Tag Archives: BravoTV

December 20, 2023 – Charlotte Admires Her First Battle Wound, Christina Is Back, Dorit Needs To Answer the Question & Gentlemen

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Felicia looks at a video of Georgie with a gingerbread house and suggests she and Maxie show off their engineering skills to Mac, but Georgie wants to change into something with less frosting on it first. Maxie asks her to check on Bailey, but don’t wake her up, and Georgie leaves. Felicia says, Maxie seems distracted. She’s missing out on Christmas Eve with her kids. Maxie says she’s trying to get in the spirit. This year, the holidays just remind her of how fast life changes. This time last year, Deception was such a success. She was riding high even though she’d just broken up with Austin. She still can’t believe he’s gone. (I can’t believe I forgot all about her and Austin.) She doesn’t have any lingering feelings or regrets for breaking up with him, she just feels awful about how he died. Felicia says, Maxie has a lot going on, but keep the faith. She has the feeling that by this time next year, things will be looking up for Maxie. Maxie says she hopes so, when the doorbell rings.

Josslyn asks if Dex is ready to spend his first Christmas with her family, and he says he needs her to guide him through. She says, first, she needs to guide herself. She really needs this break from classes and studying and… She sees Adam outside the door and asks what he’s still doing here.

Charlotte comes out of her room to see Doc and Laura and asks when they got here. Laura says, they haven’t been here long at all, and hugs her, saying, merry Christmas. Her dad needed to step out for a moment, and she was taking a nap, so he asked them to come over. Charlotte says, it’s Christmas Eve. What could he possibly be doing?

At the MetroCourt, Valentin knocks at Anna’s door and she opens it.

Elizabeth puts on an apron and wonders how they’re going to get all this done tonight, but Aiden says, don’t worry. He’s a professional. She says she’s not. Just keep doing what he’s doing – the doorbell rings – and she’ll get the door. She opens it to Finn and Violet, and says, merry Christmas Eve. He tells her, merry Christmas Eve (is that a thing?), and she says, come in. Finn asks if Violet isn’t going to wish Aunt Elizabeth a merry Christmas Eve, and less than enthusiastically, Violet says, merry Christmas.

Maxie opens the door and Spinelli is there, shivering and wet. He says he requires her urgent assistance.

Portia says, Curtis looks deep in thought, and he says, just admiring his blessings. Look at his beautiful family – we see Trina, Stella, and Marshall gathered around the table – happy and together. And since they are, everyone gather around. He has something to tell them all. Something life changing.

Valentin says he was surprised to get Anna’s phone call. Can they make this quick? He’s missing Christmas Eve with his daughter. She says, yes, of course (🍷). How’s Charlotte? Please tell her that Charlotte’s doing well. He says, she’s got a long road ahead of her, but she’s much better. He wishes he’d told Anna the truth from the start. She says, he owed her the truth, but she owes him the same.

Laura says, Charlotte’s dad was hoping to be back before she woke up, but she’s sure he’ll be here any minute now. Charlotte says she hopes so. Papa promised they’d spend Christmas together, since last year he was… away. Laura says she, for one, is very happy to be home for Christmas. She’s very grateful to get some time with her sweet, little granddaughter. (Charlotte is neither sweet nor little, but because it’s Laura, I’ll let it pass.) Charlotte says she’s very happy they’re here, both of them, and Doc says, thank you. Now does anyone know how to make a ribbon all squiggly? Charlotte says, it’s ridiculously easy, and he says, prove it, handing her the wrapped box.

Elizabeth tells Violet that Aiden is making cookies and they’re going to sing some Christmas carols. Finn asks if she thinks she wants to do some singing, and Violet says, maybe. Can she go color now? He tells her, sure, if that’s what she wants to do, and she goes to the coffee table. Elizabeth asks, what’s going on? but he says he doesn’t know. Leo Quartermaine told her Santa isn’t real, but he already handled it. He thought maybe she was just tired, but she’s been like this all day. Elizabeth says, that doesn’t sound like her. Did anything else happen? He says he asked her, but she won’t tell him. He doesn’t know what to do at this point. She says, just lay low and give her some time, and he says, maybe they’ll get a Christmas miracle.

Josslyn says she thought Adam had an early flight this morning, but he says, not exactly. She says, then what exactly? and he says he’s not going home. She says, since when? He didn’t mention this when they were studying last night. He says, technically, he didn’t decide until this morning, and she says, so he chose to stay in the dorms alone on Christmas? Dex says, some people enjoy the peace and quiet, and Adam says, see? Josslyn says, okay, but the dining halls are closed. What is he going to eat? He says he can call for delivery service, and there’s so much ramen in his room… She says, that’s pathetic. Come on. She and Dex can give him a ride back. He says he can’t go home.

