Tag Archives: BravoCon 2023

November 21, 2023 – Charlotte Makes a Confession, Sniff, Seeya Eddie, Legacy, What’s On, Bravo’s Con, To the Curb, Truth, Heritage, The Parade, Adorable Pilgrims & Love

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Cody goes to Maxie’s office and asks why she’s blowing up his phone. What does she need? Ferdinand for another shoot? She says, no, she needs him, and drags him over to a table littered with photographs of him and Sasha. She tells him to feast his eyes. Aren’t they gorgeous? He says, gorgeous, focusing on one with only Sasha in it.

At the MetroCourt, Finn thanks Diane for meeting him. He knows she’s juggling a lot of clients, and he can’t tell her how grateful he is that she agreed to take his case. She tries to interrupt, but he keeps going, wanting to show her what he has with him, but she says, nope. She doesn’t want to see it. Can’t see it. He says he thinks these notes are crucial to his defense, and she says she’s sure they are, but let’s cut to the chase. She can’t possibly represent him.

Curtis thanks Jordan for coming by, and she says, of course (🍷). What’s going on? He asks if she’s thirsty, but she says she’s sure he didn’t invite her over here for a tea party. So tell her, why is she here? He says, because she’s the only one who can understand what he’s discovered.

Carly looks in Kelly’s window from the courtyard, and Drew asks if she’s spying on her employees. She kisses him, and he asks what that was for. She says, just celebrating.

In a private area of the MetroCourt, Valentin thanks Anna for coming and she gives the standard answer, of course (🍷). They sit down, and Valentin asks what she’d like to drink, but she says she’s fine. He says, is she? and she says she’s just trying to find her footing. How’s Charlotte? He says, she’s healing, getting stronger every day. He’s hoping to have her home by Thanksgiving. She says, thank God, and he says he now knows why she was targeting Anna.

Nina goes into Charlotte’s hospital room, and gives her a giftbox, saying, it’s a little special something for a very special lady. Charlotte says, Nina didn’t have to do that. Her being here is gift enough. Nina says, it’s nothing. Just an excuse to see her really. Charlotte opens the box and says, riding gloves. They’re so soft. She loves them. Nina says, they’ll go riding again soon. It seems like it’s been forever since their last adventure. Charlotte says she’d love that. Nina is always so good to her. Some people are just nice because of papa, but she thinks Nina really cares about her. Just her being her. Nina says, by some people, does she mean Anna?

Cyrus scrubs the floor at the PC Grill, when Sonny walks in.

Drew and Carly sit at a table, and Drew asks if the celebration has anything to do with her buying back her half of the MetroCourt, but she says, no. As tempting as it was, she couldn’t do it. She turned down the offer. He says, so she decided to come to her restaurant to do a little people watching? but she says she was just appreciating what she has. She went to the MetroCourt today to turn down Nina’s offer and when she stepped off the elevator, she had a sense of déjà vu. She found herself staring into the dining area, watching the activity of the day, and then she saw Nina. It was hard watching her stand where Carly used to stand, like she owned the place. And she knows Nina does, but it was hard watching her live the life Carly used to live. She knows it must sound awful to him. He says, it doesn’t sound awful. It sounds human.

Valentin says, read this, it explains everything, and hands Anna Victor’s letter to Charlotte. She says, it’s from Victor? What’s he doing writing to Charlotte? Valentin says, it’s all in there, and Anna reads: It is with a heavy heart I must write to you and share my concern about our family’s future… Anna has completely manipulated your father. She’s taken advantage of his infatuation with her… She’s used [her charms] to control your father. Her extensive training in espionage has afforded her the ability to mask who she really is. I tell you this, Anna Devane is not who she seems. Do not trust her. Not for a minute.

Charlotte says, Anna pretends to be nice, but it’s just a way to get closer to papa, and Nina says, her grandmother Laura told her and Charlotte’s papa that Victor warned her about Anna, that he said she was dangerous. Charlotte says, because she is. She tricked him. He can’t tell that she’s using him.

Cyrus says he’s sorry to disappoint Sonny, but they don’t open until 5, and Sonny says, that’s all right because he already ate lunch. Cyrus can keep working while they talk. Cyrus says, they’re going to talk? but Sonny says, he’s going to talk; Cyrus is going to listen. He thinks he’s so slick. Father Teresa. Mr. Clean. It doesn’t matter what part he plays, they both know who he is. Get used to that mop because it’s the last job he’s going to have in Port Charles, and Sonny’s going to make sure of that. Cyrus says, then he guesses he’d better get back to it, and Sonny says, stay focused. Because if he gets a glimpse or hears a whisper that Cyrus is back to his old tricks, he will shut Cyrus down permanently.

Jordan asks, what’s this new discovery? and Curtis says, meditation. She says, TJ’s been trying to get her to try it, and he says, it’s a great way to quiet the noise in your head and to slow down your thoughts and just be still. She says, it sounds profound, and he says, she’d be surprised what comes from stillness. He got this memory of a case they worked on in Baltimore. He doesn’t remember the details, only how he felt. Following the lead, putting the clues together, connecting the dots… that spark, and the answer comes.

Finn asks, why the sudden reluctance? and Diane says, it’s very complicated. Under other circumstances, she’d be all in to represent him, especially since she doesn’t want to disappoint Alexis. He asks, what’s holding her up? and she says, when Alexis called her this morning, she was running around. She didn’t quite understand all of the details, and after they hung up, she got a call from the Muldoons, the family that’s suing him.

Maxie tells Cody, every shot is a masterpiece. She can’t stop thinking about their next Deception campaign. Sasha is about to come in, but stops and listens from outside. Maxie says, Salvadore’s people are already on board, and Cody asks if she’s sure about him. She says, he can’t stop talking about how much camera chemistry Cody and Sasha have. Cody says, listen, he just… She says, picture this for the next Deception campaign. Think, sophistication meets untamed allure. He says, untamed allure? and she says, yeah. Him, in a tux, with a twist. Shirt slightly undone, showcasing rugged charm. Then there’s Sasha opposite him, looking exquisite in a radiant ballgown. Think, cowboy meets elegance. Sasha continues to listen, and Maxie says she can see it now. Stark desert landscape. The sunset painting the sky. He says, at least it will be a short shoot, and she says, they’ll spend the holiday setting up for that moment. He says, good luck. He’s sure it’s going to be great, whoever they get to stand next to Sasha by that sunset is going to look… Maxie says, come on. It screams Cody. He says, sorry. No can do. He’s out.

Anna continues reading: She will use your father and lead him into danger. She will lead him to his death. My dear Charlotte, you are the only one who can protect your father from Anna Devane. She puts the letter down and asks Valentin, what did he do? He put so much fear into a young person’s mind like that. Charlotte was just trying to protect him from her. He says, Laura finally got Charlotte to open up. Victor didn’t just write a letter. He visited her in boarding school. He filled her head with stories that Anna was a threat, that her motive was to ruin him and put him in prison or worse. Anna says, so all of her actions were just a young girl desperately trying to save her father, and he says, yeah. She thought by getting Anna out of Port Charles, she was keeping him out of harm’s way. Anna asks if she admitted to everything. Burning her house or…

Nina asks why Charlotte didn’t tell anyone about Victor’s letter, and Charlotte says she didn’t think anyone would believe her. Nina says, that’s a lot for her to carry, isn’t it? She thought Anna was a threat, so what did she do? Charlotte says, Nina already knows, doesn’t she? Grandmother must have told her. Nina says, Laura told her that she wanted Anna to leave Port Charles. Will Charlotte tell her? What did she do to make Anna want to go?

Curtis says, that memory of him and Jordan working on that case. It was not just nostalgia; it was a wake-up call. Jordan says, from what? but he says, not from, to. It reminded him of who he is deep down. He thought he left the P.I. world behind him. She says, he was finding a new path, and he says he just didn’t want to get pigeonholed. And he’s still doing that work, badge or no badge. Helping Drew figure out where Victor Cassadine took Trina and Ace was a huge part of him. That’s who he is at the core. He wants to live to uncover the truth, to seek justice. She asks if he thinks he lost that part of himself, and he says, not lost. Just sidetracked, especially after the shooting. The PCPD hasn’t made any progress, and he can’t just sit here waiting for something to happen. He’s got to dig in. He’s got to take matters into his own hands and figure out who put him in this wheelchair. But to do that, he needs access to the police investigation. She says, and that’s where she comes in.

Finn says, Diane is going to represent the family that’s suing him and General Hospital for malpractice? and she says, yes, she is. The deceased, Dennis Muldoon, she and his father-in-law go way, way back. He was her client before she was even truly established. The Muldoons have her on retainer. Finn says, oh, that’s nice, and she says, so they should probably cut this chat a little short, considering they will soon be on adversarial sides in a courtroom. However, she does have some unsolicited advice for him. He says, by all means, and she says, he may trust the higher ups at General Hospital, but trust her, when push comes to shove, the GH lawyer will focus solely on the hospital’s reputation, not his. He’ll be an afterthought. He tells her, Alexis said the same thing, and she says, Alexis was right. Gregory comes in, using a cane, and Diane says she does wish him the very best of luck. She gets up, and Gregory says, don’t let him interrupt. If they need more time, he can wait at the bar. She says, not at all. Her business with Dr. Finn is done, for now. She leaves, and Finn says, yeah, that went well.

Maxie says, come on. She doesn’t understand why Cody is being so obstinate. She will pay him. In fact, she has his last paycheck around here somewhere. She digs it out, and says, see? handing it to him. He says he appreciates… Oh wow. That is a hefty sum. She says, it’ll be heftier when he signs on as the male Face of Deception, but he says, sorry. This face has seen its last paycheck. He appreciates it, but he can’t do this. Sasha looks worried, and Maxie says, fine. She’ll give him a sign-on bonus, double what’s on that check. He says, it’s not the money. It’s Sasha.

Cyrus says he doesn’t imagine Sonny will believe it, but this is him trying to start fresh. Every move he’s made since his release has been by the book. This job is a genuine attempt to go straight. His past issues with Sonny, water under the bridge. Sonny says, that’s hard to believe after everything Cyrus did to set him up, and Cyrus says he has no idea what Sonny is talking about. Sonny says, maybe there’s too much bleach in his brain. Let him refresh Cyrus’s memory. His boys Austin and Mason blackmailed Ava Jerome to put a mole in his house, his daughter’s nanny, Betty. She did a perfect job. She did what she had to do. She got to the computer, grabbed the information, brought the information to Austin, and Austin brought it to Cyrus at Pentenville. Then Cyrus gave it to the Feds because he thought it would take Sonny down. Cyrus says, that’s a hell of a story, and Sonny says, here’s the punchline. All the information Betty stole was a lie. It was all a trap. And guess what? Cyrus walked right into it.

Carly tells Drew that she’s not going to keep dwelling on everything Nina did. She’s moving on from the past. He says, that sounds very healthy, and she says, look at everything she has. Him. He’s back from Pentenville, and this amazing business her mother gave her with a major connection to her family history. Her kids are healthy and happy, she has an amazing moss bowl🎍home. She has so many blessings. He says, and she’s so resilient and strong. He’s got to be honest here. Her optimism inspires him. She says she gets that from him. He always teaches her to see the bright side, to move forward. He says, moving forward doesn’t mean she pushes Carly down, and it especially doesn’t mean she lets the people that hurt her have another shot.

Curtis tells Jordan that he knows it’s a grey area. He’s not asking for a free pass to the evidence locker. He’s just asking if she can bend the rules, just a little bit. She says, it’s a thin line, but given he was the victim, the one who got affected, it seems to her he has the right to know what’s happening with the investigation. She’ll get him access to the statements, evidence, leads, the works, but… He says, thank you, but she says, hold on. Don’t go getting all grateful just yet. There is a catch.

Finn says he sees Gregory brought a friend. How’s that working out? Gregory says, these things really do make you feel older, but it does provide a grounding and he’s more steady on his feet. Finn says, stability is everything, and Gregory says, not to pry, but did something happen with Diane? Finn says, that? Just some legal nonsense. Of greater importance, Violet had her first school debate. She and her team defended humans against robots as better helpers. Violet pointed out that although robots might be better at following instructions, humans have intuition. That we are better able to sense when something’s off. We can adapt and provide comfort. And more important, no batteries required. Gregory says, sounds like Violet is talking about the difference between Finn and Elizabeth, and Finn says, ha-ha-ha. That’s a good one. Gregory says, as much as he enjoys talking about his intuitive granddaughter, it doesn’t take intuition to see something’s bothering Finn. Was it the meeting with Diane? Finn says, yeah. It didn’t go the way he’d hoped.

Charlotte tells Nina that she never did anything to hurt Anna. She was just trying to scare her. Nina says, by doing what? Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone. She’s done some foolish things when she was upset. Charlotte asks if Nina remembers the article coming out about Anna being a double-agent, and Nina says she does. Charlotte says, one night, after she saw that article, she went to Anna’s house and painted the word murderer on her door. Nina says, and? and Charlotte says, and after the fire at her house, she got another idea and went to Anna’s hotel. She snuck in with a keycard she borrowed from papa and messed up Anna’s stuff. She even wrote on Anna’s bathroom mirror with lipstick. Then on Halloween, she was going to spray paint another message in her apartment, but then Anna found her, and she had a gun. Anna shot her. Charlotte starts to cry.

Valentin tells Anna that he hasn’t discussed it with Charlotte. He just knows she told Laura that she was trying to drive Anna away. Anna says, Charlotte tried to terrorize her… He says, she needs professional help, and Anna says she thinks Charlotte needs intensive deprogramming, doesn’t he? He says, but everything she did was to protect him. She wasn’t acting out of malice. Anna says, it’s powerful conditioning, and he says, it can be fixed. Have faith. As soon as Charlotte is on the road to healing, then the three of them can move forward together. She says she’s really not sure how that’s going to happen.

Cody says he doesn’t know if Maxie heard, but Sasha said she doesn’t want to work with him anymore. She was crystal clear. Maxie says, once she understands… Cody says, no way. He’s not going to let Maxie force Sasha into doing something she’s uncomfortable with. Maxie says she wouldn’t do that to Sasha. This is just business. He says, well, it’s personal to Sasha. She’s been through hell. She was being used by Gladys for months and controlled by Montague. She’s just now getting her life in order. She deserves to have her wishes respected. He’s not going to interfere with anything like that. He already told her, he’s out. He heads for the door, when Sasha appears and says, maybe not.

Finn tells Gregory, there’s a situation at the hospital that he’d rather not discuss. It’s nothing to worry about, especially with everything else on his plate. Gregory asks if Finn means his ALS. While he can’t alter his condition, he can alter how he chooses to deal with it. Like this cane. Speaking of which, Finn should have seen Violet’s face. She doesn’t think less of him because of it. In fact, she said she thought it makes him look like a dapper snowman. Finn laughs and says, classic Violet. Greogry says, if Finn is grappling with something, share it. He may not be able to provide an answer, but maybe it will give him a break from his own troubles. Finn says, okay. Gregory asked for it. Yesterday, he got some unsettling news. Gregory says, he’s not sick, is he? but Finn says, nothing like that. It’s work. He was informed that he, along with GH, are being sued by the family of a former patient for malpractice.

Carly asks Drew, so what’s going on? He’s usually the one telling her to let things go. He tells her that he’s just saying to be aware and stand on guard. She never told him what that kiss was celebrating. She says, the fact that he’s free to show up out of the blue, that means she can kiss him whenever she wants. Compared to a month ago, her life is so much better. He says his too, and she says, then what was that comment about, not letting people hurt you again. He says, Ned. Ned’s pushed him one step too far.

Sonny says, Cyrus must have seen the headlines about his arrest. Corinthos in Hot Water; FBI Brews Trouble for Coffee Kingpin. It was basically a comedy of errors. Cyrus handed them watered down espresso for that bogus data. Cyrus says, Sonny gives him too much credit, and Sonny says he was actually in shock at how much credit they gave Cyrus, but he got his release, right? Cyrus says, because of his poor health, nothing else, and Sonny tells him to make sure he takes good care of that precious health. Because it’s going to get a lot worse if Cyrus crosses him.

Valentin tells Anna that they can get through this. Charlotte wasn’t acting in her right mind. It wasn’t truly her. Anna says she doesn’t have a problem with Charlotte. But he’s known since the night her hotel suite was ransacked that his daughter was the one threatening her, and he said nothing. He tells her that he was hoping… She says, hoping what? That he could manage it from behind the scenes? Like they did when they were agents in the field? He decided not to tell the woman he claims to love that instead of fearing professional assassins, she was merely facing a misguided teenager. He says he didn’t know how to handle it, and she says, because he has no faith in her. If he’d told her the truth from the start, then they could have talked about it. They could have handled it themselves. And she would have never pulled a weapon that night. It’s all because he doesn’t believe in her. Does he know why he doesn’t trust anyone? Because he himself cannot be trusted.

Nina says, other than the spray paint and the hotel, did Charlotte do anything else to try and frighten Anna away? Charlotte says, no, she promises, and Nina says, okay. Anna’s house. It was just the spray paint? Charlotte says, yes, and Nina takes her hand. She says, this is her that Charlotte is talking to. There is nothing she could ever say or do to get Nina to stop loving her. She will never stop loving Charlotte, but in order for them to make this right, Charlotte has to be honest with her. Did she have anything to do with the fire in Anna’s house?

