What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Gloria tells Lois that she thinks everything is going to be okay. Probably. Yuri said he could fix this, right? Lois says she hopes so. These are not good people to make angry. Gloria says, it’s not her fault. She just spoke her mind and now they’re threatening Ziti, and if they don’t fix this misunderstanding, they’re going to kill him. (Well, I feel stupid. Ziti is a dog. I thought maybe they were threatening to steal her secret recipe or something.) Yuri comes in and says, no one kills Ziti. He’ll handle it. He makes a call.

Felicia tells Maxie that she’s sorry she’s late. Is James ready to go? Maxie tells her, don’t worry about it. Cody came and picked him up, and he’s going to drop him off, so she doesn’t have to go to the Quartermaines. Felicia says, that’s thoughtful, and Maxie says, isn’t it? Even though it’s not as long of a drive as it would have been from their old place. Felicia says, this place is definitely a better fit for Maxie and the kids all the way around. She looks at the living room, sees a box, and says, more new furniture? Maxie says, don’t even get her started, and Felicia says, bad purchase? Maxie says, the worst. Just another tragic example of her trying to save money and it ending up costing her more. Felicia asks what she means, and Maxie says, so she got Georgie a desk and it’s 20% off. It came unassembled, so she figured she could put it together herself. Felicia says she sees where this is going, and Maxie says, the only person who could put this thing together is a professional carpenter. She wanted to send it back, but it was on sale. Felicia says, so it’s probably not returnable, and Maxie says, just another example of a stupid financial decision she’s made.

Alexis goes into the PC Grill and tells the maître d’ that she was here earlier, and he says he remembers. She was having lunch with Mayor Collins. She says she can’t find her phone and she’s hoping she left it here, and he says, she’s in luck. One was turned in at the bar. She can ask them about it. She thanks him and heads for the bar, where she sees Molly at a table nearby.

Finn thanks Martin for coming on such short notice, and Martin says, of course (🍷). It sounded urgent. What can he do for Finn? Finn says he understands his father and Alexis told Martin about him being sued for malpractice, and Martin says, they did. Just a broad outline, but he thinks he has a basic understanding of the case. Finn says, on their recommendation, he’d like Martin to represent him, and Martin says he thought that’s what this might be about. Finn asks if he’ll take the case, and Martin says, before he agrees, he wants to be fully transparent. This case, Finn’s case, is going to be a tough one to win. Finn says he appreciates Martin’s honesty and to be honest with him right now, he thinks he might have just made things worse.

Brook says, Chase’s truck drives really well, and he says he could tell how much she liked driving it by how fast she took that last turn. They walk into the station, and she says, he can unclench his jaw now. She got them here safe and sound, didn’t she? And don’t worry. She’ll take good care of his baby. He tells her, just remember, the parking sticker goes on after it’s detailed. She says, a deal’s a deal. She’s going to get his truck detailed, and he’s going to come by the house to say goodbye to Grandma Gloria after he breaks this big case he’s working on.

Dante introduces himself to Detective Brisco, saying, they spoke earlier. Brisco says, good to meet him in person, and Dante says, likewise. They shake hands, and Brisco says he’s requesting interdepartmental cooperation to investigate the murder of Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt. Dante asks what he needs, and Brisco says he needs to know Dante doesn’t have a conflict of interest. Two months ago, Dante shot the victim’s cousin in his jurisdiction.

Ava meets Sonny in a private lounge at the MetroCourt, and he says, she made it here quickly. She says, it sounded urgent. Something tells her that she’s about to get some bad news. He says, that depends, and she says, on what? He says, her perspective. Some people might consider it good news. Austin Gatlin-Holt is dead.

Finn says, DeeDee Clark, the attorney representing the hospital in the malpractice suit, came here earlier to interview him, and Martin says he’s going to stop Finn right here. The first thing Finn has to understand is that he and the hospital are not on the same side of this thing. That’s why they have separate attorneys. Finn says he’s learning. Martin is the tenth person who’s told him that this week. Martin says, good, because there’s a process here; it’s a strategy. The hospital’s got the deep pockets, not Finn. That’s why the hospital is the one the Muldoons want the judgement against, but to do that, they have to present that not only was Finn negligent, but the hospital allowed and/or contributed to that negligence themselves. Finn says he understands, and Martin says he hopes so. Because at this point General Hospital’s first and probably only defense is that Finn and Finn alone is responsible for the malpractice that led to Mr. Muldoon’s death.

Alexis thanks the bartender for her phone and orders a club soda. At a nearby table, the matching professional tells Molly, this was a good start. She’s sorry none of the surrogates she and TJ interviewed were available, but she hopes Molly will agree there are several other amazing candidates in here. She gives Molly a folder, and Molly thanks her and says, it’s encouraging to know other options are waiting for them. She and TJ will discuss them all and get back to her. The matching professional says, take your time. It’s a big decision. When they’re ready, she’ll be here. She leaves, and Alexis asks if she can join Molly.

Felicia says she doesn’t understand. Why does Maxie owe so much money? Maxie says, because she’s run up a lot of credit card debt, and Felicia asks how that happened. Maxie says, in the beginning, Deception was doing great and she was able to pay off every balance every month on every card, no problem. Then the lawsuit happened and The Deceptor was taken off the market, and she could only afford the minimum payment. Felicia says, that’s how they get you, and Maxie says she knows, but she didn’t have a choice. And she thought all this would get resolved faster, so she was just making the minimum payments and she was still having to charge things every month. (Ugh. I feel her pain.) Now they’re living in this bigger, more expensive place, but the kids love it, so she can’t bring herself to regret it. She just feels like she’s dug herself into a hole she won’t be able to get out of.

