behavior. It’s like Franco was planning for something to go wrong, and of course (🍷) it did. Now it’s all going to land on Jason. He says, it’s okay, but she says, no, it’s not okay. The police have been trying to make a case against him for forever. It’s no secret he hates Franco. He attacked the man in a hospital full of witnesses the day he came back to Port Charles. He’s going to be arrested, and he could be held over for trial. She knows it’s a long shot, but he could go to prison. He says, it’s a very long shot, but she says, people are railroaded every day. Hell, she was railroaded. She’s grieving for Sonny every day. She can’t lose Jason. She won’t.

Cameron tells Josslyn and Trina, he knows it sounds crazy, but when you think about it, it’s the only thing that makes sense. Josslyn says, walk them through it, and he says, Franco faked his death, just like Trina’s dad did. Trina says, yes, that happened with her dad, but it was to protect her from Cyrus. What makes him think that happened with Franco? He says he was so upset when he didn’t get to say goodbye to Franco, but that’s when he realized, Franco knew how hard it would be for them. Josslyn says, to say goodbye? and he says, yes, if he died from the tumor. There’s this long, drawn out process when he’d get sicker and sicker, and Franco would do anything to avoid that kind of pain for them. Trina says, so he faked his death, and Cameron says, and Jason probably helped him. Franco is probably laying low right now, until he’s cured, and it’s safe for him to come back home again. Josslyn says, okay. Say he’s right, and that’s what’s going on. How does he prove it? He takes off his backpack, and unzips it, saying, they do the same thing they did for Trina’s dad with his mom’s computer, and access Franco’s medical files. Trina says, after that security breach, she thinks security has gone way up. Her mom told her there’s a two part authentication process, plus a code on the back of their badges. He shows them Elizabeth’s ID, and tells them, Trina was saying?

Elizabeth digs around the couch cushions, and Terry asks what she’s looking for. Elizabeth says, her ID; she can’t find it anywhere. Terry says Elizabeth just lost her husband. She’s not thinking of going into work, is she? Elizabeth says, no, but she still has to go to the hospital; Franco is there. He was there last night, and it just seems wrong that he was alone. Terry tells Elizabeth, what was at the hospital, that’s not Franco. His heart and soul, and everything they shared, is still with her. Wherever Franco is, he’s not alone. What Elizabeth needs to do is take care of herself and her family, and let some of them take care of her. She offers to check on the kids, and Elizabeth thanks her. The doorbell rings, and Elizabeth opens the door to Sam.

Sam asks if she can she come in, and Elizabeth says, it depends. Is she there to dance on Franco’s grave? Sam says, whatever she felt about Franco, she knows the pain Elizabeth is in now. Elizabeth was there for her a few months ago when she was hurting, and she wanted to return the favor. Please. She hands Elizabeth a cup of to-go coffee.

Carly says she doesn’t understand why Jason went along with Franco’s plan to begin with. It’s a trap. Franco does something bad or dangerous, and Jason kills him? It’s all Jason’s fault, and he goes to prison. He says she’s right. He didn’t know what to do. He hasn’t known what to do about Franco from the day he got back. Jake loved the guy, and when Franco’s tumor was removed, he wasn’t held responsible for the things he did. Jason wasn’t in a position to hold him responsible because Elizabeth has full custody of Jake. Carly says, it’s something he agreed to a million years ago because he didn’t know Elizabeth would turn around and marry Franco, and he says, but she did. Franco was the man she wanted; the man she wanted in the life of her kids. And Jake was happy. All he could do was make the respect Elizabeth’s choice, and try not to get in the way.

Sonny asks Lenny how it’s coming along, and Lenny says, they either pay the mortgage, and they’ll have nothing to serve their customers, or they stock the Tan-O, and the bank forecloses. Phyllis says she can cover one mortgage payment by parting with her china; they never use it anyway. Lenny says, but it’s not just one payment; the margins have been thin for years. With so many businesses are shutting down, he’s not sure there will be any customers left to serve, but Phyllis says he’s just scared. She has to believe the customers will come back when they reopen. Lenny says, and if they don’t? A man walks in, and Sonny says they’re still closed, but he says he’s not a customer.

Anna tells Jackie that she hopes it’s not inappropriate, talking to her about this, but Jackie thinks they passed inappropriate eons ago. Besides, in her line of work, the best insights can come from the most unlikely people. Anna says, in her line of work too. The fact is, she’s been woefully blind where Peter is concerned, about who he really was. Did she know the truth? Not for certain, but enough people she trusted told her. Her instincts kept taking her in that direction, but she refused to see it because she didn’t want to believe Peter was guilty. She didn’t want to think the man Maxie was in love with was just this illusion. She should have faced the truth head on, tried to work through the problem, and try to solve it, but she didn’t. She enabled Peter. She kept trying to find excuses to explain the holes in his story, and his bizarre behavior. So the all fallout is really hers. Jackie says, all the fallout? and Anna says, a large portion was her responsibility. Of course (🍷) Finn is really furious, and he has every right to be. She lied to him, and not just about who Peter was, that he wasn’t her son, but the extent of the crimes Peter committed. Because she knew all that, she had this feeling that… the wedding wasn’t going to happen. She should have warned Finn, prepared him, but she didn’t. Just when Finn was trying to figure everything out, she had to leave to deal with Peter. Her life is kind of falling apart, and she doesn’t have anyone else to blame but herself.

There’s a knock at Chase’s door. It’s Gregory, and Chase says, look who stopped by. Finn asks what Gregory is doing there, and Gregory says he wanted to see how Finn was holding up. He took a gamble that Finn’s brother knew where he was. Chase tells them that he has to shower before work; make themselves at home. He leaves the room, and Finn says something tells him that he wasn’t the one Gregory was looking for, and Gregory says, he wasn’t. He just needed to see his boy. Finn says Gregory’s not planning on telling Chase that Finn might be his father, is he?

Phyllis says, look who it is, and hugs the man. She asks how he’s doing, and he says, fine; and them? She says they’re hanging in there. Lenny introduces the man to Mike/Sonny as their old friend Elijah. Elijah says, nice to meet you, and Phyllis says they missed Elijah at the last town council meeting. Elijah says work has been keeping him busy, and Phyllis says she bets. They heard the strip mall he’s building is doing pretty good. Lenny says he doesn’t know why Elijah chose to build in a ghost town, and Phyllis says, it was a great area way back when, until it started getting dangerous. Elijah says, word on the street has it that it’s not looking great here either. Phyllis says, they’ve seen better days, but it’s hardly a ghost town. Elijah says, crime goes up, the population drops, and businesses shut down; it’s a vicious cycle. He asks if they have enough in the bank to weather the storm. Maybe he can do something to help.

Gregory tells Finn, he’ll always be Chase’s father, no matter what some DNA test says, but to answer Finn’s question, he sees the point Finn and Jackie were making last night. There’s no reason to tell Chase unless they know for sure, and even then, they’ll decide what’s best. Finn is glad they see things the same way, and Gregory laughs. He says, all these years, he blamed himself for how strained their relationship has been. He thought Finn was overreacting to his getting remarried, but he carried the guilt for decades, guilt that he chose his own happiness over Finn’s. He was a fool not to see it was the other way around. Finn was the one who carried the guilt and shame, but he was forcing Gregory to carry it will him. Finn says, it was never his intention. He didn’t want to hurt Gregory more than he already had. He left because he didn’t want to take away Gregory’s happiness. Gregory says, but he did. Finn took away his oldest son by keeping this secret. For a parent, there’s nothing worse.

Jackie tells Anna, for what it’s worth (🍷), she’s sorry. Regret is a horrible burden to bear. Anna says, if she could do it over… Jackie says, but they can’t. Anna says, no, they can’t. She guesses they just have to learn from their mistakes. Jackie asks, how’s that going? and Anna says she thinks the biggest takeaway for her, is that you can’t have real love, real communication, and family if all these secrets are buried underneath. It’s not possible, no matter how much you want it. Secrets are like toxic waste underground, waiting to bubble to the surface at an inopportune moment. Which is exactly what happened tonight at the wedding. Jackie tells her, good luck, Anna says, her too, and Jackie leaves.

Chase comes back, and his phone rings. He says, wait… What? Do they need him to come in early?… Okay. Thanks for letting him know. Finn asks if everything is okay, and Chase says, Franco Baldwin was murdered last night.

Cameron tries to access the files, and Josslyn tells Trina, it’s not Jason, but as of now, he’s the only suspect. Of course (🍷) Cameron would rather believe Jason was helping Franco. Trina says, Jason helped save their lives, and they’ll always be grateful for that, but Cameron has created an alternate universe where Franco is still alive. Josslyn says, that’s why they have to help him, and Trina asks if they shouldn’t level with him. Josslyn asks if it would have worked with Trina when they were trying to find out the truth about her dad, and Trina says, no. Josslyn says, then they need to do what Cameron needs them to do, so he can figure it out for himself. Cameron says, dammit. He’s tried the passwords a hundred times; his mother must have changed it. How can he get answers now? Josslyn says she thinks she might know one way, and picks up Elizabeth’s ID.

Terry comes down, and says, all good upstairs. Elizabeth thanks Terry, who says she’s scheduled to work, but if Elizabeth wants her to stay… Elizabeth says she’s fine, and Terry says she’ll call later. She leaves, and Elizabeth thanks Sam for the coffee. Sam says she figured Elizabeth could use it, and Elizabeth says she figured right. Sam says she knows the feeling. Like Elizabeth said to her, she might not be the first call if she needs someone to talk to, but she’s happy to be the second. If she hears anything from her sources at the PCPD about who did it, Elizabeth will be the first to know. Elizabeth says, Sam has no idea, does she? Sam says, about what? and Elizabeth says she knows who killed Franco. It was Jason.

Jason tells Carly that he didn’t kill Franco, but he was there, and because he didn’t kill Franco, he can’t control the situation. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, with zero means to protect himself. Carly says they just have to hope once this first wave of grief passes, Elizabeth realizes he had nothing to do with it. He was too smart to let this happen. He says all they can do is let the cops investigate. The evidence will be there or not, but what matters is, he didn’t do it. She says, that means somebody else did, and he says, that’s what they need to focus on. There are a lot of people who didn’t like Franco, but there’s one person who had actual motive to kill him. She asks if he knows who did this, and he says he thinks it was Peter.

