(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Today’s episode was a repeat from November 4, 2020. If this was Friends, it would be the one where Sonny paid a visit to Ryan, and Alex kidnapped Anna.
🎒 Consolation Prize…
What we know about Austin… so far. Okay, it’s not much.
We left the guests starving on the beach, as Natasha was rushing to get the food to the tender.
It’s five minutes past the time lunch should have been served, and Glenn urges Natasha to get going. The guests whine that they’re starving, and the struggle is real. The only struggle here is me having to listen to their whining. In Glenn’s interview, he says he’s frustrated with the crew. They have a charter and a half to go, and the crew seems to be falling apart. Daisy tells Alli that she’s been stuck picking up the pieces when something goes wrong. Natasha was asking her questions at five to three, when lunch was at three. The food arrives at the beach, and co-primary Jess says she’s ready to double fist it. They shove down some food, and co-primary Erica says the chef outdid herself. Guest Cindi suggests they talk about what each of them admires in the others, and in Dani’s interview, she says, it’s so awkward. It’s wrong and weird, and makes her feel sad. Jess tells Erica that she creates a presence when she walks into the room. I’m thinking a few things about that one, but I’ll let it go.
Daisy tells Alli to refresh the cabins, starting with the master. Sydney radios Gary that the guests are ready to go, and then they’ll start breaking everything down. Natasha cleans up from lunch, and Erica whines about walking on the rocks to the tender. Glenn asks if Daisy will greet the guests, as they stumble back onto the yacht half-drunk. Erica wants to talk to Daisy about the women’s empowerment dinner tonight, and Jess tells Daisy to seat them in the middle with their nemesis Bianca on the end. Glenn decides to do some sailing for an hour, and Jess does the splits on deck. On the beach, Gary picks up the crew and the supplies. JL lifts Natasha onto the tender, and Natasha asks Dani if that’s what it feels like. Colin makes noises at the goats on shore.
En route to Milna. Glenn puts up the sails up, and Natasha squeals as pots and pans go flying. Jess says she’s glued to the wall. Too bad she won’t stay there. In Natasha’s interview, she says she’s sick of cooking while sailing, and we flash back to the various times things have flown around the galley. She says, she’s just like, no. Bianca bitches about the others goofing around while she’s trying to work. She visits Glenn, who’s steering, and Cindi joins her. Cindi wonders who in their party is screaming downstairs. Jess picks this comment up with her bat radar ears, and says she thinks they’re just having fun. Daisy wonders why the crew dinner hasn’t been started yet, and Natasha says she can’t prepare it when they’re keeled over. Bianca complains to Sydney and Dani that Cindi asked why the other guests were yelling, and she wondered why Cindi has acted like a d-bag from the second she stepped on the boat, which startles me, since Cindi seems the most sane. Dani tells her, just have fun.
Glenn puts the sails down, and Natasha gets on with the business of making dinner. Gary groans that he didn’t have lunch, and dinner is late. In Colin’s interview, he says he doesn’t think Natasha is managing her time properly. If he has time to help and she needs it he will, since it’s a priority. Gary asks Alli if she’s taking a break, but she says she already had a break. In Sydney’s interview, she says there seems to be tension between Gary and Alli, and she laughs. Daisy writes out quotes from women to put at each place setting. In Dani’s interview, she says, women tend to put other women down, and she absolutely hates it. Ditto. Glenn calls Colin to anchor, and Natasha wonders WTF she’s going to do. They arrive at Milna, and Dani says, there’s a pink sky for the empowerment ladies. Daisy and Dani set the table, and Daisy says the quotes actually made her feel kind of warm inside. Ew.
Glenn asks Natasha what her plan is, and in Natasha’s interview, she says, she’s so f***ed. Gary says Glenn must be hungry, and Natasha says there’s no way she can cook when they’re tilting like that. In Glenn’s interview, he says, the galley is falling apart. There’s a hungry crew and hungry guests. It’s a nightmare. Erica discusses something about the table with another guest, and Bianca wanders over. Erica says Bianca doesn’t need to be there right now, and in Daisy’s interview, she wonders how they can talk about empowerment, and yet drive each other down. It’s hard to watch. Dinner is 100 minutes late for the crew, and 50 minutes late for the guests. Glenn wolfs down some pasta, and the guests are seated. A guest says, it’s women stuff on the cards, and Erica toasts to strong women. May we be them, know them, and raise them. Bianca says, it’s the first time she’s had bread in a year, and Erica says she should celebrate.
Daisy gripes to Alli about Natasha running late. She couldn’t cook pasta? I dunno. If the boat is at a 45 degree angle, how does the water stay in the pot? How does the pot even stay on the stove? In Daisy’s interview, she says she’s tried everything, but nothing is working. She’s worried they’re going to get a sh*t tip. Alli says, the guests are toasting to each other, and Erica says she loves that they’re celebrating each of them. Sydney asks if Colin wants to practice their song, and Erica tells Bianca, if she doesn’t want to attend the performance, fine. She tells Jess that she’s feeling negative energy, but fails to add that it’s coming from her. Dessert is served, and Sydney and Colin come out. Sydney tells the guests that she and Colin wrote a song that’s a little toast to them. The crew watches as well, and they guests cheer when it’s finished. In Daisy’s interview, she says, the charter was an effing sh*t show, but the guests appreciate the song. Thank God something is going right. JL says, it’s going to be a hit, and Daisy thanks them. The guests make a bunch of noise about someone farting at the table, and point fingers, everyone saying, it wasn’t me. Unfortunately, there is no dog to blame. Gary tells Dani that he’ll help with the dishes even though he effing hates doing dishes. He says they need to work their way around the break-up, and he’s hoping to score brownie points. Alli tells him, it doesn’t work that way, and in Gary’s interview, he says he’s heartbroken, but more regretful.
Daisy asks for Colin’s advice-slash-opinion, and tells him there seems to be no sense of urgency on Natasha’s part. Why is she making dinner so late? Colin asks if Daisy has a problem with what he’s doing to help, but she says, no. She thinks Natasha is off. Nothing was done because they were sailing. In Colin’s interview, he says if Daisy and Natasha have a feud, it could end in serious tension, and affect the crew. They have to get this sorted. Daisy says she’s over it at this stage, and Colin says, Gary told him that Glenn had a word with Natasha. He suggests he, Gary, and Daisy get together with Natasha before the next charter, and have a pep talk. Daisy says she wants to finish on a high, and thanks Colin. Dani asks who Sydney thought would be a couple when they started the season, and Sydney says, originally, she was going to go after JL. She knew someone would. In Dani’s interview, she says she’s worried that after the season ends, JL won’t be ready to be with her, and wonders where this is going to lead. She doesn’t know what to do. Gary whines about being heartbroken.
I swear, Jess’s lips got bigger than they were last week. Daisy wonders why the guests are up so early, and Glenn asks how Natasha is. She says, okay, and he asks if everything is all right. She nods, obviously not wanting to discuss it. Gary sits in the crew mess, watching Alli. He asks her to come to his cabin, since he doesn’t want to talk in front of Natasha. He tells Alli that he understands where she’s coming from, but it’s a sh*t feeling. He wants to cuddle and kiss her. Alli says, that doesn’t change what happened, and Gary says he feels sh*tty about it. He doesn’t know what will fix it, but Alli says there’s nothing he can do. He says she’s made up her mind, and she asks if he’s angry at her, but he says he’s angry at himself. In Gary’s interview, he says they came to this point because of his actions. Now he needs to respect Alli; keep his distance, and make it as painless as possibly can. He’s over this effing charter.
The guests sit down for breakfast, and Natasha makes mass quantities of pita bread. Daisy asks, who’s getting drunk tonight? Colin says, not him, and she says, liar. While en route to Marina Alv, the guests pack. In JL’s interview, he says he feels good about having a relationship, but thinks Dani is holding back because of his age. He hopes Dani brought her hiking boots to climb this mountain. It’s time to dock, and in Glenn’s interview, he says, the last docking is in the back of his mind, and we flash back to that. He says if they crash with guests on board, the embarrassment meter will go to a whole other level.
They manage dock successfully. Erica and Jess butt bump. The crew lines up to say goodbye, and Jess says she was blown away. Erica thanks Glenn for sailing them away from the storm, and putting up with their craziness. They’re grateful. She gives him the tip envelope, and in Daisy’s interview, she says she’s done with mean girls. She’s also ready for a drink.
Glenn radios for the crew to meet in the main saloon for the tip meeting. He tells them it was the penultimate charter of the season, and they have one to go. The guests left happy, but there were a few cracks in the process. He suggests the crew have a set meal time. Natasha says it’s difficult to cook while sailing, and Glenn tells her to factor it into her work flow. Even worse, the guests overheard some of the crew speaking about them. We flash back to Colin saying they seem like a pain in the ass, and Alli saying, with Cindi talking, it will be the fastest hour of her life. Glenn says, their voices carry, so be discreet. They’re getting lax, and it’s the end of the season, but the guests were happy. The tip is $18,450 or $2040 each. Glenn says he also organized a restaurant for them to go to. He wants them to come back refreshed, and nail the finale. They have champagne.
Sydney asks Alli about Gary, and Alli says she hadn’t realized what happened, and they broke up. It’s not okay for any girl to be treated that way. In Sydney’s interview, she says she was wondering when Alli would find out. Alli says she had no other choice because of her conscience. On the way to the restaurant, the girls play F*** –Marry–Kill using past guests. They arrive at the restaurant in Split, and Gary tells Sydney that he heard from a third party that she has feelings for him. She tells him that she’d said she did, and we flash back to the half-dozen times she told him that she liked him. In Sydney’s interview, she says flirting with Gary is a little vindictive on her part. She’s noticed Alli looking, and picking up on the flirtation. Now Alli knows exactly how she felt a week ago. Then she prepares her acceptance speech for winning the Most Immature trophy. There was stiff competition, but she did it. In Colin’s interview, he says, Gary going back to Sydney is the worst idea ever. Alli is not going to take it lightly.Gary continues to be himself, and he’s a train wreck sometimes. Alli says she did her best, and guesses it’s not good enough. Dani announces that she and JL are moving to America, getting married, and having babies. Daisy leaves with Alli for a smoke, and JL joins them. At the table, Colin asks if Dani is going to break JL’s heart, but she says they’re just enjoying each other. Gary says, JL is falling in love. Daisy, Alli, and JL have a tequila shot, and Colin yells that the food is there. They’re being rude now.
They toast to the last charter. JL and Dani leave to talk, and JL tells Dani that he didn’t come there to find anything; it found him. He thinks they have something special, and he has feelings for her. In his mind, he’s ready to spend time with one person. She says the more she gets to know him, the more she likes him, but these are literally the best years of his life. She thinks he’ll regret it at some point. In his interview, JL says he gets where Dani’s heart is, but thinks it’s an excuse, and she needs to get over it. He tells her that he knows she’s ready to settle down and possibly have a family, and he thinks he’s ready, but he won’t know until he’s in it. If she wants to stay together, he’s open to it. Gary tells Colin that he’ll look like a creep, chasing a girl who doesn’t want him to. It would be d*ck of him. Like revisiting whatever with Sydney isn’t. He says Alli made him think he was an amazing person, but now she just wants to be friends. Colin tells him, if he likes Alli, don’t f*** Sydney, but Gary says he’s already decided. In Colin’s interview, he says, Gary is an effing idiot. Agreed.
Next time, Dani tells Alli that she doesn’t see how it will work with JL, another crew comes on charter, and Alli screams at Gary.
💻 Pandemic Boost…
I see Zoom has done a lot to increase people’s self-esteem.
Tomorrow brings the beginning of the final season of The Haves and The Have Nots <sob!>, and hopefully, a new GH. Until then, stay safe, stay persistent in your goals, and stay empowering each other; not just talking about it.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
County Kerry Ireland. We hear bagpipes play. Annie tells Felicia and Mac that she can’t believe how many of them came, all the way from America. Felicia says, that’s how much they loved her dad, and how much they wanted to be there to support her and her mom. Annie says, it means a lot that they came to honor him, and Felicia says her dad loved her. She was his pride and joy. Annie thanks Felicia and hugs her. She says, the inn is just over the hill; she hopes they can stop by. Felicia says, of course (🍷). Annie leaves, and Anna asks Felicia if they can talk, but Felicia says, now is not the time, and she and Mac leave. Anna looks at Sean’s gravestone.
Robin sets out pictures of Sean, alone and with the family, and tells Robert, when she heard the news, she wondered why she hadn’t made more time to see Sean and Tiffany in Ireland. The kids would have loved it. She wonders if they should have left Anna and Felicia at Sean’s grave. At least Mac is there. She doesn’t think she’s ever seen Felicia so angry before.
Maxie tells the baby, they’re almost there. They just have to make sure her father is removed from the equation. Trust her; it’s for the best. There’s a knock at the door, and Peter says it’s him, because his antennae go up every time Maxie moves. He says he wants to say goodbye before she goes to the spa. She says, speak of the devil.
Monica and Laura look at the programs from the memorial, and Monica says, it was a beautiful service, wasn’t it? Laura says, the priest was really eloquent. And Tiffany. That was so brave. She doesn’t know how Tiffany held it together like that. She was really proud of her. Monica says, her too. While she was watching Tiffany, she thought of herself standing there at Alan’s funeral. It’s all so surreal. You’ve lost your life’s partner, you try to get through the loss, and just be grateful for the good times. Laura says, and Sean Donely was definitely a man who appreciated a good time. They laugh, and she says, now that all the religious stuff is over, she thinks Sean would want them to celebrate his life. Monica says, hear, hear.
Maxie tells Peter that she’s just packing for her spa trip, and he asks, where’s Chloe? He thought she understood she was to be with Maxie at all times until the baby is born.
Felicia comes back with Mac to find her umbrella, and Anna asks if she can please stay so they can talk. Felicia says, trust her. Anna doesn’t want to hear what she has to say. Anna says, she does. They can’t get past this until they go through it. Mac says, they just said goodbye to Sean, and they were two of his favorite people. He would hate to see them at odds, so if it’s possible for them to talk it out, think of it as a last wish of Sean’s. Felicia says she’ll stay… for Sean. Mac says he loves them both, and leaves.
Annie comes in, and Laura asks if Annie’s mom is there. They barely got to speak at the memorial. Annie says, she and Connor took some of her father’s ashes to spread them at his local village. Robert says, Sean told him stories about that place. He said it reminded him of Annie’s namesake. Robin says, if Annie doesn’t mind her asking, how bad was the dementia? Did Sean know who she was? Annie says, yes and no. Her last good memory of him was last Christmas when he gave her this ring. She shows them, and Laura says, it’s beautiful. Annie says, his last year was pretty muddled, but there were some days he was sharp as a tack.He knew that the Christmas star was going to be visible in Ireland for the first time in 800 years. He said it was a miracle, just like her. Laura asks if the ring has any significance, and Annie says, cubanite is known to attract magnets. Robert says, that’s how Sean saw her. Laura says she heard the reception was better outside, so she’s stepping out to call Tiffany. Annie says she knows her mother would be thrilled to hear from Laura.
Outside, Laura calls Tiffany, who asks if she’s supposed to call Laura Madam Mayor now. Laura says, just Laura, and laughs. She says it’s good to hear Tiffany’s voice, and Tiffany says she feels the same way. Laura says she wants to hear about Tiffany’s life; the good, the bad, and everything in between. She doesn’t have to edit. She can say what she’s feeling. Laura says she’s there for Tiffany, and Tiffany says, as you always are, darling.
