Tag Archives: Bravo

Jan6

January 5, 2021 – Franco Has a Talking Migraine, Landon Gets His Wish (One Of Them Anyway), Dallas Returns, New Wife On the Range & Better

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jason opens the door to Laura, who says she needs to speak to Carly right away. Jason says, she’s out, and Laura says, that’s okay; you’ll do. Jason asks what it’s about, and she says she trusted Carly enough to share confidences about her family, and he turned it into a war.

At the MetroCourt, Maxie tells Peter that she and wedding planner Sarah are on the exact same page. He asks if that isn’t a wedding planner’s job, but she says he’d be surprised how often it doesn’t happen. He reminds her that it’s also Anna and Finn’s wedding, and she says, Finn doesn’t care as long as Anna is happy, and Anna left the details to her. Robert walks in, reading his invitation; you are cordially invited to the wedding of Maxie Jones, Peter August, Anna Devane, and Hamilton Finn. He walks over to Maxie and Peter’s table, and says there’s a misprint. All four of them can’t be getting married. Peter tells Maxie, he thought Anna agreed to it, and Maxie says, it’s true. They’re having a double wedding.  

Dante comes into the hospital, and tells Elizabeth that he got a text from Doc, who wants to meet him in the bioresearch room. She tells him that he’s on the right floor, and says she never had a chance to talk to him since Lulu was hurt. If it’s any consolation, the facility she’s in is one of the best in the country. She asks if everything is okay. She heard he was outside The Floating Rib when the bomb went off. Instead of running away, he ran into the building. Dante says he did what anyone would have done, and Elizabeth says she’s grateful. Cameron might not have made it if he hadn’t called emergency services.

On the phone, Sam talks to someone at the rehab from the brochure. She says, it’s not for her, but her mother. She was in recovery, and relapsed recently after a close friend died. There’s a knock at the door, and she says she’ll call back and schedule a tour. It’s Franco, and she asks what he wants. He says he would have called first, but Sam would have probably hung up. He’s there to see Jason. She says, Jason isn’t there anymore.

At the MetroCourt, Valentin tells Martin, the numbers are unacceptable. Call Hoffman and tell him ELQ is the only reason they’re still in business, so they’re entitled to half the profits. He wonders why Martin is distracted, and Martin says, he’s not distracted, but distressed. Valentin asks, why? then asks if he wants to know. Martin says, probably not. It’s a sensitive matter that could have a happy or tragic ending, depending on the efforts of a family member. Valentin asks if it’s about Cyrus, but Martin says, no. It’s about his sister, the mayor.  

Carly shows up at Jax’s house, and he says he takes it there’s no word on Sonny. She says, not yet, and Nina says she’s sorry. She hopes Carly hears something soon. Carly says she will, and Jax says, in the meantime, he’d like to know, if all hell breaks loose, will their daughter get caught in the crossfire? Carly says, Josslyn is fine, but he says she doesn’t know that. Sonny is missing, and Cyrus will take advantage of his absence. She says, Cyrus won’t be a problem, and he asks, why not? What did she do? Ha-ha! That’s exactly what Jason asked.

Maxie tells Robert, he’s allowed a plus one, and he says he plans on bringing one. She asks if it’s anyone they know, and he says, Jackie Templeton. Maxie unenthusiastically says, wonderful, and Peter asks, what’s wrong? She says, it’s just that any mention of Jackie, and she thinks of Lulu. Jackie was her idol. She’s missing so much; it’s not fair. Maxie leaves the table, and Robert tells Peter, she’ll be fine. It’s hormones talking. Peter says, Maxie’s best friend is in long-term care. Her reaction is more than hormones. Robert sits down, and says he doesn’t want to argue. It was a tragedy. One destructive act that affected so many lives. Peter asks if Robert would have sent regrets if it hadn’t been a double wedding with Anna and Finn.  

Valentin says Laura is Martin’s sister? Martin says, half-sister. They have a father in common, Gordon Grey. He was married to Martin’s mother, but that didn’t stop him from having an affair with his student Lesley Williams. Valentin says, that means Cyrus is Laura’s half-brother too, and Martin says, which she was not too pleased to find out. Valentin says he can’t imagine Laura was impressed to have an alleged drug trafficker join the family. He asks Martin, what kind of tragedy? and Anna interrupts. She asks if Martin minds if she talks to Valentin. It’s kind of important.   

Dante tells Elizabeth, he just reacted in the moment. He chalks it up to remembering his training. She says, it’s good he came back when he did. It will make life easier for Rocco and Charlotte. He says, speaking of which, they have to set up a playdate sometime. She says she’ll let him know what dates she has available. He says he’s looking forward to it, and Rocco is too. He asks where Doc is, and she points. He thanks her for her kind words.

Franco tells Sam that he was out of town. He didn’t hear about her and Jason. She says, in the future, call Jason directly, and he says, sorry to bother her. He sees the pamphlet in her hand, and she says, it’s not for her; it’s for her mom. He says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he knows what it’s like to have life get in the way. He suddenly doubles over in the hallway.

Dante knocks on the office door, and walks in. Obrecht is there with her back to him. She turns around, and he says, Dr. Obrecht. She tells him, forgive the subterfuge. Doc didn’t text him; she did. He asks, why? and she says she needed to see him face to face. They have their work cut out for them.

Jason tells Laura, if there’s a war, he didn’t start it, but he means to end it. She says, using an innocent woman as ammunition? She trusted Carly with personal family information. Don’t tell her it’s a coincidence that Cyrus’s mother is missing. He says Cyrus was there making accusations, but he has no proof. Laura says, right. Because Jason is a master at covering his tracks. Where is he hiding Florence?

Jax tells Carly, they’ve been through this before, more times than he can count. Tensions escalate, and people get hurt or worse. She says, that’s not happening, and he asks how she knows. She says, it’s been handled, and he says, Sonny is missing, Julian is dead, and the Floating Rib is being bulldozed. Does she call that handled? She says she can’t change what happened, and he says, then she should focus on what could happen. Her priority should be their daughter’s safety. Carly gets loud, and says she knows her priorities. Nina says maybe Josslyn should stay there until things cool off, but Carly says the last thing she needs is Nina telling her how to raise her daughter.

Dante says he and Obrecht don’t work together. To be honest, he wants nothing to do with her. She says, and she went through all this trouble to see the person whose hard work and investigative skills exonerated her. He asks if Dr. Kirk knows about this. He’s not returning Dante’s calls. Obrecht says she knows, and Dante asks if Kirk told her why. She says she and Kirk shared everything, one colleague to another, until… He says, what? and she says, it was a great loss to medical science. He asks, what happened? and she says she’s so sorry. Dear Dr. Kirk is dead.

Valentin asks Martin to give them a minute, and after he leaves, Valentin asks Anna if it’s about Dante. She says, it is. She’s been trying to follow-up with the WSB, trying to find someone who will tell her why he was really released, but she’s getting the runaround. Valentin wonders why Dante’s release would be classified if they felt it was safe. He’s asking Anna one last time if his daughter is safe around Dante, but she says she doesn’t have an answer. She promises she’s not giving up. She’ll find the person to cut through this whole… She sees Robert.

Maxie comes back, and says, sorry. What did she miss? Robert says they were discussing how much he’s looking forward to the wedding. He wants nothing but happiness for both of them. In the past, he and Maxie haven’t seen eye to eye on everything, but he’s thought of her as a daughter. Maxie says, then start thinking of Peter as the son he never had. He says he wishes them both lots and lots of happiness, and that goes for Peter too. Anna approaches their table, and says, this is what she likes to see. Everyone getting along. Do they mind if she joins them?

Franco grabs his head, and yells, stop it! Sam asks, what’s wrong? He hears Peter’s voice, and keeps yelling, stop it!

Carly says, sorry, but Nina says, it’s okay. Carly is dealing with a lot, and she’s not wrong. Nina isn’t an expert in raising a daughter. She wishes she was. She says, obviously, Jax and Carly have a lot to talk about, and she has to meet a Crimson advertiser for drinks. She’ll see Jax later. Jax walks her to the door, and after Nina leaves, Carly says she handled that well, didn’t she?

Laura tells Jason, reports are that Julian planted the bomb at The Floating Rib. If that’s true, she’s convinced he was acting on Cyrus’s orders. It was a brutal crime, and Cyrus deserves to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, but that still doesn’t give Jason permission to retaliate by kidnapping his mother. Jason doesn’t say anything, and she tells him, staying silent might work for the court, but not for her. He says he can’t help her, and she says, why? He says, because Cyrus deserves everything he gets. She says, maybe, but Florence doesn’t, and neither does she.  

Maxie looks at her phone, and tells Anna, It’s Sarah… the wedding coordinator. She wants to show her and Peter the chair slipcover choices. Does Anna mind? Anna says, no, and Maxie and Peter leave. Robert says Anna didn’t even know about the coordinator, did she? How could she possibly agree to a double wedding? Anna says, she didn’t, but Maxie had her heart set on it. Talking to Maxie is like being hit by a cyclone. Before she knew it, she was lost, and just nodding out of politeness. She can’t cut Maxie off on a good day, and she had a lot on her mind. He says, such as? and she says, Dante. She’s worried about him. He’s changed, and he’s so guarded. Robert says he can’t blame Dante, given what he went through. He’s just being cautious in reintroducing himself to Port Charles civilian life. She asks if Robert got any indication of the treatment Dante was receiving when he tool Olivia there. He says Dante wouldn’t see them, especially Olivia, but he understands Dante was receiving great treatment from Dr. Kirk. Anna says she’s not familiar with his work; is Robert? Robert says he was a field rat, doing damage control, and sometimes creating damage. Kirk is a science dork. Doc is familiar with his work. Anna’s phone dings, and she says she’s late for an appointment and has to go. Say goodbye for her

Dante says, Kirk is dead? How? Obrecht says, a random senseless act of urban violence. Hate crime is on the rise everywhere. It was an unnecessary death; a terrible tragedy. She swears to continue Kirk’s work until the criminal who stood by when her son died, and framed her for Drew’s death and the near-death of Franco, is handed over. Dante says, in English? and she says she’s talking about Peter. He says he’s not working with her until he confirms it with the WSB, but she says they’re not finished yet.

Sam brings Franco into the apartment, and tells him to sit down. She asks if he wants water, or for her to call 9-1-1, but he says he doesn’t need for her to call the paramedics. He has a migraine. She says, migraine’s don’t cause you to shout at imaginary people, and he says he was shouting at the migraine. She says, it sounded like someone was trying to hurt him. Who was it?

Valentin sees Nina at the MetroCourt, and asks if she’d care to join him. She says she can’t. She has a meeting – she looks at her phone – which is delayed. They’re running late. He says he wants to talk about Charlotte, and Nina asks how she is. She knows Charlotte is missing her mother. He says, she is, but she’s taken to writing in a journal. When Lulu wakes up, they can read it together. She says, that’s a great idea, and asks if he came up with it. He says he might have mentioned it in passing, and she says Charlotte is lucky to have a father like him. He says he had help. Charlotte adores her; Nina is a natural born mother. She says she thinks Carly disagrees.

Jax tells Carly to stop beating herself up; she’s stressed. She says she had no right to take it out on Nina. He says maybe she feels guilty for not telling Nina the truth about her daughter, but she says, he feels guilty. He says he does, and he also believes Nina should stop looking for her child, and believe her child is out there, living the life Nina would have wanted for her. Carly says, instead of finding out she’s a baby snatching, throat slashing psycho.

Laura tells Jason, she came to visit out of concern for Carly and her family. She wanted to reassure Carly that she thinks she has a way to keep Cyrus from taking advantage of Sonny’s absence. She told Carly that Cyrus and Martin are her half-brothers, and in doing so, mentioned their mother. She also told Carly that she believes Cyrus’s weakness is her. She knew Carly might share the information with him, but never dreamed he’d kidnap Florence. Jason says it was kind of Laura to visit Carly, but Laura says, it left her culpable. She gave the information to Carly, who handed it to him, and he exploited it with an act of brutality that Sonny would never condone. She asks if he’s met his hostage face to face. She’s frail, and easily disoriented; she has to be terrified. She’s surround by strangers, and doesn’t know the place. Laura has known Jason to be pragmatic to a fault, but she’s never known him to be cruel. She sees he’s made the decision to fight Cyrus with whatever means necessary, but if he plays by Cyrus’s rules, nobody wins. Nobody. She leaves, and Jason looks like he has a migraine.   

Obrecht tells Dante, the WSB designated her as his handler in Kirk’s place, and he says, it makes no sense. She knows he’d prefer it not to be her, but it’s what the brass wants. He guesses he has no say in the matter, but she says, don’t worry. She intends to complete their mission soon. She knows he’s anxious to give his full attention to his son. He says, Rocco needs him as much as he needs Rocco, and she says she was sorry to hear about Lulu. It must have been a blow to Maxie as well. He says, she has the wedding plans to occupy her. She’s marrying Peter; they’ve set a date and everything. They want to get married before the baby arrives. Obrecht says, Maxie is pregnant with Henrik’s child?

Peter asks Robert where Anna went, and Robert says she had an appointment. Where’s Maxie? He says, she’s still in the lobby with the wedding planner. They’re moved on to catering. Robert says he has to go, but looks forward to the wedding; tell Maxie. Peter asks if he can have a minute. He thanks Robert for being a good sport. Maybe it’s for Anna and Maxie’s sake, but whatever Robert’s motive, he appreciates it. Robert says he’s welcome. He meant what he said earlier about Maxie being like a daughter. They both know who Peter’s father was. Peter says he’s also Anna’s son, and Robert says that’s the only reason he’s given Peter a pass. Don’t make him regret it.   

Anna asks Elizabeth if she has a minute, and Elizabeth asks if she needs medical attention. Anna says she’s looking for Doc, but Elizabeth says, he’s not available, and asks if Anna wants to leave a message. Anna asks if she can wait, and Elizabeth says she and Franco have a date night. Anna asks if Franco is feeling better, and Elizabeth says, no, but he was hopeful about a doctor in Switzerland that Doc referred him to. He’s a specialist; someone who works with the WSB. Unfortunately… he died suddenly. Anna asks, what happened? and Elizabeth says he was the victim of random violence. Anna says, in Geneva? What was his name? Elizabeth says, Warren Kirk. Does Anna know him? Oh, okay. Now that Kirk is dead, they give him a first name. Thanks.

Franco tells Sam, okay. He’s outstayed his welcome. Not that he was welcome to begin with. Sam tells him, sit and drink some water. There’s a knock at the door, and it’s Jason. He says, sorry. He needs to talk to Danny. He sees Franco, and asks what he’s doing there. Franco says he came to see Jason, and Sam says the kids are at Monica’s, but she wants to give him his favorite sweater. She goes upstairs, and Franco says he wanted to give Jason a heads up. The doctor said his symptoms might not be the result of the tumor. He might not turn back into the person he was. Jason says, or he possibly could.

Laura interrupts Martin, who asks if she’s going to tell him that his mother is safe and sound, and back in her room in Vermont. She says she wishes she could, and he tells her, it’s just like Cyrus said. She told Carly, and Jason kidnapped an innocent, fragile women who never harmed a soul. Laura says she has no proof, and he says, maybe not, but he has no doubts.

Valentin tells Nina, Jax should have shown Carly the door. She needs to learn some manners. Nina says, Jax isn’t going to alienate Carly; they share a daughter. He says, that’s why she should be understanding, but Nina says, as painful as it was, Carly’s not wrong. Who is she to give advice? He says, Charlotte is living proof, and when she discovers her own… She says, no. It’s time to stop kidding herself. She’s never finding her daughter.

Jax says Carly isn’t responsible for Nelle’s death, but Carly says she doesn’t think Nina will see it that way. She’s already tried to redeem Nelle, and if she finds out, she’ll flat-out rewrite history, and turn Nelle into a victim. She’s anything but. He says, Nina would be devastated if she found out, and she’s been through enough. Carly says he’s a good guy. He feels it’s his sacred duty to protect both Josslyn and Nina. He says, then explain to him why neither one of them wants to be protected. Carly says, Josslyn is strong, and won’t run from a fight, especially if it involves her family. He says she told him it had been handled, but not how. If she wants him to trust her with their daughter’s life, she needs to trust him with what she did to keep their daughter safe.

Martin tells Laura, maybe Cyrus has it right. The only thing men like Jason understand is an eye for an eye. Laura says, it’s her fault. She made a mistake in telling Carly about Florence being related to him and Cyrus. On some level, she knew Carly would share the information with Jason, but she never believed he’d go after Florence. It’s out of character. Jason doesn’t take advantage of the weak, and never acts impulsively. Martin says, men like him can’t afford to. Jason has never made an impulsive decision in his life because he’s calculated and cold-blooded. Laura says if he wants to search, she can help, and give him support, but he needs to understand that any action he takes could put him in the middle of a war between Cyrus and Jason. He asks what the alternative is? Sit back and do nothing? Leave his mother to the mercy of a so-called hitman?

Franco says he appreciates Jason not telling Sam about his condition, and his willingness to help Franco to the other side if he shows past behavior, but it may not come to that. The doctor in Switzerland seemed to think that it’s happening because of them messing with his memory. Jason says, if he gets the right treatment, fine, no consequences, and Franco says, that’s why he’s there. He’s going to resume treatment in Port Charles now. Franco knows Jason has no reason to trust him, but he’s going to be okay. Jason says, what if he’s not? and Franco says, no doubt Jason will stick to their bargain.

Anna tells Elizabeth that she never met Kirk, but she was aware of his work. His methods were unusual, but he got amazing results. Elizabeth says, Dante was one of his patients. She just saw him. Doc wanted to meet with him in the bioresearch room. She says Franco will have to find another doctor now, and tells Anna that she has to go.   

Walking back to the table, Maxie says they have chicken, beef, and fish. They need a vegetarian option. Or maybe they should go vegan. She’s so glad Peter will eat anything. What about Robert? She stops, and asks if everything is okay.   

Valentin tells Nina, both he and Jax agree she should keep up the search, and they don’t agree on anything. He asks, what’s that look? Did Jax change his mind? She says Jax is just supporting her decision, and Valentin says if Jax wants her to give up, she knows it was in Jax’s best interest.

Carly tells Jax, they’ve been through this before, and he says, the less he knows, the better? That’s not going to cut it this time. She asks why he can’t trust her, and he says it’s not just about Josslyn, but her as well. It’s one thing for Jason to get involved with Cyrus, but now he made her… She says no one makes her do anything. Jason is handling Sonny’s business while he’s gone. Jax says she and Jason might believe Sonny is coming home, but she has to face the fact; the longer Sonny is gone, the more likely he is to stay gone. She says Jason believes Sonny is coming back, and so does she. He asks if she’s sure Jason does, or is he telling her what she wants to hear? He’s sorry, but sooner or later she’ll have to face the truth, as difficult as it may be. Carly storms out.  

Nina tells Valentin that Jax hasn’t shared everything, but it’s none of his business. She’s been contemplating not continuing for the past few weeks, and Jax was just putting her thoughts into words. Valentin says she wants to believe Jax has her best interests at heart, but he has his own. Nina gets up, and says let her know when she can see Charlotte. He says he’s not trying to be hurtful. He just wants her to open her eyes. Jax wants her all to himself, and he’ll sacrifice what’s rightfully hers to do it.

Laura says she’s known Jason a long time. He would never hurt Martin’s mother. Martin asks if he’s supposed to take that to the bank. What if it was her mother? Would she be comfortable with his assurances that she’d never get hurt? Laura says if she can get Carly alone, she can intervene, but Martin says, fat chance. He’s talked to her, and she’s made of steel. Her first loyalty is to Jason, and she’s immovable. Laura says, so what happens next? and he says, whatever it takes to find his mother, and keep her safe.

Obrecht tells Dante, it’s more important than ever that her presence in Port Charles remain a secret. He says, understood, and she says, duty first. Make sure no one sees him. He asks when he’ll hear from her, and she says when it’s time to strike at Peter’s heart. Now go.

Sam comes downstairs, and tells Jason, sorry she was so long. She couldn’t find the sweater he likes so much. She asks if everything is okay, and Franco says, hunky dory. He thanks her for her help, and says he’ll get out of their way. He leaves, and Sam asks, what was that about? Jason says, Franco’s just being Franco. What was he doing there? Sam says he was ill in the hallway, and said he had a migraine. Doesn’t Jason believe him? Jason says he doesn’t know, but do him a favor. If Franco shoes up again, call him.   

In the hallway, Franco doubles over again. He hears Peter’s voice saying, no choice.

Peter tells Maxie, he and Robert were fighting over the bill, and Robert says he’s decided Peter wins. Elizabeth sees Maxie, and says Maxie doesn’t have to send an invitation. She and Franco are definitely attending. Maxie is like, um… and Elizabeth says Finn and Anna invited them. They just need to find a gift for the man who saved Franco’s life. If it wasn’t for Peter, Obrecht might have killed her husband. They’re forever grateful. Peter made quite an impression on Franco.

Obrecht puts on a surgical mask and walks out. She goes to the elevator. Anna comes up behind her, and says she’s looking for Dante Falconari. Has she seen him?  

Tomorrow, Peter says it’s been worth it, Dante says they’ll never find out, Britt says it’s out of their hands, and Jordan tells Cyrus there’s nothing they can do from there.

The Haves and The Haves Nots

Wyatt tells Vinny that he’s sorry, and Vinny says he’s one lucky son of a bitch. Wyatt says he’s not. He’s there in the hospital. Vinny asks if he’d rather be dead, and Wyatt says that’s not what he meant. He just wants this to stop. Vinny asks what he wants to stop, and Wyatt says, this; what Vinny is doing. Vinny asks what he’s doing, and Wyatt says what he did to Vinny, but he did it one time. Vinny says, yet the stab wound is still there, and Wyatt says, so are the cuts on his wrists. Vinny asks, whose fault is that? and Wyatt says, his. Vinny asks him why it’s his fault, and Wyatt says because he stabbed Vinny. Vinny says, and? Wyatt says, he left Vinny to die, and Vinny says, in? Wyatt says, a pool of his own blood. Vinny says, right, and Wyatt says he’s sorry. Vinny says, there he goes again. He’s not sorry enough yet. Wyatt asks what he has to do. Money? Vinny says Wyatt’s mom won’t pay, and Wyatt says he’ll call his dad. Vinny says his dad doesn’t have any money; it’s all hers. Wyatt says he can get her to pay him, and Vinny says he wants a million dollars. If he doesn’t get the money, he’s going to come back and kill Wyatt. Wyatt says, okay, he’ll call, and Vinny leaves.

Jim comes downstairs, and his phone rings. It’s Wyatt, who says, a Malone just left. He said he’d kill him. Jim asks what Wyatt did, and Wyatt says if Jim doesn’t give him a million dollars, he’s going to kill him. Jim says, which Malone? and Wyatt says, the one he stabbed. Jim says, Vinny? Dammit. What did he say? Wyatt tells Jim, Vinny said he was going to kill him. Jim asks if Wyatt sees the sh*t he gets into. The sh*t Jim has to get him out of. Wyatt says he’s sorry, and Jim says, stop doing it. Wyatt says Jim has to get him out and into rehab, but Jim says, first, he has to get a Malone off Wyatt’s ass. He’ll talk to Vinny, but he wants Wyatt to stay put. Wyatt says, thanks, dad, and Jim says, now it’s thanks, dad. Next week, Wyatt will have a gun to his head. Wyatt says he’s sorry, and Jim says goodbye. He hangs up, and says Wyatt is just like his mother.

Wyatt says he can’t stay there. He presses the buzzer, and yells for the nurse.

David tells Hanna, something about her compels him to be honest with himself, so he also feels compelled to tell her how he’s really feeling. She thanks him, and he says she really is a beautiful woman. She says, and he’s very handsome… and so slick. He asks, how does she mean? and she says, he’s so slick. He comes in there, his charm turned all the way up. She can see how it would work. He says he’s not trying to work anything. He’s just telling her the truth. She says she can see how it would work on a weak ass fool, but she’s not a weak ass fool. He says, no, and she says, that’s why it doesn’t work. She’s not some girl, or a crazy one like he married. He says he’s not playing her, and she says, okay; bye. He asks if she remembers what he said when they first met. She says, are they doing this again? He said to get him a drink. He asks if she remembers what she was wearing, and she says, a maid uniform, but he says she was also wearing an ankle chain with a heart. He noticed that. She says, that’s nice, and he says he also noticed she hasn’t worn it since. She says she hasn’t wanted to, and he says, because things change; people can change. She says, so? He says she doesn’t believe any of it, and she says he’s reading her mind. He’s trying to seduce her to get Jim some money. He says, no, and she says, good. It will never work. He says, if he ever seduced her, it’s because he wanted to make love to her. She says, good; that will never work. He asks if she’s sure she’s not getting excited, and she tells him, look at this face. Does it look like she’s excited? Get the hell out. He says he knows she didn’t believe anything he said – she says, not a damn thing – but it’s the truth. He gets up, and thanks her for her time. She says, by the way, she already talked to Kathryn, and she said not to give Jim a dime. He says he’ll let Jim know. She says, do her a favor. Don’t come back again. David says, not unless he’s invited, and leaves. When he’s gone, Hanna says, he thinks she’s a damn fool. Sexy bastard.

At the hospital, Veronica gets a collect call from the jail, and says she’s charging $500 for every 10¢ she has to pay. Kathryn says, get over it, bitch, and Veronica laughs. She asks how Kathryn is, and Kathryn says she needs to see Veronica. Veronica says, that’s not happening, but Kathryn says, yes it is. Veronica says Kathryn is locked up; she should focus on that. Kathryn tells her to get her ass down there, and Veronica says Kathryn’s been telling the police she did it. Kathryn says she expects to see Veronica today, and Veronica says, or…? Kathryn asks if Veronica wants to know what card she can play, and Veronica says Kathryn can have any lawyer in the country she wants, but she can’t have her. Kathryn says there’s no other lawyer whose life she can ruin with a phone call. Veronica has a certain loan obligation. Veronica asks if Kathryn is threatening her, and Kathryn says, damn right. Veronica says, this is the game Kathryn wants to play? and Kathryn says, yes. Get down here now. Kathryn hangs up, and Veronica says, did this bitch just hang up on her? Be glad she can’t call back. Celine approaches Veronica, and tells her, they’re in there. Veronica says Celine acts like it’s the boogey man, and tells her, come on.

Veronica introduces herself to Celine’s supervisor and the hospital director. She says she’s representing Celine, and the director is surprised Celine retained an attorney. Veronica says, the best attorney; do her research. She asks what this is about, and the director says they’re there to talk about termination. Celine says, why? What did she do? The director says they had a complaint from Dr. Mendez. Celine says she didn’t talk to him. He came in while she was speaking to Jim, and… Veronica interrupts Celine, saying, she’s shy to talk about it. The doctor has been sexually harassing her. They have the emails and texts to prove it. Celine tries to interrupt, but Veronica says, she’ll talk for her. She knows English is not Celine’s first language. Just stand there and be quiet. They’re suing the hospital for $10 million dollars, or they can allow Celine to go back to her job, and keep the creep away. The director says she’ll need to talk to the Board, but Veronica says, no. They want it to be resolved now, today. Allow Celine to go back to her work… and they need a raise. She asks Celine how much she makes, and Celine says, $17. Veronica says, for the whole damn hour? and Celine says, yes. She tells Celine to get out of there, and Celine leaves. Veronica tells them, leave that poor broken down woman alone. She can’t afford a good foundation, and a doctor is harassing her. The director says the doctor is the one who complained, but Veronica says she doesn’t have time for this sh*t. Beautiful people don’t stoop so low. The director says they didn’t invite Veronica there, and Veronica says, maybe not, but they’re going to pay the damn price. Apparently, the director doesn’t know what women are going through in the world today, and who defends what they’re going through. The director says she knows Veronica is a liar, and Veronica says, obviously, she hasn’t researched who Veronica is. Do that before she comes for her. Research her, and then she’ll come back. She walks out talking Valley Girl.     

In the reception area, Celine asks why Veronica said those things, and Veronica says she got Celine’s job back. Celine says, they’re lies, and Veronica says, they don’t know that. Celine says she does, and Veronica says, the one who slept with her boss’s husband cares about lies. Celine says she doesn’t want to hurt anyone, and Veronica says, sometimes you have to, to be okay. They’re going let her keep working for $17 an hour. Celine says, what about Jim? and Veronica says she’ll take care of him. Go get her mop, and keep doing what she does. Celine says, thank you, and Veronica says Celine doesn’t have to be prompted. She likes that. Go. She’ll take care of Jim.

Jim walks into the Iron Bone, and orders bourbon, neat. Vinny asks what he can do for Jim, and Jim says, mind if he sits? Vinny gestures to a stool, and Jim says, thanks. He stopped by to congratulate Vinny. Vinny says, thanks, and Jim says he understands Vinny is running the business now. Vinny says, looks that way, and Jim says he thinks it’s terrific. Vinny asks what Jim wants to talk to him about, and Jim says, his son. He gave Vinny $75K to leave Wyatt alone. Vinny says, Jim gave him $50K, but Jim insists it was $75K. Vinny asks if Jim is challenging him, and Jim says, no. He gave Mitch $75K to deliver to Vinny. Vinny says, right; he forgot. Jim says he understands. So he wants Vinny to leave his son alone. Vinny says Jim’s son stabbed him, and Jim says, believe him; he understands. There’s nothing he can do to repay that, but this kid of his, he’s a problem. Vinny says, yes, and Jim says, he needs help. Vinny says Jim should get it for him, and Jim says, he is, but it takes time. Vinny says, here’s the deal. He wants a million dollars. Jim says, a lot of people do. What for? Vinny says, pain and suffering. He doesn’t think $50K is enough. Jim repeats that he gave Vinny $75K, and Vinny says, $50K, $75K; he’s a businessman. The terms have changed. Jim says, come on, Vincent, and Vinny says Jim says that like he knows him. Jim says he does. He’s known Vinny since before Vinny wiped his own ass. Be reasonable. Vinny says, that’s Jim’s mistake. Jim thinks he knows him, and he doesn’t. He suggests Jim take his ass and leave this establishment now, and don’t come back until he has Vinny’s million. Jim says he doesn’t have a million, but Vinny says, his wife does. Jim says his wife is in jail; she’s not going to help. Vinny says, he understands, but the problem is, if he doesn’t get the money, Jim is going to bury his child. Jim orders another bourbon, but Vinny says he thinks Jim can leave now. Bye, judge. Get his ass out of there before Vinny makes pay for the drink. Jim heads for the door, and Vinny says he hopes Jim feels better. Jim says, he will, and leaves. Vinny says he’s sure, and drinks the bourbon. He makes a call, and says he needs to know where Mitch is, but don’t tell Mitch he’s looking for him. He tells them to also check the serial number on the pills, and let him know if it’s the same batch.

A reporter waits for Hanna when she comes out to get in her car. She asks Hanna to talk about the pain her daughter experienced while growing up. Does she know about the rumors that Hanna abandoned her daughter, and that she was a prostitute? Hanna says, get off of her, and starts her car. She drives away, leaving the reporter at the curb.

Jim goes to David’s house, and asks how it went with Hanna. David says, it didn’t, and Jim says, the old Harrington charm didn’t work? David says he told Jim it wouldn’t, and Jim thanks him for trying. David says he felt like a fool, and Jim asks, why? David says because he sincerely likes her; he always has. Jim laughs, and asks if David is serious. David says he is, and Jim says, he sent David there to do him a favor, and he actually wants to sleep with Hanna? David shakes his head, and says, Hanna is a nice lady. She was looking right through him. Jim doesn’t know what David means, and David says, she sees people’s souls. Jim says, is he actually hearing this? and Davis says, it’s the first time they had a real conversation. Jim asks what the hell has gotten into David? Hanna is a witch. That woman cast a spell on him. David asks why Jim is there, and Jim says he talked to the Malones. David says, it didn’t go well? and Jim says, no, but it was interesting. David asks who Jim met with; Vinny? Jim says, Vincent. He said something that didn’t make sense. The bounty on Wyatt was $50K, and he gave Mitch $75K. David asks if Jim thinks Mitch skimmed it, and Jim says, of course he does. Mitch gave Vinny $50K and stuck $25K in his pocket. That’s what he’d do. David says, it would be hard to confirm, because Malones don’t like to be questioned. Jim says, he’s right. Maybe Mitch was counting on that. If the Malones find out that Mitch stole and lied to the family, Mitch will be cut off. Which means, no more protection for Candace, Benny, and Hanna. David says, leave Hanna out of it. She has nothing to do with this. Jim laughs, and says David honestly likes Hanna. David says, fair is fair. Candace and Benny stole Jim’s money, but Hanna did not. Jim says, okay; he gets it. David doesn’t want to discuss it further, and Jim says, wow. David says he’ll see what he can find out about Mitch. Jim asks, how? and David says, very carefully. David asks if Jim wants lunch, but Jim says he’s going home. He’d better not find Hanna’s ass in his house. David says, she works there, and Jim says, this is going to be fun. He puts his hand on David’s shoulder, and says he promises he won’t do anything to hurt David’s new girlfriend. David shakes him off, and says, this has got to stop. Jim says, wow, and heads out the door. Outside, he shouts, praise the Lord! and David says, yes.   

Veronica waits for Kathryn in the visiting room. Kathryn comes in, and Veronica asks what Kathryn wants to tell her about. Kathryn says, the $53 million loan. Veronica says, $54 million, and Kathryn says she hasn’t paid the mortgage. Veronica says she decided not to, and Kathryn says she’s going have to instruct Lloyd to take the facilities, and Veronica’s house. Veronica says her house isn’t in the deal, and Kathryn says she signed a personal guarantee. Veronica laughs, and says, she lied. It will tie Kathryn up in court for years. Kathryn asks if Veronica is broke, but Veronica says, not at all. Kathryn wonders if the facilities aren’t making money, and Veronica says, quite the opposite. Kathryn says, okay. Why isn’t she paying? Veronica says, because she’s paying Kathryn. Who does Kathryn think is testifying for the DA? Kathryn says the DA got to Veronica, and now Veronica is blackmailing her? Veronica says, not at all, and Kathryn says, then what is it? Veronica says she’s whitemailing Kathryn. She just wants to see Kathryn go away. Kathryn says, that will never happen, but Veronica says, yes, it will. When she finishes telling the judge how afraid she was when Kathryn pulled out a gun, and shot that innocent, sweet woman… Kathryn says, Veronica would do that? and Veronica tells her, cut it out. Nobody’s listening. She’s a lawyer. Kathryn says Veronica’s plan won’t work. Kathryn can’t pay her bills, and no longer has power over her estate. Veronica asks, who has? Jim? Kathryn says, no, and Veronica says, yeah; it’s Jim. Kathryn says, either she gets paid, or she’ll instruct the bank to take it all. Veronica takes Kathryn’s hands, and says she hopes Kathryn is having a good life. She’ll be there a long time. Kathryn tells her, don’t count on it, and Veronica says, she is. She calls the guard, and says they can take it back now. She laughs and waves, as Kathryn is led back to her cell. When Kathryn is gone, Veronica looks serious, and takes out her phone. She calls Don, and says she needs him to come to her house. He asks what it’s about, and she says she understands Lloyd has been talking about payment. Come in an hour. He says he’ll see her in a bit.

Benny is under the covers, and tells Candace that he thinks he’s getting sick. Her phone rings, and she says, it’s momma. Benny asks what she wants, but Candace doesn’t know. She just keeps calling non-stop. He says, just answer it, and she does. Benny tells her to put it on speaker, and Hanna says she just left the house, and a reporter was there, asking all kinds of questions. Benny says, about what? and Hanna says she was talking to his sister. Benny says, she’s right there, and Candace asks what they said. Hanna says they’re asking questions, talking about Candace being abused. Candace says, it’s in every paper, and Hanna tells her, the reporter said she put Candace out at 14. She didn’t put Candace out, and Candace needs to tell the truth. Candace asks, what is the truth? and Hanna says Candace ran off with her pimp. Candace says, it’s called child trafficking. Hanna says she told Candace to stay away from them. Candace says she tried to, and she got out, didn’t she? Hanna says Candace became a pimp herself, and Candace says, don’t talk to them. Hanna tells her, come back and tell the truth. She doesn’t want them to think she abandoned Candace. Stop with the lies. She tells Candace that she doesn’t want the reporters around, and Candace says she can’t do anything about that. Hanna tells her, do something, and Candace says, okay. She hangs up, and Benny says, reporters? Candace says, damn Landon, and Benny asks what he wants. She says for her to talk to Charles. She tries to call Landon, but says, he’s not answering. Benny says, Rihanna has a house she wants him to see. He’ll get up in a minute; maybe five. It feels good being rich and sh*t. They’re still getting out of the damn hotel though. She says she heard him, and calls him little bird. He says she’s never letting that go, is she? and she says, never.

Hanna is looking over paperwork, when Jim comes in, and sits down at the table. She asks if she can help him, and he says she’s one brave woman. Like a woman called Moses. She asks if that’s his attempt at an insult, but he says, not at all. She says, good. She can’t wait to get home, get a beer, and celebrate being in the mood to deal with his sh*t. He says he thought this was her home, but she says no, and if he keeps it up, she’ll have him removed from this house. He knows she can, right? He says he knows he needs a million… She says, people in hell need… He says, excuse me? and she says he didn’t know that saying? The people in hell need ice water. I laugh, because I said it out loud when she started the sentence the first time. She laughs, and says she thought all demons knew that. He tells her, cut the sh*t, and she says, watch his tone. He asks if she knows who the Malones are, and she says, yes. He says, the Malones are going to kill Wyatt unless he pays them a million dollars. She says her daughter scammed her a couple of times, and it sounds like that. Jim says he sees how she could feel that way, but this is not that. His son is in a lot of trouble, and needs his help. Hanna says, he does, and Jim says he has to pay them. She says she’s sorry, but she’s not just going to give him a million dollars. He says Hanna is talking like she has all the power; his wife has all the power. Give him power of attorney. She laughs, and he says, give him power of attorney, and he’ll give her $25 million. She laughs again, and he says she doesn’t want the money? She says, no, and he says, come on. Everybody has a price. She says, that’s his problem. He thinks money makes you sleep better. He says, he sure as hell won’t sleep worse, and she says, sorry. He says she can have a house; retire to any city. She says, and break his wife’s heart? He says, who cares about that bitch? He breaks her heart all the time. Hanna says she cares. He asks, why? and she says Kathryn has been very good to her. Jim says, she’s the maid; nothing more, nothing less. Does she have any idea what her dear friend says behind her back? Hanna says she doesn’t care, and Jim says, she’ll always be a maid because it’s the only job she can keep, because she’s simple. (I guess Jim forgot that Kathryn just gave Hanna power over everything, but okay.) Hanna says that sounds like him; simple. Those are his words, but he’s a liar. The truth is, he’s not getting a damn dime. He says his son’s life is in danger, and she says, then he needs to talk to his wife. He says he promises Hanna, if anything happens to his son… She says, watch the threats, and he says he’ll rephrase that. If anything happens to his son, he’ll kill her daughter. She says, and she will kill him. Jim says, that’s not a threat, and she says, neither is what he just said. He tells her, he’ll see himself out.

Oliver calls Landon, and says, they have a situation. Landon says, which is? and Oliver says, the President Elect isn’t coming out of his room. Landon says, maybe he’s resting, but Oliver says, it’s late in the day. Landon says, he rests some days, and Oliver wonders if he should wake him. Landon says, relax, and Oliver says, he has a meeting. Landon says, cancel all of his meetings; that’s what he did. Oliver says he’s going in, and Landon asks why Oliver isn’t listening. Leave him alone. Landon says, just get off the phone, and Oliver says he needs to know what to tell the staff. Landon says, tell them he’s resting, but Oliver says, when they were upstairs, he said he was getting up early. Landon tells him that he needs to relax. Charles is fine. Oliver asks if Landon spoke to him today, and Landon says he has. Oliver asks what Charles said, and Landon says, for him to stop calling. Oliver tells Landon, he didn’t say that, and Landon says he has to go. He hangs up, and answers a call from Candance. She asks where he is, and he says, one floor below her. She asks if he can see her now, and he says he’ll be right up.

Benny comes out of the bathroom, and tells Candace, he’s trying her. She says she knows, but she’s got it. Benny wants to stay, but she asks if he didn’t say he needed to meet his realtor. Go. He asks if she wants to come with him, and she says she’ll try to come tomorrow. Benny leaves, and Landon brings Charles in, looking scruffy and wearing a baseball cap.

Next time, Mitch thinks he needs to pay Jim a visit, Jim tells Hanna that one day the angel and the devil will have a showdown, Justin says he lost everything because of Madison, and a fire happens.