Drew tells Carly, let’s just say, Ned is back to his old self, as arrogant as ever, and she says, wow. What did he do? Drew says, he stopped by Aurora, and everything seemed fine at first, until he found out Michael had salvaged a deal for ELQ. And he kind of freaked out. Instead of being grateful for it, he said Michael had no authority to broker that deal. She says, even though he wasn’t around to do it himself? and Drew says, exactly. Instead of thanking Michael, Ned told him to keep his nose out of ELQ business. She says, it’s unbelievable, but it sounds just like Ned, and he says, it does. Proving once again, Ned puts his pride, puts his ego ahead of what’s best for the company. Carly asks what he’s going to do about it.

Jordan says, she and Curtis are both investigators at heart. She wants to be right there in the trenches with him. He asks if she isn’t Deputy Mayor, because digging could ruffle some feathers and cause embarrassment to the whole city, which could make her life very difficult. She says, difficult is relative. She can handle the heat. And she’s happy to ruffle any feathers if it means putting the person who shot him behind bars for twenty to life.

Gregory says, so Alexis arranged for Diane to represent Finn, only to discover Diane is representing the family suing him? Finn says, yeah, that’s pretty much the gist of it. Gregory says, Finn’s always been an outstanding doctor. This is his first brush with a lawsuit, right? Finn says, yes, and Gregory asks if he believes the suit has merit. Finn says, no, but sometimes in cases like this, grieving families have sway with the jury. Gregory asks if he has his bases covered with malpractice insurance (FYI, if he didn’t, it’s doubtful the hospital would have him on staff), and Finn says, of course (🍷). If for some reason the jury favors the Muldoons, the insurance will pay out a settlement. Gregory says, that’s a silver lining at least. Finn won’t be staring down the barrel of financial ruin. Finn says he doesn’t know. If the insurance company has to pay out because of this case, they’ll find a reason to drop him. Without malpractice insurance… Gregory says, he won’t be able to practice medicine, and Finn says, this lawsuit could be the end of his career.

Sasha says she really appreciates Cody’s willingness to step away from Deception because of her feelings, but if Maxie asked him to work with any other model, would he say yes? Cody says, he… and Sasha says, they’ve been pretty honest with each other so far, so don’t stop now. Cody says, yeah. If it was another model, he’d take the job. Sasha asks Maxie if having Cody as the male Face of Deception is important to their brand, and Maxie says, only if they want to be successful. Their chemistry was off the charts. It jumped through the screen at Home & Heart. These pictures capture it perfectly. Cody looks at her, and she says, but Cody is right. Sasha’s wishes and comfort come first. Sometimes she gets a little excited. Sasha says, no. You know what? She needs to trust and pay attention to that excitement. If Maxie thinks this is for the best, then she wants to do it… for the company. Cody asks if she’s sure, and Maxie jets over to her and says, really? Sasha says she’s sure, and Maxie says, oh my God, this is so amazing. She promises it won’t be awkward. No blind gossip pieces about their pairing. This is just business. Strictly professional. Sasha and Cody look at each other and we see a photo of them with Ferdinand.

Gregory says, Finn dedicated his life, he poured his heart and soul into medicine. He can’t let them take away his calling. If GH’s lawyers won’t stand up for him, he’ll have to stand up for himself. He says, that’s what he’s trying to do, and Gregory says, someone doesn’t get Stage IV cancer out of the blue. There had to have been signs, symptoms. He knows from personal experience. When he was diagnosed with ALS, there were countless warnings. He was too stubborn to see them. Finn says he knows that… and Gregory says, listen to him. If that patient was Stage IV, then there had to have been indicators that were overlooked or ignored. Finn thanks him, and Gregory says, for what? Finn puts his hand on Gregory’s and says, for believing in him. For always feeling the weight on his shoulders and trying to lighten the load. Gregory puts his hand on Finn’s and says, always, son. Always.

Charlotte tells Nina that she never set fire to Anna’s house. She was just trying to get Anna to leave town. She had to keep papa safe. Nina has to believe her. Nina says she does, and hugs Charlotte, saying, it’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay.

Valentin says, Anna’s right. He is at his core untrustworthy. When he learned about Charlotte, his first instinct was to hide the truth. She says, it’s called lying, and he says, to protect his daughter. But also maybe to protect their love. He’s dreamed of a life with her forever. He just doesn’t have the faith. He was afraid she’d leave him when she found out. Maybe he’s afraid she doesn’t love him the way he loves her. She says she thinks he always doubted them, and he says he thinks she’s right. She sighs and wipes tears from her eyes. She says, it’s never been about how much she loves him. It’s just been this persistent mistrust that’s created this chasm. Except that now the lies and secrecy ended up with her shooting an innocent kid. He says, Charlotte will recover, and she asks what that even means. She picks up a napkin and dabs at her eyes and asks if that makes it okay. It doesn’t absolve her. Charlotte is never going to get over this trauma, ever. No matter how much deprogramming, it will never erase it. Every time Charlotte sees her, she’ll be reminded of that night. And Anna is afraid every time she sees Valentin, she’ll be forced to relive it. So she thinks if she’s going to have any peace in her life, she needs to see him as little as possible. She’s sorry. She leaves, and Valentin hangs his head.

Curtis tells Jordan that all he wanted was access to the police files. He can handle the rest alone. Besides, if he comes up empty, it will only be his time he wasted. Jordan says, it was that memory of them investigating in Baltimore that gave him this idea to begin with. That should be a clue that she’s right. They made a great team. He says, they were a force, and she says, and closed a lot of tough cases, cases that stumped everyone else. They were unstoppable because they complimented each other’s strengths. He says he remembers, and she says, so they team up. They can get to the bottom of this faster together. What does he say? He says, there’s no point in fighting her, and she says, because he knows she’s right. He says, true that. Let’s get started.

Carly says, okay. With Ned back to throwing his weight around, what’s Drew’s next move? He says he’ll tell her what he’s not going to do. He’s not going to make any more rash decisions, giving Ned more power for his pals at the SEC, so they can maneuver him back behind bars. She says, so he does think Ned was the one who tipped them off, not the FBI? He says, the theory that they were targeting Carly to get to Sonny makes sense, but sometimes things just are what they are. There’s no grand conspiracy. Ned was even going to tell him something about the SEC right before he started freaking out about Michael and ELQ. She says, with everything he just told her, Ned hasn’t changed one bit. He says, exactly. People act on raw emotions, like anger and spite, and given Ned’s ego and his obvious resentment toward him, it fits. Ned saw an opportunity for revenge, and he took it.

Sonny says, let him make himself clear. Cyrus is to stay away from him, his family, his business. And when he says his family, they’re all under his protection. Sasha Gilmore, Ava Jerome, his ex-wife. Cyrus crosses paths with them, he crosses paths with Sonny. Cyrus says, anything else? and Sonny says, yeah. Keep working on that mop. He moves closer and whispers that he’s got his eyes on Cyrus. Every hour of every day. Cyrus steps over the line, Sonny’s going to make sure no one ever sees him again. Sonny heads for the door, and Cyrus says he understands. Sonny comes back and says, one more thing. Lay off Laura. Don’t show up at the city hall. It embarrasses her. Or at her house. It’s Laura’s choice if she wants to see him, but don’t just go there uninvited. Are they clear? Cyrus says, oh yeah, and Sonny says he’s glad they understand each other. Now get back to work. Sonny leaves, and Cyrus looks like he’s barely keeping a lid on it.

Tomorrow, Curtis says, Nina may not be happy after she hears what he has to say; Gregory asks what Martin suggests they do; and Valentin tells Anna, stay away.

😢 Say It Ain’t So…

I’m so bummed! I wasn’t totally crazy about the Austin character, but Roger Howarth made it his own. IMO, he’s one of the greatest actors in daytime, if not the greatest.

👔 Different Kind Of Goodbye…

Now he has to put suits on again.

🎓 In Memory Of Billy…

His death was such a shock. I’m sure he’d be proud of the memorial scholarship.

Billy Miller’s Family Creates Memorial Scholarship in His Honor

🦃 This Thursday…

In an odd twist, GH decided to air a new episode on Thanksgiving, even though they haven’t in years. Don’t expect a recap on Thanksgiving. I’ll be busy letting out my waistband.

🎰 What Happens At BravoCon…

Maybe there was a reason Sutton ignored her.

No surprise here.

In related news.

💎 Gets My Vote…

I’ll say it again, I don’t see any new Erika. What I see is the old Erika waiting for the right moment to pounce. We got a taste of it when the elevator randomly stopped on their floor, and Erika’s Magic Mike friend just happened to be riding in it, along with her… whatever he is, Mikey.

☔️ Not To Rain On the Thanksgiving Parade…

Time to rewrite history right.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/thanksgiving-myth-and-what-we-should-be-teaching-kids-180973655/

🌻 Something To Celebrate…

The resolution.

https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/us-senate-passes-resolution-recognizing-november-2023-at-national-native-american-heritage-month

The facts.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a38083079/native-american-heritage-month-facts/

Ideas for celebrating.

https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/how-to-celebrate-native-american-heritage-month

🥁 Before It Passes By…

About the parade.

https://www.macys.com/s/parade/

The new balloons. Scroll down for the gallery.

Macy’s Parade Eve. I knew someone who used to do this every year. Nope. That’s why God invented TV sets.

https://abc7ny.com/nyc-thanksgiving-parade-balloon-inflation-upper-west-side-macys-balloons-american-museum-of-natural-history/14088735/

🐾 Good Pilgrims…

A gallery of adorable pilgrims. I just can’t.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/25-pets-in-pilgrim-costumes-photos_n_2160020

🍼 At The Kids’ Table…

Stop by tomorrow for pre-Thanksgiving soap and picking a bone with Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay taking advantage of seasonal items while you can (maple everything!), and stay knowing that sometimes things just are what they are. There’s no grand conspiracy.

November 10, 2023 – Spencer Explodes At Trina, Lolly Lover, Not Gone, Soap Fun, Final Date, The Best, Resilient, VanderNo, Not Yet, Downhill, Dead Revival, Roommates, One More, Nonagon Of Quotes & Battle

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Olivia gets to Eddie/Ned just in time, and extracts him from the tangle of seaweed and netting he’s in. Although I wonder why he’s wearing shoes when he left them at the boathouse.

At the MetroCourt, Alexis says, another precious minute lost. Where are you, Kristina? Blaze comes by and introduces herself as a friend of Kristina’s. She says she was supposed to meet a friend, but it seems fate has other ideas today; they just cancelled. She was on her way out, saw Alexis, and thought she’d introduced herself. Alexis says, that’s nice… Not that Blaze’s friend cancelled, but that Blaze introduced herself. Would Blaze like to join her? Maybe it’s fate. Blaze says, maybe it is, and sits down.

Drew sees Curtis at another table, and says, it’s nice to see him. Curtis says, likewise, and they hug.

Carrying a takeout bag, Trina joins Spencer outside Dex’s apartment, followed by Josslyn and Dex. She says, sorry he had to wait, but they have extra crunchy prawn, and Josslyn says, there was a delay in ordering because someone – she looks at Dex – had to weigh out the whole Marvel movie to catalog Monica’s powers. He says, in the last edition… and she says, yes, she understands. Trina asks Spencer, what happened? and he says, Esme happened. And this time she has his grandmother on her side.

Anna sees Valentin outside of Charlotte’s room and asks, how is she? He says, sleeping. The doctors say she’s going to make a full recovery. She says, thank God. There’s something he needs to know. He asks, what is it? but she says, not here, and they go to the stairwell.

Olivia gets Eddie to the surface and struggles to bring him to shore. She tells him, don’t make this hard. He’s got to be okay. She pounds on him, trying to get him to cough up water, then does chest compression and mouth-to-mouth. He coughs and she asks if he’s all right. He’s alive. He sits up, and she says he’s alive. He says, it’s her. She saved him. She says, of course (🍷) she did. She’d do anything for him. He says he should have always known this, and she says, it’s okay, Eddie, hugging him. He says he’s not Eddie; he’s Ned.

Kristina walks into the MetroCourt and sees Blaze talking to Alexis. She goes to the table and says she didn’t know Blaze knew her mother. Sorry she’s late. Alexis says, only forty-five minutes, and Blaze says her plans were a no-show, and she saw Kristina’s mother. Alexis says, Blaze introduced herself. That was so 1990s. Blaze says, and a lot of fun. She tells Kristina to sit, and says she was grilling Alexis about her job. Alexis says, actually, Blaze was keeping her company while she waited for Kristina… and waited… and waited… Kristina says, okay. Sorry about that. She got caught up with some planning commission things at the youth center. Alexis says, she’s here now and Blaze is here, so why don’t they all have dinner together?

Curtis says, it must be strange, being about to get up and go to sleep when he wants to and turn off his own lights, and Drew says, absolutely. But there are a few things he can think of that he missed more than that. Curtis says he knows that must have been hard. He’s sorry he didn’t visit Drew. Drew says, Curtis had a few things going on. What he went through is nothing in comparison to what Curtis went through. Curtis protests, but Drew says he’s serious. Doesn’t he think it’s silly for either one of them to feel they need to apologize to each other? They’ve been through it. Curtis has been there for him more times than he can count. This friendship is forged in fire. It’s brotherhood born in battle. Curtis says, wow, and raises his glass. To the battle… and to freedom. Drew says, and to survival, and they clink glasses.

Josslyn says, Esme again, and Spencer asks if Josslyn and Dex can give him a minute. Josslyn says, gladly, and she and Dex go into his apartment, Josslyn touching Trina’s shoulder as she passes. Trina asks what Esme did, and Spencer says, it’s nothing that Esme did; it’s what she’s going to do. She’s going to take Ace and she’s going to move into another apartment. Trina says, finally.

Laura looks in the window to Charlotte’s room. Elizabeth is with Charlotte, sees Laura, and comes out. Laura says, she looks so fragile in that bed, and Elizabeth says she knows, but Charlotte’s just sleeping right now. It’s best to let her rest as long as possible because her system is still fighting. But her vitals are excellent. She’s on track to make a full recovery. Laura breathes a sigh of relief and says, that’s fantastic. Where’s Valentin? She can’t imagine he’d leave her alone. (Geez, the poor guy doesn’t even get a bathroom break?) Elizabeth says, no. He’s been here the entire time. In fact, she just saw him walking down the hall with Anna just a little bit ago. Laura asks how Jake is handling all of this. She knows they all went trick-or-treating together, and heard he was the first one back to Anna’s house right after it happened. Elizabeth says she’s never seen him like this. It’s like he’s caught in this loop of feeling upset and feeling guilty that he lost track of her. He promised Valentin they would stick together, and that’s why he went looking for her. And now he’s scared and confused and doesn’t understand how Anna could have shot Charlotte. And honestly, neither can she.

First of all, didn’t anyone notice Charlotte was wearing a huge, dark, hooded robe and the apartment was dark? And on another topic, Jake knows that Charlotte had the keys and what she’d said about them getting her everything she wanted. This hasn’t come up yet, but I’m thinking it might give him a clue she was up to no good.

On a landing in the stairwell, Valentin asks Anna what it is he needs to know. She says, he has to believe her when she tells him, what happened with Charlotte was an accident. She had no way of knowing Charlotte was in that apartment. He says he knows that. She says she’s not making an excuse, because she understands this is killing him, and he says, there’s nothing she could have done. She says, when she left the apartment, she locked it, and when she returned, it was unlocked. So she knew there was someone inside there, and she thought she was going to be ambushed. That’s why she pulled her gun, and that’s when she made a terrible mistake. And she wishes she could make it all go away. When she saw Charlotte lying on the ground like that, and his face when he came in… He says, it was an accident. It was a tragic accident. She says, yes… How did he know to come to the apartment?

Ned and Olivia are dripping wet and sitting on the ground. Olivia asks what Ned is saying. Her Ned? Is it really him? He says, it’s really him. He saw her. He doesn’t even know how it happened. His mind was rushing like a whirlwind. Literally. The next thing he knows, he’s in the water, and stuck. And there she was. And now they’re here. She says, Lois told her that he was depressed. She went to the boathouse and saw his guitar and his shoes(🤷🏽‍♀️), and she thought… She cries, and he takes her face in his hands and says, it’s okay. They made it. She made it. They’re going to be okay. She says she thought she lost him, and he says, but she didn’t. She found him. It was her all along. She says, what? and he says, in the song. He knows how it ends. She asks what he’s talking about, and he says, the siren song. He knows how to finish it. She says, Eddie… Ned, let’s not do this right now, and he says he’s not Eddie. He’s Ned. She says, if he’s not Eddie, how did he remember the song? He says he remembers everything, and they kiss. So is he going to kind of be like Sonny/Mike now?

Spencer says, finally? Trina didn’t really just say that. She says, yes, she did. She knows he’s going to miss living with Ace, but it’s way past time that Esme go live on her own. He yells, who cares about Esme? He’s talking about Ace. Ace is the one he’s worried about in this instance. Josslyn and Dex come out, and Josslyn asks, what the hell is going on out here?