Yuri asks if Lois and Gloria both know the plan, and they say, yes, when Brook walks in. She says, that’s never a good question to walk in on. What plan? What’s going on? Lois says, Brook’s grandma is in trouble, and Brook asks, what kind of trouble? Gloria says, it’s a just a misunderstanding, and Lois says, she had a difference of opinion with a woman who has close ties to the Russian mob. Brook asks what Gloria was thinking and says, they have to call Uncle Sonny.

Ava asks how certain Sonny is that Austin is dead, and he says, very certain. She asks how he died, and he says, maybe she should tell him. She asks what he’s implying. How the hell would she know? Sonny says, she’d know if she was there, and she says she didn’t even know he was dead until Sonny told her just now. He says, listen to him. If she killed Austin, she needs to tell him, now.

Brisco says, if Dante had reason to suspect a kidnapping victim was being held in Pautuck, they should have been his first call, but Dante says he didn’t have reason to believe anything. He acted on a civilian tip. By the time he got there, the perp was about to throw another man down a cliff. So he didn’t have time to call anyone. Brisco says, Dante’s been cleared by his department. He has no problem with that. He does have a problem with some defense attorney claiming Dante had a conflict of interest and getting any evidence he uncovers suppressed. Dante asks if Brisco wants him to recuse himself, but Brisco says, not at this time. That may change once they get a suspect and start building a case. In the meantime, he needs Dante’s help questioning the associates of the victim here in Port Charles. Chase comes in, and Dante says, good timing. He introduces Chase and Brisco, and Brisco says, let him fill them in on what they have so far. The property is rural, but the house is visible from the road. The neighbors saw the front door wide open, so they went to investigate. They saw the body and immediately called the Pautuck PD. Dante asks if they have an estimated time of death, and Brisco says, the preliminary report is 24 to 48 hours prior to Thanksgiving. Chase asks, how’d he die? and Brisco says, it was pretty brutal. Two shots to the chest, close range.

Ava says she told Sonny, she didn’t kill Austin. Why would she? She has no reason. He says, they both know that’s not true, and she says, then tell her. Why would she want to get rid of him? He says, Austin played her, strung her along, pretended to be in love with her, lied to her, when all the while taking orders from Cyrus. She says, wouldn’t that make it much more likely Cyrus killed him? Why doesn’t Sonny question him? Sonny says he doesn’t give a damn about Cyrus. She’s the mother of his child. She’s no good to Avery in prison. So if she killed Austin, she has to let him know because the police have his body. And every second they waste makes it harder for him to cover her tracks.

Brisco says he was just telling Dante that he needs help putting together a list of the victim’s known associates. Dante says, Austin’s cousin Mason is currently in the hospital at GH, but he’s also been arrested for attempted murder and kidnapping. Chase says, as soon as he’s well enough, he’s going to be transferred to Pentenville, and Brisco says, he’s injured and handcuffed to the bed and there’s a guard outside his door. Seems unlikely he’d be able to sneak out and murder his cousin. But he’d like confirmation on Mason Gatlin’s whereabouts on the night in question, just in case.

Yuri says, they’re all family. Problem go away. Brook asks if he’s sure about that, when the doorbell rings. Yuri says, Mr. Petrov is here, and Lois asks how he knows. He tells her, just stick to plan, and goes to the door. He opens the door and thanks Mr. Petrov for coming in Russian. Also in Russian, Petrov says he hopes it’s worth the trip, and Yuri brings him to the living room where Brook, Lois, and Gloria are lined up. Yuri says, this is Brook Lynn Quartermaine, and Lois and Gloria Cerullo. All good women. Brook says, hello, and Lois says, hi. Gloria nods, and Petrov says, you. She’s the one who upset his Petra. Gloria starts to move forward, but Lois pulls her back. Petrov and Gloria stare at each other.

Molly says she didn’t expect to see Alexis today, and Alexis says she was here earlier having lunch with Laura and left her phone here. She came back to retrieve it, and it looked like Molly was having an intense conversation. Molly says she was, and Alexis says she also noticed that when Molly saw her, she shut that folder really quickly. So she’s assuming whatever it is, Molly would like to keep it private. She just wants Molly to know that she loves her and she’s here for her if she needs to talk about anything. Molly says she does actually. She started looking for a new surrogate. She hands Alexis the folder.

Finn tells Martin, it’s absurd. There was no negligence, not by him, not by the hospital. Mr. Muldoon had a tapeworm like the tests showed. The only way to know he had cancer is if he got follow-up tests and Mr. Muldoon refused to do that. Martin says, listen to him. It’s one thing to be upset, but never ever tell a grieving family, people who’ve lost a husband or father, that their need for redress is absurd. The jury will hate him. Finn says, that’s not what he meant. The last thing he wants to do is downplay their pain. He grieved for this man when he died, but the GH lawyer implied that he should have been able to tell immediately that Muldoon had cancer in addition to the tapeworm. There’s a knock at the door, and Clark comes in. She says, good. Finn’s still here. She’s assuming this is his lawyer. Martin introduces himself, and Clark says, as long as he’s here, she still has a few more questions for his client.