🤠 I checked out the new season of The Real Housewives of Dallas tonight. It premiered on New Year’s Eve, but… no. New Wife Tiffany seems promising, but Kary still just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Tiffany is an anesthesiologist, married, and a tiger mom to twins, telling us in her interview that every part of her body is an overachiever. Kameron is still my favorite, and sadly, her Yorkie Louie passed away. Even sadder, she’d been in NYC for Fashion Week, and blamed Cort for not giving Louie his medicine. While the autopsy couldn’t determine Louie’s cause of death, Kameron didn’t think she could ever move on. She did, however, get a Pomeranian puppy named Fancy, who was beyond adorable. She was also having a garage sale of a billion pink items, explaining that they’d been in the process of selling their home and buying her dream house when covid hit. The buyer freaked out and pulled out of the deal. Their house was still on the market, and Cort told her they had to sell their current house to get another one. It was a cute set-up, including a pink lemonade stand, but Kameron looked like someone on Hoarders, when she kept pulling items out that she wanted to keep. We saw a little bit of the women in quarantine, but the beginning had passed, since people were out and about, albeit wearing masks. Mama Dee had given D’Andra $100K to get by, saying that previously, D’Andra hadn’t proved herself, but now she’d taken full responsibility to make the company work. Stephanie had a pool party, and told everyone that quarantine had made her grateful for her friends, and made her appreciate what’s important in life… blah-blah-blah. They went around the table, saying their positives and negatives of quarantine (a lot of their businesses had somewhat tanked), and Brandi got emotional about the video she’d posted several years ago on social media where she made fun of Asian people. D’Andra defended her to Tiffany, saying that she hadn’t done it out of meanness. Tiffany told Brandi that she’d hurt a lot of people, and explained how her parents had immigrated when she was three. From age three to six, she lived with her grandparents, and then was put on a plane from Beijing to New York. She didn’t know a word of English, and when she was in school, the kids made fun of her eyes. The show ended with the both of them crying. I have to admit, most of the time, I think this franchise is useless, but this was a good thing for people to see. I think Brandi is a huge a-hole, but I don’t think she’s mean or racist, and it showed how something you might think is funny in an a-hole moment, can be hurtful to other people. I give it a 64 out of 75. <shrugging>

👠 A Little Bit Of Tiffany In Your Life…

Meet the newest Dallas Housewife.

https://people.com/tv/new-rhod-housewife-tiffany-moon-makes-her-debut-in-season-5-trailer/

😴 Hitting the Hay…

One more episode until Tuesday becomes an earlier night. Yay. Tomorrow it’s double Housewives duty. Meanwhile, stay safe, stay secure in who you are, and stay not telling Carly anything you don’t want Jason to know.

Dec29

December 28, 2020 – Franco Makes It Home For Christmas, French Night In Antigua, Brave New Deck & My Year

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

In the park, Curtis asks if Jordan doesn’t have Christmas Eve guests, but she says, it’s not Christmas without him; without the two of them. He asks how she found him, and she says she remembered last year, and took a chance on him being there. He says, the sad part is, it feels like so long ago. She says she knows, but it’s Christmas again, and he needs to come home. 

Molly says, what she has to tell TJ is going to hurt him. There’s no way around it, but it doesn’t change the fact that she loves him more than anything in the world. He says, whatever it is, it’s still from her. It can’t be that bad. She says she made a horrible mistake. She slept with someone else.

Michael tells Willow that Wiley is so excited about Santa and getting presents in the morning. Is she sure she doesn’t mind staying? He was hoping his dad would be back in time to celebrate. She says she likes being around his family, and it’s good that Wiley has Avery and Donna to play with. It was truly wonderful for Michael to invite Lucas to spend time with Wiley. He says Lucas couldn’t spend the next 20 years hiding from Wiley at family functions, and she says he knows what she’s talking about. It’s fantastic that he’s keeping Lucas as part of Wiley’s life. He says Lucas will always be part of the family, like her, no matter what happens with them.   

Terry visits Elizabeth, apologizing for getting there late; mass ran long. Elizabeth says she’ll pour Terry some mulled wine, but Terry says, a small pour. Her flight to Denver leaves early. Her parents always ask about Elizabeth’s parents. She knows Elizabeth hasn’t been close with her parents, but maybe it will be different this year. Elizabeth says, probably not. She’s sorry Terry missed Jake and Aiden; they’re in bed already. Terry says Cameron is still there, and Elizabeth says, that’s debatable. He’s had his head buried in a handheld game, like a zombie.

Franco sneaks around the hospital. He motions to Scotty, and Obrecht in a blond wig and lab coat. All three of them sneak into an office. Outside the office, Maxie and Peter come around the corner. Peter tells Maxie reading stories to the elderly and the kids at the hospital is a great tradition. He asks her if everything is okay, and she says she really is excited, but feels guilty about the wedding and the baby. Looking forward to huge life events when so many people are suffering isn’t fair.

Obrecht says she wants to find Franco’s scan before she examines him, and Scotty says, she just got out of prison. Does she think accessing medical records is a good idea? Franco says he’s pretty sure it’s a felony, but explain why she’s on the downlow?

Britt asks if Jason is okay, and says he looks like hell. They’re friends now, so tell her the truth. He looks like he hasn’t slept in 48 hours. He says he has a lot on his mind, and she says, that makes two of them. She heard Sam and Lucas had to identify their father’s body. He needs to be straight with her. Should Julian’s death be on her conscience?

Carly opens the door to Chase and a uniformed officer. She says she knows he wouldn’t be interrupting on Christmas Eve if it wasn’t important. How can she help him? Chase says he’s sorry to bother her on a holiday, but he needs to speak to her husband.  

Cameron say, it’s nice to see Terry before she leaves for her holiday travels, and she says it’s nice to see him too. He makes a beeline for the kitchen table, and puts earplugs in, sitting down to play his game. Elizabeth tells Terry, it’s the most social he’s been in the past few days. Terry says, she gets it. His friend died. That’s hard anytime, let alone close to the holidays. Elizabeth says, Cameron saw Trina for a few minutes, but that was it. He hasn’t picked up his guitar in over a month, and Franco being sick isn’t helping. Terry says it’s the first time they’ve been alone and could talk. She hopes Elizabeth knows how much she hated lying, but Elizabeth says, walk back. She didn’t lie. She’s ethically bound not to tell, and Elizabeth doesn’t blame her. Terry is glad Franco finally let her in, and let her weigh in on the diagnosis, but she’s concerned that he left the country before he started radiation. She can’t imagine what would be more important.

Obrecht says, it’s imperative that she keep a low profile, but Franco says, the charges were dropped. She says, it won’t matter to Anna and her petty vendetta. She sure Anna will make an attempt to slap another charge on her. She needs to stay focused on treating him. He says it’s a huge relief that she wasn’t behind the attack on his life at GH. He doesn’t have a lot of friends, so it’s nice to know he didn’t lose one, but that does make him question who did want him dead.

Peter says he knows how much Maxie misses Lulu, and she says, it doesn’t seem right to have a wedding and a baby and not have her be part of it. He says she doesn’t need to feel guilty. Accepting their gifts isn’t insulting to those who have less; it’s honoring them. She says he’s absolutely right. And he gave her the best idea.

Willow tells Michael, she was hoping to put off talking until after Christmas, but they said the same thing at Thanksgiving, and they’re no closer to figuring out their situation. Michael says, there are unresolved feelings with Chase, Sasha, and the two of them. Willow says, part of her is afraid if they don’t sort that out first, before they figure out what’s going on between them, they’ll end up hurting each other.

TJ tells Molly, it’s not funny, and she says, she’s not joking. He says they’ve been together every night; it’s not even possible. She says, it happened months ago, and he asks, when? She says, it was after they had the enormous fight, when he proposed then disappeared. Of course (🍷) she learned later that he’d been kidnapped, but at the time, all she had were vague texts that he needed time to think. She tried to get his mom to talk to him, but Jordan said she wouldn’t, and even read her the riot act. Jordan said her actions had hurt TJ, and she had to accept the fact it was over. She thought he wanted nothing to do with her. She thought they were done. He says, what exactly did his mother say?

Curtis says he’d like nothing more than to go home, and Jordan says she hopes TJ and Molly are still there. He says they still have things they need to sort out, and she asks if they can’t sort them out under the same roof. He says it might be a new song to her, but to him, it’s the same replay. If they go home, and he forgives her like always, nothing will ever change. She says they love each other and they’re faithful. Nothing else matters. He says, really? How about honesty?

Carly suggests Chase contact Diane if he wants to speak to Sonny. The point is moot anyway, since he’s not home. He asks if she’s expecting him home, and she says, it’s Christmas. Of course (🍷) she’s expecting him. She asks if there’s a reason for his visit, and he says, there was a bridge collapse in Secaucus. A body was recovered that had two bullet holes in it, and was ID’d as Julian Jerome.  

Britt tells Jason, Julian was found shot, and it’s interesting timing, since she just told him about Julian’s involvement with Brad and the baby switch, and that it might be the reason Cyrus tried to kill Brad. If what she told him caused Julian to get killed… He says she didn’t cause Julian’s death. He and Sonny wanted to bring Julian to the cops; he was more valuable to them alive, but Cyrus wanted the opposite. She says she feels like she’s being pulled into the middle of Sonny and Cyrus, and she’d rather watch from a safe distance. If she throws in with them, she needs to know if she’s choosing the right side.  

Franco says, he loves breaking and entering as much as the next guy, but he’d like to wrap it up so he can get home to Elizabeth. Scotty says, it’s not a three man job. Go home, and he’ll swing by later. Franco should be with Elizabeth and the boys. Franco says, thanks, and wishes them, merry Christmas. He slips out, sneaking some more, even though he doesn’t really have to. Obrecht asks why she gets the feeling Scotty wanted Franco to leave, and Scotty says he wanted to see how she’s doing. Franco doesn’t know their secret. She says it’s not her first rodeo. She’s kept low to the ground many times. He says he’s not talking about that. Dr. Kirk tried to kill her. She says, and now Kirk is dead. There’s only thing that matters to either of them.

Maxie tells Peter, she’s never going to give up hope that Lulu will recover and come back. She wants their daughter to carry a piece of her best friend always. What does he think of Louise? Peter says, they can call her Lu, and Maxie says, that’s what she was thinking. He says, it’s a splendid Idea.

Jason says, if Britt wants to watch from a safe distance, resign as Chief of Staff, and go back to Boston. She asks if she told him that she had been living there, and he says he had someone check. She says, Spinelli. What else did he dig up on her? He says, nothing useful, and she says, what a relief. If he wants her to keep helping him, he has to stop running checks on her. He asks if she just admitted she’s helping him, and she says, the alternative is helping Cyrus. He says, and that doesn’t appeal to her? Since when? She asks why she should trust him, and he says he thinks they both want the same thing. They want the hospital and the city free of Cyrus. She nods, and says, okay. She doesn’t want to help Cyrus. He’s developing a new pharmacology drug in the lab there. It will legitimately help people, but he’s going to exploit it for his own profit and benefit. Jason thanks her, and says she made the right choice. He leaves, and she says she sure hopes so.

Jordan says she and Curtis are honest with each other about the things that matter, but he says, sorry. Their relationship has always been one-sided. He tells her the truth, but she can’t lower the walls enough. Trina tore into him again, since she assumed he was in on the lie about Taggert. A teen has a better idea of what marriage means than she does. She says, it was a judgement call; it wasn’t meant to hurt him. He says she’s always been independent, and comfortable making decisions by herself for herself, and she says, he’s the same way. He says, that was before they got together. After they were married, he changed. He grew, and learned to be a team player, but she didn’t. It got worse after Cyrus came to town. Even when she claimed it was the truth, she always left something out. She make calls on how much he’s allowed to know. It’s not the kind of marriage he wants.

Molly tells TJ, his mother was giving her vague texts from someone pretending to be him. She thought he was gone; that she’d broken his heart. His mother said so, but she’s the one who lost faith. What happened is on her. He says, it happened months ago. Why didn’t she tell him? She says she should have. She wanted to. At first, she thought she should be honest, but he was so badly hurt at the hospital, and she knew he had a long recovery ahead, physically and emotionally. It felt selfish to pile on more bad news. She told herself that she would tell him eventually when he got stronger. Eventually got pushed further and further away. He asks, why come clean now? and she says, he saw their mothers tonight, and the pain keeping secrets causes. She didn’t want go through with the commitment ceremony keeping a secret, even if it means losing him. He asks, who was it? and she says, that’s not important. It was a one-time thing. As soon as he was back, and she realized they hadn’t broken up – it was a misunderstanding – she told him it never should have happened, and that she was completely devoted to TJ. TJ says, so she saw him afterward. It wasn’t someone random, but someone she knows. She says, it doesn’t matter. He’s not responsible. He didn’t know TJ when it happened. TJ says, but he does now. Tell him who it is. She says, Brando.

Brando tells Michael, there are squad cars in the driveway. Does he know why the cops are there?

Carly says Sam told her about Julian’s death, but what does it have to do with Sonny? Chase asks when they last spoke, and Carly says, yesterday afternoon. He asks if Sonny said where he was going, and she says, he went on a business trip; he doesn’t discuss them with her. What’s going on? Chase says, there was an anonymous tip that Julian wasn’t alone on the bridge. The security footage showed Sonny pursuing him, so they assume he was the other person on the bridge. Carly says, so they think the bridge collapsed with Sonny on it? What are they doing to find him?

Chase tells Carly, the local PD are doing a search and rescue in the surrounding area. They sent him to confirm if Sonny is missing, and it appears he is. Michael and Brando walk in, and Michael asks, what’s going on? Chase says he’s so sorry, but Michael’s father may have been in a serous accident. They’re not sure if he survived.

TJ tells Molly, it makes sense. He was so stupid. No wonder she was so standoffish with Brando. She says he’s not stupid, but it wasn’t Brando’s fault. He didn’t know. It was her mistake. She was hurt and angry, and lost faith in what they had. She’s so sorry about what happened, and especially sorry for not telling him months ago. None of it changes the fact that she loves him, and wants to spend her life with him. He says he needs time by himself (which I find somewhat ironic, since that’s what started this), and Molly says she understands. She tells him that she loves him, and leaves. He looks steamed, and sits down.

Jordan tells Curtis, don’t say that. They have a good marriage. She admits that she didn’t handle the Taggert situation well, but she promises there will be no more secrets. He has to believe her. Curtis says, the thing is, he wants to believe her, but he doesn’t think he can anymore. She should see TJ. It’s a holiday; she should be with family. She says, he’s her family. If he changes his mind, she’ll save a seat at the table for him.

Elizabeth tells Terry, Franco thought it would be a good idea to see a specialist; a neuropsychologist. Terry says, it makes sense, and Elizabeth thanks her for not saying everything will be fine. She’s been getting a lot of that lately. Terry says she can’t promise certainty, but she can promise faith and not giving up on Franco. Franco walks in, laden with gifts, and Elizabeth she throws herself at him and hugs him.

Cameron comes out, and says his mom told him Franco wasn’t going to be back until after the new year. Franco says he changed his plans. He wanted to spend Christmas with his family. Cameron says, merry Christmas, and Franco says, that’s his welcome? He got Cameron a righteous gift in the duty-free shop. Cameron says he’s super excited and happy to see Franco. He was worried that Franco was spending his last… Jake and Aiden are super psyched for tomorrow morning, and he’s sure Franco and his mom have a lot to catch up on. He jets back to the kitchen, and Terry goes with him. Franco asks how Cameron is doing, and Elizabeth says, better, but it’s been a rough couple of weeks. Dev’s death hit Cameron hard, and he won’t talk about it. She knows he’s happy to have Franco back, like she is. Tell her everything. Did he get the answers to what was up with the voice in his head? He says the specialist he was supposed to see was indisposed, but he’s confident someone is there who can help him out.

Britt’s hand begins to shake, and she hides it. Peter and Maxie come to the desk, and Peter asks if she’s okay.

Jordan gets home, and asks TJ, where’s Molly? He says, she slept with another man, and Jordan says, Molly did what? When? He says, when he was abducted, and he thought she’d turned down his proposal. Jordan says she’s so sorry. She can’t imagine how he’s feeling. He says he thinks she can. The night it happened, Jordan told Molly that he wanted nothing to do with her anymore. He’s been thinking about the last few months. His adduction and recovery, struggling to make sense of the trauma. She showed Molly alleged texts. How could she believe they were from him? How could she not check? He wondered what else she lied about, then it hit him. She knew the whole time that he was abducted, didn’t she?

Brando says, Sonny might be dead? and Michael says, Chase said there was an accident. What kind? Chase says, a bridge collapsed, and they think Sonny was on the bridge at the time. Michael asks what makes him think that, and Chase says, Julian’s body was recovered there. The security footage shows him heading there with Sonny pursuing him. Jason walks in, and asks if everything is okay, which is a really stupid question since two cops are there, obviously in official capacity. Chase says he’s glad Jason is there. He needs to asks him a few questions. Jason says, about? and Chase says, Julian Jerome.   

Terry asks if Cameron minds if she gives it a shot. She used to be a kick ass gamer. He asks if she’s an ancient side-scroller, and she tells him, don’t say he wasn’t warned. She starts to play, and he says she’s pretty decent. She says she told him. How many people have asked if he’s okay? He says, too many, and she says she figured. It sucks losing a friend. He watches her work the game, and says, awesome play, and she thanks him. She says, between them and the game, he doesn’t have to tell everyone what they want to hear. He’s allowed not be okay. He tells her, if she says so, and she says she knows so. She’s been there. When she was first ready to transition, she moved. She made new friends from different backgrounds. Some of them had the means and support systems to back them up. They were fortunate. She was too, but others, not so much. She had one friend, Abby. Abby was targeted by horrible, horrible people… and died. Terry was angry and sad, and stayed in her apartment for weeks because she was scared. He asks, what changed? and she says, not a whole lot. She’s still angry a lot, sad even more, but she realized Abby wouldn’t want her give up living because she lost her. Abby wouldn’t want her staying home, and living vicariously through a video game that was safer than the real world. She doubts Dev would want that for him either. She shows him the game that she’s been playing while talking, and says, she told him.  

Britt tells Peter, it’s Christmas Eve and she’s still working. She asks how Maxie is feeling. Is everything okay with her niece or nephew? Maxie says they’ve gotten clarity on that issue, and asks if Peter would like to do the honors. Peter says, they’re having a baby girl. She’s healthy and they’ve found the perfect name. Maxie says they’re not ready for that announcement, and Britt says, congratulations, especially on the healthy. He asks if she has plans, and if there’s any chance she could join them at Mac and Felicia’s. She says, there’s no rest for the Chief of Staff, but Maxie says she should come. Britt says, she’s not Mac and Felicia’s favorite person, but Maxie says, it’s the perfect opportunity. A chance for everyone to put the past behind them. They’re about to be a family again.   

Scotty arrives at Elizabeth’s and says he was afraid he’d miss Santa. Elizabeth says she’s glad he’s there. Franco said he was going to get answers from someone local. Has he found a neuropsychologist in Port Charles? Scotty says he has some leads, and Franco tells her, what he said. Scotty asks, where’s the mulled wine? There it is! He goes to the kitchen, and Elizabeth asks Franco if his dad seems jumpier than usual. Franco says, nothing is usual for that guy. She says she knows it’s hard. He didn’t get a definitive answer to the voices in his head, but she hopes that hasn’t changed his commitment to fighting the tumor, and fighting for their family.

Chase knows Jason was involved in another incident in the area, and asks if he has any insight. Jason tells Chase, Diane already handled it and he was released on his own recognizance. If he has any questions, Chase can speak to his attorney. Carly says Chase has over stayed his welcome, and can contact Diane if he wants to speak with Sonny. He says he intends to, and for what it’s worth (🍷), he’s truly sorry. He leaves, and Michael asks, what the hell happened to his dad?   

TJ says, Cyrus was behind his kidnapping, wasn’t he? and Jordan says, she suspected he had something to do with it. That’s why she needed Molly to stop asking questions. The more noise she made, the more danger TJ cold be in. There was shootout, and Taggert was murdered. TJ says, Taggert’s death wasn’t real, but she says she was keeping Molly safe. She didn’t know Molly would sleep with someone else, and he can’t blame her for Molly keeping it a secret. He says, supposing that’s true, can she look him in the eye, and promise she’s telling him everything he needs to know about his abduction? Jordan says she wishes she could, but she can’t. She takes his hand, but he shakes her off. He says, merry Christmas, mom, and walks out. She cries alone.

Scotty officially wishes Elizabeth and Franco a merry Christmas, and Franco asks, who wants more mulled wine? Terry says, unfortunately, not her. She has to take off before she turns into a pumpkin. Elizabeth asks if she remembers how they would stay up late and sing carols, and Terry says she loves Elizabeth, but no one wants to hear her belt out Mariah Carey. Elizabeth says she won’t subject them to a sing-along, but Cameron says, it sounds kind of nice, and picks up his guitar.

Britt says if they’re sure it’s not an imposition, but Maxie says, she’s family. She’ll call and have Mac and Felicia set an extra place. She leaves, and Britt says Peter is really getting into the family thing. He says she is his sister, and she says, it’s nice to know, now that Nathan is gone, her mom is in the Hague, and her best friend is going back to prison, she has someone to celebrate with. Obrecht peeks out, and says, even Britt is close to Peter. it’s unacceptable. Enjoy a merry Christmas, Peter, because the new year will bring your downfall.

TJ sees Molly in the park, and she asks how he found her. He reminds her that they downloaded a tracker app after… She says she doesn’t know what else to say except to tell him again, she’s so, so sorry. He says he knows. Just like he knows she’d never cheat under normal circumstances. She thanks him for knowing that, and knowing her. She just wishes she’d trusted him to tell him a lot sooner. He says she wishes that too, but the important thing is, she did. She respected him enough to be honest. It means more than she knows. She asks what it means for them. Where do they go from here? TJ says he honestly doesn’t know. They have so much to sort out. It feels like everything is different. She asks if that means they’re done, but he says he doesn’t want to be done. Does she? She says, absolutely not. She loves him and always will. He says he loves her too, and suggests they take it day by day, and see where they go next.

Jordan looks at the tree, and shakes her head.

Jason says, Sonny was on the bridge when it collapsed. He jumped in after Sonny, and searched, but couldn’t find him. They have a crew searching, and so are the cops. Michael says he’ll call the New Jersey authorities, and coordinate. He’ll throw the family name around, and make sure it’s done right. Willow goes upstairs to check on the kids, and Jason looks stressed. Carly says, when the guard told her the police were there, she thought they were going to tell her that they found Sonny’s… She cries and Jason holds her. He says he’s sorry he doesn’t have more answers, but she says the only answer she wants is that Sonny is alive and coming home.

Tomorrow, a midnight swim in the cold, Laura says Jackie gave her an idea, Cyrus wonders why someone’s family didn’t tell them something, and Carly says she knew Sonny would come back.

Below Deck

Nonsuch Bay, Antigua. Francesca wants to get rid of Elizabeth, but Captain Lee says, sometimes the devil you know is better than the one you don’t. She tells the captain that she can’t have Elizabeth as second stew, and he tells her to do what she has to. In Francesca’s interview, she says Elizabeth isn’t doing a good job, but she doesn’t know anyone available that would be up to the standard she needs. There’s pressure on her to make the right decision.

Rachel curses out the food processor. On the beach, Izzy tells Elizabeth about Francesca and Ashling going swimming. She suggests they have a tiki torch swim when they’re alone. As soon as the guests leave, they get into their underwear, and into the water. Elizabeth says, this makes it worth it. In Izzy’s interview, she compares Elizabeth to a prisoner, and says Francesca is the evil sheriff. She tells Elizabeth that she understands.

The guests return for French night, and Eddie asks Rob to help pick up the stuff from the beach. The captain says, viva la France, as he walks by. The guests do a jigsaw puzzle, and Izzy and Eddie curse the slide while they bring it back in, as everyone does. In Rob’s interview, he says, when he was around 17, he went through a period where he was very involved with Dungeons and Dragons, and didn’t have a huge friend circle, but it gave way to other creative things. He shows us his Pegasus tattoo, saying, he’s a big nerd. In Rachel’s interview, she says she has to nail this charter. She’s done well in the past with overcoming sh*tty situations. Pulling off Mardi Gras was a feat in itself, and homemade marshmallows. A ten-course tasting menu – bring it. The stews put on berets.

The guests dress in various supposed French outfits; berets paired with striped shirts, and one dressed like Napoleon. One of the guests says another one looks like the Hamburglar, and I agree. In Eddie’s interview, he says he’s let it go for the most part, but he hasn’t forgotten Rachel left them high and dry before a charter. If he was Captain Lee, he would fire Rachel as soon as he could. Ashling helps Rachel plate, and in the captain’s interview, he says he wants to fire Rachel. He doesn’t know if she’ll get a wild hair up her ass, and take off on them again, but the guests requested a 10-course tasting menu, which means 60 effing plates. He’ll see how she does. She has no room for error.

James asks if the Rob if the guests are still eating dinner, and Rob says, they’re on course 483. In Izzy’s interview, she says, if she was cooking, the courses would be very basic. She can’t even fry an egg. If someone wants a housewife, don’t pick her. Primary Bryan says, the egg course is the perfect consistency. Francesca tells Ashling to do cabins. In Rachel’s interview, she says, it’s an arduous process, the timing and execution of the food. The Chilean sea bass is deemed buttery and delightful, and the guests wonder what planet Rachel is from. James and Rob discuss Keanu Reeves movies, and in James’s interview, he says Rob is everything he wants in a dinner partner. Rachel gets applause, and in her interview, she says, at the risk of sounding like a narcissistic f***, she thinks she nailed it.

Bryan gets in the hot tub with another guest. Something I will never be able to unsee. Everyone heads to bed, and Francesca discusses new deckhand Rob with Rachel. She says she’s finding him more attractive as time goes on. In the crew mess, Elizabeth tells James that she keeps getting thrown in the doghouse, so she’s just rolling with it. James says she’s worked on boats for a while, and asks if she’s ever had a boatmance. She says she has, and it can be cool when people who wouldn’t meet otherwise, find out they really have a connection. In her interview, she says, James is an escape. When you’re working in this type of environment, it’s nice to have someone to connect with. He asks what she wants to do with her day off, and she says, drink

It’s morning, and Francesca serves coffee and croissants outside. Captain Lee heads out to Falmouth Harbour. He tells Eddie, the docking is going to be a procedure; two anchors out, and the stern in. In his interview, the captain says the dock is extremely challenging. During the high season, every spot is spoken for, and there are very expensive boats docked there. Make a mistake, and you can spend a hundred thousand dollars without batting an eye. The guests get omelets, and Bryan says, as demanding as he is, his standards have now grown more. Eddie draws a picture on the whiteboard to show the deckhands how the docking is going to happen. He says, it’s the Super Bowl of docking maneuvers. They’ll be backing in with no lines to help guide them, and he’s nervous.

The crew waves to Laura on another boat, and in Francesca’s interview, she says, the crews end up being like family, but this crew doesn’t see her as a person. They see her as a bitchy, mean chief stew. She cries a little, and while I feel badly, I can’t help thinking, if you’re the common denominator, maybe you should look in the mirror. The captain says he hates this. There’s are so many ways to get in trouble. He tells the crew that he wants radio silence. If you’re not part of the docking team, be quiet. The guests watch, and Bryan says, amazing. Seeing the crowd on shore, James wonders why people want to watch, and Rob says, they hope someone f***s up. Alarms go off, but it ends well, and Bryan goes to the galley to tell Rachel that her food was amazing. She says reading a preference sheet is different from meeting the person, and his enthusiasm and appreciation helped her want to step it up.

It’s time to say goodbye, and Bryan says, it was an absolute pleasure. He tells the captain that he has an amazing crew, and he was overjoyed with Rachel’s talent. She’s one of the best chefs he’s encountered. He’s emotional beyond words. He gives Captain Lee the tip envelope, and Eddie tells the deckhands to cover up. Francesca tells Rachel, well done. No other chef has nailed it like that. The captain tells the crew to come to the crew mess immediately. Eddie says, it’s the only time when the crew actually shows up immediately.

Captain Lee tells the crew, they did a really god job, and he’s proud of all of them. The tip is $25K or $2,250 each. In Rob’s interview, he says, that’s a big number for three days of not working too hard. The captain says, the charter was successful, but they didn’t know if they’d have a chef. In his interview, he says, once you’ve touched something hot and get burned, you approach it cautiously the second time. He tells them that he doesn’t have the luxury of holding their hands, and Rachel says, sorry; she had a moment. He says, everybody has a moment, and she says, she’ll never let it happen again. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says Rachel is possibly the talented chef he’s come across in his 35 years of yachting. He tells the crew that they can visit a donkey sanctuary after this, and he might tag along. It’s not mandatory, but a reward for an outstanding job. They can stay if they want, and scrub their asses off. I just have to mention, for all the wailing about how demanding these guests were going to be, they were more appreciative than anything else. They weren’t obnoxious in the least, and polite to the crew.

Rachel wants to relax, but most of the crew opts to see the donkeys. Eddie says he’d rather take a nap. In the captain’s interview, he says, there are a lot of donkeys in Antigua, and someone has to take care of the donkeys who can’t take care of themselves. He thinks it will be a good experience for the crew. He’s taking his jackasses to see their jackasses, and they’ll see who has top jackass. They take a limo bus to the sanctuary, where the director explains that they have over 150 donkeys that they protect. All of their names have to do with their stories. She introduces them to Stevie, who was hit and became blind, so he was named after Stevie Wonder. In Izzy’s interview, she says she’s in heaven. She loves the smell of horse manure. It reminds her of her youth, before she was old and jaded like she is now. They brush the donkeys, and hold baby goats.   

Back at the boat, party pooper Eddie scrubs, while Francesca meditates. In her interview, she says she doesn’t know what to do about Elizabeth. She doesn’t want to be mean and fire her, but she needs to do something to light a fire under Elizabeth’s ass so there’s an improvement, or she’ll explode. The rest of the crew returns, and the captain says, donkey time’s over; back to work. Francesca radios Elizabeth to meet her in the Sky Lounge. Izzy asks Rob how his first charter was, and he says, the easiest $2,000 he ever made. Francesca says she feels Elizabeth’s priorities are in the wrong spot. James walks past the window, distracting Elizabeth, and proving Francesca’s point. Francesca says Elizabeth takes one step forward, then two steps back. She still has to check on her. Elizabeth asks if she wasn’t happy with this charter, and Francesca says, a little bit, but not enough. Elizabeth says, sometimes she feels Francesca is hard to please. Francesca says she doesn’t have to explain it any further. The bottom line is that she’ll keep Elizabeth on board, but not as third stew. She’s dropping Elizabeth down. In Elizabeth’s interview, she says she can’t believe this is happening. She tries her hardest every day, and believes the demotion is personal, not business. Clearly there’s no pleasing her. She’s in shock.

The deckhands clink beer bottles, and Eddie says he loves pre-drink drinks. Elizabeth tells Izzy and Ashling about her demotion. In Ashling’s interview, she says, Elizabeth will have to suck it up, and pull her weight. She leaves, and Izzy tells Elizabeth that the captain probably wanted to keep her, since he can manage a team better. Francesca hears them, and asks if they don’t want to involve her if they’re going to be talking about her. I’d say that’s probably a hard no.

Francesca asks, what’s going on; why is Izzy there? Izzy says, it’s not her department, but she was talking to a friend. Francesca moves on, and Elizabeth tells Izzy she hasn’t said anything offensive. The crew gets ready to go out, and Francesca tells Rachel about hearing Izzy and Elizabeth talking about her. Izzy tells James, in her opinion, the demotion was an ego trip. James asks Elizabeth if she gets paid any less, but Elizabeth says, no. She doesn’t care; maybe it will take some pressure off. He tells her, forget work. Drink and enjoy herself. Izzy tells Eddie and Rob that she had a breakdown last year, after she was sexually assaulted. She was drinking with work friends, and felt she was too drunk to go home, and passed out on the sofa. She wasn’t raped, but woke up with a guy’s hand down her pants. When she realized what was happening, she froze. She didn’t want to make a scene, but thinks she should have fought. Rob says, nobody deserves that sh*t, and in Izzy’s interview, she says she thought something like that would be a fight or flight situation, but she froze. She’s the type that can fend for herself, but felt she had the choice and control taken away from her. Eddie says she bounced back well, and she says she has a coping mechanism and can pull herself out of anything. He says, you got fight in you, kid. Eddie sounds like an old man sometimes.  

The crew goes to a restaurant, and do shots before the mean. Eddie says, let’s finish strong. In Rachel’s interview, she says, in retrospect, they did a good job, and she’s super stoked. Tonight, she wants to celebrate and get wasted. She sticks her tongue out at James, who asks, what’s wrong with her? She starts talking with the people at another table, and this pisses Eddie off. She comes back, and tells him, relax, but he says she’s bothering him a little. In his interview, he says, she’s wasted drunk, being rude, and embarrassing the crew. He has no respect for people like that. Funny. Since I recall a few huge blunders of Eddie’s in earlier seasons. He whines to Francesca that Rachel is acting like nothing happened, and it effing bothers him. Francesca doesn’t seem to care a whole lot, and in his interview, Eddie wonders if he’s the only one still pissed that Rachel abandoned them. Funny too, since it probably has the least to do with him, but a lot more with the interior.  

They head over to a club, and Francesca tells Ashling that she likes Rob. She likes Canadian. In her interview, she says she kind of likes him, but she doesn’t know, and laughs. The crew hits the dancefloor, and in Rob’s interview, he says he doesn’t know what to do with himself in social situations. He’s always been quite… aloof. He thinks Francesca is neat, but he feels awkward. Sometimes it takes a minute for him to expose himself. He realizes his word choice, and says, what am I saying? They go back to the boat, and Elizabeth wants to go in the hot tub. Rob talks to Eddie regarding his social skills, and Eddie tell him, it’s important to be open. Rob says he’s used to being in the woods, and looking at rocks.

Elizabeth and James get in the hot tub, and she asks if they’re the only ones up again. He says, at least they get alone time, and Elizabeth says she keeps getting into trouble. Then they make out. Rachel finds a half bagel in the toaster and eats it, saying it’s the best bagel she’s ever had. Elizabeth tells James she’s been waiting so long, and he says she’s so tasty. I really don’t want to know.

Later this season, turtles; Eddie talks to James about separating work and pleasure; a guest talks about her daughter passing away, causing Captain Lee to need a moment; Elizabeth doesn’t think it’s fair; Rachel gets on stage with a random band; the captain tells some charter guests that their charter is over; Elizabeth says, this is war; Francesca doesn’t want to work with Elizabeth; and Captain Lee tells the crew that they have a situation.

⛴ More Deck…

In keeping with my favorite reality theme, cast members watching episodes of their own shows and making comments, comes Below Deck Galley Talk. The deets:

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/below-deck-galley-talk-cast-premiere-date-trailer

The same thing, said differently:

https://decider.com/2020/12/28/below-deck-galley-talk-bravo/

A little extra from the captain:

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/12/10243794/below-deck-galley-talk-bravo-series-trailer

🥕 Crunch Time…

Running to finish an article for https://mupoentertainment.com/theresa-krakauskas/. All the shows are on at their regular times until Thursday, but I’ll have some tea to pour too. Until we meet again for Temptation Tuesday, stay safe, stay keeping it simple, and stay living la vida loca. While socially distanced of course.

Dec24

December 23, 2020 – Christmas Eve Without Sonny, Shannon Tests Positive, Jen Alludes To Some Hanky Panky & Merry Christmas

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

No surprise, I missed the beginning, even though I had extra time. I’m not sure why it always works that way, but what I missed was, Brando was waiting for Sasha when she came out of the hospital, and she said she wasn’t his problem anymore. He said she kind of was, but she told him to get lost. She ran into him again at the park. Sam identified Julian’s body, and told Lucas she felt sadness, relief, and regret that Julian could never get out of his own way. Lucas said Julian hadn’t deserved to be in their family, and Sam said Julian never got what he wanted, but he got what he deserved. Jason and Carly got back home, and Jason promised he’d keep searching. Josslyn saw them, and pulled them into the living room. Molly brought Alexis to Jordan’s for Christmas dinner, and told Alexis not to make her regret it. TJ thanked Jordan for including Alexis, and Jordan said she was family. Trina and Portia ran into Curtis coming out of Kelly’s, and Trina jumped on him for not telling her Taggert was alive. And then…

Josslyn says she and Willow are making cranberry garland for the bannister, and Michael says Willow is a natural. Josslyn says she wanted to surprise Wiley, and Willow says, but Wiley heard the commotion. Michael says his son has discovered the joy of wrapping paper. Carly says seeing him was the best thing for her, and Michael asks if she was surprised. Josslyn says, was she ever, and Carly says, it’s been a long day. Coming home to family, so much love, and more cranberry garland than they need is what she needed; it’s perfect. Michael says, it’s not perfect until dad’s traditional Christmas Eve dinner. When is he coming home?   

Portia tells Trina, Curtis didn’t know what was going on. Curtis says, all that time he watched them mourn, and he was beating himself up, wondering if he could have done more to save Taggert, and keep Trina’s father with her. Then he finds out Taggert is alive. Trina says, his wife is the Police Commissioner, and she knew. She can understand how Jordan could keep it from them, but how could she keep it from Curtis? Trina blamed him; how could she? Curtis says, excellent question, and Portia sends Trina inside to get the pies. She tells Curtis, she’s so sorry, and he asks, why? She didn’t lie for months, and she suffered more than he did. Be angry, be furious, but not sorry.

Alexis sniffs the steam from what Jordan is cooking, and says, chestnut and rosemary? Jordan says, very good, and Alexis says she’s not a good cook, but she’s got a good nose for sniffing out secret ingredients. Molly goes over, and asks to speak to Alexis for a second. She tells Alexis, she gave her word she’d behave. Alexis says she is, and Molly asks, what’s that about sniffing out secrets? Alexis says, secret ingredients; she was talking about food. What did Molly think… Oh, Molly thought she was going to mention… Molly says, the thought crossed her mind. Alexis isn’t at her best. Alexis says her decades of being an attorney made her good at keeping a confidence, but Molly still doesn’t trust her. Molly says she doesn’t. How is she supposed to trust Alexis with her life, when Alexis is willing to destroy her own? TJ tells Molly it’s her turn, and Molly goes back to their backgammon game. Alexis sneaks vodka into her coffee cup, from what looks like a generic brand.   

Trina sits inside Kelly’s, and Portia tells Curtis, she’s thankful Taggert is alive, but she could kill him herself with her bare hands for toying with Trina’s emotions. Curtis says, let him help, or at least watch, and Portia says, she doesn’t like what Taggert and Jordan did, nor does she approve. But she does recognize, as misguided as they were, they thought they were doing the right thing. They needed to stage Taggert’s death to protect them from Cyrus. He says, maybe. He gets that, but that’s not what pisses him off. Jordan was keeping the secret, knowing what it was doing to Portia and Trina. Early on, he gets it, but after the target was off their backs, he doesn’t understand. Portia says, Taggert and Jordan have a private code, and only they understand the lines they can can’t cross. He says, but it should have stopped at his doorstep. Jordan’s work life is Taggert, but she’s married to him, and that has to come first. Honesty is part of their unbreakable code, and the lies are ruining their marriage.

At the hospital, Laura thanks Doc for stepping up. The Christmas celebration in pediatrics is a tradition. He says it’s his pleasure, and thanks her for being his elf. She says she just had to put a hat on and hand out gifts, but he says she secured the future. The kids recognized her as mayor, and she just nailed the under ten constituency. She says, in eight to twelve years they can vote for her, and he says, it doesn’t hurt. She sighs, and says, sorry. She can’t help thinking of Lulu at that age. Lulu loved this time year. She would read the Christmas classics to Lulu, even after Lulu had memorized them. Santa never had a bigger fan. Doc says, she’ll get through this. They’ll see her tomorrow. Laura says she knows it’s wishful thinking, but it would be a great Christmas miracle if they were there and Lulu woke up. He says, it would be. He wishes he could make it happen. They sit together, and she leans on him.

Sasha asks Brando why he’s stalking her, but he says he’s not. They’re just going in the same direction. She says, he’s a man following her without her consent. She could scream for the cops and tell them the man Brando works for gave her drugs that almost killed her. He says she’d be signing her own death warrant. He’s making sure she doesn’t do anything that leads to that happening. She says he’s handling her for his boss. Thanks to him, she can’t stop Cyrus. He says, she wins; he believes her. She thanks him, and says, now leave her alone. He asks if he can make it up to her, and give her a ride, and she says, now he’s getting her permission to stalk her? No thanks. She can get back to the MetroCourt on her own. He asks if she really wants to go back there, and she says she lives there. He says, nobody should be by themselves on Christmas Eve in a hotel room, but she says, it’s a nice hotel room. He says, it’s not going anywhere. In the meantime, does she want to get some hot chocolate?

Michael asks if something is going on with his dad. Jason hasn’t said a word. Jax says, that’s not unusual, and Jason says, it’s just been a long day, like Carly said. Carly says their dad is caught up with business, and won’t be home, and Josslyn says, but it’s Christmas Eve. Jax says, people need their coffee, and Michael suggests they order pizza. Willow says, they’re not open, but they could get Chinese food, and Michael says, the Noodle House it is. He tells Wiley, they’ll make the tree perfect for grandpa, and Jax suggests they put the garland on. Carly tells Jason, it’s so empty. It’s Michael’s first Christmas as a father, and he wanted it to be special. She wants that for him. From the look on Jason’s face, he’s thinking he’s going to have to go looking for Sonny on Christmas Eve.

Jason tells Carly not to do this to herself. It’s not about her; it’s about them. He wonders how she’s going to tell them that Sonny… and she says she’s not going to do it until they comb the entire riverbed, and check every hospital to the Atlantic Ocean. Jason says he knows what it’s costing, keeping it to herself, but she says she’s not keeping it to herself. She’s keeping it from them. He asks what she needs him to do, and she says she needs him to phone Sam. She’s at the hospital to ID Julian’s body. He has to go to her. He says Carly knows they’re splitting up, right? and she says he has to go. He says, what about her? and she says she’s okay. If she needs him, she’ll call. They hug, and he says he loves her. She says that’s what’s getting her through, and goes inside. Josslyn wonders why Carly still has her coat on, and Carly says she doesn’t know, and takes it off. Josslyn says, Jason had to leave? and Carly says, Jason has tons of family, and many people to visit. She asks, who’s baking? and Josslyn says, wait until she goes in the kitchen; they’re on serious cookie overload. Carly asks if there are any gingersnaps, and Josslyn says, and then some.