Kristina asks if Alexis knows that Blaze just signed with BLQ Management, and Alexis says, Brook Lynn Quartermaine. Blaze says, makes a refreshing change from that sleaze Linc Brown, and Alexis says she remembers his public takedown at the Nurses Ball. To Catch a Predator anyone? Blaze says, oh, we caught him, and Alexis says, and then he disappeared, and as she recalls, the whole thing went radio silent. She’s curious. How long before the abuse started?

Curtis asks how it feels to be back in the real world, and Drew says, he has no idea. Although he has to say, some things are more challenging than he anticipated. Curtis says, Drew has been out of the mix for a while, but Drew says, compared to when he broke out of captivity in Greece, the life he came back to this time hasn’t changed nearly as drastically. But Curtis’s has. What about him?

Elizabeth tells Laura that she knows Anna would never intentionally hurt Charlotte. Obviously, it was just a terrible mistake. But what was she doing carrying a gun around on Halloween? With people in costumes and kids jumping out at each other, acting all crazy. Laura says, she’s right, and Elizabeth says, and you add a gun in that mix? It only increases the odds that something tragic is going to happen. Yes, Charlotte is going to recover physically, but what about her emotional scars? And Jake is going to have to deal with this as well.

Valentin says he was supposed to pick up Charlotte and the other kids after trick-or-treating. Apparently, Charlotte went off on her own, and according to Georgie and Danny, Jake went after Charlotte in the direction of Maxie’s place, so he thought she was heading there. Anna says, well, he was right. She couldn’t figure out why Charlotte would come to the apartment. The police found her backpack, and in it was the keychain she showed him to Maxie’s apartment. Remember the one that had the shoe on it? In there were also these two cans of spray paint that were the same color that was used to paint the word murderer on her door. He says, Charlotte told him about the keychain; she didn’t tell him about the paint. She says, that doesn’t matter. What she’s trying to tell him is, she’s figured out who’s after her. He says he’s so sorry, and she says, and it is the WSB. Former WSB. She figured out the connection, and it’s a man called Jameson Forsythe. Old guard Bureau. They crossed swords ages ago. He says, no. She doesn’t understand… but she says she does. She found evidence, and Forsythe is trying to discredit, destabilize her, and somehow he’s involved Charlotte. She doesn’t know how he’s done it, but he’s using Charlotte to get to her.

Olivia and Ned go into the boathouse, and Ned puts a towel around her shoulders, then takes one for himself. She says she’s a little behind the curve. He has to catch her up. He’s not Eddie Maine anymore. He says, no. He’s just plain old Ned, her husband. She says, they have to get back to the house. They have to get him to a doctor. He says, you know what? He doesn’t want to go to the house. He wants to stay right here with her because it’s been too long. He just wants to enjoy this moment with her, okay? She says, okay, and they sit down. She says she doesn’t understand. He remembers everything? He says, it’s a bit fuzzy, a little disjointed, but he was here the whole time, like he was on autopilot. Or like playing one of Leo’s video games. He’s Ned, but he’s a little fuzzy. She asks if he remembers his daughter, and Tracy, and Leo. He says, yeah. He remembers everyone. He’s a Quartermaine. They were married in 2017. It’s now 2022. She says, 2023, and he says, right. He told her that things were fuzzy. She says, that’s just the small stuff. The important thing is that he’s here. They hug, and she says she was praying so hard for this, and he came back to her. He says, but she was willing to let Eddie stay, wasn’t she?

Blaze tells Alexis, at first, she was starstruck around all the beautiful people, all the glitz and glamour of the industry. She was so lost in it. When Linc began to overstep, she thought, maybe that’s just the way this world works; maybe he’s that way with all his artists. She didn’t want to seem uptight, so she stayed quiet and avoided being alone with him. Alexis says, Blaze made it her problem, not his, and Blaze says, exactly. One more layer of pressure to being in the public eye. Backstage, where you’re supposed to let your guard down, she was constantly looking over her shoulder. Alexis says, so she’s spending her downtime dodging him, and Kristina says, no one should have to do that. Alexis says, women are conditioned to normalize that kind of behavior, and then that message gets passed down to other artists. Blaze says she gets that entirely. By keeping her mouth shut, she was basically endorsing him.

Curtis tells Drew that his life is upside down for sure. Simple things like walking, running, even standing up, he can’t take for granted anymore. Drew says, but he’s not alone in this. He has family, friends. Curtis says he does and he’s grateful for that, but everything has shifted. The dynamic is different. Hell, he’s different.

They all go into Dex’s apartment, and Josslyn says she gets it. Spencer’s upset. One thing she’s learned about living in the dorms is, you have to be considerate of your neighbors and your own business. The whole building doesn’t need to know what’s going on right now. Spencer asks if she really thinks he cares what the building thinks. He gets louder, and says, Esme just told him that she’s taking Ace and moving into a new apartment, and his grandmother is going to co-sign the lease because they think Ace shouldn’t be a part of his life anymore. And when he comes to Trina with this, saying he’s going to be losing his baby brother, all she can say is, finally.

Anna tells Valentin that this is her past catching up to her. And somehow, it’s caught up to Charlotte, and she never wanted that. Forsythe has gotten to her somehow. Valentin says, there is no Forsythe. At least not the way she’s thinking. She asks what he’s trying to say, and he says his daughter’s been stalking her for months. And he’s been covering for her.

Laura sits next to Charlotte’s bed and says she’s here. How does it feel? Charlotte says her stomach hurts, but not too bad, and Laura says, she’s such a brave girl. Charlotte asks, where’s papa? He promised to be here. Laura says, he’s been here the whole time. He just went for a walk with Anna. Charlotte gets agitated, and says, it’s dangerous. They can’t trust Anna. She’ll hurt him.

Olivia tells Ned, every waking moment, with every beat of her heart, she was fighting for him. He says, no… and she says, he’s got to hear this. He needed to find his way back to them. She couldn’t push him. He needed to choose to come back to them. If he thinks she preferred Eddie Maine… He tells her, stop. She misunderstands. He’s not accusing her of being disloyal. He knows she was supporting him, and he loves her all the more for it. She says, Eddie… and realizes her mistake. He laughs and hugs her. He says he needed that space. After the accident, when he woke up in the hospital, everything was so confusing and unfamiliar, he grabbed the first thing that made him feel safe and comfortable. She says, Eddie Maine, and he says, it was his escape to a time when life was less complicated, and he wasn’t feeling the weight of his family and business suffocating him. To a time when it was just him, on stage, playing his music, no restraints, no judgements, just freedom.

Blaze says she didn’t mean to open a vein here, but Alexis says she’s the one who pried. Old attorney habits die hard. Kristina says, Blaze doesn’t know her mother; this is like catnip for her. Alexis says she’s more than curious. She’s outraged. Her nerve endings are twitching thinking about the lawsuit Blaze could file. Blaze says she doesn’t know… and Alexis says she’s serious. Kristina says, if Blaze doesn’t want to go the legal route, how about collaborating together on a piece about sexual harassment in the music industry? What does Alexis think? A feature with Blaze as the focus? Alexis says she thinks it’s a great idea; shed light on a rampant issue. Is Blaze willing to go on the record? Blaze says, it’s no secret what happened what happened to her. Anyone who was at the Nurses Ball or who saw it on television knows about it, but she wants to move forward with her career. She doesn’t want to go backward. Kristina tells her, what about what she just said? What about all of the artists who could fall into the same trap? Here’s her chance to show that predators aren’t the only way to do business. This is an opportunity for her to break that cycle.

Curtis tells Drew that sometimes he actually feels fortunate. There’s this guy, Devon, his gym buddy. Devon has it way worse than him, but this guy always stays positive. He has the most amazing outlook on life. Drew says, that’s incredible. He’s so glad to hear that. Curtis says, but to be perfectly honest, there are moments, split seconds, where he forgets about his new reality and tries to do normal things like get out of bed and stand up. Then reality slams back, so he’s learning to adjust.

Trina tells Spencer that she never meant to say it was a good thing losing Ace. She just thinks that Esme moving out is healthy for her, and ultimately for him. He says, healthy for him, to be separated from Ace. He’s losing a member of his family, and he thought she would understand that. Josslyn says, it’s not like Esme’s moving to another planet. She’s still going to be in Port Charles and so will Ace. He can see them whenever he wants. Isn’t that a good thing? Dex says, but it won’t be the same thing, and Josslyn and Trina look at him, as I would. Thanks, Dex.

Valentin says, Charlotte’s the one who vandalized Anna’s hotel suite. Security footage showed her breaking into that room with a backpack. Anna says, what? and he says he had Nina delete the footage from the server. She asks why he would have Nina do that. Why would he hide that from her? He says, the moment he saw it, he knew she was the one who spray painted Anna’s front door, that she was the one who set Anna’s house on fire. Anna says, no, but Valentin says, she knew how to get in Anna’s house. Her camp was less than an hour away. She could have gotten there easily. Anna says, it’s not possible, but he says he doesn’t know what Charlotte is capable of anymore. She says, so he knew his daughter was terrorizing her and he just let Charlotte keep doing it? and he says he was protecting Charlotte because he failed her so many times as a father. And he thinks he was protecting himself… She says, what about protecting her? Didn’t she have a right to know?

Laura tells Charlotte, it’s okay. Her father isn’t in any danger from Anna. Charlotte says, she’s wrong. Grandfather Victor warned her about Anna. He told her to protect papa. Laura asks what Victor said about Anna, and Charlotte tells her, he said she was a double-agent, and everyone would know about it soon. He visited her at school and told her to stay there where she’d be safe from Anna. He even wrote her a letter. She grabs her side, and Laura tells her, try to be still. She doesn’t want to reopen the wound. Charlotte says, Laura doesn’t understand. Grandfather told her that Anna was going to use her and pretend to be nice to her so she could trick papa. Laura says, he told her all of this in a letter? and Charlotte says, yes. He said that papa was so in love with Anna, he wouldn’t realize she was using him. Anna’s done a lot of bad things in the past, and made papa take the blame. She’s going to do it again and this time, papa’s going to end up in prison forever. He’ll be killed if she doesn’t keep Anna away from him. Laura says, shhh. It’s okay.

Olivia says she can understand Ned getting nostalgic for the past, for simpler times. So she’s got to ask him. Does Lois figure into this equation? (I laugh because Lois likes math.) He asks why she would bring Lois up, and she says, Lois was the last one he talked to before he jumped in, and everything changed. Is Lois the reason he came back to them?

Kristina says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to put Blaze on the spot. Her mother can vouch that is something she does. Blaze says, don’t worry about it. She appreciates Kristina’s passion. Alexis says, there’s no pressure here at all. It was a just an idea. She sees Drew and Curtis, and says she sees two friends over there who she’d love to say hello to. She’ll be right back. She leaves, and Kristina tells Blaze, that was not her place. Here she is, lecturing Blaze about her story when she knows better than anyone it’s an intensely personal decision. Blaze says, Kristina’s fire, her commitment to justice is infectious. It’s okay to want to make a difference. The thing she’d hate is if Kristina started editing herself and only told her what she wanted to hear.

Curtis says, Drew told him the whole story. Alexis is one gutsy reporter. Threatening to expose that judge like that? He’s glad it all worked out. They really missed Drew and he’s glad Drew’s back. Drew says he appreciates that, and there are smiles all around.

Ned tells Olivia that he was talking to Lois before he came down here to the boathouse. She was giving him a pep talk about finishing the song. Olivia says she wanted him to finish the song too, and he says he guesses he needed Lois’s no-nonsense bullying, and Olivia laughs. He says, Lois told him to take a leap of faith and go find the siren. She says, the siren, and he says, maybe she knew that was the key to getting him back to his real self. Or maybe not. But Olivia. She’s the one who actually pulled him back. She cries and he kisses the top of her head, pulling her to him. He says, turns out, she’s the siren. Hers is the only voice that could have brought him back. Lois may have had the idea, but Olivia made it a reality.

Dex says he understands where Spencer is coming from. Up to now, he and Esme have been raising Ace together. Obviously, living apart changes that dynamic, like a divorce. Spencer says, yes, a divorce where, if he wants to spend time with his own brother, he’ll have to act like a visitor. And it’s not the same as living together. He tells Trina, it’s just not, and Dex asks, what if they could get shared custody? and Spencer says, Esme’s not going to do shared custody with him, not with grandmother on her side. Trina says, Esme doesn’t have to share custody. He’s Ace’s brother, not his father.

Laura says she needs Charlotte to help her understand. She’s trying to keep her father away from Anna to protect him? Charlotte says, yes. Maybe move to London or somewhere near her granddaughter Emma. Anywhere really, as long as she’s away from papa and papa is safe. Laura says, okay, but this is what Victor wanted her to do, right? Charlotte tells her, he said it was the only way. Anna must have figured out she knew about her. That’s why Anna shot her, so she wouldn’t ruin Anna’s plans. Laura says, no, that was a terrible accident, but Charlotte says, it wasn’t. Anna saw her in the apartment. She knew it was her. Anna shot her on purpose. Anna wanted to kill her. Just like she’ll do to papa.

Valentin says he loves Anna, but Charlotte is everything to him. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her that Charlotte was targeting her. She says, so he just lied to her over and over again, and he says he wanted to tell her the truth. She says, but he didn’t. What did he think? That he could fix this? That he would just stitch this whole mess together and they would live in separate worlds, and it would all work? He says he was hoping by moving her into the house and giving her a home with him, that for once it would end her destructive behavior. They met with Doc. She was willing to have… Anna slaps him in the face, then pushes him, and says, shut up. If she’d known Charlotte was the one after her, she never would have pulled a gun. She shot a child. His child. She has to live with that for the rest of her life. She’s never going to forgive him. She storms out, and he can’t believe how stupid he is.

Ned and Olivia leave the boathouse, and he picks up his guitar. He says he thinks he knows the way the song ends now. She says she can’t wait to hear it, and they look out over the water, his arm around her. He says, she saved his life – literally and figuratively. She says, they save each other. That’s what love is. They kiss.

Drew and Curtis’s food comes, and Alexis says, that’s her cue to leave. She has to get back to her dates over there. It was such a pleasure to see Curtis, and he says, good to see her too. Drew says it was good to see her, and she leaves. Curtis tells Drew, sometimes it is so hard to just have a conversation without everyone trying to help when they know good and well they can’t. So that’s why it’s good to just hang out with a good friend who gets it. Drew says, any time, and Curtis asks what he thinks of the Nets’ chances this year, but Drew says he’s not falling for that. Curtis got him last time. Although they do have some good games coming up. Curtis agrees, and says, Boston tomorrow. Drew says, Curtis’s couch, his beer? and Curtis says he’s in… Portia may have other ideas. Drew says, then he’ll have to bring some wine, and Curtis laughs.

Alexis sits down, and Blaze says she’s decided. Kristina says she doesn’t want Blaze to feel pressured, but Blaze says, she’s in. A complete interview; nothing off limits. Alexis says, really? and Blaze says, yes. Kristina brought up some really good points. She can’t complain about what happened to her on one hand and not do everything she can to change it on the other. This is something she can do to stand up for those coming after her. Her contribution to their art, and to their voices. Kristina says she didn’t put it nearly as poetically as that, and Blaze says, that’s what collaboration’s all about. Someone comes up with an idea, someone comes up with the words, put it together, you’ve got magic. She has to make a quick call, but they can talk details when she gets back. She excuses herself and leaves, and Kristina asks what Alexis thinks. Alexis says she thinks Blaze likes Kristina, and Kristina says she likes Blaze too; she’s cool. Alexis says, no. I mean she likes you likes you.

Spencer says, Trina… but Trina says, no. Let’s unpack this. The only way he gets to be Ace’s father is if he’s with Esme, in a relationship. If the two of them are a couple, then they get to raise him together. That is a sure-fire way to solve his problem. Is that what he wants? He says, no, of course (🍷) not. He doesn’t love Esme; he loves her. But he also really loves his little brother, and he knows in his heart that Ace needs to be in his life. Trina says, he will always be in Spencer’s life, just not in the house, but Spencer says, no, because that would be abandoning him, and she knows he’s not going to do that. She says, then he knows what the solution is for that, but where does that leave them? He tells her not to ask him to choose between her and Ace. She’s not going to like the answer. She says, don’t worry. She’ll save him the trouble. She grabs her bag and walks out.

Laura tells Charlotte, don’t worry. She’ll make sure Charlotte’s papa is safe. They’re going to figure all of this out. Charlotte says, Anna can tell that she knows she’s bad. That’s why Anna shot her. Papa can’t trust her. Laura has to tell him. Laura says, it’s going to be all right, she promises. Close her eyes and get some rest. It’s going to be okay. She kisses Charlotte’s forehead and leaves.