Curtis says, let him start by saying he’s so grateful to share this holiday with them all. It’s been a challenging year, and he can truthfully say he wouldn’t have made it through without the love and support of each of them. Stella says, amen. They love him too. Now spit it out. He says, lovely Portia has been researching clinical trials for people with paralysis. She found experimental treatment that might restore his ability to walk. Stella says, that’s wonderful. He did apply for participation. He says he’s already under consideration, and Trina asks when he’ll start if they select him. He says, it could be as soon as January, and Portia says, that’s exactly right. The doorbell rings – since everyone got a doorbell for Christmas – and Portia answers. Spencer says, merry Christmas.

Anna says, so they now know for certain, James Forsythe was responsible for setting fire to her house, and Valentin thanks her for the confirmation. It was a relief to know Charlotte wasn’t responsible for the arson, but it’s good to know who was and why she was targeted. Brennan? The director? She’s lucky to be alive. She says, luck and an assist from Dante. He says he should have warned her the moment he knew Charlotte was targeting her. None of this would have happened. She says, Charlotte was collateral damage in a conspiracy targeted at her, and she apologizes for that, and he says, no, he apologizes. She says she just wanted him to hear it from her, now that this whole sordid business is over, and he asks if they’re sure about that.

Spinelli thanks Maxie for the shower and the spare clothes, and Felicia says, it’s a good thing she still had that box of Max’s spare clothes they were donating to the shelter. They’ve been in the car all week. Maxie says, they came in handy. So is he going to tell her what happened? Felicia says, do tell, and he says, a pipe burst in his apartment and the super was able to shut it off before it affected other units, but not before his was rendered uninhabitable. Maxie asks, what happened to his computers? and he says he was able to salvage most of it and put it in a storage unit. Some of it is still in his trunk. Felicia says, you poor thing, and he says, that’s why he showed up here looking like a drowned rat. He didn’t mean to impose. He just needed a place to dry off. Maxie says, he was coming here for dinner anyway. This was perfect. He says, while he’d love to dine with her, he supposes he should figure out his lodging. The MetroCourt is booked, and all of the other nice places, but he supposes he could venture further out to Sawyer or Greenfield. Maxie says, he’ll do no such thing, but he says, it’s only temporary until he finds another apartment. Maxie says, absolutely not. He’s living here.

As they make cookies, Aiden asks if Elizabeth is upset that Cam decided to go skiing with his new girlfriend this Christmas, and she says she’s not going to lie. She felt a little twinge about it, since obviously she misses him, but she’s not surprised. He seems to really like this girl. Is Aiden upset? He says, it would have been nice to see him, but he gets it. She asks if he feels a little left out now that his brothers have girlfriends, and he says, actually, there’s someone he likes too.

Jake asks if Violet wants to help him make paper snowflakes, and sits on the sofa, putting the supplies on the table. He shows her what to do and says, careful with the scissors. She says she knows how to use scissors, and he asks if she visited Santa. She nods, and he asks if she thinks she’ll get everything she wants this year. She shakes her head, and he puts his arm around her. He says, she doesn’t have to talk about it, but it might help if she does. She says, her daddy is going away.

Trina hugs Spencer and says, he made it. He sets some bags under the tree and says, wow. Trina says she’ll tell him stories about the ornaments. There might be a few she’s made. He says he’d like to see them, and Curtis says, welcome. Spencer thanks him, shaking his hand, and says, nice to see everyone. Miss Henry, Mr. Ashford. Marshall says, young Mr. Cassadine, and shakes his hand. Good to see him. Maybe he and Trina could put some Christmas tunes on. Spencer says, he almost forgot. One of the light strands out front went out. Curtis thanks him, and Portia asks if he knew Spencer was coming over. He says, maybe Trina just forgot to tell them, and she says, welcoming unexpected guests is all part of Christmas, right? He says, she’s entitled to how she feels. Is she sure she wants to start this next year at odds with the young man her daughter loves? She says, right, and puts on a smile.

Marshall goes out on the terrace, and Stella asks what he’s doing out in the cold. He says, she sounds like I… He’s fine. He just needed a moment, that’s all. She asks if he’s okay, and he says he’s beyond okay. Last year, he was surprised to be celebrating the holidays with his son and grandson, and this year, he gets to do it again with a brand-new granddaughter. It’s overwhelming. He never thought he deserved all this, the way he walked out on them. She says, let it go. It’s in the past. He can’t keep beating himself up over it. He says he knows. He had a conversation with Irene just the other night right here. They sit, and he says, Irene told him to count his blessings and get over himself. And he’s not hitting the sauce. She says she talks to her sister all the time. They say death doesn’t end a relationship. She feels Irene’s presence around her just as close as she did when she was helping Irene raise his boys. He says he’s beyond grateful that she took on his family the way she did, and she did a wonderful job. She says, it was her honor and her pleasure, and he says, she always had his back. She bridged the gap between him and Curtis when he came back. She kept his secret. She says, and he bridged the gap between her and Curtis when she didn’t tell him that Trina might be his daughter. She appreciated that. he says, looks like they’ve been there for each other, but she says, unlikely, but true. He says, she’s a special woman, and she says, and he’s a kind and loving man. She’s sorry for all he’s endured, including losing the two women he loved, Irene and Epiphany. He deserves all the happiness he can hold. He says he’s sorry she had to give up the gentleman she was going to marry to look after Irene and his boys, and she says, of course (🍷) she would do what she could for her sister and her nephews. She loved them. She and Irene were two peas in a pod. He says, yes, but she was always the feisty pea, and they laugh. A modern version of Deck the Halls plays, and Stella gets up. She says she loves this song, and Marshall joins her. He says, give him that hand, and they dance. He swings her into his arms, and they look at each other. Aww, I like it.