Alexis slips more vodka into her cup. On the phone, Jordan says, she and Curtis need to talk. It’s Christmas Eve, and they should be together as a family. He needs to talk to her. She’ll be waiting. She tells TJ and Molly that the job Curtis was on was bigger than he expected. Why don’t they have dinner, and she’ll make Curtis a plate to heat up later. TJ says, he’s working Christmas Eve? and she says it was a last minute thing; he thought he’d be home sooner. Alexis says, it’s a mystery where Taggert was hiding all this time, and TJ asks if he isn’t Jordan’s old partner. Molly says, he’s dead, isn’t he? and Alexis says she was visiting (ha-ha) the PCPD, and she heard Taggert waltzed in from the dead. She asks Jordan if it was big surprise, but Jordan says, not really. She knew he was alive.

Portia says it’s not for her to speak on Curtis’s marriage, but if he doesn’t mind her speaking from experience in her own marriage… He says, go ahead, and she says, marriage can start one way, and life bends it another. What counts is the love he and Jordan have for one another. He says she and Taggert loved each other, but she says it wasn’t enough to sustain their relationship. They also aren’t him and Jordan. He says, meaning… and she says, Jordan won’t always live up to her promises to him, and he might not live up to the ones he made to her. He admits he has flaws, and she says, despite the flaws, is he willing to listen to Jordan’s reasons for keeping it a secret, or has he already passed judgements on her reasons, and it doesn’t matter? Curtis says he knows the right answer, but he’s not there yet. She says only he knows if the love they share has room for forgiveness. Trina comes back out with the pies, and tells Curtis that she wants to say… Portia says she thinks Curtis has had enough for tonight. Save it for next time. She tells Curtis, he’s not going find what he’s looking for out there. Go home.

Michael answers the door, and thanks Lucas for coming. Lucas says Michael told him it was important. He thinks they should talk outside or Wiley will see, and Michael says, that’s what he needed to talk about. Doesn’t Lucas think stayed away long enough?

Jordan says, Taggert survived, and she was aware of it, but if people knew he was alive, there would be a target on his family’s back. Alexis says, so Jordan arranged for Taggert to be dead to protect his loved ones. It makes sense. Molly says, it would if they hadn’t mourned him. Alexis says, it wasn’t ideal, but if Trina had known he wasn’t dead, she wouldn’t have mourned. Trust her. She knows from experience that in extreme situations, the fewer people who know, the better. She looks at Jordan, and says, back her up, and Jordan says she was thinking. Now that she’s hearing it out loud… TJ says, how she could lie to Portia’s face and not tell her Taggert was alive?  

Michael tells Lucas, Nelle is gone, and no longer a threat, and Lucas says he’s not too broken up. Michael says Willow is going to adopt Wiley, and they’re staying married. Well, that’s to be determined, but they both decided to stay Wiley’s parents. He knows how much Willow and Wiley love each other, and how much Lucas loves Wiley. Lucas says, from the moment Wiley was placed in his arms, and Michael says, when the truth came out, Lucas gave Wiley back, and stayed away. He can’t imagine how difficult that was. Lucas says, it’s what was best for Wiley, and Michael says, Wiley is a happy boy due to the love and sacrifices on Lucas’s part. If it’s asking too much, Michael understands, but he and Willow feel Lucas and Wiley deserve to be back in each other’s lives. Lucas asks what Michael is saying, and Michael says, be their Christmas gift, and Wiley’s, and be Wiley’s uncle again.   

Martin walks into the hospital, his arms full of little wrapped gifts. He struggles, and ends up dropping them, saying the gravity in this hospital chooses to torture him. Doc and Laura come by, and Martin addresses her as Madam Mayor. She tells him to call her Laura, but Doc says he’s still Dr. Collins. He’s kidding. His newfound brother-in-law can call him Kevin. It’s nice to meet him. Martin says he overestimated the capacity his arms could credibly bear, and Doc thanks him for spiriting his wife back from Vermont. Martin says it was his great pleasure. He’s not accustomed to the sudden appearance of a new sibling, and he had time to get to know his new sister. She says it was nice for her as well. She asks where he was going, and he says he brought a few holiday tokens, and was on his way to see the patients in the geriatric ward. She says that’s nice of him, and he says his mom always appreciated a well-wrapped trinket. Laura is surprised that he’s visiting on Christmas Eve, and he says he’s saddened how the elderly are overlooked. He’d like to think he makes a little difference. Laura says she could help him distribute the gifts, and maybe he could join them for an early dinner. He says he wouldn’t foist himself onto them, but Laura says she has big plans to go to the city tonight so she can see her daughter tomorrow morning. It would be nice to tell her about her newfound uncle. Martin says, indeed. If she’s sure he’s not intruding. She says, not at all; the holidays are for family. She wasn’t expecting to get a brother, but now that she has one, she’d like to get to know him.

Brando tells Sasha the hot chocolate reminds him of his childhood, and she says, watery and instant? He says, sort of. They had the same crappy hot chocolate every year. He thinks it was from the same container the whole time. That would explain why it tasted worse every year. She says sorry, and he says, there’s more to the story. If she thinks that was bad, she should hear about the pajamas. She asks if they were like the bunny pajamas in that movie (a nod to A Christmas Story, for those unenlightened), and he says, worse. They were reindeer, and came with antlers. His mother would buy pajamas every year, but she’d get them after the Christmas before, and guess at how much he would grow. Some years, his arms and legs were sticking out, and other years, he was drowning. She says, he wouldn’t happen to have a picture, and he says he burned them. She says, too bad. She would have liked to see him in the pajamas. He says, trust him. She wouldn’t.   

Jason approaches Sam at the hospital, and she thanks him for meeting her. He asks how she’s doing, and she says she has something to ask him that she couldn’t ask in front of the kids. He says he didn’t kill Julian, and she says, he was there? He says, yeah. He saw Julian on the bridge when it collapsed. He’d been shot, but not by him. Sam says she hates this. She hates the pit she gets in her stomach every time something dangerous happens. He says, it won’t be happening as much anymore, but she says, it’s going to happen whether they’re together or not. It was always easy loving him. If it wasn’t, letting him go wouldn’t hurt so much.

Jason says he’s sorry, and Sam says, don’t be. It’s nobody’s fault. That doesn’t make it easier, even though they’re trying to do the right thing. She gets up, and says Scout and Danny were upset that he wasn’t there when they were hanging their stockings. He says he’d like to stop by and see them, if it’s okay. She says, of course (🍷). It’s more than okay. He should be there. Scout made cookies for Santa, and a card for the reindeer. Kristina bought Scout a Christmas gown, and Danny wants to put his sleeping bag by the tree. She thinks they’d be crushed if he missed it. He gets up, and asks if she wants him to spend the night. She says she does. He can sleep on the couch next to Danny; it would be nice. He says he can do that, and after they open presents… he’ll leave.

TJ asks Jordan if that’s why Curtis isn’t there, and Jordan says, she decided to keep Curtis in the dark. He was so angry, he didn’t come home. She can’t wait. She has to find him. She grabs her coat, and jets. Alexis says, wow. See what she means about secrets between partners? One way or another, they’ll come out and bite you. It’s better to be up front, and take your lumps. Molly says, enough. Alexis is drinking, and she wants her to leave. Alexis says, sorry, and Molly says, it’s Christmas, and she tried to do the right thing. She didn’t think Alexis wanted to celebrate Christmas in the drunk tank. Alexis says she didn’t, but Molly says, all Alexis has done is punish her for it. She wants Alexis to go. Alexis says, don’t be like this, and Molly says, should she be strong, like Alexis used to be, or a mess, like she’s become? She has to go. It doesn’t matter where, as long as it’s away from her. Alexis says she’s sorry, but if it’s what Molly wants… Molly says, what she wants is a sober mother. If Alexis can’t swing that, she doesn’t want to see her. TJ says he’ll take Alexis home, but Alexis says, that’s okay, and leaves.

Michael brings Wiley to Lucas, and says he told Wiley, someone special was coming to visit. Here’s his Uncle Lucas. Lucas says, hey, little man. It’s so good to see him. Wiley says, Uncle Lucas. Seriously, he does. Lucas says he heard Wiley was busy learning new things and talking up a storm. Willow tells Carly that she always wondered what is was like to have a big family, and Carly says she’s sure Willow got more than she bargained for with them and the Quartermaines. Willow says, there are big differences between the two families, but the common denominator is love. They all love each other so much. Carly says, it’s something, and Willow says, it really is. She and Sonny must be very proud. Carly says, they are, and excuses herself. Jax follows her, and she stands on the porch, crying. He comes out, and asks, what’s going on? She says, it’s Sonny. She doesn’t know where he is. She doesn’t even know if he’s alive.

TJ sees Molly with a glass of wine, and says he needs one himself. She says, have this one. She changed her mind. He says, it was a lot, and she says, sure was. He asks if she’s sure she’s okay, and she says she just can’t help thinking about the lies their mothers have been telling, and the damage they caused. She never wants anything like that to happen between them. He says, it never will, and she tells him, don’t say that yet. She has something she needs to tell him, but before she does, she  needs him to know, whatever happens next, she loves him.

Brando says, oh no, mistletoe, and Sasha says, it’s poisonous. He says, don’t eat it, and she says she was thinking of making a jam with it, and giving it to his boss, but he’d rat her out again. She’s kidding. He says, good. He thought they had a breakthrough with the hot chocolate. She says, it wasn’t a breakthrough; it was a bribe. He asks if it worked, and she says, no. She kisses him on the cheek, and says, merry Christmas. She walks away, and he smiles.

While Christmas music plays, Jordan sees Curtis sitting in the park. Alexis walks in the park alone, and takes out her phone, and sees The Invader headline about Julian’s death. Marty, Laura, and Doc laugh over dinner at Kelly’s, and clink coffee cups. Josslyn continues to decorate the tree, and Michael looks at Willow. Jason gives Sam her jacket, and their hands touch. She walks away, and we see a tear in his eye.

Willow tells Wiley that daddy is going to read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Michael tells Lucas, he’s welcome to sit in, but Lucas says he’s due at the hospital. He tells them, merry Christmas, and they go upstairs. Lucas tells Carly, if he didn’t mention it before, she has an amazing son. She says she has a pretty great brother too. They hug, and he says he’s going to grab a gingersnap on the way out. He tells her, Michael mentioned that Sonny was away on business. He thought Sonny would make it home for Christmas. She says, her too.

Lucas leaves, and Carly says, Come home, Sonny. Please come home. The phone rings, and she says, yes?… Now?… They’re here? She goes to the door, and sees flashing lights. And I don’t think they’re Christmas decorations.

Tomorrow, there will be a repeat from September 16th, 2020. It’s the week everyone said goodbye to Mike, so not exactly Christmas cheerful. On Friday, football for you. But next time on GH, Curtis tells Jordan that he doesn’t think he can anymore, Molly tells TJ that she made a horrible mistake, and Chase says he needs to talk to Carly about her husband.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

The women were still at Lake Arrowhead. Elizabeth couldn’t figure out her effing car, and set off the alarm at the crack of dawn. Braunwyn called her friend Shari, and told her alcohol was everywhere. Gina thought Braunwyn seemed nervous and aggressive, and the women kind of made fun of Braunwyn behind her back, which didn’t thrill me. Braunwyn wondered what she was doing, and why she was there. She wasn’t the same person she was the last time she vacationed with the women. Shari said they weren’t being supportive. In her interview, Braunwyn said Shari was her BFF.  

At home, Emily dealt with the kids, while Shane was in the hospital. She talked to him on FaceTime, and he was feeling a little better. They had him on a bunch of meds, and he had to take an oxygen tank with him everywhere. Emily told him that the last text he sent, he told her that he wasn’t going to make it, and then he didn’t answer his phone. In her interview, Emily said Shane annoyed the hell out of her, but he was still her husband, and a good dad. They had a beautiful family.

Kelly seemed to be the only one doing the cooking. Elizabeth let fly that her father was a preacher, and they got away from the church after realizing it was dysfunctional, and moved to Washington. It was one of those bombshells she tends to throw into a conversation, then laugh like a hyena. This is not only incredibly annoying, it makes you wonder what the hell is wrong with her that she finds it amusing. I’m sure it’s a defense mechanism, but it’s getting on my nerves now. In her interview, she said her family wanted her to preach, and her grandmother brought her up to the front of the church, telling her to speak in tongues. She faked it, and they bought it. It was the exact day she realized adults were full of sh*t, and she could lie to get her way. After breakfast, Braunwyn suggested she and Elizabeth have a real conversation. In Elizabeth’s interview, she said she was irked that Braunwyn was digging up dirt on her. She’d been opening up to Braunwyn, who was claiming to be the real deal, and we flashed back to Braunwyn saying just that. Elizabeth said now she found out Braunwyn was trying to discredit her, and it was hurtful. Braunwyn called Shannon, who said she was still feeling achy, and was getting her test results tomorrow. She told Braunwyn that she’d tested negative three times, and she was bummed. She’d had a suitcase of fun packed. In Shannon’s interview, a producer asked if she had FOMO, and then had to explain what it was. Shannon whined that Kelly couldn’t be bothered to come to the phone, and felt sorry for herself in general.    

Gina spoke with her lawyer Michael, who was going to court on Friday, but said Gina didn’t need to be there. Matt was facing two felony counts, with a maximum time of 4½ years. Michael said it was ultimately up to the judge, but Gina’s feelings would be taken into consideration. She said it was a difficult time, but she was thankful for Michael, and he said she had a lot of people protecting her. In her interview, she said she couldn’t help that it happened. It wasn’t her fault, but she felt guilty. She told Michael that she was hard-wired to feel she had to protect Matt. Then she did that waving thing that people think makes tears go away. I guess they think they can fan them back into their tear ducts or something.

Elizabeth told the women that they were taking a van to SkyPark. Gina called Travis to give him the low down on Matt, and said she didn’t know the right thing to do. He said she was just emotional because it was becoming real. In Gina’s interview, she said she wanted them to be family, and didn’t want the children to pay for her past. She wanted them to think that they went through sh*t, and it wasn’t easy, but they figured it out. Travis told her that it would get better. Braunwyn told Elizabeth that what she’d said felt like a bad game of telephone, and Elizabeth called Braunwyn out on hiring a P.I. She said she thought Braunwyn was into building people up, so why target her? Braunwyn said she’d googled Elizabeth’s name, and found out Elizabeth had defaulted on a loan, and rented out her house. Elizabeth said it was all public knowledge, and told Braunwyn to quit talking to her like a child. Braunwyn said Elizabeth’s stories weren’t adding up, and Elizabeth said, who cared if her house was a rental or not? She didn’t lie; they just didn’t know. Braunwyn could have asked, rather than talking smack behind her back. Her life was complicated and sophisticated, and Braunwyn didn’t understand it. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said Elizabeth married an old guy with money. It was the oldest story in the book. Kelly suddenly got involved in the conversation, and said Braunwyn was just trying to figure out who Elizabeth was. She kept getting half-answers. Elizabeth said there was crap going on with her divorce, and gag orders. It was horrific, and when she met them, she was going to trial. She masked her anger and hurt, and didn’t know how to deal. She didn’t want to tell a bunch of women about it. Braunwyn asked if Elizabeth didn’t trust women, and went into a monologue about how it had been hard for her to open up. In her interview, Kelly said Braunwyn was making it about herself, and about her feelings, and Elizabeth didn’t owe Braunwyn an explanation. Elizabeth had no kids, and no husband, and Braunwyn should clean up her own house before digging around Elizabeth’s. Elizabeth cried, and said she was scared of women, since they’d betrayed her. Braunwyn swore she wouldn’t. She said if Elizabeth would have told her, she would have understood, and thanked her for sharing, apparently confusing the conversation with an AA meeting.

Kelly told Gina that she should show Matt mercy, so he could get a job for the kids’ sake. Even though Gina had moved on, she shouldn’t want to ruin his livelihood. In Elizabeth’s interview, she said she thought Kelly meant well, but she should shut up. Braunwyn told Elizabeth that she’d been a bitch to bring up Elizabeth’s business in the first place, and Elizabeth was impressed with Braunwyn owning it. Braunwyn said she’d been newly sober and in quarantine, and looking for something to do. Gina said she’d called it, and Braunwyn said she wished she could take it back. In five months, Elizabeth would be on her list of almonds amends. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said the list was longer than Santa’s naughty list. She admitted Shannon had gotten in her head, and in her interview, Gina said Shannon liked to plant things in someone’s head, then her hands were clean. We flashed back to Shannon sowing seeds, and Elizabeth asked why Shannon would do that. Braunwyn reminded Elizabeth of how she’d told them Shannon went off on Jimmy, and said Shannon told them a different story. We flashed back to Shannon saying that didn’t happen, and Jimmy left because he had to get up for work early. Kelly said Shannon gets in people’s ears, and in her interview, Kelly said that Shannon had gotten everyone to call her an adulteress. We flashed back to the 70s party where Kelly and Shannon echoed, who? you! at each other. Elizabeth said in her process of self-discovery, she’d answer any questions as best she could.   

Shannon’s fourth test was positive, and she wept during her home video, saying she had so many emotions. She was worried because of her lungs, and pissed at the kids for their carelessness. They’d been hanging out with groups of twenty and thirty kids, knowing she was at risk, and she wondered if she’d infected John. Shannon called her mother Pat, and told her about the positive test. She said she was scared, and Pat asked if she had a fever. Shannon said she didn’t, but she was so mad at the kids. So far, John had tested negative. In Shannon’s interview, she said she and John had their ups and downs, and she wondered if he was going to be mad. John said he thought it was inevitable that he’d test positive. Shannon said she was so sorry, and felt so bad.

Kelly said SkyPark was her childhood fantasy come to life. Park manager Michelle explained there was hatchet throwing, archery, and mountain biking. Kelly and Gina went biking, while Braunwyn and Elizabeth went for archery. Braunwyn made a call to Shari, who she called her wife. In Elizabeth’s interview, she said she never heard someone do that. She wondered if Braunwyn was putting it out in the universe, hoping it would happen. She and Braunwyn shot at targets, reminding me of the one A that I got in high school phys ed, since I’d practiced archery practically since I could walk. They moved on to the ax challenge, where Elizabeth claimed she was aggressive, and her ax promptly bounced back at her after she threw it. After doing this several times, she got up close and personal with the target, whacking away at it with the ax. Braunwyn told the instructor that Elizabeth hadn’t had sex in, like, forever.

Shannon called her daughters with the news that she was positive, wailing that she had lung damage, and was supposed to be on a trip. They told her they’d been super careful, but Shannon insisted they hadn’t. She didn’t bring it into the house. She said she thought she’d see more emotion, and they told her they felt horrible. In her interview, Shannon said she was scared that they weren’t all going to get through it.

Emily said Shane was still staying at the hospital. He was getting a five-day dosage of medication, and sounded better. He was also breathing better, but in her interview, Elizabeth said, just because he sounded and felt better, there could still be long-term effects or he could take a turn for the worse. She was fearful for their children, but it was difficult to make a seven-year-old and two five-year-olds stay 6 feet away from their mother. She was paranoid, and doing whatever it took to protect her children.

Elizabeth thought she screwed up friendships by being psycho, and Braunwyn told her just be herself. Gina and Kelly move on to recumbent bikes designed to look like a combination of sports car and tractor. In Gina’s interview, she said she was getting her license back in 20 days, and nothing was effing it up. It looked like fun, but it was a pretty bumpy ride on a dirt road, and Gina ended up walking the bike. Elizabeth told Braunwyn that she avoided conflict, and wasn’t used to handling it. She grew up poor, and saw her husband as a meal ticket. Then she was surrounded by so much wealth for so long, it’s who she became. In Elizabeth’s interview, she said it’s not who she is, and she was desperate to find out who she is; the little girl who met and married that man, and turned into this monster. Braunwyn said everyone had a story, and a lot of them were crazier than Elizabeth’s. Elizabeth said there was something she’d never told anyone. She was raised in very religious situation, and taught not to open her mouth and tell the truth about what was happening. She learned to be good with compartmentalization, and not let people know her. She didn’t want to live that way, and Braunwyn said she didn’t have to any more. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said she had no idea what Elizabeth was talking about, but if she could get Elizabeth to open up, Elizabeth could unburden herself. Braunwyn told her there was no shame in needing help. In her interview, Elizabeth said she grew up in fear, anxiety, and anguish. She’d lived in fear for her life, and had been beaten so bad, she thought she would die. She babbled at Braunwyn, throwing that she’d grown up in a cult, and doing that laughing thing. Then she started crying, and said she’d never talked about it, and didn’t want to. She wasn’t ready. Braunwyn promised not to leave her, and Elizabeth started to hyperventilate. Braunwyn got her to sit down, and told her that she was having an anxiety attack.

To be continued…

Next time, Shane comes home, Elizabeth talks to Gina, Kelly and Gina come in contact with someone who’s positive, and Elizabeth’s perfectness is being shattered.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

Meredith said a huge part of Sundance was networking, and she needed to be there to build her brand. She also really didn’t want to live in Ohio. Nothing against Ohio, she just didn’t want to live there. I’m originally from there, and my sentiments exactly. In Mary’s interview, she said she was glad they were having Fashion Week. It felt good to put on something fierce. She sat next to Jen, who wasn’t too happy about that. I’ve noticed in Jen’s interviews, she often looks like a bobblehead. I don’t know if it’s the way she’s sitting, or what she’s wearing, but it’s distracting. Whitney walked the runway, and said in her interview, if she gave up cheeseburgers, and added six inches to her legs, she’d have a career. Meredith also walked, and son Brooks showed his Brooks Marks collection of one track suit. Afterwards, he FaceTimed with his dad, who was somewhat unapologetic about not being able to make it. In Brooks’s interview, he said Seth should have been there. If it was his kid who had a fashion show, he would have dropped his business meetings and gone. He told Seth that he’d asked him to be a father, and he wouldn’t, so Brooks was hurt. Seth said he was getting anxious from the conversation. In Meredith’s interview, she said she felt partly responsible, since she’d asked for space. Meredith wondered what was next for Brooks, and said he had to go back to school at some point.

At Beauty Lab and Laser, Heather’s schedule was cheeks, lips and a lot of Botox. Whitney had a facial done, and asked Heather how she’d started. Heather said she’d been doing marketing for Botox on Instagram, and was living off of her divorce settlement. She didn’t lack for anything, but wanted her own career. In Whitney’s interview, she said, skeptical as she was, she thought this time her dad would change. She told Heather about her dad being committed to sober living. In Heather’s interview, she said being divorced was a different experience for a man in the Mormon church. It was easier. She was looked at as not being able to keep a man or a family, and waiting for someone to accept her, so she could get into heaven. Whitney said they’d never be good enough because of what they were born into, and being women. In her interview, Heather said you were defined by what you did, and she’d straddled the fence, when either you were in it or you weren’t. Whitney asked if Heather had talked to her children, but Heather didn’t want to deal with it. Whitney said, what if not dealing with it damaged them more?  

In her interview, Jen explained that, after her dad passed, she had to take medication for anxiety and depression. Taking medication was considered a sign of weakness, and Sharieff told her to pray and get her mind right, so that’s what they did, but it didn’t work. Sh*t wasn’t working. It almost cost her marriage, and it was her rock bottom when Sharieff said he was leaving. The family had an intervention, and her son said it was okay take the medication; they wouldn’t think less of her. She was ashamed because she wanted to be Wonder Woman and Supermom at the same time. She wanted to take care of her family, not have her family take care of her.   

Lisa, John, and sons Henry and Jack had a family fun night where they set goals. In Lisa’s interview, she said she wasn’t a board game kind of mom; let’s talk about real money. One of Henry’s goals was to have triplets, and John said he was thinking long-term. In John’s interview, he admitted that 90% of his and Lisa’s relationship had to do with work. He told Lisa that business shouldn’t be their biggest priority. They needed to be together, not on the phone. He asked if she’d ever say no to anything, and she said not if it was a real goal. She wouldn’t be guilted into saying no either. She wanted a billion dollar brand, and asked if John thought it was a problem. He said, a little, and she found that irritating. She said she was good right now.

Meredith met Jen and Heather for dinner, and Meredith asked Heather what was going on with Curtis, the cameraman she’d met at Sundance. Heather said it was a short-lived love affair, since he lives in Atlanta and L.A. She said everybody had a whore phase. Meredith said she and Seth had to resolve some individual issues before getting back together. In her interview, a producer said she was private about the details of her separation, and she said if she was, there wouldn’t be much for people to talk about. Jen wondered what the issues were. Hers was that she was lonely. Meredith thought their biggest issues was learning to communicate. In Meredith’s interview, she said Seth not being at Brooks’s show was a pivotal point for her. She told Jen and Heather that they genuinely loved each other, and that counted for a lot, but they needed to figure out a way to move forward in a positive direction. In Jen’s interview, she said she personally heard more, and Meredith wasn’t telling everything. Meredith said she and Seth were re-finding each other.

Whitney said her dad had become more connected to her and the kids. Her kids had missed out on the fun she’s had with him as a kid, and it meant a lot. He was more positive, fun, playful, healthy, and happy. She’d been scared for a while, and thought her kids would never see the dad she grew up with. They went to one of those trampoline places with the kids, and Whitney’s dad told her that his therapist said he was ready for the next step; an apartment, a job, and building his life back up again. In Whitney’s interview, she said her dad had done 21 days of a program designed to be 90 days. It was a huge red flag, and a vicious cycle he hadn’t broken yet. She was concerned he wasn’t ready, and reminded him that he’d said it was hard on the other side. She was worried that, if he left, he wouldn’t recover.

In Heather’s interview, she said she was happy her daughter was in a good relationship, and wondered what it would have been like. Being divorced labeled her as being a failure, and she didn’t want her moral failings to cause her kids’ lives to crumble. In leading a double-life, she realized she might be leading them down a path they didn’t want to be on. She didn’t want to take them away from the faith and Mormonism. She had never spoken to them about it, and was basically coming out, and saying she wanted to leave the church. She told her daughters she had so much shame and fear, but they said it hurt them to see what she was going through, and they supported her. They had a strong foundation, and they’d be fine. In her interview, Heather said it made her feel like she didn’t deserve her kids. She’d been wrestling with it for so long; she should have come out in the beginning. It was like a huge weight off of her, and she needed to have an honest relationship with them, and be the mom she wanted to be. not the one the church wanted her to be.

Jen visited Whitney, who tried to teach her stripper pole moves. In Whitney’s interview, she said, where she went, the stripper pole went, but she’d never been a stripper. Jen gave it a try, and said she needed Dramamine. Jen asked Whitney what she thought about Meredith and Seth, and Whitney said she thought Meredith was trying to save face for the kids. Jen said if you weren’t getting it from home, you were going to go somewhere else. In her interview, Whiney said Jen was alluding to Meredith having a man on the side. It was a loaded statement, and she’d better be able to back it up. Whitney asked how Meredith would hide it, and Jen said, some people might know. In her interview, Jen said there was always a reason why people got separated, but it wasn’t her place to say anything to Whitney. A producer said Jen was alluding that she knew more. What wasn’t she telling?

Jen said, a few months ago, Meredith was in New York for a trunk show. There was a guy who said Meredith was the love of his life and he was going to marry her. He’d said he’d make sure Meredith got upstairs, and there was clearly something going on. She told Whitney, there was a reason why Meredith and Seth separated. 

Next time, Lisa doesn’t want to give up anything, Whitney tells Heather about what Jen said, and Seth says he can’t stand being without Meredith.

🎅 Not Quite a Long Winter’s Nap…

But a short hibernation until Monday, since it’s all holiday fare from here on in. While it might not be the holiday you imagined this year, remember the reason for the season and celebrate anyway. If you’re not well, take the time to pamper yourself and rest; if you’re alone, that’s okay, embrace it, and do something you’ve been wanting to; and if you’re just peachy, there are plenty of ways to help those who aren’t. While it might sound corny, helping others takes your mind off your own crap, and you’ll feel better for it. And while you’re at it, stay safe, stay making merry, and like Scrooge ended up doing, stay honoring Christmas in your heart, and keeping it through the year.

🌟 If your goal is to enjoy some genuine joie de vivre this holiday season, keep in mind that the simplest acts of generosity, connection, and self-care can offer the biggest rewards. – 11 Ways to Experience Holiday Joy

Merry Christmas!
Dec22

December 23, 2020 – Cyrus Pleads His Case With Florence, Rachel Comes Crawling Back, Andy’s Doorbells & On His Way

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Carly leaves a message for Sonny, saying, Jordan called. She said Taggert has been put into police custody for his own protection. She wants him to call her. And come home soon.

Martin asks Florence how she’s feeling, and she asks if she wasn’t sleeping. He says, out like a light, and she wonders what day it is. He tells her it’s still her birthday. He brought her hummingbird cake, her favorite. He says everything’s all right, and kisses her forehead, adding, he’s there. Cyrus says he’s there too. Happy birthday, momma. He tells her to say something. Anything. Don’t pretend she doesn’t know him.

Finn answers the door, holding a stuffed pig. Chase comes in with Gregory, and asks if it’s past Finn’s bedtime. When did he start sleeping with a stuffed animal? Finn says he never stopped. The pig lost its tail, and he promised Violet that he’d stitch it back on. Gregory says, she’s lucky to have a doctor for a daddy, and asks if it’s too late to say goodnight. Finn says, she’s down for the count, and he’s headed that way too. Gregory says they should leave, but Chase says they’re not going to miss a family tradition. He walks into the living room, and Finn asks, what family tradition? Chase says, poker night, opening a case of chips and cards. Name your stakes.

Maxie looks at a sealed envelope when Peter comes in. He asks how her check-up went, and she says the baby is healthy and waiting to join the family. Hopefully not when she’s walking down the aisle. She asks if he’d want to know the gender of the baby before it was born, and he reminds her they decided to keep it a secret, but… She says he’s having second thoughts, and he says he is. She says, her too. He wonders if they should call for an appointment, and she says, funny he should mention that. She shows him the envelope.

Valentin joins Anna at the MetroCourt, and thanks her for meeting him. He says he was wondering if she’d met with Dante, and if he’s safe to leave with Charlotte. He asks if she has any further insight into Dante’s state of mind, and she says she does, but she doesn’t think he’s going to like what she has to say.

Carly decorates the Christmas tree, when the doorbell rings. She says, Sonny? but it’s Dante dropping off gifts. He asks if something is the matter.

Jason calls to Sonny, but there’s no answer. He jumps down from the bridge.

Chase shuffles the cards, and says he’s glad Finn is putting the table to good use. Finn says, it’s bad enough Gregory taught him to play; he had to teach Chase too. Gregory says he taught Chase how to fleece his buddies at poker, but Finn had a gift. Chase says Finn held his own against the old guys, and never a dropped hand, until… He hesitates, and Gregory says, until he went on to bigger and better things. Once Finn became an infectious disease specialist, he didn’t have a lot of time for fun and games. Chase says, or family celebrations, and Gregory says, Finn would have been at the wedding if he could have. Finn says he knows that’s the story Gregory told Violet when she asked, but that’s not the real reason he didn’t come.

Peter asks Maxie if the envelope contains what he thinks it does, and she says, with all the planning for the double wedding, they can eliminate one question mark. He says he could narrow down his name list, and she says she had Dr. Navarro put the information in a sealed envelope. She’s been carrying it with her all this time, tempted to steam it open. If he doesn’t want to know, he should  take it from her now. He tells her, who says he wouldn’t rip it open?   

Alarmed, Florence asks where she is; what is this place? Martin says, she likes it there, remember? The staff is taking care of her. Cyrus says he’s paid for the best. Nothing is too good for her. Florence asks who Laura is, and if she works there, and Cyrus says she’s their daddy’s daughter, and their half-sister. Florence says, no, they’re mistaken, and cries out, where is my Gordon? Martin says, daddy is gone; he has been for years, and Florence says their father is dead because Cyrus killed him; her Gordon.

Anna tells Valentin, she had coffee with Dante, and they talked about Lulu’s condition. Obviously, he’s grieving, but he kept deflecting her sympathy. He’s filled with remorse for leaving. The Dante she knew had irrepressible charm; there was nothing the world could throw at him that was too much to handle. Valentin says, and now? and she says, when she reached out, the walls came up immediately. He didn’t want to share anything personal, and said he wanted to focus on protecting his family. Valentin says, one would assume that’s why Dante checked in; to keep his family from harm. She says, it seemed to work, and he says, until Dante tried to kill Peter.

Carly tells Dante, with everything going on, he didn’t have to bring gifts, but she thanks him for it. The girls will be thrilled. Dante hopes so. He asks Carly, what’s wrong? and she says, Sonny is out of town on business, and she hasn’t been able to reach him. Dante says, obviously, she’s tried Jason, and she says, he’s with Sonny. She knows he’ll call when he has a second, but she wants him to come home; be done with business so they can focus on the holiday. Dante has the feeling Sonny will be back soon, and asks her to let Sonny know he stopped by. She says he can stay, and fill her in on him and Rocco, and how they’re doing with everything. He says, they’re managing. Rocco is moving back to the house. She asks if Olivia knows, and he says she does. She’s been great helping plan it. Rocco will still stay at the Quartermaine’s a few nights a week, but the goal is for him to be comfortable to come back home and get back to knowing his father again. Carly says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she thinks he’s doing the right thing. He thanks her, and says the reason he was there to see Sonny was because of the house. They wouldn’t have gotten it in the first place if not for Sonny. She knows about that, right?   

Jason walks down the shoreline, huffing and puffing, and calling for Sonny. A helicopter flies above, shining a light down, and he ducks behind some shore grass.

Carly asks what makes Dante think Sonny had anything to do with buying their house? He says he has proof in the numbers; they don’t add up. They paid too little. She says, maybe the owners had to sell quickly, and their offer was first, but Dante says that’s not it. He and Lulu fell for the house faster than they fell for each other. There was another offer, and the owners took it. He and Lulu were crushed, but then the offer disappeared, and the owner came back to them and agreed to theirs. Someone paid the difference between their offer and the final sale. And by somebody, he means Sonny.

Anna tells Valentin, Dante never mentioned Peter. He was having a PTSD episode, and Peter walked into the line of fire. It was over a year ago, and Dante has improved a lot since then. He asks if she’s trying to convince him or herself, and she says, it was so extremely uncomfortable when she touched his hand, and said she was willing to listen if he felt like talking. The treatment he received had be successful. Why else would they have let him return? Valentin says he doesn’t know. Dante had a clean bill of health, or he asked nicely. Neither one of them is naïve about the WSB’s motives. She says she wants to believe they acted in Dante’s best interest, and he says, wanting something and it actually happening are two very different things. His primary concern is his daughter’s well-being, and he doesn’t have a lot of confidence in Dante’s emotional state. Anna says, Dante wouldn’t communicate at all for over a year, and even when Robert brought Olivia there, he wouldn’t open the door to his own mother. Now, he suddenly comes back and claims he’s better. None of it makes sense to her. Valentin says, tell him the truth. Is his daughter safe around Dante?

😠 I’ll have you know, there was an interruption so we could see Joe Biden get a vaccine shot. Then listen to several people talk about him getting the shot. Really? <sigh> By using the magic of the internet though, I was able to fill in what was so rudely interrupted.

Gregory says he knows he didn’t give it enough time after the death of Finn’s mother before he got married again, and admits he did a lousy job preparing Finn for it. Finn says, it was a big change in his life, but he was wrong to act out the way he did. Gregory says, it was a complicated time. It still is. It’s hard for him to believe, even though he and Jackie love each other, sometimes even a loving marriage isn’t built to last. If he did anything right, it was having sons like them. Chase says he was a great dad. He and Finn owe him so much. Gregory says he owes the both of them. He’s proud of them. He’s proud of Chase for being such a fine young man, and Finn for giving him a second chance, and letting him into his family. Finn asks if they’re going to play cards or talk about it.

Cyrus tells Florence, what happened to his father was an accident, and Florence says, he was so angry that day. Wild and headstrong. He stormed out of the house and jumped into the car. His poor father was just trying to stop him. Martin tells Cyrus, get out. You’re upsetting her. Cyrus says she turned her back on him, but he never turned his back on her. When Marty called him and said she needed help, he was right there for her. He’s given her everything she needs. He starts to get choked up, and she asks if he expects her to thank him. He says he doesn’t expect anything,. His hope is that she’ll talk to him like she’s his mother and not like a stranger. She says, he is a stranger. She doesn’t know him anymore. Maybe she never did. Laura goes to Cyrus, and says, come with her. She takes him into the hallway, and tells him not to ask his mother for something she can’t give.

Cops comb the shoreline. The cop from The Village People tells someone on the radio that he’s on the south side of the river. There’s a body. He’ll wait until they get there.

Chase says, read ‘em and weep. Finn asks if that’s what Gregory taught Chase, to cheat, and Gregory says he did not. They both play an honest game. Although in retrospect, he was harder on Finn than on his brother. He asks if Chase remembers the Little League game he lost, and Chase says Gregory took him out for ice cream. He told Chase that he’d done his best and that’s all that mattered. Finn says he doesn’t remember any ice cream, win or lose, and Gregory says he pushed Finn too hard. He didn’t want to make the same mistakes with Chase. Finn says Gregory has nothing to feel guilty about. Whatever he did or didn’t do, it was never Gregory’s fault.

Cyrus tells Laura, whatever his mother believes, his father’s death was an accident. Laura says she can believe it. He was a teenage boy, volatile and emotional. The last thing he should have done was get behind the heel of a car. That doesn’t excuse it, but it does explain it. The trouble she has, is the man that boy grew into. He has trouble with being honest about anything. He has a hidden agenda all the time. He says, not this time, and she laughs, saying, he’s got to be kidding. He had Jordan pull a file, and revisited a case she was involved in when she was a teenager. Then he left a trail of clues from Oregon to Mexico to Vermont, all so he could lure her in and introduce her to his mother. He could have just told her they were related. He laughs, and asks if she would have believed him. She doesn’t say anything, and he says he’ll take that as a no. She had to come there on her own, for her own reasons. She says, what about his reasons? Why does he keep caring for his mother when she continues to reject him? He says, all families have secrets, and he they need to know one another better before he shares one of his. She says she’d prefer he keep his secrets, and leave Port Charles, and he says she can deny it all she wants, but she must be noticing how alike they are.

Maxie tells Peter, this is silly. Why wait to find out if it’s a boy or a girl? Peter says, as always, she’s absolutely right. The envelope, please. She hands it to him, and he opens it.

Anna tells Valentin, she wants to trust Dante, but she doesn’t trust the process that sent him home. He wonders why the Bureau would send Dante home if he wasn’t ready, and she says, either Dante made a remarkable recovery, or… He says, or the Bureau needed something from him.

Dante tells Carly, he used to be a cop. He knows how to get answers from people. She says, okay. Sonny made up the price of the house. He thanks her, and says he knew it. They knew back then that Sonny was their financial angel. In the spirit of Christmas, he finally wanted to thank Sonny, but she says, Sonny would never admit to being an angel. Dante says, it would ruin his street cred; what would his rivals think? He has a heart of gold. She says, it’s no secret that Sonny is generous. He founded a whole AIDS wing at the hospital in Stone’s honor. Dante says, there are a lot of smaller things Sonny doesn’t get credit for, and she says, that’s true. He reads to Avery and Donna every night, and for the past three weeks, he’s been reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas. His Grinch voice is terrible. She just wants him home for Christmas. Dante says, he will be.

The cops bring out a body bag. Jason watches from behind the trees. The Village People cop says he’s checking now; he’ll be right back. He opens a body bag, and it’s Julian. He says he doesn’t think this guy drowned.

Laura says she’s nothing like Cyrus, and he asks if she really thinks it was a coincidence that they ran into each other at the firing range, taking aim at enemies imagined or real. She says she only takes aim at imaginary enemies (which is just plain not true), and he says, David Hamilton being the exception. She says, it was an accident, and he says, like it was their father’s death. She says, they both made terrible mistakes when they were young. The difference is how they’ve lived their lives since then. She’s tried to make the world a better place in any tiny way she can. He made killing a way of life. He says she has no proof. He was framed for the crimes he was imprisoned for. She says, deniability is not innocence. At some point he made a deliberate decision to abandon his conscience. He only pretends to feel compassion and empathy, but for a brief moment in Florence’s room, she saw who he used to be; a boy who craved his mother’s love. If he wasn’t such a dangerous man, she’d almost feel sorry for him. Almost.  

Gregory says, if Finn wasn’t upset because he married Jackie so soon after Finn’s mom died, what’s been eating at him all this time? Chase says, all the times Finn told him to be honest in his relationships, maybe it’s time he took his own advice. And while he ponders those wise words, Chase is going to get more root beer. He goes to the kitchen, and Gregory says, well? Finn hesitates, and Gregory says Finn never did like to show his cards. Finn says he’s not holding a winning hand, but Gregory says he doesn’t have to bluff. He knows why Finn was so opposed to the marriage. Jackie told him all about it.

Anna asks if Valentin thinks the Bureau sent Dante home deliberately before he was ready, but Valentin says, no. He thinks the Bureau believed Dante was ready. She says, ready for what exactly? Maxie and Peter come in, and Maxie says they’re going to be the first to know aside from her and Peter. Anna says, Maxie has decided against a double wedding? but Maxie says, no way. It’s going to be fantastic. They have a bonus reason to celebrate. She asks Peter if he wants to tell Anna, or should she, and he says, let her read for herself. Maxie hands Anna the envelope, and Valentin asks, what is it? Anna looks at the paper, and laughs. She says, Peter and Maxie are having a baby girl.