In the hallway, Anna says she really needs to talk to Charlotte, but Elizabeth says, it’s only family. Anna says, it will only take one minute, but Elizabeth says, it’s not possible. Laura comes out of Charlotte’s room and Elizabeth goes in. Valentin comes out of the stairwell, and Laura tells Anna that Charlotte’s just fallen back to sleep. Anna says, she doesn’t understand. It’s imperative that she speak with Charlotte right now. Laura says she really thinks Anna should wait… but Anna says, it can’t wait. She has to tell her… Laura says, Anna can’t go in there. Charlotte is terrified of her. She thinks Anna shot her on purpose. Anna cries and says she didn’t, and Valentin hangs his head, as he should.

On Monday… they show scenes from several days ago, so I’m not sure what that means. Either it’s a mistake, or we’re going to be forced to watch news-not-news.

💣 He’s Just Misunderstood…

They’ll have to dig deep to find some redeeming qualities.

🍕 Didn’t Think So…

What would the Q mansion be without her? My money’s on her coming back for Thanksgiving pizza.

👻 Fun And Games…

The kids always look like they’re having a good time off-camera.

🏆 For Real This Time…

As predicted, the main event of the Daytime Emmys will be aired on December 15th.

👖 It’s Not The Pants…

I knew there was a reason I liked Sutton so much. This is it.

👠 Bouncing Back…

Hopefully, she can keep the momentum going. Talk about making (hard) lemonade out of lemons.

https://extratv.com/2023/11/08/ariana-madix-on-fan-support-at-bravocon-and-her-resiliency-exclusive/

🍸 Her Calendar Is Full…

Why would she come back? Just to be harassed by Erika and get offers of fake friendship from Kyle? It’s not like she has nothing to do.

And while we’re on the subject.

🌁 Lasting Long Enough For Last…

2025? Really? Although I can hardly blame Pedro Pascal.

https://ew.com/tv/the-last-of-us-season-2-everything-we-know/

https://collider.com/gladiator-2-filming-start-pedro-pascal-last-of-us/

🛟 Like They’re On A Water Slide…

The short answer: yes. The golden years with Captain Lee and Kate are over, but we’ll always have Couch Talk.

⚰️ A Diabolical Plot…

Of course, he’s not against reviving the original series. It’s got to be a billion dollar franchise by now. And brilliant idea to merge all the Deads into one big kumbaya Dead.

🦥 This Guy…

I’m obsessed with 90 Day Fiancé and all its spin-offs. I don’t include it here because I already give it too much time. If this guy’s mother wasn’t living in the closet, it might be fun to live there. For about a week. I love the annoyed chihuahua.

https://people.com/90-day-fiance-clayton-introduces-5-roommates-including-two-guinea-pigs-exclusive-8386660

🐩 You Didn’t Think I Was Done…

Oh, come on, just one more.

https://www.homecrux.com/celebrity-pet-halloween-costumes/181675/

🍿 Quotes of the Week

Never trust humans just to let things be. – David (Mike Colter), Extinction

I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion. – Alexander the Great

Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow. – Ronald E. Osborn

It is never too late to be what you might have been. – George Eliot

It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end. – Ursula K. Le Guin

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. – Eleanor Roosevelt

Many things—such as loving, going to sleep, or behaving unaffectedly—are done worst when we try hardest to do them. – C.S. Lewis, Studies in Medieval Literature, compiled in Words to Live By

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. – Thomas Edison

An idea is a fart your brain makes. But if you patent an idea, it’s an asset. – Rufus Griswold (Michael Trucco), Fall of the House of Usher

🍠 Keep Your Yams To Yourself…

On Sunday, stop the scaries by dropping in for some Fear. Until then, stay safe, stay considering going out for Thanksgiving dinner (nothing says Thanksgiving like Oysters Rockefeller!), and stay toasting to the battle, freedom, and survival.

November 7, 2023 – A Lot Of Guilt To Go Around, Healing Thoughts, Boys Of GH, Take a Stroll, Emmy News, Oops, More Maurice, Viva Las Bravo, Next Year, Holiday Treats & Celebrate

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Doc and Laura come out of the hospital elevator, and Valentin thanks them for coming. Laura says, of course (🍷), and Doc asks, where is Charlotte? Valentin says, she’s in surgery, and Laura asks, what happened? Valentin says, she was shot, and Doc and Laura look stunned. Laura asks, who would do something like that? and Valentin says, it was Anna. Laura says, oh my God, no.

Anna stands on the terrace at Sonny’s penthouse. He tells her, good morning, but she’s not sure what’s good about it. He asks if she got any sleep, but she says, every time she closes her eyes, it just plays like a movie in her head, over and over again. Her finger on the trigger, the gun recoiling, the shot. It was just so loud in that small apartment. It just kind of echoed down the hallway. She can still hear it.

Gregory goes to Alexis’s office and says, he wanted to see her? She thanks him for coming, and he asks if everything is all right. She says she needs his input, and he says, she knows how he loves to share his opinion. What’s the problem? She says, it’s a question of journalistic ethics, and he says, that sounds heavy. She says, it is. Is she required to report the shooting of a child?

Jordan comes into the station, and Mac says, they’ve been waiting for her. She says she got there as soon as she could, and he tells her, Dante was the detective on the scene last night. They go into the interrogation room, and Jordan says she has a lot of questions for Dante. Mac says, tell them exactly what happened, and Robert adds, and why it did.

At Volonino’s Gym, Devon, who has prosthetic legs, asks Curtis, where is everybody? The gym seems quiet. Curtis says, this gym is kind of private. His good friend’s husband owns it. Sonny Corinthos? Devon says, Curtis is a lucky guy to have such good friends, and Curtis says, they’ve definitely stuck by him, even though he tried to push them away.

Sam answers a knock at the door, and says, oh my God – Drew! He says, sorry he didn’t call, and she says, it’s really him. They hug, and he asks if it’s a bad time, but she says, no. It’s never a bad time. She can’t believe he’s out of prison.

While he lifts hand weights, Devon says, this is the time you need your friends the most. Why did Curtis push them away? Curtis asks how he does it, and Devon says he thought he was the one asking a question. Curtis says, Devon’s always so positive and upbeat. He doesn’t know if he’d have made it out of rehab without him. Devon says, Curtis put in the work. He just gave Curtis a bit of inspiration. Curtis says, Devon was dealt a bad hand, but always has a smile on his face. What’s his secret? Devon says, Curtis is seeing who he is today. He wasn’t always this way. He had years of bitterness and resentments it’s taken a lifetime of work to overcome. And that work never ends.

Sam asks when Drew got out, and he says, last night. He went to see Carly, and obviously his next stop was to see his girl. He missed Scout like crazy. Is she awake? She says, she’s actually sleeping right now. Scout’s probably exhausted from the Halloween party at Kelly’s, but she can wake Scout up. He says, it’s probably better if she doesn’t. He doesn’t want her to hear this. Carly got a call that Charlotte was shot, and Danny was trick-or-treating with her before it happened. Sam says, yeah. They didn’t know she was shot when they came home last night; they only knew she was missing. Danny was really shaken up. He felt guilty and responsible. He said that he should have been the one that kept Charlotte with them. Drew says, he shouldn’t have to carry all that, and she says she told him that he doesn’t have to take responsibility for his friends, but he felt guilty. He’s just like his father. He wants to save the entire world, but he can’t. He asks if Danny knows Charlotte was shot, and she says, Dante came home this morning to tell him and Rocco. They were dreading it, but they didn’t want him to read it on social media or anything. They thought it was best if it came from them. He says, that had to have been a tough conversation. How was Rocco? She says, it hit hm pretty hard. He broke down in Dante’s arms. All Dante could do was hold him, and she could tell Danny was holding back tears, but he wanted to stay strong. Drew asks if they have someone they can talk to, like a therapist, and she says she already set it up. And she talked to Elizabeth. Jake was at the scene of the shooting. He’s pretty traumatized too. He says, that is a lot to deal with, especially at their age. Please, she’s got to tell him if there’s anything he can do. Now that he’s back, there’s so much he needs to make up for.

Alexis tells Gregory that she doesn’t know all the details, but she knows the identities of those involved, and two of them are members of her family. He asks if everyone’s all right, but she says, no. This was a tragic accident. He asks, what happened? and she says, he’s aware that Anna has been the target of harassment? He says he knows her house was burned down. The police said it was arson. She says, shortly after that, the broke into her hotel and destroyed her clothes and left her a threatening message. He asks how this relates to the shooting of a child, and she says, Anna’s been on edge for months. So last night, she comes home to an intruder in her apartment. So she takes out her gun and fires, straight into Charlotte Cassadine. He says, Valentin’s daughter was the intruder? He finds it hard to imagine a teenage girl breaking into an apartment. (Really? I don’t.) She says, the police are still trying to piece this all together, but the bottom line is, Anna shot an innocent child, so she’s going to have a lot to answer to. (Wow. A lot of assumption on her part.) He says, but the big question is, what was Charlotte doing in that apartment?

Valentin says, so he realized she had to be headed to Anna’s apartment, and Laura asks if he thinks she wanted to leave another threatening message. Doc asks how she got in, but Valentin says he doesn’t know. He doesn’t know what her intentions were, and he doesn’t know what she’s capable of. Laura says, he got there after the shooting? and he says, yeah. He wanted to intercept her, but he was too late. The door was open, and he looked inside, and Anna was leaning over Charlotte.

Robert asks if Dante talked to Anna, and Dante says, she claims when she left her apartment, she locked the door. When she got back around 9:30 pm, the door was unlocked. She drew her gun, she thought she saw an intruder in her apartment with a weapon, she fired. Robert says, let’s talk about the legal culpability here. Could Anna face criminal charges? It’s not against the law to defend your own property with a gun. Jordan says, it depends, and he says, on what? She says, on if Anna could reasonably expect Charlotte to be there. And if that’s the case, Anna could be in real trouble.

Sonny hands Anna a coffee mug, and she thanks him. He says he knows she’s a tea drinker, but he thought she’d need something stronger than that. She says she’s often wondered why Corinthos went for coffee. Out of all the legitimate businesses out there, why did he choose this? He says, Don Corleone had already chosen olive oil, so he wanted the next best thing. He laughs and says, he had a lot of contacts in South America. She says, that doesn’t sound suspicious, but he says, it’s not what she thinks. Most of the coffee in the world is grown there, and it’s a big industry. Remember when all the coffee houses were going up? He wanted to get in before the market flooded. She says, that’s smart, when Nina comes out. She asks if everything is all right, but Anna says, no, it’s not.

Doc asks if Anna said what happened, but Valentin tells him that he didn’t hear anything she said. The paramedics got there right away. Doc asks if Anna went to the police, but Valentin says he doesn’t know. He knows she came here to explain. Laura asks how you explain shooting a 15-year-old girl, and Valentin says he couldn’t talk to her. He couldn’t wrap his head around the idea she’d shoot Charlotte. He still can’t. (Is it me? Why is this all so hard to put together?)

Sonny says, Anna needed a place to stay last night, and she arrived late, and Nina says she knows Anna got a new place. Are they not ready for her to move in yet? Sonny says, it’s not like that, and Anna says she should be the one to tell her. Nina says, tell her what? What’s going on? Anna says, it’s Charlotte, and Nina asks if something happened to Charlotte. Anna starts to cry and says, it was an accident. She shot her.

Mac asks how Charlotte got into the apartment, but Dante says he doesn’t know. Maybe she had a key. There was no sign of forced entry. Like he said before, Anna said she locked the door before she left, and it was unlocked when she got back. Jordan asks if Anna would have given Charlotte a key, but Dante says he doesn’t know. Robert says he can’t imagine she would do that. She just moved into that place. She’s going to say to Charlotte, drop by after you’re finished with Halloween, and by the way, I’ll give you a key? That doesn’t make any sense. Dante says, according to Jake Webber, Charlotte did have a key in her possession. She said it was her key to getting everything she wanted. Mac asks, what the hell does that mean? and Dante says, that’s what he wants to find out. Jordan says, obviously, she had a key to the apartment, but Anna was unaware. That’s why she came in the door shooting. Robert says, well, she wasn’t expecting Charlotte. And he can tell them who she was expecting.

Sam asks if Drew knew he was getting out. Did Diane get a message to him? He says, no. The whole thing was just so sudden. He was sitting on his cot, the guards walked in and said, come on, Cain, let’s go. You’re released. He didn’t even believe it. He didn’t have to get up in front of the prison board; he didn’t have to speak to the warden. Nothing. Next thing he knew, he was in his own clothes and on his way home. She says, Carly must be really excited for him, and he tells her, you could say that. She told him who was responsible for his release. Sam says, who was it? and he says, your mother.

Gregory tells Alexis that they have to assume Charlotte was there uninvited. If Anna was expecting her, she wouldn’t have pulled a gun. Alexis says, that’s why she’s holding off on publishing. They need more facts. They can’t speculate about this. He says, her cousin must be devastated, and she say she hasn’t been able to reach him. Obviously, he’s in agony. He says, if she didn’t know any of the people involved, if they weren’t family, would she publish? She says, this is what she’s been struggling with all morning. Obviously, the shooting of a child is newsworthy. And it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about the Second Amendment, gun violence is real, and this should be reported. He says, so she’s going to publish it? and she says she thinks she has to. But the victim is a minor and out of respect for her family, she’s not going to mention any names. He says, she’s making a good call on a difficult story, and Alexis looks like she has a headache. I disagree with that call. I think she was right the first time. They need more facts. For instance, it’s not like Charlotte was shot in her own home. She let herself into an apartment where she wasn’t invited. In the dark. In a Hermit costume.

Curtis says, a lifetime of work. He’s not sure he has the stamina for that. Devon says, it’s perfectly normal to doubt yourself, just keep pushing through it. Curtis says, but how do you do it? Devon makes it look so easy, and Curtis knows he’s going to have a struggle on his hands. Devon says, they both have disabilities, but they’re coming from very different places. He was born without legs. He doesn’t know what it’s like to walk without prosthetics. Curtis went from an active, vital man to a wheelchair. That’s a huge adjustment. He still has times of frustration and resentment. Does Curtis know how hard it was to watch the other kids run around the playground? Curtis says he’s sorry. He had no idea. He feels selfish complaining right now, but Devon tells him not to feel sorry for him. There are plenty of times he does that for himself. He tries not to wallow in it. Like it or not, it’s who he is. Just focus on moving forward. Curtis says he’s not sure he knows how to do that.

Alexis hangs up the phone and tells Gregory that she really hopes she’s making the right call. He says, she is. Don’t second guess herself. She says she’s been consumed with this all morning. She didn’t even ask. How is he feeling? Or is that a stupid question to ask somebody with ALS? He laughs and says, no. He appreciates it. Most people just tap-dance around the subject. They’re afraid to ask like it’s some dirty little secret. He’s happy with the new specialist Finn recommended. He’s a straightshooter; he doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He says Gregory’s ALS is progressing, but it’s impossible to put a timeframe on it. So he has no idea how long it’s going to be before he’s in a wheelchair. He gets up and says, which is why he needs to get moving on his bucket list. Has she changed her mind about skydiving?

Scout comes downstairs, and says, daddy? You’re home! She runs to him, and he picks her up, hugging her. Sam smiles.

Dante says, that’s some pretty cryptic sounding stuff, but Robert says he can’t tell them everything. Some of it’s classified Bureau stuff. Jordan says, he has to tell him everything he knows, and Robert says, Anna dug up this old document, which has the name of a former agent attached to it. She figured this guy has been stalking her. Dante asks if Robert has seen the document, and Robert says, Anna laid out what her theory was, and he agreed. Mac says, so this mystery person is still out there, and Robert says, yeah, and he can pull this again. But this time, it might be fatal. This guy’s prepared to do whatever’s necessary to suppress this information. Jordan says, so that means Anna definitely wasn’t expecting Charlotte to be at her apartment, and Robert says, correct. She entered the apartment, saw this figure holding what looked like a weapon, and figured, this person’s going to kill me. So she exercised the only option she had, which was to shoot. Soap looks all around.

Valentin tells Laura and Doc that Dr. Gatlin-Holt went right to work on Charlotte when they arrived. He must have gotten some information, but he couldn’t process it or tell them what was said. He doesn’t know where Charlotte was shot. What if it’s near the heart? Laura says, they don’t know any of that. Try not to speculate. It’s just going to make him crazy. He says, all he knows is that the bullet is still inside of her, and they’re going to remove it, and they’re going to repair the damage, but he can’t get his head around the idea. Doc says, let him see what he can find out, and Laura says she’ll go with him, unless Valentin wants her to stay, but Valentin says, go. They leave, and he takes out his phone. His thumb hovers over Anna’s number, and Nina comes out of the elevator. He goes to her, and they hug and cry.

Anna tells Sonny that she just doesn’t understand what Charlotte was doing in that apartment. How did she get in there? There was no sign of forced entry. She had to have used a key. He says he’s assuming Anna didn’t give her a key, and she says, no. She lost her own key. She had to get one from the super. Sonny asks if she knows what Charlotte was doing before she shot her, and Anna shakes her head. She says, there was a figure with a hood bending over this trunk that she has, and then they turned, and she saw what she thought was a weapon. He says, that’s understandable. She felt threatened. She says she’s been so on edge lately; she jumps at the slightest thing. Sonny was right. She should never have gotten rid of the bodyguard. If he had been there, this wouldn’t have happened. He says, she can’t blame herself, and she asks what he’s talking about. If she – Anna chokes up – if Charlotte… If Charlotte doesn’t make it, it’s her fault. He puts his arm around her as she cries.