Marshall steps back and says he’s sorry. He got a little carried away. She says, let’s blame it on the music. You know what? I left the stove on. She runs inside.

Adam tells Josslyn that his parents will ask a million questions about his grades and what courses he’s taking next semester. They’d get in his head. So he told them that he had an internship over winter break. This way, he’ll have more time to get his head straight, and he’ll do better in class come January. Josslyn says, so he lied to them again. This is becoming a pattern with him. He says he panicked. He just didn’t want to disappoint them with his grades. She says, his grades are excellent, but he says, his parents won’t think so. Besides, the flights are way too expensive now. So there’s no way he can go home without telling them the truth and begging them for cash. Trust him. It’s better this way. He hopes they have a good Christmas. He leaves, and Dex says, what was that about? Josslyn says she should invite him over to her mom’s house for Christmas, right? Not to stay over of course (🍷). He can stay here, but just so he’s not alone the whole time. She’ll check with her mom. She takes out her phone.

Doc puts a box under the tree and says, and that is the last of them. Charlotte says she still has unwrapped gifts in her room (I feel that pain), and Doc says, of course (🍷) she does. Charlotte says, maybe after they’re done, they could watch Christina Comes Home for Christmas, and Laura says, there’s no avoiding that one, is there? (See below.) She used to watch that movie with Charlotte’s mom. Charlotte says, that’s why they should watch it together, and Laura says, it’s a movie date then, hugging her. Doc says he guesses it’s time for him to rustle up some movie snacks, and goes to the kitchen. Charlotte says she’ll go get the gifts, and leaves. Laura sits down and looks at photos on her phone. She says, sweet little Lu. You’re daughter’s growing up and she needs you. She’ll find a way to get Charlotte through this. She just wishes they were doing it together.

Charlotte pulls a shopping bag out from under the bed and touches her side. She goes over to the mirror and pulls up her shirt where the bullet wound looks miraculously healed. She says, her first battle wound. She goes to her jewelry box and takes out a locket with the Cassadine crest on it. She puts it on, and says, anything for family, looking at herself in the mirror. Doc walks in.

Anna tells Valentin, Jameson is dead; Brennan is in custody. She believes that she’s no longer in any danger. Besides, she feels as if she did the Bureau a service by rooting out a corrupt director. He says, if she’s hoping for a fruit basket, he wouldn’t hold his breath, and she laughs. She says she’d be happy if they reinstated her pension, interest accrued, and I’m thinking, she has more of a chance of getting the fruit basket. She tells Valentin that she would be remiss in saying there aren’t still enemies out there. He and his family would do well to keep their distance. He says, it’s never stopped him before. He has plenty of enemies. She’s always stood by him. She says, they were a great team.

Outside, Portia tells Curtis, Christmas lights go out, Spencer crashes our family Christmas… bad omen or… Spencer comes out and asks if they need help, but Portia says, they’re good. Spencer says, it is cold outside, and three sets of eyes… Curtis thanks him and says, they’d appreciate that. Spencer says he really hopes they get a chance to get to know each other a little bit better in the next year, and Portia says she’s happy to hear that. As long as he makes Trina happy, they’re happy. He says he definitely intends to make her happy. She loves them both so much, and he loves her. Portia asks what he really knows about love though.

Anna and Valentin almost kiss, but Anna backs away. He asks, what’s wrong? and she says, he already knows, but he tells her that he wants to hear her say it. She says, being here with him is just so easy. Now that all the secrets are out and the dust is beginning to settle, she can feel them again. But she closes her eyes and she’s back in that doorway with the dark apartment and the gun goes off in her hand and Charlotte is crumpled on the floor. They can’t go forward, as much as she loves him, and she does love him. He says, and he loves her, but she says, his responsibility is to his daughter. She’s in so much pain. She has to process this whole trauma of the shooting. Charlotte needs him. Anna can no longer be part of his family.

Charlotte asks if Doc hasn’t heard of knocking, and he says, the door was open. She says, sorry. He just startled her. He apologizes and says he just came to find out if she’d like peppermint or regular hot chocolate. She says, peppermint would be lovely, thanks, and he asks if she wants him to carry that bag of presents for her, but she says she’s got it and thanks him. He says, that’s an interesting necklace, and she says, it’s a family heirloom. It was Helena Cassadine’s. Grandfather Victor left it to her in his will and she was thinking of wearing it, but she doesn’t think it’s giving a Christmas vibe. Doc says he’ll leave her to it, and she closes the door behind him. She leans against it and looks at the necklace. (Do you remember that at the reading of the will, because I don’t.)