Terry comes out of the elevator, and goes to the reception desk. Cameron, Josslyn, and Trina run into the elevator, thinking they’re being stealthy, but Terry sees them.

Sam tells Elizabeth, that can’t be right, but Elizabeth says, it is. Didn’t Sam hear about the deal they made? Sam says she remembers, but Jason wouldn’t. Elizabeth says she watched Jason stand over Franco’s body as he bled to death. Sam says, there has to be an explanation, and Elizabeth says, Jason hates Franco, and he killed him. Sam says, what if Franco… Elizabeth says, did something to deserve it? Was that what Sam was going to say? Sam says she’s going to go, and Elizabeth thinks that’s a good idea. Sam says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she knows the pain Elizabeth and her family are going through, and would never wish it on anyone. She says she’s so sorry, and leaves.

Carly says, the voices Franco was hearing… and Jason says, one voice. She says, so Franco wasn’t losing his mind; it was a memory? He says, yes. From Drew, when he was in Afghanistan and was kidnapped. It proves Peter was there, and in on it the whole time. Then Franco told Peter about hearing his voice… She says, soPeter knew Drew’s memories were resurfacing in Franco, and he says, Peter knew it was a possibility, and knew he could be implicated for his original crimes. It sounds like a motive to him. What does she think? She says, Peter has claimed all along that Helena and Faison coerced him into the kidnapping, and he was a victim, not the perpetrator. If Drew’s memories prove otherwise, it will blow Peter’s life apart. He thinks Peter killed Franco to keep it from happening; to shut him up for good.

Lenny asks, what kind of arrangement? and Elijah says, one that could provide them with financial backing for the time being. Phyllis says, in what way? and Sonny says, don’t fall for it. He knows a sweet talker when he sees one. Elijah knew they were in trouble; it’s why he came there in the first place. Elijah says, Mike what? and Sonny says, just Mike. Elijah says he appreciates just Mike looking out for Lenny and Phyllis. He owes them a lot. He rented a room from Phyllis after he finished grad school and was buried in debt. But he’s right. Not about the sweet talking, but coming here with an agenda. He’d like to go into business with them. Lenny says they’re listening, and Elijah says, when the spike in vandalism stops, the town will be hungry for local businesses again, but not all of them will survive long enough to get over the hump. His company can provide the cash flow the Tan-O needs. Lenny asks what Elijah wants in return, and Elijah says, to be blunt, he wants to buy the place from them.

Finn says, Franco’s dead? and Chase says, he was murdered in his art studio last night. He was shot to death. Finn asks, by who? but Chase doesn’t have any details; they just wanted to give him a heads up. He tells Gregory, the victim was married to Violet’s aunt, and Gregory says he’s so sorry. Finn says he’s going to go see Elizabeth and find out if she needs anything, and Chase asks Finn to send his condolences. Finn says he’ll call the nanny on his way over, and tell her that he’s picking up Violet. Chase says Finn forgot his phone, and picks it up. He looks at it, and says, DNA test results. What’s that about?

Finn asks if Chase doesn’t need a warrant to search a phone, and Chase says he just picked up the phone, and it was on the front screen. Why did Finn order a DNA test? Finn says he can’t talk about it; it’s for work. Chase says Finn is an infectious disease specialist, but Finn says he orders lab tests all the time. Chase says, but it wasn’t on the physician’s portal. It came in on an app patients use. He’s asking again why Finn ordered a DNA test, and why didn’t Finn say that Chase’s mom called him a dozen times? Does it have something to do with what Finn and Gregory were talking about? Finn insists it’s about work, when Jackie comes in, and says, stop. They can’t keep doing this.

Carly tells Jason, this is huge, and he says, it could be. They need proof, but nothing is going to get resolved before he meets with the five families. She says, about Cyrus? and he says they have to make sure everybody is on the same page. He needs to make sure everybody knows Carly and the family are off limits, but if he’s facing legal trouble… She asks what he’s going to do, and he says he’ll find some way to be there. Somebody has to show up from Sonny’s organization, and he’s the only option.

A technician in the autopsy room hears a yell, and Trina runs in. She tells him, come quick. Her friend fell, and she thinks she hurt herself. He runs out with Trina, and Cameron sneaks in. He looks on a chart to see which locker Franco’s body is in.

Elizabeth’s phone rings. Terry tells her that she just saw Cameron and his friends sneaking around the hospital. She thinks Elizabeth should get down there.

Cameron looks at the nameplate, and reaches for the handle. He opens the locker, and slides out the body. He lifts the sheet, and sees Franco. He cries, and stumbles back, sliding to the floor. Okay. I’d actually thought the same thing. That it might be a Taggert situation, maybe something to set up Peter. There goes that theory.

Phyllis says they’re not ready to sell, and Elijah says he hears that. The Tan-O is nothing without them at the helm. They could think of him as a silent partner. The place would be theirs to run, and when they’re ready to retire, leave it to him. Lenny asks what Elijah would get out of the deal, and Elijah says, he’s a businessman. He sees the opportunity to turn a modest profit there, one day; only when they’re ready. He also thinks of it as a way to repay their kindness. The Tan-O was supposed to be their retirement nest egg, but it’s become a financial drain. He can help. Lenny says, they’ll talk it over, but that’s all he can promise. Elijah says, fair enough. Nice meeting you, just Mike. He leaves, and Sonny says he’s sorry, but he doesn’t like Elijah. Lenny says, he can be a little much; he has an intense personality, but he’s a good egg. Phyllis says, they’re not going to sell him the bar, are they? and Lenny says, it’s not like they have kids to leave the place to. It would solve a lot of problems. Sonny says, there’s somewhere he needs to be. Don’t decide anything until he gets back.

Jason is messing with his phone, when Sam comes in. She says she went to his house, but he wasn’t there, so she figured he’d be there. Carly says she’s going to check on Donna, using the kid excuse to leave. Jason asks if Danny is okay, and Sam says, Danny is fine. She just needs to hear it from him. The truth. Did he kill Franco? He says, no. He found Franco shot at the art studio. She says, okay, good. She wouldn’t want anything to come between Danny and Jake. She’s sorry he’s being blamed for this, but he says he’ll be okay. She says, do her a favor and be careful, and leaves.

Cameron sits on the floor, and Elizabeth calls to him. He quickly covers Franco’s face, and Elizabeth walks in. She asks what he’s doing down there, and he says he thought that Franco was protecting them, and he was… somewhere. But he’s gone. He cries, and she holds him. He says he misses Franco so much. Terry comes in with Josslyn and Trina.

Anna looks at a picture of her and Finn.

Jackie shuts the door, and Chase asks, what the hell is going on here? Finn says, please don’t, and Jackie says she’s sorry, but she doesn’t want what happened between Anna and Peter to happen to them. The one thing that will never change is that she’s Chase’s mother, so she’s going to make the call on this. Chase says, the call about what? and Jackie says Chase needs to know the truth – about everything. Finn gives her a soap stare.

Tomorrow, Willow needs to find the right words to tell him, Anna doesn’t want someone ending up like their father, Jason says the damage has already been done, and Sonny says he’s in.

📰 Read All About It…

Roger is making a temporary exit, but it’s unclear whether Franco is.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/roger-howarth-temporary-exit-from-general-hospital

🏖 On the God-awful Summer House, Kyle was the winner of the Big Baby award this week. Not only did he act like one when a couple of the girls asked him to turn his music down, calling them senior citizens, Hannah perfectly summed it up in saying he was being passive/aggressive and a d*ck, after he talked about her instead of to her. Lindsay just wanted to celebrate the last minutes of her MF’ing birthday, which she did by having shots with the girls. Luke sent Ciara her favorite flowers, hydrangeas, but she insisted she and Luke were strictly platonic. She didn’t want to give Luke mixed signals, since he tends to run with that sh*t. Amanda and Hannah apologized to each other, but when it was suggested Kyle apologize, he said he didn’t even know what he did, and was going to lose his sh*t. Sh*t, along with literally, were the words of the night. Lindsay was pissed about Stephen leaving without saying anything, since she had abandonment issues due to her mother jetting on the family when she was young. She wasn’t the only one with parental problems, since when Amanda confused Ciara saying she missed her cat with saying she missed her dad, it caused Ciara to cry. She explained that her father remarried when she was 14, and because she and her sister didn’t like his fiancé, they were disinvited to the wedding. Hard to make a judgement on that, since she didn’t go into detail as to how much animosity there was. Stephen called Lindsay repeatedly, and when she asked for his thoughts on the relationship, he sent her a power point presentation, complete with a pie chart. Lindsay said that’s how Stephen thought – in pie charts, bullet points, and stick figures – and she was all for it. He also sent a bouquet of sunflowers, along with a request for a new beginning. Lindsay said she just wanted to be happy, but didn’t know if that meant being with Stephen. After calling them senior citizens, Kyle whined that the Gen Z girls did no work around the house. Lindsay claimed they were the more mature ones, subsequently falling drunkenly down the stairs. Amanda said she was emotionally drained by the Kyle/Hannah drama, and thought they were both wrong, but to take Kyle down meant taking her down too. Still, karma got Kyle back by whacking him in the nuts via a toss from some kind of yard game. This was actually the highlight of the show, along with Carl returning with a beard. On his face. He’s not gay as far as I know. Verdict: still horrible in the Hamptons.

Next time, Amanda tells Kyle that she’s ready to get off the Pill (which frightens me), Hannah’s new squeeze Des arrives, and Luke walks out. Almost.

🧼 Soap Starts…

The road to stardom begins with a first step.

https://ew.com/gallery/celebrities-soap-operas/

👠 Ahead Of the Carpet…

How Grammy fashion will work this year.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1247182/all-the-details-on-e-s-2021-grammys-red-carpet-coverage

📺 They’re Comin’ Up…

Some shows to look forward to.

https://www.essence.com/articles/most-anticipated-tv-shows-spring-2021/

💰 Just For Fun…

The rich, they’re just like us.

https://nypost.com/article/hoarder-houses-apartments-nyc/

🚤 Cruising Into the Weekend…

Another Friday is here, or the day you used to look forward to in more normal times. Regardless of your sense of normalcy, stay safe, stay hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, and stay not falling for sweet talkers with an agenda.