Yuri says, let’s all take seat, and takes Petrov’s coat. They all sit, and Yuri thanks Petrov for coming. He’s sure there’s a way they can all get past this… misunderstanding. Petrov says, he come here only because his beloved nephew take trombone lessons from Yuri (Yuri plays trombone?). He plays beautiful, no? Lois says, that is so generous of him. She knows her mother is very sorry for upsetting his wife, and she’s very passionate about Bingo, but she knows she went a little overboard. Gloria says, overboard? All she asked her to do was lower her voice. Yuri says, what Gloria means is that she apologize, and Gloria says, why should she apologize? She’s done nothing wrong. Petrov says, a wasted trip. He’s leaving. He gets up, but Brook says, he can’t go.

Felicia tells Maxie, what’s done is done. She has a lot of debt to pay off. What about Deception? Now that the lawsuit has been settled and The Deceptor is a big success, won’t she be bringing a lot of money in from that? Maxie says, eventually, but during the lawsuit, Deception went into debt too. It’ll be months, maybe even years, before they’re not operating at a deficit and she’ll be making what she was. Felicia says, she’ll get back there, and Maxie says she thinks so. But in the meantime, her kids are growing and getting older and more expensive. It’s not their fault, but now they have after school clubs and sports and tutors and braces soon. That’s not even mentioning the stuff she needs. Felicia says, like what? and Maxie says, anything, everything. She’s never been good at sticking to a budget or being frugal. Now it’s coming back to bite her in a big way. She thinks she’s in over her head and she doesn’t know what to do.

Martin apologizes to Clark, but they have to decline her offer. His client won’t be answering any other questions until his deposition. Clark says, that is his right, but before Dr. Finn puts anything on the record, they need to be crystal clear about what led to Mr. Muldoon’s death. Martin suggests they save the obfuscation for the courtroom. They’re all well aware it’s her job to shield the hospital from liability and try to place it solely on his client. She says, that’s a bold accusation, but he says, not at all. He’s suggesting she change her tactic. If General Hospital hired her to stab the good doctor in the back, he can and will shift all the blame to General Hospital.

Brisco thanks Dante and Chase for the information and the copy of the coroner’s report, and Dante says, they’ll get him the list of associates. Brisco says, that reminds him. He understands the victim had family other than Mason in Port Charles. Chase says, Austin’s father, Jimmy Lee Holt, was the illegitimate son of the late Edward Quartermaine, and Brisco says he’s familiar with the name. The Quartermaines are a very influential family. People of their stature may not be happy with an illegitimate grandson showing up. How’d they feel about the victim? Chase says, as far as he knows, they didn’t associate with him much, and Brisco asks, then who did Austin associate with? Who was he close to? Dante says, the kidnapping victim, Ava Jerome.

Ava says she appreciates Sonny’s willingness to cover up a murder he thinks she committed, but she had nothing to do with Austin’s death. She still doesn’t know how the man died. Sonny says, his body was found by a neighbor in a house in Pautuck. He was shot twice at close range. Ava wonders what he was doing in Pautuck. He always told her that he was so happy to leave that place behind. She doesn’t know why he’d ever go back. Sonny says, maybe the killer lured him there. (Ooh, could it be Nikolas?)

Brook says she still wants to hear about how well Petrov’s nephew plays the trombone, and Petrov asks, why? She shows him her card and says, because she’s a music manager. One of her artists is about to go on tour, and they’re putting together a brass section of talented musicians, and they still need a trombonist. Petrov asks, who is this artist? and Brook says, Luke West and the Stacked Seven. Petrov chuckles and says he loves Luke West and the Stacked Seven, and Brook says, they’re amazing. And she can guarantee his nephew a spot on tour if he can just find it in his heart to let go of this whole misunderstanding. Petrov says, is no misunderstand, but his nephew’s the most important. He will make her cry with his beautiful music. Fine. No more Bingo for her and we forget this ever happened. Brook hands him her card and says, thank you so much. Yuri says, is good, huh? and Lois says, very good. So what does Gloria say?

Alexis tells Molly that she’s impressed with this agency. They seem to know what they’re doing. All of these women look like they’d be very good candidates for their surrogate. Molly agrees, and says, it was a very positive meeting. Alexis says, but she’s still worried, and Molly asks if it’s that obvious. Alexis says, not to other people, but she’s Molly’s mother. It’s her job to know these things. She takes Molly’s hands and says, she’s been through a lot, and she really respects Molly’s resolve to keep fighting to get what she wants. She knows Molly and TJ will look at these women and find the perfect surrogate. Molly says, that’s the problem. TJ has no idea she’s doing this.

Felicia takes out her checkbook, but Maxie says, absolutely not. She’s not taking Felicia’s money. Felicia says, Maxie needs the money and this is just a little something to tide her over for now. After she leaves, she wants Maxie to go through all her accounts and add up all her debt. When Maxie has that, she and Mac will go through their retirement portfolio and see what they can liquidate to get her the rest of the money. Maxie says, that’s really generous of her, but what part of absolutely not does she not understand? Felicia says she’s not taking no for an answer. Maxie needs the money and she’s not giving her a choice. Maxie snatches the checkbook and says she’s a grown woman. She got herself into this; it’s her responsibility to get herself out. Felicia says, not at 25% interest she can’t.

Sonny tells Ava, Pautuck is a small town. A lot of farms; a lot of isolated homes. Ava asks what he’s getting at, and he says, if somebody wanted to off Austin, that would be the place to do it. A lot less chance of somebody being a witness there than in Port Charles. Maybe more private than Spoon Island. She says she already told him, she didn’t kill Austin, but he says he’s not the one she needs to worry about. How is she going to convince the cops that she’s innocent? She asks if she’ll need to convince the cops. There won’t be any evidence that she did it because she didn’t do it. He says, really? She and Austin were associates. A lot of people saw them together. It’s not a stretch that they could be lovers. How many times did she visit him at the hospital? People don’t forget that. What about the gallery? How many times… What? What happened at the gallery? She says she didn’t kill him there if that’s what Sonny is implying. But Austin did come to see her at the gallery a couple of days before Thanksgiving and that’s the last time she saw him. And he was very much alive.