Spinelli says he couldn’t impose, but Maxie says she got this house so her family could spread out. He’s family. He can take the guest room. He’ll have plenty of room for his computers. Felicia says, it sounds ideal, but Spinelli says he doesn’t know. Maxie says, it’s not forever, just until his apartment is ready, and Felicia says, he knows how everything closes down during the holidays. He says, okay, but only if he can pay Maxie rent, but Maxie says, no. He’s Georgie’s father. She can’t charge him rent. Besides, he’ll be like free, in-house childcare. He says, Georgie’s care is his blessing, not his burden. That goes for all the kids. Truly, he must insist. Her utilities are going to skyrocket. He uses a lot of electricity and water, and he requires top-speed internet. Maxie sees a shopping bag and says, look. The gifts didn’t get ruined in the flood. Felicia says, they must have been in the car already. It’s a good thing. He says, how fortuitous, taking the bag. Georgie runs in and hugs him. She says, he’s late for their Christmas Eve celebration. Are those for them? Wouldn’t it be great if he could spend the night? That way, they could open it tomorrow morning. Spinelli says he’s not sure about that, and Georgie asks Maxie to convince him.

Jake asks Violet to tell her dad what she just told him. She’s got this. She says she heard him and Uncle Chase last night. It sounded like Finn did something bad. He said Finn was going to court. That’s why people go to jail. Finn says he’s so sorry this has been bothering her all day. He’s not going to jail. She asks, then why has he been so sad? and he says, she’s too perceptive for his own good. He’s been a little sad lately because some people think he made a mistake at work and they’re doing an investigation, but he knows he didn’t do anything wrong, and they’re going to work it out. She asks why he’s going to court, and he says, just to make everything official. That’s the way hospitals do things. She says, so he’s not going away? and he says, not ever. She says, pinkie promise? holding out her finger, and he says, pinkie promise. Just her and him together forever. She tells him, that’s what Jake said, and hugs him. Finn says, Jake’s smart.

Elizabeth says, so Aiden was saying he liked someone? and Aiden says, yeah. She says she’d like to hear more if he wants to tell her, and he says, they’re in his science class. They’re really smart. They got to talking about how there’s a lot of science in baking and they asked him to do some demonstrations for the Science Club. She says, so that’s what he’s been doing after school. They sound really nice. Aiden says, his name is Tobias.

Elizabeth says, the science fair. Did he make the wind turbine? Aiden says, he’s really into the environment, and she says she remembers. She thought he should have won. Aiden says, him too, and hugs her.

Portia tells Spencer that she’s sorry. That completely came out wrong. He says, that’s a good question, and until he met Trina, he wouldn’t have known how to answer it. He realizes he’s made a lot of mistakes, and even though he and Trina are in a better place now, it’s not lost on him what he put her through, and he knows he still has a lot to prove to them. But he will. Because he loves Trina more than anyone else he’s ever loved in his entire life. She makes him want to be so much better, and that means earning their forgiveness. And he hopes eventually their respect and their trust. They don’t say anything, and he plugs in the lights, saying, let there be light. He goes inside and Curtis says, well, what about that? Didn’t what Spencer said move her at all?

Trina says he’s back and he survived, and he says, barely. Her mom is tough. Trina says, she’ll come around, but he says he’s not so sure. She says she loves him for trying, and kisses him.

Maxie tells Georgie that it’s her dad’s choice whether he stays or not, and Georgie says, come on. It’ll be fun. Spinelli says he might stay longer than one night. His apartment is waterlogged, and he has no idea how long it will take to repair it. She says, he’s moving in? and Maxie says, they’re discussing it. Georgie says, what’s to discuss? and Felicia says, her sentiments exactly. Spinelli says, they’re defining terms. To wit, whether or not he’ll be a guest or a tenant. Georgie says, all that matters is that he’ll be here. Please? She’ll be extra good and clean her room. She and James can even cook dinner… Maxie says, they can’t use the stove. Has she been using the stove? Georgie asks if it wouldn’t be nice to have dad here for a little while, and Felicia says, it would be a good deed for her daughter’s father. Maxie says, fine. She’ll agree to his ridiculous deal. Georgie says, yay! and Maxie says, you, little Miss Puppy Dog Eyes, can help me set up the guest room. They leave, and Spinelli says he thinks she bought it, doesn’t Felicia? Felicia says, yeah, and claps her hands together.

Laura asks Doc, what’s wrong? Did something happen with Charlotte? He says, no… When he was in her room, he heard her talking to herself. She’s very proud of her wound; her first battle wound, she called it. Laura says, wow. She’s not the expert here – he is – but could that be a way of her coping with her ordeal? Or maybe she feels victorious because she broke up her father and Anna? Either way, she doesn’t think they should underestimate the damage Victor has done to her. He says, that’s likely and he’ll keep examining this in their sessions. Laura says, she seemed so much like her normal self earlier, and he says, when she’s around Laura, she relaxes. She becomes more herself; she’s spontaneous. In her room just now, she was wearing a necklace that she said Victor left to her in his will. Laura says, that’s Helena’s.