Jan12

January 11, 2021 – Mike Tells Sonny Not To Be a Quitter, Delores Takes Another Dive, Sad To See Him Go, a Birthday & Number One 1-11-2007

Posted on January 12, 2021 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

I missed the pre-credit scenes, but here’s what happened. Tracy found Ned comforting a crying Olivia, and Ned told her about the search for Sonny being changed to search and recover. Chase couldn’t sleep, thinking about his dinner with Willow, and Finn saw Alexis at the hospital. He assumed she was there for a meeting, but she said she’d gotten her bandage changed, and didn’t want a lecture. Brando met Jason on the pier, and told Jason that he was late because Cyrus was keeping him on a short leash. Dante, Michael, and Sasha got ready for everyone coming to Sonny’s house. Sam arrived, and Michael told her that he’d suggested Carly take some time alone. In the kitchen, Carly looked at Sonny’s St. Christopher medal, wondering how this happened, and how he was gone. And here we are.

Tracy says she assumes Ned told Olivia about Sonny in a tactless way. Olivia says, he was wonderful. He knows how much Sonny means to her; they grew up together. Willow says she hates to interrupt, and Tracy asks if she’d like to join them on a trip down Olivia’s Memory Lane. Willow tells them, Michael said the family is gathering at Sonny’s, and Olivia tells Ned to get the car. She’ll get the manicotti. She and Ned exchange I love yous, and he closes the door. He tells Tracy, next time, be more careful before she blurts out the first thing that comes to mind. She asks if he’s talking about his drunken tryst with Alexis. Don’t worry. He has no idea the lengths she’ll go to in order to protect his marriage.

Alexis holds out her hand, and tells Finn, steady as a rock. She asks if that satisfies him, and he says, she’s good at faking it; he should know. She says she can’t fake it, but Finn says, the thing about going to meetings and group counseling is, everyone knows the tricks. Alexis says she drinks because it makes her feel good at times. She can manage it. Does he have to make it a crime? He says, it’s a crime to get behind the wheel when you’re drunk. She says she wouldn’t do that, and he asks how she drove off the road then. She says, excellent question. When she gets to the bottom of it, he’ll be the first person who knows. In the meantime, she has a Ride Share. She gets in the elevator.

Molly tells TJ that she was on her way to the law library for a study group, and TJ says he has to get to his shift at the hospital. She says she knows they’re both trying not to hurt each other, so they’re avoiding saying wrong things, but all they’re doing is creating distance. They have to talk, so she’ll go first. She was wrong to sleep with Brando, and not tell him for so long. She thought she was protecting him, but honestly, she was just protecting herself. If she could go back… He says, enough.

Jason says, Brando asked for a meeting. Why? Brando says he wants to explain why he was at the pier. Jason says he had a chance to eliminate Cyrus, and Brando saved Cyrus’s life. Brando says he couldn’t let Jason kill Cyrus, so he texted Carly to bring some muscle and force a stalemate. Jason says Carly is the only reason he let Cyrus live. If he’d killed Cyrus in front of her, she could have been charged as an accessory. Brando says he didn’t have a choice. Cyrus knew the truth about Dev. His mother snitched, and Cyrus probably gave her a nice stockpile in return. Jason asks if Cyrus told him that, and Brando tells him, Cyrus said he left a document with his lawyer. If he dies, the Feds will implicate all of them; Jason, him, Sonny, Carly, even Josslyn. That’s why he couldn’t let Jason kill Cyrus. Jason says he appreciates the warning, but no matter how well-intentioned, Brando took an unacceptable risk. Regardless of the situation, never involve Carly again. Brando says he’s got it; anything else? Jason says, just stay close to Cyrus, and keep making himself indispensable. Brando says, until…? and Jason says, until he tells Brando different.

Dante tells Sam, if he’d known what little time he was going to have with his father, he’d have come back sooner. Sam wonders why we never appreciate our loved ones until they’re gone. Not that she ever wanted Julian to be a part of her life and the kids’ lives, but maybe with time, things could have changed. It’s just such a waste. Dante says, if she wants to talk… and she says she’ll let him know. Sasha wonders if Carly wishes she could just hole up in her room, but Michael says that’s not his mom’s style. His dad left behind a lot people who loved him. She needs to be strong for the rest of them. Sasha asks, who’s strong for her? Carly comes in, and says she’s glad they’re here. She knows Sonny would be happy that everyone is there for him. They’re going to hug and tell stories, and going to drink his scotch. They’re not going to ask why he was taken so soon. She toasts to Sonny, for living life on his terms and for giving so much to every single one of them. They all raise their glasses to Sonny.

Sonny lies unconscious. He feels the shadow of someone standing over him. He looks up, and sees Mike in his sharp cap.

TJ says Molly made one mistake, and it never would have happened if his mom hadn’t lied. Molly says, it’s easy to blame his mom, but that’s not entirely fair. His mom’s lies might have been the reason she slept with Brando, but his mom has nothing to do with her keeping it a secret for so long. He says, there’s a lot of blame to go around, starting with Cyrus. Cyrus kidnapping him is what started the whole thing. Molly says she refuses to let Cyrus be the reason she loses him. She wonders if they can’t find their way past the lies, and back to each other; the way it used to be. TJ says, if the way it used to be was all right, all the mistakes and lies wouldn’t have come between them.

On the phone with Anna, Finn says he’s fine with Maxie handling all the wedding decisions, if at the end, he and Anna are married. Chase comes by, and Finn tells her, Chase is playing charades. He’s making gestures. He wants to talk. He tells her goodbye, and asks Chase to tell him again how he got talked into a double wedding. Chase says, don’t look to him for sympathy. Finn has nothing to complain about. He’s marrying the woman he loves, and she’s not married to someone else. Finn asks how his dinner with Willow went, and Chase says, they kissed.

Carly asks if Olivia brought lasagna, and Olivia says, manicotti. Sonny was always after her recipe, but she never gave it to him. Willow takes the dish to put with the rest of the food, and Dante hugs Olivia. She thanks him for coming home when he did, and he says he was just telling Sam, he wishes it had been sooner. She says, he’s there now, and thanks him.

Michael tells Sasha that she’s gone above and beyond. She was there late last night, and showed up first thing this morning. She says she can stay, but he tells her that she needs time to take care of herself. She tells him, if he needs anything, let her know. He thanks her, they hug, and she leaves. Sam tells Carly to let her know if she needs to go somewhere quiet, or scream, or break something. Whatever she needs, Sam can take care of it. Carly thanks her, and says she just needs to be there with the people Sonny loved, and who loved him. Jason walks in.

Sonny asks where he is, and Mike says, halfway between where left and where he’s going. Mike puts his coat over Sonny, and says, better? He says Sonny isn’t ready to keep traveling after all. Maybe he’s still able to go back where he came from. Only time will tell. Mike looks at Sonny’s wrist, and says, nice watch. Looks like it stopped.

Molly says, she and TJ have been together since high school. It said they were the most likely to be made for each other in the yearbook. TJ says, everyone took it for granted that they’d be together forever, but forever is a long time. Maybe Molly got bored. Maybe there isn’t the same excitement in the relationship. She says, that’s not why she turned to Brando. She’d mistakenly believe TJ abandoned her. She was angry, not bored. He asks if she’s sure, and she says she still thinks he’s as sexy and as exciting as when she first set eyes on him. She wants to spend the rest of her life with him. Words aren’t enough; let her show him. Let’s go ahead with the commitment ceremony. What does he say? He says, no.

At the hospital, Sasha sees Brando, and asks if she didn’t warn him about violating the penal code against stalking. He says he’s not stalking her, and she asks why he’s creeping up on her. He says he’s not; he’s going to meet his boss. Cyrus has an office in the hospital. She says, the same boss who gave her the drugs that almost killed her? and he says, that’s the one. She wants him to explain why the nice guy who treated her to hot chocolate is working for a world class bastard.

Ned gets a drink, and Tracy asks if he’s bracing himself before talking to Lois. He says, she’s going to be shattered to learn about Sonny. He and Lois were close, and Brook adored him. Tracy says she doesn’t think anyone is going to shed tears for Julian, except Leo, who’s too young to realize he’s better off. That reminds her. Is Ned planning on adopting Leo soon? He says, it’s already in the works, and she asks if he’s happy. He says he’s waiting for the other shoe to drop. Alexis is in freefall, and Olivia keeps trying to help. It’s only a matter of time. She tells him, stop worrying about Alexis; she won’t be doing any drunken talking. He asks how she can be so sure.

Sam approaches Jason, and asks how he’s doing. He says he’s been doing business, and she says, so he doesn’t have to think about his loss? How’s that working for him? He says, not too good, and she says she keeps expecting Sonny to walk in, and he says he knows how much she loved love him. She says, loves. Just because he’s gone, that didn’t stop the feelings. Willow comes back, and Michael says he didn’t know she was there. How’s Wiley? She says, Wiley misses his daddy. How is he? and please don’t say fine. He says he’s going back and forth between being numb and wanting to punch a wall. He sees how his mom is holding it together, and he’s trying to follow her lead. Willow asks how Carly does it with the incredible strain she’s under. Michael says he tries to comfort her, but she pushes aside her own grief to make sure everyone else is okay. Willow says she can stay long as he likes; his mom should be his priority. If she’d known last night, she would have canceled dinner with Chase. He says he’s glad she didn’t, and asks, how was it? She says, it was nice…

Jason tells Carly, he spoke to Brando, and she asks if he can fill her in. He says, not right now, and she asks him to come to the kitchen.

Mike helps Sonny to a seated position, and asks if he’s ever heard the expression time stands still. It seems to be happening for Sonny. That means he still has a choice. Sonny asks, what choice? and Mike says, well, he can lay back down, close his eyes, and never open them again, or he can do it the hard way; keep that ticker going on a tick at a time. He can get up on his feet, and walk one step at a time. Sonny coughs, and says he can’t, and Mike says, so he’s quitting? He’s down for the count? They’ve got a word for guys like that – dead.

Molly asks if TJ has changed his mind, and doesn’t want to commit to a future with her. He says he can’t stand in front of a bunch of their family and friends, and say vows when they still haven’t figured out where they are or where they’re going. That doesn’t mean his feelings have changed. Molly says, they haven’t? and he says he still wants to spend the rest of his life with her. If she wants to. She throws herself into his arms, and says, of course (🍷) she still wants to.