Valentin thanks Nina for coming, and she says, of course (🍷). They’re in this together. She’s not letting him go through this alone. He says, this is his fault, but she says, feeling guilty is only going to make this more difficult. He says, if he’d warned Anna that Charlotte was her stalker right away, this never would have happened; she’d have never pulled a gun. Nina says, Valentin made a mistake not telling Anna right away, but Anna made a big mistake and Charlotte did too. (Why are they blaming Anna so hard? The flashlight did look like a gun.) He says, she’s a child, and Nina says she understands that, but her point is, there’s a lot of guilt to go around. He doesn’t have to carry the burden all by himself. Speculating on what he should have done isn’t going to make the situation any easier. He says, they should have confronted Charlotte the moment they saw that security footage, and she hustles him over to the waiting area, suggesting they not talk about the footage. It’s gone. He says, what if his daughter is gone? and they sit. Nina says, they have to be positive. Charlotte is alive. She’s a fighter. They have to believe in her. They have to believe she’s going to make it.

Anna tells Sonny that she’s a professional. She’s been trained in firearms. She knows when to shoot and when not to shoot. He tells her not to beat herself up, and she says she went into that apartment like she was on a mission; like she expected to be fired at. But she wasn’t. She was a 15-year-old girl. He says, she didn’t know that, and she cries some more. She says she saw movement and she reacted. She didn’t stop and access the situation the way she’s been trained to at the Academy. Not shoot first and ask questions later. Maybe she didn’t see movement. Maybe she just imagined it. But she did fire and she hit her target. And they went down, and they didn’t move. It seemed like it was in slow motion, but it could have only taken two seconds. And Jake came and said Charlotte’s name… That’s when she realized what she’d done. She begins to weep again.

Mac tells Dante to go home and get some rest, and Jordan thanks him. She knows things were intense when he was on administrative leave, but she’s glad to have him back. Dante says, just keep him updated on Charlotte’s condition, and he leaves. In the squad room, an officer tells Dante, CSI sent this up. He gives Dante an envelope and says, the inventory on Charlotte Cassadine’s back. Dante thanks him and starts flipping through it.

Alexis says she would do anything to support Gregory, but she’s not jumping out of a plane. Please don’t make her. She’s afraid of heights and she still doesn’t understand how planes stay up in the air (ha-ha! she’s me), and she doesn’t understand how anyone would think jumping out of a plane would be fun. Really. What’s wrong with them? He laughs and says, it’s supposed to be an exhilarating feeling, but he’s going to let her off the hook. She agreed to ax throwing and hot yoga, so he’s not going to push this one. Besides – he takes a paper out of his pocket and unfolds it – he thinks he still has some less risky items on his list. She says, good. Her stomach thanks him. He says, she’s in the clear. He knows she has a lot to do, so he’s going to take off. She thanks him for the talk, but he says, she doesn’t have to thank him. She says she appreciates that and thanks him again. He leaves.

Scout says she’s so happy Drew’s home. She missed him so much. He says he missed her too. He thought about her every single day. They hug, and she says, really? He says, every hour of every day. He couldn’t wait to get home to her. She asks if it’s over. Does he have to go back to prison? He says, no. He’s here to stay. And you know what made him feel so much better when he was gone? The plaque she got for swimming. Scout says, Sam really gave it to him? and Sam says she told Scout that she was going to. Drew says he’s so proud of her. Next season, he’s going to be at every single meet, he promises. She asks if he got out in time to go trick-or-treating, but he says, the lights were turned out by then. She says, that’s okay, because she got a whole bunch of candy for him. He says, that’s his girl, and she asks if he wants some now. She got all his favorites. Sam says she thinks it’s a little early for candy, and Drew says, maybe she’s right. How about if Scout gets dressed, because there’s something really important that he needs her help with. Scout says, okay, and goes upstairs.

Devon says, for Curtis to move forward, he needs to talk about his feelings and share his experience with others. If he keeps it in and hides it from the people who love him, it will destroy him. So let it out. Let his beautiful family see who he is now.

Dante comes home and tells Sam that he wishes he was still on administrative leave. Then he wouldn’t be having to deal with this. He saw Charlotte on a gurney. She asks if there’s any update on Charlotte’s condition, but he says, she’s still in surgery as far as he knows. This whole thing is unbelievable. How are Rocco and Danny? He can’t believe he had to go back to work after telling them about Charlotte. She says, they were still a mess, and they didn’t want to stay at the house. They needed a distraction, so she let them go to their friend’s house. Drew got out of prison. Scout’s with him now. Dante says, that’s good news, and she asks how it went at the station. He says, taking statements, bagging evidence… A 15-year-old girl’s been shot. None of this makes any sense at this point. It’s someone close to them too. He knows it’s extenuating circumstances, but try telling that to Anna, the one who pulled the trigger.

Anna tells Sonny, this is so surreal. It’s like she was outside of her body watching everything. Then inside her head, she was screaming, no, no, no. Please don’t let it be Charlotte, but she knew it was her. He says, unfortunately, he knows the feeling. When Dante first came to town, he didn’t know Dante was his son, because originally, Dante kept it from him for years. He didn’t know Dante was an undercover cop. So Dante gained his trust and arrested him. And he shot Dante, point blank. She says she did hear about that. That must have been just awful. Sonny says, he was bleeding out on the floor. Olivia came in. She yelled out, you shot your own son. So he knows about that moment. It’s the shot that’s unbearable. She says, even before she took the hood off of Charlotte, she thought, this is such a tiny figure lying here, and the weapon, it was a flashlight she was carrying. He says, she didn’t know that. So then her survival instincts kicked in. She scrunches down in the chair and says, this is such a nightmare. How could she have been so reckless to have fired on an unarmed child? She doesn’t know how she’s going to live with that. She doesn’t know how.

Jordan says, there’s something they need to discuss, and it’s right in this room. Mac says, what? and she says, us. Mac’s acting Police Commissioner, Robert’s the DA, she’s the Deputy Mayor. They all have closer relationship to Anna. Robert says he was married to her – he laughs – twice. She says, even Dante, who was the first investigator on the scene, has a close relationship with Anna. She just doesn’t want anyone thinking this is a cover-up. Mac says, there’s nothing to cover up. They’re not hiding anything. Nor are they giving Anna any preferential treatment. Jordan says she gets that, but they all need to recognize their connections to Anna might compromise the case. Robert asks what she’s suggesting, and she says, that they might have to bring in an outside investigator.

Curtis asks, what about Devon? Does he have any kids? Devon says, two incredible sons. They’re his whole world. They’re devoted to each other. He’s proud to say they’re great human beings. Curtis says he doesn’t doubt that they are. He has a daughter, a lovely wife, his dad, his auntie, his nephew… He has really good friends who he calls family, so he guesses that makes it a big family. Devon says, it’s time to let them in. Let them see who he really is.

Doc tells Laura that he’s sorry. He wishes he could have found out more. She says, that’s okay. She’s sure Valentin will appreciate the effort. She supposes right now all they can do is wait and pray. Doc says, they’ll need to do a lot more than pray. Charlotte’s in real trouble, and he doesn’t mean medically or legally. That child is broken. She says, then they have to do everything they can to fix her. He says, her physical recovery will be a lot easier than her emotional one, and Laura says she’ll never give up on Charlotte. She cries and he holds her.

On the phone, Alexis says, get them to her as soon as she can. Scout comes in and she says she’s got to run. She asks what Scout is doing here, hugging her, and Scout says she has a big surprise for Alexis. Alexis says, bigger than her showing up here on her own? Scout says, yep, and she’s not here on her own. Look who she brought with her. Drew walks in.

Curtis says, his wife keeps asking him how he feels, and Devon asks what he tells her. Curtis says he gives her the same standard answer; it’s all good, babe. But in reality, he’s far from good. Devon says, his wife just wants to help. Keeping her in the dark won’t do either of them any good. Curtis says, he’s right. It’s not fair. From now on, he’s going to tell his wife the truth. He wants to start moving forward. Devon says, okay. Are they done talking now? Let’s get back to work. Curtis says, he’s going to take the tens this time.

Alexis hugs Drew and says she’s so happy to see him. She tells Scout that she was right. This is a big surprise. Drew tells her that it was his idea to see her, but the set-up was all Scout. Alexis asks how happy Scout is to see her daddy, and Scout says, it’s the best. Drew says, it is the best. He got released last night, and he knows she played a pivotal role in that. He thanks her, but she says she’s not taking credit. It was Sonny, it was Carly, it was Diane, it was Gregory… He says he knows they were all involved, but his sources tell him that she was the one to seal the deal, and he’s so grateful. If there’s anything he can do to repay her, she’s got it. She says, the smile on her granddaughter’s face is good enough, and she hugs Scout. She tells Drew, get in here, and they have a three-way hug.

Valentin asks if Doc was able to find out anything, and Doc says he had to leave word for Dr. Gatlin-Holt, but he did speak to the surgical coordinator. Charlotte sustained a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. Valentin asks if there’s any word from the OR, but Doc says, nothing yet, and Nina says she’s sure they’ll hear something soon. Laura thanks her for coming, and Nina says she loves Charlotte. She wanted to be here. Valentin asks how Nina knew to come; he didn’t call her. Nina says, Anna slept over at the penthouse, and she didn’t know about Charlotte until this morning. Laura asks, how is Anna? and Nina says, outwardly, she seem calm, but underneath it all, she’s sure Anna is shattered. She thinks Anna’s still in shock. A surgeon approaches them, and Valentin asks, how’s Charlotte? Is his little girl going to be all right?

Dante tells Sam, so Charlotte took off on the kids, and Jake followed her to Anna’s house. Sam wonders how Charlotte got into Anna’s house. She can’t see Charlotte picking a lock. He says, there’s a lot about Charlotte they don’t know. What they do know is, Anna got to her house, the front door was unlocked, there was an intruder in her apartment. She pulled her gun and fired, and it’s not illegal. Sam says, but the intruder was an unarmed teenager, and Dante says, but Anna was threatened. She thought she saw a weapon. Sam says, what baffles her is what Charlotte was doing there in the first place, and he says he has a theory. He doesn’t know if it holds water yet. She asks what he’s got, and he says, they found Charlotte’s backpack. In it was red spray paint and it matched the paint that was on Anna’s front door. Sam says, murderer, and he says, and then Anna’s house burned down.

Sonny tells Anna, there are some burdens that are too heavy to carry, and some mistakes too terrible to live with. She says, but she has to live with this. She doesn’t have a choice. She has to find a way to come to terms with her actions, and she doesn’t know how to do that. He says, that’s why he prays. In his darkest hours, he gets down on his knees and asks God to give him the strength. Maybe she should try it. She says, he’s a good Catholic as all mob bosses are, but he says he doesn’t know about good, and laughs. She says, he’s a man of faith then. She’s just a lapsed Anglican. She hasn’t been in church for a while. The last time she was in church, she was on a mission actually. He says, that’s all right. God always listens to him. He doesn’t know where he’d be if he didn’t believe in Him. His phone rings, and he says, it’s Nina. He asks if she’s at the hospital, and Nina says, yes. Charlotte’s out of surgery. The doctor said she’s going to make it. Sonny tells Anna that Charlotte’s going to be okay, and Anna breathes a sigh of relief.

Tomorrow, Tracy says, Brook can have her cake and eat it too; Lois asks if Eddie/Ned isn’t curious about the rest; Maxie says, of course (🍷) they’re interested; and Sonny accuses Ava of being in bed with the enemy.

📡 Sending Good Vibes…

Here’s praying he comes through with flying colors.

🚑 Goodbye And Happy Anniversary…

Aging Danny up and out.

And keeping Wiley. I miss those other kids who moved to France though.

🏥 Laura’s Memory Lane…

She’s been on (and off) the show for a long time. I wonder if she dreams in Laura.

🏆 Half An Answer…

Apparently, the Daytime Emmys will be on December 16-17 – so good it takes an entire weekend? – but still nothing on when the soaps will figure in. The speculation is the 15th, but there’s nothing definite.

🍾 Random Events…

He doesn’t say if she gave him a black eye afterward.

https://ew.com/celebrity/john-stamos-elizabeth-taylor-general-hospital-set-yelling-old-lady/

📖 An Open Book…

I love this guy. He must help a lot of people by sharing his personal life.

https://people.com/general-hospital-s-maurice-benard-talks-living-with-bipolar-disorder-8387469

🥂 The Biggest Con Of All…

No recaps for RHOSLC or that horrible House yet, so here are some highlights from Andy’s Kingdom in Vegas.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/bravocon-2023-recap-real-housewives-captain-jason-1235638139/

The tears.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/bravocon-kyle-richards-cries-while-talking-about-mauricio-breakup

The boos.

https://people.com/bravocon-2023-rhonj-teresa-giudice-booed-not-leaving-bravo-8385173

The absentee.

Awards for bringing the drama.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/the-bravos-awards-at-bravocon-2023-pics-details

🐉 Dragon Their Feet…

Although it isn’t as long as we’ve been waiting for that last book. Write faster, George R.R. Martin.

https://ew.com/tv/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-summer-2024-return/

🍰 Bake Me A Cake…

It might be worth watching just for Joel McHale.

https://ew.com/tv/the-great-american-baking-show-celebrity-holiday-cast-reveal/

🤸‍♀️ Jumping In Leaves…

Join me tomorrow for soap and finding fault with Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay just pushing through it when you doubt yourself, and stay not hiding your feelings from the people who love you.

November 3, 2023 – Charlotte Disappears From the Group, New Faces, 2 Grads, A Return, So Sad, Celebrations, Cancelled, Told You, This Week in Reality, Trixie’s Home, More, 11 Quotes For Month 11 & Candy

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly flips Kelly’s sign to closed and tells Regina that she can go home. She calls Alexis and asks if she’s heard anything about Drew’s case. Alexis says she’s afraid all she’s heard is silence from Judge Kim’s office, but she promises to let Carly know if she hears something. Carly thanks her, and Alexis says she’ll keep pushing. Carly says she knows, and Alexis tells her, have a good night. Sam comes into Kelly’s, and Carly asks if Scout forgot something, but Sam says she just wanted to check on her friend.

Alexis tells Molly that she’s sorry she’s late, but Molly says, five minutes is not late. She tells Alexis that TJ isn’t here. The ER is always busy on Halloween, so he probably won’t be back until early morning. Alexis says, poor baby, and Molly says, TJ loves being a doctor. Alexis says she knows he loves her daughter, and Molly says, Andrea was going to join them, but she’s exhausted after trick-or-treating with her son, so she had to cancel. Alexis is glad Molly has such a cordial relationship with her surrogate, and Molly says, her too. She and TJ were really lucky to find her. Alexis says she thinks that baby will be very lucky to have Molly and TJ as parents, and Molly asks if she’s hungry. Alexis says she’s always hungry, and Molly says she’ll unpack the food. There’s a knock at the door, and Alexis answers. It’s Kristina, and Alexis asks what she’s doing here.

Still dressed as Princess Leia, Willow finds a pirate hat outside Kelly’s, and picks it up. Harmony says she likes Willow’s costume, and Willow asks what Harmony is doing here. Harmony says she came to see Wiley and warn Willow. Willow says, warn her about what? and Harmony says, Willow can’t… She continues speaking, but there’s no sound, and Willow wakes up on the sofa. Michael asks if she had a bad dream.

Doc brings Laura a glass of wine, and she thanks him. He asks if Ace is asleep, and she says, yep and his mother too. He says, Esme is down for the night this early? and she says, Ace is teething. He kept her up all night; she’s exhausted. He says, she seemed fine when she was trotting him around in his costume, and Laura says, wasn’t he so cute? But just a little bit cranky. He asks if Spencer is out with Trina, and she says, yeah, and Charlotte should be out trick-or-treating by now.

Valentin parks the car, and the kids thank him. They start to get out, but he says, not so fast. Stay right where you are. He looks pointedly at Charlotte.

Anna says, it has to be here, and looks in a folder. She says, of course (🍷) it was you, you smarmy bastard.

Walking into Molly’s apartment, Kristina asks, what kind of greeting is that? and Alexis asks if she let Molly know she was coming. Kristina says, yes, when Molly invited her. She also brought pumpkin ice cream for Halloween.🤢Molly comes out and says she’s glad Kristina could make it. They hug, and Kristina says, sorry she’s a little late. She had to get someone to cover for her at Charlie’s, but here she is. Molly says, and she heard Kristina brought pumpkin ice cream, and Kristina says she did. Blaze turned her on to this new place. It’s totally organic and has amazing new flavors. Molly says she can’t wait to try it. She bets even mom will like it. Kristina says, she likes everything, and Alexis says, all right. Time out. Does someone want to tell her what she’s missing?