Dante goes to Mason’s room at the hospital and tells the guard that he needs to speak with the patient. He goes in, and Mason says, get out. Dante asks what he’s yelling about, and Mason asks what Dante thinks. He’s the cop who shot him. And for no good reason. Dante says, no good reason? Mason almost killed two people. Mason says, that’s not how he remembers it. He doesn’t want to be alone with Dante. Dante might try to hurt him again. He yells, help! Police brutality! The guard pretty much ignores him, and Dante says he doesn’t know if he wants to be alone with Mason either. He asks the guard and a nurse to come in and be witnesses, and tells Mason that he wanted to inform him that his cousin Austin Gatlin-Holt has been murdered.

Clark tells Martin that she thinks they’re losing sight of the bigger picture here. The goal is to fight the Muldoons, not each other. Martin says, good. Then he’s sure she’ll agree there’s only one possible position for the hospital to take – the truth. That Dr. Finn treated his patient in good faith, in accordance with all professional and medical standards. She starts to interrupt, but he says, let him finish. And that the hospital also complied with those same standards. Mr. Muldoon’s death was a tragedy, but an unforeseen one. One that couldn’t have been prevented by either Dr. Finn or the hospital. Clark says she’s not at liberty to reveal the hospital’s position, but she can say she’s looking forward to getting all her questions answered when Dr. Finn sits for his deposition. Finn says he can’t wait, and Clark says she’ll see them later and leaves. Finn says, now he knows why Alexis speaks so highly of Martin, and thanks him, but Martin says, it’s way too soon to start thanking him. You, sir, are in a pickle.

Mason says, Austin’s dead? How? Dante says, took two in the chest, close range. Whoever did it wanted to make sure. Mason asks when this happened, and Dante says, just before Thanksgiving, in Pautuck. Mason asks if they have any suspects, and Dante says, that’s what he’s here to talk to Mason about. Does he know anyone who would want to kill his cousin? Mason says he doesn’t know everyone Austin was associated with, but Dante says, he knows most of them. He and Austin spent a lot of time together. Maybe he has information that’s important and just doesn’t know what it is. Mason says, and Dante wants him to tell him, but Dante says, that’s up to him. Mason gives him info that helps them catch and convict Austin’s killer, that works out well for him. Mason asks, how so? Dante says, Mason is looking at spending a lot of time in prison. Does he want to make a deal or no?

Gloria says she doesn’t like to be told where and when she can Bingo, and Lois laughs. She says, but Gloria will stay clear of Mrs. Petrov and St. Nicholas Church. Then she can play anywhere, anytime. Okay? Gloria gets up and says, fine. She’ll never set foot in that place again, not even for a funeral. Lois says, great, and thanks her. Yuri says, good now? and Petrov says, yes. Good. He tells Brook, now you call Luke West for nephew, and she says, consider it done. Yuri says, all is well that ends well. He’ll show Petrov out. Yuri and Petrov leave, and Lois tells Brook, that was amazing. How did she know how to handle him? Brook says, music industry execs and Russian mobsters aren’t so different really, and Lois says, her baby. Gloria looks at Brook lovingly.

Molly tells Alexis that TJ wants to wait before trying a new surrogate. He just isn’t ready to try again. He’s worried they’re just setting themselves up for more heartbreak. Alexis asks how Molly feels, and Molly says she was devastated by the loss of their baby too, and it’s not like she doesn’t get TJ’s point. The thought of going through that again scares her too. Alexis says, but? and Molly says, but then she ran into Dr. Navarro, and when she told her about the miscarriage, she was sympathetic, but she also made Molly hopeful. She said, there’s always a chance of miscarriage, but surrogacy actually has a high success rate and there are tons of loving people out there who longed to be parents and wouldn’t have the children they have today if it weren’t for surrogacy. Alexis says, it’s a wonderful, selfless thing to do, and Molly says, it is. It’s an amazing gift they’d be getting from their surrogate. And since the matching professional agreed to meet, she thought it was the least she could do was speak with her again. Alexis says, without telling TJ.

Lois puts her arm around Gloria and says, there are plenty of Bingo places in Brooklyn, and if she finds herself within three blocks of St. Nikolas Church, she wants Gloria to think of Ziti and turn the other way. The doorbell rings, and Brook opens the door to Chase. She says, look at him. Right on time. They kiss, and he says he tries. Does he even want to know who that sketchy guy he saw leaving was? Gloria says, delivery guy, and Chase addresses her as Mrs. Cerullo, but she says, Gloria. She thought they settled that. He says he just wanted to stop by and tell her what a pleasure it was to meet her. Gloria thanks him, but says, the pleasure was all hers. Now that she has him here, there’s a few things she’d like to say to him about her granddaughter.