Brando says if he hadn’t been working for Cyrus, he couldn’t have rushed Sasha to the ER when she collapsed. She says he’s not answering her question, and he asks how the drug counseling is going. She says she gets it; stop snooping and he’ll quit nagging. He says he does have one question. Does she still have her job at Deception? She says, barely, but her security increases with each counseling session. She’s learned a lot. He asks if she’d care to share, and she says, one thing is that there’s a difference between an addict and a substance abuser. He asks which category she’s in, and she says, substance abuser. She can say no to using it again. He asks if she could stop once she started.

Finn says, dinner and a kiss; why isn’t Chase celebrating? Chase says, one dinner, and one kiss. What if Willow goes back to Michael, her husband? Can Finn possibly relate? Finn says, possibly.

Carly asks Jason, what’s going on? and he says, Brando told him that Cyrus has insurance. She asks, what kind? and he says, Cyrus has a document stating information about Dev’s illegal status, and that all of them, even Josslyn, conspired to create a false identity. She asks how Cyrus knew about Dev, and he says, Gladys. Brando thinks Cyrus paid her for the information. Carly says, of course (🍷) he did; that selfish, greedy woman. He says, if Cyrus dies, the document goes to the Feds. She says, Ric set up the fake ID; Cyrus can’t have any proof. Jason says, it doesn’t matter. The Feds will open an investigation as soon as they see the name. And don’t think they won’t threaten Josslyn. She asks if he’s saying they can’t touch Cyrus, but he tells her that he’s saying they can’t kill Cyrus. There are other ways to stop him.

Mike tells Sonny, go. Leave in peace. It’s the easy way out. Anyone could tell him that who’s had to fight for every breath or every precious tick of the clock, every sunrise and sunset. As long as there’s an ounce of breath in Sonny’s body, he has to live. Sonny tells him, who says? and Mike says, Sonny does.

TJ tells Molly, he’s going to jump in the shower before he goes to the hospital. He goes into the bathroom, and she smiles. She gets in with him, and they get busy.

Sasha asks if Brand would care to join her in counseling to kick his addiction to Cyrus. He says, it’s not an addiction; he can quit anytime. She says, but he’s not ready? and he says he has to get going. He doesn’t want to be late. She says, in other words, she’s snooping again. It meant a lot when he opened up about his own battle with drugs. She might not have gotten straight without him talking to her. He tells her not to underestimate herself. He has the feeling she’s a fighter, like him. She says, this time he fought for her, and thanks him. He says he’s available to talk, but she says he’s still working for a drug trafficker. He says, life is full of contradictions, but she says, she can’t risk being seen with him.

Ned asks why Tracy is so sure Alexis isn’t going to slip up around Olivia, and Tracy says, hopefully, Alexis is on her way to rehab… or jail. Either way, she’s not roaming the bars in Port Charles, and will have no opportunity to shoot her mouth off to Olivia or anyone else.

Alexis shows up at Sonny’s, and tells Sam that she came to pay her respects. Sam says she thought Alexis assumed there was liquor there. Olivia comes out, and says Carly will be glad Alexis stopped by. Alexis says, unlike her daughter. She’s mad because Alexis didn’t accept the DA’s deal. Olivia says, they made a deal? and Alexis says, it was a generous deal; if she completes rehab, she gets a suspended 5 year sentence. Olivia asks why she turned it down, and Alexis says, something is strange. Something about that night seems wrong.

Carly and Jason go to the kitchen where the bowl of moss lives. She says, Diane called, and asks if he’d go over the paperwork Sonny left with her. He says, sure. The way the finances are set up, the coffee business and real estate stay in the US. The other businesses are offshore, and they never move between. The US businesses have to be clean holdings. She says, makes sense, and he says, they split the profits 50/50, except Puerto Rico and South America; that’s all Sonny’s, so she’ll retain that. It’s what Sonny intended. She asks, what about the waterfront? With Sonny gone, won’t Cyrus and the other families see an opening to move their merchandise through Port Charles? He tells her that she doesn’t need to worry about that, but she says she’s really worried.

Mike tells Sonny, never give up; never give in. They’re waiting for him. He helps Sonny up, and Sonny asks, who? Mike says, home… home… home… home… home… Sonny stands, and says, we did it, but Mike is gone. Sonny looks up, and says, thank you.

Brando sees TJ, and asks if TJ wants to grab a beer and catch up. TJ says he has a better idea, and punches Brando in the face.

Chase tells Finn, whatever does or doesn’t happen, he’s glad he was honest with his feelings. Finn says, good, and Chase says they must get the honesty gene from dad. Finn guesses so, and says Chase is a good human. He doesn’t want to rush Chase, but he has to see a patient. Chase says before he forgets, their dad wants a chance to win his money back. Finn says, poker night part two? and Chase says, maybe this time, Anna and his mom could play. Their dad taught his mom everything he knows about Texas Hold ‘Em.

Ned says he’d think Tracy was almost happy that Alexis had too much to drink and drove off the road. She says she wouldn’t wish that on anyone, and he says, but she’d be glad to take advantage. She says, if Alexis’s misfortune happens to be in the best interest of her son and his family, who is she to question it? and leaves.

Olivia says she understands why Alexis’s memory is hazy; she was well-lubricated when she got behind the wheel, and drove off the road. Alexis says she didn’t drive to the MetroCourt; Tracy did. Olivia says, imagine if Tracy hadn’t been there. Alexis could have hit another car or a bystander. She should thank her lucky stars. Alexis says Tracy has never so much as uttered a kind word to her. There must be something in it for her… She guesses there’s a first time for everything, and gets up

Dante says Sonny was crazy about Sam, and she was crazy about him too. She says she’s proud of Dante, battling his demons, and he says, sometimes you beat the demons, and sometimes the demons beat you.

Carly tells Jason, Cyrus can’t do anything while they have Florence, and they can’t do anything to him because of the document. He tells her, stop saying we. He can’t risk her being charged as an accessory. The only way she can help is to stay out of it. She says she’ll do that on one condition. She has to know everything. He says again that he’s not making her an accessory, but she says she doesn’t need to know everything about the business itself. Not knowing is torture, and she doesn’t want it to be like it was with Sonny. Sonny just disappeared and didn’t come back.

Sonny says, come back. He looks at his watch, which is now running. He sits on a convenient rock, when a hiker comes along. He asks what Sonny is doing there. It’s freezing. Sonny says he doesn’t know.

Tomorrow, Molly tells Brando that they both know why he did it, Trina owes someone an apology, Jax tells Josslyn that she doesn’t know the lengths he’d go to protect her, and Ava thinks she and Carly should address the issue head-on.

Below Deck

When we last left, guest Delores was drunk off her ass, and decided to jump off the boat into the water in the dark.

Francesca is shocked, and Captain Lee is not too happy. He says Delores was drunk, stepped over the line, and he’s not putting up with this. They’re heading back to the dock. A soaking wet Delores finally comes back, and tries to say she was told she could go swimming, but no one is having it. The captain says, they’re done, and walks away, saying he’s effing hot. He’ll drag her back to the dock, and leave her ass on the curb. He’s not taking that risk; not on his boat. Primary Tina says they’ll take her to bed, and he says, get her ass put away now.

Rachel asks Francesca, what just happened? and Francesca tells her, the captain told a guest not to go in the water, and she effing jumped in. In Rachel’s interview, she says, there are DILLIGAFs all over the boat. Captain Lee tells himself to pull it together, and Tina says, they’re all in trouble. The captain radios Eddie, who asks if he wants someone to stay outside of Delores’s door. He tells Eddie to have someone stay on the stairs. Mark tells Delores, she f***ed up their whole charter. Francesca radios Eddie, and they figure out a watch schedule. Izzy radios Eddie, saying she heard a bunch of commotion. Eddie says they had a bit of an incident, and she asks if he needs help. James helps Elizabeth take down the decorations, since Great Gatsby night is officially over. She puts a bowler hat on him. Eddie tells Izzy, a guest drank too much, and Francesca adds, now they have to take turns making sure she doesn’t leave. Eddie suggests they bullrush Delores if she comes out. He wakes up Rob, and explains what happened. He tells Rob that his shift is at 3:30. Francesca makes a schedule with the stews.

Delores’s room is quiet. James asks if Elizabeth wants to go to his bunk for a cuddle. They cover themselves with the blankets, but I don’t think cuddling is what they have in mind, and I don’t want to know. Izzy sits on Delores watch in the lounge, messing with her phone and eating chips on automatic pilot. Rob texts Izzy, saying he’s going to relieve her at 3:30. In Izzy’s interview, she says she’s effing sick, and all she wants to do is go to bed, but there’s no way she could sleep. It smells like a sweaty, manky hostel. It’s feral. Elizabeth apologizes to Izzy, and jets. Izzy tells James, no f***ing in the bunk underneath her. He says he thought Elizabeth would be gone in five minutes; she was just there for a cuddle. Izzy asks why it smells revolting if they were just cuddling. Eww!

Ashling tells Francesca that she’s on morning Delores watch, and Francesca radios the captain, saying, the problem child has not risen. He says he’s decided they’re going to go, and sighs, adding he hasn’t decided how to do it. He needs to chat with them, and see if they’re willing to rearrange their priorities. Francesca tells the primaries to see Captain Lee, who asks how they’re doing. Tina says, not so happy, and the captain says, Delores has got to go. Mark agrees it’s the best call, and says, she knows better. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says, there’s only one f***-up. The others shouldn’t be punished. As long as they’re good with it, Delores is toast.

Rachel laughs about the whole thing, and Mark goes to see Delores. He asks how she is, and she says, fabulous. I’m not sure if that’s meant sarcastically or she’s just clueless. He says he talked to the captain… and she says it’s because she went swimming. He says, it’s because she went when the captain told her not to. Delores says she thought there was no such thing as no on a super yacht, but Francesca says, it’s a safety issue. They say yes as much as possible on a super yacht, but safety is paramount. In Francesca’s interview, she says, drunk or not, you don’t go swimming at night. She talks about working on a yacht in the south of France where a deckhand jumped into the water at night, and never returned. They looked all night in their tenders, and never found him. Mark says the captain has decided to get her off the yacht now, and Delores says, okay. The captain radios the crew that they’re waiting on one departure. When it happens, he’ll pull out. (That’s what she said.) Delores says she’ll be ten minutes.