Carly says, since Dante has been back, she’s noticed how much he’s like Sonny in many ways. He loves his family very much, and would do anything to protect them. Speaking of family, he hasn’t met his little sister yet. Dante apologizes for not being there when Donna was born, or coming to meet her since he’s been home, but Carly says he’s had a lot of things on his mind. Does he want meet her now? He says he does, and they go upstairs.

Jason watches, and the Village People cop looks at Julian’s license. He says, it’s Julian Jerome, from Port Charles New York. He talks into his radio, saying, he’s got an ID on the victim, and gives them the information. He says Julian is probably one of the individuals who fled when the bullets started flying. They’re gong to find the second individual, and need a team to be sent to the bridge. The cops move on down the shoreline, continuing to look.    

Finn says, Jackie told Gregory what exactly? and Gregory says, they didn’t always have different schedules. They used to be close and confided in each other early in their marriage. After the wedding, he was angry that Finn didn’t come, and Jackie confessed it was as much her fault as Finn’s. Finn asks why she would say that, and Gregory says, she admitted she was career driven and self-absorbed, and never stopped to think how the marriage might impact Finn. He might have been hurt that they didn’t wait the appropriate amount of time to get married. Finn tells Gregory that he can’t believe Jackie said that, and Gregory says, despite what Finn thinks, his step-mother was always fond of him. Even if they go their separate ways, she’ll still be family, and he hopes Finn accepts that. If not for his sake, for his brother’s.

Anna says, Violet is going to be over the moon, and Valentin says he thinks James and Georgie will be thrilled to have a baby sister. Peter says he didn’t want to jinx things, but he was hoping for a girl. Anna can’t wait to tell Violet, and Valentin thanks her again for meeting him. She says she’ll keep what he said in mind. Maxie says they haven’t even talked about the wedding flowers yet. How does Anna feel about peonies? She drags Anna away, and Peter sits with Valentin. Valentin says, speaking as a girl dad himself, Peter is a lucky man. Excuse him for noticing, but Peter’s excitement at having a daughter seems a lot like relief.

Dante and Carly come back downstairs, and Dante says he’s officially a goner. She says he’d still be up there if she hadn’t dragged him out, and he says he’s kicking himself for not visiting sooner. She says when they found out Donna had spina bifida, it was terrifying, but she’s healthy, and she’s been a gift to the family from the moment she was born. You never stop worrying about them. Dante says, never. She thanks him for stopping by. Him coming back was the only Christmas present Sonny needed. He says he had a lot reasons to come back. He leaves, and Carly ponders.   

Cyrus says he doesn’t need anyone’s pity; least of all Laura’s. She says, because he’s the great and powerful Cyrus Renault? She knows who he is, and she knows what he’s done. Her daughter, his niece, is lying in a long-term care facility because of things he set in motion. He tells her, don’t push him. His patience only goes so far, and she doesn’t want him as an enemy. Martin comes out, and tells him, back off. Don’t talk to their sister that way. Cyrus says he was only pointing out she has no right to judge him. Martin says, the way he and momma have? They’ve got their reasons, and Laura has hers. Laura asks if Cyrus thinks caring for his mother’s every need, bringing her there, and paying her bills could buy her love, and he says he bought the city she loves so much. She says, not all of it and not yet, and he says, one piece at a time, sister dear.

Finn tells Chase, he doesn’t have to go home, but he can’t stay there. Anna comes back, and asks if they’re leaving already. Chase says he’s on the night shift and has to get back to work, and Gregory says his sons cleaned his clock at poker, so he’s packing his tent and going. He tells Finn, goodnight, and when they’re gone, Anna asks Finn if everything is okay. He says, this thing he has hanging over him that she said would eventually come out. He has to give an honest answer sooner or later; he can’t keep it inside. He wants her to know the real reason he’s been estranged from his family all these years.  

Peter tells Valentin, his daughter is going to be beautiful like Maxie, and with Maxie’s warm, loving heart, maybe she’ll take after her mother. Valentin flashes back to Anna finding out that she’s not Peter’s mother; Alex is. Peter says Valentin is going to tell him that it’s magical thinking, but Valentin says he’s not saying that. Peter says his silence speaks volumes. Valentin says, if it was a boy, Peter would wonder when and if he was taking after Faison, but he won’t look at his daughter that way? Peter says he sees a beautiful girl filled with light.

Maxie comes out of the bathroom, and sees Dante at the Toys For Tots bin, and they make a plug for that. He says he’s glad he didn’t miss the tradition, and she asks him to hang out and celebrate. She and Peter are having a girl. He tells her, congratulations. He knows Lulu would be happy. She says, come on, and she goes back to the table, but he hangs behind.

Cyrus approaches his mother’s bed, and says, Martin isn’t the only one who remembered her birthday. He can buy her so much more than flowers. He can fly her anywhere in the world. He can load her down with jewelry, and buy her the Cartier watch like Mrs. Phillips wore that she always admired. He could buy her anything to make her smile at him, but she’s not going to do that. He laughs, and says she can’t see him as anything but a bad seed, a delinquent who ran down her husband, but she’s mistaken. When she threw him out, he made something of himself. He opens his wallet, and says there are the hundred dollar bills he carries like singles. This is the black card he carries; it has no limit and is accepted everywhere. He takes out his ID, and says they gave him this after he became Chairman of the Board at General Hospital. He puts it on the bed, and says he’s a man of importance; respected, admired, even feared. He comes as close to crying as we’ll probably ever see, and says, one day, she’ll see him as the world sees him, and everything he’s done will have been worth it. Everything.  

In the hallway, Martin says he’s going to do Laura a favor, and get her out before the staff finds her loitering. And they will get suspicious. She says, he’s right. She came there to find something to use against Cyrus, and she’s leaving with more questions than answers.  

Julian is zipped up, and the cops pick up the bag. The Village People cop continues to look, and the helicopter shines spotlights all around.

Carly hears the door open, and says, Sonny? Jason comes in, and she asks, what happened? Where’s Sonny?

Tomorrow, Robert wants to fill someone in, Tracy says no way in hell, Franco asks if it’s a coincidence, and Jason tells Carly, the only way this will work is if they take it one step at a time.

Below Deck

Jolly Harbour, Antigua. Izzy wonders if they have a chef, and James wonders if they have a deckhand as well. Eddie asks if anyone knows who the chef is, or if they’ve gotten a new deckhand yet. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says, it’s high season, and any chef worth a damn is already working. They have demanding guests coming, and need someone who’s capable of everything on the preference sheets. They’re screwed. He can’t get through on the phone for a second time, and throws the phone down. Ashling is ironing, and the ironing board falls flat. I literally LOL. In her interview, Francesca says it’s the pickiest charter in the world, and they have no chef. She can’t believe this is happening. Izzy asks Eddie if they have a deckhand, but he’s more concerned about having a chef.   

3 hours before charter. The captain says he’d be surprised if everybody didn’t walk off. New deckhand Rob shows up, and in his interview, he says he’s mostly worked on sailing boats. Francesca tells him, they have a charter at 12, and also need a chef. Izzy introduces herself, and Eddie asks her to show Rob his new quarters. She tells Rob that he’ll be sharing with his boss. Rob meets Ashling on the way to his cabin, where he deposits his stuff before Eddie introduces him to Captain Lee. In Eddie’s interview, he says he’s happy Rob is on the team. He has experience, which will be a change of pace. Anything is better than Shane. We flash back to confirmation that he’s right. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says they’ve got two and a half hours to pick-up, and he’s sitting there choking his chicken. Rachel mysteriously appears, and introduces herself to Rob. In her interview, she says, last night, her head was all over the place; not knowing the severity of the virus and missing her boyfriend. Now she has to crawl back to the captain who doesn’t give two sh*ts about ego. She tells Captain Lee that she was totally unprofessional, and she’s very sorry. She respects him, and likes working under him. If possible, she’d like to do the charter, and do it successfully. In the captain’s interview, he says, normally, he’d tell someone who leaves, that they don’t get to come back. He’s pissed, but, like it or not, chefs are prone to do sh*t like that. We flash back to Leon (ugh) who ended up fired, and Ben punching things and slamming doors. The captain tells Rachel, he’s on board with that, and in his interview, he says, part of him wanted to say, f*** it, cancel the charter, and leave them swinging in the wind, but guests expect to be fed, and it’s the only plan he’s got. In Francesca’s interview, she says, part of her is stoked. Rachel is a great chef, which makes her job easier, but Rachel disrespected her, and isn’t someone she can trust. Her trust went out the window. We flash back to Rachel telling Elizabeth to talk to the captain about her issue with Francesca. Francesca says, moving forward, she’s going to be strictly professional with Rachel and Elizabeth.

In Rob’s interview, he says he’s an exploration geologist, which is being like a nerdy Indiana Jones. He looks for gold, but if there’s a market crash, he loses his job. He likes the fallback of yachting. His father and grandfather were in the Navy, and he comes from a long line of pirates and hookers. It’s what he’s meant to be. It’s unclear whether he means a pirate or a hooker. Eddie quickly explains that their chef had a mental breakdown, and asks for help getting her luggage back on board. In his interview, Eddie says he doesn’t think Rachel deserves her job back, but they need her – for now. He’s going to act like nothing happened, but something did, and he’s not going to forget. Rachel take notes from the preference sheets, and Captain Lee tells her, for sh*ts and giggles, he looked up how to make marshmallows. (It’s actually pretty easy.) In his interview, he says they’re not prepared for the charter at this point, but it’s completely Rachels’ fault. Izzy tells James that it’s a story they can tell their grandkids, about the charter where they all got f***ed. Francesca reads the preference sheets to the stews, and in Ashling’s interview, she says, holy sh*t. They’re going to die. Ashling gets to work, and Francesca tells Elizabeth, the pantry wasn’t clean, and the beach clean-up is still a mess. She needs to step it up. Elizabeth apologizes for lacking in some areas, and says she plans on 100% improving. In her interview, Elizabeth says she’s going to be tested on every little thing, and she’s going to be watched. We flash back to Captain Lee telling her that how she performs on the next charter will mean her future. She says she’s up for the challenge. She’s not going anywhere.

Provisions come on board, the captain says, arrival in twenty, and I say, oh God, out loud. Rob says, it’s like the first day of school; he’s excited. James says he’s good at his job, meaning himself, and the crew gets into their whites. Champagne is poured, and here they come. In Izzy’s interview, she says, the guests are so high maintenance and crazy, they’re going to get whipped. Let the games begin.

Primary Bryan yaps about his pedicure as he takes his shoes off, and the crew agrees he looks like Elton John. In Izzy’s interview, she says, they’re so effing cute. Like gay teddy bears. Okay. I’m glad she said it, because this group is over-the-top. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but there’s no politically/socially correct way to say it. Eddie tells the deckhands to get into their blues, and the captain moves the boat out. The guests toast to everybody there. Looking out at the other boats, Bryan says he loves how bigger they are than everyone else [sic]. Elizabeth tells Ashling that she loves her job, and doesn’t want to lose it, and James pulls in the fenders. Elizabeth tells Rachel that she’s nerve-wracked, but Rachel says she really has to concentrate on what she’s doing. In Rachel’s interview, she says, she loves Elizabeth, but has to set that aside. She’s in the middle, and doesn’t want it to affect her department. She wants to just focus on her job, and do some serious captain’s ass kissing right now. They’ll get there.   

Bryan says he loves the service, and he’s blown away. I’m not so sure demanding is necessarily a negative in their case. They might want a lot, but so far, they seem fun. In Francesca’s interview, she says, Elizabeth thinks she’s a diner waitress. She’s holding the wine bottle by the neck. We see Elizabeth pouring it that way. I’ve never poured it that way, and don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone else pour it that way. Francesca says she’ll take what she can get right now. Rob tells Eddie about people being masked in some places now because of the virus. Eddie does an impression of Trump saying, there’s nothing to worry about. Everything is great. They put unicorn floaties in the water. The captain tells Rachel that her successful lunch was a start. In his interview, he says, the only way Rachel knows how to mea culpa is with her culinary skills. Once you lose trust, it’s hard to get back. She’d better do her utmost to nock it out of the park (I see we’re back to that metaphor again). He says he’s going to keep close tabs on her.

Jet skis are put in the water, and the guests name one of the unicorn floaties Deborah. Rachel dictates the menu to Francesca, who puts it on her laptop. A Mardi Gras tablescape is created in black, purple, and gold, and it looks really good. Elizabeth tells James that she just came out of a relationship recently, and in her interview, she says relationships have jaded her, and she gets possessive. There’s a special place in hell for girls who try to interfere with your man. She says she’s a hopeless romantic, and she won’t lie; she’s attracted to James. Bryan drapes himself in beads and fake gold chains, and says they’re doing it Mardi Gras style. They all wear cool, festive hats, including a few of those tiny hats on a headband that I love. I’ve loved a tiny hat every since those guys wore them on In Living Color. Bryan says, the tablescape is amazing, and in Rachel’s interview, she says she’s been to Mardi Gras, and she’s not a fan, but tonight she has to prove to Captain Lee that he didn’t make a bad decision. I’m highly amused by the guests, and might even go so far as to say they’re effing funny. In Rob’s interview, he says, the key difference between sailing and a superyacht is that one is gritty with a sense of adventure, and the other is cushy with beautiful people. It’s a motivation to shower every day. Bryan calls the tiny hat a fascinator, but I’m not so sure that’s the same thing. He says, Rachel is an absolute genius, and in Izzy’s interview, she says, Rachel can effing cook. It sounds like Rachel is racking up points. The captain asks Eddie how Rob is doing, and Eddie says, good. Rob has never worked on big yachts, but has intuition. Francesca brings up the cake, Bryan says, Rachel did an amazing job, and Francesca passes along to Rachel that the guests love it. Ashling asks Elizabeth if today was better, and Elizabeth says that she was taken aback by how Francesca’s been speaking to her. Francesca walks in, and says, awkward. Elizabeth says Ashling was just asking how she was doing. Elizabeth tells Izzy that Francesca thinks she’s talking smack about her, and Izzy says there’s not much she can do about it if Francesca assumes every conversation is about her. I see what Elizabeth’s problem is. She’s talking too much about this to too many people. In Francesca’s interview, she says she doesn’t feel like she’s making friends, but she can’t trust anyone. She knows they’re talking about her. Well, you’re not paranoid if everyone really does hate you.

Elizabeth tells Francesca that it was like cleaning up a war zone the night before, and in her interview, Elizabeth says, things with Francesca aren’t good, but all she can do is work and hope it’s noticed. James kicks one of the unicorn floaties, and says, f*** you, Deborah. Rachel asks if the captain wants French toast, and he says, absolutely. Finding out Elizabeth went to bed late, Francesca suggests she work quicker. In Elizabeth’s interview, she says now she’s in trouble because she went to bed too late. Francesca tells her the primary wants the sheets changed in the master. In her interview, Elizabeth says, there’s nothing she can say against Francesca, and she just has to take it, but it’s hard. The guests get excited about the slide coming down the side of the boat. In Rachel’s interview, she says, the guests are digging the food, but there’s another person she needs to win over, and delivers the toast. In Eddie’s interview, he says he never wants to put the slide up. It’s a pain in his ass, and he hates it. The captain says, this might be the best French toast he’s ever had. The way to a captain’s heart is apparently through his stomach. He looks out, and says, the slide isn’t right. Eddie tells Izzy, part of it is backwards, and yells to James, just inflate the goddam thing. James says he senses tension. The captain radios Eddie, and asks how the slide is going. Eddie says he’s had better days, and Captain Lee says, everything is wrong. It’s the epitome of a sh*t sandwich. He goes out, and tells Eddie what he should do. Bryan and the guests watch from above. Eddie tries climbing down to fix the slide, which is twisted in the middle, and nearly falls into the water. The captain says, this is how to f*** things up, and climbs over the railing. He says he needs to get the line, and Eddie tells him to let someone else do that. 

The captain says he’s got this, and in his interview, he says, ribs are something that doesn’t heal quickly. He tells Eddie to get him a boat hook. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. In Izzy’s interview, she says, the captain was hard-handing it over the railing. It’s a little crazy, but also badass. Captain Lee single-handedly pulls the slide up part way, and tells James to inflate the bottom. When this is finally done, the guests use the water toys. Eddie says, bleepity-bleep-bleep-bleep, and Rob says he has Britney Spears in his head. In James’s interview, he says he likes Rob. He doesn’t take his job too seriously. He thinks it will be fun. Francesca and Elizabeth discuss the beach picnic, and in Rob’s interview, he says, Francesca is giving off hot vibes. She puts newspaper on the table, and asks if he’s ever done a low country boil. He says, never, and she says her neither. In his interview, Rob says, when it comes to flirting, he’s hopeless. Fracnesca says she thinks it’s like a messy seafood feast, and in her interview, she says, a low country boil; she loves this stuff. Rachel makes Maine lobster, clams, and sausage, and Elizabeth says she’s never seen lobster look so picturesque. Eddie tells the deckhands they have to get ready to go to the beach at 4:30.

Elizabeth calls her dad, and tells him that the chief stew wanted her to step it up, so she’s stepping up. In her interview, Elizabeth says her father is a lawyer, and busts his ass at his job. He scares people because he looks like Tony Soprano, but he makes her laugh. We see his picture, and I think he looks more like Jesse Ventura. Rachel makes marshmallows, and offers one to the captain. He says it tastes like pure sugar, but I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. Eddie takes the crew over to the beach, where they set up. Elizabeth and Izzy gather firewood. The guests arrive and toast marshmallows. Elizabeth realizes there’s only one bottle of champagne, and in Izzy’s interview, she admits Francesca isn’t the best boss, but Elizabeth isn’t the sharpest took in the shed either. She radios for three bottles, and on the boat, Francesca is like, WTF? In the meantime, Elizabeth tries to push water, but you can guess how much they want that. Eddie beings the champagne, and she says he’s the best. Bryan says, it’s always a party when champagne is a-poppin’.

Ashling tells Francesca that all the sheets have been changed, and Francesca says it was only the master that was requested. In Ashling’s interview, she says, Elizabeth doesn’t listen. It goes in one ear, and out the other; it’s frustrating. Francesca and Ashling look at the sunset, and Francesca wishes they could get in the water. She radios the captain, and asks if it would be okay, and he says, absolutely. Everyone is off the boat; enjoy themselves. Francesca goes down the slide, and James hopes he can see through her uniform. Ashling follows her, and on the beach, Izzy talks to James on the radio, and tells Elizabeth about the others going swimming. In Elizabeth’s interview, she says she feels like Francesca thinks Ashling is the perfect angel, and she’s the demon. Rachel brings the captain a dinner of lobster, clams, and corn on the cob, his favorite. He asks Francesca how it’s going, and she says, apart from forgetting the champagne… Eddie tells Elizabeth that the captain said he hopes she makes it to the end of the season; he likes her. Francesca tells Captain Lee that for every step Elizabeth takes forward, she takes two steps back. She didn’t finish taking down the decorations from the night before, and forgot to bring the champagne to the beach. Elizabeth asks Eddie, what if Francesca keeps giving her a hard time? The captain tells Francesca that he could replace Elizabeth, but it’s late in the season. Sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t. Yep.

Next time, a Parisian party, Rachel has to make sixty plates of food to make with no room for error, a bus trip to see a donkey, James and Elizabeth get some alone time, and Francesca says Elizabeth’s priorities are in the wrong place.  

🔔 Tonight, Watch What Happens Live transformed into The 12 Doorbells of Christmas. This year, the virtual doorbell was rung by Leah (RHONY), a very pregnant Lala (Vanderpump Rules), Shannon (RHOC), Reza and MJ (Shahs of Sunset), Karen (RHOP), Tabitha Coffey (Tabitha Takes Over), Pirate Tomas (RHONY back in the day), Marge and Marge Sr. (RHONJ), Heather (RHOSLC), and Alex (Below Deck). Lala is loving being pregnant, and told us James is still sober. Reza and MJ are still working on their friendship, and have high hopes for the future, for which I’m irrationally happy, considering I don’t really know them. Marge looks totally different, and quite the bombshell. She claimed her first facelift didn’t take well, so she had it tweaked. Frankly, I think she got a whole new face. Marge Sr. was the real shocker. Maybe the halo light helped, but she looked luminous, and absolutely ravishing. You go, Marge Sr.! Andy is taking one of his many breaks, and WWHL will be back January 3rd. He’ll also be doing New Year’s Eve with Anderson Cooper from Times Square on CNN.

Check out some Doorbells from years past…

https://www.bravotv.com/watch-what-happens-live-with-andy-cohen/photos/andys-12-doorbells-of-christmas#10909085

🎄 Ready Or Not…

At this point, Christmas will be what it’ll be. I concede. Whether you’ve thrown in the holiday towel or not, stay safe, stay not pressuring yourself, and stay keeping it professional and not pissing off the captain.

Dec18

December 17, 2020 – Laura Gets a Double Whammy, Patricia Does It Down Home Low Country & Please

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

I almost made it on time, but here’s what you need to know. Chase ran into Michael in the gym locker room, and Michael accused him of playing God. Trina told Portia that Cyrus claimed her father was still alive, and she wondered if it was true. Laura was in Florence’s room, when the door handle started to move. She hid in the bathroom, and Martin came in. Jordan called Curtis, wondering when he’d be back, and said she couldn’t talk to him on the phone. He told her what he and Laura had done, and said he was concerned there might be trouble. Meanwhile, Sonny and Jason were on their way to Secaucus. And here we are.

A guy sees Julian, slumped on the bench at the bus station, and startles him. Julian grabs his arm, and asks what time it is. The guy says let go of him, and Julian apologizes, saying he’s trying catch the bus to Montreal at 11:03. The guy says, it’s ten after. He thinks Julian missed his bus.

Portia doesn’t know what makes her more furious; Cyrus speaking to Trina in the first place, or giving her false hope. They saw her dad’s injuries. They were there when he died. Trina says her dad asked her to get him some candy, and she was only gone a few minutes. She wasn’t in the room when he – quote – died. Portia says she got to say goodbye, but Trina says she knows there are drugs that can simulate death. Portia asks her to stop and listen to herself. Someone had to administer those drugs, and plan to transport him somewhere. She knows the staff; they’re good people. She doesn’t believe they’d join a conspiracy to inflict as much pain as possible, especially on Trina. Trina says, they might, if they thought they were doing the right thing, and Portia asks if Trina really thinks her dad would do this; cause her to suffer like this? Trina asks why Portia can’t believe he’s possibly alive, and Portia says, because there are so many reasons not to believe it. Think about it. Why lie? What good would it do him? Trina says just because she doesn’t know the reason, doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Portia says she does know Cyrus, and he’s not a man to be trusted. Since he set foot in this town, he’s been one thing – a liar – and he’s about to get what’s coming to him.   

Back at the station, Mac says Taggert needs to tell him who helped him fake his death. Taggert says he did it by himself, and Mac says, that’s BS, and Taggert knows it. He wants answers. Taggert says he has one word – lawyer.

Jordan tells Curtis, if he needs assistance, she can make a call, but he says, give Laura time to work her magic. She says, what if Laura can’t handle it? and he says he gave Laura a burner phone. One text or call, and he’ll be there. Does Jordan need something? She says she always needs him, but it can wait. He gets a text from Laura saying she’s trapped in Florence’s bathroom.

Martin says, hello, mama. It’s been far too long since his last visit. He’s sorry, but once a week is all he can manage to travel to Vermont, especially in winter. That doesn’t make him much of a son. Lord knows, after what she’s been through, she deserves better. He brushes her hair back from her face, and says he brought her something to celebrate her birthday. He hopes she appreciates how hard it was dealing with Yankee bakers who looked cross-eyed at him when he asked for hummingbird cake. They kept trying to sell him something gluten free. He wishes he had an Old Fashioned to go with it, but tap water will have to do. Laura comes out of the bathroom, and says she hopes there’s enough for three.

In the car, Jason says Julian is at the bus station, unless he’s on the bus. His ticket would be in the system. Sonny wonders if he was desperate enough to buy one with a credit card. There are surveillance cameras at the station, and if they can track Julian, Cyrus can do the same thing. Jason says Brick gave them a good head start, and Sonny hopes so. Cyrus isn’t going to let this go. He knows Julian ties him to the bomb at The Floating Rib.   

Julian insists the guy’s watch is fast. He only closed his eyes for a minute. The guy says, the Montreal bus is gone, but Julian can catch one in the morning at 10. Julian says he can’t wait. He needs to get out of town tonight. When does the next bus leave? The guy says the only one left is the one he’s on, but it’s usually sold out. We see a dude with a gun watching Julian from behind a column. Julian says he’ll buy the guy’s ticket. How much does he want? $200? $300? The guy says, the ticket costs $84, and it’s going to Roanoke. Julian doesn’t care. How much does he want? The guy says Julian doesn’t look good. Has he seen a doctor recently? Julian says he’s got to put distance between him and New York.

Chase asks if this is how it’s going to be. It’s not a civil conversation. Michael says it sounds like Chase wants to get off the hook, and be forgiven, but Chase says he just wants to talk it through. Michael says, when Sasha came up with this idiotic plan, Chase had plenty of opportunity to include them, but didn’t say anything. When Nelle was no longer a threat, he still said nothing. Chase says he couldn’t tell Michael at the beginning. The plan only worked if they didn’t know the truth. Michael and Willow got married because they put Wiley first, and that’s what the judge saw. Nelle’s had a phony marriage to Julian, and everybody knew they were faking, but Michael and Willow weren’t. They both love Wiley, and it came through. Michael says that didn’t give Chase a free pass, and Chase says it wasn’t a normal custody case; they weren’t fighting over which daycare to put Wiley in. Did he honestly think Wiley would still be safe if he hadn’t married Willow? Michael says he doesn’t know, but neither does Chase.  Chase says, whether Michael wants to admit it or not, there would have been nothing worse than watching Nelle walk away with his son. Michael asks if Chase wants him to say thanks for managing his life, and Chase says, no. He just wants a shot at getting his friend back.

Martin asks Laura what on earth she’s doing in his mother’s bathroom, and she says they’ll get to that. What’s in a hummingbird cake? He says, banana and pineapple, with cream cheese frosting. Why is he answering her when she’s an uninvited guest? She says she heard him say he was going to get water from the bathroom, and thought it was less likely to give him a heart attack if she just came out. He thanks her for thinking of his health. As an attorney, he also appreciates an artful dodge. What exactly is she doing there? Did she just wander in by mistake? Is she a patient, and if so, are her constituents aware of what brought her there? Curtis walks in, and says Martin is going to need to forget he saw Laura. Only a few people know she’s there, and that’s how it’s going to stay.   

Jason asks how Sonny wants to do this, and Sonny says, in a perfect world, they’d go up to Julian, escort him to the car, and take him back to Port Charles. Jason says they know there are security cameras, so maybe he should go in alone, in case Julian does something stupid. Sonny says, that’s why he pays Diane a fortune for retainer. If something goes wrong, she sorts it out. Jason asks, what if Julian runs again? and Sonny says, they’ll stop him.

On the phone, Jordan leaves a message for Carly, saying Carly did her a favor, and she’s returning it. Something happened that forced Taggert’s hand, and he’s in police custody. Carly needs to pass the information along to whoever helped him. Mac may have no choice but to follow-up, and they might want to seek legal representation just in case. Mac comes out, and tells Jordan, Taggert isn’t talking and he’s lawyering up. Portia comes in with Trina, and tells Jordan, Cyrus accosted her daughter after she told him multiple times to stay away. Mac asks if she was hurt, and Trian says, no, but Portia says they both know Cyrus had Trina’s father killed. Now Trina is convinced he’s still alive and they didn’t bury him, that they mourned and grieved for months for nothing. Jordan says she’ll speak to Cyrus, but Portia says she needs to do more than speak. One way or another, he’s been harassing her and her daughter for month. He needs to regret even thinking about her family. Jordan wholeheartedly agrees, but says, now is not the right time. Portia says, when? Taggert comes out, and says, after the reunion. Trina says, dad?

Trina asks if it’s really him, and Taggert says, hey, kiddo. Look at her. Does she ever stop growing? Trina flies into his arms, crying. Portia looks at Jordan.

Curtis says, this day gets stranger and stranger. He’s sorry he didn’t get back sooner, but there’s trouble back in Port Charles, and he had to dodge the night nurses. Laura says, it’s okay, and Martin says she hasn’t explained why she’s there. She tells him, it’s imperative that she speak to his mother, and he says, it couldn’t wait until regular visiting hours? As she can see, his mother is indisposed. She says, maybe he could answer some questions, and he says he could try, as long as she answers some of his. She says, sounds fair, and tells Curtis to go back to Port Charles. Jordan needs her husband, and she’s sure she’ll be just fine. Curtis asks how she can be sure, and Laura says, because of the way Martin talks to his mother.

Michael tells Chase, he wants his friend back too. Assuming Chase ever actually was a friend. If he’s being honest, he hasn’t had many close friendships, but he thought honesty was key. Chase says he’s sorry he hurt them, and it got rough for Sasha, but he’s not sorry that Michael got full custody. Everything worked out fine. Michael says, according to Chase. Sasha survived her OD, he got full custody of Wiley, and Chase got to play martyr, sacrificing his relationship with Willow. But a sacrifice doesn’t count if you’re planning on taking back the thing you gave up. Chase asks if the real reason Michael is angry is Willow.

Trina says she knew it. She told Josslyn and Cameron that she felt in her heart he was alive. Taggert says, and here he is. She says she missed him so much, and he says he missed her too. They hug again.

The guy asks if Julian is sick, but Julian says, no; he won’t catch anything. He has three kids, and if he doesn’t leave, he may never see them again. The guy says if Julian is in trouble, he can call 9-1-1, but Julian says the cops can’t help him, but he can. He can wait for next bus, right? Julian definitely can’t. How about it? $100 cash. The gunman comes out, and walks to a spot behind them, and the guy says, deal. Julian thanks him, and he says he hopes Julian gets the help he needs. The guy leaves, and Julian gets up. He limps away, and comes face to face with Jason. He turns around, and Sonny is there.

Julian says Sonny isn’t going to start shooting in a bus terminal, and Sonny says they know he planted the bomb. Don’t think he’s making a run for it. The gunman texts Cyrus that Jason and Sonny are there, and the reply is: ☠️ ☠️ ☠️ $$$. Sonny tells Julian not to do anything stupid, and the gunman shoots. 

Mac tells Jordan that Taggert’s family seemed startled, but they were in the interrogation room sorting things out. He thinks maybe the two of them need to discuss some things too. She says she needed a breath of fresh air, and ran into Trina sitting on the bench dedicated to the fallen heroes, thinking about her dad. Mac says, and by coincidence, Taggert was there too, but Jordan says, it was no coincidence. He was keeping an eye on Trina. Mac says, he can’t say he blames Taggert. If he knew Trina was a target, but it was a bad idea. He wonders why Jordan doesn’t seem as phased as he is that a dead man has risen from the grave.

Trina says she can’t believe Taggert is there. She has to pinch herself to make sure she’s not dreaming. He says, it’s as real as it gets, and she says she can’t wait to tell Josslyn and Cameron that she was right, but how did Cyrus know he was alive? Why… He says, stop. He doesn’t want that man’s name coming out of her mouth. She asks how it happened. How is he here? They were told he died; they saw him. He says people tried to hurt him by hurting her. He was putting her safety in jeopardy, and her mom’s. Portia says, so he decided not to be around, and chose to fake his death? He says the only thing that matters is keeping her safe. Does Trina understand? She says she understands, but doesn’t understand why he couldn’t tell her.  

Laura asks if Martin’s mother is always… benumbed. He says, more often than not. She’s been in a declining state for a long time. Laura asks if his presence isn’t disturbing her, and he says, no more so than Laura prowling around. The staff gives her something at night to help her sleep more peacefully. He was hoping to get there tonight before it was administered, but he was delayed. He can see it’s Laura’s first visit. She says she came looking for his mother, but didn’t know she’d declined. He says, don’t get him wrong. His mama is a tough old bird; tenacious, and also weary and lonely. Laura says, maybe he should visit more often, but he says his mother is pining for his father, who passed away years ago. She says, Gordon Grey, and he says, let’s see… The particulars of hummingbird cake and private family matters. He thinks he’s indulged her inquiries long enough. Why is she skulking around his mother? She says, it’s not his mother she has a relationship with, but his father. Or should she say their father? Martin asks if she’s inferring they’re related in some way, and she says she’s his half-sister.   

Michael tells Chase, it’s about all of them. Chase and Sasha made decisions about their lives. Chase says, it was always for Wiley, and Michael says, that may be right. They all know how vindictive Nelle was, and desperate times call for desperate measures, but there’s also a cost. Sasha turned to drugs to numb the pain, and nearly died. He and Willow didn’t just pretend to be married; they shared those vows and their lives for months, and their feelings deepened. Their marriage became more real than they’d intended, and how Chase is saying call it off? Just kidding. Chase has been devoted the entire time. Call a reset and go back the way they were. Is that what Chase wants to say? Chase says he gets it; he screwed up. But he’s admitted it and apologized. What does Michael want him to do? Say he’ll never see Willow again? Michael says, talk is an empty gesture. He has no intention of taking away Chase’s choices like Chase did to them. Chase says, if there’s nothing he can do to repair the friendship, say the word. Michael tells him, stop. Take a breath. Chase does, and Michael puts his hand on Chase’s shoulder, then kicks him in the nuts. Chase doubles over, and Michael says, it would have been worse if he hadn’t taken a breath.

Martin says Laura is his half-sister? and she says it’s a readjustment for her too. She thinks she’ll be adjusting for a long time to come. She takes it from his reaction that Gordon never mentioned her existence. He says his parents were never ones to dwell on the past. She says she doesn’t think Gordon dwelled on her at all, but he doesn’t seem all that surprised. He says he’s staggered that the mayor is his half-sister, but in a general sense, it’s not entirely unexpected. His father was never overly concerned about obeying his wedding vows. He had a wandering eye, and it did horrible things to his mother’s self-esteem. She says, they never got a divorce? and he says, ‘til death do us part. His mother took it seriously. Laura guesses she’s a production of his dad’s wandering eye. She’d heard many years ago that Gordon died, and assumed his mom dead. He says she spread rumors of her own demise. She had a flair for the dramatic. Apparently, Laura is no stranger to that either. He caught her lurking in his mother’s room. What exactly is her plan? Why the sudden, random track down of her father and his wife? What could she possibly want with his mother?

Julian ducks behind some lockers, while Sonny and Jason have a shootout with Cyrus’s dude. Julian tries to jet, and Sonny tells Jason that he’s going after him. Jason continues to shoot.   

Mac says, the way he sees it, word is going to spread in the justice department. Taggert is safer in a jail cell. Jordan says Mac will have to charge him, and Mac says, with what? Pretending to be dead to save lives?

Trina asks if that’s why Taggert sent her to get candy. So he had time to fake his own death and convince people to help him, and go into hiding? He says he knows she suffered, but it had to be a secret from everyone. She says, even her? and he says, if he let her in on it, she would have had to pretend her whole life. Pretend to be sad and in mourning around her mom and friends at school; everywhere. Cyrus had people watching her, so her grief had to be real for her own safety. She tells him, so what saying is he didn’t trust her enough to tell her the truth? He says, of course (🍷) he trusts her, but some things are too big to ask. Trina says she, her Aunt Gia, and her mom stood around the casket in Texas, and watched it go into the ground. She learned to live without a father, and felt guilty about going to the vending machine, and not being there when he supposedly died. She felt awful that she’d abandoned him in his last moments. Now he’s telling her it was all part of his plan. He says, it wasn’t supposed to be like that. He hated it. Trina starts to leave, and Taggert follows, but Portia stops him. She tells him, leave Trina alone or she’ll make him wish he’d stayed dead.

Chase says, at first, he thought Michael was going to kiss him godfather style. Michael says, only when he’s betrayed in business. Is Chase going to live? Chase says, yeah, but he probably won’t be singing the guy’s part at the Nurses Ball next year. Michael says, it was a bush league thing, and Chase says, what Michael did, or what he did? Michael says, what Chase did, and a little bit him. Chase says, but it doesn’t make them even, does it? and Michael says, no, it doesn’t. There are too many unanswered questions and mixed feelings, but it’s a start. He throws Chase a bag of ice, and says, it will help.  

Taggert tells Portia she needs to look after their daughter, and keep her safe. She says he doesn’t need to tell her about her job. She’s been taking care of Trina all of Trina’s life, while he was playing hero. She’ll continue when he takes on his new role as prisoner. He asks Trina if she’s all right, and she says, not really. Portia suggests they go home and talk it through. Taggert tells Trina, wait. He loves her. Trina and Portia leave, and Jordan tells Taggert that she and Mac agree, the safest place for Taggert is in a cell in Port Charles. He says, fine, and goes with Mac. Curtis walks in, and says, Taggert? Mac says he’ll let Curtis’s wife fill him in, and Jordan and Curtis look at each other.

Jason and Cyrus’s dude continue shooting at each other. Jason moves closer and closer, ducking behind things, until he’s behind the guy. Dude turns around, and Jason shoots him. He falls, and Jason checks his pulse, then looks around.

Julian opens a gate, leading to a footbridge. He leans on the railing, and Sonny comes up behind him. Sonny says, no more running, Julian. It ends right now.

Martin asks why Laura sought out their mother now? She says she was curious about Florence’s connection to Cyrus, the Chairman of GH, and drug trafficker. Martin says, alleged, and she says, up until a month ago, Florence was in a private home that was heavily guarded. Now she’s there, where it’s heavily guarded. She guesses both were paid for by Cyrus, which kind of leads her to wonder whether his mother is Cyrus’s prisoner. Martin asks if it strikes her as a prison, and she says, trust her. Prisons come in all shapes and sizes. Martin says he can promise she isn’t being held against her will. Laura wishes she could say she was relieved, but then, what’s the connection? Why was Cyrus paying for her care?

Cyrus walks in with a bouquet of flowers, and says, because she’s his mother too.  

Tomorrow, Laura says Cyrus knew all along, Curtis asks if Jordan knew about Taggert being alive, and Sonny tells Julian that it’s his big chance to live.

🎥 Nice handheld camera work during the shootout.

Southern Charm

Craig paid a visit to Austen, and Austen told Craig about going to the store to buy his own beer. He thought it was cool, and we saw a clip of him bragging to the cashier, who seemed less than impressed. In his interview, he said he’s been working on canning his beer since covid started. It was a long process, and he didn’t know why Madison refused to see the strides he’d made. He was disappointed she’d given up. Craig told Austen that Taylor wasn’t happy with Shep, and told him not to talk to her. We flashed back to her telling Craig that she wasn’t a happy camper.  

Shep called Taylor, saying he heard she was covid free. He asked if she was upset with him, and she told him that she’d had to take a step back; she wasn’t in the right headspace. Why is this hippy-dippy word so popular suddenly? Whenever I hear it, I feel like I should put on a fringed vest and love beads. She said Shep had been insensitive. It was kind of scary, and she’d felt he palmed her off on Craig. Shep said in her last text to him, she called him trash, and told him to f*** off, but he thought maybe he was handling things wrong. In his interview, he said he’d been single a long-ass time, and was selfish. It was an adjustment. He told Taylor that he thought it would be better when they saw each other in person. 

Austen told Craig he was happy that he was in quarantine because of the drama, and Madison had gone to sh*t. Madison went to Patricia’s mansion house, where they socially distanced on the porch while Michael served wonderful drinks and snacks. Madison wondered if her embellished headband was too much, but Patricia told her you can never be over-educated or overdressed according to Oscar Wilde. It was her mantra. Madison guessed she was the only person Patricia had seen outside of her own household, and Patricia said that was only because Michael couldn’t do a blowout. Leva called, and said she was in the process of opening the restaurants again, and Patricia asked her to come over. She and Madison were having cocktails and sitting ten feet away from one another. Leva said she was on her way. Madison told Patricia that she’d put her foot down, and ended it for good with Austen. Patricia wondered why it was different this time, and Madison said she’d expected Austen to be an adult and a provider, but she didn’t see him wanting to do that in any capacity. In her interview, she said she wasn’t going to look like this forever. She was in her prime, and thought Austen should waste someone else’s time. Patricia said it was like As the World Turns Charleston.

Austen told Craig the beer thing had taken a while, but Madison gave him no credit. Craig said that was because she didn’t like Austen anymore, but still had control over him. Austen was doing things for her, not himself. Austen said it was always confusing. When he’d start to think it over, she’d send him a text. Craig said he was Madison’s fallback, and if he didn’t do a hard stop, it would be impossible to move on, but Austen said he couldn’t quit Madison.

Leva joined Patricia and Madison, and said between virus breakouts and protests, she’d opened and closed the restaurants so many times. Every time someone tested positive, the staff had to be tested again, quarantined, and everything sanitized. In her interview, she said when they’d opened he restaurants, the last thing she was thinking was global pandemic. The past few months had been a sh*t show. Michael brought out extra crispy (no doubt homemade) potato chips and caviar. Patricia said it was déclassé to have caviar on blinis; it was eaten on chips now. Leva talked about the monkey emoji, and said Kathryn had been reaching out to her; she wanted to get together. She believed Kathryn was probably thinking she’d be the most offended, which she found offensive. She was tired of Kathryn’s baby voice saying she didn’t know any better, and said Kathryn wasn’t a kitten stuck in a tree.