Gloria says, Chase seems like a very nice young man, and he thanks her. She says she raised four sons, and she’s learned from experience that a lot of young men find a nice young woman and they think she’s going to wait for them forever, but sometimes that’s not the case. Brook twirls Gloria around, hugging her, and says, that’s something to think about. She loves Gloria and wishes she could stay longer, but she knows Gloria has to get back. She gestures to Lois, and Lois agrees. She says, Brook is right. She’d better hurry or she’ll miss her bus. Gloria says, and she’s got a Bingo tournament to get to… Kidding, kidding, kidding. Chase offers to take her bag, but Yuri comes back. Brook says her grandma’s ready to go, and Yuri is going to drive her to the bus station and wait with her until she gets on the bus, and Yuri says he would never leave Miss Gloria until he knows she’s safely on her way home. Brook hugs Gloria again and says she loves her. She tells Gloria to have a safe trip home, and Gloria says she will. Chase says, it was a pleasure to meet her, and Gloria hugs Lois. She’s almost out the door, but she turns around and says she’ll have to plan her trip back, so she has one question for Brook. When are she and Chase getting married?

Felicia says she knows Maxie feels bad about this, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It happens to a lot of people. Credit card debt is everywhere, and it’s insidious. (Preach!) The balance just keeps sneaking up on you. Maxie says, the balance sneaks up on you really fast, and Felicia says, that’s why they have to stop it now before it gets any worse. Maxie says, no. That money is for Felicia and Mac. She doesn’t want to use it. Does Felicia know how many times Mac told her to put the max in her 401k once a month? Felicia and Mac did that and they saved a lot, so they could travel and enjoy themselves. Felicia says, they can do both. They can do all those things they planned, and they can help Maxie now. Maxie will be able to pay off her credit card debt and stop her interest from compounding, and when Deception starts making money again, they can work out some kind of payment plan for her. Maxie says she thinks they should take some time and think about if this is the best solution. She doesn’t want to bail herself out at the expense of Felicia and Mac.

Molly says she only took the meeting because she wanted to see if there were more eligible surrogate candidates available. She didn’t expect for there to be so many. Alexis says, which makes it even harder, and Molly says, now she can see a path forward. Andrea wasn’t their only option. There might even be a better one out there for them, but she doesn’t know if she can convince TJ. Alexis says, Molly knows she only wants what’s best for her, and Molly says, just talking about it helps. Alexis says, that’s what she’s here for, but Molly really needs to talk to TJ about this. And if she wants to go forward with this surrogate, and have this baby, it has to be something they both want.

Martin says, since Finn is legally required to take part in this deposition, he needs to prep Finn carefully beforehand. Finn says, of course (🍷), and Martin says, it’s vitally important that no matter what they ask him, he limits his answers solely on that question. He doesn’t want Finn expanding answers, trying to defend himself, or offering up extra information that might implicate him somehow. Finn says he’ll do what Martin asks. Clearly, he’s the expert here. Martin says, if his deposition makes him look vulnerable in any way possible, the hospital might try to offer the Muldoon family a separate settlement. In other words, if they can buy their way out at a discount, they won’t hesitate to throw Finn under the bus.

Dante asks if Mason has any idea who might have killed Austin, and Mason says, Ava Jerome. Dante says, why her? and Mason says, because they were involved in not too legal activities. They were sleeping together and… Dante knows his cousin. He was high strung, and he had a big mouth. Austin never met a secret he couldn’t keep. Maybe he said the wrong thing to the wrong somebody and Ava had to shut him up permanently. Dante says he guesses they’re going with that, and Mason says, tell them he helped, okay? Dante says, he’ll get right on that, and goes to the door. He stops and says he forgot to mention, he just got word that Mason is being transferred to Pentenville tonight. You have a safe trip. He leaves, the nurse and guard following him, and the guard closes the door.

Sonny asks if Ava is telling him that nothing happened the last time she saw Austin at the gallery, and she says, well… He says, she’s hiding something. Tell him what happened. She says she was angry with Austin, livid actually, for leaving her to die at the hands of his demented cousin. That was his fault. And they fought about it. Sonny says, now they’re getting somewhere, and Ava says, Austin kept giving her excuses and his reasons for not being responsible, but she wasn’t having it, because like Sonny said, he was playing her all along. He probably knew that Nikolas wasn’t dead, and he was just using that to manipulate her to do what he wanted. Sonny asks if she knows what that sounds like to him. A motive for murder. Austin had no reason to keep that secret for her. How does she know he didn’t go tell somebody in order to get something out of it? She says she guesses she doesn’t, and he says, that’s right. For all she knows, he could have told everybody, including the cops. So whether she killed Austin or not, she could end up being a prime suspect.

Tomorrow, TJ says he might have made a huge mistake; Kristina asks Sam why she thinks it might not be a good fit for Scout; Dante asks, when was the last time Ava saw Austin; and Michael asks what Nina is trying to pull.

🍝 With Ziti On the Side…

The Gloria wiki.

https://general-hospital.fandom.com/wiki/Gloria_Cerullo_(Ellen_Travolta)

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Dorit meets Crystal and they go to Kyle’s house. Kyle has a bigger stack of unread mail than I do, and says she needs someone to help her organize. In Dorit’s interview, she says, their business manager tells her to stop shopping, but she doesn’t listen. Crystal says, when she and Garcelle came back last night, things looked good. We flash back to Dorit apologizing to Garcelle, and Dorit says, it was the right thing to do. She apologized for making Garcelle feel bad. It takes time. Kyle says she cares about Sutton, but she seemed off a couple times. The other night, Sutton insisted the elevator door opening in Vegas was planned. Dorit says, impossible, although I’m not sure why it would be. Kyle imitates Sutton imitating Erika, but doesn’t do a good job. This is why she never made it past the Halloween movies. Kyle says she told Sutton that it wasn’t planned, but Sutton said she was just defending her friend. She was so aggressive. It was mean. Dorit says she’s been there. Sutton goes from 0 to 60 quick. Dorit says, Sutton is a drinker. She wouldn’t be surprised if Sutton put vodka in her coffee. In Crystal’s interview, she says, this, from the woman who drinks a three carcass cocktail everyone knows about. Kyle says, vodka makes some people mean, and in her interview, Crystal says, Kyle stopped drinking yesterday. That doesn’t mean she can make judgments. Maybe she’s jealous that Sutton can hold them down. Dorit asks what Kyle wants to do and Kyle says she wants to repair it. Crystal wonders if it might not be different if the environment was calmer.