Packing in record time, probably because she never unpacked, Delores tells Mark, have fun. She gets into the tender, with engineer Zack driving, and the crew is like, bye, ~~Felicia~~ Delores, as Captain Lee looks at her grimly. Mark says they were having a great night, then it got cut off. They came to have fun, and Delores was a fun wrecker. The captain tells them that they’ll be moving to a new anchorage, and getting a new perspective. In the tender, Delores asks if it wouldn’t be ironic if she jumped in the water. And she does. Because she’s apparently batsh*t crazy. Zack calls Captain Lee, who says, she hopped off the tender? Goddammit. Mark says, no way, and the captain says, son of a bitch.

No one can believe it. Zack says he’s picking her up now, and everyone is dying laughing, except the captain and Eddie. Rachel says she’s going to burn her bacon, and dashes back to the galley. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says he’s never been big on I told you so, but he called this one right. She’s cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. Rachel tells Francesca, the breakfast special for today is French toast, and tomorrow she’s doing eggs Benedict. Eddie asks Izzy how she slept, and she says she’s in a grumpy-ass mood. Ashling tells Francesca about the cuddling in Izzy’s cabin, and Izzy tells Eddie about it, while James snoozes away. The captain heads for Dickerson Bay, and Francesca tells Izzy that she needs to be rested. She knows Izzy isn’t feeling well.

Eddie wakes James, and the guests gather for breakfast. Elizabeth updates Izzy that Delores is gone, and asks how she’s feeling. Izzy says she’s feeling grumpy, and ready to kill someone. Alrighty then. Rob wonders why everyone is in a good mood, and Francesca tells Elizabeth to start on the master. Francesca wants to talk to Eddie, so they go somewhere private. She tells him that James and Elizabeth taking over Izzy’s cabin wasn’t acceptable. She can’t deal with Elizabeth, and has given her too many chances. She can’t keep following up, and wants to talk to Captain Lee. In Eddie’s interview, he says, there’s blood in the water. Francesca is on the warpath. Eddie tells her, before she goes to the captain, let him have a word with him.

The guests all talk about what happened, and Mark thinks they’re better off without Delores. In Francesca’s interview, she says, the guests are nice now that Delores has left; they’re pleasant and polite. Maybe the captain should threaten to cancel every charter. They’d definitely get more sleep. Rachel makes up a song about salsa verde, and Francesca asks Ashling to help with cabins. Rob tests the slide, and Eddie says they’re good to go. Francesca calls the provisioner, and says, the guests have requested horseback riding. Izzy looks away from James, and Rob asks if tension is in the air. In his interview, he says he and James are like an old married couple. He figured he could look forward to having that kind of relationship.

In her interview, Izzy says she’s tired, and trying to ignore everything. She says, when she was little, she begged her parents for a pony. Eddie asks Izzy how it’s going with James, and she says she’s a little pissed. Eddie tells her that he’s going to have a conversation with James and Elizabeth about keeping work and pleasure separate. He tells James to be nice to Izzy. The guests use the water toys, then get ready to go to the beach. James asks if he can blame Rob, and in Rob’s interview, he says he has two older brothers. They put him in a suitcase, and left him in the park. It’s nice to have a brotherly relationship with James. The guests take the tender to the beach, where they’re met by a guide with ponies.

Eddie notices a wing mirror is missing from one of the jet skis. James says, a guest came in too hard. In Eddie’s interview, he says the guests are how he thought they would be. He can fix it, but it sucks. Izzy feeds a pony an apple, and gets on. They all ride down the beach, and one of the guests says this was on their bucket list. Francesca tells Rachel that the guests want a seafood extravaganza, and in her interview, Rachel says she loves that word. Elizabeth starts to iron, and the ironing board falls from underneath her, reminding me of how kids used to set the lunch tables in junior high, so they would fall as soon as there was enough weight on them. Then everyone would applaud.

The guests return, and Ashling sets the table for lunch. Francesca goes over the dinner menu with the guests, and Tina says, if the captain would like to join them, he’s more than welcome. I’m sure that’s very high on his list of things he never wants to do again, but Francesca says she’ll tell him. She lets Captain Lee know the guests would like him to have dinner with them, and in his interview, he says he doesn’t want them to feel like he’s holding them responsible because of someone’s bad behavior. He’ll put a smile on his face and suck it up. That’s why he gets paid the big bucks. For his ability to suck it up.

Francesca asks to meet with James and Elizabeth. Eddie is there too, and Elizabeth says she feels like she’s in trouble. Francesca says, that’s why they’re having this chat, and Eddie says they have to make sure they compartmentalize their time for work, and their personal time. Francesca says they were disrupted last night with crazy stuff, and ended up having to do shift work. Elizabeth and James took advantage of that, and disrupted another crew member. She’s happy they’re spending time together, but don’t let it affect the working environment. In his interview, Eddie say, look how far he’s come. Now he’s giving advice on hooking up on the boat, when a few years ago, he was hooking up on the boat. We flash back to Rocky in her mermaid tail. He says, you shouldn’t mess with people’s sleep and personal space. They got called into the principal’s office. If that doesn’t work, they start chopping. Talk, then chop.

Tina puts her makeup on, and says, it’s so fun. Ashling (I assume) outdid herself with the nautical dinner décor, which looks amazing, although it’s a personal favorite of mine. Elizabeth asks if she should ignore James, and he says, probably. She says she’ll keep it serious, and he asks if she wants to go for a drink on their night off. In his interview, he says, their secret is out. He and Elizabeth are dating. They’ll go out for a few drinks, and if it ends at breakfast, good. He doesn’t care what they say. Francesca radios Rachel, and says, the guests are in place. In Rachel’s interview, she says, the dishes are amazing because… extravaganza. Eddie tells the captain that the guests are waiting on him, and Captain Lee says, bastards. Rachel tells Francesca that she’s ready to roll. The captain thanks the guests for having him again, and Francesca pops some champagne. I’m surprised they’re not apologizing all over the place. In her interview, Rachel says she doesn’t like James. Not a fan. He doesn’t do much, but stand there holding a towel. He’s the last person Elizabeth should fraternize with – a douche. Eddie tells Izzy that she’s relieved of her command, and she goes to bed. The food looks fabulous, with endless platters of various seafood being served. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says he can think of a million things he’d rather be doing, but Jesus Christ, he’s never seen so many dead lobsters in one spot. This extravaganza definitely has the vaganza. The guests seem thrilled, and keep saying how much they love it.

Francesca asks Elizabeth if she’s okay, and Elizabeth says her feet are killing her, but she wants to just get stuff done. Francesca says, if she needs to sit for fifteen minutes, do it. Elizabeth joins James and Rob at a table on deck, and James tells Rob, it’s a Romeo and Juliet story; the interior and the exterior. He tells Elizabeth that Francesca is a demon. In Elizabeth’s interview, she says she can’t win with Francesca. She’d like to get along and be happy, but at this point, she’s like, just don’t fire me. James and Rob put the covers on the deck furniture, and Francesca tells Elizabeth to let her know next time she decides to take a break. Elizabeth tries to say something, and Francesca says, stop talking when she’s talking. Elizabeth says, sorry, which I’m sure is only a formality.

A guest spills her martini glass, and the captain says, that’s alcohol abuse. She says she’s not abusing it, but it’s a waste. Izzy lies in her bunk, and Francesca asks if Rob is sticking around after the charter. He says he thinks he’s doing some traveling, and she asks if he’s going to Canada. Aren’t his parents there? He barely answers her, and in her interview, she says she had high hopes when they met, but talking to him is like having a conversation about nothing. She’s not into it. The captain thinks the guests are going to bed soon, which is a good thing. Izzy feels like she’s turning into big pile of rotting sh*t. Elizabeth kisses James, and he jokes that it doesn’t feel as good as when Rob did it yesterday. I think he’s joking…

In the morning, Francesca tells the guests that the special is eggs Benedict, and asks if they’d like mimosas. Izzy says she’s feeling worse. She has a sore throat, she’s congested, and she’s run down. Eddie says, that settles it. Stay down. He wakes James up, and tells Izzy, get in bed and stay there. In her interview, Izzy says she doesn’t want to, but her body is broken, and she needs rest. Thank you, Eddie. Eggs Benedict is a favorite of mine, and Rachel’s spin on it looks incredible. Eddie tells Captain Lee that Izzy is sick, and he told her to go to bed. The captain tells him to put her in the guest room. He can’t have people dropping like flies, and doesn’t need the whole crew coming down with it, and it possibly affecting the guests. In his interview, he says they know it’s not coronavirus, since there isn’t one case on the island, but they are taking proper precautions. He tells Eddie, the hits just keep coming. He wants to get underway, and Eddie gives James and Rob instructions about the fenders.

The crew gets in their whites, and the guests’ luggage is put on the dock. The captain calls everyone to the aft deck to say goodbye ~~and good luck~~ to the guests. James says he needs an alcoholic beverage, and Elizabeth says, definitely. Tina says, it was one helluva trip. They loved the food, and the crew went the extra mile to make up for their first night. We flash back to the insanity that was Delores, and she says she’s so sorry everyone was affected by it. She hands Captain Lee the tip envelope, and says she hopes they enjoy it. They worked hard for it. Francesca tells Ashling and Elizabeth that Izzy isn’t well, so she’s moving to the guest cabin, and they’ll also sterilize Izzy’s cabin. Eddie tells the deckhands to get in their blues, and bust it out. James asks if Eddie if he can take Elizabeth out for the day, and Eddie tells him, sure, after work. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Say no more.

Elizabeth says she thinks Izzy will feel better in the guest cabin, and Eddie tells Izzy that she’s going to quarantine there. She gets into the real bed, and it must feel great after that bunk. Captain Lee radios for the crew to be in the crew mess in five. He tells them, it was quite a charter. Francesca says, Delores was crazy, and the captain says, she was a handful, to say the least, but they handled it well. The tip is a disappointing $16,790 (they couldn’t even round that up?), or approximately $1400 each. In Rachel’s interview, she thinks Delores was supposed to kick in money, but f*** it. If I had been one of the other guests, I would have shaken it out of her before she left. The captain tells James to give Izzy her cut, and says the deckhands nailed the docking. He tells Rachel that her food was over the top again, and suggests they take tomorrow off. Everyone is ecstatic, and he says he’s arranged for them to go to a beach club called Catherine’s, where they can eat, drink, and be merry. In James’s interview, he says, drinking, sunbathing, and listening to music. That’s it for him.