Kathryn joined Craig and Austen, and Craig asked if Kathryn had talked to any of the group. She told him that she’d had a FaceTime call with Leva, and thought it went well. She felt like it was difficult not to tell her side, but they knew she wasn’t that way. In Kathryn’s interview, she said in her thought process, monkeys had nothing to do with Black people, but apparently, it didn’t sit well, and that was the main thing. She told Craig and Austen that Leva had said she needed to reach out to her girlfriends or she’d end up alone, but she had reached out. Her last message to Danni was asking if Danni was ever going to respond. She’d gone to Danni’s house, and Danni had flipped on her. We flashed back to that visit, and Kathryn said they’d never had an issue. She had no idea there was a problem. Craig wondered if Kathryn had been distancing herself, and Kathryn said, when people didn’t need you anymore, they quickly flipped.

Leva said she didn’t support cancel culture, but Kathryn needed to read a book, and focus on herself – educationally, not in a narcissistic capacity. Madison said she wasn’t closing the door, but Patricia said they’d protected Kathryn for the last few years, and walked on eggshells because of her sobriety. Then came the lies about Cameron – we flashed back to Kathryn saying she heard Jason was having an affair – and the emoji business. That was it for her. In Patricia’s interview, she said she didn’t want to talk about Kathryn or with her. She wanted nothing to do with it. She’d had her fill. She said Kathryn should be put in Siberia, but she was still protected by the guys, and Leva said Kathryn had apologized and said she wanted to do better. They’d see how it goes. It could be a bomb, or Kathryn could be a rising phoenix, but it was on her.

Whitney thought Patricia’s house was getting to be Grey Gardens, with the dogs making poopy on the carpet. I’ll say it again, dog poop is the great equalizer. They will poop on your carpet no matter how much money you have. Patricia said Whitney was semi-housetrained. He told her that Craig and Austen had tested negative, and it was a positive thing, then laughed at his own joke. Patricia said, initially, she was going to have a fancy gourmet dinner for the guys, and had talked to a French chef. Now, with the pandemic, she didn’t want people in the house. Both she and Michael were 200 years old, and they were being careful. Instead of the dinner, she’d decided to keep it casual, and have a low country crab feast by the pool.

In John’s interview, he said his ex was coming for a visit, and he told the boys to act like they had rules. In their agreement, Heidi had the first six weeks of summer, and could visit for 5 days when it was his six weeks, and she stayed with them. He told the boys that their mom was going to be rolling up any minute, and they were acting like crackheads. When Heidi got there, the first thing she did was ask John if he let them scream like that, and in his interview, a producer asked John who was the more strict parent. He said, their mom, 1000%. They tell him when bedtime is. Since they have a limited time, he’s lenient to a fault. Heidi asks the boys if they have any rules, and they tell her, no. In John’s interview, he says they’ve been co-parenting for four years, and it’s been quite a journey. Heidi is one of his best friends, which was weird for him to say. He wished they had a normal upbringing with two parents. Heidi told him not to be too hard on himself. He was doing fine.

Taylor went to Shep’s house, and he apologized. He said he’d talked to his therapist, and she was on Taylor’s side. She said his points might be valid, but he couldn’t state them that way. In Shep’s interview, he said he’d been callous about them being apart, and had trivialized Taylor’s needs and wants. He has to understand, not everyone responds to the same stimuli, and her emotions are valid, He cared for her a lot, and had to change his tune and try to be sensitive, as well as reasonable. Taylor told him, welcome to adulthood. In his interview, he said he knew he’d be a dumbass if he screwed it up. He loves her. They cuddled, and she told him she was going to want three days’ worth.

Michael and Patricia covered the outside table with newspapers, and Patricia said it was down home and low country. Michael said he thought the boys would appreciate low country, and she hopes they were totally safe. Still, she wanted them as far away from her as possible.

Austen called Craig, and asked if they were getting hammered today. Austen said he hadn’t seen John since he’d been inappropriate regarding Madison, and we flashed back to John talking about how hot Madison is in front of Austen. Shep told John that Austen had heard the chatter about him hitting baseballs with Madison and her son. She was calling it a break-up, and John should bang her and drive the final nail in the coffin. John said he only talked a good game.   

Shep and John showed up to Patricia’s wearing masks, and when they saw masked bartender Maddie, Shep said it was life in the time of covid. John and Whitney elbow bumped, and Whitney said he thought Shep would have a muffin top, but he was looking svelte. Craig picked Austen up in a golf cart, and told Austen that Patricia wasn’t for him being with Madison. Craig said he loved Patricia, but she was nasty. Austen said she was old, with not much to do, and she was bored AF. They walked in bearing Austen’s beer, and everyone seemed happy to see each other. In Austen’s interview, he said he and John were a work in progress, but he’d  thought they were good. F*** him. Shep said he’d had Michael withdrawal. Patricia came out, and told them to keep away. She said it was a nice place to quarantine, and went to the bar. She asked for whatever beer wasn’t Austen’s and poured it into a glass so no one knew what she was drinking. She told they guys they could drink and jump in the pool, but she didn’t want anyone in the house, since it was sterile. They could pee in the bushes or pee in the pool. She didn’t care; go crazy. Craig said Patricia hadn’t had any entertainment in a while, and now they were the entertainment. She said they were the only people she knew who caught the virus. Austen brought up the playdate with Madison and son, and told John it was guy code. If he wanted to continue a friendship with Austen, Madison was off-limits romantically speaking. John admitted he’d been out of line with what he’d said, and was glad Austen had checked him, They bro hugged, but in John’s interview, he said he thought guy code was stupid. We’re not going to date again, but she’s mine. Shep asked where Austen and Madison stood, and Austen said they’d amicably parted ways. Patricia said she talked to Madison all the time, and she wanted to be friends. What was his issue? Craig said Madison was able to be just friends, but Austen was still in love with her, and not capable of that. John said it sounded like bitches night, and suggested they get in the pool. 

John told Shep that he’d been talking to Madison, and Craig said it was time for her to let Austen go. Austen told Patricia that he and Madison had broken up, and Patricia admitted she never thought they were a match. He wasn’t ready to be a stepdad and settle down, and she didn’t see it changing. Austen said he understood her perception, but Madison had chosen to follow her heart. You couldn’t tell someone not do that. Patricia said she did it. She didn’t think love trumped all, and you had to take other things into consideration. He said he wished he was ten years older, and had the means to provide for Madison, and Patricia said she’d found timing was everything in life. In Austen’s interview, he said he knew he was good enough for Madison, but he felt badly. He wondered if Patricia had ever been in love, or had it always been about the money. She told him that she was practical, and when she saw something didn’t work, she said something.

Madison met Craig at a lake, and they sat by the water. She told Craig that Austen was her best friend, but Craig said whenever she texted Austen, it reignited the flame. She wasn’t in love anymore, but Austen still was. He asked if she was in love with Austen, and she said that was a hard one. Craig said it wasn’t, and if she couldn’t say it, she definitely wasn’t in love. She said she wanted it to be Austen, but it wasn’t him. Craig said, if she cared about Austen, the nicest thing she could do, was walk away. Cut him out of her life. It was the only way it was going to work. Unfortunately, she had to walk away.

Next time, Kathryn is discussed among the women, Madison has a formal dinner on the beach, Kathryn asks if Danni still wants to be friends, and Madison and Austen have a shouting match.

✈️ Time To Jet…

Due to many interruptions today, I’m running very late, or way early, whichever side of the clock you look at it on. Tea time tomorrow, but for now, stay safe, stay literate, and stay not sleeping through your bus departure.

Dec15

December 14, 2020 – Obrecht Comes To Save Franco, Rachel Has Enough & Dolly’s Candy

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brando gets in the elevator with Sasha, and she says he’s starting to make it a habit. He says, what? and she says getting in her way. He tells her that he’ll make her a deal; he stays out of her way, if she stays out of his.

On the phone, Franco says he misses Elizabeth and loves her. For the first time in a while, he’s hopeful. He can heal, and they can put all this behind them. All thanks to Dr. Kirk.

In the office, Kirk lies there with the knife protruding from his chest. Scotty says, he can’t be dead, and Obrecht says, yet here he is, with a knife sticking out of his chest. Scotty says, it’s a small, little knife. Kirk was the only shot at saving Franco.

Sasha gets out of the elevator, and walks into the MetroCourt restaurant. Maxie thanks Sasha for meeting her, and Sasha says she’s glad to get back to work. Are they on track for the trunk show? Maxie says she has some bad news. The trunk show is off, and Sasha is out. Sasha says, in the hospital, Maxie said they were still partners, and Maxie says that was before she and Lucy met with the lawyers. Sasha is a liability.

Tracy calls 9-1-1, and says she needs help. Her friend is driving drunk. She gives them Alexis’s address, and asks them to hurry. She looks at Alexis, passed out in the car, and says she brought this on herself.

Britt goes to the MetroCourt, and sees Cyrus. She asks if he has a moment. He says, for his Chief of Staff, always, and she sits down. He asks what’s on her mind, and she says, the overages of the lab expenses are draining the hospital budget. He tells her, say no more. She has every right to know what he’s got cooking, so to speak.

Julian drops down into the alleyway, but on his way out, he’s confronted by Sonny, holding a gun. Sonny tells him not to go anywhere. They have a lot to talk about. Julian says, before Sonny kills him, let him explain some things. Sonny says he can try, and cocks the gun.

Maxie tells Sasha, in order to continue her partnership with Deception, the lawyers and insurance companies are going to need a few guarantees that she’s clean. Sasha promises she is, but Maxie says, unfortunately, she can’t just take Sasha’s word for it. She can’t risk Sasha showing up to a photo shoot or to work with drugs. People are already talking about why she was in the hospital, and she means industry gossip. People pay attention to a Lucy Coe endeavor, and if word gets out, they could lose their contracts. She knows it’s a lot of pressure, but it’s more than Sasha losing her job as a spokesmodel. It’s about losing the company the three of them worked so hard to build; the company that’s been Lucy’s dream since the 90s. Sasha says she knows Maxie can’t take her word, but she’s giving it anyway. She swears she’s finished with drugs. Deception means too much to her to risk losing it. Maxie says she and Lucy were hoping Sasha would say that. After some negotiating, they were able to get the lawyers to convince the insurance company to back down, as long as Sasha agrees to a few tweaks to her contract. Sasha says, anything, but Maxie says maybe she wants to hear them first.

Chase shows up, by Alexis’s car, and asks if anyone is hurt. Tracy says, they sent a detective? and he says he was in the neighborhood. Chase asks if Alexis can hear him, and Tracy is surprised they know each other. Alexis wakes up and asks what he’s doing there. He says, apparently, she drove her car off the road. She says she didn’t, but Tracy says she thought Alexis was going to kill herself.

Scotty tells Obrecht, don’t just stand there, fix him, and she asks how he expects her to do that. He says she’s a doctor. Get some paddles and zap him. She says, silence. The only thing this schwein needs now is a mortician or a taxidermist. He says, if she won’t do something, he’ll find someone who will, and she says, in a WSB facility? Where he just killed one of their top researchers and physicians? He says, it was an accident. The guy was accosting her, and he hit him with a left hook. She says, yes, but repeat that story in the Hague, and he’ll be sent to a WSB black site never to return. He says she was there and can vouch for him, but then says, what is he talking about? Who’s going to take her as a reliable witness? He’s going to be put in a hamster cage for the rest of his life. She says, a big expense to hold an ineffectual criminal, and he says, the guy is dead, isn’t he? She says, for that, she owes him her thanks, and suggests he remains silent while she figures out how to deal with the carcass, or they’ll both rot behind bars.

Cyrus says, while Britt was busy reorganizing the staff – a commendable job – he was working on another venture that might be profitable to the hospital. He became aware than Finn had developed a treatment for a rare, but lethal disease… Britt says, Blackwood, and he says, the point being, not only did the drug save lives, it also saved the hospital from financial ruin. He was determined to follow Finn’s example, and his researchers’ efforts weren’t in vain. She asks, what researchers, and what efforts? and he says, there’s a promising new pain medication, and thanks to some well-placed calls, it’s being expedited for a government review. She says, really, and he says he’d hoped for a more enthusiastic response. She says, a new medication is always a good thing, and he says, but…? She says, if the doctors at GH were found to be incentivizing a patient’s prescription, wouldn’t it put the hospital at risk?

Julian tells Sonny, everything he did, he did for Lucas, and Sonny asks if Lucas wanted Julian to plant a bomb. Julian says he’s not talking about the bomb. Sonny says they know he planted it, and Julian says Cyrus forced him. Sonny asks what Cyrus has on him, and Julian says Cyrus knew, like he did, how Sonny would react when Sonny found out he was keeping Wiley from Michael. That’s what he did for Lucas. He didn’t want to take Lucas’s son away from him. Sonny says, no, but he took Michael’s son away from him. Julian says, Brad did that, and Sonny says, so it’s not Julian’s fault at all. Julian says, why don’t they finish this? They both know how it’s going to end; two in the back, two in the head, or does Sonny want to just shoot him in the gut and watch him bleed out in the alley? Sonny says, that’s one option. Or he could take Julian to the police station, and have him explain how Cyrus ordered him to plant the bomb. Julian says, then Cyrus will kill him. Come on, let’s go. Sonny says the information Julian has is the only thing keeping him alive. Suddenly, a masked gunman pops out of nowhere, and Sonny ducks for cover.

Chase helps Alexis out of the car, and Alexis says she wasn’t driving; Tracy was. Tracy says, Alexis is right. She drove Alexis home and got her in the house. She was a little worse for wear. She couldn’t leave Alexis in that condition, so she went into the kitchen to make coffee. We see what she really did, moving Alexis to the driver’s seat. She says she couldn’t find the coffee, and when she came out to ask where it was, Alexis was gone. The car keys were gone, and the door was open. When she went outside, she saw Alexis pulling out of the driveway. That’s when she called 9-1-1. She ran out to see which direction Alexis went in, and saw she’d run off the road. She found Alexis passed out behind the wheel. Chase thanks her for the information, and asks Alexis if she’d like an ambulance. Alexis says, no, and tells him that she doesn’t remember anything Tracy said. Why would she get back in the car? Tracy says, maybe to buy more vodka. She was complaining all the bottles in the house were empty. Chase asks, what’s the last thing Alexis remembers? and Alexis says, Tracy drove her home; that’s it. He asks if she ever experienced a lapse of memory after drinking before, and Tracy asks if she blacked out again.

Scotty says, dammit! and Obrecht asks what’s wrong with him? He says, A, they have a dead guy over there, and B, she’s trying to concoct some evil masterplan. By the way, she’s taking her sweet time with it, and C, this guy was going to cure his son. Franco has these voices in his head that could be babbling there forever. He can’t believe this is happening. Franco knocks at Kirk’s office door, then tries it, but it’s locked. He asks if they’re okay. Inside, Obrecht tells Scotty that he has to do as she says. He tells her, that depends, and she tells him, take Franco and go back to the hotel; she’ll handle the body. Now go. Scotty comes out, and says he was looking for Franco. Franco says, in Dr. Kirk’s office? and Scotty says the architecture there is tricky. They need to get back; he has a big day tomorrow. Franco wonders why Scotty is shouting, and Scotty says Franco knows how he gets hopped up and carried away. He tells Franco that he’s going to be okay, and Franco says he can’t wait. Scotty says, let’s go.

Obrecht tells dead Kirk that no one lays a hand on her and gets to keep it. Now, what should she do with him?

Maxie says Sasha will have to agree to drug tests – regular and random – and only eat the food provided at photo shoots and meetings. Of course (🍷) they’ll totally get her whatever she wants. They just want to make sure nothing is slipped into her crudités or caviar. Sasha says Maxie doesn’t trust her, does she? but Maxie says she doesn’t trust the drugs. She knows about addiction. Sasha insists she’s not a drug addict, and Maxie says, Lucky was. He’s forever recovering in Africa now, but a long time ago, he was addicted. Sasha says, and Maxie helped him too? but Maxie says, not in the way Sasha means. She got him drugs, and he destroyed his career and family. She’s not letting drugs destroy another person she cares about like she let them destroy Lucky. Sasha says she appreciates that, and Maxie says, she will. Sasha says, the bottom line is, Maxie doesn’t trust her at all, but Maxie says she cares about Sasha. She’s Sasha’s friend, but as a partner, doesn’t trust her. Sitting at the bar, Brando watches both Sasha and Cyrus at another table. He flashes back to Cyrus telling him, addicts are easier to train and tame, but someone like Sasha is unpredictable. Brando tells him that he can handle her, and Cyrus says he hopes Brando does, and proves him wrong. Brando wanted responsibility, now he’s got it.   

Sonny and Jason have a shootout with the guy in the mask, who gets shot. Jason calls to Sonny, and Sonny asks if it’s all clear. Jason kicks the guy, and says, all clear. Sonny comes out, and says, where the hell is Julian? Jason checks the dead guy out, and Sonny asks if Jason recognizes him. Jason says, no, and he has no ID. Sonny says they don’t have to guess at who sent him. We hear sirens, and Sonny says, they’ve got to go. They jet.  

Cyrus tells Britt, certainly he can see her point. However, he believes becoming a pharmacological base for a new pain medication will add to the hospital’s prestige. He hands her some papers, and says, as she can see, his team has researched it. She says, it’s very thorough and detailed. It seems highly effective, but she doesn’t see much information on the side effects, and he says, that’s forthcoming. She tells him, to be clear, she’s all for less pain for the patients, and more money for the hospital. He says, so they’re in agreement, and she says, her priority is medical care, not the sale of drugs.

Maxie tells Sasha, if she needs more time… Sasha flashes back to Cyrus slipping her drugs at the MetroCourt, and her subsequently having a heart attack. She tells Maxie, yes, and Maxie says, yes, she needs more time? Sasha says, yes, she agrees to the protocol. Maxie asks if Sasha is sure, and Sasha says she told Maxie that she’s not a drug addict. It shouldn’t be a problem. Maxie says, theoretically, no, and Sasha says, if it’s what Deception needs to move forward, she’ll do it. She signs the agreement, and asks if they can talk about the trunk show now. Maxie says, one more thing. Sasha knows how this business is. People are always ready to gossip, and the tabloids are always unearthing a story. Sasha says, what story? What happened to her is nobody’s business. Maxie says, maybe not, but people will make it their business to dig to find a story, unless Sasha gets ahead of it. She should consider going public before anyone else does. She and Lucy will stand by her, and make her as comfortable as possible. Sasha says, a public shaming? and Maxie says, it’s going to come out anyway. Sasha says, it was one incident; she’s fine now. Maxie says, Sasha took drugs and they gave her a heart attack. It’s not fine. Sasha asks if it’s a deal breaker, and Maxie says, no. It’s up to Sasha. Sasha says, good, and Maxie says if she’d like to consider it and commit to getting healthy, she can do that by signing her new contract. Sasha signs, and asks, now can they please talk about the trunk show? Maxie says she’ll get on it. She’s sorry about this, but she’s Sasha’s friend, and cares about her. Sasha asks if Maxie minds if she takes a few moments. Maxie says, not at all, and Sasha gets up. Brando keeps an eye on her.  

Alexis tells Tracy, no, she did not black out, and Tracy asks how she can be sure. Alexis says she’s blacked out before, and it takes a hell of a lot more than three drinks. Tracy says she doesn’t know how many drinks Alexis had, and doesn’t think she knows either. Alexis says she does know. She had two before Tracy got there, and one after. Chase asks her to follow his pen with her eyes, but she says, nope. He asks if she’s refusing to follow the pen, and she says, if he’s asking her to take part in a sobriety test, she declines. He says he’s sure she’s aware it’s within her rights to decline, but there will be consequences.

Cyrus tells Britt, it may come as a shock… and she says, little shocks her; have at it. He says he agrees the priority is the well-being of patients, but the drugs will support that. Britt says, while making money? and he says, she, of all people, should appreciate the value in an opportunity dropped in one’s lap. She says, rest assured, she appreciates the chance he gave her. He says he needed the right person for a difficult job, and there she was. She says, and here she still is. He says he knew they’d see eye to eye, and thanks her for being generous with her time. He’s sure she has somewhere else to be. She laughs, and says apparently, she does. She’s not sure what business he thinks he’s in, but she’s in the business of saving lives. She gets up, and walks off.

Tracy tells Alexis, she can consent to rehab. She could dry out, out west, away from the pressures of Port Charles. Alexis says, from the look of things, she doesn’t think she’ll be able to leave the jurisdiction. Chase asks for Alexis’s license, and asks if she still refuses the sobriety test. She says she does, and he says he has no choice but to confiscate her license. Tracy asks how that’s going to help, and Chase says Alexis is under arrest for suspicion of a DWI.

Scotty paces in the hotel room, when there’s a knock on the door. Franco says, he’ll get it, but Scotty tells him, wait. Before he answers the door, he wants Franco to know that he’s really important to him. He cares about Franco. Franco asks who Scotty thinks is on the other side, and Scotty says, it could be anyone. Franco says he knows Scotty is nervous, but Dr. Kirk seems to have it together. Relax, and let the doctor do his job. Franco opens the door, and it’s Obrecht. Scotty asks what brings her by, and she says, what else? She has come to save Franco; to cure his unfortunately distressed and traumatized brain. Franco says, cool. Not that he doesn’t appreciate it, but he has a meeting with Dr. Kirk tomorrow. She says, Dr. Kirk is no longer available. It seems Franco’s fate rests entirely in her hands.

Sasha sees Cyrus, and sits with him. She says she believes she owes him an apology. He says he can’t imagine for what, but he’s intrigued. She says she’s sorry for running off on him last night, and he says he got held up himself with sudden business with the mayor. She says she’d love to make it up to him if he’ll give her another chance, and he says she has a habit of storming in and out of his life, which makes the prospect of knowing her better even more intriguing. Brando grabs Sasha’s arm and tells her to come with him. Cyrus says, that’s not how you treat a lady, and Brando says he caught her searching Cyrus’s apartment for drugs. She said she blames him for her heart attack. Cyrus says, how disappointing, and Brando says, don’t worry. He’ll make sure knows not to bother him again.

Cyrus tells Brando, he’s sure Sasha got the message. He doesn’t know what she thought she could do to him, but she’s way out of her depth. He suggests she go back to playing dress-up. There’s less chance of getting hurt. She pushes past Brando, and Cyrus thanks Brando for his loyalty, and timing. Now is the perfect time to be in his good graces. The tension of the past month is coming to an end, and ahead lies prosperity. Cyrus’s phone rings, and he asks, what’s the problem?  

Britt asks Maxie if she minds if she joins her, and Maxie says, not at all. Britt sits down, and Maxie says, Peter is loving having her in Port Charles. Britt says, that explains her invitation to the wedding. Does Maxie want her to send her regrets? Maxie says, Peter wants her there, so she does too. Family is about acceptance, and like it or not, they’re about to be family. Britt says, which brings her to her nephew. Is there any universe where Maxie would feel comfortable about her seeing James? Maxie says she’ll have to think about that, and Britt says, with her mother in prison, James is her only connection to Nathan. Maxie says she and Peter are committed to keeping Nathan’s memory alive for James, and Britt says she’d like to help. Even though James is a toddler, he must miss his oma. Maxie is sure Obrecht misses James too. He brought out the softer side of her, and they formed an Obrechtian bond. Unfortunately, that bond was broken. It’s probably a good thing Obrecht is in Steinmaur. She doesn’t want to tell Obrecht that she’s marrying Peter and having his child. Britt says, her head would explode.  

Franco tells Obrecht, he doesn’t understand; Kirk just agreed to treat him. Scotty asks, what happened? and Obrecht says, unfortunately, Kirk was sent on urgent WSB business far, far away. Scotty says he could have called, but she says, his reassignment was as sudden as it was unexpected. She’s certain if he could have called, he would have. Franco says he’ll see Kirk when he gets back. He’s coming back, right? Obrecht tells him, who can say? and Franco says, Kirk was kind of his last hope. Obrecht says, look at her and smile. He’s happily mistaken. He says, about…? and she says she took the liberty of perusing his file. She’s certain she can help him. Franco says, that’s generous, but he couldn’t possibly accept it, the way he treated her. She says, fortunately, she’s inclined toward forgiveness, and he says, no offense, but since when is neuropsychology her specialty? She says she has many specialties, and Scotty says, they’re talking about his son’s brain. He’s not letting her mess around with that. She reminds him that before moving to Port Charles, she was director of something-in-German. Scotty looks at Franco, who says he’s got nothing. She says, a clinic to heal the mind. She knows her way around the brain. His file says he’s having potential complications from the memory transfer being reversed. Tell her what happened. Franco says he hears things in his head; other people. She says, disembodied voices? and he says, kind of. It’s not random. It’s more like eavesdropping. Like he’s listening to part of a conversation other people would understand.   

Chase reads Alexis her rights, and asks if she understands them. She says it hasn’t been that long since she was disbarred, and he asks again if she understands them. She says she does, and asks if he’s sure he wants to do this. He says she was in the driver’s seat of a car driven off the road, and she says, maybe she got tired and pulled over. He says they both heard what Tracy said, and without taking a field sobriety test, she’ll be given one at the station. Tracy says, and they’ll send her to rehab, right? but Chase says, if it’s under .8 she’ll be charged with a DWAI, driving while ability impaired, but if it’s .8 or higher, she’ll be charged with a straight-up DWI. 

Maxie tells Britt, despite Obrecht’s unique personality, she decide to keep Obrecht in James’s life; she’s his grandma. She knew Nathan’s death was hurting Obrecht as much as it was her. She’d thought Obrecht was unfeeling, and that she’d been proved wrong. Unfortunately, Obrecht can’t stop blaming Britt’s other brother for what happened. Peter bent over backward to be accommodating, when Obrecht had literally broken his arm, and left him in a burning stable to die. Instead of retaliating, Peter gave her a column in The Invader, and gave her respectability, but she couldn’t let go of blaming him for her crimes. Maxie had to choose between Obrecht and the man she loved. Obrecht lost.

Obrecht tells Franco, they all get stymied, even her. When she’s stuck about a column, what does she do? Anything else, and then poof! the solution comes to her. He’s been distracted long enough. What’s the first thing that comes to his mind. Schnell! He says, Drew, and she says, his dearest friend besides her. What about him? He says he was talking to Kirk as Kirk went through his file, and the doctor thought he wasn’t hearing voices, but one of Drew’s memories. His brain wasn’t super scrubbed after all. She asks if the voice he’s hearing is Drew’s, but he says, no; Peter August’s.  

Tracy tells Alexis that she’ll wait for the tow, but Alexis says, leave it. They should have taken her license away long ago. Let the forest reclaim it. Tracy asks if there’s anyone she can call, but Alexis says, don’t bother. No one cares.

Sasha sits at the bistro, and remembers Brando hustling her out of Cyrus’s apartment, and telling her, stay away for her own good. Her phone rings, and it’s Brando, who asks if she’s okay. She says, after he told a drug kingpin that she was ransacking his apartment for evidence to put him away? Thanks. He asks if she’s alone, but she says, it’s none of his business; stay out of it. Brando asks Cyrus is anything is wrong, and Cyrus says, it’s just a loose end. Nothing he can’t handle. Brando asks if something happened.

At a bar in Brooklyn, Sonny tells Jason, the last time he was there, he was with his dad, who almost died. Jason says Cyrus is shooting at them again, but Sonny says he’s pretty sure Cyrus wasn’t after him. Jason asks if he means Julian, and Sonny says, Cyrus knows Julian is alive. He’s going to be desperate to shut Julian up. Jason wonders if Julian will admit he planted the bomb on Cyrus’s orders, and Sonny says, if Julian was smart, he would have never gotten involved in the first place. If Julian doesn’t give up Cyrus, Sonny is going to kill him, not Jason. He’s going to line up the shot and pull the trigger.

Tomorrow, Martin tells Valentin it’s not going to stay private, Violet is worried about not being the flower girl, Finn needs to say something, and Laura asks Curtis if it’s time to go to Plan B.

Below Deck

The captain calls Shane to the bridge and tells him, have a seat. They need to have a conversation. Captain Lee says, the learning curve is steep, and Shane says, it’s crazy. The captain says he thinks Shane underestimated the amount of work, and then had no time to catch up. Eddie says Shane is a good guy, but sleeping in – we flash back to that – naps in the middle of clean-ups – we flash back to that too – and this morning, missing the alarm. It was the final straw. Captain Lee says, unfortunately, the time has come to part company. Shane isn’t getting it done for him. He wants Eddie to help Shane to get his stuff together, and he’ll have someone take Shane to the airport. In Shane’s interview, he says he feels empty, like a vacuum sucked everything out of him. He was giving everything he had to give, but it’s not enough. He tells the captain that he learned a lot, and in Captain Lee’s interview, he says he takes no pleasure in firing anyone, but there’s no trophy for participation in yachting. It’s not all fun and games.

36 hours later. Rachel says, it’s disgusting and despicable, so no. She’d like a flight home. The captain asks why don’t they don’t talk to them, and Rachel says, go f*** yourself.

Back to earlier, Eddie tells Francesca about Shane leaving, and in her interview, she says he’s not surprised. He wasn’t up to par experience-wise, and if you don’t cut it, you don’t cut it. The captain calls James to get Shane’s surfboard out. Elizabeth asks Francesca what she thinks, and Francesca says, it’s a shame Shane is leaving, but the captain said everyone has to pull their weight, and he’s not pulling his weight. Ashling says goodbye to Shane, and in her interview, says, Shane should have stepped it up, but he’s a sweetheart. We flash back to Shane being just that, and she says, it’s really hard. Shane says goodbye to Izzy and James, then Ashling (again) and Francesca. Francesca goes to the galley, and asks if Rachel wants to say goodbye, but Rachel says she’s good. He’s a nice guy, but you make your bed, you lie in it. In her interview, she says she doesn’t want to lie, and say he’s so amazing, and a wonderful human being. Best of luck. Effing don’t let the past hit you in the ass. Eddie says he’ll miss Shane in a lot of ways, and in Shane’s interview, he says, it’s not fun getting fired. If he had it to do over again, he’d do it differently. He’d study more and learn his knots. He’s heading to the closest beach, and overall chalks this up to a success… except for sleeping… and the logs… and the fenders… and the docking. He leaves, and I yell, Shane! Come back, Shane!  

Eddie tells Elizabeth that Shane couldn’t change his work ethic, and she says she’s been there. Eddie says Shane was sleeping when he was off the boat, and taking naps when he shouldn’t. Francesca comes to get Elizabeth, and Elizabeth tells Eddie, it’s not as if she was just sitting around. Izzy tells James that she used his Comet, and he says they share everything now. It’s like they’re married, but not happily. Eddie joins them, and says, when the captain talks about them not working to their full potential, he’s talking about the deck crew. In Eddie’s interview, he says he’s in a funk. He never wants to lose a crew member, and it reflects on him as a bosun. Someone he looks up to is watching his team fail miserably. He tells James and Izzy that he doesn’t want to get in the middle of their weird relationship. He’s tired of getting yelled at, and hopes they are too. He’s just going to grab a brush and help them clean. Rachel texts with Vincenzo, and tells Francesca that 90% of her stress is missing her boyfriend. Francesca says she can be Rachel’s boyfriend. In a non-sexual way. In Rachel’s interview, she says she and Vincenzo have been together a year. He can handle her; he’s like the Rachel whisperer. It’s the first time she’s had a relationship with someone on land since she started her career. It’s hard to be away from him. She tells Francesca that he helps her keep her sh*t together. Eddie wonders why James is taking so long. The captain calls Executive Crew Replacement, and Francesca radios Ashling and Elizabeth to meet her in the Sky Lounge.  

Francesca tells them that she wanted to do a de-briefing of the last charter. She thinks it went well, and they performed better as a team. Ashling is killing it in laundry, with a smile. She asks to talk to Elizabeth privately, and Ashling leaves. She tells Elizabeth, the guests are the most important thing. When service is down, it reflects on her. Last night was an example. She told Elizabeth to check on the guests every 10 minutes. We flash back to when they hadn’t seen a stew in nearly an hour, and a guest telling Francesca, they’re dying upstairs. Francesca says it’s the reason she’s staying up, and she shouldn’t have to. Elizabeth promises to be on top of things, and Francesca tells her, there are ashtrays, ice buckets, and some other loose ends from the last charter going on. In her interview, Francesca says, she’s trying to get second stew out of Elizabeth, but it’s not happening, and her patience is growing down. She tells Elizabeth, part of being a stew is being proactive. In Elizabeth’s interview, she says there are things she needs to work on and get better at. Francesca is a Gemini, and has two sides. She needs to figure out how to please both sides. She tells Ashling, there are only so many of them to do every little thing.

The deck crew finishes up, and the crew is ready to party. They get dressed, and James finds Izzy crying in her bunk. She tells him that she’s just tired, and it’s her way of letting out stress. In her interview, she says she tried hard to do well, and put any issues aside, but she feels terrible. She’s still being told she could be fired. She wonders if they’re chewing through the crew, and James tells her, no one is sacking her. In Izzy’s interview, she says, she was the youngest growing up, and she’s still her parents’ baby. When they split up, she was 17, and felt broken. She got depressed and anxious. She was out of control, and when things get to crumbling, she’s an anxious mess. Eddie asks if she’s coming, and she says she’s good. Everyone finishes getting ready, and Rachel says her goal for the evening is to get wasted. She’s stoked. James says, when Sunshine went, the vibe went hostile. Elizabeth says she’s bitten her tongue for so long, she doesn’t have one. It’s bleeding out of her soul. <insert eye roll here>

They go to a restaurant, and get espresso martinis. Rachel says, they keep you up and drunk AF. Francesca says it feels weird that Shane isn’t there, but Eddie says he feels good about the team; it can only get better. Elizabeth babbles at James, and he tells her that she’s getting spiritual, and losing him. She says her goal is not to lose him, and says he can be physical and spiritual. In his interview, he says, this is getting deep, but I think it’s more like Elizabeth is getting drunk. She asks if she’s too much for him, and he says she just blew his mind. Francesca asks if Rachel is okay, and Rachel says she just wants to have a life. She loves Vincenzo. Eddie says she’s all right, but in Rachel’s interview, she says she just wants to be with her boyfriend, and it sucks. Eddie tells her, it’s just a few weeks, and in her interview, she says, it would be amazing to have children. She cries, and says Vincenzo makes her feel calm and collected. He’s her best friend, and she just wants to see him. The crew has to be up at 8 am, so they head back to the boat.   

In the taxi, Eddie asks if Elizabeth wants to work on deck, and she says she’s trying not to get in her head. She’s been working hard, but Francesca called her in for a little chat. Rachel says, if she wants to be a yachtie, she has to suck it up. In Eddie’s interview, he says, Rachel is a different person when she’s drinking. It’s like a switch is flipped, and she’s dark and combative. Rachel keeps repeating, suck it up, along with a few other choice phrases, some of which I’ve never heard before.

James jumps rope on deck, and Rachel goes to see Eddie. She says, a lot of bullsh*t is happening in interior. He asks what that has to do with her, and she says she doesn’t know. Something else is happening, but she doesn’t know what. We flash back to her haranguing Elizabeth, and Eddie says if Rachel needs him, he’ll be there. She says he doesn’t have to, but he says he likes being there. Elizabeth virtually introduces James to her friends on her phone, and says he’s the only one up except her. Elizabeth apologizes for interrupting James’s workout, and Eddie tells Rachel, it’s his room now; go to her room. She tells him to s*ck her d*ck. Elizabeth tells James that she has a bad  taste in her mouth about the conversation with Francesca. In James’s interview, he says he’d like to know Elizabeth more. She’s his type of girl. They can have a laugh, and she doesn’t take things seriously. Sometimes it’s risky, but it’s a lot of fun. They hug, and go to their separate cabins.

8 am. Ashling asks if James’s hair is ready, and if he and Elizabeth had a smoochie, but he ignores her. Rachel comes into the crew mess, and Eddie asks how she’s doing. She says, hung over. James tells Eddie, it’s great to be alive, for the most part. Elizabeth tells Ashling that she’s stressing, and Ashling tells her to relax. Francesca joins them, and says, the next charter is coming tomorrow. They need to strip the beds. Lunch is usually, at 1, so they’ll work until then. Elizabeth says she’s getting coffee, then she’ll start the laundry. She needs advice on how to bleach a shirt, and Francesca tells her to use cold water, and go outside, but she should check the instructions. Ashling does the ironing, and Izzy asks why James is grunting. He says he’s hung over, and Eddie jokingly says, no more talking for the rest of day. Ashling says she’s feeling dizzy, and Rachel says she is too. We see the shirt sitting in a bucket of bleach in the laundry room.

The captain says James is washing sh*t that was just washed five minutes ago. Eddie tells James that he just saw Izzy washing the same thing he is, and asks why he’s washing it again. In Eddie’s interview, he says, Shane was just fired yesterday. He knows the captain’s standards, and wants to exceed them. He doesn’t like looking like an a-hole. Chief Engineer Mario asks if they smell something, and says, it smells like solvent. He’s not liking it, and tells everybody to get out while he looks around. Rachel cleans the galley, and Captain Lee radios Eddie to see him. The captain points out that James is washing the same side again. It’s making him effing nuts, and he’s losing his sh*t. Eddie goes out, and asks why James is rinsing what was already rinsed. Go to the top, and work his way down. Mario checks the laundry room, and thinks it could be the bucket. Rachel tells Ashling, if she smells something funky, tell the engineer. Mario radios that there’s no more danger. Rachel calls Vincenzo, and says she wants to see him, but he says he can’t promise. The coronavirus is everywhere. She says, in Europe? and he tells her, they’re starting to isolate cities. She cries, saying she misses him, and he tells her not to cry. She says wants him there, and Elizabeth hears her crying.

Feb 23, 2020. Rachel says she doesn’t want deal with this, and cries. Elizabeth asks, what’s wrong? and Rachel says she wants to see her boyfriend. Elizabeth hugs her, and says she’s sorry. Elizabeth says it’s the fourth charter, and they’re halfway though. Rachel says she’s fine with the charters, and Elizabeth says, they all have those moments. Mario tells Captain Lee that he thinks he pinpointed the safety issue; something was soaking in a bleach mixture. The captain says, not good. James calls his mom, and in his interview, he says he and his mom have the same personality. That’s why she’s his best friend. He tells his mom, they’re not allowed to make jokes. In his interview, he says, Eddie is like his dad. He just absorbs, and doesn’t interact. His mom tells him, it’s a job. Mario tells Francesca one of her staff was using bleach mixed with soap, which causes a gas. It’s the same mixture they used for mustard gas during WWII. The after-affect is caused when it’s inside confined spaces. We flash back to Elizabeth making the concoction. Francesca thanks him for bringing it to her attention, and he says he’ll report it to the captain. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says, it’s a massive f*** up. It not only makes him look incompetent, but puts the crew in danger. It’s negligence. Francesca calls Elizabeth to the pantry, and tells her the Chief Engineer came to her, and told her that chemicals in a confined space caused the problem. She’ll have to talk to Captain Lee. Elizabeth says she’s used it on every boat she’s been on, but Francesca says, it was in a confined area. Elizabeth says she’s sorry; it was a mistake. Francesca says, it’s a mistake she shouldn’t be making, and in Elizabeth’s interview, she says she’d never think to approach someone the way Francesca does. She feels like she’s constantly walking on eggshells. It sucks. Francesca says she’s rethinking the stripes she gave Elizabeth. Elizabeth says she doesn’t want to lose her job; they can work this out. Francesca says she needs to think. She tells Rachel about what Elizabeth did, and says that’s why they were feeling dizzy. Rachel says she’s not getting involved, and Francesca says she doesn’t know whether they can keep Elizabeth. Rachel says, if Francesca feels she can replace Elizabeth with someone who’s capable, she’ll support her, and Francesca says she appreciates it. Rachel says, they’re dealt the cards. They need to effing fold, and deal again. In Francesca’s interview, she says, safety is paramount on a yacht, and Elizabeth was putting them all at risk. She asks if she can talk to the captain.

Francesca tells Captain Lee that she wanted to chat about Elizabeth. They’ve gone through a couple of meetings, and she’s not improving. The bleach was the last straw. Elizabeth asks Rachel if she’s getting fired, and Rachel says, Francesca told her to take the bleach outside, and she didn’t. It pissed her off. Francesca tells the captain, Elizabeth isn’t pulling her weight or following through. He asks what she proposes, and she asks if he can get someone else and let Elizabeth go. He says, possibly, but not before the next charter; it’s coming too quickly. In his interview, he says he’s not doubting her rendition of what happened, but he can’t just let Elizabeth go right now. He tells Francesca that she’ll have to make it work, and they’ll discuss it after the next charter. In Francesca’s interview, she says, she gets it, but it’s annoying that she has to pull more weight. It’s not fair.

Elizabeth tells Rachel that Francesca has a perception of her that’s hard to change, and Rachel suggests Elizabeth talk to the captain. Francesca sees them talking, and turns around. Elizabeth asks to talk to her, but Francesca says, not now. In Francesca’s interview, she says, WTF? Elizabeth is getting everyone involved. She’s disappointed that Rachel told Elizabeth to overstep. Elizabeth asks if she can talk to Captain Lee. He says, no problem, but looks like he has a headache. She wants to know what’s happening, and he says, nothing right now. She asks if she’s fired, and he says, no. She says, okay, but he tells her that her future on the boat depends on how she performs during the next charter. If she wants it bad enough, she’ll be there. She says she does, and plans on delivering. He says, that’s all anybody can ask. She thanks him, and leaves.