Garcelle meets Sutton for dinner, and Sutton says she’s having a drink, since she didn’t drink at Garcelle’s thing. Garcelle says she drank too much at her thing, and they order food. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she doesn’t think Sutton is a vegetarian. She eats bacon all the time. She tells Sutton that she couldn’t be happier with the turnout, and asks who Sutton was surprised to see. Sutton says, Jerry O’Connell, and we see a clip. They agree he’s cute, and Garcelle asks how things are with Sutton and Erika. Sutton says, they don’t have anything to talk about, and Garcelle says, it was wild. There they were and the elevator doors opened. Sutton says she told Kyle that it was a set-up, but Kyle defended Erika and got upset. It’s about Sutton and Erika, and has nothing to do with Kyle and Sutton. She thinks Kyle feels the need to insert herself when it comes to her, and it was a bit hurtful. We flash back to that, and Sutton says she told Kyle that a lot of the time when you exercise excessively and lose weight, something else is going on. Garcelle suggests Sutton hit a nerve, and Sutton says she noticed the sapphire and diamond ring Kyle is wearing is brand new. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she doesn’t know how Sutton noticed. She never pays attention to things like that. The only time she noticed jewelry was after the robbery; Dorit still had hers. She takes a sip of her drink. Sutton wonders if the ring is a make-up gift. The tabloids say there are problems in their marriage. In Sutton’s interview, she says, the news is, Mauricio may be having an affair. It’s all over the internet. She has zero interest in Kyle’s marriage, but she cares about Kyle. She though they were close enough that Kyle could come to her, but it’s hard to be close if you think someone’s hiding something. Garcelle says, just be honest and clear the air, but Kyle has to do that with Sutton too.

Erika goes to talent manager Alexis’s house, and in Erika’s interview, she says, Alexis is a talent manager with a background in publicity. Erika wants to talk strategy going forward. She’s rejuvenated her team. She and Jack decided not to work together. We flash back to the discussion on who leaked the Kathy Hilton stuff, and Erika being told it was someone who works for her. Erika says, they’re still friends, but they’re not in business together. Alexis says, Erika was at a pivotal point. She was essentially on top of the world. She was doing Broadway and had everything going for her. Obviously, she got stopped in her tracks. We flash back to all that, and Alexis says, it created uncertainty about her name and her brand. Erika says, Tom’s indictment didn’t help. Even though she didn’t get indicted, it translated into people not wanting to work with her. In her interview, Erika says, these were the worst years of her life. Her reputation was in the toilet, she was getting no offers, and defending herself was expensive. She’d always had help and now she doesn’t. Alexis says, Erika needs to take accountability, and Erika says she’s come back with a better sense of herself, because she had no choice but to face herself. We flash back to her group apology and crocodile tears, and Alexis says she imagines Erika wants to perform again. Erika says she wants to be back on stage and have a relationship with the audience. Alexis says, she’ll make some calls and see if anyone will take a meeting. They won’t know if they don’t ask.

Jax and Garcelle go to dinner, and Garcelle tells him, at his age, she couldn’t have a conversation with her mom and dad like they do. She’s from a different generation, where they didn’t talk like that. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, it’s hard parenting twins. As they get older, they have separate, different needs. Jax wants to talk things through and she’s learning to be patient with his conversation. She needs to hear him out more. She tells him that he said something that hurt her on the beach, and we flash back to Jax saying they could have used more parenting when they were younger. She says, he thought she should have kept the family together, but Jax says he knows damn well it was his dad’s fault. He’s known since he was 8. He was curious and looked it up. She asks, why not say something? and he says he’s known forever. In her interview, Garcelle says she found out about Mike’s infidelity when she borrowed his phone. She saw a text that said, I love you, and it wasn’t from her or the kids; it was from a different number. She asked him, who is it? and he said, it’s nothing, it’s nobody. They were in the car, Jax and Jaid in their car seats, and Jax said, tell mommy what? That shut them both up. Jax says he’d never hold it against his dad, even though he knows it’s his fault. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, it was all about shielding them. Hearing Jax say he’s known all this time, she’ll never be okay with that. Jax says, almost half of all marriages end in divorce, and Garcelle says she doesn’t even know who he is. In her interview, she says she realizes she needs to see the smart, brilliant, outspoken child he is. She tells Jax that she’s proud of him for being who he is. He’s helping her grow and she loves him. He says he loves her too, and she tells the waiter, he’s paying.