Rachel says they have two options; they can bring some food in or cook it themselves on the barbecue. Rob says, whatever is less work in the end. Elizabeth and James are teased about going on a date, and in Francesca’s interview, she says she’s glad. She’s been babysitting, and she’s too old for that. She needs a break. Elizabeth asks Francesca if it’s okay, and Francesca sarcastically says, no; she must work all the time. Ashling helps Elizabeth with her hair, and in James’s interview, he says, with most girls, there’s an emotional wall up on the first date, but he’s not getting those vibes. They like each other, so they’ll see where it goes. Eddie tells James that he wants Elizabeth home at a decent hour. He asks what Captain Lee is doing, and the captain says, not much. Elizabeth and James go to a restaurant, and start off with Long Island ice tea. They discuss cooking, while the crew drinks on the boat. Rachel dares Eddie to do an impression of a goat, and he does, but it looks more like a donkey to me.

James asks Elizabeth what she did before she was working on boats, and she says her life wasn’t consistent after high school. He says, that’s not good, but she says it led her there. She’s glad they met. She doesn’t know what she would do if he wasn’t there. He says, it’s been fun, and asks if she wants to go back. When they get back to the boat, he asks if she wants to socialize or stay away, and she says, stay away. Rachel does an impression of James, and James suggests he and Elizabeth use the guest cabin, as long as the crew doesn’t find out. Rachel continues to drink. I guess it’s a different guest cabin, since they didn’t walk in on Izzy. Lots of noises come from behind the closed door, and again, I don’t want to know.

The next morning. Rachel is wearing sunglasses. She says she’s never hung over; she keeps the party going. In her interview, she says, don’t be jealous. She might look like sh*t, but she doesn’t feel like sh*t. She’s still drunk from the night before. Izzy comes down, and Eddie asks how she’s feeling. She says she’s still tired, and should probably rest more, but she doesn’t want to stay horizontal anymore. Eddie tells her, no drinking, and they all head out, including Izzy. The captain looks for snacks in the crew mess. In the taxi, Elizabeth says she needs an emotional support animal, and Rob says she has James. They get out at the beach club, Rachel zigzags to the alcohol, saying she’s going to double fist that sh*t. Back at the boat, Captain Lee says the pizza is talking to him, but he can’t. Rob and Francesca get in the water, and Francesca finds a sea urchin. The crew soaks up some sun on lounge chairs, and peruses the cocktail menu. Rachel talks nonsense, and then snoozes.

Rob says he’s grateful for the day off. If they’re going to day drink, and take a nap, this is the spot. Rachel wakes up, and staggers to the stage where a band is getting ready. Eddie doesn’t want to look, and Rachel says, bleepity-bleep-bleep-bleep. She says she wants dirty, nasty-ass music, and Izzy says, get off the effing stage. Francesca says she’s going to have to get Rachel off, and goes up to the microphone. Rachel tells the band to do Walking After Midnight; google it. Francesca says Rachel’s name in the microphone to get her attention. In Eddie’s interview, he says, there are two rules; don’t embarrass yourself, and don’t embarrass the boat. He’s not dealing with it. Francesca asks if Rachel wants to go home, and Rachel tells the band, sorry. She didn’t mean to be a douche.

Next time, Eddie tells Captain Lee that the chef has a difficult time playing with others, Rachel tells James to s*ck her d*ck, the new guests bring a teacup Yorkie named Gigi, and Francesca thinks the captain should get a doctor.

😥 This Parting Is Just Sorrow…

It’s like the end of an era. I loved all the spy stuff with Sean, Tiffany, and the Scorpios back in the 90s.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2021/01/10/john-reilly-played-sean-donely-general-hospital-dies-84/6617692002/

🎂 Happy 14^th Birthday to My Dogs 🎂

🌬 Like Dust In the Wind…

It’s already been a long week, and it’s only Monday. Whether you’re in the Monday zone, or your week has been going on since last March, stay safe, stay accepting, and stay not wrecking your friends’ super yacht vacation.

Aug1

July 31, 2020 – When Nelle Testified, a Pleasant Surprise on Sunset, Coming Back, Virtual Idols, Getting the Boot on Bravo, Kids In the Biz, Changes, King On Disney, 10 Little Quotians & Sunday Best

Posted on August 1, 2020 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Today’s last GH Flashback was is from May 21^st, 2020. You can catch up a little here, or a lot at:

https://tvwiththeresa.wordpress.com/2020/05/22/may-21-2020-nina-makes-a-decision-dorinda-in-denial-a-japanese-tradition-nice/

Laura saw Robert and said it didn’t look like he’d had much rest. She asked if he was throwing himself into work. He told her the rumors of Holly’s death had been greatly exaggerated. Maxie looked at the photos from the shoot and said they were spectacular. They’d had a bumpy start, but she should have known Sasha would find a way to rally. She was a wreck this morning, but only saw blue skies ahead. Valentin said Sasha had given them a signature look they could capitalize on. Maxie said she thought he was going to be a silent partner, and he said he wasn’t going to make a habit of it. Finance was more his style, but he’d wanted to see the literal face of Deception. Now he was off to focus on other ventures. On the phone with Tracy, Ned said another party was after Dillon’s shares? That meant they were probably searching for other parties who wanted to sell. He asked her to keep him posted. Brook overheard Olivia on the phone, saying no one had ever said anything like that to her before, and they could see through to her soul like no one else. Brook cleared her throat, and Olivia ended the call. Brook said she obviously walked in on an emotional phone call, but Olivia said it wasn’t what it seemed. Brook said it sounded like Olivia was having an affair behind her father’s back. Nina told Jax that she didn’t know if she should stand up for Nelle, but if she didn’t, who else would? In court, Nelle was sworn in.

Laura asked Robert if the ship didn’t sink, but he said that wasn’t what he was saying. Mac and Anna hadn’t given him the whole story. The Bureau had a theory about the ship. Laura asked if Mac and Anna believed Holly could have survived, and he said he didn’t say that, but they didn’t know his ex-wife like he did, and until he found out what the Bureau’s theory was, he couldn’t get out there and look for her. Olivia told Brook that she wasn’t cheating on Ned, and Brook said the phone call sounded extremely intimate. Olivia said she didn’t need to explain herself to Brook, but Brook said if she didn’t, she’d repeat what Olivia said to Ned, and let him judge for himself. Olivia said Ned had enough on his plate, including the trouble Brook had caused. She asked if there was a PCPD jail cell with Brook’s name on it, and Brook said her arrests were misunderstandings. The person causing the most trouble was her father’s faithless wife. Olivia said she wasn’t having an affair. She was talking to a psychic. Valentin told Maxie and Sasha that he was bringing Deception public; they were going to be one of the main sponsors of the Nurses Ball. Maxie said that was huge, but it was soon, and he said she should try arguing with Lucy. He was impressed with the shoot, and sure they could pull it off. Maxie told Sasha, whatever she’d done had worked, and Sasha flashed back to the assistant giving her a vial of cocaine. Jax said it seemed like Nina was having second thoughts, and Nina said he’d like if she leaned into them. He said she knew how he felt, and Nina said he thought it was a mistake, and Nelle didn’t deserve a second chance. Jax said people could change, but if Nina was wrong, Wiley would pay the price, and she’d feel responsible. She said if she didn’t stand up for Nelle, and Nelle lost her child because of it, there would be no chance of Nelle turning her life around. Martin asked Nelle to tell the court how her baby was horrifically stolen from her, but Diane objected, saying it wasn’t a question. Judge Lowe sustained it, and Martin asked what Nelle’s reaction was to finding out her baby was alive. Nelle said she was confused at first. She was overwhelmed, and incredibly hurt that Brad had orchestrated it; she’d thought he was her friend. He’d switched her son for the boy he’d adopted, and she grieved for almost two years. Then he asked Michael to be Wiley’s godfather. She couldn’t imagine anything so demented. And she wasn’t the only one who was hurt. Julian had believed he was Wiley’s grandfather. Jules believed Wiley was his grandson, and when they found out the truth, they were both shocked and in pain. It brought them closer, and gave them a connection, and possibly something more.

Brook made fun of Olivia consulting a psychic, and Ned came in, saying, enough. Olivia asked how else she was going to find out about Dante? Her letters returned unopened, and she had no way of knowing if he was okay. Brook apologized, but Olivia walked out, and Ned followed. Ned said he was sorry. He’d been obsessing over ELQ, and who was buying shares to make a hostile takeover. He didn’t see his wife was obviously in pain. Sasha told Maxie, it was important to Deception, and she wanted to prove herself; people didn’t trust her. Besides, she was a partner, and willing to use every trick in the book to make the launch successful. Maxie stumbled a little, and Peter asked if she was okay. She said she was lightheaded, but she probably had too much coffee. He suggested she take a break, and they left together. Valentin asked Sasha if she was okay. Martin asked if Nelle loved Julian, and she said Julian loved Wiley, and would do anything to protect Wiley and keep him safe. He loved Wiley abundantly, and she thought he would make an excellent co-parent. He loved Wiley as much as she did. What mother could find anything more appealing? Nelle told Jax, no one was in Nelle’s corner or hoped things worked out for her. Imagine how lonely that was. If Nelle felt there was no one there to back her up, she might lash out, and end up in prison again. Jax said it would be Nelle’s own fault; Nina wasn’t responsible. Nina flashed back on Nelle telling her about making a deal with Julian to keep Wiley safe. Martin asked why Nelle felt she deserved sole custody, and she said she’d already lost two years with her son. Then Michael kept Wiley away from her. Michael was selfish and entitled, and she didn’t want those lessons passed to her child. She had a good job, roots in the community, and a husband who loved Wiley as much as she did. She wanted to dedicate the rest of her life to giving Wiley the home and family that he deserved. Martin had no more questions. Diane said, Nelle claimed to have roots in Port Charles, and was dedicating the rest of her life to make sure Wiley had the best family possible. Why was it, that when she’d first discovered her son was alive, she raced to where Willow was taking care of him, assaulted Willow, and attempted to abduct Wiley and flee the country? Martin objected, saying it was a verbal assault based on unfounded accusations.