Francesca is working in the crew mess, and James asks where she wants the laundry. She asks where he thinks it goes. The refrigerator? He tells her not to get upset, and she says he’s asking a stupid question. In his interview, he says, she takes her job too seriously. From now on, she doesn’t exist to him. F*** you. Rachel apologizes to Francesca, but in Francesca’s interview, she says she doesn’t trust either of them. Rachel doesn’t have her back. She tells Rachel that she needs a moment, and Rachel says, effing whatever.

It’s time for the preference sheet meeting, and Eddie says, it’s been a stressful day, but let’s do it. Captain Lee says he won’t be saying that once they read the sheets. The primary is Brian Guarani, a top realtor, and he’s coming with another realtor, and a stay at home dad. They want the slide, the jet skis, and rainbow unicorn floats. He reads off two pages of different cuisines they want, including a Viva la France party with an elaborate 10-course dinner. In Francesca’s interview, she says, it’s crazy, but it’s yachting. No request is too massive. She’s seen it on many a charter. They want truffles from Italy, an Austen Martin to drive them to a club, and she’s chaperoned until 6 am sober. Rachel says, it’s disgusting, and it’s despicable. She could be a private chef in Monaco and make more. She’d like a flight home. It’s ostentatious bullsh*t, and they can s*ck her d*ck. Captain Lee says they can talk to the guests to see if they’re as ostentatious as they are on paper, and Rachel says, go f*** yourself. The crew, the captain, and I are all like, what did she just say? and Captain Lee says he’d rather not do that. Rachel says she loves him, and respects the crew, but she’s out. She’s packing. Francesca asks if she’s sure, and she says she’s dead serious. The captain tells her that she’s gotta do what she’s gotta do, and so will he. In his interview, he says this is a first for him. He’s never had a walk-off the day before pick-up, and he’s pissed. The day just got bleepity-bleep-bleep-bleep. Rachel goes to her cabin, saying, she doesn’t play games. They can shove it up their ass. She can make more money at home. In Rachel’s interview, she says, the preference sheet is absolutely ridiculous. She’s overwhelmed, and has to walk away or she’ll explosion. She tells Francesca that she’s sorry. Rachel loves her, but they can eat her cooter, (new one on me) and shove it up their ass. She’s out. Eddie tells Francesca, it’s a tough charter. He just got the provisions, and they’re asking the world and then some. He asks how Rachel is feeling, and Francesca says, she’s quitting. It sounds like she’s lost it. The captain asks Rachel if she’s got a second, and she says she feels like a prisoner. I wonder if he can’t get her a sous chef.

Captain Lee tells Rachel that he’s not looking forward to these guys, but just because they ask for something, doesn’t mean they’ll get it. They’re in the middle of the Caribbean, and some of it is outrageous. That being said, would she consider doing lunch and dinner on day one? Rachel says, no, and he asks if there’s nothing he can do. She says she knows she’s leaving him between a rock and a hard place. An alarm goes off, and she says she respects him, and loves working under him. The alarm continues, and he gets up, saying, like they don’t have enough. Rachel asks if he minds if she packs. In his interview, Captain Lee says he has less than 24-hours to find a charter chef. They’re screwed six ways to Sunday. Rachel packs, and Eddie asks if Izzy saw the provision list. It’s so bad, Rachel is quitting. Rachel says she’s tired, and they can eat her ass. She looks at the cameraman, and says, in his best interest, she thinks he should call their hounds (not sure what that means). It’s not cool. She gives the finger to the camera.

In her interview, Izzy says they’re down a chef and a deckhand. She thinks they’re f***ed. The captain calls Eddie, and asks him for a hand with Rachel’s luggage. Rachel tells Francesca, she’s sorry, but she drew a line, and Francesca tells her to take care of herself. In Francesca’s interview, she says, if Rachel is bouncing when they need her, she never cared in the first place, and that sucks. Rachel leaves, and Eddie tells Ashling what’s going on. Captain Lee tries to figure out what he did in a previous life to deserve this. In his interview, he says he never had to tell a guest they needed to cancel a charter. His chief and second stew aren’t getting along, they’re down a deckhand, and the chef split. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do.

To be continued…  

🎁 Spoiler: I’m guessing things work out, since on Watch What Happens Live last week, Captain Lee said Rachel was the whole package as far as yacht chefs go.

🤸 Time For Me To Split Too…

How can it be such a long week when it’s only the first day of it? Not to mention, ho-ho-how is it that Christmas is almost here? Although I can’t say I’ll be sorry to see 2020 in the rearview. Show of hands. How many said, 2020 is going to be my year? Yeah, me too, but until the forecast changes, stay safe, stay well-adjusted, and stay not making disgusting, despicable demands.

Dec12

December 11, 2020 – A Reunion Goes Awry, Scrapped, Meet David, DocuTiger, New Gem, Eww, Adult Awards, Good Guy, Dead Talk, Don’t Call Us, Party Clash, Another One, Jillian’s Fight, Farewells, Artists, a Round Number of Quotes & Hippo

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

In keeping with the tradition of every long, yet rushed, week, I missed the beginning, but here’s what happened. Dr. Kirk told Franco that he believed the voice Franco was hearing was a leftover memory of Drew’s. Scotty caught Obrecht outside the office, and wondered if she’d escaped from prison. Olivia told Alexis her marriage was just fine, and Alexis asked if she was sure. Tracy interrupted, and steered Alexis away from Olivia, and toward the bar. At one of the tables, Nikolas and Ava were celebrating, and Nikolas said he had a surprise for Ava. It was the post-nup, which he tossed on the table. Sam met Carly at the MetroCourt, and Dante met Olivia. Sam told Carly that she and Jason had separated, and Dante told Olivia that he was thinking about taking Rocco home. Jason and Sonny went to NYC, where Jason thought Spinelli would be able to locate Julian. He told Sonny that he and Sam had separated. Julian knocked on an apartment door, and a woman opened it, but kept the chain-lock on. Julian said he was looking for Kim Nero, and…

The woman says he’s in the right place. This is Dr. Nero’s apartment. He asks if she’s Kim’s roommate, but she says she works there. He says he thought maybe Kim no longer lived there, and she says she knows who he is. He’s Charlie.

Jason tells Sonny, the explosion was terrible. For Sam to think maybe her son could have been in there… He had nothing to do with anything. He dropped Danny off at the Quartermaines, and went to the hospital to talk to Britt. He had no idea what happened until he saw the alerts when he was driving over. He doesn’t know how it felt, standing in the parking lot, thinking their son was dead, waiting to see if they carried his body out. The same way he didn’t know what it was like when Morgan died. He hears Sonny and Carly talk about it, and he grieved when he found out, but he wasn’t there. He didn’t watch it happen. So Sam connected those two things – Morgan’s death could be Danny or Scout’s death – and she doesn’t want that. She’s not wrong.

Carly tells Sam, it’s a big decision, and she knows it cost a lot. Sam says, nothing means more to her than her kids. Standing in The Floating Rib parking lot, not knowing Danny’s condition… Carly says, torture, and Sam says she didn’t want the last memory of her son to be his baseball cap. She wants to watch her kids breathe, grow, and make beautiful lives for themselves. Because of that, it means she can’t be with Jason.

Sam tells Carly, she had no idea what she said. It all came tumbling out; the regret, the fear, all of it. Carly says she knows; Jason just stood there took it. Sam says, yeah. Part of her wanted him to fight for her so bad. To come up with a miraculous loophole where he could still work for Sonny, but keep them safe. She knows it doesn’t exist, and she can’t keep pretending it does.

Sonny says he’s sorry. He can see how bad Jason is hurting, but he’s not surprised. Something changed in Sam that night. Jason says he didn’t see it. He was caught up in everything else, and didn’t realize. Sonny says, he was blindsided, and Jason says that’s why he was late. He was on his way out, when Sam stopped him, and asked him not to come back. He was standing there listening about her fears, and how it’s not the life she wanted for Danny and Scout. He wanted to comfort her, but he couldn’t. He wanted to fight it, but he said he wouldn’t. All he could hear in his head was that he let this happen. He bangs the steering wheel, and says, he let this happen. He knew better. He knew he never should be a father.

The woman lets Julian in, and he says no one has called him Charlie in a long time. She says Kim showed her pictures, and told her how he helped her through her son’s terrible death. He says he wishes he could have done more, and she says, the way Kim talks, he did plenty. He asks how Kim is, and she says Kim never got over losing Oscar, but she was able to pick up the pieces. She got a job at the hospital. She’s going to be surprised to find him there. Julian says, it’s a surprise to him too.   

Ava says she can’t believe Nikolas chose now to throw the post-nup in her face, but he says he’s giving it to her to  destroy it. She asks why he didn’t say so, and he asks if she’d like to do the honors. She tears it up, and throws it on the table. They toast to love, and she says how good it is to get rid of it. He says, one less threat to their happiness. They only have to take care of one more.

Tracy tells Alexis that she and Luke started a promising enterprise in Amsterdam, and they need a good lawyer. Alexis says she lost her license, and Tracy asks if that means she lost her knowledge and experience. Alexis says, no, and Tracy says, it pays well, and Amsterdam is a beautiful part of the world. Alexis can start over. She’s offering Alexis an opportunity. Alexis says it doesn’t sound appealing.

Dante tells Olivia, his gut is telling him to take Rocco home, but he’s worried about it. He’s pretty much a stranger to his own son. He hasn’t been there, and Rocco doesn’t know him. He’s comfortable at the Quartermaine’s, and Leo is there. If he hadn’t left, and this didn’t happen, and Lulu and Rocco had been secure with him, this wouldn’t be the case. Olivia asks if he really believes that, and Dante says he sees it in Rocco’s eyes and body language. Rocco knows Dante is his dad, but he doesn’t feel the way should feel, and Lulu isn’t there to bridge the gap. He needs help knowing what to do with his son.

Franco tells Kirk, he’s read the file now. Most of his life he was a seriously messed up person who did seriously messed up things. When the tumor was removed, all that disappeared, and his impulses were gone. Kirk says, so he’s thinking now that the tumor is back, they’ll return? Franco says he’s terrified, and Kirk says, they’ll take it as it comes, but he’s convinced he can help.

Obrecht tells Scotty to keep it to himself and calls him a dummkopf. She says his only redeeming quality is that his son is an amazing human being. He says Franco  thinks she’s as guilty as he does, but she says, once she explains the truth, Franco will see the light. Franco comes out, and says he’s all ears.

Obrecht tells Franco and Scotty, she’s been exonerated, but the person who framed her is out there. If they know she’s free, they’ll cover their tracks. She’s staying there until they can obtain proof. Please, tell no one. Kirk says he hates to break up this reunion, but he needs a word with Obrecht. He’ll see Franco tomorrow. Kirk and Obrecht go into the office, and Scotty says, unbelievable. Franco says, yeah, and Scotty says, wait a minute, mister. He’s not buying that hogwash, is he?

Olivia tells Dante she’s sorry. Without even realizing it, she’s been running interference between him and Rocco. She thought she was making it easier, but in doing grandma stuff, she thinks she built a wall. He says, that’s not what the conversation is about. She’s been his touchstone, and he’s grateful. She says she gets it, but thinks maybe Dante needs to be Rocco’s touchstone. It’s the only way they can build a bond. They’ll struggle through it, day by day. As much as she loves having him there, maybe it’s best if he takes Rocco home.

Alexis asks, what’s gotten into Tracy? She dragged Alexis over there, now she’s begging her to pack up and move to Amsterdam. Tracy says Alexis isn’t hearing begging. She’s doing this for her. Alexis laughs, and Tracy asks, what’s funny? Alexis says Tracy doesn’t do anything for anyone, unless it’s a Quartermaine. This is about her and Ned, isn’t it?

Nikolas and Ava stand by Ryan’s bedside, and Ava says, it’s over. Ryan is never going to threaten, blackmail, or manipulate her again. Sonny knows everything, and Julian is dead. He jumped to his death before she could kill him. She only wishes she’d killed Ryan a long time ago.

Julian tells the woman, he was hoping to reconnect with Kim. Let her know he’ll never forget her. She says, it sounds final, and he says he came to say goodbye. Crying comes from another room, and Julian asks if there’s a baby there.

Jason says, he got together with Sam in the beginning because she was pregnant with Sonny’s baby. Looking back, he knows he stepped up for Sam and the baby, but he was also doing for Sonny. Sonny and Carly had just gotten back together, and he wanted them to stay together, for all their sakes. They were his family, and there was no possibility of him turning his back on Sonny, and going away to have something separate with Sam. He knew that about himself, which was why, when Sam wanted to have kids, he should have fought against it. He should have been stronger. He tried for a long time, but he loved Sam so much, and she wanted it so bad. He doesn’t regret Danny exists; he loves Danny. Sonny says he knows, and Jason says he’s proud of Danny. He sees parts of him and Sam in Danny, and would never undo that. Sonny says Jason would die for his son, and Jason says, but now Danny is having his life ripped apart, and let’s be real. It’s on me.

Ava tells Nikolas, there’s nothing there that can hurt them anymore, but Nikolas thinks they should make absolutely sure. He picks up a pillow, and Felix walks in. Felix asks what they’re doing there, and Ava says, just checking on Ryan. They were making sure he was under guard, but there’s no security. (Funny. I’ve been saying that about GH for years.) Felix says, if Ryan regains consciousness, he guarantees there will be guards all over the place. Ava asks if there’s been any change, but Felix says, no. Nikolas asks about the prognosis. If he wakes up, will he be functional? Felix says he’s not allowed to say, but for what it’s worth, he hopes Ryan doesn’t remember his name for what he did to Kiki. He still misses her. Ava thanks him, and says she does too. Felix leaves, and Ava asks if Nikolas was really going to kill Ryan. Nikolas says, no. They were going to do it together. They walk out, and Ryan moves his index finger, and his eyelids flutter.

Scotty tells Franco that he wouldn’t trust Obrecht as far as he could throw her. Dr. Kirk too. Franco says Dr. Kirk is going to help him, and stop the voice in his head.

Kirk says Obrecht took a big risk allowing them to see her. She says it wasn’t her intention, but it happened. He says, it did, but they mustn’t let it interfere with their time together. He sent the staff home, and they’re alone. They can finally be together now. He grabs her, and dips her over his desk.

Olivia tells Dante that he and Rocco should be having this conversation. They’re missing Lulu, and they need each other. He says he wants to be able to make it okay for his son, but he doesn’t know how. She says he won’t until he actually does it. Dante asks if she doesn’t think Rocco will balk at the suggestion, but she says he’s not moving to New Zealand. It’s Rocco’s childhood home, and holds his memories. Rocco can still spend three nights a week at grandma’s house, and play with Leo. They need to get him on a schedule.

Alexis says Tracy knows she and Ned slept together. Tracy says, what?! and Alexis says, knock it off. It was stupid, drunk, and one night; it didn’t mean anything, but Olivia should know. Tracy says Alexis isn’t going to tell her… and Alexis says she has no intention of breaking up their marriage. Tracy says, but she’s drinking. That could lead to loose lips, misjudgments, and blackouts. Is Alexis going to tell her that’s never happened?  Alexis says, go to hell. She’s going home. Tracy says she’ll drive her, but Alexis says, unfortunately she’s not drunk. Tracy says, really? and Alexis says, fine. She’ll come back to get her car tomorrow. Tracy says she’s driving Alexis’s car, and won’t take no for an answer. Fork them over. Alexis gives Tracy her keys, and says, in that case… and chugs the rest of her drink.

Carly says she knew Sam was scared, but had no idea she felt this way. Sam says she didn’t either, but she’s had moments in the last couple of days where it hit her so hard. Last night, Jason had to leave, and Danny was really disappointed. They sat down and had a conversation. They talked about feelings, and Danny told her that he was upset when Jason would leave, and he didn’t know when Jason was coming back. He told her that he hated having guards, and the thing that really broke her heart was when he said he couldn’t have friends over because their parents were afraid of Jason. Danny shouldn’t have to deal with that; Scout either. So that means their life with Jason is over. It’s not Jason’s fault; he’s who he is, and never pretended to be otherwise. Carly says, Jason hasn’t changed, but you have.   

Jason says he was surprised at the timing, but not that it happened. He’s known all along there was a chance Sam would reach a point where it didn’t make sense for her; all the risks she’d take for herself, she can’t take for Danny and Scout. At that point, he wanted to say he was leaving the business, and taking them somewhere safe, but he can’t do that. It’s not him. If he left, and something happened to Sonny and his family, he couldn’t live with that. So his only choice is to do what Sam wants, and she wants them to be over. He sighs.

Julian looks at a photo of a baby. The woman comes out, and says, it’s all good now. He just needed a fresh diaper. Julian asks if he’s her son, and she laughs. She says, no. She’s the nanny. It’s Kim’s baby.

Dante thanks Olivia for helping him make sense of this, and coming up with a plan. More important, he thanks her for coming to Geneva. It’s the reason he turned a corner; hearing her on the other side of the door, refusing to give up. She tells him, get used to it. She’ll never give up. She knows the kind of man he is. She sees how he struggles every day, and keeps showing up struggling. It’s all they can ask, that he keep doing his best. She loves him so much, and she’s so proud of him. He says he loves her too.

Alexis says she gets Tracy wanting her son to be happy; Ned is a good man. Tracy says, that he is, and Alexis says she told Ned to tell her. Tracy says, what? and Alexis says she told Ned to tell Olivia. Things have a way of coming out anyway. She feels bad about what she did, and for Olivia. Her husband cheated on her, and she doesn’t deserve it. Somebody ought to tell her. Tracy gives Alexis a look.

Sam tells Carly, she’s envisioning a bright future for her kids. It’s what she wants and knows it’s right, but it comes at the price of losing an incredible man she loves so much. She guesses that’s what happens when you grow up and become a parent. You put the kids first, rather than following your own heart. She’s sorry if she said anything offensive, but Carly says she didn’t. They’re very different people from different circumstances, and the choices they make will be different. Sam is doing what she thinks is right for her family, like Carly is doing what she thinks is right for hers.

Sonny asks if Jason thinks Sam is doing the right thing, and Jason says, he told her as much. They’re adults, and they’ll be okay, but the people whose lives are upended are Danny and Scout. No explanation can change the fact that they’re losing their family. Sonny was damaged by his father, and never really healed until he was grown, and Mike just passed away. He doesn’t want that for Danny and Scout, but he doesn’t know how to stop it from happening. Sonny says there’s a big difference between Jason and his dad. His dad ran away; Jason isn’t doing that. It’s hard on Danny and Scout, but they’ll know he acted in honor. They might not know now, but as they get older, they’ll know it meant something. Jason’s phone rings, and he says, it’s Spinelli. He must have information. Jason answers, and asks what Spinelli’s got.

The nanny says, Kim never told Julian she was pregnant? She knew before she left Port Charles. He says they weren’t exactly on the best terms, and asks the baby’s name. She says, Andrew, but they call him Andy.   

Franco tells Scotty that Kirk thinks the voice is a leftover memory of Drew’s. Better than that, he thinks he can fix it. Scotty says, that would be great, and Franco says, but…? Scotty says he thinks they have an agenda, and he intends to find out what it is.   

Obrecht says, consummating their relationship in Kirk’s office wasn’t the romance she imagined. He says any way they’re together is perfect. She says, it’s not, and he says, she claims to love him, but her actions show him otherwise. He thinks she’s using him to get what she wants. She says what she wants is her freedom. To force her to do sexual favors for it is disgusting. He couldn’t handle a woman like her. He picks up the phone, and says he’s sounding the alarm. Anna needs to know Dante is coming for her and her son. Obrecht puts a pocket knife to his throat, and tells him to put the phone down.

Franco calls Elizabeth, and says he has good news. In the office, Obrecht and Kirk struggle, and Scotty walks in. He asks, what’s going on? and punches Kirk in the face. Kirk falls on the knife. Oops.   

The nanny says, it might be a while until Kim is home, and asks if Julian wants to leave a note. An alarm goes off, and Julian asks, what the hell is that? She says, the fire alarm, and he asks if she was expecting a drill. She says she doesn’t know, but to be safe, they should get out of there. In the hallway, Jason hides.  

Scotty tells Obrecht, it was a small blade. He’ll be okay, right? She says, wrong. He’s dead.  

Olivia tells Dante, it’s so sad to see people buckle. Like Alexis. She’s an admirable woman, but she’s been spewing hate. Dante says he was talking to her earlier, and Olivia tells him, try not to take on her poison. Alexis was drunk, and implying there was something she knew about Olivia’s marriage that Ned wasn’t telling her. Dante says, she has no idea what Alexis was talking about? and she says, no clue.

Alexis is behind the wheel of the car, unconscious. Tracy says, there are those say she’s questionable as a mother. They might be right, but Olivia is the best thing that’s happened to Ned. She refuses to let one mistake ruin his marriage. Since she can’t trust Alexis to keep her mouth shut, she’s doing what she needs to. She gets out of the car.

Nikolas looks in on Ryan, and tells Ava, no signs of life. They’ll make a plan to be free once and for all. Is she sure about this? He should have been there for her when she confronted her brother. When it comes to Ryan, he will be.  

We see Ryan’s eyes are open.

The nanny leaves the apartment, and when she’s gone, Jason comes out. On the phone, Jason tells Sonny, a woman just left, but it wasn’t Kim. He’s going in. He draws his gun, and kicks the door open, but the apartment is empty.  

Carly says Sam seems at peace with her decision, and Sam says she is. Carly thinks that means she made the right one. She has to say she’s sorry it’s come to this for all of them, and Sam says she’s sorry too. She thanks Carly, and Carly says she’s always there for Sam. Sam leaves, and Carly looks like she’s in pain. She calls Jason, and says she just wants him to know that she loves him, and she’s there. Whatever he needs.

The nanny calls Kim, and says the man Kim warned her about showed up. She got rid of him. He has no idea Kim’s baby is his.

Julian jumps down into an alleyway. He starts to leave, but Sonny is there with a gun. He says, don’t run off, Jules. We have a lot to talk about.

On Monday, Maxie has some bad news, Franco wonders who’s on the other side of the door, Cyrus knew someone would see eye to eye with him, and Sonny tells Julian that the information he’s got is keeping him alive.

✂️ Dustin Deleted…

He deserved better than barely a mention.

Watch Josslyn and Trina Mourn Dustin in This GH Deleted Scene

❓ David Who…?

All about David Hamilton and why Laura killed him.

David Hamilton on GENERAL HOSPITAL — Why Laura Killed Him

🐅 Tidbit Of the Tiger

While I was perusing Netflix to watch something for my gig athttps://mupoentertainment.com/theresa-krakauskas/, and feeling like Dory from Finding Nemo, I said, oh look! Tiger King! I’d been out of the loop when it was everyone else’s pandemic distraction, and then forgotten about it. So for the next however many hours it took, I watched the entire series, including Joel McHale’s follow-up The Tiger King and I. I’d forgotten how funny he is. If you haven’t checked this documentary out, by all means do. It’s a different kind of horror show, the entire cast reminding me of a tribe of people the Z Nation group would have come across. (And yes, I’m still bitter about Z Nation’s cancelation, and always will be.) Not since Steve Rubel opened Studio 54 have there been so many screwed up people in one place. A tragedy in the making, all I could think about was how much somebody needed to step in for the animals. The documentary of the battle royale between self-proclaimed Tiger King, Joe Exotic, and Big Cat Rescue owner, Carol Baskin – who may or may not have killed her husband and fed him to a tiger – is a horror of the reality kind. Truth is ultimately stranger than fiction. You can’t make this stuff up.

🏞 Another Good One…

Big Sky is coming up to it’s mid-winter finale (whatever that is), but you can see it all On Demand. John Carroll Lynch’s performance alone is worth the price of admission. Warning: This article will either contain spoilers or fill you in if you want to catch up quickly.

https://tv.avclub.com/big-sky-continues-to-draw-out-its-plot-all-in-the-name-1845840946

👶🏼 Watch If You Dare…

There’s no other way to say it. I Love a Mama’s Boy pisses me off. It’s one of those shows I watch with horrified fascination, wondering if these people are for real. From the mother who started crying at a toy store because her son said she couldn’t get her granddaughter an extra toy, to the full-on bitch in this article. Probably a spoiler, but it won’t matter. You will still watch with your mouth hanging open.

https://www.distractify.com/p/shekeb-and-emily-still-together-i-love-a-mamas-boy

🏆 Presenting Adults…

Awards shows make for strange bedfellows. While I’m not into the adult film industry, I saw one of these awards shows once when it surprised me in coming on after a non-adult film I was watching late at night. Another thing I watched in horrified fascination, although it was actually pretty amusing, and definitely less offensive than Mama’s Boy.

https://pagesix.com/2020/11/22/leah-mcsweeney-beyond-excited-to-be-part-of-pornhub-awards/

https://pagesix.com/2020/11/16/john-waters-set-to-present-at-pornhub-awards-this-year/

👨🏼‍🍳 My Hero…

It’s no secret I have a crush on Gordon Ramsay. Besides being my kitchen spirit animal, it’s nice to know he’s a good deed doer.

https://nypost.com/2020/11/20/gordon-ramsay-reportedly-donated-50k-to-treat-ben-watkins-cancer/

But apparently, he can afford it. This burger does sound tasty though.

https://nypost.com/2020/11/27/gordon-ramsays-new-london-restaurant-will-feature-106-burger/

⚰️ Since No Dead Are Walking Right Now…

Might as well rehash what happened.

‘Fear The Walking Dead’ star Jenna Elfman discusses brutal twist in latest episode

And think about the future Dead.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/fear-the-walking-dead-renewed-for-season-7

🍸 Finally…

The one guy who should have been fired long ago for his God-knows-what fueled tirades, homophobia, misogynism, and a whole host of other disgusting behavior.

https://news.avclub.com/cast-member-jax-taylor-fired-from-bravos-vanderpump-rul-1845814706

Too bad Britanny goes with him. She needs to shake that d-bag.

https://pagesix.com/2020/12/04/jax-taylor-brittany-cartwright-exiting-vanderpump-rules/

🤼 Snort…

As NeNe once said so eloquently to Peter, stay out of women business.

https://people.com/tv/rhop-candiace-dillard-ashley-darby-husbands-fight-at-holiday-party/

🎭 Hardest Working Man In Show Biz…

Tyler is at it again. This time on BET+. There are several ways to stream it; one is through Amazon Prime. I haven’t seen it yet, but this show looks awesome.

Tyler Perry’s ‘Ruthless’ is back on BET+ and it’s giving us very risqué vibes

🥗 Keto This…

I didn’t even know they were fighting.

https://people.com/health/jillian-michaels-says-al-roker-andy-cohen-didnt-want-to-have-debate-with-her-about-keto-diet/

🥁 And the List Keeps Growing…

Early yearly Roll Call of the Dead.

https://parade.com/1018339/dillondodson/celebrity-deaths-2020/

🎨 Get Some Culture, Dammit…

Welcome to my roots.

https://artsandculture.google.com/story/5-native-american-artists-you-should-know/hwICZEKk3E5BJw

🎺 Quotes of the Week

The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn’t understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had. – Eric Schmidt

I do believe that when we face challenges in life that are far beyond our own power, it’s an opportunity to build on our faith, inner strength, and courage. I’ve learned that how we face challenges plays a big role in the outcome of them. – Sasha Azevedo

A healthy attitude is contagious but don’t wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier. – Tom Stoppard

This week, Washington State officials announced they had discovered the first known murder hornet nest in the U.S. Inside the basketball-sized hive were 200 queens, which really is just too many. – from Mic.com

As to wishing it had not happened, one can’t help momentary wishes: guilt begins only when one embraces them. You can’t help their knocking at the door, but one mustn’t ask them in to lunch. – C. S. Lewis, From The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume III

Cute is for Chinese babies. – Howard Howe (Michael Parks), Tusk

We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark. – Whoopi Goldberg

What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. – Zig Ziglar

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. – Maya Angelou

It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it. – Abraham Lincoln

🚀 To the Weekend and Beyond…

We made it to the end of another seven-day stretch. Masks on, masks off. But always, stay safe, stay ethical, and stay not letting loose lips sink anything.

Dec11

December 10, 2020 – Franco Meets a New Doctor, Covidmania In Charleston, Pat Picks Up & Light

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Alexis visits Sam, who says she can’t do this today. Alexis says she hasn’t been drinking. She just wanted to talk to Sam. Sam asks if Alexis is going to tell her that she’s getting help, and Alexis asks if she can come in. Sam says she thinks they’ve said everything they need to say, and Alexis tells her, they said a lot, but not everything. She’d appreciate one more chance.

Tracy wonders if she should take Ned leaving town personally, but Olivia said she made him promise it would just be a turnaround business trip. Tracy asks why Olivia didn’t go, and Olivia says Ned told her that she’d be bored. Besides she has to be there for Leo and Rocco. Monica says, lots of comings and goings these days, and Olivia says she feels lucky her Dante is back, and she and Ned are back on track. Adversities can challenge a marriage, but luckily, theirs is still strong. Olivia leaves for work, and Tracy asks Monica what Ned is avoiding. Her or Olivia?

At the hospital, Peter says he’s glad Maxie’s appointment went well, and Maxie says she wishes she could text Lulu like she used to. Peter asks if she doesn’t think if Lulu was there, she’d want Maxie to move on with her life, and grab happiness for herself. Maxie says, of course (🍷), but easier said than done. Planning a double wedding is going to be a lot of work. Peter tells her, Anna didn’t say yes, but she says, Anna said she had to talk to Finn. She’s not worried about that. Finn strikes her as the show me where to stand kind of groom.

Finn tells Anna, if he gets the all-clear today, he can go back to work. She’s glad he took the time off seriously, and says he had a nice visit with his dad. He says, it was unexpected. Violet finally got to meet her grandfather, and it was nice seeing the two of them together. She says while he was catching up, she had an interesting conversation with Maxie. Finn takes out his phone and messes with it, and she says Maxie had an unusual idea for their wedding. He says, what’s that? but he’s clearly is paying more attention to his phone. She asks if something is wrong, and he says, it’s Violet’s preschool. They want copies of her vaccination records right away. He says he has to do this now, and she supposes it can wait. They agree to meet back at the reception desk in an hour.

Franco and Scotty walk into the WSB Complex in Geneva. Franco says if security is any indication, they’re serious around there, and Scotty says he’s a big time doctor. Franco thanks Scotty for coming with him, and they approach the reception desk. Franco introduces himself, and says he’s there to see Dr. Kirk. Dr. Kevin Collins made a referral. Receptionist Helga asks if he’s sure it’s today. Dr. Kirk has seen his last patient for the day, and she has no referrals from a Dr. Collins. Scotty says they just flew 20 hours to get there, and Franco says there must be a mistake. They have badges; they’re legitimate. She says, even so, Dr. Kirk isn’t available until March 16th. Franco says he can’t wait that long. She says she’s sorry, but she can’t help him. The office will be closing soon; please see themselves out. She goes into the back, and Franco hears Peter’s voice, saying, I’m telling you, I want this to happen now. He  tells Scotty, he’s hearing the voice in his head. It’s got to be the tumor. Does Scotty think the personality shift is going to start happening now? Scotty suggests they see what the doctor says, but Franco thinks he’s not going to see the doctor. Scotty says he is, and tells him, come on.

Kirk calls Dante for a progress report, and Dante says he’s at GH right now. He found the file on Andre, but can’t find anything incriminating on Peter. If he orchestrated this, he covered his tracks well. Kirk says they know for a fact Peter is responsible for the attacks, and the murder of Drew Cane. It’s Dante’s job to find the proof. Peter August is a bad man who must be stopped. Dante says he’ll complete the mission, and turns around to see Anna.

Elizabeth resends Violet’s immunization papers, and asks Finn how Violet is doing. He says, she’s amazing. She met her grandfather for the first time. He was surprised at how easy it went. Next thing he knew, she’s having a tea party and he’s telling a story. She says, kids are very perceptive. It sounds like his father is a good guy.

Anna says she was hoping to run into Dante, and they hug. She apologizes for interrupting, and asks if it was about Lulu. How is she? He says, there’s no change in her condition, and Anna says she’s sorry. To come back, and have that happen… He says he’s just trying to put one foot in front of the other. She says, what else can he do? She asks if he wants to get a coffee and catch up, and he says, sure.

Tracy says she saw the look on Monica’s face when Olivia started talking about her glowing marriage. Clearly, something’s not so glowing. Olivia seems oblivious, so Ned must be the culprit. Spill. Monica says, okay. Tracy’s son cheated on his wife.

Sam lets Alexis in, and Sam apologizes for not having put Scout’s toys away yet. Alexis says she’s sure Scout is happy to be home, and not locked in Sonny’s compound. Sam asks what brings her by, and Alexis says she wants to apologize for what she said on Thanksgiving. It was a cardinal sin as a mother. She’s sorry for the constant disparagement of Jason. He’s Danny’s father; he’s essentially Scout’s father. They’re a unit and a family, and Sam is an adult. Sam tells her, stop.

Obrecht tells Kirk that he needs to go to Port Charles immediately. His control over Dante is slipping. Kirk says, Dante is still following orders, but she says, still, it would be better if he saw Dante in person to reenforce the subliminal trigger. Kirk says, of course (🍷). Would she come with him? She says there will be plenty of time for them to be together, once the truth about Peter is made public. Then they’ll be free to live their lives as they see fit. It isn’t their time yet. He says her charges were dismissed. She’s a free women; why wait?

Franco tells Scotty, the prisons in Switzerland aren’t made of chocolate, and Scotty says, it’s a WSB facility. They’ll probably shoot them first. Franco says he’s not sure he can even get in to see the doctor, but Scotty says they will.

Alexis says she’s sorry, and Sam says, no; she’s sorry. She didn’t sleep much. Alexis says Sam has a lot going on, and she should do what it takes to make it easy. She came to make amends. She’s letting Sam know she should live her life the way she sees fit, and she respects that Sam’s choices are her own. Sam asks if this is an attempt to get her to accept Alexis’s drinking. Alexis says, it’s not, and Sam says she’s not there for Alexis’s live and let live attitude right now. Alexis wants Sam to accept the drinking in her life, so she’ll accept Jason in Sam’s. Alexis says she’s Sam’s mom, and wants to be in her daughter’s life, and her grandkids lives. She loves and misses them. Sam says, it’s not enough. What Alexis does in her life affects them. Alexis says not if it’s not in front of them. Why can’t she just live her own life at home? Sam says she doesn’t have to watch. There’s a knock at the door, and Sam opens it to Elizabeth. Sam says her mom was just leaving, and Alexis says, nice to see Elizabeth. She’s there if Sam needs her. Alexis jets, and Elizabeth apologizes for showing up unannounced. Sam says it’s okay, and asks what brings her by. Elizabeth says she wanted to talk to Jason. Is he there? Sam says he’s not.  

Maxie and Peter run into Finn, and Maxie says he’s looking well. Is he back to work? He says he hopes soon. He’s there for a final check-up, and asks if they’re there for a check-up too. Peter says, Maxie is, and Maxie says, all’s good on the baby front. She wanted to talk to him, and wonders if Anna spoke to him about the wedding. Finn says Anna told him… something, and Maxie asks if Anna is as excited as she is. What does he think? He says, wedding details are more Anna and Violet’s thing, not his so much. Whatever they say goes. Maxie says she knew he’d say that. She can’t wait to walk down the aisle to him. She hugs him

Tracy asks if Ned is having an affair, but Monica says, no. It was when Olivia was in Europe. It was a one night thing; where alcohol and poor judgement took over. Tracy says, it only takes one night to blow up a life. What was Ned thinking? Monica says she thought Tracy didn’t like Olivia, but Tracy says Olivia has grown on her. She understands the concepts of family and loyalty, and makes Ned happy. But Olivia expects loyalty in return. She’s not one to stand by and accept infidelity. Ned is in danger of losing her. She asks what Monica has done about this.

Anna and Dante sit at the bistro, and Anna says it must have been a heart-wrenching decision to put Lulu in long-term care. Dante says, it was Laura’s decision; she brought him in on it. Silver Water Long-Term Care is where Lulu is. It’s where Sonny and Carly put Michael, and he’s praying they can do the same thing for Lulu that they did for him. Anna says, Rocco must be devastated. He’s going to need his father. Dante says he’s been thinking about that. Rocco not only lost his mother, Dante understands Rocco was close to Lulu’s boyfriend Dustin. Anna says, but Dante is his father, and Dante says, who he barely knows. The whole time he was in Geneva, he thought about coming back. For the longest time, he couldn’t believe it was possible, and when he did, the only thing he wanted to do was rebuild his family. She says, then this happened. She’s really sorry. He tells her, be sorry for Lulu, Laura, and Rocco, not him. He doesn’t deserve it. She says, he had PTSD. He was sick, and went away to get better. What happened in Geneva?

Helga asks what Scotty and Franco are doing. They can’t be back there; it’s authorized personnel only. She’s calling security. They follow her back to the front desk.

Obrecht tells Kirk, they have to stay focused on the mission. Once Peter is exposed for the dangerous traitor he is, then they will be free to live their lives as they see fit. He says, then he’ll push Dante even harder. He wants this mission, and this wait, to be over. Franco begs Helga to let him see the doctor, but she says she told him the doctor has no appointments. There’s the door. She suggests they use it. Franco starts speed talking, telling her who he is, about Elizabeth and the boys, and how Doc told him he could get help there. He asks her to let him see Dr. Kirk. Let him live long enough to see his boys grow up.

Obrecht tells Kirk, it’s unkind of him to tempt her, but they must be strong. Helga buzzes the doctor, and he tells her, he said no interruptions. She says she’s sorry, but a man is there from the United States, Port Charles, New York. He insists on seeing him. Obrecht tells Kirk to find out who it is, and Kirk asks, what’s his name? Helga says, Franco Baldwin. He claims to have an appointment. Obrecht says Kirk has to see him. He was a dear friend. If he’s come all this way, he must be in trouble. Please see him. She’ll go into another office, and wait until he’s gone.   

Elizabeth asks Sam where Jason is, and Sam says, out of town, working. Elizabeth says she was reaching out because of Jake. Sam asks if everything is okay, and Elizabeth says, he’s fine, but Franco is in Geneva, getting specialized treatment. She thought it might be nice for Jason to spend some time with Jake. It would keep his mind off Franco. Sam says, Switzerland is far away, and Elizabeth says, not only far away, but expensive. Franco is having a neurological issue, and Doc said there’s a doctor who might be able to give them an answer. She thought it was worth it for their peace of mind. Sam hopes it will work out, and Elizabeth says, it’s okay. Sam says, as far Jason goes, she thinks it would be best if Jake reached out directly. Elizabeth says she’ll tell Jake to text. Does Sam know when Jason will be back? Sam says she has no idea.

Monica asks Tracy how it’s her responsibility. Tracy is Ned’s mother. Tracy says Monica was supposed to be taking care of things in Port Charles. This is her idea of taking care? Monica says she took reasonable action. She spoke to Ned, and told him that he should come clean with Olivia. Tracy asks how that’s reasonable, and Monica says, Ned agreed. He refused to confess, and said he wasn’t going to hurt Olivia over something he was never going to do again. Tracy says, good; Ned learned his lesson. She wonders if they can pay the woman to keep quiet, but Monica says she doesn’t think Alexis can be bought. Tracy says, what? Ned slept with Alexis?

Alexis goes to the MetroCourt bar and orders a ginger ale. Then a double vodka. Alexis notices Olivia looking at her, and says she just ordered a drink; she’s not drunk. Although she’s working on it. She believes Olivia has other patrons who would benefit more from her convivial hospitality, and Olivia thanks her for the compliment, but she has her sights on Alexis right now. Alexis says there’s no need. She’s a grown woman, and aware of what she’s doing. Olivia says they like to tell themselves  that, but being grown-up doesn’t mean they don’t make poor choices. She’s made her share. Alexis says she didn’t come there to be social. Olivia says she knows. Alexis came there to get hammered. Alexis knows Olivia means well, but she has no intention of making a scene if that’s what Olivia is worried about. Olivia says she’s worried about Alexis. And so is Ned. They both want her to be okay. Alexis tells her, there’s no need to be worried. She’s in Olivia’s lovely establishment to have a drink. It’s not like a crime was committed. Olivia says, you don’t need to commit a crime to ruin a life or hurt a family member. She wishes Ned was there. He would know what to say.

Finn says, that’s a lot of enthusiasm, and Maxie asks why she wouldn’t be enthusiastic. Their wedding is going to rock. He says, oh, she means her wedding, and Maxie says, that’s the beauty of this arrangement; you’re wedding is our wedding. Peter says, maybe Anna didn’t communicate everything, and Finn says, Anna mentioned Maxie had a great idea for the wedding, but she didn’t… Maxie says, rewind. Forget she said anything. She thought of a double wedding. She knows it would mean sharing the spotlight, and Finn says he doesn’t care about the spotlight. Maxie says they don’t either. Combining their weddings will be a big, beautiful, family celebration. Unless he hates the idea. Is he saying no?

Dante tells Anna, he went in screwed up, and came out less so, hopefully. She says she has a personal interest, since she made the arrangements. She was getting updates on his progress, until the incident where he fired at Peter. After that, even with her clearance, there was an information blackout around him. Robert couldn’t make any headway, until he found Dante in the institution in Switzerland. He asks, why the interest? and she says she cares about him. She says, what’s the point? Why all the secrecy?