Sam says she hopes Carly doesn’t mind her dropping by, and Carly says, no, as long as Sam doesn’t mind helping her clean. Sam asks what she can do, and Carly says, crayon duty? Sam gets to work, and Carly says she just spoke to Sam’s mom. Sam asks if she had any news about Drew, but Carly says, no. She called to see if Alexis had an update because she just couldn’t help herself. Sam says she’s sure Alexis doesn’t mind, but she did tell Sam about Judge Kim’s record of giving overly harsh sentences if he thinks it will help him up the ladder. Carly asks if Sam can believe judges are still doing that, and Sam says, no, but her mom will see to it that she makes him answer some really tough questions if he doesn’t reconsider Drew’s sentence. Carly says she knows. It’s just, the waiting is driving her crazy. Has Sam told Scout what’s going on? Sam says, no. She doesn’t want to get Scout’s hopes up in case it doesn’t happen. Carly says, that’s smart. She keeps telling herself the same thing, don’t get your hopes up, but it’s so hard.

Willow asks, where’s Wiley? and Michael says he carried Wiley to bed. He didn’t even wake up. Willow says she’s sorry, but he says she has nothing to be sorry about. It looks like she had a bad dream. Does she remember what it was about? She says she had that dream about Harmony again.

Doc says, it’s good Charlotte’s out doing something with kids her age, and Laura agrees, but she’s just worried because Charlotte is obviously troubled right now. She thanks Doc for fitting Charlotte into his schedule, and he says, it’s a good first step. She asks if there’s anything he can tell her, and he says he can’t share what she confided, because she never opened up to him. Laura says, nothing? and he says, she was pleasant, articulate, and gave nothing away. The only real moment in the session happened when she began to talk about being protective of her father.

Valentin asks if their cell phones are fully charged. What about flashlights? They have candy bags there… Charlotte says, papa, please, and he says he’s almost done. Again, what’s the route? They all recite, Harbor Vista, Prince Street, Elmer Street, and back. He says, they’ll be back at what time? and they say, 9 o’clock. He says, they stay together. No one goes out on their own. Their parents are counting on him to keep them safe. Don’t make him look like a jerk. He puts his hand on Charlotte’s backpack, and she moves away. He says he’s helping her out. Did her father sufficiently embarrass her tonight? She says, he did, and he says, good. That’s his job. (He sounds like my father.) And to keep her safe and make sure she has a good time. She thanks him, and she says, tonight means a lot to her. He says, it means a lot to him too. Have fun. Valentin steps away, and Jake asks Charlotte, what made her change her mind about dressing up as the Hermit? She says, he doesn’t like her rah-rah costume? and he says he’s kind of surprised she does. She says she doesn’t, but she couldn’t get the other costume ready in time. Maybe she’ll dress as the Hermit next year. Georgie tells them, let’s go, and they leave as Valentin watches.

Anna tosses the unneeded folders back into the trunk, and calls Robert. He answers, happy Halloweeny, honey, and she asks where he is. He says, out tricking and treating with the rest of the kids, and she says, no, really. Where is he? He says he’s still in the office, and she says, stay right there. She’s coming over. He asks what this is about, but she says, it’s something he needs to see for himself. Stay in the office. She gathers up the papers she needs, puts them in her bag, and heads for the door. She pauses a moment, and goes back, taking her gun from the safe. She turns out the lights and leaves, locking the door behind her.

Sam says she was watching Carly with Nina earlier. Carly was very gracious to her. Nina says, it’s lucky she wasn’t bobbing for apples, and makes a pushing motion with her hands. Sam says, she’s really good at hiding her animosity, and Carly says, it’s exhausting. Sam says she gets that, and Carly says, fanning the flames of her hatred for Nina doesn’t help anything, and she’s Willow’s mother and Wiley’s grandmother, so… Sam says, and Sonny’s wife, and Carly says, yeah, there’s that. Sam says, Dante told her that Sonny seems to be happy, and Carly says, good. She wants him to be happy. Sam says, Sonny wants Carly to be happy too, and Carly says she knows. And Nina has been on her best behavior around the kids and Sonny. Sam says, but Carly doesn’t think she’s changed, and Carly says, no, not at all. For a long time, Willow didn’t want any relationship with Nina. Now, clearly, that’s changed, so if Willow’s happy, she’s happy. Sam asks, but what about Michael?

Willow gets up and says, so much candy, and Michael asks if it was the same dream or was it different this time? She says she was at Kelly’s, at the Halloween party. She was outside, and everyone else was inside. And suddenly, Harmony was there. It seemed almost normal. He asks if Harmony talked to her, and she says, yes. She asked Harmony why she was there, and she said the same thing as before. Harmony said she had to warn her, but when she goes on, her lips move, but there’s no sound. He says, so she still hasn’t heard an actual warning, and she says, but she thinks she knows what Harmony is trying to tell her.

Molly asks Kristina if Alexis missed something, and Kristina says she doesn’t know. Alexis opened up the door and there she was with her pumpkin ice cream. Molly says she came over, said it sounded really good, and here we are. Kristina says, there we are. Alexis is up to date. Alexis says, funny. They were hugging each other. Kristina asks if that’s against the rules, and Alexis says, they know what she’s saying. The last she knew, they weren’t speaking to each other. Now they’re acting like nothing happened, and they’re playing that little game, let’s make mom think she’s crazy. Kristina says she loves that game, and Molly agrees. Alexis says, spill it, and Molly says, after Alexis told them how disappointed she was in them, and how she’d do anything to have her sister back in her life, they really took it to heart. They got together and ironed things out. Kristina says, it was really more of a hammering thing, if you want to be accurate, and Molly says, sometimes it takes a hammer to get through to Kristina. Kristina says, Molly isn’t so easy herself, and Alexis says she really doesn’t need to know what happened. She doesn’t really need to know the details. Kristina says, Alexis always needs to know the details, and Alexis says, the two of them made up, and they’re very happy, and she’s happy that they’re happy. They’re all happy, and she’s very proud of them. Kristina asks if they can eat now, and Alexis grabs the ice cream and takes it to the kitchen. Molly says she actually thinks Alexis is proud, and Kristina says, of both of them. That’s got to be a first. Molly says she guesses hammering it out was worth it. Kristina says, definitely worth it, and Molly asks if Kristina will feel like that when this baby comes. Kristina says, Molly’s got her. Always. They hug.

Doc tells Laura, Valentin was badly injured not too long ago, and Charlotte is physically and emotionally dependent on her father. Laura says, but she also has them, and she has Sam and Dante. He says, she lived with Sam and Dante a month, maybe two. Before that, she lived with them for a few months, but if you take into context her entire life, as she remembers it, the one constant is Valentin. In other words, protecting her father is like protecting herself. Laura asks how that translates into breaking into Anna’s hotel room and vandalizing it or burning down Anna’s home – if it was really Charlotte who did that.

Jake wonders, what’s with the apples? and Georgie says she hates apples. Danny says, him too, and Jake says, some guy gave him money. Georgie says, her too, and Danny says, that’s why he likes going later. People run out of candy and feel guilty, then they give out cash. (Not in my neighborhood or I’d go out trick-or-treating.) While the others are busy talking, Charlotte slips away and goes down an alleyway to a hidden area. She opens her backpack.

As the Davis girls sit on the floor eating takeout, and Alexis tells them, she’s just saying that was her favorite year taking them trick-or-treating. Kristina says, she made them dress up as Supreme Court Justices, and Alexis says, because there were two women on the Court that year; that was the first time. Molly says, she had to wear those big glass to be Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and Alexis says, she was shorter. Kristina says, but those little gavels came in handy when knocking door to door, and Molly says, and their costumes were unique that year. Kristina tells Alexis, be honest. Was that the last time she was proud of them? Alexis says she’s proud of them all the time… when they’re not annoying her. She’s proud of all three of her girls. Kristina says, just wait until she gets ahold of Molly’s little girl on her first Halloween, and Molly says, or little boy, but Kristina says, it’s the Davis family. It has to be a girl. Alexis says, good point.

Carly says she thinks Michael’s just trying to do what’s best for his family, and Sam says, that’s true, but she doesn’t think Michael is as open to Nina as Willow and the kids are. Carly says, maybe he’s just not as good at covering his feelings as his mother, and Sam says, but Michael was best man at his dad’s and Nina’s wedding, right? Carly says she thinks he did that because Sonny asked him to, and Sam asks if she still thinks Michael is wary of Nina. Carly says she thinks wary is an understatement. That woman let them all believe Sonny was dead when she knew damn well he was alive. So she thinks the real question is, why would Michael or any of them trust her? Sam says, that’s true. She’s just glad Michael and Sonny are close again. Carly says, so is she, and Sam says, Dante told her that he didn’t think they’d ever be able to reconcile. Carly says, her neither. They’re both stubborn, stubborn men, and after Sonny fell in love with Nina… Sam says, Michael couldn’t accept it, and Carly says, no. It was really tough on Michael. It was tough on all of them. Sam says, and now? and Carly says, and now, life goes on. Whatever happened in Puerto Rico seemed to have changed everything between Michael and Sonny.

Michael says, so Willow thinks she knows what Harmony is warning her about? and Willow says, not for sure, but she thinks Harmony is trying to tell her that someone close to her is lying. He says, lying to her? and she says, yes, and Harmony is trying to warn her that she’ll get hurt. He says, Harmony’s been lying to Willow her whole life. Maybe that’s what’s jumbled up in her head. She tells him, that’s what Liesl said. Liesl said she should just ignore it. But what if someone is lying to her? Michael remembers asking Nina if she thinks Willow will understand. Drew saved her daughter’s life, and she got him sent to prison. He was beaten so badly, he almost died. Does she think Willow’s going to forgive her for that? Willow asks if he thinks she’s just nervous about how well things are going with Nina.

Doc says, even if Charlotte didn’t burn down Anna’s house, knowing what she has done, she’s clearly in crisis, and Laura says she knows. That’s why she’s so grateful Charlotte is seeing him. She’s going to see him on an ongoing basis? He says, that seems to be Valentin’s intention anyway, and she says, good. The house phone rings, and she says, it’s Valentin. She asks if everything is okay, and he says he was just checking in like he said he would. She says, of course (🍷). He did tell her that. Is Charlotte having a good time? He says, she is. She’s trick-or-treating with Danny and Jake and Georgie. Laura says she’s glad Charlotte’s spending time with them. It will be good for her to be with her friends right now. He says, she really needed this, and Laura says she knows. Please tell Charlotte that she loves her. She thanks him for checking in with her and tells him to have a good night.

Now dressed in a black hooded robe, Charlotte hears Jake calling her name. Jake asks Danny and Georgie how they lost her, and Georgie says, no clue. They call for her, and Danny says, come on. Not funny. They continue to search, and Charlotte puts the hood up, covering most of her face. I guess this is the Hermit?

Kristina asks if Molly and TJ have come up with any possible baby names, but Alexis thinks it’s too early to be talking about baby names. (Is she kidding? Girls probably start doing that in high school.) Molly says she and TJ said the same thing – Alexis says, good – except then they realized they were talking about the most mundane things not to talk about the baby all the time. Alexis says, it’s almost impossible not to obsess about the first baby. Molly says, now it’s all she can think about, and she goes over to the bookcase. Alexis asks if that’s what she thinks it is, and Molly says, a book of baby names. Alexis says, here we go, and tells Kristina, be nice. Kristina says she’s always nice… mostly, and Molly says, so they were both thinking Albert. I literally lol at Alexis’s face, and Kristina says, Albert? For a baby? She asks if Alexis likes Albert, and Alexis says she thinks Albert’s perfect. She thinks any baby name they come up with is perfect, because it’s their baby to name. Molly says she wasn’t even all that crazy about Albert, even though it’s a good name. Then they were thinking Ferris. Kristina says, as in Bueller… Bueller… Bueller… Molly and Alexis tell her, stop, and Molly says, maybe it’s a bad idea. Kristina says, what about girl’s names? And Molly says she was thinking something classic, like Athena, Kristina says, why not name her Madea? And Molly says, very funny. Alexis says, how about if we just look through this book together, quietly, and keep our opinions to ourselves? but Kristina says, they’re her daughters. It’s impossible to keep their opinions to themselves. Molly says, well said, sis, and Alexis says, touché. They open the book.

Carly says she bets Sam didn’t expect to help her take out the trash when she came to check on a friend, but Sam says she’ll scrub pots and pans if Carly needs her to. Carly says, she already did all that, but next time, and Sam says, perfect. Carly says she bets if she had told Sam all those years ago that they’d have a night like this… Sam says she bets she would have told Carly, not in a million years could they be civil to each other, and Carly says, they’ve come a long way. Sam says she’s glad, and Carly says, her too. If Rocco and Scout are on the same sugar rush as her kids used to get on Halloween night, Sam had better get home fast. Sam says she’s sure Dante has downed most of the candy by now, and Carly thanks Sam for coming to check on her. She didn’t realize how much she needed the distraction. Sam says, of course (🍷), and Carly can call her anytime. And don’t give up, because her mom never will. Carly says she knows and tells Sam, happy Halloween. Sam says, happy Halloween, and leaves.

Michael says, so things are going well with Willow and Nina? and Willow says, he was there tonight. Maybe it’s because now they’ve shared some positive experiences? He says he knows she had a good time at the wedding, and she says, they all did. Until Michael got distracted by that business call. He says, sorry about that, and she says, since the wedding, she and Nina can talk about Wiley and Amelia, even about taking that trip to Montreal. He asks if she wanted to go on that trip with Nina to Montreal, and she says, yes, she kind of did.

Laura tells Doc that she knows Charlotte. She couldn’t do something like this without having some kind of help. He asks if she thinks Charlotte had help from Victor, and she says, remember when Valentin got hurt? It was Victor who arranged for Charlotte to go to that private school in Europe. He had access to her there for over a year. Doc says, an impressionable year, and she says, yeah. Who knows what kind of lies he filled her head with? He asks if Charlotte didn’t say she hardly saw him, but Laura says, that is exactly what Victor would have told her to say. Victor hates Anna, so whatever Charlotte has done to hurt Anna is born out of Victor’s own hatred. Why else would Charlotte do something like that?

Anna goes into Robert’s office, and he asks what he needs to see. She opens the folder and asks if he recognizes any names there, and he says, Forsythe. She says, exactly. This memo is proof of a colossal screw up, and Forsythe was right in the middle of it. It should have killed his career. Robert says, but it didn’t, and she says, no, because someone buried it. He asks if this memo is the only proof she’s got, and she says, no. She was there – she takes a volume out of her bag – and she wrote it all down in her notebook. She knows for a fact he was there, and Forsythe has always known that she knew.

The kids continue to look for Charlotte, and Danny says, she’s ruining everything. Georgie wonders, where is she? and Jake says, she has to be around here somewhere. Georgie says, is that her? as Charlotte ducks around behind them, and Jake says, no. They saw that girl before and Charlotte doesn’t have pom poms. Danny says, she must have gotten ahead of them, and looking intently at someone, Jake tells them to go that way. He tells Georgie to text Charlotte, and he’ll go the other way.

Anna tells Robert that she thinks Forsythe either does something with intelligence or the defense industry. Either way, if this came out, it would ruin his career. He says, or worse, and she says, no wonder she’s being targeted. He knows for a fact she witnessed everything that happened. Somewhere in that trunk is a long form copy of the incident. She took it, just for insurance. He says, smart, but she says, what good is it doing her? No one could blame her if she took a copy of this to Alexis at The Invader, before Forsythe finds out she has any actual proof. He says, maybe he should take her home to her place, but she says she doesn’t need a babysitter. If anyone is watching her, everything should seem really normal. (Well, she did just dash to the DA’s office. I’m not sure how normal that is.) He tells her, be careful. They know the lengths Forsythe’s prepared to go to keep this quiet. Anna asks if he thinks that’s why Forsythe burned her house down, destroying any evidence she might have, and Robert says, could be. If he knows she has that trunk, he could come after her. She says, let him. At least now she’s not fighting shadows. She knows exactly what she’s up against.

Valentin looks at his watch, when Georgie and Danny arrive at the designated spot. He says, they’re back early. Where are Jake and Charlotte? Danny says, they couldn’t find Charlotte, and Valentin asks what he means. They were supposed to stick together. Danny says, they were, and Georgie says, when they stopped to check their candy, Charlotte just kind of disappeared. Danny says, Georgie tried texting her, and Georgie says, now Jake’s gone too.

Charlotte knocks on Anna’s door a couple of times and gets no answer. She looks around, smiling, then takes out the keys she spends so much time looking at, and lets herself in, closing the door behind her. She looks around using a flashlight. She checks out the safe, then sees the trunk. She kneels down and opens it, looking at the contents. She flashes back to reading Victor’s letter: Anna Devane is not who she seems. Do not trust her. She takes out a folder and looks at it.

Michael says he had no idea Willow really wanted to go on that trip. She says she knows it’s extravagant; Sonny wanting to take them to Montreal, just so Wiley can prove to James that his grandpa has a private jet. Michael says, his dad will go to extremes just to make sure his kids and grandkids are happy, and she says she can see that now. And she thinks Sonny would be disappointed if he couldn’t do it. And she’s never been to Montreal. Going there with Sonny, Nina, and the kids would give them another positive experience they could share. What does he think?