Laura asked if Robert had any proof, other than his gut feeling, and he said the proof was there. He just needed to find it. He could use a partner, and had called Luke, but his line was disconnected. Laura said she didn’t have a current number, but his best bet was to talk to Tracy. Brook asked Ned, since when had there been a play for ELQ? and he said he became suspicious while Nelle sold her shares to a third unnamed party. Tracy told him there had been several attempts to buy Dillon’s shares, but she rejected the offers. He suggested they talk later, and Brook left. He told Olivia that Brook had no business eavesdropping, much less criticizing her, but he wasn’t sure a psychic was the best way to get help. Olivia told him that she felt helpless, and told him about Rocco bringing Dustin to Take Your Dad to School Day. She said she confronted Lulu about it, and Lulu told her that it had been Rocco’s idea. Rocco was already finding a father figure, and it was like her son was being erased. What motivation would Dante have to get better or come home? She felt like she was running out of time. She got that people thought psychics were stupid and silly, but the psychic was the only person telling her that her son was okay. Ned asked if she thought it was possible the psychic was just telling her what she wanted to hear. Brook called Linc, and said she knew he was in Port Charles. She wanted a face-to-face with him immediately. Valentin told Sasha, he gathered that she knew Michael had married Willow, and he was sorry. Sasha said her personal life was personal, and didn’t affect her role in Deception. Valentin said he just wanted to check. He’d been where she was, and knew what it was like to lose someone based on something he’d done, but nothing was ever as black and white as it seemed on the surface. Jax told Nina that he didn’t think Nelle was capable of accepting kindness; she was too damaged. At worst, she would turn an innocent child into someone vindictive and incapable of love. Nina’s phone started to beep, and she said, if she was going to testify, she needed to leave for the courthouse now. Martin said there was no evidence that Nelle was going to flee the country, but Diane said the charges were dismissed without prejudice – like the assault against Willow. She asked if Nelle loved her husband, and Nelle said with every fiber in her being. Diane said, as of this morning, it would seem, and had no further questions. Martin called Julian to the stand. Julian told Nelle that he thought he wasn’t going to testify, and she told him, buck up; plans change. Did she have to remind him what was at stake?

Martin asked Julian if it was true he and Nelle married to create a loving, stable home for Wiley. Julian said it was, and Martin asked if he’d if Julian had experience nurturing Wiley when Lucas was in a coma. Julian said that was true. Brad had been an emotional wreck, so he stepped in. Martin asked if he loved Wiley as much as he did Lucas, and Julian said, yes. Martin suggested they talk about the elephant in the room. Had he ever been sent to Pentenville? Julian said he had, and Martin asked how long was it since he’d been released. Julian said, three years, and Martin asked if he’d had any brushes with the law since. Julian said, not so much as a parking ticket, and Martin asked what he did for a living. Julian said he ran Charlie’s, and Martin asked if it was fair to say he’d cleaned up his life. Julian said it was, and Martin had no further questions. Diane asked if Julian had been arrested for drug trafficking, extortion, and assault, and Julian said none of the charges had been proven, but she said there had been enough to convict him. She asked who Alexis was to him, and he said, his ex-wife. Diane asked if it was true that he’d held a knife to Alexis’s throat, and aided and abetted his siter in trying to blow up GH. He said he was forced to do it, and she said he was perfect for Wiley. She was done. Nelle told Martin to do something. At the MetroCourt, Peter said Maxie had barely eaten, and she said she wasn’t hungry. He suggested she see a doctor, and she said she didn’t need to. She just… He asked, what is it? Olivia told Ned, they’d have to agree to disagree. Her opinion to believe in psychics was as valid as his not to. Ned said he didn’t want to see anyone take advantage of her pain, but she said he calls were the only thing giving her comfort. The doorbell rang, and it was Robert, who promised he wouldn’t take long. It wasn’t public knowledge, but Holly had been on a boat that sunk, and was believed dead. There were discrepancies in the Bureau report, and he wanted to pursue them. He wanted to ask Luke for help, and Laura said the only way to contact Luke was through Ned’s mother. Ned said Luke got scratchy if he gave out the number, but he’d call Tracy. He went upstairs to make the call, and Olivia asked how Robert was holding up. He said the only thing worse, would be accepting he’d never see Holly again, and wondered why he had the feeling he wasn’t the only person who’d been through the wringer. Brook met Linc at the MetroCourt, and said she wanted to talk business. He thought their business had concluded, and she never wanted to see him again, but she said he’d bought her shares as a front for a third party. She wanted to know who. Sasha told Valentin, when he’d asked her to pose as Nina’s daughter, she did it for the money, but she knew she was helping him with a woman he truly loved, and Nina loved him back. So after everything that had happened, she still sympathized with him. She said, sometimes you have to do the wrong thing for the right reason, and he said he knew she was a good person. That’s why he knew she’d be a good daughter for Nina. He was sorry she was still paying the price, but if it was any consolation, Deception was going to be a massive success. She was going to be a wealthy woman. She said, too bad money can’t buy happiness, and he said, too bad, and left. Sasha remembered Michael telling her that he loved her, and telling him that she loved him too. Julian saw Sam in the hallway at court, and she slapped him across the face.

Julian asked Sam to let him explain, but she said he’d just make excuses; don’t bother. She’d been with Lucas, and told him about his new stepmom. He said he’d wanted to do that, but she said she saved him the time. When she’d told Lucas that she that he’d married Nelle, Lucas’s exact words were that Julian was dead to him. She was starting to feel the same way. The worst part was, he’d used the most painful thing that happened to Lucas against him, and allowed Nelle to weaponize Wiley. If she got custody, Julian would be dead to Sam too. He said everything he’d done was for his kids, but she said she wasn’t listening. She and Lucas would be so much better off without him in their lives, and if Leo eventually came to the same conclusion, they’d be there to support him. Olivia told Robert that Brook overheard her call a psychic, and she wound up telling Ned. He was nice about it, but thought it was a total scam. Robert said he’d spent time in the Outback, and the aboriginals were very spiritual. What we looked at as superstition, they looked at as a part of life. He asked what she hoped to find, and she said, Dante. She need to have hope that he’d be okay. The whole world was moving on without him, and she had to keep fighting and believing he’d be okay. The psychic was the only person to give her hope. He told her not to give up hope on Dante, like he wasn’t going to with Holly. There was nothing crazy about it. Ned listened outside the door. Brook said Linc had stonewalled her until she’d agreed to sell him the shares. It made sense. Of course (🍷) he was just a front man. Who was pulling the strings? Linc said it was none of her business, but she said she wasn’t leaving until she got a name. Valentin saw Laura at the MetroCourt, and she asked if he’d gotten an invitation to Windymere for the unveiling. He said he had, and thought it was a joke. She hoped he chose not to go, for Charlotte’s sake, and Nikolas didn’t need any more trouble, even if he was asking for it. He said he’d thrown the invitation away. He no longer needed the estate to prove anything. Julian went back into the courtroom, and Martin said he was expecting his next witness any moment. Nina walked in.

Martin called Nina to the stand, and Carly asked Jax what the hell she was doing. Jax said he had no idea. Peter came back from taking a call, and saw that Maxie hadn’t taken a bite of her food. He asked if she was sure she was okay, and she said she thought it was just stress from work, but maybe she would see a doctor. The assistant who’d given Sasha the cocaine, produced another vial, but Sasha said she didn’t need it. The assistant told her to keep it. She’d never know when she’d need another boost. Laura called Anna, and said she was worried about Robert. Ned told Robert that he spoke to his mother, and gave Robert the number to Luke’s burner phone. He said Luke was expecting Ned’s call. Robert thanked him, and told Olivia to look out for herself. Olivia told him to do the same. When Robert left, Ned asked if Olivia was feeling better. She said she was; you never knew who would come up with the right words. Linc told Brook, it was a one-time thing. He had zero obligation to tell her, and the person who bought the shares wanted to stay anonymous. Brook said she still hadn’t gone public with what Linc did, but she could, and he could lose his career. He asked if she was threatening him. Valentin appeared, and said he’d take it from there. Linc left, and Valentin sat with Brook. He said he’d been looking forward to this moment. He’d heard a lot about her.

Nina was swore to tell the truth – so help her God.

Next time, Ned says ELQ is at risk for a hostile takeover, Nina says Nelle confirmed her initial impression, and Laura asks Cyrus what his real interest in the hospital is.

Shahs of Sunset – Reunion Part Two

Andy opened with saying he was keeping tabs on the Shahs while keeping his distance, and asked if at the beginning of the season, MJ hadn’t talked to Reza because of a contract dispute. Through the first three quarters of the show, MJ kept hopping in and out of her seat, and Destiney fielded this one. She said when she went to visit MJ in the hospital – even though MJ had said no one visited – MJ asked her to wait until the cameras were rolling, and she hadn’t signed her contract yet. MJ said that Ali had wanted to bring up Adam’s inappropriate texts, she told him that he should, but he threw in all that stuff times twenty. Destiney said both Ali and MJ changed their stories constantly. MJ said she’d already spoken to Adam and Reza, even though they insisted she hadn’t. Andy asked if MJ was slow in signing her contract because Reza broke ranks, and signed right away. Reza said there had been an amazing vibe without MJ in the beginning episodes. Andy said viewers had a hard time believing Reza and Adam’s relationship was monogamous. Reza said MJ had started rumors, and Mike said, while it was up to them to admit if their relationship was open or not, MJ inserting herself just caused problems. Andy asked if Reza knew naked Jenga (it still sounds so stupid) was a possibility, and we flashed back to Reza’s lack of reaction when Destiney told him. Reza said there was some old sh*t about Adam that only MJ knew about, and if she wanted to apologize, he’d take her back as a friend in a heartbeat, but without that, there was no future. Adam never cheated or played naked Jenga.