Robert tells Annie, Tiffany told him that she applied to the Bureau. How’s that going? She says she was hellbent on following in her father’s footsteps, and Robert says, was; meaning past tense? She says she completed her training, but then, nothing. They were supposed to contact her for her final test, but they never did. She assumes she didn’t make the cut. He tells her not to be too disappointed. It’s not easy to get into the Bureau. She says, the WSB contacted her after her father died, but not to offer condolences. Her dad still had sensitive WSB documents, and they’re sending a courier for them tomorrow. Robert says he knows it’s a lot to ask, but he and Anna were close to her dad, and still have clearance. Is it possible for them to have access to the files?
Tiffany tells Laura, from the moment Sean walked into her life until the second he left it, he was heartbreakingly handsome, exasperating, terribly funny, and fun. We see flashbacks as she talks. She says, he had the driest sense of humor, and a twinkle in his eye. Even that time he broke her heart. In the 35 years they were with each other, they had the most magical life together. It was the best life she could ever have dreamed of. He gave her a wonderful stepson, Connor, and an amazing, fantastic daughter. She can’t wait to see Laura tomorrow. Laura says she loves Tiffany, and Tiffany says she loves Laura too. Her dear, dear friend. Laura says, tomorrow. She looks at her room key, as someone approaches. She drops the key.
Maxie says Chloe has to pack for their spa getaway, but he says, it doesn’t take all afternoon to pack. He’ll stay until Chloe gets back; he doesn’t want her to be alone. Bobbie arrives, and says, Maxie won’t be alone. She’ll be with Maxie. She’ll take care of Maxie, so Peter can go.
Robin asks if anyone has seen Laura. She went outside to call Patrick, and found this. She shows them Laura’s room key.
Annie tells Robert that her dad was very protective of his files, He designed the safe himself, and it requires a retinal scan to open it. Robert says, so now that Sean is gone, no one can access it? She says she can, and Robert says, it’s an old case, and they’re dealing with something similar now. Sean’s case files may hold the key. She says she’s sorry, but she can’t give him access.
Anna thanks Felicia for talking with her. She knows she deserves Felicia’s anger. Felicia says, it’s not anger; it’s rage for what Anna did to her daughter. Maxie’s life is in tatters thanks to Anna. Anna is Maxie’s godmother, and Maxie believed in Anna because Felicia put her in a position of trust in Maxie’s life. Peter was Faison’s son, and admitted to working with him. They should have been more suspicious. She takes it back; she was suspicious. Anna convinced them to give Peter a chance, and because of her, Maxie believed in him. Maxie loved him, but the second Anna had doubts, she should have let her and Mac know. If she was uncomfortable with that, at the very least she should have told Maxie. Anna didn’t protect her goddaughter. And worse, her closest friend gave her no chance to protect her own child. She walks away.
Robert asks if anyone has seen Laura. Robin found Laura’s key outside, Mac went to look for Laura, and now he’s gone. Monica says she hasn’t seen him, and Annie says neither has she. Mac walks in, and Robert says, one down. Now they just have to find Laura. Mac says he hates to admit it, but he can’t find Laura’s room. The rooms aren’t ordered with any rhyme or reason. Robert says, Annie rented the place for them. Can she take him to Laura’s room? Annie says, no problem, and she and Robert go upstairs. Robin says she’s worried, and asks if Anna talked to Felicia. Anna says, Felicia talked; unloaded would be more accurate. She supposes she had it coming, and Robin says, Felicia has the right to her anger, but Anna also has the right to explain her side too. Try again. Be brave like she taught Robin. Anna says she loves Robin, and Robin says, back at her. Felicia comes in, and Robin makes herself scarce. Anna says, everything Felicia said is true, but she doesn’t know how to begin to apologize. Felicia says, then don’t. She doesn’t think she can forgive Anna.
Peter tells Bobbie, there’s no harm in him sticking around too. He is the baby’s father. Bobbie says she’s a licensed nurse, with decades of experience. She knows about Maxie’s high blood pressure issues, and knows that Peter’s presence exacerbates them. He can leave or be escorted out. Peter says, since Maxie is in good hands, he’ll go. He says he’ll miss her, and Maxie says she’ll see him after the babymoon. He leaves, and Maxie says, thank God Bobbie came. Bobbie says, two questions. What the heck is a babymoon, and why was it so urgent that she come over? Maxie says she needs Bobbie to deliver her baby.
Upstairs at the inn, Annie says, the door to Laura’s room is open. Robert looks in, and calls to Laura. He says, the room is a wreck, and Annie says, it looks ransacked. Robert says he’ll try calling Laura, when Robin joins them. She asks, what’s going on? and Annie says, the locks on Laura’s room look jimmied, and she’s gone. Robert says he’s getting no answer. Annie picks up a Mexican flag wrapped around a toy gun, and says, her dad worked in Mexico, under the alias El Patron. Robert says, he was an arms dealer; not one of his finest hours. Annie says, Laura is missing. Someone broke in and left this for them to find. Could all of this have something to do with her dad?
Mac tells Monica, they’re low on ice, but there’s none in the icemaker in the kitchen. She says Annie told her the caretaker keeps an extra refrigerator in the garage. He says, he’ll check it out, and leaves. Monica sits down with her drink, and someone approaches. She drops the glass, and it shatters on the floor.
Anna tells Felicia, she made terrible mistakes where Peter was concerned. She let the whole thing go on for too long. Felicia says, Maxie was literally at the altar when the horrible truth finally came out. If Anna had just warned her, she could have made arrangements to come home and be by Maxie’s side. Now her daughter is broken. Anna says, no. Her daughter is down, but certainly not out. Felicia asks if that’s what Anna is telling herself; Maxie is strong enough to overcome the disaster Anna made for her. Anna says she wanted to believe the best about Peter. She ignored the warning signs, and kept seeing what she wanted to see. By the time she realized how wrong she was, the wedding was upon them. She regrets her actions every single day. Maxie has started to forgive her – she thinks – and she’s doing everything she can to put Peter away. Please tell her that counts for something. Felicia says she hardly remembers a time when they weren’t friends. They’ve been through so much; her and Frisco, and Anna and Robert. No one was better suited as Maxie’s godparents than Anna and Sean. Anna was there for Maxie, long after Sean and Tiffany left town, and for her. We flash back to when Anna and Felicia were practically babies, and Anna asks how she can make amends. What can she do for Felicia to forgive her?
Robert says he’ll call the local police, and Annie says, they’re not close by, but he should be able to get them on the phone. She suggests Robert go to the window in the hallway; she’s gotten better reception there. Annie tells Robin, it’s no secret her dad had enemies. This could be one targeting her dad’s friends.
Maxie says she trusts Bobbie as much as her mom, and Bobbie says, Maxie is obviously in trouble. Maxie says she had a plan to deliver her baby, and keep her safe from Peter, but those plans fell through. Bobbie says, so what’s the new plan? and Maxie says she’s made arrangements to go to a spa that caters to pregnant women; that’s the babymoon part. She’s going to ditch the private nurse Peter insisted she hire; then make it look like her water broke, and she went to the hospital. Instead, she’s really going to a house in Beecher’s Corners to have the baby. Her doctor said it’s safe for her to be induced. Bobbie says, so that’s where she comes in. She’s assisted with enough births to know what to do, and her contact at GH can get supplies. She can meet Maxie at Beecher’s Corners. Maxie says, thank you so much, and Bobbie says, one question. Who will be taking care of the baby until Peter is no longer a threat?
Robert comes back, and tells Annie that the police said they’d be there in twenty minutes. She asks what he thinks is going on, and he says, for all the good work Sean did for the WSB, he also spent time on the opposite side of the law. Sean was absolutely ruthless when he needed to be, and if the payoff was enough. He even tried to kill Robert once. We flash back to Sean and Robert fighting in an aerial tram, and Robert falling from it. Annie says she’s well aware of her dad’s past mistakes. She hates thinking his past mistakes are coming back to haunt his friends. Robin says her parents have had a lot of experience in situations like this. Whatever is going on, they’ll get her through it.
Felicia tells Anna, she didn’t want to come there. Partly because, it was so close to Maxie’s due date, but also because she knew Anna would be there. She wasn’t ready to have this conversation. In the end, she knew she owed it to Sean to be there, and to herself. Sean was always special to her; he was like a father to her, and watched over always. Anna says, her too. Maybe he still is. Felicia says she knows what he’d say if he was there. He’d tell her to forgive Anna, and he’d be right. They have too many years invested in their friendship to throw them away. They’ve always overcome the odds, and they need to do that again. They need to overcome their differences, and work through them for Maxie. They hug, and Mac sees. He says, thank God. Annie comes back, and says they have a situation on their hands. Laura is missing, and there are signs of forced entry to her room. And she found something that leads her to believe whoever did this is aware of her dad’s days as El Patron. Anna asks if anyone knows where Monica is.
They find Monica’s chair empty, and the broken glass next to it on the floor.
Anna says, Monica isn’t in the kitchen, and Robin says, she’s not in her room either. Annie says, oh my God, and picks something up from the floor. It’s a tiny replica of Mt. Rushmore. She hands it to Anna, and Anna asks Robert if he remembers when they fought the terrorist group. Annie wonders if it’s the terrorist group targeting her father’s friends, and Felicia asks, what happened to Mac? They look in an adjoining room, and see the ice bucket and ice on the floor. Anna says, what is happening?
Felicia says she’s going to look for Mac, but Robert says she’s not going by herself; he’s going with her. They leave, and Robin tells Anna and Annie, let’s be logical.This place is old, but there are a lot of valuables, so there have to be security cameras, right? Annie says there are, and Robin asks where the footage is stored. Annie says, there’s a computer in the caretaker’s office. Robin says, lead the way, but Anna says, before they go, she’s convinced there’s some information they need in Sean’s files. Is there any way Annie could open the safe for them? Annie says, as she already explained to Robert, even though she’s not a WSB agent, the oath she took means something to her. She suggests they at least look at the security footage, and see what that tells him.
Maxie says she has a plan, but the less Bobbie knows, the better. She’s certain the baby will be loved and cared for. Bobbie says, she won’t press Maxie, but she knows the pain of giving up a child, so no judgment. She’s going to support Maxie through all of it. Maxie said she didn’t want to make Bobbie think about losing BJ (I was thinking she meant Carly, but okay), and Bobbie says she’ll always miss BJ, but she’s deeply grateful for her legacy, the heart beating in Maxie’s chest. Maxie says, BJ’s heart made her life possible, and her children lives. She’s forever grateful for that.
Felicia tells Robert, it’s kind of ironic. If Sean was here, he would know exactly what was going on. Robert says, without a doubt, and Felicia says she always had faith in Sean, from the moment they first met. Robert asks if Sean didn’t give her the nickname Princess, and she says that’s always how Sean treated her. We flash back to Felicia’s wedding to Frisco, and Sean acting as father of the bride.
Anna asks if Annie knows the password, and Annie says, it’s 791ElsieMay. Anna says she loves it; Tiffany’s real name. She enters the password, and asks if Annie is sure that’s it. Look at what’s happening to the screen. The screen goes black, and Robin says, it looks like the hard drive was wiped clean. Annie says, sometimes magnets do that, and Robin says, didn’t Annie tell them that there’s a magnetic component in her ring? Annie says she hasn’t been close enough to the computer for it to have done any damage. They hear a scream, and run to find Robert on the floor. Anna asks, what happened? and Robin asks if he’s all right. He says he’s not sure. He was walking toward Felicia, and someone hit him on the head. Robin asks, where’s Felicia? and Anna says they heard her scream. Annie says, she’s with the others, and shows Anna some pieces of jewelry. Anna says she thinks they’re meant to represent Felicia’s Aztec jewels. Annie’s father and Robert fought to the finish over them. She thought Sean had killed Robert. Robert says it was dicey for a while, but their friendship survived. Annie says, whoever took Felicia, obviously knows the story. Much like the incident at Mt. Rushmore, and her father’s days as El Patron. It’s all about her dad. They’re picking us off, one by one, and any one of us could be next.
Robin says she’ll get some ice for Robert’s head, and Anna says she’ll go with Robin. Annie should come. She shouldn’t be alone. Annie promises she’ll catch up, and when they’re gone, Annie sees a phone on the floor. She takes a look at something on it, and says, no.
Robin asks Robert and Anna, what happens next? when Annie walks in, and asks if she can talk to Anna alone; it’s important. Anna asks Robin if it’s okay, and Robin says she’ll be fine. She can take care of her dad. Anna says, stay there, be careful, and she’ll be in the hallway. She leaves with Annie, and Robin tells Robert that she feels bad for Annie. He promises it will be over soon, and she says she hopes so. She asks if Robert thinks there’s anything in Sean’s files that could bring Peter down.
Anna asks Annie what she couldn’t say in front of Robert, and Annie says, when Laura went missing, Robert said he called the local police station, and they told him it would take 20 minutes to get there. He dropped his phone, so she checked to see what time he made the call, and there’s no record. Robert never made the call. He lied. Anna says they can’t jump to conclusions, and Annie asks, what else there is to conclude? Robert has to be in on this. He has to know where the others are. Anna says, what about the bump on his head? He didn’t do that himself. Perhaps the people who took their friends tampered with his phone. Annie asks why they would do that, and Anna says, to make them mad at each other, like Annie is now. Annie has to trust them. They all loved her father very much. They will get to the bottom of this, but they have to stick together. Annie says she needs a second to gather her thoughts, and Anna says, don’t stay too long. Be careful. She leaves, and Annie picks up Anna’s bag from a chair. She looks in it, and takes out a magnet. She says, oh my God.
Anna asks how the patient is, and Robert says, in these trying times, it’s nice to be sitting there with his ex-wife and daughter fussing over him. Annie comes back in and says, it’s both of them. Robert and Anna are involved in whoever is taking her dad’s friends. She found Robert’s phone, and he never called the police. Now she found a magnet in Anna’s bag; the one that wiped the hard drive clean. Where are the others, and what have they done with them?
Robin says Annie is talking about her parents. How can she possibly suspect them? Annie says, Robin’s mom had a magnet in her purse that she managed to place close enough to the computer to wipe out its hard drive. Anna says she didn’t put that in her purse. She can only assume whoever’s kidnapping their friends, planted it there when she was out of the room. Robert says, whoever’s behind it wins if they all turn on each other. Anna says she’s convinced that they can find everyone if they can just access Sean’s file. Can Annie please open the safe? Annie says she can’t, but Anna says Annie has to. She can’t think of another way to find them.
Maxie tells Bobbie, she’s not allowed to fly, but she wishes she could have gone to Ireland for the memorial. Bobbie says she thought about going, but got the feeling she should stay close to home. Now that she understands Maxie’s situation, and knows where the feeling came from. It’s what Sean would want for his goddaughter. Maxie says, maybe Sean aligned the stars so Bobbie would be there; that’s what godfathers do, isn’t it? Bobbie says, that’s what Sean does.