Kyle visits tattoo artist Stephan and says she didn’t tell Mauricio. It’s not a secret; she just didn’t tell him. Morgan Wade joins her, and Kyle introduces her to Stephan and says, she’s all covered. In Kyle’s interview, she says, Morgan is a very close friend. They talk every day. People are confused by their friendship. Stephan asks how they met, and Morgan says, Kyle stalked her. Kyle says she heard Morgan’s music and wondered, who’s the girl with the voice and these lyrics? In her interview, Kyle says, Morgan is 100% herself, no excuses. We see pictures of them together, and Kyle says, no apologies. There’s something freeing about it. She’s always worried about being together and perfect, and she was taken by that. She tells Morgan that she’s hosting a CBD/THC dinner party. Herbal chef Chris is amazing, and it will be a culinary experience even if the guests don’t participate. She sometimes feels that the women are pushing at her about not drinking. If she doesn’t do edibles, they’ll get annoyed. Morgan tells her, never feel pressured. When she got sober, she lost friends. Go and if she wants to try it, try it. If she decides no, then don’t. But don’t make a big deal about it. In her interview, Kyle says, Morgan’s been sober six years. It’s nice to have friends with things in common. They both like to work out and not drink. It’s nice to surround herself with like-minded people. Morgan holds Kyle’s hand as Stephan tattoos her hip. Morgan tells Kyle, it’s a penis, and Stephan says, maybe he did. Stephan finishes the tattoo, a little planet Saturn surrounded by stars, and Kyle and Morgan agree it’s cute. Morgan says she’ll post a picture. They need more rumors started.

When Kyle gets home, she sees Mauricio, and there’s this whole boring exchange about some book he wants her to read. Mauricio says he has to leave super early, and she says, it looks like there’s a body in his bag. (It does!) He says, it’s golf clubs, and Kyle says she would fit in there. She tells him that she got a small tattoo, and he asks if it was his name, calling her lovebean. I think that’s why Kyle is unhappy. She’s tired of that stupid nickname. She shows him, and he says he hopes he gets to see it. She says, he’s seeing it now, but he says he means often.

Sutton’s #2 assistant Zach and Avi fuss over things, when matchmaker Alessandra arrives. She wonders if Sutton’s dog Waylon will help pick a match, and Sutton says she invited Dorit, who knows more about her than Alessandra and her service is free. Dorit claims she’s figured out why no one wants date Sutton. We flash back to Dorit telling Sutton that she’s doing it all wrong, and Dorit walks in. In Sutton’s interview, she says, Dorit is the perfect person to help her pick a date. If Dorit fell in love with PK, maybe she needs to be not so picky. Alessandra says she selected three candidates for Sutton to choose from, and Dorit asks what Alessandra’s take is on it. Alessandra say she did a lot of figuring out. Sutton is very resistant, but there were so many aha moments. She believes Sutton isn’t looking for a billionaire, but Sutton tells her that she didn’t say that. Alessandra says, Sutton wouldn’t turn one down, but she thinks Sutton is self-aware. She asks Dorit’s take, and Dorit says she thinks Sutton’s lack of self-awareness is her biggest downfall. She gets snippy and is impossible to comfort her. Dorit says, Sutton needs to give the benefit of the doubt, relax, and be herself. Confidence is sexy. Sutton says she is confident, and Dorit says she’s reiterating it to her. The first candidate loves kids and travel, and the second is the CEO of an entertainment firm. Sutton says she’s swiping left. She doesn’t like a black shirt with a black tux. In Dorit’s interview, she says, like it’s the worst thing ever. It’s called the monochromatic look. Alessandra says, imagine if someone judged Sutton on what she wore, and we flash back to her kitty sweater. In Dorit’s interview, she says she’s not sure Sutton should be the judge on fashion taste, The last candidate likes classic films and a good bottle of wine, but the first candidate is the chosen one. Alessandra tells Sutton to get out of her head and into her body. Give him a hug when they meet. Sutton say she’s not hugging him.

Kyle videochats with Morgan, and they discuss the tattoo Morgan let Kyle ink on her. We see a clip, and I wonder if Morgan is nuts. Kyle does some kind of circle thing that, in the grand scheme of Morgan’s tattoos, is probably not noticeable. Still. Morgan says, no one else can say they’re tattooed by Kyle, and Kyle says, what’s one extra circle?

Everyone gets ready for the CBD/THC dinner, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, the ladies are giving her a hard time about not drinking. She’s getting peer pressure. She can drink margaritas, do the splits, say something she regrets, then wake up with a headache, or eat or smoke weed. That should shut them up. The morally corrupt Faye Resnick is there, as well as friends Annemarie and Justin. In her interview, Kyle says, Annemarie is a new friend. She’s married to ex-NFL player Marcellus Wiley. They met at a party and found out they live on the same street. Kyle asks how much Annemarie works out, and she says, six or seven days a week. Kyle tells her that Sutton said she works out too much. In Crystal’s interview, she says she doesn’t know Annemarie, but they have mutual friends. She talks a lot and asks a lot of questions. That bitch is nosy. We flash back to the Dinner Party from Hell, and drunk psychic Allison saying Mauricio will never emotionally fulfill Kyle.  Camille and Denise arrive together, and Denise suggests they get an In-N-Out Burger and go home. They’re both nervous.