Molly, Kristina, and Alexis sit on the sofa, and Kristina says, this ice cream is really good. Molly says, Blaze has got great taste, and Kristina says, she sure does. Molly asks Alexis if there’s any update on Judge Kim. Kristina asks if that’s the judge who gave that ridiculous prison sentence to Drew, and Alexis says, it is. Right now, there’s no actual news. There are rumors flying around at the courthouse that he’s going to reconsider Drew’s sentence, but they’re just rumors. Kristina says, poor Scout, and Molly says she saw Scout the other day. She’s old enough to understand what prison means. She misses Drew so much. Alexis says, so does Carly, and Kristina says she can’t believe the judge wouldn’t take Drew’s family into consideration, or his military record. Molly says she thinks the judge wants to be seen as tough on everyone, no exceptions. Use it as a path to bigger things. Alexis says, so they hope for a miracle.

Carly goes in the back, and someone approaches the door. Drew walks in, and she says, is it really you? She runs to him and they kiss. She asks why he’s here, and he says, all he knows is, they said he was free to go, and he came straight here. She says, he couldn’t, but he says he did. He’s here. They’re together and he loves her so much. She says she loves him too, and they kiss again.

Alexis asks if Kristina drove, but Kristina says, on Halloween night? No way. Alexis says, good. She’ll drop Kristina off, and Kristina thanks her. Alexis says, next time, they add Sam to make everything complete, and the girls agree. They say their goodbyes, and Alexis and Kristina leave. In the hallway, Alexis says, that wasn’t the evening she expected. Kristina asks if she’s disappointed, and Alexis says she’s thrilled. Inside, Molly picks up the book of baby names and sits down with it. She says, Romulus… Atlas… Percio… Maybe she shouldn’t show this to TJ.

Michael says he just assumed… He thought Willow only went along with the Montreal trip for Wiley’s sake. He thought she’d be dreading it. She says she would have been, before. She might have even found an excuse not to go. He says, that changed since the wedding? and she says she guesses so. And the more time she spends with Nina when they’re with the whole family, the more she thinks they might actually be able to have a real relationship. Does that bother him? He takes her hand, and says, the only thing he cares about is that she and the kids are happy. He kisses her and says, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she stays happy, and no one will ever hurt her. Wow. Is she gonna be mad at him when this all comes out six years from now.

Laura tells Doc that Charlotte reminds her a lot of herself at that age. She had a chaotic childhood too, and thought she knew better than all of the adults around her. He says, every teenager thinks that, and she says, yes, but she didn’t think of herself as a teenager. She thought she was more mature than the kids around her, and maybe she was. Maybe Charlotte is too, but Laura threw herself into some really adult situations that she didn’t know how to deal with. But that didn’t stop her from trying. He says, and look how well things turned out for her, and she says, but she didn’t have a grandfather like Victor Cassadine whispering in her ear that she should hate someone. Victor has convinced Charlotte that she should hate Anna, that she should hurt Anna.

Valentin says, it’s going straight to voicemail. She’s turned her phone off. Georgie asks why she would do that, and he yells, I don’t know! Sorry. She says, that’s okay. He’s worried about Charlotte. On the phone, Danny leaves a message for Jake that he and Georgie are with Mr. Cassadine, and he’s really worried about Charlotte. Is he with her? Call him. Valentin asks, when was the last time someone saw Charlotte? and Danny says, before they went into the alley, like they said. Valentin says, and no one’s seen her since? and Danny says, Jake thought he saw her. Valentin says, he did? and Georgie says, but it wasn’t Charlotte. It was some kid dressed as the Hermit in the tarot cards. Valentin asks why he would assume that was Charlotte, and Georgie says, because that’s what Charlotte said she was going to dress up as that, but she changed her mind. (Popular costume, is it?) Valentin says, tell him exactly what this costume looked like.

Charlotte looks through the folders, and Anna comes to the door. Anna puts her key in the lock, and realizes it’s unlocked. Charlotte braces the flashlight in the trunk in way that Anna sees the light, and she backs away from the door. The flashlight goes out, and Charlotte gets up. She taps at it, trying to get it to go on again. Anna sets down her bag and takes her gun out of her waistband. She quietly opens the door and sees the back of the hooded figure. She says, freeze, and Charlotte turns, pointing the flashlight at Anna. Anna shoots, and Charlotte falls.

On Monday, Drew doesn’t know how he got released from Pentenville; Sam says, they can’t jump to the worst-case scenario; Laura didn’t see that coming at all; and Elizabeth wonders where her son is.

🪢 As the Door Revolves…

Today, the new Molly debuted. I had a hard enough time not mixing up Molly and Kristina, but now they really look alike. I get that they’re sisters, but give me a break. We also got a new Georgie and Danny. So far, I’m liking them both.

🎓 And the Diploma Goes To…

How cool that Tajh Bellow (TJ) graduated with him. Two GH generations.

🗽 From the Old Neighborhood…

Gloria is in the building.

🥀 At Peace…

You probably know by now.

There were so many tributes. He was much loved.

🎃 Soap Or Treat…

How the soap stars spent Halloween.

🎱 Time’s Up…

She just got more and more obnoxious as the years went on. Remember that seder she caused a scene at? Oy. Good riddance.

https://www.etonline.com/ramona-singer-is-no-longer-at-real-estate-job-amid-bravo-controversy-214111

⚖️ As Predicted…

And I’m sure more lawsuits to come. Brandi also thinks she’s still 20. Shhh… Don’t tell her.

https://people.com/butler-from-bravo-s-rhugt-files-lawsuit-alleging-sexual-assault-8364873

👠 Recaps Of the House And Wives…

This is one I only watch peripherally – i.e. while I’m concentrating on something else at the same time.

Ditto. Except for when Trixie Mattel was on. I’m not sure why Mary is still in the cast. She seems like someone dropped in from another planet, and that’s saying a lot.

I can’t stomach this, but if you can, go for it.

I thought maybe these two were sane, but it looks like they’re sliding into wishy-washy territory. Sam shouldn’t be surprised. There are only 30- to 40-year-old boys on this show.

https://www.bravotv.com/winter-house/style-living/winter-house-recap-kory-keefer-samantha-fehers-relationship-update

🛠 Speaking Of Miss Trixie…

She is a Queen of many talents.

https://ew.com/tv/trixie-mattel-drag-me-home-hgtv-series/

🦇 You Didn’t Think I Was Done…

If you think you’ve seen them all, you’re wrong. Keep scrolling or swiping. There are definitely some repeats, but even cuter the second time around.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/celebrity-pets-best-halloween-costumes-over-the-years/ss-AA1jb9C6

🪗 Quotes of the Week

Infinitely more important than sharing one’s material wealth is sharing the wealth of ourselves—our time and energy, our passion and commitment, and, above all, our love. – William E. Simon (But a little cash never hurts.)

If you don’t believe me, then google it. – Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), General Hospital

There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them. – Ray Bradbury

It is mental slavery to cling to things that have stopped serving their purpose in your life.Chinonye J. Chidolue

Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress: Working hard for something we love is called passion. – Simon Sinek

Success is built sequentially. It’s one thing at a time. – Gary W. Keller

Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. – Carl Jung

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

The differences that separate human beings are nothing compared to the similarities that bond us together. – Sophie Grégoire Trudeau

What did Columbus discover? People were already here. It’s like crashing your car into Starbucks & saying you discovered coffee. – Jimmy Kimmel

Magic is believing in yourself. If you can make that happen, you can make anything happen. – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

🪶 Shaking A Tailfeather…

Stop in for a quick dose of Fear on Sunday. Until then, stay safe, stay remembering there’s another holiday between Halloween and Christmas/Hanukkah/whatever winter thing you celebrate, and stay knowing that sometimes it takes a hammer to iron things out, but it’s definitely worth it.

August 18, 2023 – Anna Discovers the Truth, PS, Back Again, Drama Chat, Ultimate Legacy, Sharing, VanderMash, The Con, From Dead To Flowers, Tasty, Unusually Cute, An Eighter Of Quotes & Never Gonna

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny shows up at his old Carly’s place late at night, and she says, please tell her everyone’s okay. He says, everyone is okay, and she tells him that Donna’s been asleep for a while. He says he figured, and she says, yet here he is. He must want a favor.

Tracy sits in the nook with her head on the table and a towel over it. Eddie/Ned puts on the light, and she groans and says, whoever you are, go away. She pulls the towel off her head and ha-ha-ha! It’s Tracy with a hangover looking more disheveled than we’ve ever seen her.

Kristina says she was under the impression that things were good between her and Molly, and Molly says, they were… They are. Kristina says, but not good enough for Molly to invite her to a family gathering, but Molly says, it wasn’t a family gathering. Kristina says, except for one sister it was, and Molly says, it’s getting late and TJ’s going to be getting back… Kristina says, TJ is the one who told her about Kristina’s sushi party; the one she had for their mother, their sister, and her mother-in-law. She guesses her invitation got lost in the mail.

Getting ready for bed, Dante says his terrible day is over, and Sam says, he wouldn’t believe what happened to her tonight. He says, try him, when his phone rings. He says, Detective Falconari… You checked the surrounding areas too?… So Valentin Cassadine’s car never entered the ELQ parking garage the night Anna Devane’s townhouse burned down… Okay. He hangs up and says, why are you lying to Anna?

Anna and Valentin go into a room at the MetroCourt, and he says, it’s a lot nicer than the place she stayed last night. The MetroCourt was booked, but it’s available now. She can have it as long as she wants to. She says she guesses this is home, but he says, it’s not home; it’s just temporary. As far as hotels go, it’s pretty comfortable. She’s always liked staying in hotels. She says, but she had a home to come back to and now she doesn’t.

Gregory tries to sweep the beads from the table into his hand, but some of them end up on the floor. Finn comes in and says he’ll get that. He picks up the beads and sits next to Gregory on the couch. He asks if Gregory is okay, and Gregory says, he’s fine. He’s just tired… and clumsy. Finn asks if that’s why he fell, or is it something else? After a pause, Gregory says, it’s something else… something awful, and Finn asks if he’s sick. Gregory nods, and Finn asks if he’s been diagnosed. Gregory says, yes, and Finn says, maybe he can help. Will Gregory tell him what it is? Gregory says, ALS.

Eddie/Ned says, good evening, and Tracy says, it would have to be him. He says he never took her for someone who was a hard partier, and she holds up her hand, saying, stop talking and just leave. She reaches for a bottle of aspirin and knocks it on the floor. She groans and puts her head in her hands. Ned picks it up and says, she’s drunk as a skunk, but she says, no. She’s not drunk. She just wishes the room would stop spinning.

Anna looks through some shopping bags and tells Valentin that she doesn’t even know what she bought. What’s wrong with her? He says, her house burned down, and she says she’s been through worse. He says, that’s true, and she says she wasn’t in any danger. She was out running. Thank God Charlotte wasn’t there. She was with Dante and Sam, and Valentin was at ELQ. She needs to get it into her head that she has a lot to be thankful for, and she needs to just move on. They sit down, and Valentin says, she’s not a machine. She lost her house. It was a violation, and they can be thankful no one was killed, but she doesn’t have to pretend it doesn’t hurt. She says, it really does, and he says he’s with her. She’s going to get through this. They’re going to get through this together, and they’ll find who did this to her and stop them from doing it again. Does she trust him?

Carly says, if this is about Avery having another sleepover, she’s welcome here anytime, but Sonny says, the Avery situation is under control. Carly says she’s glad to hear that. Ava must be relieved. She was really worried about… something. He says he’s not here for a favor. Actually, he’s in a position to do her a favor. She says, no thank you.

Sam wonders what’s up, but Dante says, it’s nothing that can’t wait. But there is something that can’t wait. Sam asks, what? and he says, this, and kisses her. No matter what kind of day he has, he knows when he gets to see her, everything’s going to be okay. She says, he stole her line, and he says, it’s his line because he just said it. She tells him that she was going to say, when she has a day where she thinks she won’t be able to sleep at night, she thinks about coming in here and getting into bed with him and turning out the lights, and everything else just melts away. They kiss, and he says, maybe the should talk a little bit before they turn out the lights. Her first. She says, he can go first, but he says, she knows how rock-paper-scissors work. She says, since she was twelve, and they play. She picks rock and he picks scissors, and rock beats scissors. She says, her crazy day. Where does she start? Molly and Kristina are headed for World War III.

Molly says, this is so typical, and Kristina says, Molly not inviting her to something? She agrees. Molly says, no. Kristina’s reaction. Is she not allowed to have a dinner party and invite who she wants? Kristina says, Molly invited everyone in the family but her, and Molly says, fine, she’ll say it; Kristina wasn’t invited. But despite what Kristina always thinks, it wasn’t about her. It was about Molly and TJ. She wanted to share the good news with mom and Sam and Jordan that they found a surrogate.

Finn says, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and Gregory says, yeah. Finn says, there are other conditions that have the same early symptoms. Is he certain? Gregory says, yes. When he told Finn he was going to Milwaukee for a seminar, he was actually in Rochester at the Mayo Clinic. They did extensive testing and the results were conclusive. Finn says, that trip was over six months ago. He’s known all this time? Gregory says he’s sorry. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Finn. Finn asks, why not?

Anna comes out from her shower, and sees Valentin pouring some wine. She says, he read her mind, and he asks what they’re going to toast to, handing her a glass. She says she has no idea, and he says, then to us. To our future together, which can only get less complicated and less dangerous. She says she’d like to believe that, and they clink glasses. He says, she may not believe it now, but they have a lot to be grateful for, and she promises not to keep wallowing in self-pity. He says, it’s not self-pity. She’s been traumatized and she’s dealing with some very powerful emotions. She’ll work through them. She says, and they’re going to find out who’s behind this, and he says, yes, but in the meantime, he has something to talk to her about. It’s something important. He’s going to buy season tickets to the ballet in New York. Charlotte still loves dance, and he knows she does too, so why doesn’t he buy three tickets? She can join them. She says her house just burned to the ground, and someone is trying to kill her, and he’s talking about Swan Lake. He says he can’t think of anything he’d rather do than spend time with the two women he loves most in this world. And he likes Swan Lake. She says she likes it too, and he’s about to kiss her, when there’s a knock at the door. Anna wonders who it is, and he opens it to Martin. Anna says, it’s a bit late for a business call, and Valentin says, whatever this is, he’ll deal with it quickly. He goes out into the hall with Martin and closes the door.

Tracy tosses a couple of pills in her mouth and drinks some water. Ned says, Leo told him that a guy like him needs 15½ cups of water a day, and she says, Leo’s a very smart kid. She can’t tell him how grateful she is Leo’s not here now. She holds her head, and Ned says, she doesn’t seem very experienced at this sort of thing. She says, if by that he means she doesn’t look like someone who gets drunk all the time, she didn’t get drunk this time. He says, she didn’t? and she says, no, she did not. Well, she did, but it wasn’t her fault. Somebody insisted on putting too much alcohol in those Mai Tais at the MetroCourt pool… ugh. He asks if some old bartender was trying to loosen her up for her dough, but she says, no. Actually, it was not some old bartender trying to loosen her up; it was Ned’s daughter. Not that he even acknowledges that he has one. She rubs her forehead.

Finn says he doesn’t understand. Gregory didn’t think he could handle it? Gregory says, it wasn’t Finn; it was him. After all these years, they were finally getting to spend time together as a family; Finn, his brother, Violet, and him. It was so special. Finn says, it is, and Gregory says, the big stuff, Christmas and Halloween with Violet; and the little things, him bringing over muffins from Eckert’s or showing Violet videos of Uncle Chase singing. Finn says, it wouldn’t have changed, but Gregory says, of course (🍷) it would. It will. It already has. When he looks at Finn, he can see it in Finn’s eyes, he knows what this disease does. Finn knows he’s dying.

Sonny says, Carly’s not even going to listen to him? and she asks if he can’t listen to her. Did he not hear her down at the police station? He says, that was different. He was there to help Ned and she was there, so he thought he’d help her. She says, he decided she needed help. He didn’t listen to her. He says, and when she turned him down, she spent the night there. She says, and she was fine with that. She can take care of herself. He says he’s sure she can, and she says, it’s taken a while, but they’re both moving on. They respect each other and want each other to be happy. And as he can see, there’s no For Sale sign in the front yard because Kelly’s is doing great. She’s going to take care of herself on her own, so whatever his favor is, no thank you; she doesn’t want it.

Dante asks why Molly didn’t invite Kristina, and Sam says, because she was revealing her big news that she and TJ had found a surrogate who was perfect. She thinks Molly didn’t want to hurt Kristina’s feelings. He says he understands that. It is Molly’s decision. Sam says she understands that too. She also understands Kristina being hurt. She’s sorry. She shouldn’t be going on like this. He asks, why? and she says, because of the situation he and Lulu had with Maxie. He says, that’s okay. It was a long time ago. TJ and Molly have to realize this is a big decision. You can’t take this lightly. She asks if he thinks Molly’s making the right choice by not having Kristina be the surrogate.