Annie says, it’s clear they haven’t been honest with her since they got there. She believes they made the others disappear to manipulate her, so they could do whatever they want. She cannot and she will not open the safe. Robin says, what if she’s wrong? Would she consider it to save her dad’s friends? Annie says she swore an oath to the WSB. Even if she didn’t become an agent, the oath is a lifetime commitment. If she broke it, she would dishonor her father’s memory, and she’s not going to do that. Anna says, spoken like true agent, and Annie asks, what’s going on? Why are they smiling? The rest of them come into the room, and Annie says, they’re okay. Laura says, all of them, and Annie says she doesn’t understand. Anna says, congratulations. She passed the final test. Robert says, the Bureau reached out, and asked them to help. Felicia says, it was a set-up, and Anna says she asked the caretaker to usher the others to a secret location, so she and Robert could test Annie’s loyalty to the Bureau. Mac says he left the calling cards so she’d think her father’s enemies were upon them, and Robert says, he left his phone lying around for her to find. Annie says, but Robert got hurt, and Felicia says, so sorry about that. She conked him harder than she was supposed to, but she had to make it look real. Mac is sure his brother deserved it for something or other, and Annie says, Anna’s purse. Anna says she left it for Annie to discover. Now she’s an official agent with the WSB. Annie says she doesn’t know whether to be furious or shout with joy, and Robert says, she should be as proud of herself as they know her father would be. He gives her an ID, and she says, it’s her dad’s badge number. Anna says, now it’s hers. Congratulations. They toast, and Annie hugs Robert.
Maxie says she hopes Sean is watching out for her and Louise. They need it. Bobbie says she believes he is.
Laura tells Annie, congratulations; job well done, and Monica says, agreed. Holding the phone, Annie asks if her mom heard that. She’s officially an agent. Tiffany says, congratulations, my darling Annie. Now she knows why Tiffany had to keep her distance. She could have never gone through with this charade. All of them know she’d definitely would have had to jump right in, and then they’d have to kidnap her. Besides, she was absolutely confident Annie could handle it on her own. Always remember, she’s her daddy’s daughter, and every bit as brave and resourceful as Sean was. Annie says she’d like to think she has a little mom in her too, and Tiffany says she’s so proud of Annie. Her daddy is forever watching over her, protecting her, and loving her. If she needs to feel his love, just look up and remember that night they watched the most beautiful Christmas star together, and always cherish that memory.
Robert says, Sean made them laugh. We flashback to Sean and Tiffany getting married, and Sean discovering that Tiffany’s real name is Elsie May Crumbholts during the vows, and barely making it through them because he’s laughing so hard. Robert says, well, it’s goodbye, old friend. He’s so going to miss Sean. Until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand. We hear bagpipes, and everyone drinks.
We see Sean’s picture, and it says – In loving memory of John Reilly.
One of the best memorial episodes ever. They made it more fun than sad, but they also went through it with us for real. You could see it in their faces at the end.
On Monday, Spinelli thinks he knows what’s going on, Brando thinks he has the chance at something amazing, Sonny asks Nina why she wants to take a risk, Cyrus would like a small favor, and Jason tells Britt that the tests are in.
🙌 Farewell, Old Friend…
They really put a lot of thought into this. No doubt, John Reilly was looking down and smiling.
Teresa thinks he may be the one. I actually hope it works out for her. She’s often a dumbass, but no one deserves Juicy Joe, especially going to jail for him.
I haven’t really been following RHOD this season, but there seems to be some nasty stuff going on. I’m disappointed in Kameron, although I was disappointed in Tiffany first, for making a big deal over the chicken foot. No one is insulting your culture by not wanting to eat its delicacies. The culture on my maternal side of the family eats feet too. Pickled pigs feet. And I am not going anywhere near them. I also couldn’t seem to find out what Kameron’s original sex worker comment was. Inquiring minds want to know. Frankly, I think all these women should stay off of social media.
As Erika pointed out, bigger life, bigger problems. As I’m pointing out, bigger life, bigger resources. I doubt her bankruptcy was half as nerve-wracking as mine was. (Which, luckily, is far in the past now.)
You’re never drinking alone with Jesus. – Kate Chastain (Below Deck) claims her grandmother said this.
What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies. – Aristotle
The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud. – Coco Chanel
Things just tend to accumulate after Labor Day. What can I tell you? – Little Edie Beale (Drew Barrymore), HBO’s Grey Gardens
If my answers frighten you, Vincent, then you should cease asking scary questions. – Jules Winnfield (Samuel L.Jackson), Pulp Fiction
When you choose the behavior, you choose the consequences. – Dr. Phil
When you’re too deep in anything, you lost your perspective. – Crime Story: Cecil Hotel, Netflix
That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest. – Henry David Thoreau
Don’t try to lessen yourself for the world; let the world catch up to you. – Beyoncé Knowles
If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary. – Jim Rohn
One of the advantages of being disorganized is that one is always having surprising discoveries. – A.A. Milne
🕺 Doing the Curly Shuffle…
Here we are again at the weekend, or seven days after we were here the last time, if you no longer care. Until we see what John Glover is doing on Dead, stay safe, stay being appropriate, and stay appreciating a good time, like Sean did.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Carly goes through a box of Mike’s belongings, and asks Sonny if some booklets count as sports memorabilia. He says, it counts as old junk; racing forms and programs. She thinks they should have Diane send a clerk over to catalog it. It might not have monetary value, but Mike’s stuff is valuable to him, and he doesn’t want to throw it out. Sonny isn’t so sure, and Carly looks through some pictures. She takes out one of Sonny as a young boy.
On the phone, Brando says, of course (🍷) he’s grateful, but wants to know what it’s going to cost him. Cyrus says, just a few moments of his time. He wants to meet. Tonight.
Peter tells Jackie that he had his doubts when Lulu wanted to bring her in. She says she’s fond of Port Charles, and he says he knows she cut her teeth at The Herald. She says, for a few years in the 80s, she investigated her sister’s abduction. The trail led her there. He says, the city where she made her name. He asks how Port Charles has changed for her, and she says, it’s certainly bigger… shinier, faster. But none of that changes its essential character. At its heart, it’s the Port Charles she left behind.
Maxie tells Robert, she hopes he didn’t say something to upset Mac. He asks why he’d do that, and she says he can’t seem to help himself sometimes. Anything with Peter goes back to Faison with him. He says, excuse him for being overprotective, and she says she doesn’t need him to protect her from Peter. He isn’t like his father any more than she’s like hers.
Anna asks Finn to give her the basics on epigenetics. He says he loves when she talks sexy, and she says she’s being serious. From her research she sees that epigenetics involve changes that don’t have to do with the DNA sequence. He says some stuff I don’t understand and she says, meaning one identical twin could have a trait that their child inherits, a trait not necessarily present in the other twin. He asks what she’s thinking, and she says, this is how she can prove whether or not she’s Peter’s mother.
Someone looks around The Floating Rib from the back hallway. Dante comes out into the alley, and says, there are a lot of people in there. Peter will have to wait.
On the phone, Olivia says Ned doesn’t have to call her back, but she wants to talk to him when he gets home. She ran into Brook at the reception, and got quite an earful. She hangs up, and says he has no idea how lucky he is to actually have his baby there at home.
Brook stomps over to Valentin and says he played her. She let him use her against her own family. Chase doesn’t think the conversation will do anyone any good, but she says the only good thing about being fired in front of God and everyone else is, now she can tell Valentin what she really thinks. Valentin says, please do, and she says she should have warned her father that he was after ELQ. Instead, she let him buy her silence. Now her life is a dumpster fire. That’s what she gets for trusting him. He says from his perspective, the only person she has to blame for her wreck of a life is herself. Chase suggests they sit down, and starts to steer Brook away, and Valentin says he doesn’t want her to think he’s unsympathetic to her current situation. If she’d just told him that her voice hadn’t healed, he could have gone to Lucy and made arrangements. Instead, she did whatever the hell this just was, and embarrassed the entire company. She laughs, and says, please. As if Lucy’s never made a public spectacle of herself and he’s never told a lie. He says he didn’t lie to the buyer and get caught. He understands her. she wants to fix everything on her own, so she doesn’t have to admit when something is broken. It worked to his advantage when he made a play for ELQ, but today, it’s the very thing that sunk her.
Anna tells Finn about Maxie and Peter’s genetic screening appointment. She says, there was nothing concerning, but Peter had a marker for rheumatoid arthritis. She knows she doesn’t have it since she got a full genetic workup when she was diagnosed with PV. He says, that means Peter inherited the gene from Faison or… She says, her sister. If Alex has the marker, that means Peter is her son, not Anna’s.
Peter says he can imagine Jackie had some nostalgia for the place she got her start, but she says she has other irons in the fire. She has family of her own there, and she’s interested in the city whether they work together or not. He asks if exposing a philanthropist as a major drug trafficker isn’t high on her to-do list, and she says, if Cyrus is dirty, he’s done an incredible job of covering his tracks. Any investigation would be risky, labor intensive, and costly. He says he’s willing to pay. She and the story are worth it. She says the money isn’t what’s holding her back. It’s him.
Maxie tells Robert, her dad was addicted to adventure. He wasn’t cut out for parenthood, and cut out on his family, but he’s not in the same universe as Faison. Robert says, agreed, and she says she was making a point. Her father is an absentee parent. She’s not. Faison was an evil lunatic, but Peter isn’t. Robert needs to stop worrying. He says, worrying about the people we love comes naturally. It’s what makes them human. She asks, you know what else makes them human? Sharing in joy with others.
Maxie sees Spinelli talking to Brando and squeals that he’s there. Spinelli says, and by fortuitous coincidence, she’s present also. Brando says they know each other? and Maxie says they have a child together; Georgie. Who’s going to be so excited that Spinelli is there. Brando says he’s going to take off, and congratulates Maxie again. Spinelli says, congratulations are in order? He asks if it’s something Georgie will like, and Maxie says, she’ll be over the moon, and not just because she gets to wear a special dress for the occasion. He says he can only surmise she and Peter are getting married.
Carly looks through the photos, and asks if Sonny remembers them. He says he recognizes the old building, but that’s about it. She says he was so young, it’s not surprising he doesn’t remember. He says, objectively, she’s right, but he can’t help thinking about what happened to his dad. When did he know he had a problem? Carly says, that’s a huge leap, going from something he doesn’t remember when he was six, to thinking he has Alzheimer’s, and he says, it’s a question he’s been asking himself since his dad was diagnosed. Is it going to happen to him?
Brando meets Cyrus, and thanks him for getting the cops off his back. He asks how Cyrus managed it, and Cyrus says, he has a voice at the PCPD. Having been unjustly incarcerated himself, he has an affinity for others who might be denied due process. Brando asks, why use that voice for him? and Cyrus says, partly to make amends for Brando landing in the hospital. Brando says, so Cyrus got the guys who beat him up sent away, and got the cops to stop investigating him for the motorcycle crash. That’s a lot of good will on Cyrus’s part. Cyrus says, someone had to step up for him. It was clear Sonny wouldn’t.
Sonny tells Carly, the last few years, he’s been focusing on his dad, but he has been wondering if the Alzheimer’s was passed on to him. She says she’s done some research, and a person with a parent or sibling with Alzheimer’s does have a higher likelihood of developing it, but there are many other factors. He says maybe he should start figuring out the odds; there are tests. She says, they’re not for everyone, but he says, they are an option for people with a family member who has Alzheimer’s.
Spinelli tells Maxie, traditionally, it’s not unusual for someone expecting a baby to wed, but he thought she might take a less conventional route. She says she thought he might step up and be happy for her, but clearly, that’s not what’s going to happen. He says he always wishes for her happiness, but she says, not one more word. She’s the one whose engagement party was just rained on, and now it’s her turn to talk.
Jackie tells Peter, the best publishers she’s worked with stay out of the limelight. He has a bad habit of becoming the story. His father, his kidnapping, his recent arrest… He says he was cleared on all charges, and she says he doesn’t have to sell her on Port Charles or The Invader, but he does have to sell her on himself, so make his pitch. Why should she take a job with him given his reputation? He says, it’s tempting, but he’s not going to pitch her. It’s clear she’s already been given the hard sell by Robert Scorpio.
Anna says, there are cases where one twin acquired a gene, no? and Finn says, there are, but it’s more likely Peter acquired the gene from Faison. She says, then the next step is to find out if Faison had the marker for rheumatoid arthritis. He says, or she could tell Peter the truth. Family secrets can be devastating and they always come out . He thinks Peter should hear it from her. She asks if he’d like to elaborate on why he can’t patch things up with his stepfather, even for Chase.
Valentin says he and Brook aren’t so different. The black sheep of powerful families. Chase says, okay, that’s enough, and Brook says she’s nothing like Valentin. Nothing. He says, methinks the lady doth protest too much, and Chase says, they’ve both said what they had to say. He’s calling this. He tries to get Brook to go, but she says she’s not done. She might be selfish at times, but Valentin is worse. He’s the type of selfish person who believes he’s selfless, and that the things he does for himself are motivated by his love and devotion to others. At least she owns who she is. He smiles, and she asks if something is funny. He says, no. He thinks it’s remarkable that, after everything she’s gone through, she still ahs that spark. He likes it.
Jackie says she never said anything about Robert, and Peter says she didn’t have to. His vendetta and paranoia are all over the conversation. It’s no secret they have a history, and clearly (WOTD) Robert’s opinion matters to her. She says, why shouldn’t it? He might have an attitude, but he’s the closest thing she’s witnessed to an honest to God hero. He says, as opposed to his father. An irredeemable villain who tainted him by association. She asks what good her story would do if it was printed by a publisher her readers didn’t trust. She needs to trust him. He says, trust isn’t won overnight. His numbers are spiking at a time when people are saying print is dead. If that isn’t good enough, he suggests she take a leap of faith
Maxie tells Spinelli, she and Peter are having a child together. She loves him, and asked him to marry her, and he accepted her proposal. It’s a done deal. If she had any doubts, she wouldn’t be marrying him. Can’t that be enough? He doesn’t say anything, and she says, all right then. She won’t ask him to be happy for her. She won’t invite him to the wedding He doesn’t even have to get them a gift, but he does have to be fair to their daughter. That means keeping his opinion about Peter to himself. Do not influence Georgie’s opinion of him. if Spinelli can’t play by her rules, she’ll no longer consider him her friend. She walks away, and walks past Robert at the bar.
Robert goes over to Spinelli, and Spinelli says he guesses Maxie convinced Robert to drop their investigation of Peter.
Brando says he’s not going to talk to Cyrus about Sonny, and Cyrus says, then let’s talk about the job he’s offering. As a driver, among other things. Brando asks, what other things? and Cyrus says Brando is an ex-marine, a combat vet. He could use Brando on his team. Brando is sure it doesn’t hurt that he’s close to Sonny, and Cyrus says he thought Brando didn’t want to talk about Sonny. (D’oh!) Brando say,s Sonny is his cousin and has done a lot for him. It would be wrong of him to work for Cyrus.
Carly says Sonny spent more time with Mike than anyone. He’s just in the beginning stages of grief. Give himself some time before he takes a step like being tested for Alzheimer’s. He says, it’s not just his future at stake. If he knows his status, then Kristina, Donna, and Avery can decide later if they want to get tested. Even Dante. She says, even if he found out Dante was at risk, what good would it do? Dante doesn’t want to talk to anyone in the family. He says, that’s not true anymore.
The doorbell rings, and Olivia answers it. Dante says he’s come back. She throws her arms around him, and hugs him.