Trina says, these earrings are so gorgeous, and thanks Spencer. He says, of course (🍷). So is she. He hopes she likes them. She says she loves them because they came from him, and they kiss. Portia comes in and asks, who’s ready for their tradition? and Stella asks, what tradition is this? Marshall says he’ll make some more cider, but Stella says, it’s already done. The pot’s warming now. He says, great minds, and Trina says, every year, they make an ornament for the tree. Spencer says he’ll get out of her hair and let her enjoy her family tradition, but Portia asks if he has somewhere more important to be, because he’s on glue gun duty. They gather around the table, and Trina says, merry Christmas Eve everybody. They reply, merry Christmas Eve, even though I don’t think it’s a thing.

Adam knocks at Josslyn’s door, and asks, what’s up? She says, he’s invited to her family’s house for Christmas Eve, the part of her family that’s going to be at her mom’s house. He asks if it’s cool with everybody, and she says, they’d love to have him. Right, Dex? Dex says, the more, the merrier, and Adam says he’ll grab his coat and meet them outside.

Felicia says, Maxie seemed to believe Spinelli. Showing up wet was a bold move. She thought they discussed mold, but he says he wanted to go with a strong visual. Great save with the bag of gifts, by the way. She says she can think on her feet, and he says, yes, she can. This was a really great scheme to help Maxie through her financial struggles. He thanks her for looping him in, and she says, Maxie is too stubborn and proud to accept money without feeling like it’s charity. This way, it’s a win-win. Maxie and Georgie come back, and Georgie says, his room is all ready. She’s really sorry his apartment is under water, but now that he’s staying with them, this is going to be the best Christmas ever. He hugs her and laughs.

Elizabeth says, batch number 3 and 4 in the works, and Aiden thanks her for helping him. She thanks him for trusting her enough to tell her about Tobias. She loves him. He says he loves her too.

Laura asks if Doc thinks Charlotte values the necklace because it was Helena’s, and he says, she seems to be proud of that fact. Laura says, so many people have told her so many things about Helena. Why would she ever want to emulate her? He says, off the top of his head, he would say she’s looking for role models. People she feels are powerful. Survivors. Unfortunately, Helena, Victor – in other words, the darker figures in the family – certainly qualify. She may be using them as a way to cope with her trauma. Laura says, sort of like an emotional crutch. She can’t believe it. All the years she spent worrying about Nikolas, trying to save him from the darkness he inherited from the Cassadines. She never dreamed Charlotte would have to battle the same demons. She can’t lose Charlotte too. She has to find a way to get through to Charlotte. In her bedroom, Charlotte puts on the necklace again and looks in the mirror.

Valentin asks how Anna expects him to let her go. If he’s looked forward to anything in this life, it’s because of her. He doesn’t know where he’d be today without her. She says, he accepted her, all of her. She never felt more seen than when she was with him. She’s very grateful for their time together. He says he’s loved her his whole life. He doesn’t know how he’s going to stop that. She says, then let’s not do that. Let’s just accept that. A part of her will always love him, and he says, a part of him will always love her. She says, if love were enough, they would probably be together, wouldn’t they? But… He says, it’s complicated, and she kisses his hand. She says, there. Let’s call it, okay? With as much respect and dignity as we can. He nods, and pulls her close, holding her as she cries. He says he always knew, if he could ever have her, he could never keep her. She pulls away, still holding his hands, and he says, goodbye, Anna. She says, goodbye, Valentin, and he walks out the door, glancing back one more time before he leaves. She smiles sadly at him, and when he’s gone, she sits down and sighs.

Tomorrow, Lois says she brought enough for everyone; Spinelli wants to know what someone is doing here; Sasha says, someone is completely out of line; and Sonny tells Dante, whoever is targeting him and Anna is still out there.

🎁 Coming Home Again…

You can find the whole movie on YouTube.

The Real Unpleasant Housewives of Beverly Hills

Sutton meets date Sal at a restaurant, and in her interview, she says, it’s the first date where Alessandra set her up. We flash back to their meeting with Dorit, and Sutton says, a first date is a butterfly moment. He could be the one. He’s tall, handsome, and a gentleman. Sal has promise. We find out Sal is from NYC, but loves L.A. He doesn’t miss the humidity and mosquitos in the east. He sweats a lot in the humidity. He’s lived in L.A. since 1990, but his mom still lives in the house he grew up in. He’s in office supplies, and his mom is 88, so he likes to spend as much time with her as he can. He went to Vegas with his mom, and she told the concierge that they needed something to do. They suggested a show of the old school variety, and it was topless. He’s probably the only person whose mother ever told them, what happens in Vegas… As Sal goes on and on about his mother, in Sutton’s interview, she says, this is a serious red flag. There are too many mother stories for her to handle. She’s still proud of herself for staying. Prior to this, she would have had to leave for an emergency or a hangnail. Even though Sal isn’t right, she’s making progress. Sal says he’s digging her shoes.