Franco thanks Dr. Kirk for seeing him, and Kirk says, fortunately, he was still there. Franco introduces Scotty, who gives Kirk Franco’s brain scans and medical records. Kirk apologizes for the mix-up. Franco says Doc was supposed to set up a meeting, and Kirk says he’s familiar with Doc’s work. When he got the call, he wondered why a clinical psychologist would be referring someone to him. Franco says, it’s a long story, and Kirk suggests they take a seat while he looks at the records. Obrecht listens outside the door.  

Finn says Maxie has to forgive him. He doesn’t know much about double weddings. Maxie tells him, she thought he said he wanted what Anna wants. He says, that’s what Anna wants? Maxie says, it makes sense. Are they going to have their wedding one weekend, and turn around and have another one the next? Their lists essentially overlap, and it would be easier for the out of town guests. Finn says, if it’s what Anna really wants… and Maxie says, it’s settled then. It’s going to be a celebration Port Charles will never forget.

Dante tells Anna, his treatment was deeply personal, and no one’s business except his own. He told the doctors that he didn’t want to see his family. She says she didn’t mean to pry. She’s glad to see he’s recovered. He says he was feeling back to his old self, when this happened. Lulu is gone, and he’s just trying to keep going, putting one foot in front of  the other. How does he seem to be doing to her? She says, like an old friend who’s been though a lot. He says, it’s a glowing review, and she says she understands how it is on assignment. They mess with your head. It looks to her like he’s gone through some heavy stuff. It’s hard to pull out of it entirely. If he ever wants to talk, she’s there. She reaches for his hand, but he pulls it away. He says he appreciates it. He’ll figure it out. Right now, he just wants to look after his son, and protect the people he loves. He heard she and Finn were getting hitched. That’s great news; congratulations. When’s the big day?

Kirks says, fascinating. Franco is having auditory hallucinations. Does he consistently recognize the voice? Franco says it’s someone he knows casually, and he doesn’t want it banging in his head for the rest of his life. Not long ago, he had a brain tumor, and it influenced him to have antisocial behavior. It’s come back in the same spot, and he’s worried the behavior will come back again. Scotty says, tell Franco that’s not going to happen again. Kirk needs to know Franco is halfway to giving up. Franco says he’s glad Scotty came, but if he can’t sit quietly, he has to leave.   

Sam tells Elizabeth that she and Jason are separating, and Elizabeth says she’s sorry. She asks if it was a mutual decision, and Sam says it was her choice. She realized she can’t keep raising Scout and Danny under constant threat of violence. That’s the reality in Jason’s world. Their kids have been through too much in their lives already. She can’t erase the past, but she can provide as much stability as possible moving forward. What she’s hoping for is, as much peace and stability as she can give them. She admires Elizabeth doing that for Jake. Elizabeth says, all she wants is peace and happiness for both their families. At the end of the day, they’re all kind of stuck with each other.

Alexis gets another drink, and Olivia wants to call a re-do on this. She says, hey, Alexis, how’s your day going? Alexis says, hey, Olivia. Pretty crappy. She reached out to her daughter Sam, and Sam turned her back on her. Olivia says she’s sorry to hear that. She’s willing to bet Sam feels she’s doing it out of love. It’s a tricky line to walk with the people they love most. That’s why Ned is eating himself up. He took the hard line with Brook, and drove her away. She thinks they’re dealing with the same kind of family dynamics, and Ned can help with Sam. Alexis says she knows what Olivia is trying to do, and it’s not working. She’s not up to talking. Olivia says what Alexis is doing isn’t working either, and friends don’t abandon each other.

Tracy tells Monica, Alexis has been nothing but trouble for Ned. Did she say alcohol was involved? She thought Alexis was in recovery. Monica says, not anymore, and Tracy asks how Monica can think the situation is under control? Drunk lips sink ships – and they sink marriages. Monica says, Alexis was quiet on Thanksgiving, and Tracy asks why Monica let her in the house. Monica says, Olivia invited her, and Tracy says she’s heard enough. She has to fix this.

Anna asks if Finn has been waiting long. She had coffee with Dante. He asks how it went, and she says, fine. How’d it go with him? He says, the exam went fine, but something else did come up. A double wedding she was planning with Maxie. Anna says she was trying to talk to him about that. How did he find out? He says he talked to Maxie. He thought it was totally nuts, but Maxie said Anna liked the idea. Anna says she doesn’t like the idea. She never agreed to the idea. He didn’t agree, did he? He says, only because he thought it was what she wanted, and she says, no, no, no. Did he say yes? He nods, and she says, what was he thinking?

Olivia says Alexis is clearly hurting. She wishes Alexis would just talk. Alexis says they’re back where they started. Olivia says she gets it, but she wanted Alexis to know she’s her friend. That’s why she’s doing this. Olivia tells bartender Jessie that Alexis has reached her limit. No more alcohol. Alexis says she’s a paying customer, and Olivia says Alexis knows she has the legal right of refusal, and she’s cutting Alexis off. If Alexis wants to talk, she knows where Olivia will be.

Monica warns Tracy to leave well enough alone, and Tracy asks, when has well enough alone worked for anybody? Monica says it’s none of Tracy’s business, but Tracy says, Ned is her son; he is her business. He’s settled, and married to a woman who adores and stands by him, and he blows it by sleeping with Alexis. Is he having a mid-life crisis? Monica says, it happened when Olivia went to Geneva with Robert Scorpio. Ned got the wrong idea, and ran into Alexis at a bar. Tracy asks if Ned is boozing it up now, and Monica says, no; it was one night. Tracy says, but Alexis still is. Does Monica have any idea how dangerous this is? If Alexis goes on a bender, and starts staying things… Monica says Tracy can’t control it, but Tracy says, maybe she can head it off at the pass.

Scotty walks out of the office, and Obrecht sneaks around. She listens at the door again. Kirk says there’s a WSB file on Franco; he was a patient of Andre Maddox. Franco says Andre performed an experimental procedure on him, and Kirk says, the file has no specifics. Franco says, that’s because it was a total success. It was before the tumor came back. Does Kirk think there’s a direct correlation? Kirk says, there’s a distinct possibility, yes.

Finn tells Anna, there’s no way he’s taking the blame. Why didn’t she tell him? She says she was caught up with other things. What possessed him? He says, Maxie told him that’s what she wanted, and she says, in what universe would she want a double wedding? He says, why didn’t she just tell Maxie, no? and she says she was going to use him to be the bad guy. He’d say no, then she could break it to Maxie gently. He says, great plan. Let him in on it next time. She says, now they’re stuck with it, and it’s his fault.

Dante is still in the bistro when Maxie and Peter come in. Maxie asks how Dante is doing, and he says, okay; how about her? She says, hanging in there. She’s focusing on the positive. Dante says, it’s all they can do. He says he doesn’t want his boss to catch him sleeping on the job; he should go. Peter says he wouldn’t think that, but Dante jets. Peter asks if Dante seemed weird, and Maxie says, Dante gets a pass. He’s grieving Lulu, and she understands. How would Peter feel if something happened to her? He says, nothing and no one is ever going to take her away from him.

Elizabeth asks if Jason fought Sam, and Sam says, no. He was surprised and upset, but he didn’t fight her on it. He said he wanted what was best for her and the kids. If it was like it was in the beginning, just the two of them, but it’s completely different now. Elizabeth says, that makes it more admirable. Sam put her kids first; that’s everything. She knows she wouldn’t be the first person Sam would call when she needs to talk, but she can be the second. Deal? Sam says, deal.   

Alexis approaches Olivia, and says, okay, let’s talk. Olivia suggests they talk somewhere more private, but Alexis doesn’t want to. Is it that Olivia doesn’t want her to ruin the reputation of her establishment or herself? She’s not perfect either. Olivia tells Alexis, she never said she was, and Alexis is making a spectacle of herself. She’s drunk in the middle of the afternoon, and Olivia is worried about her. Alexis says she doesn’t want Olivia’s pity. Olivia needs to worry about herself and her marriage. Tracy walks in. 

Helga tells Scotty, she’s going home. He has to go. Scotty says, hang on. He said he’d be there for his son. She says it’s not possible, and he says he’s not causing trouble. She tells him to wait at the café on the corner, and points to the elevator. He goes in with her, and when the doors close, Obrecht comes around the corner. She says, everyone is gone for the day. Now, the computer. What brings her Franco to this clinic?

Scotty comes back out of the elevator, sees Obrecht, and says, you.

Tomorrow, Tracy offers Alexis a job, Nikolas has a surprise for Ava, Julian tells someone that he’s a friend of Kim Nero’s, and Jason gets frustrated.

Southern Charm

The statue of John C. Calhoun came down. We saw the various news segments on it. Leva and Mona sat in the park, and watched. Leva was glad not to have this monster looking down on them anymore. She said it was a cool moment.

John played with sons Asher and Quinn, and I thought Asher must be a popular name in the South. Jennifer’s son is also Ascher, spelled differently, but same name. In his interview, John said his family went back eight generations, and probably did terrible sh*t, but he really didn’t know if they were slave owners. He said, whatever your family’s legacy was in the past, it didn’t have to be yours, and certainly not your children’s. Leva said there was huge wealth in the old families, but a lot of history came with it. Mona said most people weren’t educated, and in Leva’s interview, she said the silence in the South was deafening. She wished her friends cared more, but that’s the way it was there. Shep called John with the news he was negative, and the others were positive. John asked if Madison and Austen were still together. Social distancing had only made him hornier. Mona thought Kathryn must know about the history of her name, but Leva said sometimes when you were living in white privilege, you didn’t care. Welcome to Charleston.

Kathryn brought supplies to Craig, who came out wearing a mask, as was Kathryn, who also kept more than her social distance. Craig was holed up with Natalie and Taylor, who’d also tested positive. Taylor called Kathryn, and thanked her for dropping off a bag of spinach. She noted Kathryn had included a candle, and Kathryn said it was because when she thought virus, she thought of smells. Taylor said they had their scent back (by which I assume she meant sense of smell). Craig said he felt dirty, but Natalie and Taylor were quarantine angels. Kathryn congratulated Craig on HSN. In Craig’s interview, he said it was the biggest win for him. Kathryn said she was off the grid and off social media. She wanted to meet with Leva, and get some input as to how to move forward.

Everyone cheered when the statue came down. I don’t know if there are any trigger statues for me. Is there even a statue of Custer anywhere?

Venita and Madison had a socially distant visit on Madison’s porch. Madison said the salon had been closed for two months, and they’d been about to reopen, when Austen tested positive. She thought it was best if Hudson continued to stay with her ex. In Madison’s interview, she said during lockdown, Austen had been heavy on drinking, sleeping until noon, and playing video games. She told Venita, the boys thought they’d never get it. Shep, Little Craig (who has apparently gone from Lil to Little this season), Craig, Austen, and Whitney had a Zoom call, and Whitney thought it was a miracle Shep never got the virus. Austen felt like a statistic, and said he’d stayed on the couch for two days. She asked where it stood with Madison, and Austen said, not good. Venita asked Madison if she was officially done, and Madison said the whole relationship had been a struggle. Austen was all talk, no action, and lazy. In Madison’s interview, she says she couldn’t make someone be ready when they weren’t. Austen was wasting time, or maybe she was. Taylor wanted Shep to come to Craig’s and go through it with her, but he was like, no way.

Danni called Shep on her way to the dog park, but Shep didn’t want to go out. So Danni offered to bring her dog Lucy to his place. Shep talked through the door, and told Danni that Austen, Craig, and Taylor had the virus. In Shep’s interview, he said he was keeping himself in quarantine because who the hell knew how this worked. He told Danni that Taylor was mad because he was negative, and asked if she’d heard from Kathryn. Danni said Kathryn wasn’t responding to her, but she was blowing up Leva’s phone. In Shep’s interview, he said Kathryn could be sweet or a goddam terror. Danni felt taken advantage of, and wanted Kathryn to take accountability. Shep told her not to force it because when Kathryn was backed in a corner, she got really crazy. Kathryn called Leva, and asked if she wanted to meet and talk. Leva suggested they FaceTime right then and there, and in the most awkward conversation ever, Kathryn told Leva that her intention had been nothing racist or political. She was just standing up for friend. Leva said, it hit so many nerves because she thought of Kathryn as intelligent, and it wasn’t okay. In Leva’s interview, she said people wanted to coddle Kathryn, but it was her time for accountability. She said Danni had been Kathryn’s friend forever, and Kathryn needed to go fix that sh*t.

Craig practiced his pitch for Sewing Down South. Taylor said he’d done a good job, and he said she hadn’t known him when everyone thought it was crazy and stupid. We took a trip down Pillow Memory Lane, and he showed her the pillow tag with his name on it, which was kind of cool. She said he was amazing for taking her in. She wasn’t sure if she was going back to Shep’s, since she wasn’t a happy camper. In Craig’s interview, he said she needed attention and affection, and if Shep didn’t see it, he’d end up alone.

John took his boys to the batting cages, where he met Madison and Hudson. In his interview, he said a playdate took the heat off. If the kids hated each other, they may as well not talk again. Playdate dating; the way of the future. He flirted with Madison, and said she and Austen waffled. Madison said it had been two years off and on. Austen wasn’t ready to be a stepdad, and she had to move forward.

Craig said HSN was his chance for the big leagues. If he messed up, he wasn’t going to get back in. At least for a while. Whitney and Patricia watched his segment, and Whitney said Craig had surprisingly decent camera presence. He suggested Patricia had some competition, but in her interview, Patricia said she didn’t consider Craig competition. She was going to have pillows in her line, but they were luxury, while his were… affordable. Patricia asked if they should call Craig, and offer congratulations, and Whitney said, no, but it was more funny than mean. In Craig’s interview he said it was a landmark achievement in his life, and encouraged him to commit to going in this direction.

Danni went over to Leva’s place, and said her spread was Pinterest worthy. She was glad for some human contact, but she was having more human contact later, and was dreading it. Kathryn had called, and asked if they could do brunch. Danni said she couldn’t, but asked Kathryn to come by. Leva said she’d talked to Kathryn, and told her to fix her relationships. Danni wondered if Kathryn would have reached out if she hadn’t talked to Leva, but Leva didn’t think so. Danni said Kathryn didn’t know how to be a good friend, but she did know how to find one. Leva said a friendship like Danni’s was rare, and should be valued. If not, it should be goodbye.

Austen finally tested negative, and called Madison. He asked what she was doing, and she said, having a glass of wine. He told her was close by, and asked if she would pour him a glass. She said, okay, and when he got there, she told him that he looked healthy; not swollen or hung over. She told him they’d had this conversation two years too long. She’d expected him to do the right thing, but instead he ran the town with the boys. Austen whined that she was throwing things out there, and she said they were two different people on two different paths. He was doing is ass backward, and she was building a career she worked hard at. He had no work ethic. She didn’t want a 6-foot man on her back treading water for the rest of her life. She’d tried to make it work, but sometimes you hit a wall you can’t move past. She felt like they’d hit that wall, and it was an effing shame. She wanted to be with him. Austen said he didn’t know how to let her go. He loved her so much it hurt. He asked he for another chance, but she said it wasn’t an option. She learned her lesson. She wished him the best, and regretted nothing, but he wasn’t the one for her long term. He guzzled the rest of his wine, and left. Madison looked like she had a headache.

Danni called Leva, and told her Kathryn had said she was a few minutes away half an hour ago. Lave said Kathryn being late was rude enough. Danni said she was dreading it. Kathryn finally showed up, and said she’d heard ya’ll were saying she hadn’t tried to get in touch with Danni, but she had. Danni said she’d been reaching out for a while, and Kathryn said she’d gotten a message from Danni when she going through all of it. Danni said, exactly; she was concerned. Kathryn got defensive, and Danni asked why she hadn’t reached out. Kathryn said ya’ll were going around saying she was off the radar. Danni wondered who this ya’ll was Kathryn kept talking about, and Kathryn said Danni was always putting it on her, and acted like Kathryn wasn’t putting work into the friendship. The whole conversation went downhill fast, with Danni finally saying it was pointless, and thanks for wasting her time. Kathryn left, and Danni called her an unappreciative bitch.

Next time, Taylor thinks Shep is insensitive, John’s ex visits, Patricia hosts a dude’s day, and Austen tells John that Madison is off-limits.

🍸 Patricia was a virtual guest on Watch What Happens Live tonight, and revealed both she and Michael pick up dog poopies. Dog poop, the great leveler.  

🐊 After While, Crocodile…

I’m desperate to be off to dreamland, and will bring the tea tomorrow. Until then, stay safe, stay well-rested, and stay not doing it ass backward.

Dec10

December 9, 2020 – Martin Reveals a Huge Secret, the OC Shuts Down, Meredith Wants Some Room, New Dallas & 8 Bohemian Nights

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Yeah, yeah, running late again. Here’s what I missed at the beginning. Sasha and Willow ran into each other at the park, and Sasha thought they should get things out in the open. Avoiding Monica, Carly snuck into the Quartermain mansion through the terrace doors when she saw Michael. She asked him to forgive her for lying. At the MetroCourt, Sonny asked Diane to use her skills to get Martin to spill his connection to Cyrus. As Martin tried to leave, they blocked his way. Laura was working on her target practice, when Cyrus went to the stall next to her. Backtracking to yesterday, Sam told Jason, if he left, don’t come back, and here we are.

Sam says she knows Jason has to go, and he says he’ll send Sonny a text, saying he got hung up. He’s not going anywhere until they figure this out. She told him that she can’t keep living like this. Does she mean here with him? Is she asking him to move out? She says, Danny could have died the other night. She can’t stop thinking about it. Standing in the parking lot, holding Danny’s cap. It brought her back to when her brother Danny died. She stood there, holding the one thing she had left of him. Jason says, his baseball cap, and she says it was hard enough to grieve her brother. She doesn’t think she could survive grieving her child. He says he was going to ask her how long she’s been feeling this way, but he guesses he has the answer. Sam says, the bombing was her breaking point. Since then, she’s been thinking about it, and finally realized. There was nothing she could do about her brother then, but there’s certainly something she can do for her son. She can let Jason go.

Sasha tells Willow, she’s so sorry she and Chase hurt her, and Willow asks if she has any idea what it’s like. Chase broke her heart into a million pieces, but so did Sasha. The way she was raised, her parents moved a lot, even before they got involved with DoD. Because of that, she never had a lot of friends; sometimes none. Then came Chase, and Sasha and Michael. The four of them hanging out was so much fun. Sasha was the first true girlfriend she had. The person she could vent to, and go for advice. Then that disappeared. Sasha says, because of something not real. Chase still loved Willow; he always has. Willow says she believes Chase, and believes Sasha, but knowing and trusting are two different things.

Michael says he knows Carly’s intentions were good, and she was justified in not telling him. If she’d told him it was a set-up, he would have had to tell Willow. It would have put her in an impossible position; stay together for Wiley’s sake, or stay with Chase and risk losing Wiley. Carly says if they’d had to make a choice before the custody hearing, it would have been a disaster. He says, thankfully, Nelle is gone, and Willow will know, no matter who they choose, Wiley will be okay. Carly asks, but will he be okay?   

Martin says he was just leaving, and Diane says, but she just got there. Sonny says, he knows Diane, right? and Martin says, she’s quite unforgettable. She says, flatterer, and Sonny says Diane has some questions for him. Martin says he thought he was finished with his Q&A, but Sonny says, not quite. Martin says he can’t talk about any cases that involve any of them, but Diane says he’s mistaken. Sonny, his wife, and his father were the targets in a shooting, and Sonny recently lost a cousin in a bomb explosion. Martin says he’s sincerely sorry for Sonny’s loss, but what on God’s green earth do those appalling acts of violence have to do with him? Sonny says because the man Martin works for caused them – Cyrus Renault.   

Cyrus says Laura is quite the shot, and she says she finds it helpful to visualize. She thinks about someone she’d like to shoot, and boom! pulls the trigger. He says he hopes he’s never in her sights, and she says, he knows what they say about the word never. He says he hadn’t pegged her for a shooting enthusiast, and she says despite his intrusive research, there’s a lot he doesn’t know. He says he’d love for her to fill him in on her history from her own perspective, but she says she’s not there to regale him with stories. Her daughter is lying comatose in a long-term care facility, likely because of him. He says he’d never want to harm her daughter, and she says, if he means that – he tells her that he does – then get the hell out of Port Charles.

Curtis tells Jordan, he wants to go over the information from the medical supply company. Maybe it will lead to how Cyrus knows Florence. Jordan says, the company supplies thousands of facilities, and it’s possible Cyrus just moved her to another house with private care, or changed his plan for all they know. He says, yes to all that, but it’s the only lead they’ve got. Judging from the postcard, Cyrus has a close personal attachment to Florence. They can use that to get leverage on Cyrus, and get Jordan out from under his thumb.

Jason asks if Sam wants to end things, and she says she doesn’t want to; she has to. They both know what happened at The Floating Rib wasn’t an isolated incident. There will always another crisis, another lockdown, and another time they need to take the kids out of bed in the middle of the night to make sure they’re safe. He asks why she didn’t say anything, and she says he hasn’t been around. And what would have changed? For the past several months, she’s been so focused on them being together, living together, she didn’t stop for a second to consider if being with him was right for their family. The hard truth is, it’s just not working anymore.

Jason says he doesn’t want their kids to risk their lives to spend time with him, and Sam says she doesn’t want that either. She knows she said they could make it work, and keep the kids safe. That’s how much wanted be with him; how much she loves him. But she was in denial. She refused to see that the day was coming when it would catch up to him. He says he’d hoped it wouldn’t. When he came back, and they got back together and became a family, everything hit him. He wanted it to last, but she knows him. She says she does, and he says, if she says she wants out, he won’t fight it. She starts to cry.

Laura says she should want Cyrus brought to justice, tried, and convicted for his involvement in the bombing. He starts to say something, but she tells him, don’t deny it; she won’t believe him. She should want those things, and he says, but she doesn’t? She says, she does. She wants that with every fiber in her being, but she wants peace more. She’s the mayor of this town, and puts its people first. She’d rather see him walk free than stay, and watch the damage accumulate. She wants him to go back to where he came from; go anywhere far away. He says he can’t do that, and she says, there are hospitals everywhere. He says while his business investment is a consideration, he has personal reasons for staying.

Diane says they’ve observed Martin and Cyrus talking, and Cyrus paid his tab. Martin says, that’s hardly criminal, but Diane says Cyrus has been involved in a boatload of crimes. He bombed a restaurant that killed three people, and left a mother in a coma. Martin says he believes Julian is responsible, and Diane says, she knows Julian. It would never occur to him to bomb The Floating Rib, unless he was coerced. He has no motive. Cyrus, on the other hand, had motive for days, going by the name of Jason Morgan. Martin says this is far outside his area of expertise, and starts to get up, but Sonny pushes him back into his seat. Diane says, Jason was at The Floating Rib, and was the intended target. The others were collateral damage. Martin says, it’s tragic and monstrous, and Sonny tells him to explain his connection to Cyrus, or he’ll assume Martin is involved with the bombing. Martin says, Sonny would be wrong. He doesn’t know how to say it. He has no idea what his brother has gotten him into. Diane says, his what?

Jordan tells Curtis, they know the file Cyrus had her pull concerns the death of David Hamilton. Maybe they should take another look at the family association. Maybe there’s a connection to Cyrus. He says, he’s thinking Florence is a stronger lead, assuming it’s the Florence who married Laura’s father. Jordan says, for a woman that age, Florence isn’t that uncommon, and Curtis says, they lived in Port Charles for several years. There must be records. He says he thinks he’ll get some fresh air, and she says, if he’s going to call in a favor that’s illegal to call in… He says he certainly wouldn’t tell the Commissioner. Deniability, and all that stuff.

Sam says, part of her wants Jason to fight for her, and wants him to change, but she already knows he can’t. He says he loves her. He doesn’t want to lose her or the kids, but he can’t lie. He’s tried to leave before, and ended up going back. She says she knows. It’s part of the reason why she fell in love with him; his loyalty and his code. It’s why, in the beginning she never questioned how he lived, and never questioned his work or how it could be just anywhere. He says, but kids change things, and she says she doesn’t want Danny and Scout to live in fear. She doesn’t want to live fear for them, and most of all, she doesn’t want them to die the way Morgan did.

Sonny says, Martin’s brother is Cyrus? and Martin says, correct. Diane says she admits she didn’t think at all this was where her line of questioning was going, but it’s bizarre enough to be true. It’s fascinating. Martin is glad to entertain her, and she asks where they’re from, and how estranged they are. Sonny asks how long Martin has been helping Cyrus get his hooks in the town.

Laura says, the way Cyrus presented it, he had no personal reason to be there; no personal connection whatsoever. He tells her that he didn’t materialize fully formed. He had a childhood, and family he cares about. She says, but has no regard for anyone else’s family. Lulu’s children could grow up without a mother. He says he didn’t realize Lulu might not recover. If she’s not satisfied with where Lulu is, he knows of some excellent long-term care facilities in Vermont. She says she’s not interested in his helpful hints. As far as his target practice goes, she thinks he should reschedule. She can’t be sure one of her shots won’t just go astray – he laughs – and hit a bystander. He says, under her civilized façade, she has a wild streak like his own. She tells him, keep pushing, and he’ll find out just how wild a streak it is. He says, always a pleasure, and leaves. Laura makes a call, and says she needs to see them now.

Willow asks if Sasha has thought about what’s next, and Sasha says, Lucy and Maxie have gone above and beyond, and even Valentin has been decent. They told her there’s still a place for her at Deception. She just has to get over her mortification, and show up for work. Willow says, there’s a great counseling group at the hospital, but Sasha says she’s not sure counseling is for her. Willow says she felt that way too, before giving up her baby. The group, and meeting Michael, made a huge difference. Working through it, empowered her, and might do the same for Sasha. She tells Sasha, when she feels embarrassed or ashamed, remember that she helped save a little boy from an evil monster. There’s nothing more important. Sasha says she’ll hold onto that, and Willow says she should.

Carly tells Michael, she was justified in withholding the truth – it was in Wiley’s best interest – but actions have consequences, and she knows that. He and Willow were friends, and watching them lean on each other was a beautiful thing. She gets it. They started as friends, but she senses it’s more than that. Michael says what he and Willow are, is between them, and no one else.

Sam tells Jason, Morgan’s death was devastating, and he says he can’t imagine. She says it put an end to all the lies they told themselves about this life being safe. She thinks that’s when it hit her. She was standing for what felt like an eternity in The Floating Rib parking lot, thinking she should have known better. She should have learned from what happened to Morgan. No matter what the promises, the good intentions, and the guards, it’s not enough. Nothing can ever ease the pain of losing a child because of the choices you’ve made. They have a second chance. Danny is alive, and she’s learned her lesson. She’s also Scout’s mother, and she has to do what’s best for them. He says he wants that too, and she says she knows he does. With tears in his eyes, he says, if what’s best is for him to leave, he will. He’ll hate it and miss her like crazy, but he will.

Martin tells Diane and Sonny, his brother got in touch with him. He wanted to reconnect, but Martin said, no. Diane asks, why? and Martin says his brother is a complicated person; he’s angry. He was wild when he was young, and now he’s an alleged drug kingpin. He wanted no part of that. Then, their mother fell ill, and went through her medical insurance quickly. The level of care she needed would have bankrupted him, so he contacted Cyrus. To his credit, Cyrus answered, and has been paying her expenses ever since. How he makes his money, Martin doesn’t know, and doesn’t want to know. Diane says they’ll be vetting his story, and Martin says, it’s the truth. May he go? Sonny nods, and he tells them, have a good evening. He leaves, and Diane says, well, that was informative. Sonny says, it’s a start. He’s still got to find out what else Cyrus is hiding.

Epiphany shows up at Jordan’s apartment, and asks if she’s alone. Jordan says she is, and asks, what’s going on? Epiphany says Jordan has a problem. The wheels are coming off her cover-up. If she’s not careful, someone is going to figure out Taggert is alive.

Willow says she’s got to go home, and Sasha says her too. It was good to see her. Willow leaves, and Sasha contemplates their conversation.  

Michael says, talking about how they got there won’t change where they are. He and Willow have been married for months, and they went to living directly as co-parents. Carly says, that’s huge, and he says, every decision was based on a lie. They were bonding and getting closer… because isn’t the right word. It lot had to do with Willow thinking Chase didn’t love her anymore, but it turns out the opposite was true. Chase loved her so much, he let her go; let her hate him so Wiley would be safe. It’s so much more confusing right now. She says she knows she said she’d stay out of it, but she has a piece of advice; don’t push it in either direction. They’re all good people with good intentions. Take the time to sort through who they are now, and how they feel now. He says, and where to go next?

Sam asks if Jason remembers when they first met at the PCPD. They were in handcuffs. He says, how could he forget? and she says, at that moment, she had no idea where their lives would take them. that they’d actually fall in love and have kids. Their theme music starts to play, which has been like waiting for the other shoe to fall during this entire conversation. Jason says, now that they do, they have to come first, and Sam says, they just have to. He says he sees how much it weighs on her. The compromises, the restrictions, the secrets. Danny and Scout shouldn’t have to accept those limitations as normal. They shouldn’t have to deal with the fallout of his choices, and neither should she.

Laura shoots, and Curtis comes in. He says, target practice? and she says, Cyrus was in the booth next to her. It took everything in her not to take a shot at him. He says he’s glad she didn’t. He’d hate for her to get locked up for the likes of trash like that. She tells him that she was rewarded for sharing. Cyrus wouldn’t stop talking about Lulu, and volunteered that he knew of some good long-term care facilities in Vermont. Does he think Cyrus moved Florence to one of them?

Epiphany tells Jordan, Trina has been asking questions. Why couldn’t they save her father? Why did they take him away so fast? Jordan says, that doesn’t mean Trina believes he’s alive, but Epiphany says, she suspects. It wouldn’t be a huge deal, but Taggert is hard to miss. He’s been lurking at GH, and who knows where else. Jordan asks what she’s saying, and Epiphany says, he’s been shadowing Trina and Portia. She caught him in scrubs at the hospital. Jordan says she didn’t even know he was back in town.

Jason says he doesn’t want Sam or the kids to live in fear, and he wouldn’t want to put them in danger. She says just because they don’t want something, doesn’t mean it won’t happen. They’ve learned that the hard way, a lot actually. She never wanted to think… He says, they’ve been through so much to be together, it’s not as simple as him walking away. She says, it’s not simple, but it’s something they have to do. Sonny calls, but Jason doesn’t answer. He says he’s thankful for every day they’ve had together. Danny is his son, and the time he’s spent with Danny and Scout… She gave him a family. He didn’t even know if that was in the cards for him. He doesn’t want this be over, but she says, they have no choice anymore.

Jason says, it feels wrong to walk out on her and the kids, but Sam says, it’s not wrong. She’s asking if he’ll go. His phone rings, and she says, Sonny? He says, yeah, but he’ll call back. Sam picks up the phone, and he says, don’t answer, but she does. She tells Sonny, he’s right here, and hands Jason the phone. He tells Sonny that he’s made arrangements; everything is ready. Are they still meeting at his place? Sonny says he’s at the MetroCourt, and tells Jason to pick him up there. Sam says, he has to go? and Jason says, yeah, he has to go. The music swells, and Sam cries. Jason says loves her and always will, and she says she loves him so much that it hurts, but they’re doing this for their kids. That’s something. He says, that’s everything, and walks out without turning around. Sam sits with her head in her hands crying. Outside, Jason leans on the door.

Willow comes home, and asks if Michael is working. He says he’s tying up some loose ends before he goes to bed. What’s going on? She says she just ran into Sasha in the park, and he asks how she is. Willow says, honestly? She seems better than she has in a while. He says, good. They both try to talk at once, and he tells her to go first. She says, things are really confusing right now for the both of them, and he says, a little bit. She says, whatever happens, they were friends from the start. She doesn’t want that to change. He promises it won’t. He’s not going anywhere.  

Jordan wonders what Taggert is thinking, and Epiphany says, he’s thinking he’s a father, desperate to protect his daughter. She blames Cyrus; his influence is growing. Jordan says, it’s not about blame; it’s about restraint. She needs to send Taggert away before it all falls apart, taking her marriage with it.   

Carly tells Sonny, her mind is blown. Cyrus is Martin’s brother? Sonny says it surprised him too, and she says, that’s it? He’s dropping this in her lap like a bomb (bad choice of words, Carly), and he’s going out of town on business? He says he’s following intel from Martin about Julian. Martin had information that’s not good news, but he has no idea how deep his brother is in with Julian. Cyrus walks in, and says he hopes they’re enjoying a peaceful evening. Sonny says he was about to leave, and Cyrus asks Sonny to accept his condolences about his cousin. He knows the loss must be felt deeply. It’s tragic, and he hopes no misunderstandings result from it. Sonny says, no misunderstandings. When he finds out who’s responsible for the situation, he’ll have all his facts straight.

Curtis suggest he upload the records from the medical company, and see if they ship to Vermont. Laura says, it’s a long shot. At the same time, Cyrus was oddly sincere. He says, that is odd, and she says, maybe he was so caught up, he revealed more than he intended. Curtis looks on his phone, and says, the Mexican company only ships to one facility in Vermont; Mountain Landing Long Term Care. He asks if she’s up for a road trip, and she says, Florence Gray, here they come.

Tomorrow, Olivia says she’s got her sights on Alexis, Scotty says they’re going to see the doctor, Tracy tells Monica it’s something not so wonderful, and Anna asks Dante what happened in Geneva.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Shannon opened the episode with saying, a week ago everything was fine, and they were in Palm Springs. The text told us production closed, and the women filmed themselves. Gina said, if the sun would come out, it wouldn’t feel so much like Armageddon, and it’s possibly the first time she and I have agreed, since it’s been raining here since the fall of 2019.

Quarantine day 4. Shannon and Braunwyn video chatted and talked about appearance being the worst thing, and showing their ever-growing roots. Elizabeth was helping animals, and in her interview, said she had a sincere passion for them because they’re helpless. It’s how she felt in her divorce, and she was hoping to heal the people who adopted rescues as well. Braunwyn said she was doing good. She couldn’t go to meetings, but found a sponsor.

Day 8. Braunwyn had never used a washing machine before. It was the first time she’d been without a housekeeper since she was in high school. I couldn’t even fathom that. In her interview, she said she lived in a smart house, which was great unless you’re not a smart person. She had kitchen hours posted, and said because of her OCD tendencies, the house was spotless. She was up at 6, and in bed at 10, cleaning the whole time. In her interview, she said she was trapped in the house with seven kids, and things that had been kind of annoying were now really annoying.

Day 11. Kelly and Emily met in the park. Emily said, all she knew was that she needed to take her kids somewhere, and drop them off. In her interview, she said, quarantine in Orange County was like upscale house arrest. Her kids were addicted to her, and regardless of how big her house was, she couldn’t get rid of them. Braunwyn joined Kelly and Emily, and said she was over everything. Kelly was going to NYC to see Rick, and in her interview, said it was absurd that the economy was shutting down, and she thought the virus was being blown out of proportion. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said for her, to leave her kids wasn’t an option. She couldn’t understand the risk for a booty call. Braunwyn said she’d seen Elizabeth posting on Instagram that they were lying about the numbers, and they hadn’t done this with the AIDS epidemic. In Emily’s interview, she said she’s no doctor, but she knows AIDS comes from sexual activity. Braunwyn said Elizabeth told a different story to everyone about her situation. Braunwyn didn’t want to be fake, and wanted them to be real women who were open and honest, and supported each other. Emily wondered if Elizabeth and Jimmy were sexually distancing.

Day 12. Shannon said not everyone was following the rules. In her interview, she said John’s son came to stay. She told him that she had a list of rules, and once he came to the house, he couldn’t leave. He decided to leave, and John went too. We saw a clip of Shannon crying about this on Instagram. Kelly filmed herself at LaGuardia Airport, while on her way to see Rick. She said she was scared. She was washing her hands, and staying away from people, but it seemed inevitable.

Day 14. Kelly was in Times Square with Rick, and showed us there was no on the streets. She said it was bizarre, and got a hot dog from a food cart. Rick said she’d been craving one for six months. I totally understood this, since I don’t normally eat hot dogs, but whenever I’m in the city, I’m always compelled to get one from a cart. In Kelly’s interview, she said she wasn’t scared, but she was cautious. She wasn’t letting the virus take her down. She and Rick worked out, and she told him that she couldn’t do pushups because she had fake boobs. He pretended to be shocked at this revelation. In her interview, she said Jolie was taken care of, but Rick was alone. Nothing was going to separate her and her man. Rick gave her a pedicure, which I thought was super boyfriend nice. 

Day 18. Emily said she knew she lived in an Orange County bubble, and could only imagine what other people were going through trying to pay the bills. It was a devastating time. She filmed Shane vacuuming, and said this had never been seen before. In her interview, she said she’d been afraid quarantine would be detrimental to their relationship. Shane still wasn’t getting more sex, since she was tired from no breaks with the kids. Last year, they were fighting in front of the kids, but even though this was a stressful weird time, their marriage was solid, and it was beneficial to the children. Shane continued to clean, and Emily told him it was sexy.

Day 20. Braunwyn said she lived in the real world, but Sean lived where everything was fine. She explained that when she’s unhappy, she lashes out, because it’s easier to project it. Sometimes it felt like she was the only grown-up in the house, and she was so tired. Shannon called Gina, who showed off her new mom haircut. In Gina’s interview, she said salon workers weren’t considered essential, but should be for her. The second time we agreed. Shannon said John was back in the house, and in her interview, Gina said Shannon had called her, and it sounded like she was soused. She was hysterical, and said she’d had a fight with John. Gina thought they were going to break up. Shannon said she’d been beyond devastated. She’d told John that he could stay with his son or her, but he couldn’t do both. He showed up, and was very emotional. He said he understood now. Gina told Shannon, if He was compromised, she has it already, but he shouldn’t go back and forth. Shannon needed to be protected. In her interview, Gina said she was shocked Shannon let him back in. She put her health at risk to hold on to a relationship. She said Shannon was good at following rules, and Shannon agreed. The hunt for toilet paper and paper towels was on, and Kelly told Rick, next time, they were investing in a bidet. Emily hid toilet paper on her back porch for Gina.

Day 24. Kelly called Jolie from NYC, and asked why she was being difficult. Why wasn’t Jolie talking to her? Jolie said quarantine sucked, which about summed it up for all of us. In Kelly’s interview, she said when she came to NYC, she’d intended to just stay for the week Michael had Jolie. She felt guilty, but she got stuck. She didn’t know it was going to be the epicenter; it wasn’t her fault. Jolie said people were freaking out, and Kelly said the virus had been around since December. Jolie insisted it hadn’t, and in her interview, Kelly said, teenagers think they know everything. She asked about school, and Jolie showed Kelly all the homework she’d been given. Kelly said she missed her daughter.

Day 31. Elizabeth pointed out that the liquor store was fully stocked. She said they weren’t drinking since they were trying to be healthy, not drunk and miserable. In Elizabeth’s interview, she said she wasn’t sure if the virus was manmade by Big Pharma, or natural from a monkey, but having to stay home was making her nuts. She wanted to cry, since the lawyers were postponing the divorce. She couldn’t be free or live her life how she wanted to. In her interview, she said she’d thought money would make her happy, but she was realizing it might not make her as happy as she’d thought it would.

Day 39. Braunwyn said she put on makeup and earrings to go one a car ride. When this was over, it was going to be insane. In her interview, she said she’d been angry. Online meetings weren’t the thing she needed. Sean belittled her over not being able to get the vacuum charger to work. She’d been working hard, and she lost it, and smacked him. She’d hit Sean a couple of times, but it was nothing like what happened in Aspen. She hit him hard across the face. She’d wanted to drink, and was lashing out. Looking back, it was a side of her that he’d never seen. She felt trapped. Trapped in her house, trapped in her marriage, trapped emotionally and physically. Everything that was happening was indicative of the headspace she was in. She’d always put a happy spin on her marriage, but things happened she didn’t talk about. She was 89 days sober, and hadn’t wanted a drink in a while. If she had it in the house, she’d drink it. She wasn’t okay.

I suddenly notice, in the part of the credits where they hold out the orange, they’re wearing masks.

May 1. Elizabeth told us, they could do what they wanted now. We saw her at the beach, and people out shopping and in the park. Gina was shopping in Home Depot, and said everyone had the same idea to work on their house. Get it done. Braunwyn, Emily, Shannon, and Kelly went to visit Shannon, who said in her interview, she needed human contact. Maybe not with Kelly, who’d been all over the place. She might need to stand ten feet away from Kelly. Shannon told the women that Tamra had responded to Gina on social media, saying she’d had a good time with Gina, and then Gina canceled coming over today. In Shannon’s interview, she said she didn’t have a friendship with Tamra anymore, but Tamra trashed her and Kelly on a regular basis. Shannon told the group that Kelly said when Tamra came after her on social media, don’t say anything. In her interview, Shannon said she’d sacrificed other friendships to devote time to Tamra. We flashed back to some moments when Tamra was needy, and Shannon said now she had a void in her life. She was a little lost. Shannon told them that Elizabeth had said she’d been belligerent, and screamed at Jimmy, so he left Palm Springs, but he left because he had to go to work early. In her interview, Shannon said, Jimmy had a job to get to. If Elizabeth isn’t telling the truth about this, maybe she’s not telling the truth about a bunch of other things. In Emily’s interview, she said Shannon was like the Regina George of this part of Orange County. You do the dirty work, and she’ll look at it, but she’s got clean hands. In Kelly’s interview, she said Shannon was the puppet-master this time. She thought Elizabeth told half-truths because she was insecure. She was like a blowfish, making herself bigger than she was, but she was a good person, trying to do the right thing. She called the women a bunch of effing Nancy Drews.