Jackie says, Peter wants her to take a leap of faith on him, and he says, he is on her. He’s heard she can be demanding. She says, exacting, and he says, aggressive. She says, persistent, and he says, difficult. She says, the D word. She knows what people say about her. If she was a man, they’d say she was a go-getter. He says, good assessment, but off point. He’s willing to take a risk in spite of her reputation. Why can’t she do the same with him? She says, there would be some conditions. She only works with Lulu, and they only report to him. No editors or middlemen in between. He says, done, and she says, she and Lulu get final copy approval. He says, with his input, but she says, no. Final editorial approval. He says he’s sure they can work something out, and she says, the only thing left to do is set up her expense account. She’s sure he doesn’t mind her writing the drinks off. He says, by all means, and she says, she’s sure this is the start of a beautiful working relationship. He says, God save them both, and excuses himself.
Peter goes over to where Maxie is sitting, and says he takes it Spinelli isn’t thrilled with their engagement. She says, he thinks it’s a disaster. In all fairness, he didn’t use the word disaster, but it was written all over his face. She can’t take it anymore, and gave him an ultimatum. She said he couldn’t influence Georgie’s opinion of Peter, or make anymore ridiculous paranoid accusations. If he does, their friendship is over. She wanted to take it back the second she said it, but she can’t.
Spinelli tells Robert they can’t drop the investigation. Peter has killed in the past, and may very well kill again. Robert asks, what happens if he says that to Maxie? and Spinelli says, she’ll end their friendship and cling more tightly to Peter. Robert says Spinelli has to change his tactics. He has to convince Maxie that she can trust him again. Spinelli asks, how? and Robert says, lie to her.
Valentin goes to Anna’s house, and she tells him they have to make it brief. He says her fiancé doesn’t approve of him, and she says, he’s heard one too many allegations about Valentin’s unsavory past. Most of which are true. He suggests Finn doesn’t like the fact he knows Anna better, and always will. She asks why he’s there, and he says they need to decide how they’re handling her sister. Anna says, maybe they don’t. Since the initial call, she hasn’t tried to make contact. He says, direct contact. There was an attempted ambush in Berlin. She says, according to him. He says he thought he was there because she requested him, but… he starts to leave, and she says she’s sorry. she’s not implying otherwise. It’s just hard to accept that her sister has gone from sabotaging her career to wanting her dead. Valentin has a suggestion. Kill her before she kills Anna. Anna says Alex is her sister. She can’t just… kill her. He says, if she’s playing Alex’s game, it’s the surest way to die, and it looks to him like she is. They’ve lost valuable weeks since the ambush. It gives Alex the advantage of time and momentum. They need to act. If she’s not going to, he will. She asks, why the urgency? and he says if Alex knows he’s involved, then she’s a present danger. Not just to him, but his daughter. He’s not going to let anything happen to Charlotte. Anna seriously doubts Alex gave Valentin or his daughter a second thought. This is about Peter. He says it sounds like she knows something, and she says she does. He says, how about telling him, since she obviously knows more than he does? What is Alex’s fixation with Peter? Anna says, she might be his mother.
Brando tells Cyrus that he’s not betraying Sonny, and Cyrus says, nor should he. He and Sonny called a truce. By taking a job with him, Brando would be a liaison of sorts. Someone to keep the lines of communication open. Brando doesn’t think Sonny would agree with that perspective, and Cyrus says, Sonny’s a practical man. He has no doubt sonny would approve of any arrangement that keeps the peace. Come work for him. Everyone benefits.
Olivia lets Dante in, and says he feels good. Olivia says, the beard is a little scraggly. He does look scraggly, but I like it. He says he wanted to see her first before shaving, and she guesses she raised him right. She’s overcome, and tells him that she doesn’t know what to say. Is he really there? Is he there for good? He says, he’s home, and it’s all because of her.
Carly says, Dante’s home for good? and Sonny says, he’s healing. She says, he’s healthy enough to come home, and Sonny says, they gave him everything he needs to stay healthy. She says, Dante can be tested, and the girls, but the right now, the only opinion that matters is Sonny’s. He says, what if he just wants to do it? and she says, what if he wants to do it, thinking if he has the courage to do it, he’ll get the results he wants? She understands that kind of magical thinking. If I’m brave enough to face the worst, maybe the worst won’t happen. But with Alzheimer’s, it’s hard to know for certain. The tests are narrow in scope and not predictive. He asks what she became a medical professional, and she says she’s not a doctor, but she’s his wife. She doesn’t want him to torture himself about something if he doesn’t have to.
Chase and Brook go back to the bar. He asks if she’s given any more thought to moving back home, but she says she doesn’t think there’s enough room for her and her family. Underneath the bickering, there is a lot of love, but there’s also judgement. She’ll never be equal to Michael, Dillon, or her father, if she doesn’t stand on her own two feet. Even then, they’ll have to come to her with an apology. He says he’s sorry to hear that, because he has more bad news.
Valentin asks what Anna means, Alex is Peter’s mother? and she says, might be. Does he remember the night he got her to admit she had Faison’s baby? He says, of course (🍷) he remembers that night. He watched her unraveling in his living room. Please tell him it was Alex. She says she can’t be certain. He knows she was subjected to memory transfer. Something from Alex was imprinted in her, and this might be it. He says, thank God. This means he didn’t follow her that night. She didn’t sleep with Faison, and he didn’t deliver her baby to Faison. He didn’t betray her. She tells him, stop it. Everything he did was despicable, whether it was to her or Alex. He says, of course (🍷) it was Alex. He thinks he always knew it. She says he knows more than she does, because it’s just a theory. She thinks she might be able to prove it by specific genes, and he says, run all the tests she wants to, but he knows it was Alex; they both know. She would never do the things Alex did. She says, Peter has to believe she’s his mother, and Valentin says, okay. That’s why she’s afraid of Alex. It’s not what Alex will do to her, but to Peter. She’ll tell him the truth. Anna says she doesn’t want him involved with this anymore. It’s her problem, and she’ll handle it now. He asks how? when Finn comes in. Finn says he didn’t realize they had guests, and Valentin says he just dropped by for a quick word with Finn’s fiancé. Finn says, if this is about the planned ambush, he already knows.
Spinelli says, and after he convinces Maxie that he approves of her marriage to that miscreant? Robert says, stay close. She’ll need someone to lean on when the bottom drops out of everything, and it’s going to, because he’s going to make it. Spinelli says, and Robert is going to continue with the investigation? Robert says, Peter is guilty, and he intends to prove it.
Peter says he’s sorry Maxie’s feelings were hurt, and she says, as much as she cares about Spinelli – and she always will – if she has to choose, she chooses him. Spinelli has to see, this time he has to compromise. Spinelli approaches the table, and asks if he could have a moment. He needs to apologize to them both. He never offered his congratulations on their engagement, but offers it now with a full heart. He wishes them every happiness. Peter thanks him, and Maxie says it was beautiful, but what made him change his mind?
Dante says, Olivia saved him. It wasn’t until he heard her that he realized he had to do everything in his power to get home. She needs him; his family needs him. Olivia says she’s his mother, and she’ll always need him, but she didn’t save him. He saved himself. She just let him know he always has a place to live, no matter what. He says he was worried she’d given up on him, and she says she tried, but she knew in her heart that she’d see him again. She has to call Sonny.
Sonny tells Carly, when they buried his dad next to Morgan, he was thinking that Morgan inherited being bi-polar from him, so maybe he inherited Alzheimer’s from his dad. If he did, they’ll deal with it. Carly says, there’s no medication you can take to prevent it. Live a healthy lifestyle. Exercise, which he does, and eat well, which he does. She guesses he could drink less, and he says, maybe he can box more and drink the same. She laughs, and says she thinks one of the greatest things about being a human being is that you don’t know how life will turn out. They have no idea what’s going to happen next. If it were her choice, she wouldn’t want to know, but it’s not her choice; it’s his. He says, something to think about, but not anytime soon. She says, it’s a decision he shouldn’t rush. If he ends up slipping like his dad at some point, promise she’ll tell him. She says she will, and she’ll be by his side the entire time, the way he was with his dad. Always.
Valentin says Finn knows more about the situation than he does, so tell him, is she setting a trap for Alex or not? Anna says, there’s been a change in plans. She’ll deal with her sister herself in her own way. He says he respects her more than she’ll ever know. That’s why it pains him to see her indulge in denial. Her sister has unfinished business with her, and she will be visiting Port Charles. It will either be on her terms or Anna’s.
Chase tells Brook that he needs his couch back; his whole apartment really. She says, but he told her… He says, she could stay until she got back on her feet. She needs to start doing that. She says she just lost her job, and he says he believes in her. He believes she’ll stand on her own, but that doesn’t mean she can’t carve out a place for her family. The longer she lets this fester, the more it will take on a life of its own.
Valentin leaves, and Finn asks if Anna changed her mind. She says she’s changing tactics, and needs his help. She won’t throw Peter’s whole life into question until she’s exhausted every option. He says, what options? Alex is a fugitive, and Faison is dead. She says, dead, yes, but not gone.
Robert asks if Jackie had a nice time cozying up to Peter. She says she’s decided to work with Peter, but not with him. Like she told him, if he wants to dig up dirt on Peter, do it on his own time. He says he intends to, but when she finds something – and she will – she’ll know how important it is that they work together. She’s met his niece, and knows what’s at stake.
Spinelli says, Maxie warned him that his continued actions were ruining their friendship. He had to step back and reassess his priorities. They’re Georgie’s parents, and continue to raise her in mutual admiration and regard. He hopes to regain her trust, and hopes to get Peter’s. Peter says, it’s over; let’s put it behind us. Spinelli says, that’s very gracious, and Peter says it’s all he can do. All he’s ever wanted is to prove himself. Spinelli says he’s done that by making Maxie happy. Maxie asks if that means Spinelli is coming to their wedding and he says she couldn’t keep him away.
Dante tells Olivia, he tried to make Mike’s funeral, but he missed it. Sonny was still there, saying goodbye. She says she saw Sonny afterward, but he didn’t say anything. Dante tells her, he asked Sonny not to. He wanted to see Lulu and the kids first; he didn’t want them to hear it from anyone else. He went to Lulu’s house, and there was someone else there. She says, Dustin, and he says, seems like they’re pretty serious. She says, Dustin doesn’t hold a candle to him, and he thanks her, but says he doesn’t think her opinion is going to make a bias. She says, this can wait until morning, because he’s there. He’s staying there, in this house. They have 20 million guest rooms, and even if they didn’t… He doesn’t know how long she’s waited for this moment. Her baby is home. She hugs him, and says, everything will be okay.
Carly says Sonny was so cute, and he agrees, pointing out his dimples. She bets he was as modest then as he is now, and he says, just about. The doorbell rings, and Sonny goes to get it. It’s Brando, and Sonny asks if he has an update. Brando says he has some news, but sees Carly, and stops talking. Sonny says there are no secrets between them, and Brando says he just met with Cyrus. Cyrus wants to recruit him. Sonny says, good.
Tomorrow, Ava is starting to believe Nikolas cares for her, Nikolas tells someone to take it now or the deal is off, and Sonny tells Julian that he doesn’t have the luxury of turning him down.
🍹 Tonight’s Bravo offering was the season 4 finale of Southern Charm, with Craig, Shep, and the two Toms from Vanderpump Rules watching virtually. Craig and Shep were together; ditto the Toms. The first thing that stood out was how much Tom Sandoval is looking like Freddy Mercury with blond highlights. These guys were way chattier than anyone has been so far, and there was a lot of discussion between boxes. Part of the episode was when the cast went to Key West, and also included a party hosted by JD (bleh). Cameran gave a lecture to a more than hungover Craig, and Shep came by, still keeping the party going. When Shep focused heavily on a sandpiper, Schwartz said, when you’re drunk and hungover like that, there’s a raw appreciation of nature. Ugh. I don’t think I’ll be testing that theory, since just watching Shep brought me back to the couple of times I’ve continued drinking into the next day, and I actually felt a little sick, even though it was many years ago. Sandoval did a lot of fashion critiquing, called out household hints, and had a lot to say about how he would have handled various situations. The Toms also pumped Craig and Shep, who reminded me of frat boys, for information on other cast members. The episode included some high tension between Craig and Naomie, who were seeing each other at the time, and Craig not-so-humble bragged about how he had passed the bar, and was now a lawyer, as it had been a bone of contention with Naomie. While watching Craig tell Naomie how he was done with her criticism, Shep said it was the most boring scene he’d ever seen. He made me laugh, but he also may have been right. When it was over, Craig suggested they watch Vanderpump Rules with the Toms. Sandoval was all for it, but Schwartz said he was out. All in all, it was a fun show.
🐴 Beating a Dead Horse…
Dorinda wanted to make it nice, but needed a vacation.
How is it a week can drag by, yet the month between mortgage payments goes by fast? One of life’s mysteries. Along with how the hell did such a promising number as 2020 treat us so badly? But you’re still here. Keep it up. And while you’re at it, stay safe, stay thinking beyond now, and stay not torturing yourself about things you don’t have to.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Shahs of Sunset
Mike and Paulina go for coffee with pup Whiskey, who is absolutely adorable and surprisingly well-behaved. Mike asks how she felt about seeing everyone at Boots and Brews, and we flash back to that. Paulina thinks they’re dramatic, and Mike says they’ve gone through so much drama, the friendships have been tainted somewhat, but he still loves them. in Mike’s interview, he says they have to start communication, healing, and moving forward. He tells Paulina that he’s planned a trip for her birthday to Hawaii, and she says, how fun. He tells her that he’s invited the crew, and she says Mike is in his early 40s. Come on. He says, it will be an excuse to regroup. The bullsh*t is getting old. In his interview, he says, it’s common sense that just the two of them on the trip would be romantic, but he loves his friends, and wants to show them a great time. Risking Paulina’s love for the love of his friends is a catch-22. He tells her that he wants to share their happiness with his friends, and start fresh. She says, they’ll make it fun.
Nema and Mona’s mom Moshgan is visiting from upstate new York. In his interview, Nema says, when his mom comes to town, she likes to soak up family and kid time. Moshgan says, it’s been the best trip, and she’s been getting in some sun worship. Nema says they’d love it if she made it a permanent thing. Mona says, when she has kids, Moshgan is going to move there. Moshgan tells Nema, if he doesn’t have kids, when he gets old he’ll just have his dog. In Nema’s interview, he says after their parents divorced, his sister stayed with his mom in New York, while he went with their dad to California. It caused damage and trauma that he can’t put into words. Nema says he doesn’t want to upset Moshgan, but his childhood was so traumatic, it strengthened his resolve not to have kids. Moshgan says she’s sorry, but he can’t use what happened in the past to affect what happens with the rest if his life. Nema says it’s hard to hear her say, just get over it, but she says she’s not saying that. She wrote him a letter two years ago about what happened. It was emotional, and it took time; did he read it? He says, it’s frustrating for him to hear that it’s been two years. In his interview, he says he’s too worried about what it says to read it. He’s afraid he’ll read something he can’t come back from. It might taint his relationship with his dad, which is already not strong. Moshgan says, if he wants to know what happened, read her six-page letter.
Destiney meets with MJ at a smoothie place. MJ says she likes Destiney’s energy, and feels like they’re on the same page. She wants them to be good friends in a good place. A lot of lies happened, and it’s where things went south. In MJ’s interview, she says she apologized to Reza at Boots and Brews. We flash back to that, and MJ says, now she wants to open the line of communication, and fix things with Destiney. She tells Destiney, she’s there to apologize, and be transparent. Something small between Ali and Reza evolved into giant nonsense toxic bullsh*t. After the crying and confrontation that happened, she doesn’t want it to be the same thing. In Destiney’s interview, she says she thought she and MJ were like sisters. We see clips from their relationship over the years, and Destiney says, MJ hurt and betrayed her. MJ doesn’t see it, or she’s acting like she doesn’t, and Destiney doesn’t trust her. She tells MJ, she thought MJ had her back, and they were sisters, then sh*t happened. Ali walks in, and Destiney looks shocked. In her interview, Destiney says whatever MJ and Ali have cooked up, she wants no part of it.