Kyle has charcuterie for days and has invited the women over. Arriving first, Annemarie tries to pet Pomeranian Romeo and tries to nip her. She says she’d thought they were having a moment, but Romeo was like, no, we’re not. Dorit comes in and remarks on the miles of charcuterie. Kyle says, it’s Shabbot, and she has so much food. The three of them discuss Sutton’s narrow esophagus, and Annemarie insists she didn’t say anything wrong. Dorit says she doesn’t understand, and lists the oddities she finds with Sutton and food. In Annemarie’s interview, she says she hasn’t known Sutton long, but the inconsistencies are telling, and Sutton gets mad when anyone exposes her. We flash back to Sutton sarcastically asking if they should all go to have her esophagus stretched. Kyle says she’s producing a one-hour drama, and Dorinda asks what else Kyle is doing that she doesn’t know about. Did she get more tattoos? Kyle says she got one more and has six now. Dorit asks if Mauricio has seen it, and Kyle says she showed him, and he was annoyed. We flash back to Mauricio chiding his lovebean, and Kyle tells them that Morgan let her tattoo a K on her. We flash back to that, and in Dorit’s interview, she says, her husband put her name on his arm. Kyle and Morgan must have a really close friendship. Dorit says, Morgan and Kyle have been friends for a year – Kyle says, two years – but Kyle has never put a D on her body.

Garcelle meets Erika at a super cool bar that’s incorporated feathers into its décor, and in Erika’s interview, she says she and Garcelle were friendly at first. then they got on the wrong track, mostly because of her. We flash back to Garcelle telling Erika to respect her kid and Erika apologizing, and Erika says, it will be nice to have drinks. Hopefully they can rekindle something. Erika tells Garcelle, be careful. What you wish for might show up. She’s got the residency in Vegas and now she’ll have to perform. In her interview, Erika says, she’s done nothing like this before. Everything is riding on her. She tells Garcelle, it’s amazing how your life can turn around when you stay in the fight. The best thing she’s done is walk forward, no matter how small the steps may be. In her interview, she says she knows it’s a step in the right direction. Garcelle says, a friend is joining them, and Erika asks if Denise is coming. She knows Denise is coming to Taco Tuesday. We see a clip of Garcelle telling Crystal to invite Denise, and Garcelle says, she’ll see. Sutton walks in, and Erika says she knew this was a set-up. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, she’s bringing Erika and Sutton together. They’re all single women, and when they let everything go, they have a good time. It’s a social experiment. Sutton says, Erika makes her laugh, and Erika says, Sutton makes her frustrated, but it’s okay. Erika says, she almost sent an article about gossip in the South to Sutton. They don’t gossip; they put you on their prayer list. She needs to put Denise on her prayer list. Denise needs to stop and give up her four-year beef. Garcelle says, Denise wasn’t clear on her issues. She saw Denise afterwards. We flash back to their lunch with Sutton, and Garcelle says she thinks Denise is holding on to something she wants to get out. Erika says, with what happened to her in the last few years, she took a beating with public scrutiny. At some point, she had to say she’d turned the page. She didn’t want to go there with Denise. Garcelle wonders what’s going to happen on Taco Tuesday, and Erika says, they’re going to have a nice time. She’ll be ready for what walks through the door. Sutton says she’s scared because Lent is over, and they drink a lot of vodka. Erika says, it’s $7 for a naked bundle of Denise on OnlyFans, and Sutton asks if Denise is really naked. Erika says, it started as porn, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, she can do better than that. How about $10?  

Kyle FaceTimes with Annemarie who’s in Hawaii. Kyle says she’s so jealous. She’s getting ready for Taco Tuesday. Denise and Erika will be there, and she doesn’t know what’s going to happen. While she gets ready, Sutton tells her glam team about Denise on OnlyFans, buys the bundle, and gives Denise a tip. She says she hopes she doesn’t find anything real bad… oh! She doesn’t want to know. Garcelle picks up Denise, whose in-laws are visiting for year and a half. Garcelle tells Denise that Erika will want to hear her laundry list of complaints, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, it’s only right for her to tell Denise what Erika said. They need to put this thing to bed. Kyle and Dorit ride together, and Dorit asks why she didn’t know what Kyle’s been doing. She guesses she has to put Kyle’s initial on her body for her to care. In Dorit’s interview, she says she genuinely feels hurt that Kyle has distanced herself. They used to go away a few times year, but Kyle hasn’t invited her on any trips. In Kyle’s interview, she says she hasn’t been reaching out because she felt disappointed in Dorit. We flash back to the Reunion and Dorit telling Kathy that Kyle wants her to accept responsibility, and Kyle saying, this is something that should be discussed in private. Kyle says, when they’re alone, Dorit feels bad. She’s supportive and on Kyle’s side. But when they’re all together, it’s a different tune. That doesn’t feel like a friend. Kyle tells Dorit that people don’t understand her and Morgan’s friendship, and Dorit says, Kyle is morphing into Morgan. In her interview, Dorit says, much of who Kyle has become is who Morgan is. She doesn’t just feel excluded, she feels like she’s been replaced.