Kristina says, that’s great. She hadn’t realized Molly and TJ were even interviewing surrogates yet. Molly says, they wanted to keep it quiet, and Kristina says she gets that. She’s sure mom, Sam, and Jordan were thrilled to hear the news. Molly says, they were very happy for her and TJ. This is what they want. Kristina says she knows, and Molly says, the woman they found is perfect, and she’s willing to go through the process right away. Kristina says, that’s very exciting, and Kristina says, it is. After everything they’ve gone through, there’s still a good chance she and TJ could have a child within the next year. Kristina says she’s happy Molly is so happy, and Molly says she planned on telling her first thing tomorrow. Kristina says, just not tonight with the rest of the family, and Molly says she wanted it to be a happy occasion. She knew mom, Sam, and Jordan would be happy for them. Kristina says, and she wouldn’t? She would have spoiled all that? Molly says she doesn’t know. They’ve been getting along so well, but she didn’t want to take the chance that tonight would turn into a discussion about why they turned to a surrogate instead of Kristina. Kristina says, now that everyone is gone and Molly brought it up, why are they paying a stranger to have their baby when she was willing to do it?

Finn says, six months. They could have done so many things. Gregory says, the last six months have been perfect. What he didn’t want was to be a burden to Finn, or have Finn spend time with him out of some sense of obligation. Finn says, that wouldn’t have happened, but Gregory says, of course (🍷) it would. He knows Finn and Chase. He’s so proud of both of them, and he and Finn finally got the time to know each other. Finn says, that’s meant everything to him. He’s the one who’s sorry. He’s sorry for costing them all that time. Gregory says, there’s no need to rehash that now. Getting to know Finn and getting to understand and appreciate his incredible accomplishments over the years has been so rewarding for him. Finn and his brother make it almost impossible for him not to be one of those obnoxious bragging fathers. Finn says he’s one of those too, when it comes to Violet, and Gregory says, Violet, what a gift she is. Every single moment he spends with his granddaughter is even better than he imagined. Finn says, she pretty much thinks her grandfather’s the greatest guy in the world, and Gregory asks how she’s going to feel when all he can do is sit and stare at her, when he can’t even speak her name?

Ned asks, why would Brook give Tracy too much booze? and Tracy says, Brook’s up to something and she should have known the minute she saw the fire eater. He says, fire eater? and she says, it was a luau, with tiki torches and leis. He says, sounds like fun, and she says, he would think so. She should have gone right back down to the lobby and ordered a car. He says, it sounds like maybe she had a lot of fun. What’s wrong with that? She rubs her temples, and says, that’s all he ever thinks of; having fun and being Eddie Maine. Anything to avoid facing the reality of his life.

Valentin says, Martin understands this is critical, and Martin says he does. Valentin asks if he’d act like it, and Martin says, his fee, as exorbitant as it is, grants him 24-hour access, but doesn’t give him or any other client the right to abuse him. Valentin says, point taken. He has a lot on his mind. Martin says he understands, and yes, it’s hot off the wire. He gives Valentin an envelope, and Valentin checks out some paperwork inside. He says, looks good, and thanks Martin, opening the door. Martin says, he’s welcome. Although why he insisted on doing this tonight instead of first thing tomorrow morning makes no sense to him. Anna hears that part, and Valentin goes inside and sets down the envelope. Anna asks if it’s important, but he says, not really. Why Martin insisted on coming by in the middle of the night makes no sense to him.

Ned says, Tracy wants him to face the reality of his life, which means she wants him to ride around in limousines and pretend to be some hotshot tax dodging executive. She says, it’s a start. Or he could just stop singing on street corners, and running around all night to sleazy bars, and getting arrested for fighting. He asks if it’s embarrassing to her somehow, and she says, it’s embarrassing to the whole family. He says, so it’s best to just shut Eddie up? and she says, he’s not Eddie. He says, and she wants to prove that by having someone strap him to a table and have electricity shot through his head. She says, what? and he says, I’m on to you, lady. He overheard her tell Olivia that she wants him committed.

Carly says she doesn’t know if Sonny knows this, but Drew is in solitary confinement. Sonny says he knows, and Carly says, of course (🍷) he knows; he’s protecting Drew. She’s really worried about him. She knows he went through worse in Crete, but still. Sonny says, he’s been through a lot. He’ll get through this. She asks if Sonny thinks he can get a message to Drew, and he says he might be able to do better than that.

Finn says, Gregory has to give Violet more credit. She constantly surprises him by how much she understands. Gregory says he hopes Finn is right, and Finn asks what the doctors told him in terms of prognosis. Gregory says, luckily, he was still in the first stage when he went to the Mayo Clinic; muscle cramps and occasional difficulty walking. Finn says, and now? and Gregory says, it’s progressed. His hands cramp more frequently than before. Finn asks, what happened tonight? and Gregory says he was trying to help Violet make some bracelets. He could barely hold on to the thread. He doesn’t think she noticed, but then she got up to get some clasps from her bedroom and he tried to stand up to shake out his hands, and that’s when he fell. Thank God she wasn’t here to see it. Finn says, but she came back in, and Gregory says he told her he tripped over the coffee table (he did not; he said it was probably a bead on the floor). She had to watch him struggle to get back up on the couch. He knows he can’t hide his disease any longer, and he’s so ashamed about tonight.

Molly says she’s so glad she didn’t invite Kristina tonight, and Kristina says, she’s made that perfectly clear. Just answer the question. Why would she rather a stranger have her baby as a surrogate, when her own sister offered to do it for her months ago? Molly says, with a surrogate, they sign a legal, binding document, and Kristina says she knows how it works; she rents out her womb and throws in her egg at a discount. Molly says, both sides benefit. She gets money she needs for her family, and they get the child they want. Kristina says, the child they want; there it is. As opposed to the child she’s offering to give them that they clearly do not want. Molly says, the surrogate is performing a service, not racing around town working on some pie-in-the-sky project, and letting everyone know she’s saving her poor sister from her own infertility. Kristina says, if Molly has some stranger as her surrogate, she’s not even going to be related to the baby.

Sam says she’s sorry. She shouldn’t have put Dante on the spot like that. It’s a really confusing situation. He says he gets it, and stop apologizing. They’ll be playing rock-paper-scissors all night long. It’s a personal thing for Molly and TJ, that’s all. He’s sure Kristina had the best of intentions when she offered to be their surrogate. Sam says she understands that, but Kristina and Molly haven’t been close lately. He says he knows she loves her sisters and wants to fix all kinds of things for them, but maybe this one… She says she should let them work it out for themselves. He says, maybe, and she says, he’s right. Now it’s his turn. Spill. He says, it was just kind of a regular weird day, and Cody shows up at the station while Gladys is there, filing a restraining order against Cody on Sasha’s behalf. Cody loses his mind completely in the middle of the squad room, saying, Gladys is the one having Sasha drugged. He lost it. He went crazy, and Dante and Mac had to restrain him. She asks if he had to arrest Cody, but he says, not this time. Those two hate each other. She says, Cody and Gladys? Definitely. He says, and the whole time this is happening, he’s investigating Anna’s townhouse burning down.

Valentin asks if Anna left him some hot water, but she says she feels like the MetroCourt has an unlimited supply. He says, give him five minutes, and goes to the shower. She’s about to look at the envelope, when her phone rings. Dante says, sorry to call so late, but there’s something he thought she should know. He had one of their tech guys look at the ELQ security footage from the night her house burned. Valentin’s car never exited or entered the ELQ parking garage. He had them check the surrounding area to see if the car was parked somewhere else too, but they got nothing. She says she sees, and he says, Valentin told her the reason he went to ELQ was, there was a water main break and he was concerned about the mainframe computer? She says, that’s right, and he says, there was no water main break. She says, thanks for that information, and listens to hear if the shower is still running. She takes the envelope, and looks at the papers inside. It’s an invoice or something with Pikeman’s letterhead.

Tracy says she did ask Olivia to commit Ned, and he says, because he embarrasses her? She says, because this can’t go on. She thought just maybe if he was in a hospital, they could help him stop faking this ridiculous… He says he’s not faking anything. He is Eddie Maine. And by the way, he didn’t ask to be in this house. They all want him here. So he’s trying to make them understand he can’t choose to be who he is. He’s Eddie Maine and there’s nothing he can do about it. She says, okay. He’s Eddie Maine, but she’s Ned Quartermaine’s mother, and she’s never going to stop fighting for her son.

Finn says, Gregory has nothing to be ashamed of, but Gregory says he does. He’s so selfish to put his daughter at risk. Finn says, that’s okay, but Gregory says, no. He shouldn’t have agreed to watch her alone tonight. Somehow, he convinced himself he’d be okay. Finn says, it turned out okay, but Gregory says he had no right to take that risk. The other night, he went to one of those hatchet throwing places and he did it. Maybe it’s human nature, but he thinks he’s been trying to convince himself that he can beat this thing, or at least hold it off, but that’s just denial. He needs to stop that before he puts someone else in danger like he did Violet. Finn says, it’s happening to Gregory and he has to figure it out on his own, and Gregory says he needs to stop driving. He shouldn’t have been driving this long. Finn says, so stop driving. No one’s going to judge him for how he’s handled this so far. No one’s going to judge him. Finn wishes he’d had someone to talk to besides his doctor. Doing this all on his own all this time must have been hell. Gregory says, Alexis knows. She was snooping around and they got in a big argument, and he collapsed. He had to tell her. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Finn. He didn’t want to see the look on Finn’s face that he’s seeing right now.

Carly asks if this is the favor Sonny came over here to talk to her about, and he says, before she turns him down, hear him out. She says she’s listening, and he says, when he got news of Drew’s situation, he did some digging and he has a connection with someone who could arrange for Drew to get out of solitary early. So when he’s released, she’ll be able to go see him. She asks if Drew is going to owe anybody anything, but he says, absolutely not. She asks what it’s costing him, and he says, from the look on her face, it means everything to him. She sits next to him on the sofa and says, Drew’s going to wonder why the sudden change. He says, when she talks to him, just tell him no strings attached. It’s just a gift from him. She says, he knows Sonny is protecting him. She doesn’t know how he’s going to feel about this. Sonny says, it’s not a gift to him; it’s a gift to her. She asks if there are any stipulations for her if she accepts.

Sam comes back in the bedroom and says, it looks like Dante’s rotten day is still with him. He says, it’s just hitting close to home this one, and she says, and he can’t get into specifics. He says he can tell her that Valentin is being dishonest with Anna, and she laughs, saying, when has Valentin ever been honest? He says, she’s right, but it’s weird. Valentin really cared about Anna, and she cares about him. He told her all this pretty surprising stuff, then he lies about where he was the other night. Sam says she’s not that surprised about it. She knows he lives a complicated life. Who knows what he’s got going on? Dante says, he wants to know what Valentin’s got going on because his daughter’s in the room down the hall.

Anna lies awake, but pretends to sleep when Valentin gets into bed. He turns out the light, and she opens her eyes. She says, he lied to her.

Gregory says he understands. Finn’s a doctor; one of the best. He knows all about this hideous disease. Finn knows what it’s going to do to him. Finn says he looks at Gregory now, and he looks fine; he looks good. Gregory says, that’s what’s so hard to grasp. He looks in the mirror, he feels good, but he knows this thing is in there somewhere. Finn says he also sees the man he grew up with. The man who used to toss him so high in the air, and he was never once afraid Gregory wouldn’t catch him. Gregory says he remembers that guy too. As you get older, try to hang on to that self-image as long as you can. The thought that he’ll be less than that for Finn, for Violet… Finn says, never less. He’s still that man, and he will always be that man, no matter what happens. Gregory thanks him for that, and Finn says, he knows what Gregory is facing, so there’s no point in trying to tell him no, because he’ll be by Gregory’s side every step of the way from here on out. Gregory tells him, do what you have to do, but he has one favor to ask, and Finn says, anything. Gregory says, help me tell your brother. Because he’s afraid it’s going to crush Chase. Finn says, it will, and they’ll be there for him. He tells Gregory that he loves him and starts to cry. Gregory says he loves Finn too, and they hug.

Ned asks if loving her son means locking him away somewhere, and Tracy says, stop being so dramatic. If he overheard her saying that, he also overheard Olivia refuse. And she’s his… She has final say. He says, but he’s watched Tracy. She can be very persuasive. What’s to stop her from changing Olivia’s mind about putting him away? She says, answer her something. If he’s so worried about them having him put away, why is he still here? Why isn’t he at Sonny’s? He says, Sonny is a nice enough guy, but too many goombahs around. Tracy says, there it is. She knew it. You are in there, Ned. Somewhere.

Sonny says, there’s no strings attached in there for Carly either, but he’s sure Drew is going to be happy to get out of that little cell. He wants to be clear, this is for her – or not. It’s her decision. She says, he’s unbelievable, and he says, yes. She says, he came to the police station the other night and he was so offended when she said he couldn’t help her. He came up with a favor he knew she couldn’t turn down. He says, maybe he’s just being nice, and she says, yeah, he is, but he still wins. He asks if that’s a yes, and she says, yes, please get Drew out of solitary. He says, all right, and gets up. He’ll let her know when it’s done. He heads for the door, and she says, thank you. He says, you’re welcome, and leaves.

Molly says, that was mean, even for Kristina, and Kristina says, that came out wrong. Molly says she thinks Kristina said exactly what she meant, and Kristina says, fine. If they’re saying what they really mean, why doesn’t Molly say what she really means. She would rather have a baby from a stranger than one from her own sister. Molly says, yes, and it’s true she might not be biologically related to the baby, but TJ will be, and that baby is going to be created for them as a result of their love for each other. Kristina says, if she had the baby for Molly… Molly says, if she did, it would be a gift for my sister, and no one would ever be allowed to forget it. Kristina says, wow. She guesses she never realized how selfish and insecure Molly is. She leaves.

Sam says, Charlotte is Rocco’s sister, so she and Dante need to find a way to get along with Valentin. Dante says he knows, and he’s glad she’s here with them, especially with a threat to Anna. She says, burning down someone’s house is definitely a threat. Any theory on why Valentin would lie to Anna? He says, not yet. He never really trusted that guy. She says, as much as they don’t trust him, she really does believe Valentin loves Charlotte, and she doesn’t think he’d ever do anything to hurt her. Dante says he agrees. Intentionally, he wouldn’t hurt her, and he probably loves Anna. She says, but he doesn’t think Anna trusts him, and he says, no, and neither can they.

Valentin asks what Anna said, and she glances at the Pikeman envelope as she turns to him and says, he lied to her. He said he was going to be five minutes, and he was way closer to fifteen. He says he’s sorry; the water felt good. He kisses her, and she says she’s so exhausted. He says, so sleep, and kisses her forehead. They turn back to back, but their eyes stay open.

Tomorrow, Carly tells someone that she’ll be there; Anna tells Valentin, it’s unsettling when someone you know is acting strangely; Sonny says, maybe we should just call this off; and Cyrus tells someone, we meet again.

💣 GH FYI: Mason did say the boss was a woman. So I’m not crazy. Well, maybe I am, but I didn’t imagine that. The theory is that there are already enough female villains on the canvas – i.e. Selina and Gladys – so they changed the boss to a man. Still, just a wee bit insulting to viewers’ intelligence.

👨‍👧‍👧 One Of the Boys…

Jake pops back before they can excuse his absence with back to school.

🗽 Discuss Amongst Yourselves…

The new RHONY cast talks about their favorite subject – themselves.

🦕 Old New York…

Well, if the Countess says it’s cool, it can’t possibly be uncool. But did they get the yacht?

🦘 Not Down Under…

More on the Deck drama that rocked the franchise. I actually tried to catch this episode the other night, but came in too late. And I’m not desperate enough to hunt it down on Peacock. Not yet anyway. João ended up as one of the replacements, much to the mini distress of Aesha.

🍸 VanderBreak Is Officially Over…

I couldn’t figure out how Graham was bait here, but we know she’s prone to flights of fantasy.

I’ll definitely be getting Ariana’s new book. I requested and got Fancy AF Cocktails for Christmas after it came out, but this looks a whole lot juicier better. I dunno about Scheana’s music, although I have to admit Good As Gold is on one of my playlists.

The minutiae.

🎪 More Bravo Than You Can Shake a Stick At…

All the guests at BravoCon 2023.

💐 Not Those Flowers, Lizzie…

This looks suspiciously like a V.C. Andrews book.

🌍 Padma Is the New Waldo…

Where in the world is she?

https://www.padmalakshmi.com/taste-the-nation

🐙 Behold the Unusual…

I want them all.

https://www.alwayspets.com/s/cutest-unusual-pets-754c25d1fa0043c2

🐚 Quotes of the Week

Immature love says, I love you because I need you. Mature love says, I need you because I love you. – Erich Fromm

If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes. – John Wooden

What we fear of doing most is usually what we most need to do. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power or our will.Epictetus

Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death. – Albert Einstein

You can’t make somebody your number one if you’re always their number two. – Judge Star Jones, Divorce Court

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. – C.S. Lewis

It’s not easy having a good time. Even smiling makes my face ache. – Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), The Rocky Horror Picture Show

🧋 Drinking the Milkshakes In My Yard…

Let’s reconvene on Monday really Tuesday for soap and whatever tea I can pull out of a hat. Until then, stay safe, stay living your best life as your best self, even if it’s only in your mind, and stay never judging how someone is handling their illness.