MJ goes to the counter to order, and Ali asks how Destiney is. In MJ’s interview, she says, ultimately, she wants both of them in her life. She’s missed Destiney, and her intention is to fix this. When she comes back to the table, MJ says she wants full transparency from everyone. Destiney says she wants to figure out what’s going on, and where they all stand. MJ says she knew Ali had an issue with Reza, and wanted to talk to Destiney, so she said, go for it, but be ready to be real. Destiney says she let her emotions take ahold of her, and regrets how it came off. MJ says, the negativity has been toxic and poisonous. From her perspective of the big picture, Ali had been a close friend, but told Reza she’d said she was concerned about his marriage. Ali says he did improvise there, and MJ tells him, don’t drag her name into it, and say it’s about her concerns. In Destiney’s interview, she says, MJ is making sh*t up to save herself. Ali had said MJ put him up to it, but now he’s kissing MJ’s ass. Ali says he’s sorry he drew that conclusion, and MJ says she wants to be friends, and be on the same page. She asks Destiney if she can have a hug, and Destiney reluctantly gets up. They hug, and Destiney asks MJ to promise she has good intentions. In her interview, Destiney says she wants to believe MJ has good intentions, but deep down, she’s not comfortable.
Adam comes home to Reza, Smokey, and Miss Moo. In Reza’s interview, he wishes he could say things are amazing, but they’re not. He tells Adam that he’s going to be gone next week, so no naked Jenga when he’s not there. In his interview, Reza says he’s committed to and loves his husband. He hopes in time, this will be a distant memory. He asks Adam when they’re going to play naked Jenga, and Adam says he wants to have a conversation about that. Reza says he sounds serious, but Adam says, not as serious as Reza is making it sound, and they sit. Adam says when he went through his texts, he saw Ali was right. He did mention naked whatever, but he said immediately that he was joking. Reza says he doesn’t care about Ali; he cares about Adam doing things that make people think he doesn’t have respect for their marriage. He doesn’t like finding out his husband was potentially engaging in inappropriate behavior. People divorce over these kinds of issues, and it literally plants the seed of doubt and paranoia in someone’s head. Adam asks Reza to stop and listen, instead of shutting down. When Reza gets angry, he doesn’t listen. He interrupts and says Adam’s not making sense. He says he knows Reza mentioned a trip to Hawaii, and Reza says it would be making more of a statement if he didn’t go, and would become a big deal. He and MJ were at the Boots and Brews thing together, and he doesn’t want it to be an issue in the group. Adam says he needs to get something off his chest. He never wants MJ there again. Reza says, it’s Adam’s house too. If Adam doesn’t want her there, no problem. Right now, they’re not in a great place anyway. Adam says, if MJ and Reza get back to a good place, that’s fine, but he doesn’t want her to be around. He can never talk to her again; not even a hello. In his interview, Reza says he wants to respect his husband, but at the same time, he has a yearning for someone who used to be bigger in his life, and it’s something painful to process.
Nema and Mike head into a clinic, and Nema says, real men get Botox together. In Mike’s interview, he says he’s 41, and wants to keep it looking young. Nema says he’s stoked for Hawaii. Mike asks if Mona is coming, but Nema says Mona is mad at him. He sent his parents a text saying they screwed up his life; he has a lot of anger under the surface. Mike says he uses it to justify keeping his life from them. Nema says, if he didn’t care, it would be easy, and Mike says, it’s causing stress, and stress is going to kill him. In his interview, Mike says Nema is a good dude, but he doesn’t understand his Persian parents. They had to flee their country, and started with nothing. It’s hard for people to understand the struggles they face. He tells Nema, when you’re young and in a new country with no money, it’s difficult. They didn’t know any better; he can’t blame them. He needs to have an open heart and mind. Nema says his mom wrote him a letter, talking about her feelings on her end. In Nema’s interview, he says he was finally ready to read it, but it was frustrating. He reads from the letter, his mom writing that watching him leave was the hardest experience of her life, and has haunted her for twenty-five years. She was only twenty-five and powerless. She went back and forth to see him, and worked 70 and 80 hours a week, often the third shift, in order to afford the trip, because she had no assistance. Nema says, but it doesn’t address why he and Mona were separated. He hates the letter because it doesn’t give him an ounce of closure. Mike says, life is short. He prays Nema finds it in his heart to forgive. Come to Hawaii, and chill out. Nema says he’s going to eat his body weight in sushi. The doctor comes in, and Nema says they’re here for a tune-up. Mike looks skeptical, but gets the Botox. He says, Hawaii, here we come.
Destiney, Sara, GG, and MJ meet Paulina for a girls night out. Mike told her to go for a night out with the girls before they leave, and just have a good time. In Destiney’s interview, she says since she and Sara’s brother are no longer talking, hopefully Sara will be in a better mood. They sit outside, and MJ says it’s her first girls night out since having the baby. Tommy’s dad is watching Shams. In GG’s interview, she says MJ doing what she did is one thing – we flash back to MJ’s concern for GG when she got sick at Boots and Brews – but her taking it as an honest gesture is another thing. She’s definitely over having enemies. It’s a heavy burden to carry. They clink glasses, and toast togirls night; no boys. There’s silence, and Sara says, it’s gorgeous, but chilly, and they decide to go inside. MJ shows them how she can line her lips without using a mirror, and GG says she has skills. MJ asks if GG is feeling better, and GG says, itwas an effed up situation. Paulina says she didn’t know anything about it, and GG explains that she had her fallopian tubes removed. The baby was seven weeks when she ruptured, so she’d barely been pregnant. It was a fluke of nature, since ectopic pregnancies are rare. MJ is sorry that GG went through that. In MJ’s interview, she says she feels compassion for everything GG has been through. She tells GG, it sucks they’re not closer. They could have had their experiences together. GG says she’s sorry, and admits there’s a jealousy factor. She would have rather had a child at the end. She’s read to give a baby love. MJ says she’s sure it will be a reality for GG soon, and asks if she can give GG a hug. When they hug, MJ says she didn’t know GG was getting pregnant, and GG asks if that would have made MJ not be mean to her. In her interview, GG says, for many years, she and MJ had a toxic friendship, but GG is a different person now. She doesn’t want MJ as an enemy or a friend. The best thing is to let it go. The girls toast to Paulina’s birthday.
Nema goes to see therapist Todd. He tells Todd that his mom is in town. He wishes it meant more than it does, but he’s frustrated and on edge. Todd asks how often Nema has discussed it with his mom, and Nema says she wrote him a letter on her feelings. She said, when his parents were going through the break-up, Nema’s dad reached out to his grandfather for assistance, and suggested his dad do him the favor of taking the kids to Iran for a month, while they figured things out. She was against it, but they convinced her it was a good idea not to let the kids see them fighting. It was only supposed to be one month, while they figured it out. His first response was wondering how one month turned into nine. His second response was that he’s thirty-six, and still dealing with the fallout. That they did this because they didn’t want the kids to see them arguing makes him angry, and prevents him from having a conversation with them. He’s more angry at his dad. He has an early memory of going to the grocery store with his grandfather, and there being an Iranian guard with an AK-47, watching people. Todd says, he’s in this new world, and the transition didn’t include a conversation about it. His mom laid it out, and wants him to understand where she’s coming from. Nema doesn’t want to be mad, but can’t avoid it. Nema says he has two volumes. One is, he doesn’t give a sh*t, and the other is, listen MF’er. It’s either zero or ten. Todd says, when we bury emotions, they manifest, and he needs to release it. Nema says, the status quo isn’t working. In his interview, Nema says he’s tired of being the victim of what’s happened to him. He’s been angry too long. Todd says if he has a conflict, he needs to put it out there and articulate what’s bothering him. In Nema’s interview, he says he needs his parents to come together, so he can ask why they did it, and tell them why it was wrong. That’s closure. He tells Todd, one step at a time.
As Mike packs, he realizes he always wears black T-shirts. Paulina says, that’s all he needs.
Reza packs 10,000 pairs of shoes. In his interview, he says, he’s not excited about the trip. He and MJ barely scratched the surface in moving forward, but their history makes it worth going.
MJ tells assistant Sienna, it’s weird. Hawaii is where she wanted to go with Reza, Adam, and Tommy, since neither couple had a honeymoon. Obviously, they’re not going on a honeymoon together. In her interview, she says, hopefully, they’ll get where they need to be. She tells Sienna, they’re going to be staying at a multimillion dollar property, and she wants to get back to when their moments of having fun and making fun of each other. She’s not leaving her newborn for no reason. She’s investing in their friendship. In MJ’s interview, she says she doesn’t want to leave Baby Shams for five minutes, but she knows she needs to do this for the friendship. She’ll do or say whatever it takes to help fix things.
Mike says when they travel as a group, they always act the fool. He’s hoping everyone gets along, and Paulina experiences the amazingness of his friends that he’s told her about. In Reza’s interview, he says he plans to be cordial, and ease into interaction with MJ. They fly to the island of Hawaii, and take a limo bus to the property.
Homeowner Goldie greets them, and they’re given leis by the cultural attaché Stephanie. In Nema’s interview, he says, the vibe with MJ and Reza is like an unexpected run-in with an ex. You don’t expect it to be cool, but it’s awkward. Stephanie welcomes them, and says they’re going to do a traditional Hawaiian greeting. They’re to pair up, and touch foreheads, nose to nose; inhale and exhale, then hug. In his interview, Reza says he was hoping to ease into the interaction, but it’s like, boom! Forehead to forehead. Nema and GG face each other. In his interview, Nema says he and GG are in a great place now. In GG’s interview, she says, after a few drinks, she could see Nema as bedroom worthy, but that’s as far as she’ll go.
MJ texts Tommy, asking how Shams is. I covet GG’s headband with two palm trees sticking up from it. Tommy texts back that Shams is great, and tells MJ to have fun. As usual, the food spread is fabulous, as is the property. Everything is beyond. Nema says, it’s going to be fat Nema resurrected in Hawaii. GG says she got fun headbands for the girls, and tattoos for the guys. MJ chooses a headband with flamingos, and I want that one too. Reza approaches MJ, and says he wants a grown up conversation with two people who are special to him. He asks why MJ and Destiney are still engaging with someone who didn’t have his best interest at heart? We flash back to two minutes ago, when Destiney, Ali, and MJ got together, and in Destiney’s interview, she says she tells Reza everything. MJ wonders, instead of confronting his friend of thirty years, why isn’t he saying Ali must be full of sh*t? Why didn’t he come to her? Reza asks why MJ and Ali are super tight, and in MJ’s interview, she says few people showed up at her father’s deathbed. Ali showed up in ways none of her other friends did. MJ says Reza has done stuff to her in the past, but when he came for her, she did nothing. There are certain things she resents, but if she wanted to get mad and screw him over, she would have done it then.
Mike says, this is killing him, and Paulina asks if they’re done. Everyone disperses, and Mike tells them to figure out the room situation among themselves. The rooms are incredible, and the views are stunning. I can’t imagine ever being rich enough to go there, but if that happened, you’d have a hard time prying me out. MJ tells Reza, he’s literally the worst. Reza asks, how? He’s apologizing, and owning every bit. MJ asks where was the call she deserved? Reza says she should have told him that she was feeling five kinds of ways, and she says she wanted him to be in the delivery room. He says he wanted to be, and it broke his heart. In Reza’s interview, he says he didn’t go to see MJ in the hospital because they weren’t in a good place. We flash back to Reza calling MJ while she was recovering, and grilling her about Ali. MJ says she saw him making a huge choice not get clarity from her, but they both lacked empathy. Reza says, it’s unimaginable that his closest friend entertained someone who did something not positive to him. The outcome was sh*tty and effed up. He wants to own his part in that, and that it affected her life in a negative way. MJ says she didn’t think about what he was going through, since she was wrapped up in what she going through. Reza says that’s all he needed. From the bottom of his heart, he forgives everyone, and apologizes with his whole heart. He did to Ali the same thing Tommy did; stand up for his spouse. It made him see Tommy in a different light, and let go of the anger. That’s all he needed from her; to own her part. They can take baby steps; time and action. In Reza’s interview, he says, Adam wants nothing to do with MJ. Now he feels that he has the insurmountable task of respecting his husband’s wishes, and getting back to a beautiful place with his best friend of thirty years who’s gone. Reza asks if MJ doesn’t think this is amazing. MJ says their realization that they both lacked empathy is a breakthrough. Reza says, a big breakthrough.
Next time, fire eaters and sea life, surfing lessons, GG flirts with Nema; and Mike says, there’s lots of sh*t talking and he wants them to act right.
🍸 On Watch What Happens Live tonight, the word of the night was Reza. They said it a total of 33 times. Andy said if we were playing, don’t drive, but I say, if you were playing, you’re probably dead.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Alexis brings Sonny a gift for the baby, a sippy cup that says Corinthos Coffee. He tells her Carly will love it. She asks how Carly and Donna are doing, and he says, great. They’re just waiting to get the all clear to bring Donna home. Alexis gets a text from Julian that he needs to see her asap. It’s about her client. She says, that’s great news; it should take the edge off. Sonny says, the edge off what?
At Charlie’s, Brad gives Julian a new welcome mat, saying it’s more of a welcome back mat, since he’s not leaving. A fresh start. Brad says now that he’s not leaving, Julian will be able to be around Lucas and Wiley all the time. Julian says, there is that. Brad says since he’ll be there, Julian can help out when problems arise. Julian asks what problem has arisen. Obrecht again? Brad says, no. Nelle.
At Crimson, Sasha packs up her stuff. Michael asks if she’s got everything. She nods, saying, it’s just a few odds and ends; her notepads with her name on them. Nina was so great to her. Caring for her as a real daughter, bringing her into Crimson to start a career. Now her life is as random as what’s in the box. Michael tells her she’s strong and she’ll get her footing again. She says, just without Nina. She looks at a picture of the two of them.
Valentin tells Nina that he was worried. She asks if Charlotte is there, and he says, she’s with Lulu. Nina says, good. She’s just there to pick up a few things to tide her over, and she’ll be on her way. He asks where she’s going, and she says, anywhere but here. It’s none of his business anymore, where she goes or with whom. He says, the hell it isn’t.
Sasha asks Michael if he thinks she should leave a note, and he says it’s her call. She guesses not. Nina would just tear up anything that she left. She can’t stand how much she hurt Nina, but Nina isn’t ready to hear anything she has to say. Lucy blows in, and says Sasha is just the person she’s looking for. Sasha says she’s on her way out, but Lucy says, no. She made Sasha a once in a lifetime offer, and she keeps saying she wants to think about it. Michael says they have to go, but Lucy says they can, as soon as Sasha answers her question. Is she going to be the new face of Deception or not? Sasha says she’s way ahead of Lucy.