Crystal gets ready for Taco Tuesday, and in her interview, she says, there’s nothing she likes more than hosting a dinner. She always has too much left over. It’s a classic Asian culture thing. If your table is empty, that means the guests go home hungry. You’re a bad host if you don’t have an abundant table full of food and lots of to-go boxes. Friend Nia and Dorit arrive first, and in Dorit’s interview, she says she’s always surprised at how many friends Crystal has. She knows it’s that number minus 14, but still… They talk about Vegas, and Nia says, her husband, comedian Bill Burr, performs there. Dorit says, when they were at Magic Mike, one of the girls had a meltdown, and Nia wonders how that’s possible in the happiest place on earth.  

Denise arrives, with Erika coming not much later. In Erika’s interview, she says she’s cold and irritable, and who’s here but Denise, the last person she wants to see. Denise tell Dorit that when she got home from the weed dinner from hell, she had a fever of 103, and in Dorit’s interview, she tells us, if you say so. We flash back the upside-down jacket, and Dorit says, a fever – she mimics drinking – nothing else. She’s buying it. Kim comes in and it’s time to eat. Dorit tells Sutton that she didn’t try to poach Avi, and we flash back, seeing that she clearly did. Dorit says, stop accusing her of doing things she’s not doing, and Sutton says, stop accusing her of putting vodka in her coffee. She doesn’t drink coffee. Case closed. Dorit says, it wasn’t an accusation, and Erika says, they had a great night with Garcelle the other night. They laughed a lot. Dorit whines that she’s hearing about a fabulous night where she wasn’t invited, and Erika says, Garcelle told on Sutton about making out with her driver.

Crickets chirp, then Garcelle says, Oh my God, and Erika realizes how loud she said it. Sutton says, accidentally maybe she did, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, sometimes you find yourself with someone handsome and charming, who says sit in the front seat. Then you lean in at the same time and accidentally kiss. She tells them, it was a make out session like in Happy Days. Dorit says, she’s taking something sexy and making it as unsexy as she can possibly make it. Kyle finds a tissue in Kim’s scarf, and in Kyle’s interview, she says she doesn’t know what Kim has stored in her scarf. Snacks? A phone charger? A small kitten? She doesn’t know what she’ll find. Dorit tells Garcelle that she’s annoyed about Crystal drumming up sh*t, and in Dorit’s interview, she says, Crystal doesn’t say much, but when she does, she’s either talking behind someone’s back or stirring the pot. We flash back to forever ago when Crystal claimed Sutton said something dark. Dorit says, at least if you stir the pot, balance it with something else. She tells Garcelle that she’s ripped about it. She’s finding a moment to discuss it with Crystal where it’s not out of left field. Sutton says, her horse is has moved in to his final apartment and tells them about Santos. She says she has a language with him, and Kim says she talks to animals too; she understands them. Nia asks, what happened in Vegas at Magic Mike? and Sutton says she didn’t like the legs spread with the man’s head in between. Denise asks, who was spreading their legs? and Sutton says, Erika and Crystal. She doesn’t know why she has to explain herself. Some people don’t like mustard, but you don’t ask them why 80 times. She wasn’t in a good headspace and ruined the whole night. Thanks for asking. She appreciates it. Garcelle asks how Nia knew about it, and we flash back to five seconds ago when Dorit told her. Nia tells Garcelle that she playfully said, how can you have a meltdown in the happiest place on earth? and Sutton says, it’s not Disneyland. In Sutton’s interview, she says, who is Nia and why is this story relevant to their Mexican fiesta? Dorit says, Sutton had dollar bills she was flashing around and laughing, and Sutton says, it was a joke. Everyone knows it’s the last thing that would really happen. Dorit says, Sutton made out with her driver, and everyone’s like, what? Garcelle says, hold on. That was between her, Erika, and Sutton. Dorit is saying it to embarrass Sutton and that’s not okay. Dorit says, they were laughing, and Sutton says, her driver has become a friend. Dorit says she’s not judging, and Sutton says, she was attracted, and they were having a conversation. They had a little make out session and it was sweet. She enjoyed it, but they haven’t made out since. Why is Dorit bringing it up? Dorit babbles, and Sutton says, answer the questions. She goes into name ‘em mode, and keeps saying, answer the question, which pisses Dorit off royally. A few of the women are in the kitchen listening, and Kyle says, it feels like déjà vu. Dorit says she’s trying to answer. She just found out five minutes ago. Why do they think she mentioned it? It was in jest; they were all laughing about it. Garcelle says, it felt like Dorit was saying it to embarrass Sutton, and Sutton says, she was. Dorit says, Sutton should give people the benefit of the doubt, and Garcelle asks who people are. Dorit says, her, in this instance, and in her interview, she wonders why it’s okay for Erika to scream it. It’s just another reason for Garcelle to take issue with her. If Garcelle doesn’t like her, stop pretending she does. Garcelle apologizes to Sutton and say she didn’t know Dorit would bring it up. Dorit says, Garcelle just attacked her, and Garcelle says she didn’t. Calm down. In Garcelle’s interview, she says. Dorit lives in a bubble, and it’s triggering. They live in a world that’s aware and woke, but Dorit isn’t in that world. Garcelle says, for the record, she didn’t attack Dorit. They were having a conversation. Dorit says, it felt like an attack. Garcelle was suggesting she was deliberately trying to hurt and embarrass Sutton. Garcelle says she wasn’t suggesting it; she said it. And it wasn’t an attack. She feels like for Dorit and her privilege, she can’t.