A viewer asked what went through Reza’s mind when Ali pulled out all the printed texts, and Reza said he’d heard from his hairdresser that Ali and MJ were in cahoots, trying to be relevant. Andy asked if Adam took ownership for basically starting all of this. Adam admitted that if he’d never given Ali the ammunition, this never would have started, and Mike applauded. Andy asked what prompted Reza to lunge at Ali, and he said it was the moment he realized his best friend of thirty years had betrayed him. MJ started screaming at him, and jumped out of her seat. Mike said as Reza’s best friend, she should have said Adam hadn’t sexually harassed anyone. MJ said Adam hadn’t; Ali had improvised. We flashed back to when Ali told MJ what happened. Ali said, that’s when he started to improvise, and MJ seemed genuinely shocked. Adam thanked her, and MJ said she was in ICU. GG wanted MJ to talk faster; she was growing grey hairs while waiting for MJ to finish. Andy pointed out that when Reza called MJ, she was recovering. Reza said his only thought was that he’d been betrayed by his best friend of thirty years, a sentence he slipped in at every opportunity. He said he was blinded by that one fact. Here’s where MJ disappeared again, and Reza said he’d wanted MJ to acknowledge the allegation that Adam sexually harassed Ali wasn’t true, but she wanted her hands to be clean. That’s where the problem started. GG watched while eating something out of a container that looked like macaroni and cheese, but was probably some Persian chickpea concoction.

Andy asked GG, Nema, and Destiney to step away while he talked to Reza and MJ, who was now back in her chair. He thought Mike would be an excellent mediator, and needed his help. Andy asked why MJ hadn’t visited MJ in the hospital, and Reza said she didn’t want visitors. MJ said he was lying, and he said he loved her. Why was she trying to make him look bad? She said no one had any sympathy for Tommy while she was in the hospital. No one gave a f***. She thought they were waiting for a camera. We flashed back to five minutes ago when Destiney said the same thing about MJ. MJ told Reza that she’d been watching their kiki, and we saw a clip from their show, Kiki with Reza and MJ. MJ said Reza hadn’t visited, and she was done. There was no more necessary conversation. She got up, and said they’d had thirty years, and he decided to destroy it. It would never be the same. It was over, and she was done. Mike teared up (so did I), and said that wasn’t true. We went back to when Reza read Mike the texts from Tommy about how MJ was going to need surgery, and wouldn’t be able to have any more children. Mike said he texted multiple times, and Tommy said MJ couldn’t have visitors, but he’d keep them in the loop. Reza said MJ was being extra about baby pictures, as she should. There was some yelling back and forth, and Mike said he was trying to fix it, but they weren’t letting him. MJ asked what would be her reason for turning against Reza, and Reza said she’d just had a baby, and someone was willing to do her dirty work. When Ali said MJ had told him that Reza had troubles in his marriage, it sounded like something only she would know. Reza said he loved her; they were like family. That’s why he called her. MJ said Reza never loved her. We reviewed the Season Two reunion, where Reza trash talked MJ. In Persian, MJ said he was a liar from head to toe. She said he’d implied she was on something, and Mike said he’d told everyone she’d robbed a bank. Andy said, at the pool party, Reza said something he didn’t even want to repeat. He didn’t have to, because we saw the clip of Reza shouting that MJ’s uterus exploded because she’d had ten abortions, which is just a horrific thing to say. Reza said, no excuses. His behavior was disgusting. He’d apologized to her, and was crying, while she sat, stone-faced, looking at him like he was crazy. We flashed back to that, and she did seem robotic. He said he wished he could take it back, and regretted it every single day. MJ said, if he regretted it, he wouldn’t have posted what he did on Instagram. Andy said he’d posted private texts, and violated MJ’s medical privacy. We saw pictures of the posts, and Reza said they were shooting a show [where it was going to air], and he’s not a doctor. Andy told him, MJ claimed he was trying to get raise, and Reza blocked her when she was dying. Reza said he and MJ were talking all the way through; he blocked her later, after Ali made the accusations. Andy asked Mike for help, and Mike said damage had been done, but begged them to reconsider. He said Reza, being a gay, Persian, Jewish, Muslim man, they should understand each other. The Persian community was judgmental, and hearing rumors that Reza had an open, weird relationship caused problems. Reza said he loved Mike, but Mike said, f*** you. He wasn’t taking a side. They needed to continue, apologize, and fix it. They knew things about each other no one else knew, and had a bond that was beautiful and unbreakable. He asked who showed up when MJ’s dad passed away. MJ started crying, and he said, he and Reza did. They cried with her, and held her, and held her dad. We saw clips of that, with MJ saying her dad was never going to walk her down the aisle, and I cried. At the time, I had been affected by that, because my father passed away a few months before I got married. She said no one had to deal with what she did, and Mike said they still felt her pain. MJ said she thought they’d make progress today, and Mike said they did. MJ said she felt like Reza didn’t want to believe the facts, the proof, or her track record as his friend. Andy asked if she didn’t accept Reza’s apology, and she asked Reza if she came for him and his marriage. Reza said she had, and she asked if she’d ever compromised his trust during their friendship. He said, yes, and she said, then there’s not an apology. Their lives would never be the same again, like with the pandemic.

We saw clips of happier times; Reza telling MJ they were blood, and MJ standing on a bar, yelling, family! Andy wanted to end with them saying something they missed about their friendship. Reza said he missed the moments of MJ laughing. He was Robin to her Batman, and vice versa. He loved her and always would. He just wanted her to be honest. The sexual harassment accusation had never been a problem for her; coming across a certain way was more important. Andy said, what about MJ, and she said she missed every effing thing about their friendship. It was half her life. Reza said the times they had would never go away. She’d shared the best moments of his life. Now, everyone was crying. Andy told them that they’d both said horrible things. The question was if they cared enough about their thirty-year friendship to figure out a way to start over on a blank slate. MJ said she didn’t know. It was like her whole life. Off-camera, Vida said something, and MJ laughed, telling her that she wasn’t in the shot. Andy asked Vida to join them, and wondered how Vida thought they could move forward. She said honesty was important in a friendship, and there was an old Persian saying, everything is good when it’s new, except friends; friends were good when they were old. She wanted them to learn a lesson from their fight, and move forward with a positive attitude. There was another saying that one enemy is a lot, but hundreds of friends are not enough. She said friends in life were important, and Andy thought that was a great place to leave it, and hopefully next time we saw them, they’d somehow have come together and talked.

Four weeks later, Reza answered a video call. It was MJ, who said she was calling because she was willing salvage their friendship. He said he was emotionally and spiritually drained, and completely exhausted. He’d been a daze since the reunion. MJ said she felt like she’d been hit by a train, truck, plane, and planet. Reza said he did care about her, and she said she never wanted to see him be hurt. Reza said he’d learned that he didn’t communicate with her and say when he felt some sort of way. He wanted her to telepathically understand it, and got resentful when she didn’t, and the resent would grow. MJ said she was sorry he felt like she wasn’t there for him, and she 100% had his back. He said when he did try to tell her how he felt, she would shut him down, and he felt like she minimized it, and they weren’t connecting in the same way. It broke his heart. He felt like there was no time and space for it in her world. He wanted her to push his problems away, and when he thought it was a problem she could push away, she didn’t. It was heartbreaking. MJ said, aside from her husband and son, Reza was one of the most important relationships in her life. He said he was sorry he effed up and broke her heart. Nema had seen Baby Shams, and he hadn’t. MJ said Reza had held GG’s Eliza first.

He said he wished he had been the first one she saw, standing next to Tommy, when she opened her eyes in the hospital. MJ said she wanted to believe in her heart, that they could accept their differences and work through them. She didn’t want to give up on something that was more important than the past horrible year. They’d said if they had one quarter, they’d call each other if they went to jail. That was Reza’s position in MJ’s heart and head. Reza was in his own category, different from her husband. She asked if he was willing, and he said, from the bottom of his heart. She said she wanted to make an effort to salvage the friendship, and Reza said he didn’t want to act like nothing had happened, but have something pure that felt like it was real. He had no space in his heart for conflict with her. She thanked him for taking her call, and he thanked her for calling, saying it was a pleasant surprise.

It was for me too.

🏥 Glad To See You Too…

New episodes of GH will begin starting Monday, August 3^rd. The world breathes a sigh of relief. Hopefully, it’s wearing a mask.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kirsten-storms-opens-up-emotional-return

🎤 The New Idol Normal…

How auditions will be handled this time around.

https://parade.com/1068920/paulettecohn/american-idol-season-4-virtual-auditions/

💸 In Case You Believe Tamra…

How you get fired in the Bravoverse.

https://theblast.com/110455/andy-cohen-explains-why-cast-members-get-fired-after-vicki-gunva

🎭 That’s Show Biz, Kids…

Yet even more revelations about the hell it is to be a child actor.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1171804/hbo-s-showbiz-kids-evan-rachel-wood-cameron-boyce-and-more-reveal-the-cost-of-child-stardom

🦢 Housewives Transformed…

Not that they were ugly ducklings to begin with. Although it’s too bad ther isn’t a surgery for personalities.

https://www.eonline.com/photos/19946/real-housewives-transformations

👑 Drop It Like It’s Hot…

Another reason besides Hamilton to check out Disney+.

https://www.essence.com/entertainment/watch-beyonce-drops-black-is-king-trailer-featuring-kelly-rowland-and-naomi-campbell/

🗣 Quotes of the Week

You’ve got to learn to leave the table when love’s no longer being served. – Nina Simone

Overcome the notion that you must be regular. It robs you of the chance to be extraordinary. – Uta Hagen

Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face. – Carol Moseley-Braun

I wish we were fairies. Our lives would be so much easier. – favorite kid quote from TinyBeans.com

Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else. – Les Brown (And I’d like to add, accept responsibility for your actions & quit saying it’s because of your mother, father or somebody else.)

It is so liberating to really know what I want, what truly makes me happy, what I will not tolerate. I have learned that it is no one else’s job to take care of me but me. – Beyoncé Knowles

Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit. – Conrad Hilton

You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision. – Dalai Lama

I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life a complex matter. – Walt Disney

🐎 Happy Trails To You…

Give yourself a change of pace this weekend. If there’s newly found freedom in your state, enjoy it responsibly, and if they’re reining you back in, don’t contribute to the issue. No 700 guest house parties please. Until we meet again, stay safe, stay in control, and stay dancing like no one is watching. Or like everyone is watching, if you like it like that.