Valentin tells Nina, whatever happens, he’s still the man who loves her. He’s still the man who would lay down his life for her. She says, the man who would manufacture a daughter for her? He understands why she’s angry. Yesterday was a tumultuous ride for both of them. She says, it wasn’t a ride; it was a betrayal of everything she believed in. He says Sasha’s lies were reprehensible, but they were Sasha’s lies. She asks if he thinks she believes he wasn’t involved. He asks her to consider the source. Lulu had been drinking, and overheard a conversation in a public restroom. She heard what she wanted to hear. Nina says she doesn’t trust Lulu, but she doesn’t trust him either anymore. They were estranged, about to be divorced, and he had a conversation with her now dead mother about her child, who survived and was adopted. Miracle on top of miracle, he found that child. She was so stupid, she took Sasha in, and brought him back into her life. Sasha isn’t her child. Sasha is a con woman, and he’s telling her that Sasha not only betrayed her, but the great Valentin Cassadine. He says she’s right. He went looking for her daughter to get her back.
Dev asks Josslyn, what’s this? She says it’s the homework he missed. It’s better to try and keep up than get hit with a bunch of makeup homework later. He says, it’s not fair. He’s not allowed off the grounds, and now he has homework. All because she ratted him out to her father.
Alexis shows Sonny the text, and he says, that’s a lot of exclamation marks. She says, Julian does have a flair for the dramatic. Sonny asks why he’s not leaving, and she says he’s had a change of plans. Sonny says, Olivia is furious. She’s thinking of suing Julian, and he hopes she cleans him out.
Brad says he wants Julian to help protect Wiley and Lucas. Julian asks if it’s like the Obrecht situation. Does Brad want him to knock off Nelle? Brad says, Nelle is the last wildcard, and he needs help to contain her. Julian says, it’s too much. It’s Brad’s mess; he needs to clean it up. Brad says, what if he can’t, and Nelle spills everything? He and Julian have been seen together. Sonny will do the math, and put together that Julian was in it. And he’s not the only one. How does Julian think Lucas will feel when he finds out his father was a part of it? Julian asks if Brad is threatening him, and Brad says he’s making sure Julian knows where he stands. Julian grabs Brad by the throat, and says he wants to make sure Brad knows where he stands. He doesn’t take kindly to threats. Ava comes in, and says she doesn’t think Lucas would take kindly to Julian strangling his husband.
Josslyn tells Dev that she couldn’t keep lying to her dad, but her dad won’t sell him out. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt Dev because it would hurt her. Dev asks how it would hurt her if he got sent away? She says she’d feel responsible, so she’s doing what she can to fix it. She starts to type a text, and Dev asks what she’s doing. She says, fixing it.
Alexis tells Sonny that Julian seems committed to staying on the right path. She hasn’t seen any backsliding. Has he heard anything? Sonny says, not yet. She says, since Julian isn’t going anywhere, she thinks it would behoove them to continue to cultivate the current détente. He says she has more faith in Julian than he does.
Ava asks Julian if this is the afternoon floorshow, or do they require a referee? Julian says, the show’s over. Right? He tells Brad, give his best to Lucas and Wiley, and shoves him toward the door. Brad jets, and Ava asks if he’d like to tell her what that was all about. He says, it’s a family matter. Brad asked him to intervene, and he told Brad that he didn’t take sides. She says, so he was driving the point home by choking him? and Julian says, sometimes you need to be blunt, especially with people who won’t take no for an answer. She must know people like that. She says, a few, and tells him to pour her a drink and tell her about Nina’s wedding. She can’t believe he was invited. He says he gave Nina her start at Crimson. Ava says he hired her hoping she’d drive the magazine into the ground, so he could write it off as a loss. He thinks maybe Nina wanted to rub her success in his face, but he didn’t go. She was hoping for some juicy details, and wonders if Nina tripped going down the aisle toward her groom of doom. He says he heard Nina’s eyes were opened before they said their vows. He went to the reception to drop off a gift, and it was a ghost town, except for a few people taking advantage of the open bar. Apparently, Nina stormed out of her own wedding.
Sasha tells Lucy that she’s sorry, but has to pass. Lucy says, funny, and good. A good spokesperson should have sense of humor. Michael says Sasha is serious, and Lucy says, that’s insane. Sasha knows it’s an incredible opportunity, and Lucy says, piffle. She didn’t even begin to negotiate yet, and it’s more than incredible. She wants to give Sasha a stake in the company; she’ll have her own voice. Sasha says she might want to rethink that in the light of recent developments. She no longer comes with a Crimson connection. She no longer has a relationship with Nina. The truth is, she never did. She’s not Nina’s daughter. It was all a hoax, and came out at the wedding. Michael is surprised it hasn’t hit the tabloids yet. Sasha says Lucy doesn’t want her affiliated with her company. She’ll be notorious. Lucy says, notorious is kind of great. Notorious sells. She says, they’ll make bajullions, and hugs Sasha.
Jax’s phone signals that he has a text, but he doesn’t check it. Nina says, so Valentin admits it. He says he admits he wanted to find her daughter, and it got the ball rolling, but Sasha’s actions were her own. Nina says they’re done, but he grabs her arm. Jax tells him, let her go, and Valentin tells Jax, get out of his house. Obrecht comes in, and says Nina is all right. She acknowledges Jax, but Valentin says, Jax was just leaving. Jax says he’s not going unless Nina wants him to, but Nina says she can take care of herself, and it sounds like someone wants to get ahold of him. Jax looks at the text from Josslyn. It says, waiting on u; plz help Dev. He tells Nina that he’s just a phone call away. He leaves, and Obrecht says, bagel? Nina says she has no appetite. Valentin tells her, leaving him solves nothing. Nina says, maybe, but it’s a good way to start. She says, it’s over; they’re through, and goes to pack her things.
Ava tells Julian that she knew Sasha was too to be good true. Does he think Valentin paid Sasha to be Nina’s daughter? He says, of course () Valentin denied any involvement, and she says, of course (🍷). Obviously, Nina doesn’t believe him, or she wouldn’t have left him at the altar. He says she’s enjoying this because it’s Nina, but Ava says, a year ago, she may have felt differently. Now that her life was destroyed by an obsessive man’s lies, she can’t celebrate that kind of pain anymore. Not even Nina’s. He tells her, feel that? That itchy, stretchy feeling? It’s called growth. He’s proud of her. Ava asks him to give her his best bottle of scotch and two glasses. He says, scotch? and she says, it’s more portable than vodka martinis, and vanquishes demons just the same. He says, at least she and Nina are free. Nina is done with Valentin, and she’s done with Ryan. Ava says, it’s not always easy to make a clean break. He’s living proof. If Kim hadn’t come along, he’d still be pursuing Alexis. Maybe he would have even worn her down. He says, doubtful, and she says, guess who just walked in? Alexis smiles at him.
Neil says his vitals aren’t bad. Panic attacks aren’t uncommon. Has he had prior experience with therapy? It’s nothing to be ashamed of, and it’s treatable, but first, they have to get down to the root of the problem. We see Brad sitting on the couch, and he says, that’s easy. It’s his father-in-law, and his son’s mother… and his son’s father.
Sasha tells Lucy that she’s hurt Nina enough already. She’s not using publicity from the scandal for her own end. Lucy is sure Nina would understand. Michael says he’s not. Lucy says Crimson’s revenues soared when Nina put Ava on the cover. Nina did that, so don’t act like it’s not a moral thing to capitalize on a good thing when you see it. Sasha says she’s not capitalizing on anything. She can’t do it. Not to herself or Nina. She loves Nina, and hates how much pain she caused. Lucy asks if Sasha believes she’s the first person to be embroiled in a scandal. Lots of people go through it. The public loves when the guilty are redeemed. Sasha says, there’s no redemption here, and Lucy says, yet. Does Sasha think punishing herself will make up for everything she did to Nina? Sasha says, no, but not making a media spectacle is a start. Lucy asks if Sasha really wants to make amends to all the people she’s wronged, and Sasha says, of course (🍷). Lucy asks how she’s going to support herself while she’s doing it. Does she have a new job? She looks at Michael. Or a sugar daddy? Sasha says, absolutely not. Lucy says, atoning is a lifetime endeavor. It’s not just repentance and lit candles. You have to live your life. If Sasha is skittish to take advantage of her mistakes, she can soften that. That’s what a media trainer is about.Forgiveness is two things; reparation and presence. If she wants to make it right to the people she’s wronged, she has to be in their face. She can’t make reparations by retreating into the shadows. Otherwise, how does anyone know she’s repenting? Lucy says she did it. She put herself out there, and went everywhere. Now everybody loves her.. Well, except her dry cleaner, but everyone else loves her.
Obrecht tells Valentin, Nina was still in her wedding gown, and she came in with Jax. Are they supposed to assume the two of them are… Valentin asks Obrecht to tell him. Jax is such a gentleman. Would he take advantage of a runaway bride on her wedding night? Nina comes out, and Obrecht tries to approach her, but Nina says she’s not talking to her. She’ll send for the rest of her things. She tells Valentin, one more thing. He said when he talked to her mother, she’d said her daughter was alive. Was that a lie? Never mind. What was she thinking? She can’t believe anything he says. Valentin says, don’t say goodbye. His life is meaningless without her. She says, that, she can believe, and leaves.
Sonny answers the door, and it’s Jax, who asks if Dev is there. On the terrace, Dev tells Josslyn, only fifty more assignments to go. She says he got off easy because he’s a hero. He asks if they’re still saying that, and she says she did rescue Wiley from that manic. They’re still talking about it. He says, Sam is the hero, not him. She says he still rates, but he says they didn’t know he was in the process of running away. She says, taking off on his own? He’s brave… but stupid. He says her flattery is overwhelming him. She asks where he was going. How was how planning on taking care of himself? He says he can manage. He got to Port Charles on his own. She asks if he didn’t think about the people he would hurt by leaving. He says Sonny would understand. Her mom probably would have been relieved. Max might have missed him taking the car and speedboat out. Who else did he miss? She said, people. Is there someone he missed? Would she miss him? She says, hardly, and he says he’d miss her too. She says she didn’t say she’d miss him. He says, not to his face, but he guarantees it’s in her diary. He grabs it from her, and she says, that’s private. He says, let’s see what she’s writing about him. She tries to take the diary back, and they end up face to face.
She asks if she can have the diary back now, and he lets go. He says he was just having a little fun, and she asks if he would think it was fun if she looked through his things. He says he wasn’t going to read it; her secrets are safe. She asks him to promise he’ll leave it alone, and he promises. Sonny and Jax come outside, and Sonny says Jax has something he wants to tell them.
Alexis asks Julian, what’s so urgent that it required three exclamations points, and an asap? He shows her a flyer, and asks if she knows about these. They’re all over the neighborhood; questioning his A rating, the quality of his meat, and claiming he waters down the liquor. Customers are starting to ask questions. Ava says, the liquor is just fine. She can attest to that. He says he knows Olivia is behind it, so tell her to cease and desist, or he’ll sue. Alexis suggests he give Olivia back her deposit if he wants to rectify things. He says he’s not giving back the deposit. Besides, he already used it to put a deposit on a place in New York. Since he backed out, he can’t get his back, so why should he give Olivia hers? I dunno. Maybe because it’s the law? Alexis says, no justice, no peace, and he says, she thinks this is funny? She asks why he doesn’t finish the sale, and buy something else? He says he likes Charlie’s. He’s put his blood, sweat, and tears into it. She says he’s only been there two years; how invested can he be? Ava says, Charlie’s is more than just a restaurant. It’s where Julian landed when he started over. It’s a new era. AAD – after Alexis Davis.
Neil tells Brad, open adoptions are quite common now. Does Brad’s son have a relationship with his biological parents? Brad would rather not go into details. He just wanted some meds to help with his nerves. Neil says he can’t prescribe something without determining the underlying issue. He assumes Brad came there to get at the root of his anxiety. He tells Brad to take a deep breath, and Neil about his mother. Brad just looks at him, and Neil says, just a little shrink humor to get Brad to relax. Brad says he’s not relaxed. The reason he has anxiety is, his son was kidnapped. He was taken away, and every day Brad worries that it could happen all over again.
Lucy tells Sasha that she knows being the face of Deception might seem like an improbable road to redemption, but Sasha can use the platform any way she wants. Sasha says she just wants to make things better for Nina. Nina had everything taken from her, and Sasha wishes she could give something back. She doesn’t care how the world sees her. Nina comes in, and asks what Sasha is doing there. Sasha says she was getting her things. Nina sees that she has them, and tells her, get out. If Sasha comes there again, she’ll call security. Lucy suggests Nina ease up a little. Nina asks if Lucy heard what happened, but Lucy tells Nina, she’s just saying Nina should take into account that Sasha is extremely remorseful. And she did bring a bit of happiness to Nina’s life. Nina says, all Sasha brought into her life was a pack of lies. She’s lost everything because of Sasha; the man she loved, the aunt who she thought loved her, her home, her self-respect, her reputation, and Charlotte, the closest thing she’ll ever have to a real daughter. That’s why she came there. To remind herself that at least she has Crimson. Her job is the only worthwhile thing she has left. Sasha says she’s wrong. She still has Valentin and Charlotte. Sasha did this on her own.
Jax says now that he’s been brought him up to speed, he’s given the situation a lot thought. He’s not contradicting Sonny’s story. If anyone finds out the truth, it won’t be from him. Josslyn thanks him, and he says he thinks this is the one time taking action would be counter-productive. Jax flashes back to telling Sonny that he’s made a decision about Dev’s situation. He doesn’t want to destroy Dev by uncovering the lie. He won’t put Josslyn through that, and he doesn’t want to put Dev in any more danger. He hates being part of Sonny’s cover-up, but doesn’t see an alternative. He’s going to leave things as they are. Sonny thanks him, but Jax says, don’t thank him just yet. Back on the terrace, Jax tells Josslyn that she’s given him a lot to think about. He doesn’t want to stand in the way of her helping Dev. Sonny started this lie, and they’ll have to live with it.
Sasha tells Nina that Lulu never heard her say Valentin’s name because he wasn’t involved. She got a call from the lawyer who handled her adoption, Carter Buckley. Michael says she doesn’t have to do this, but she says she does. She says he told her that a P.I. was looking for the daughter of a wealthy woman and she’d be about Sasha’s age. He figured they could orchestrate things so it would look like she was that daughter. The plan was to get money from Nina, and they would split it. He was dying, and wanted to provide for his family. Nina asks why he chose Sasha, and Sasha says he handled her adoption; he knew no one was looking for her. She needed the money, so she said yes. Carter died soon after, and Nina knows the rest. What Sasha thought would be a brief meeting turned into so much more. It became harder for her to keep her distance. She wanted Nina to believe the lie, but she wanted to believe it too. She didn’t want to lose Nina. That’s the truth. Nina says she’s good. She’ll give Sasha that, but no way she did this on her own. Valentin had to be the one who set it up.
Obrecht tells Valentin it’s possible she was a bit premature when she suggested there was a way out of their predicament. Nina may never take them back. He says Nina is his life. He can’t accept a future without her. Obrecht says she’s never seen Nina so hurt and angry. Time to get while the getting is good. He asks where she’s going, and she says, Switzerland. It’s lovely this time of year, and since she’s a citizen, it will be impossible to extradite her, should Nina choose to press charges. Valentin might want to follow her example. He says he’s way ahead. He and Charlotte are going back to Greece. She says, with Lulu’s permission? and he says he’s not afraid of Lulu. His lawyers will tie her up in family court indefinitely. He doesn’t want Charlotte seeing Nina or the family. And maybe his absence will make Nina’s heart grow fonder. Obrecht says, or maybe he’s deluding himself.