In Garcelle’s interview, she says she’s somewhat of a newbie, but even she knows what went on at the Dinner Party from Hell. We flash back to Camille talking about the morally corrupt Faye Resnick, and Garcelle says, they don’t like each other. She knows that. Edibles are discussed, and I’m with Garcelle who doesn’t like them, since you never know when they’ll kick in or turn off. I tried them once. It did not sit well with me. Faye gives Camille a fake hug, and they end up seated across from each other. Kyle’s idea of a joke or is it just her stupidity? Faye changes seats, and Sutton and Kyle sit in another room for a private conversation. Sutton says, it got heated which she hated because it’s not like them. Kyle asks why Sutton said she wasn’t being herself, and Sutton says, because she wasn’t. She was with ex-husband Christian over the weekend. He got a big promotion, and he’s moving to London. He wanted her and James to move with him. Kyle says, tell him f*** off.  He doesn’t have the right to tell her what to do. Sutton says she didn’t know, and in her interview, she says, when she went through the divorce, he had a bigger team and could fight harder. It was like Princess Leia against Darth Vader and all the Stormtroopers. Christian is powerful globally. She asks Kyle if he can take James, but Kyle says, no. Sutton says she didn’t know if James would want to go, and it was weighing on her. She overreacted because her brain was somewhere else, but it’s fine. She and James aren’t going and she’s going to have James full-time, so her support will have to be increased. Kyle asks why this is a problem because she lacks any empathy whatsoever, and Sutton says she has to deal with it legally. In Kyle’s interview, she says, let her get this straight. She’s supposed to have sympathy for a move that’s not happening and Sutton getting more money and having her son all the time. Help her connect the dots. What I said about empathy. Kyle asks what was going on at Sutton’s house. She was aggressive and seemed off. Why? Because of her ex moving to London and getting extra money? Sutton wonders why Kyle can’t be sympathetic. It’s a big deal, the end of an era. Kyle asks if she’s that out of touch, and Sutton says, he’s leaving indefinitely, and she loved him. Kyle says she can fly there and back. She thinks it’s just an excuse, because Sutton makes excuses when she behaves like this. Sutton asks, what’s Kyle’s excuse? She’s not being a friend. Crystal comes in and says, everyone is waiting, and Sutton says, if Kyle can’t be honest, they can just sit. Kyle says, maybe Sutton wasn’t being a friend. She was weird and off. She wondered if it was Sutton’s medicine or if she’d had a couple of drinks. Something’s not right. Sutton leaves, and Kyle yells, if she has something to say, f***ing say it. In the kitchen, Chris wonders if he should serve dinner if they’re yelling at each other. Maybe serve the CBD first? Crystal tells Kyle that she thinks Kyle and Sutton are doing the same things to each other, and Sutton goes to the table. Erika wonders where their hostess is, and Sutton says, in denial about something.

Kyle says, Sutton is acting like she’s concerned about something she should be sharing, and Crystal reminds her again that everyone is waiting. They go to the table, and Chris explains that he’ll be serving a five-course tasting menu that will be optionally injected with cannabis, then he’ll gently bring them down with a CBD dessert. They’ll choose their own dosage, and it’s never overwhelming. His assistant Jack takes dosage orders, and Garcelle and Denise opt out. Crystal says she thinks they need to clear the air, and Kyle says she doesn’t like to feel like a friend is making a veiled threat. Sutton says, no threat, and Kyle says, if Sutton is going to ask her to be honest, have the balls to tell her what to be honest about. Sutton says she shared something personal, and Kyle made fun of her. Kyle tries gaslighting Sutton by saying she told Sutton that she understood, and it was sad, but she thought it was just an excuse for Sutton’s behavior. Sutton says, Kyle is deflecting, but Kyle says she’s explaining herself. Sutton says she was talking to Kyle, sharing with her and being honest and real. She’s asking Kyle to do the same and she’s not doing it. Kyle says she’s being honest, and Sutton says, then she’s perfect. Kyle tells her that she didn’t say that. If Sutton is going to put it out there, have the balls to say what she’s trying to insinuate. Sutton says, Kyle’s been overly working out and eating differently, and Kyle says, she has the guts to say that when Sutton doesn’t eat. In her interview, Kyle says, Sutton is making comments about her working out and not drinking, when she pushes her food around like Kyle’s kids do. Annemarie wonders if she’s the only one in the dark. Friends can say things, but they’re not saying anything right now. Be blunt, say it, and move past it. Sutton says, something is going on in Kyle’s personal life that she’s not sharing, and someone says, with what? Garcelle says, her marriage. She has a new wedding band. Sutton says, Kyle hasn’t been wearing her ring, and Kyle says, it’s in the bank. Sutton says, things add up, and Kyle says she’s been wearing a different ring that she bought herself. Garcelle says she thought it was a make-up band. Like when your husband messes up and you get a gift. Camille says she used to get cars, and Kyle says, it’s not a gift. She bought it herself. Faye says, it seems inappropriate, asking these questions at the table, even though Kyle was the one going on about having balls. Denise says she doesn’t know what this is about, and Kyle tells Garcelle, it’s a weird thing to say. Where did Garcelle get her necklace? Garcelle says, Zara, and in Erika’s interview, she says she’s glad it’s not her this time. She’s enjoying watching this show.

Sutton says, then it’s been cleared up, and Kyle asks if Sutton is saying her husband cheated. Crickets are heard, and Sutton asks if she said that. Annemarie asks if Sutton is saying Kyle can’t get new jewelry or an outfit, and Kyle says, she told them on the retreat that it hadn’t been the best year of their marriage. She shared at the retreat that they were having a hard time, and it feels like a low blow. Does Sutton want her husband to have cheated? Sutton says, no, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, Kyle doesn’t want to address the elephant in the room. Something is going on in her marriage. The question is not, who bought the ring? Sutton says she’s content with all of Kyle’s answers, and Faye thinks it’s weird of her to say that. Kyle says, everyone is wondering what’s going on if she’s not drinking, but if she does, she feels down and depressed. And she can’t afford to feel depressed right now.

Dun dun duuun!

To be continued…

🖥 Cybering Through…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and suspect Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay making sure to take care of yourself in all the holiday chaos, and stay not letting your credit card balance sneak up on you. Credit card debt is insidious.