Gina called Braunwyn, who said there were no AA meetings. Braunwyn told Gina that Elizabeth said she was alone, but one of her Instagram posts showed her with a friend at her house, and they were drinking. She thought Elizabeth didn’t have the money she said she did. It was public record that she’d taken out loans against her homes for legal fees. In Emily’s interview, she said she’d be pissed if people were digging up documents on her, and telling others, but she’d be happy to read over them, and give her legal opinion.

Apparently, Emily adopted two kittens during the pandemic, who  tumbled around on the table while the kids were eating. Elizabeth called Gina, and Gina said she anticipated more divorces because of covid. Elizabeth said she and her ex went to let’s settle this. She wondered what was wrong with her that she wanted to win. In her interview, she said covid changed her perspective. She didn’t need to buy stuff to make herself happy. She knew it was because of where she came from, but she lost sight of that when she had the money. Braunwyn went over to Shannon’s house, and they talked about quarantine. Shannon told Braunwyn that she cooked up storm, ate like a pig, and drank everything, and she had nothing show for it. Elizabeth told Kelly that she thought it would be cool for them to go on a girls trip to Arrowhead. Everyone would get tested before they go. Braunwyn talked to Shannon about the impending trip, and Shannon asked who was invited. Was Kelly invited? Shannon said, kind of ish, and Shannon wondered why Elizabeth was telling people she’d been belligerent to Jimmy. Braunwyn said she didn’t know Elizabeth, but everything Elizabeth told her wasn’t real. She wanted to get to know Elizabeth. Honesty was the foundation of friendship, but if Elizabeth couldn’t be honest, how could they be friends? Elizabeth said Gina was harsh on her in Palm Springs, and we flashed back to Gina saying the divorce was going to kill Elizabeth. Gina said she understood what Elizabeth was going through; she didn’t know how to shut off advocating for her ex. Braunwyn told Shannon that Elizabeth was telling different versions of the personal stuff she was sharing. She felt like she couldn’t get to know Elizabeth if she was going to be inconsistent. She should just lay it out, and everyone would accept it. Shannon said she heard the divorce was settled, and Braunwyn said she got it; she lied about stuff too. We flashed back to her being called out, and in Shannon’s interview, she said she had no idea what was going on. Elizabeth laughed everything off, and couldn’t give a straight answer, or gave a different one every time. Gina told Elizabeth that she was supposed to get together with Shannon, but she bailed. In her interview, Elizabeth said she was used to women who wanted to discredit her. It had happened her whole life, and she was used to women like Braunwyn and Shannon. But when they start digging about her personally, she gets nervous. There was some dysfunction in her past she didn’t want out there. I’m intrigued.

May 25. We saw clips from protests in Minneapolis, NYC, Los Angeles, and Laguna Beach. Elizabeth said it was so sad. She’d thought as a society, we would have moved forward, but we’d taken 200 steps back. Gizelle (The Real Housewives of Potomac) and Gina, who are friends outside the franchise, talked virtually, and Gina said, the more conversation, the better. If they didn’t talk, nothing would change, and they had an obligation. We saw tweets from various cast members about Black Lives Matter.

May 31. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said, watching George Floyd being murdered changed everything. She’s had no excuse to tune this out for 42 years, and she was sorry. She wondered what she could do now. Orange County was very conservative and white; take your tax breaks and shut up. She said they had a duty to use their white privilege to help everyone. Her kids had a chance to make changes in the world. Standing up for what’s right should be ingrained on their psyche, and they should pass it on to their children.

Things started opening up, and Braunwyn got together with her friend Shari. Elizabeth went to get Botox, so she could wipe the divorce off her face. Kelly called Shannon, who was nearly hysterical. She said Stella had a cold, and they took a swab. She’d tested positive. While they were there, Shannon found out she had a slight fever, and she’d had a sore throat. Everyone was getting tested. She was so careful; she didn’t understand. In Shannon’s interview, she said she told the girls they needed to be safe, and follow the rules, but the twins went to a party where there were no masks, and they were hugging people. Kelly said, oh my God.

Next time, a trip to Arrowhead, Braunwyn wonders if she and Sean should stay together, and Shane gets very sick.  

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

They backtracked a little, and showed Jen explaining herself at Mary’s luncheon. Meredith said she appreciated Jen’s apology, and she was hopeful. Mary said Jen’s words could be deadly, and Jen told Mary that she just said what everyone was thinking. Mary didn’t agree, and when Jen peppered her response with explicatives, Mary told Jen not to curse at her. She asked why Jen was so angry, and Jen said she tried to open herself up. Mary said she never wanted to talk to Jen again, and told her to go. Heather said Mary had invited them to get to know them better. In Whitney’s interview, she said she didn’t know how they got there, when it had been all good. Jen told Mary to quit making faces at her, and Mary asked if Jen was going to whip her butt. Jen told Mary not to have a party and tell people to open themselves up, and walked out. In her interview, Heather said this had to stop. At this point the score was settled. Forgive and move on. In Lisa’s interview, she said she cringed when Jen said Mary was a grandpa f***er. Now Mary thinks that’s what they all think, and that’s not true. In Jen’s interview, she said she was excited to meet Mary. She was another minority female who’d grown up in Utah, and she thought they’d be alike. It was a let-down; she expected more. Mary said she didn’t want to be cursed at, and Lisa said it was hurtful because there had been no apology. Mary said Jen should have acknowledged her hurt. Meredith said there was no reason to speak disrespectfully to anyone. Heather brought Jen back to the table, and said she didn’t think this was Mary’s intention for the lunch. Respectfully and calmly. In Jen’s interview, she said she was going to take Heather’s advice, rise above, and not react. She told Mary that she wouldn’t be there if she didn’t care. It was hard for her to open up, and when she did, Mary took her legs out from under her. Mary said that wasn’t her purpose, and Heather said she seemed dismissive and hypocritical. Mary didn’t like this comment too much, and said Heather was two-faced. Whitney said Jen was just trying to explain, and help them understand why she reacts the way she does, but Mary couldn’t accept it. Mary called Jen a hoodlum, and in Jen’s interview, she said she didn’t use the words hoodlum or ghetto. They were always used in a derogatory way to make people feel less than. Mary had told her that if she goes to the 7-11 and sees Black people, she goes elsewhere. She wondered who Mary was. Jen told them, she tried, and split.

Mary’s housekeeper Charlinda made some mad beatbox sounds in the kitchen. Meredith told Brooks that Jen’s bottom line was that she only got upset because she cared. In Heather’s interview, she said her ex, Billy, wanted their kids to have a mom who was available 24/7, and provided well for them. Her daughter had been dating the same boy for two years, but most Mormons didn’t let their kids go past a second date with the same person. It could lead to a relationship, which would lead to sex, but she wanted her kids to be carefree, young and in love. She didn’t want the divorce to affect her daughters, but they weren’t as connected to being Mormon anymore. Meredith picked Seth up at the airport. In her interview, she said he’d been going between Ohio and Chicago, and she hadn’t seen him in a few weeks. Things were tense and volatile last time, and she was hoping it would be smoother. Seth said he loved Ohio; he was a blue collar guy. He asked if she was going to live with him in Ohio, but she said they weren’t living in Ohio. He asked if where she lived was more important than who she lived with, and she said he’d uprooted the family every couple of years. In her interview, she said they’d gone from Toronto to Chicago, then Seth commuted to Dallas, and they moved to Park City. It caused hostility in the marriage, and when her oldest graduated, they were so busy moving, she didn’t emotional digest it. Asking her to move was a trigger.

Mary told Robert Sr. that Jen kept picking on her, and she didn’t know why. Jen told Sharrieff about the luncheon, and they each told their story to their spouses, putting their own spin on it. Jen focused on the 7-11 thing, but I was surprised any of them would be going to a 7-11 period. Sharrieff said there were Black folks who didn’t like other Black folks, and Jen said she’d kill Mary with kindness, which I expect will last all of three seconds. Mary told Robert about Jen’s grandfather comment, and said it wasn’t like he was a blood relative. She said it was her against them. Sharrieff told Jen it wasn’t about her, and don’t take personally. Robert told Mary it was pagan jealousy. In Mary’s interview, she said Jen’s behavior was toxic. She was like a bad apple on a tree, and Mary was done.

Whitney went to see her brother Will, and in her interview, said they were best friends from the time they could walk. They did a jujitsu workout, and seemed very sweet together. I actually think they may be nice people, which is like finding a unicorn on these shows. Will told Whitney that she had the talent, and he needed to get her in there full-time. She asked if he’d heard from their dad, but he said no. She told him their dad was committed to sober living. He’d gone to a 30 day rehab, and was supposed to do a 5 days a week program, but when he completed rehab, he took off to California. He had withdrawal so bad, he was on the verge of a relapse. It was easy to be sober in rehab. Whitney said he was going back, but this time, he was paying for it. Will said Whitney was the gatekeeper, and in her interview, Whitney said their parents both had children from other marriages, and when they divorced, it was mom’s kids against dad’s kids. When she decided to support her father, it made the divide wider. He wasn’t Will’s biological father, so she appreciated the support.

Lisa had a birthday party for son Henry at a bowling alley. In Lisa’s interview, she said in the Mormon church, marriage was not only sacred, but for eternity. You picked a partner, and chose to make the best of it. It had worked for her and her husband because they had the same core values. They had a core love of God, a core love of Jesus, and a core love of family and building something together. The eternal church, and the eternal family.   

In Whitney’s interview, she said her dad realized he needed structure that she couldn’t provide. He was going back to rehab for 90 days. It had been a struggle, and took its toll on her emotionally, financially, and spiritually. But it was the first time he was being accountable and responsible. He was choosing to go. In the car, she told him that it was the best she’d felt about the situation ever. I think if he’d do something about his Herman Munster haircut, he might feel a little better about himself. We saw him getting checked in, and Whitney hoped he could let go of past bad choices. It was crucial to his sobriety.

Seth asked Meredith what the plan was, but she said she didn’t have one. As much as she wanted him there, she thought they needed room. He said he’d give her room, and  maybe with him out of the picture, it would help her know what she wanted. In her interview, Meredith said you had to work things out individually in order to come back together as a happy couple. Seth said he didn’t want to separate after 25 years.

Mary met with Heather, who thought she could be friends with both Jen and Mary, and also be loyal to both of them. Mary said Jen was angry with her because she resented not being at the top. She explained how her grandmother had wanted her to take her place, and Heather said people didn’t get that Mary’s grandfather wasn’t a blood relative. Mary started crying, and said she hadn’t wanted to marry him, but she trusted her grandmother. In Mary’s interview, she said it took her two years to adjust. She told Heather that she chose what God told her to do. In Heather’s interview, she said she felt deep empathy. She understood about marrying for faith over love, but Mary’s situation was different. Heather told Mary that there was more that brought her and Jen together than tore them apart, but Mary said Jen burnt the bridge. She was done.

Next time, body shots, Whitney on the pole, Meredith says she runs Sundance, and Brooks has a show during Salt Lake City Fashion Week.

🐴 The Real Housewives of Dallas returns for a new season on January 5th. Minus one LeeAnne, and plus a new Wife.

🥊 Gonna Fly Now…

Is it the end of what used to be called a week yet? I don’t know how, but I’m not ready for the holidays any more than I usually am either. But even if you’re floundering as I am, stay safe, stay on the nice list, and stay using whatever privilege you have to help whoever you can.

Dec8

December 7, 2020 – Franco Makes a Decision, Shane Sleeps In One Time Too Many & This One

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Oops, I did it again, missed the beginning. Here’s the skinny. Franco paced his hospital room, hearing Peter say, you have no choice, in his head. Chase went to the Quartermaine mansion and found Willow. She told him that he’d spoken his mind, and now it was her turn. Violet showed Finn a picture she’d made of the entire family, including Roxie, and went upstairs to get ready for bed. Peter and Maxie went to the bistro, and talked about the bombing. Peter said he had a meeting with Dante, and Maxie said she couldn’t hear Dante’s name without thinking about Lulu. She told Peter that she’d never made a big decision without Lulu’s input. Meanwhile, Dante sat at the MetroCourt bar, looking at a picture of Lulu, when Valentin sat down. And that’s where I came in.

Elizabeth asks why Franco thinks he’s ready to get out of bed. He’s recovering from neurosurgery. He says he thinks he needs to talk to a shrink. He’s hearing a voice. She asks, what kind of voice? and he says it just started after the last surgery. She asks what the voice is saying, and he tells her, you have no choice. She says, in what? but he has no idea. She asks if he recognizes the voice, and he says, that’s the even weirder part. The voice inside his head is Peter.

Maxie tells Peter, remember when she said how precious life is? Anna had almost lost Finn, and she might not speak to her best friend again. He stops her, saying they have to stay positive that Lulu will make a full recovery and come back to them. She says she is, but she doesn’t want to wait to get married. She wants to marry as soon as possible. They’re on the same page, right? Is that what he wants too?

Finn tells Anna that she thinks Violet included everyone in her Port Charles family, and she asks where Violet’s grandfather is. He says she can’t blame Violet for not including him; she hasn’t met him. Anna says, exactly. She was wondering when Violet was going to meet him, since he’s there in Port Charles. He says, she’s not letting this go, and she asks if he’s met her. He says he’s beginning to regret it, and she says whatever issues he and his father have, shouldn’t prevent Violet from the right to meet her grandfather. He supposes he’ll have to give Gregory a call, but she says, not necessary – the doorbell rings – at all. It’s Gregory, who asks if he’s early, but she says, he’s perfect.  

Chase tells Willow, he knows it was a lot at the hospital, and she says, it was. After the initial shock wore off, she had time to wrap her brain around the fact that he’d never slept with Sasha. Part of her was relieved. It was good to know he didn’t betray her, but the longer she thought about it, the more confused and betrayed she felt. He says that’s why he didn’t tell her the truth, but she says, now it’s complicated. He says the last thing he wants is to hurt her or make things more difficult. The plan was for him to come clean after Wiley was safe and secure. She asks why he didn’t, and he says when he saw her and Michael in the park, they looked like a couple who needed and depended on each other, and he chickened out. But when she came to visit him in at the hospital when Finn was shot, he felt so close to her again, he had to tell her the truth. Then when he walked in on her and Michael, he realized he’d waited too long. Their marriage was no longer in name only.

Sasha says Michael doesn’t owe her anything, and Michael says they’ll have to agree to disagree on that one.  He asks how she is, and she says she was told that she’s lucky someone was there to rush her to the ER in time. Michael says he heard it wasn’t regular cocaine that triggered the heart attack, but it was laced with something a lot stronger that could have killed her. Sasha says he must hate her, and he says she couldn’t be more wrong. She says, that look, so kind and caring. She never thought she’d see that look again.

Franco thanks Doc for coming, and Doc says, of course (🍷) he came. Elizabeth told him that Franco is having a reaction to the surgery. Franco says he’s hearing a voice in his head, and it’s Peter. He wonders what it means, and Doc says, Peter is Faison’s son. Franco says, so? and Doc asks, what scares him most about the tumor? Franco says they’ve talked about that, and it’s not that it’s inoperable, but that he’ll somehow turn into the person he used to be. Doc says, someone like Faison. Franco asks if Doc thinks it has something to do with Peter’s father, and Doc says, it’s called projecting. Franco thinks he might become the person he used to be, and he’s projecting that fear onto someone else. Franco says, like Peter? and Doc says, possibly. They can explore that… Scotty comes in, and says, that’s enough. No more exploring, no more shrinking. His son has been through enough. He’s not letting Doc mess with Franco’s brain again.

Maxie asks what Peter thinks, and he says he’s surprised she wants to push it up. She has such a specific vision. She says she does, but between her vision and the baby, it will be a year before they can even think about it. She invited someone to help figure it out. Peter says, a wedding planner? and she says, not exactly. He says, her mom? and she says he’s getting warmer. His mom.

Gregory says, if it’s a bad time, he can go, but Finn says he should stay. There’s someone he should meet. Anna tells Finn, there’s a pot of tea and snacks in the kitchen. He asks where she’s going, and she says Maxie wanted to talk about the wedding, and Finn has a lot of catching up to do. She asks if he wants her to call Chase, but he says he doesn’t need his brother to referee. She says she didn’t think so, and tells Gregory, it was lovely to see him. She tells Finn, good luck, and leaves. Gregory says he wouldn’t mind the tea, if it’s not too much trouble. Finn says, okay, but Violet appears on the stairs, and asks, who is he?

Valentin tells Dante, he wants to do what’s best for Charlotte, and Dante says, if Valentin thinks he can use Lulu’s absence to keep Charlotte away from the family, it’s not happening. Valentin says he was hoping they could work out a schedule so Charlotte and Rocco could see each other as much as possible. What days work for Rocco? Dante spaces out, not answering, and Valentin asks if everything is all right.  

Sasha can’t believe Michael is doing this again, and asks, how many times has he been there to pick her up when she fell? He says he’s not counting. Everyone needs support at some time or another. Don’t pretend to be shatterproof glass with him. She says she knows that, and he says she seems to know a lot. She tells him, don’t believe everything he hears, and he says, in this case, he’s trusting the source – his mom. She says, Carly told him? and he says, it seems the journey that left them there, started months ago when she and Chase lied.   

Willow says she and Michael fell completely in love with Wiley, and gave him the happiest, most nurturing home. She took on the role of Wiley’s mother, and they depended on each other, like parents do, but it became more than that. She tried to explain when she and Chase met at Charlie’s; she and Michael aren’t just platonic friends.  They’re attracted to one another. She’s not saying that to hurt him, but if she deserves honesty from him, he deserves the same from her. He says he understands if she’s moved on. Maybe it’s best to just rip off the bandage. She says, it’s not that simple. When Chase confessed that it was all one big lie, that’s not all he said. He told her that he was still in love with her.

Franco tells Scotty that he asked Doc to come and help. Terry told him that the tumor could lead to a shift in his personality, and that’s bad news. Hearing Peter’s voice might be a start. Doc says, there may be a way to find out, but it’s a long shot if he’s willing to take it.

Maxie meets Anna at the bistro, and tells her that Peter had a meeting, but she wanted talk about the wedding. Anna says, right. Because of Lulu. She can imagine Maxie doesn’t want to plan right now. Take as much time as she needs. Maxie asks, what if she wants to take less time? They’ve wasted too much time already. She doesn’t want to step on Anna’s wedding plans, but she wants to move before the baby arrives. Anna says she can see that. Maxie should grasp any chance of happiness. She feels the same way after nearly losing Finn, but Maxie can’t snap her fingers and plan a wedding overnight. Maxie says, it’s asking the impossible… unless they have a double wedding.

Finn tells Violet, this is someone she might need to add to her drawings; it’s his dad. Gregory says, which means she’s his granddaughter. Violet asks if that means she gets to call him grandpa, and Gregory says he’d be honored. Finn whispers something to Violet, then says, okay. He tells Gregory, it’s the time of night when he reads Violet a story. He was thinking, since Gregory is there, he might like to read to her. Gregory says he’ll do one better; he’ll tell her a story. Would she like that? Violet gets excited, and hops up and down, saying, yes! Tell her a story. She takes Gregory’s hand, and they go into the living room. They sit down, and he says, once upon a time, there was a captain of a big pirate ship named Captain Cutlass.   

Valentin asks if Dante is feeling all right, and Dante says, yeah. He was just distracted. Valentin says, with everything going on, it’s got to be tough with Rocco, and Dante says, it must be hard for Charlotte, knowing that Lulu isn’t coming back. Valentin says, it’s hard to find the words, and Dante says he’s sure Valentin got what he wanted. Valentin asks if Dante thinks he enjoys his daughter crying for her mother every night. He and Lulu came to a truce for Charlotte’s sake. He thinks he and Dante should set aside their animosity, and let Rocco and Charlotte see each other as much as possible for their sakes. Dante suggests they stay on Lulu’s schedule. Valentin looks skeptical.

Willow says, for months it killed her to even be in the same room as Chase. All she could think of was how close they used to be, and how much they’d shared. She wanted a time machine to go back to before she’d walked in on him and Sasha, but that’s not reality. She had to face the fact of life without him. He says he wanted that too, but she’s right; they can’t do that. Sasha said it was a bad idea to tell her the truth; that it was selfish. Maybe Sasha was right, but he couldn’t let her go through life with Willow believing he’d ever stopped loving her, or would ever cheat on her, even if she hated him for it. She says, hated him? He doesn’t understand. It wouldn’t hurt so much if didn’t still love him too.

Sasha tells Michael that Chase wanted to tell the truth, but she argued against it. She hates that they lied, but it worked out the way it should. Wiley is safe with him and Willow, and the two of them have moved on. If she had it to do over again, she wouldn’t change a thing. Maybe not the drugs part, but everything else. Saving Wiley was worth it. Michael says, no question, but they might have found another way to get there. She says they couldn’t take that risk, and neither could he. If it had cost Michael his son, it wouldn’t have worked out between them. He says when he looks at it through her eyes, he sees it definitely wasn’t deception, but an act of love.

Doc asks what Franco is up for, and Franco says, just about anything. Doc explains that he knows of a surgeon in Geneva who’s done research on the brain and reality phenomena. Scotty asks, what’s the Swedish word for malarkey? and Doc tells him, malarkey. He tells Franco, the doctor might say the tumor is creating the voice in his head, but it’s his best chance for an accurate diagnosis. Franco says he needs to figure out where he is, and Scotty says, even if it kills him. Franco says, yes. Even if it kills the monster inside him.     

Peter says he didn’t expect to see Dante and Valentin together. He can push the meeting up if… Valentin says, it’s fine, and tells Dante, he’ll be in touch. He leaves, and Peter thanks Dante for meeting him outside of the office. Dante asks if it’s about the cybersecurity issue, but Peter says, no. Dante asks what he can do for Peter, and Peter says, stop working for him.

Maxie tells Anna, imagine being at the altar, with not only Finn, but her son. Think how amazing it would be, having Peter in a collective I do. Anna says, maybe Maxie should think about it. She gets a text from Valentin asking where she is, and saying he needs to talk to her. She tells Maxie, there’s something she needs to handle, and Maxie says, no biggie. She’s got to run too. She tells Anna to get Finn on board, and, don’t tell Peter; it’s a surprise. Maxie leaves, and Anna says, it’s turning into a night of surprises.

Gregory tells Violet, and at the captain’s command, the pod of whales jumped, and created a huge wave that caused a divergence. Captain Cutlass was able to sail away out of the trap, and on to his next pirate adventure. The end. She says, tell another one, and Finn says, maybe another night. It’s past her bedtime. He asks her to go upstairs, and says he’ll be up to tuck her in. She says goodnight to her grandpa, and leaves. Finn says he hasn’t thought about Captain Cutlass in a long time, but he still holds magic. Violet was enthralled. Gregory says, it’s not magic, but imagination  and a lot of love. It’s easy for a child to understand, but as they get older, they drift away from old loves, like him and Jackie. Finn asks, what about them? and Gregory says, Chase didn’t tell him? They decided to separate.

Chase says, Willow still loves him in spite of everything? She says she loves the man she was with for over a year. The man she thought she’d have a future with, until she thought he didn’t exist, when he cheated on her with Sasha and broke her heart. But now he’s back to being him, the good guy she loves, but that doesn’t change how she feels about Michael. They haven’t signed the annulment, and maybe never will. He says he doesn’t need an immediate answer. She gave him more than he had the right to hope for. He tells her, he was going to say goodbye. Do they shake hands? Hug? They move closer to each other.

Sasha says, she never thought in a million years she’d hear him say he understood what she did; that she lied because she loved him. She betrayed him and stomped on his heart because she loved him. The worst thing she ever did turned out to be the finest thing she ever did. Michael says she’s not done yet. She’s got to get better, get stronger, and be the kick-ass executive and beauty queen who doesn’t need white powder to give her confidence. She says she completely forgot, and he says, forgot what? She says how good it feels to see herself the way he sees her.

Doc tells Franco that he’ll make arrangements. He’ll need to Lucas to sign off, but doesn’t think it will be an issue. Scotty asks if this is his goal or Franco’s, and Franco says it’s his best chance for an accurate diagnosis. Scotty leaves, and Franco  tells Elizabeth, he knows she wants him to start radiation, and he will, but he’s going to put it off for a few weeks. He needs to make sure the tumor isn’t starting something that’s worse. Does she understand? She says she knows he won’t rest until he finds answers, but she’s not letting him go alone.   

Dante asks if Peter is firing him, but Peter says, no. Of course (🍷) not. He’s seen the value in Dante’s work since he brought Dante on. He knows the situation with Lulu hit Dante hard. How could it not be? Dante should be a full-time parent, and enjoy quality time. When he’s ready to come back, let him know. Dante says he can’t. He doesn’t want to sound harsh, but having a routine is good for Rocco and him. If he wasn’t focused on a job, he’d think about Lulu 24 hours a day. Peter asks if he’s sure, and Dante says when he works, he feels like he should finish the job.

Valentin thanks Anna for meeting him, and she asks if it’s about Peter, but he says, it’s about Dante. He met with Dante, hoping they could set a schedule for Charlotte, but he doesn’t think Dante is in the proper headspace for parenting. Anna says she’s not surprised he’s struggling, but Valentin says, that’s not it. The WSB was treating him for PTSD, and he’s concerned they let him out too early.

Finn says, his father and Jackie are separating? What happened? Gregory asks if he means was there one terrible unforgivable event like an affair. There was nothing traumatic; it was like a death from a thousand cuts. Jackie was covering everything from Tiananmen Square to Timbuktu, and he was lecturing from Stanford to St. Andrews. They were always on different schedules, not to mention time zones. It sounds cliché, but they grew apart. They have different interests, and there’s been painfully more silence than conversation. Finn says he’s sorry to hear that, but they’re choosing to separate, not divorce. Maybe there’s a chance, in time. Gregory says, time isn’t guaranteed to anyone. Being shot must have taught Finn that.   

Willow tells Chase, she thinks the best way to say goodbye is a simple goodnight. He says, goodnight, and starts to leave, but turns around. He says, whatever happens going forward, he’s glad she reached out tonight. She says she is too, and he leaves.

Maxie walks into Sasha’s room, saying, what do you mean we’re not family? We’re business partners… She stops short when she sees Michael, and says she didn’t expect see him there. He says he was just heading out, and Sasha thanks him. She tells him not to worry about her. She always lands on her feet. He says the words will be more believable when she’s not in a hospital bed; be careful. He leaves, and Maxie says she came with a whole speech, ready to kick Sasha’s butt, and tell her to get her act together. She’s already lost one friend and doesn’t want to lose another, but seeing the smile on Sasha’s face makes her think maybe Sasha doesn’t need a speech, and she’s getting encouragement from another source.

Franco says he knows Elizabeth would love to be by his side, but she can’t go. She says she knows, but Scotty can. Is he okay with that? He says he is, and she gets in the bed next to him. He says he can’t wait to be a stepdad again. He’s going to fight to the bitter end. She says, it’s not ending yet.

Peter tells Dante, if work is the best therapy, he’ll see Dante first thing in the morning. Dante says he’ll be there, and Peter tells him, it’s a work meeting, so his tab is on the office. Dante leaves, and makes a call outside. He says, it’s him. He almost lost access to the target, but he’s still on the job. They have the evidence to exonerate the innocent party, and he’s ready to complete the mission.

Finn asks when Gregory has to go back to California, but Gregory says he’s in no rush. He’d like to stick around for the wedding, and to tell his granddaughter more stories. Finn asks about his teaching, but Gregory says his teaching is online now; he can teach from anywhere. Why not Port Charles? He tells Finn, face it. He’s going to be seeing more of him.

Valentin tells Anna, whatever Dante is dealing with, he thinks it’s not so much Lulu as the PTSD. Anna says she could reach out to Robert and get his take on it, but Valentin says they don’t need to involve the Bureau. She and Dante are close, right? She says, she could rekindle their friendship, but she’s not a doctor. She can’t diagnose PTSD. He says he’s aware of that, but she can read people, and he’d appreciate it. If Dante is going to spend time around Charlotte, he needs to know Dante is trustworthy.

Finn let’s Chase in, and says Chase is smiling. He hasn’t smiled in months. What gives? Chase tells him, say it; he was right. Finn says, he was right, and Chase says he should have told Willow the truth a long time ago, but better late then never. Finn says, he’s not bleeding… Did she give him a pie in the face? Chase says, none of the above. Finn says Chase looks happy, and he has something else that will make him happy. Their dad is going to stay in town until the wedding. Chase says, the day is getting better and better. Maybe Finn will realize family isn’t so scary after all.

Michael comes home, and Willow asks how Sasha is. He says, physically, she’s much better. They talked through what happened, and hopefully she won’t be looking for any more answers in white powder. Willow is glad to hear they talked, and he asks how her talk was with Chase. She says she ended up with more questions than answers. She knows she wants what’s best for him, and he says, all he wants is the same for her. They hear Wiley crying, and he says, one thing’s for certain, somebody needs them. They go to tend to Wiley.

Tomorrow, Cameron tells Josslyn that they need to follow Trina to the end, Trina asks for Epiphany’s help, Brando thought he had a connection with someone, and Jason asks if Sam is ready for a long chain of events.

Below Deck

When we last left Rachel wanted to punch somebody in the scrotum because there was no caviar. She tells Francesca, what was wrapped up like caviar, was actually salmon roe, and asks her to stall the guests. Keep them drinking. Shane pops his head into the galley, but Rachel tells him to keep moving. She’s not nice right now; she’s not kidding. The guests discuss what options they have for dinner outfits. Rachel tells Ashling to stall, and in her interview, Ashling says Rachel is bonkers, but she’s used to it. Her sister is a chef, and the family often says, the chef has arrived. Don’t say anything; don’t make any sudden movements. Back the hell away.

Francesca tells Elizabeth to clean everything. Guest Justin asks if they can have a full boat tour. Rachel calls the provisor, who says everything was in the same pouch, but promises to get a substitute of that caliber for the caviar. Francesca calls Captain Lee and tells him that the guests would like a tour, and he supposes that can be worked out, but he doesn’t sound too thrilled. In Shane’s interview, he says he hates struggling. He’s been in this position before, and gotten out of it. He went to Berkeley underprepared, but ended up with a 3.5 GPA. He’s determined to make it work and be a proper yachtie.

Francesca starts decorating the table, and in her interview, says, thank God she and Ashling get along. She doesn’t need to tell Ashling what to do. They’re similar, keeping their heads down and just doing what needs to be done. The slide is brought in, and Chase keeps asking if Eddie needs him to do anything. In Eddie’s interview, he says he’s trying to give Shane the least amount of opportunity to screw up. He doesn’t need charming and funny. He needs someone to work hard and get the job done. Rachel continues to freak, and Eddie goes to pick up the steel drum band.

Izzy finds Chase annoying, and James says it’s her own fault. She told him to step up, or he was going to lose her job. In her interview, Izzy says, Shane’s not cut out for yachting, along with a nit picking boss. He needs to shut up and do his job. The provisor calls back, and tells Rachel he’s sending them caviar, and it will be at the Jolly Harbour dock at 6:45. Eddie comes back with the band, which is one guy. Rachel asks Eddie about sending the tender for the caviar, and he goes back out. The captain sighs. Francesca uses a lot of silver branches for the white party décor, and they look gorgeous. In Rachel’s interview, she says she’s going to lose her sh*t. Everything is done except the caviar, and time is ticking. Where is it? Francesca tells Captain Lee to feel free to take his time with the tour; the caviar is still coming. He says he’ll handle it, and Francesca sends the guests to meet him on the bow. The captain starts off by explaining a bell, and says, if you’re hearing it, you shouldn’t be where you are. In his interview, he says, if the caviar doesn’t show up, he’s going to be sitting there with his d*ck in his hands. He makes funnies, and stretches out the tour. Rachel paces, and the captain turns the guests over to Francesca.

The drum plays as the guests enter the dining area. Francesca tells Tim, happy birthday, and points out the mother-of-pearl spoon for the caviar. In the galley, Rachel says God hates her guts. In her interview, she asks, where is this effing caviar? Eddie finally gets back with it, and Francesca explains the menu. Rachel puts the caviar in a bowl, saving a bit for garnish, but then drops it. She says, it slipped out of her hand, but luckily, the appetizer was already done. She makes teeny weeny bellinis to go with it, and everyone loves it. I hope it reflects in the tip. In the crew mess, Eddie tells James and Izzy, they make a great team. Izzy says James has the muscles, and she has the brains. Eddie says he appreciates it, and also her babysitting Shane on the beach. The guests tell the captain, it’s an honor to have him join them, and they toast to Tim’s 50th. Rachel explains the first course.

Rachel tells Eddie that she needs a pot washed, and Eddie says he’ll wash the sh*t out of it. Rachel asks for something to hold the parmesan, and Tim says, the food should be illegal, it’s so good. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says he’s impressed with what Rachel is doing in the galley. In his 35 years as a charter captain, he’s never been this impressed. She’s the complete package; everything he wants in a charter chef. The guests applaud.

The steel drum guy goes back, and Tim asks for a carafe with a spout. He says, the two most coveted things are longevity and prosperity, and the longer you drink from the spout, the longer your life. The further away you can drink, the more prosperity you have. The captain calls Eddie, and asks how much K2R they have; it’s getting messy. Eddie comes up to see what’s going on, and says he’s got cases. Captain Lee can’t believe he’s going to do this, and asks Francesca for a bath towel. A couple of the guests say the have something for him to wear instead. They run back to their cabin, and bring back a special shirt with Tim’s picture on it. The captain puts a rug down, so Eddie doesn’t have to suffer for his misgivings. He’s pretty good though, and in his interview, he laughs, and says this is why he gets the big bucks. Shane calls girlfriend Aubrey, who tells him everybody’s relationships are falling apart. She feels grateful, and he says he’s happy too. In his interview, he says he feels lucky to have a girlfriend. It’s good having Aubrey virtually, and it’s the first time he’s been in a mature relationship. He misses her. Shane falls asleep talking to her.

Rachel gets the cake ready, and she and Francesca present it, while singing, Happy Birthday. A guest wonders how Rachel knew it was Tim’s favorite, and Rachel says she’s good like that. James tells Eddie, everyone seems to be getting on together, and Eddie says, the tide is turning. Ashling calls her mom, who hasn’t heard from her in a couple of days. She tells Ashling about the coronavirus, and how they’ve detained people in China. She insists that Ashling get herself a mask, and Ashling promises she will. In Ashling’s interview, she says, in Australia, they knew about it, but hadn’t heard much. She doesn’t think it’s as serious people are making it out to be. Yep. That’s what we all said. Francesca tells Elizabeth to check on the guests every 10 minutes or so, and Eddie sprays the wine stains on the deck. Izzy talks with Elizabeth, and says she looks miserable. In Izzy’s interview, she says, interior is not fun. You’re inside the boat, working under a dictator, at a stressful job. She’s glad she got out. Elizabeth says she’s just tired.

It’s been 42 minutes since anyone checked on the guests, and while Francesca is telling Elizabeth to make sure the cutlery is cleaned, a guest comes into the galley and tells her they’re dying upstairs. They need tequila, red wine, and Bailey’s on ice. In Francesca’s interview, she says she’s mortified. 98% of the time she has a poker face, but she’s pissed right now. She tells Elizabeth that the guests have to be the first priority, and they’ve had a good time – up until now. Elizabeth says she didn’t hear Francesca tell her to check on them, and she’s trying her best. In her interview, Elizabeth says, when Francesca acts like this, it pisses her off. Like what? A boss? Francesca says she’s tired and she’ll address it in the morning. In Elizabeth’s interview, she says, Francesca can still be human and run a tight ship. Francesca sits on the floor of her and Rachel’s cabin, and tells Rachel that she needs to have a proper talk with Elizabeth. Elizabeth tells Eddie that Francesca couldn’t go to bed without giving her sh*t about the guests. Whatever. Francesca tells Rachel that it’s the third charter, and Elizabeth isn’t pulling her weight. She’s not following direction. In Rachel’s interview, she says she likes Elizabeth, but doesn’t want to get involved. She doesn’t want to be in the middle between a department head and a junior stew. The guests go to bed, and James sits at the bar. He says he wants a drink, and Elizabeth says he’ll have to be more sneaky than sitting at the bar. He says they’re the only ones up.   

Eddie asks why Shane isn’t on deck; it’s 7:37. Shane says his phone died. He’s almost 2 hours late, and stumbles around. He apologizes to James, and thanks him for uncovering the furniture. Eddie asks if the captain had fun at dinner, and Captain Lee says he had a good time; the guests are a lot of fun. Eddie says when he got up, Shane was sleeping like a log, and yesterday, he found the lazarette door open. Thank God nothing was stolen. The captain says, there’s $100K worth of sh*t in there. Eddie says, yesterday, when he came back from running errands, Shane was asleep with a cover over his eyes that said, do not disturb. Captain Lee doesn’t get it. Eddie tells the guests that he’s going to put the jet skis in the water. Shane yaps about his phone dying, and in his interview, says it was so stupid. I think we can all agree on that one. Eddie asks Izzy how everything is going, and she says she had a busy morning. Eddie asks, if Shane was going to say something about it, what would he say? and Shane says, he f***ed up. In Eddie’s interview, he says he’s over Shane. He doesn’t know what to say. If there was ever a time not to make a mistake, it would be now.

Some of the guests jet ski, and Francesca asks Ashling if everything was tidy when she got up. Ashling says, it was pretty tidy, and Izzy tells James about Shane being late. In Elizabeth’s interview, she says last night didn’t go well for her. Getting yelled at by her boss in front of coworkers isn’t cool. One, what Francesca did wasn’t even close to yelling, and two, Francesca clearly told her to check on the guests every ten minutes, she didn’t listen, and Francesca is her boss. The guests say they love Rachel, and Eddie asks Izzy what he should tell Shane. In Eddie’s interview, he says, Izzy is a badass, who doesn’t take sh*t from anyone. That’s the beginning of being a good leader. He does his best to set his crew members up for success, then lets them do it on their own. Izzy pulls up the anchor, and the boat heads out to Jolly Harbour. Rachel thanks Francesca for helping her last night, and Francesca tells Ashling that she’s glad to have her. She doesn’t have time to train people. Breakfast is served, and the captain starts to dock the boat. Shane is slow with bringing down one of the fenders. Captain Lee says, with the wind coming in the opposite direction, he can potentially hit the dock. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. He yells that he has no stern thruster, and keeps saying he’s not getting anything. One of the guests says, this is where the captain earns his money.

Izzy says docking is nerve wracking every time, and Captain Lee asks if anybody was doing anything on the effing stern. Shane asks basic questions that even I know the answers to just from watching the show. The captain radios Eddie, and asks, who TF put these lines out? Whoever it is, his ass is the captain’s. If anyone thinks he’s pissed, they’re right. In the captain’s interview, he says, the docking was an effing disaster. This is the third time, and they’ve docked the same way. So far, Shane has been given every opportunity to prove himself, but his puppy ass is still on the porch. It’s not rocket science. He tells the crew to get in their whites, and meet on the aft deck.   

The guests say goodbye, and Tim calls Captain Lee the porren champ. I guess that’s the name of that red wine game. Tim tells them, he knows it’s cliché to say it was the best vacation of his life, but it was incredible. He gives the captain the tip envelope, which looks fat. When the guests are off the boat, Captain Lee tells everyone, back to work, except for the deck crew. He tells the deck crew, the docking sucked. The first line is the spring line; it keeps them from hitting the dock. Next is the windward crisscross. If they don’t have them, nothing can happen, In Eddie’s interview, he says he doesn’t know what to do. Like the captain has said, you can’t fix stupid. Captain Lee says he doesn’t want it to happen again. Shane goes over stuff to himself, and the stews strip the beds. In Shane’s interview, he says he’s got to practice more times, and writes a bunch of notes down. In his interview, he says his number one feeling is frustration. He knows he’s in the hot seat, and has to step up. He needs A performing, and he’s at B. If he doesn’t get to A, he can say goodbye to B. Elizabeth says she feels unmotivated.

It’s time for the tip, and Captain Lee says the charter went extremely well. Rachel’s meals were outstanding, and her knowledge of food shows. They did have a few close calls. Some people aren’t performing at where he thinks they should be at this point, and it’s a cause for concern. The tip is $20K, or $1650 each. Shane apologizes to Izzy, and says, when Eddie is around, he feels nervous because Eddie is watching him. Izzy says she felt like that the first time she was on deck. James says, there’s nothing worse than sleeping in, and the captain radios for Eddie. He tells Eddie that he’s been contemplating what to do about Sunshine (their nickname for Shane). Eddie says, on one hand, he sees Shane trying to step up, but he was an hour and a half late today. Captain Lee says, if Shane was gone, it probably wouldn’t be much different than having him here, and radios for Shane to come to the bridge.

When Shane gets there, the captain tells him, have a seat. Unless you’ve just done something incredibly heroic, like saving a life, these are not words you want to hear from the captain. Captain Lee tells Shane, they need to have a conversation.   

Next time, someone mixes bleach with soap and makes mustard gas, the crew goes out, James says it’s getting deep, and Rachel says something is despicable.   

🤸🏽 Gathering No Moss…

Time to get rolling, since I still have editing to do on my next article for https://mupoentertainment.com/theresa-krakauskas/. I spent last weekend watching several obscure horror flicks for review, since nothing says holiday season like a scary movie. So until it’s time for Temptation Tuesday, stay safe, stay adventuresome, and stay drinking your red wine like a normal person.