Alexis tells Julian, she realizes Charlie’s has significance to him, and apologizes for being insensitive. Julian accepts. He says, back to Olivia’s smear campaign, but she says he doesn’t know Olivia is behind it, but she’ll relay his concerns. He says, not good enough. Olivia is messing with his business and interfering with his customers. He may need to sue. She says he’d have to prove she did it, and it will cost a lot. He should take his resources and start something new; change things up. The Rib has Drag Queen Bingo now, and it’s packed every night. Ava says, that sounds like fun, but Julian says, it’s not a drag bingo kind of place. Alexis says it wasn’t a gastro pub kind of place either, until he made it one. He’s a master of reinvention. She tells hm, you know what they say; every morning you wake up anew, so what you do today is all that matters. He asks if she got that from her shrink boyfriend. She says he’s not her boyfriend, and it’s none of Julian’s business. She leaves, and Ava asks if he heard that. He’s not her boyfriend.
Neil says Brad’s son was kidnapped? and Brad says, yes. Neil asks if he was the boy who was in the news recently. Brad says, yeah. The cult guy. Neil says, so Shiloh is his son’s biological father. Brad doesn’t see what it matters. His son was stolen, and he feels like he could be taken away at any time and any place. No one understands. He can’t sleep or eat; he’s falling apart. Neil says he’ll give Brad something to make feel better. The medication works differently on everyone, so he’ll tweak it until they get the right dosage. In the meantime, they’ll keep talking, but next time, he wants Brad to bring his husband.
Sasha says she never met Valentin before. She only dealt with Carter and Curtis. Nina says Sasha wants her to believe she faked three DNA tests. Sasha says she had help from someone who knows their way around a lab. Nina says, so she and Obrecht are friends now? but Sasha says, not Obrecht. She had friend from college help her. Obrecht only figured it out a few days before the wedding. If Lulu had heard the whole conversation, she would have heard Nina try to convince Obrecht not to say anything. Nina says, the best laid plans, and Lucy says, it’s food for thought. Sasha says Nina has every right to hate her, but don’t cut out the two people who, despite their flaws, love her very, very much. Charlotte needs Nina, and Nina needs Charlotte. Nina says she needs them all to clear out now. They leave, and Nina throws things and cries.
Dev says he’s in Jax’s debt, and Jax tells him, stay out of trouble. Honor the secret, and he’ll consider the debt paid. Jax flashes back to telling Sonny that he won’t tell Sonny’s secret, but he won’t keep it either. If the Feds knock on his door, he’s not going to perjure himself and give them an excuse to kick him out of the country. Like Sonny did. In the present, Sonny says he doesn’t anticipate any trouble. Dev is a Corinthos now, and there’s no one to say otherwise.
Brad asks why Neil wants Lucas to come, and Neil says he’s concerned about the toll the kidnapping is taking on Brad, and that he doesn’t feel supported in the aftermath. Maybe he can open a line of communication. Brad says, couples therapy might help. Lucas is pretty busy. He can’t guarantee Lucas will come, but he’ll ask. Neil says they’ll get control Brad’s anxiety, and address the underlying issue. He’ll feel better when he sees his fear is unfounded. Brad runs into Alexis as he’s leaving, and Alexis says, badtiming? Neil says, not at all. How was her day? Anything to report? Alexis says, nope. Nothing at all.
Julian looks at a flyer that says he’s paying off the sanitary inspector, and crumples it up. He gets on his phone. At one of the tables, Sasha says Michael thinks she did the wrong thing. He says she took the blame for Valentin so Nina wouldn’t lose the people she loves. Sasha says, they love her too. Valentin would never willingly hurt Nina. The whole twisted situation came out of Valentin’s love, so she’s taking blame, but she’s also clearing the way for them to heal. Charlotte is a great kid, and deserves to be happy. Nina makes her happy. Michael doesn’t agree with her actions, but he can’t argue with her motives. She asks what he would he do, but he tells her, it’s impossible to say. He’d like to think he’d tell the truth, and let the chips fall where they may. She says so he would have told Nina that Valentin was behind it? Michael says it’s possible that when she cools off, she would forgive him. There was no malicious intent, and he did hire a wonderful woman to pose as her daughter, but with Sasha’s way, she’s just waiting for another lie to be exposed.
Ava goes to Nina’s office, carrying the scotch and glasses. Nina says she knew she’d see Ava. She was right; it’s a long, long way to fall. If Ava is there to gloat, have at it. Ava says she’s there in solidarity. She knows a little something about horrid, lying men, and hell on earth.
On Monday, Kim asks if Elizabeth is sure she’s doing the right thing, Jordan tells Henderson to start talking, Obrecht asks Valentin if Nina’s child is alive, and Jason needs to see someone right away.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Laura goes to the pier, her assistant trailing her while going over the schedule. Ava is there drinking, and Laura tells the assistant she needs a minute. Ava says, lucky Laura. Fortunate enough to fall in love with the right brother, who’s too good to care about the likes of her. Laura is worried about her. Ava asks now that she has Doc back safe and sound, did she get her happily ever after? Laura says Ava shouldn’t be alone. Can she call someone? Ava says, no, and she should go. Hasn’t she heard? People around her die.
At The Floating Rib, Felicia tells Mac about James’s cuteness. Doc walks in, and tells them it’s really him. Mac says he has ten seconds to prove it. He shows them his hospital bracelet, which indicates when he was admitted; at the same time Ryan was in Niagara Falls. Mac asks what the hell he wants. Doc says he wants to apologize.
Finn tells Alex, a few minutes more. She didn’t expect VIP treatment. There must be someone less prestigious who can take her bandages off. He says, and easily manipulated intern. She says she’ll take two. He says she’s stuck with him, and she says it’s generous of Anna to share him.
Anna asks if Griff is okay. She hasn’t seen him since they found out Ryan killed Kiki. She knows it was devastating. She says it looks like he’s been hitting something pretty hard.
Kristina tells Shiloh that her family is the worst. Why can’t they try to see things from her point-of-view? He says she didn’t let her brother’s negativity affect her. She stood her ground, and did it respectfully. He ask show long Michael has known Willow. Kristina asks, why? and he says he was wondering why Michael chose Willow over his sister. She says, he’s a worrier; it’s his job in the family. It doesn’t matter. She knows Shiloh is a good man. She loves DOD and is grateful for his faith in her.
Molly has called an emergency meeting of the Davis women at Kelly’s. Alexis and Sam join her. She says she wants to talk about Kristina. She’s noticed what they’ve been missing. The fact that Kristina has joined a cult. Alexis says she does seem really involved. Molly says, even the name. How long before Kristina is wearing a white bonnet, and calling herself a handmaiden? Alexis says Kristina claims it’s a self-help group, and they’re doing good. Molly says, it’s way past self-help
In her classroom, Willow reads a letter she’s written, saying she has a family emergency requiring her to leave Port Charles immediately. Valentin sticks his head in the door, and asks if she has a minute. She says it’s not a good time, but Nina is sure she can squeeze them in. She asks how she can help them, and Valentin says Charlotte should be in the high achiever program. Willow says she can test for it, but Nina says she can also get in by teacher recommendation. Since she doesn’t like having Charlotte in class… Willow says, that’s not true. Valentin thinks a change in environment might help Charlotte’s behavioral problems. Nina adds, those are Willow’s words. Willow says she can’t help them. Charlotte either has to test in, or get a recommendation from her next teacher. She doesn’t work there anymore. Nina asks if she was fired, but Willow says, it’s a family emergency. Valentin says he’s sorry, but Nina says, it’sunbelievable. She raked Charlotte over the coals for bullying, Charlotte is wracked with guilt, and Willow is leaving her high and dry. What kind of teacher is she?
Shiloh asks if Kristina has thought about her trust offering. She wants it to be worthy, so she’s searching for the right one. She’s hoping if she clears her mind, and one will come to the surface. He says, it’s just the opposite. It’s about living the pain; a deep, personal, painful secret, so dark that if the world found out, it would change the way you’re viewed. It can also be about someone dear to her. That would be even better to prove her trust. They’ll do the same in return, but only then can she truly begin. Kristina gets a text from Molly, asking her to come to Kelly’s so they can talk.
Molly says she invited Kristina to join them. Maybe they can talk some sense into her. Sam says, Kristina struggled to find a place to fit in, and found it. Or thinks she has. Alexis says, she seems happy. Sam doesn’t think it’s going to do anybody any good, and puts her coat on. She says she has a client, and tells Molly, the more she pushes Kristina, she could be pushing closer to DOD. Be nice.
Doc says, if he survived and had the opportunity, he wondered how he was going to explain to Felicia why he hid Ryan in Ferncliff instead of turning him over to the authorities. Mac says, no explanation is good enough, but Felicia says Doc paid the price for his mistake. He was locked in Ferncliff for months. Ryan hurt him almost as bad as he hurt the rest of them. Mac says, almost. Doc says he’s so sorry. He thought he had it under control. If he’d thought for one second that any of them would be in danger… Felicia understands. She accepts that he didn’t want it to happen, but can’t pretend it didn’t.
Ava says she supposes she should thank Laura. The day Laura came to her with the flowers, she said something was off about Doc. Laura says, if she’d known, she would have insisted Ava come with her. Ava says she wouldn’t have believed her anyway. She stumbles, and Laura catches her. She says she would have stayed with the man she loved, who it turns out stabbed her daughter to death, then slept with her two hours later for an alibi. Laura tells her to stop thinking about it. Stop doing this to herself. Ava says it’s the only thing she can think about. She says Laura is something. Ava was sleeping with man they both thought was her husband, trying to find happiness at Laura’s expense. Yet she knows if she was in trouble, Laura would do whatever it took to help her. Laura says, of course; anyone would. Ava says they would not. She wouldn’t, and she’s not alone, but Laura is a good person. She and Doc are perfect for each other. Laura says she has her car, and suggests taking Ava somewhere. Ava says she has her spot. She’s going to sit there and reflect on her choices. Laura says, whatever it is Ava did, she didn’t deserve what Ryan did to her. Ava doesn’t agree with her.
Finn takes Alex’s bandages off, telling her, open her eyes slowly and adjust to the light. When she’s ready, tell him what she sees. She says, she can see, and thanks him. She says he has lovely blue eyes. Finn says her vision is healed, the virus is neutralized, and his work is done. She asks how he knows hers is. He says she already told Anna about the memory transfer. Alex says, did she? Finn says he restored her sight on the condition she tell the truth. She says, what if she didn’t? What is he going to do? Repossess her vision? He asks if she lied, and she says, good question. Why doesn’t he keep her company while they find out?
Anna tells Griff that he can’t lose her. Griff says he’s just working. She says, when he’s not working, he’s punching someone, and they’re punching back very hard. Clearly, this is more than just grief. Does he want to talk? He says he was working in the hospital, and Ryan offered his condolences when Kiki died. The man who stabbed her shook his hand at her funeral. He can’t make peace with that. She asks if boxing makes him feel better, and he laughs. He says the idea isn’t to feel better while he’s doing it, but to feel something.
Sam goes to DOD, and asks Shiloh if it’s a good time. She wants to be present, and discuss the things that make her uncomfortable. Nothing about him makes her uncomfortable, but it’s what he said about commitment. She is a little uncomfortable about that, but in a good way. Shiloh asks, how so? She says he made her think about commitment and the course. She was wondering if she could join. He says they’d love to have her. She asks how it works.
Willow asks Nina and Valentin what the problem is. Didn’t they want to remove Charlotte from her class? They got their wish. What does it matter if she leaves first? Nina says they’re thinking of Charlotte’s best interest. Unlike her, who’s abandoning Charlotte. Valentin says, it’s a family emergency. Nina says if it’s an emergency, why is Willow still there? Willow says she’s packing, and Nina says she could send for her things. Willow says, not everyone can afford to send for their things. Nina says, by the time the kids get used to a new teacher, it will be the end of the year. Willow says, they’re young; they’ll adjust. Valentin hopes everything works out, and they’re sorry to see her go. Nina says, after what she said about Charlotte? Willow says the person she feels sorry for is Charlotte. With Nina as her stepmother, that little girl doesn’t stand a chance.
Willow says Charlotte is smart, sophisticated, and independent, but she also has no patience for anything where she’s not center stage. She wants everything done her way; not by just the students, but her teachers as well. She looks at Nina, and asks if it reminds them of anyone. Willow says, Nina claims she’s looking out for Charlotte’s best interests, encouraging her to be strong, and telling her that she’s the most special one in the room. Charlotte is entitled, and thinks the rules don’t apply to her, because she’s been taught she’s better than everyone else. The more they reinforce that, the more they’re harming her. Nina says Willow’s problem is with her. Don’t take it out on Charlotte. Valentin says they’re leaving. Willow is sure her replacement can help them with the achiever program. Unless the problems persist. She tells Valentin, good luck. I’m not sure if she means with Charlotte, Nina, or both.
Sam asks Shiloh, what’s next? He says she gives herself up to her mentor. Their choices are her choices. She asks if she’s giving up her free will, but he says she’ll be using it to relinquish control. Sam doesn’t understand what that has to do with commitment. Shiloh says, true commitment is giving up control. She asks when they start.
Alexis tells Kristina it’s not an ambush. Molly wants to apologize. She knows DOD is important to Kristina, and she was dismissive. She’s sorry she upset Kristina, but she’s just worried. Kristina says she doesn’t have to be. Alexis says maybe if she explained, and Kristina says, explain she’s not in a cult? Then will Molly back off and consider the possibility that she knows what she’s doing, and why?
Finn asks why he should trust what Alex has to say about Anna. Alex says it’s not that she doesn’t care about Anna; they took different paths. Like it or not, Alex does know Anna, and Finn is still in the discovery phase. If he feels he’s going to settle down with Anna, he’s going to be disappointed. She’ll always be running off to right some mysterious wrong only she can right. Penance for her past sins that she’ll never tell him about. Finn starts to leave, and she says don’t get her wrong. Anna isn’t leading him on, but she knows Anna, and he’ll never be enough for her.
Anna tells Griff that she knows the dark places grief can drive you, and knows Kiki wouldn’t want that. Griff doesn’t think he can handle another conversation how he should use his life to honor Kiki. It’sgarbage. If he could take back the times he gave that speech to other people, he would. Laura joins them, and says, Ava is in pain. She’s grieving and feels guilty about the horrible man she loved killing her daughter. Griff says he knows why she’s telling him, but it would be impossible for him to comfort her. Laura says, it’s a shame, since they both loved Kiki. Being in the presence of another heart as broken as hers might give her equilibrium. She’s worried.
Doc appreciates the honesty, and is going to do his best to make amends and regain their trust. Ava walks in. They look at each other, and she orders a martini. Felicia says she should talk to her. Doc says, in the light of what happened, Felicia’s strength is remarkable. Mac says, no thanks to him. Since they’re alone, man to man, he’s going to give Doc the full picture of the pain he caused her.
Felicia sits next to Ava, who asks if Felicia is cutting her off already. Felicia says, no, but she can’t drink away what Ryan did to her. She knows, being the only other woman who survived being loved by Ryan Chamberlain. When they first met in Texas, he was going by the name of Todd Wilson. He was charming, thoughtful, and attentive. She was on the verge of being swept off her feet. Ava asks, what happened? and Felicia says she walked in on him while he was murdering his wife. Ava says, that will do it. So she ran and ran and ran, but he came after her.
Mac says, when you see Felicia in the light of day, she’s calm and pulled together. You don’t see all the locks he has to change; the windows and the doors. The baseball bat she keeps within reach. (Sounds like typical behavior of an NYC resident.) The fighting back in her sleep. None of this had to happen if he’d turned Ryan into the police when he found out he was alive. He chose protect Ryan instead. Chose him over all of them, including Mac’s wife.
Laura says, Ava isn’t in her right state mind; she needs help. Anna says Griff doesn’t have to comfort her, just grieve, side by side. Finn comes out, and tells Anna, the patient has a request, and Anna excuses herself. Laura is sorry Griff felt pressured to reach out to Ava, and he thanks her for understanding. She says, in some of the worst times in her life, she’s gotten strength from people who were willing to sit by her while she grieved, in silence and solidarity. He says he’ll think about it.
Anna sees the procedure was a success, and Alex says, thanks to Finn. He’s handsome and attentive, and she imagines disillusioned. Anna says the WSB is on their way to take custody of Alex. Alex says she’s entitled to a phone call.
Willow continues to read her letter. She wants them to know she’s loved teaching there. She’s going to miss her students and Port Charles. She wouldn’t leave suddenly if didn’t she have to. She wishes them the best.
Felicia says Ava can’t blame herself. Ryan fooled them all. Ava appreciates what Felicia is saying, but no matter how bad she was traumatized, Ryan didn’t kill her daughter. He killed Ava’s.
Mac tells Doc it was hard enough when they thought Ryan was dead, not out there. Doc hopes it’s over. Mac says like they’d hoped Ryan died in a fire at the funhouse.
Anna thanks Laura for reaching out. Laura says, not that it did much good. Anna says, Griff is a better man than he’s willing to believe. She thinks he’ll find a way to help Ava. Laura hopes so. She feels terrible about Ryan deceiving them, and the part Doc played in it. He made a made terrible mistake, hiding his brother in Ferncliff, instead of handing over to the authorities when he knew Ryan was alive. Maybe all this never would have happened. Griff overhears.
Kristina tells Molly to admit she knows what she’s doing. Molly says, if she doesn’t believe what Kristina does, will Kristina cut her out of her life? Alexis says, DOD has its selling points.Their work with the community is impressive. Molly says it’s just that Kristina’s immersion in it was fast. Alexis suggests maybe Kristina can move back home, but then says she’s just kidding. How about Sam’s? Kristina says, so Alexis can monitor her? Alexis says she can take classes at a distance. Kristina asks why they’re afraid of her taking ownership of her destiny? Molly says she sounds brainwashed. Kristina quotes Shiloh, and says Molly doesn’t get it. Molly says Kristina is all, Shiloh says this, and Shiloh says that. Can’t she think for herself? Kristina tells her, Shiloh says you can’t trust those who don’t support your choices. She needs to move on. The two of them are no longer in her life.
Sam asks Shiloh when she’s meeting her mentor. He says he’s decided on mentoring her himself. She asks when they start, and he says he’ll contact her. She has to make herself available 24/7. Can she handle that? She says as far as the kids go, she has a great support system. He says they’re done for the day.
Valentin arrives at the hospital. Anna says, of course Alex would call him. She tells Valentin that she has no intention of letting Alex go. Valentin goes into Alex’s room. She says she snaps her fingers, and there he is. She loves it. He says it’s an old habit he’s looking forward to breaking. What does she want? She wants to make him an offer – her freedom in exchange for the preservation of his secrets. He says, no thanks. She hoped he would play nice. HIs life is about to crumble. He says she’s been gone a long time; enough to sever ties. Whatever she thinks she’s holding over him, is over with. She says they’ll always have Lisbon. He’s sorry to disappoint her. She says, it’s only fair. she disappointed him
Felicia tells Ava, every time she thought Ryan was out of her life, he came back. He held her hostage in a cabin, and tried to kill her. Then she went to a mental institution for trying kill him, when she was defending herself. Ava says, too bad she didn’t succeed. Felicia says she watched him burn to death, and he still came back, twenty-five years went by, but he made it. She thinks the only reason she’s alive is because Ryan was obsessed with Ava. She can’t let guard down. If he’s still out there, he’ll be back for her.
Kristina goes back to the DOD house, and asks what Sam is doing there. Is she going to give Kristina the talk on how Shiloh is a master manipulator, and she’s being lured into a cult? Shiloh says, she’s actually there to take a course on commitment. Without even apologizing, Kristina says, at least someone in the family isn’t afraid to connect to DOD’s message. Sam says she’s sorry the family is giving Kristina a hard time. She loves her. Kristina says, love without trust is empty. Sam says she still has her, and they hug.
Molly says she told Alexis it was a cult. Alexis isn’t saying she’s wrong. Molly says, Kristina stormed off, declaring her independence, but this time she’s going to a different house, where the people tell her what she wants to hear. Alexis says, as opposed to them being honest. It just makes her dig in her heels deeper, and push farther away.
Kristina speaks into a recorder, saying, this is her trust offering. A symbol of her commitment to DOD. It’s about a member of her family.
Willow finishes packing. She looks at Miss Tait written on the board, and I realize I’ve been spelling her name wrong. She starts to erase it, but a man says, don’t erase it. It’s such a nice name. It’s Shiloh, who says, hello, Willow.
Seeing the guys there to take her into custody, Alex says, a farewell party. Anna says, since Alex betrayed her, it’s the least she can do. Alex says Anna betrayed her first. Her halo is not as shiny as advertised. She asks Anna to tell Robert that she missed seeing him one last time. She goes down in the elevator, and Finn looks at Anna.
Laura calls Alexis, and leaves a message that she wants to meet and wrap up the details of her marriage. Call her back.
Felicia tells Ava that she wanted revenge badly. Ava asks if she’s offering to help kill him. Felicia says, the more she hates him, the more he wins. Ava knows she’s right. Felicia says, but she doesn’t think there’s any way for her to stop hoping they recover his body, and do a dental and DNA test. Until there’s proof, she can’t trust he’s gone. Mac joins them, and says, right. You can’t be too careful. He tells Ava, keep her guard up. Until the body is found, they can’t take it for granted Ryan is dead.
Doc walks on the pier. A sucker punch comes out of nowhere, knocking him down.
Tomorrow, Margaux says Dr. Collins is a liability, Willow says she’ll turn what Shiloh’s done against him, and Carly tells Sonny there was trouble while he was gone.
💰 On Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, Tracy was in the running to be ambassador for the Royal Atlantis development in Dubai. She visited with friend Caroline Stanbury (Ladies of London – I love her!), who had a house to die for, and a new puppy. Caroline moved to Dubai because of her husband’s job, but told Tracy, other than having to wear trousers when she’d normally wear shorts, she hadn’t had much of a culture shock. I’m hoping Tracy gets the job. Obviously it would be a nice chunk of change for her – five million at the least – but I’d love to see more of Dubai, and Caroline. Josh Flagg and husband Bobby looked for a new house. Josh is very old school architecture, like me, but Bobby likes it modern. When Bobby accused Josh of only looking eighty-five year old’s houses, Josh claimed he was an eighty-five year old woman trapped in the body of a… twenty-six year old man. Next time, the finale.
🏥 Normally, I only talk entertainment, but I thought this was an important issue, and it’s a little bit TV related. Not long ago, I saw Tawny Kitaen on an episode of Botched. While she’s been very much a working actress for a long time, I remember her best from the 90s TV show, Hercules. Known as a sex symbol of the 90s, she also shook her ass on the hood of Whitesnake’s car, to borrow from Bowling forSoup’s 1985. Funny thing is, she did it all without breast implants. Unfortunately, she was told they’d further her career, and like the fools women can be, she listened. And had nothing but medical trouble from then on. Her reason for visiting Paul and Terry was to get them removed. Afterwards, she felt like a new – and healthy – woman. Kari Wuhrer (from my beloved Beastmaster 2) told a similar story on Oprah years ago. I applaud these women for being open about their decisions.
My point is this. Don’t do it. I like to think of myself as a sensible person, and putting any foreign, synthetic object into your body doesn’t sound like a good idea. And please, I am not talking about reconstructive surgery. That’s totally different. TBH, I’d even advise against feminine products that contain deodorant. Look at what they found out about talc and cancer. Trust me. It’s unnecessary, and not worth your health. And ladies, if any dude tells you not getting implants is a deal breaker, run, do not walk, away from him, and directly to a therapist to discuss your self-esteem issues. If you don’t believe me, check out this article from the New York Post, which prompted me to write this.
Was a repeat. I remember when holidays used to mean something on the soap operas…sniff…
The Real Housewives of the OC
Let’s start right off with the insufferable Meghan. I’m all for having your partner’s back and your friends’ backs. I’m as loyal as they come. Example. One time, a good friend and I were walking down Madison Avenue. There was a guy playing bagpipes across the street, full on with a kilt & the whole outfit. She thought it was an ex of hers who had really screwed her over. She wanted to go over and punch him in the nose. I told her I’d go with her, that I would even hold him down for her, but to make sure it was the right guy because I didn’t want to go to jail for nothing. That being said, I do not drag my husband, or even other friends, into my arguments with girlfriends. Although I honestly can’t remember the last time there was an argument where I would need any back up. When I was in high school?
Why doesn’t Heather get why Vicki is outraged? Meghan is saying Vicki is covering for Brooks in the cancer conspiracy and she’s going to get to “the bottom of this.” I think she watches too much TV. She also seems to think it’s a double standard that Vicki was “getting involved” in her parenting skills. Vicki was trying to give (granted, unasked for) advice. Meghan is basically saying Vicki’s hatching some diabolical plot. Husband Jim seems distant and fed up, but I haven’t seen enough of him to determine if this isn’t his natural demeanor. Them calling each other “babe” is getting on my nerves. Can’t they remember each other’s names?
Meghan also has a breast cancer scare. It turns out to be nothing, but the cancer runs in her family, so she decides to get tested for the breast cancer gene (BRCA). Once again, she’s shocked and appalled at the suggestion that someone might not want to know if they have this. “Why wouldn’t you?” she asks indignantly. Because, you know, her way is the only way.
I like Vicki’s daughter, Briana, and often she’s the voice of reason, but I’ve never understood her hatred for Brooks. A couple of seasons ago, he got drunk and said some mean things, but she had already expressed her distaste for him before that. She’s very bored In Oklahoma. She and husband Ryan have lived there a year and have no friends. Why? I went to Oklahoma once to get together with online friends and I thought the people were very friendly and gracious.
Tamra is confused. The “sex tape” was funny, her sh*t stirring and insulting people is not. I understand her anger – she did not have the greatest first marriage. Simon came off as cold and controlling, and I have no idea what her home life was like growing up. Eddie, however, is an awesome husband. He’s always been supportive and is always willing to discuss the relationship. And he’s good looking. Where did she find this guy? Anyway, Tamra wants to know if she screws up, will Jesus still love her? Um…that’s pretty basic stuff, and come to think of it, usually a pastor doesn’t baptize you unless you’ve taken a class in the basics. A question mark is over my head here.
Heather and husband Terry are launching a skincare line on a cable shopping network. Terry says not only have they invested a million bucks, but “8 million viewers will see me act like a complete buffoon at one time.” I’m sure he’ll do fine. I love his show, Botched, with Paul Nassif.
Shannon and David are dining at the “Beador Restaurant” – a pop-up restaurant that, Shannon tells us, pops up in their home occasionally, courtesy of their daughters. The table is decorated with bobbleheads of the Beador couple and white candles. Shannon is wearing her grandmother’s custom made dress (an amazing piece!) that she says makes her feel like Alexis from Dynasty. The girls say they’re creating this dining experience for their parents to make their relationship better. Shannon thinks it’s also a do-over for her birthday dinner that was not the best. These two must be doing something right, since their daughters are very astute and precious.
Yeah, Tamra, I’m with Eddie. You should have discussed it with him before you handed your son 8k. By the time I was 30, I was married, on my second apartment, and probably my 6th job, always trading up. I was only 24 when I asked my father to stop supplementing my income. I understand Christmas and birthday gifts, or even a bailout when something bad happens, but this dude isn’t exactly grounded, even though he has a wife and kids. Tamra says she doesn’t like it when Eddie gets mad because he rarely does (again proving his supportiveness). I’d be pissed too, and I have the feeling this will come back to haunt Tamra, especially since she told Eddie she’d make it clear to Ryan that it’s a loan, but has no intention of doing that.
Briana is being a total asshat about Brooks. (Meghan is too, but they’re saving that for next week.) Is there something I don’t know about this guy? Is Bravo going to pull Brooks’s rap sheet or secret family out of the woodwork? It seems unreasonable and ridiculous. What burns me too is, I’m not crazy about Briana’s husband, Ryan. While I appreciate that he’s a veteran, I’ve also noticed that he seems to anger easily. Like when he went apesh*t over Lydia’s mother putting her feet on Vicki’s couch during a party several seasons ago. I had the feeling that perhaps he was suffering from PTSD or some other issue stemming from being in Iraq. Either he’s having or had back surgery (my first thought was, oh great, they’ll be giving him drugs), Briana is working 2 jobs and says she has to be both mother and father to their toddler son. And she’s complaining about Brooks’s relationship with her mother? She hasn’t even seen him in 2 years and she thinks he’s a “terrible person.” Why? Just tell me why. Please.
Ladies of London
Whoa. They started with the same song that’s the theme song for Little Women of New York, and I got confused for a second.
When we last left the ladies, Annabelle had just had a serious accident while riding her horse. She broke both her back and her pelvis, and is still recovering.
Oddly enough, although she is really a Lady, and her husband’s family owns Mapperton Estate in Dorsett, Julie Montagu lives in the smallest house among the cast, has the most children, and the least amount of staff, which is to say none. It’s fun watching this Vicountess juggle 50 different things at once.
Another American, Juliet, wants a real Thanksgiving, thinking she might start a new tradition among the ladies. It’s also going to be her birthday this year. I, too, am a Thanksgiving baby. It’s one of those birthdays that either everyone remembers because it’s on or around the holiday, or everyone forgets, because it’s on or around the holiday. (I have no complaints though. At least I wasn’t born on Christmas.) Marissa (also American) tries to override Juliet’s idea, saying they should go to her restaurant where they have It every year. Juliet approaches Caroline, asking her to have Thanksgiving at her house. Rather than witnessing Juliet cry, a fate worse than death (Caroline is the perfect example of a stiff upper lip), she agrees, even though she’s having some important cocktail party the night before. When Juliet tells Marissa, Marissa gets very animated about how she wants to throw this birthday party for Juliet with a turkey cake or a cake with a turkey on it or something. In any case, she’s not happy.
In a truly inappropriate moment, Marissa brings Thanksgiving hats to Caroline’s cocktail party. In her talking head segment, she thinks that Juliet is trading her friendship for Caroline’s. I thought she just didn’t want to celebrate her birthday/Thanksgiving at a restaurant. I’m actually all for it, but some people don’t feel that way. Marissa acts like a brat, ignoring Juliet at the party. Juliet was very clear about how she felt, so why are Marissa’s feelings so hurt? Juliet didn’t even know about the cake turkey. Marissa accuses Juliet of “shopping her birthday around.” Huh?
It ends with the two of them bickering at the cocktail party. Caroline calls them “emotional Americans,” but is flattered that she’s a part of the argument.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 