Dorit asks what she means, and Erika says, she means that for white people, the word has a different meaning. In Erika’s interview, she says, there’s a different meaning to the word attack when a white person says it to a Black person. She doesn’t think Dorit meant to hurt Garcelle, but she did. Dorit says she’s sorry she triggered a nerve and offended Garcelle. She’d love to have a conversation about it. Garcelle says, she’s good. She’s not here to educate Dorit. Dorit says she thinks Garcelle has, and Garcelle says, that’s on her. In her interview, Dorit says she has no idea where this is coming from. All Garcelle needs to say is, a word triggers her, and she’d immediately understand, apologize, and definitely not use the word again in the future. Crystal comes back in and wants a download. Sutton says, Dorit announced she made out with her driver, and asks where Kyle has been. Kyle says, conspiring in the kitchen, and Dorit says she’s glad Crystal joined the conversation. Sutton said Crystal told her that she accused Sutton of putting vodka in her coffee. We flash back to Dorit saying that, and Crystal says she’s happy to talk about it, and Dorit says she doesn’t want to get it wrong. Denise says, apparently, she did already, and Sutton says she knows her life, what she’s accomplished, and what she’s going to accomplish. And she knows what she can’t do to accomplish it. So continue to chatter. She’s moving forward at a rapid speed. In mean girl Kyle’s interview, she parodies Sutton, saying, if I have a drinking problem, I couldn’t say accomplish so many times. Denise says she thinks it came off as judgmental, and Dorit asks if Denise cleared up the thing with Erika. Denise says, which thing? and Dorit asks if they’ve had a chat. Erika says, they haven’t, and in Erika’s interview, she says, how dare Dorit give her that hot potato? She doesn’t want to fight with Denise, but okay. Dorit asks if Denise has anything to say, and Denise asks if Dorit has anything to say, but Dorit says she doesn’t have the issue. Denise suggests she bring it down a notch then, and Dorit says she’s going to see the husband she hasn’t seen in week, and runs away from the situation of her own making, saying, she’s so ready to go home. Denise asks if Erika wants to have a conversation, but Erika says she doesn’t. Denise had a chance at the dinner party. She came in with an agenda, called Erika a bitch, and Erika apologized sincerely. What was Denise upset about? Denise says, to insinuate her daughters at 14 had a threesome is beyond inappropriate. Erika says, children who have a phone have access to everything and they know what it is. Denise’s oldest daughter is on OnlyFans, and she doesn’t know? Denise says, that’s a low blow, and Erika says, Denise came in slurring and inarticulate, and wanted to call her a bitch, then pretend it didn’t happen. Does Denise think she won’t go as low as she can? Did she think Erika wouldn’t go to OnlyFans? Has Denise met her? Denise says, Erika is a mean woman, and Erika says, Denise asked for it. Denise says she didn’t, and Erika says, then don’t come to Kyle’s house acting like a bitch over something that happened 4 years ago that no one remembers. Denise says she thinks Erika is mean, and Erika says she thinks it’s great. But tell her, who’s more profitable, her or Sami?

To be continued…

🎄 Making Merry Christmas Eve Happen…

Take a break from the madness tomorrow for some soap and debatable Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping old traditions, but also starting new ones, and stay walking forward, no matter how small the steps may be.

December 18, 2023 – Dante Tells Anna About Finding the Report, Temporary Visit, Rainbow Pancakes On Deck & Spicey Wrapping

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Gregory knocks on Alexis’s office door and says, rumor has it she’s looking for him. She says, yes. A freelancer dropped the ball on the rezoning article, and she needs this done. Can he do it? It’s supposed to be in tomorrow’s edition. He says he’ll do what he can and takes the folder from her. Just so she knows, he has some plans in his near future. She says, does he now? What do these plans involve? He says, the defenestration of Tracy Quartermaine.

Chase and Brook walk through Rice Plaza with Leo and Violet, and Leo wonders if Ned will still perform at the Gingerbread Jam. Brook says, he’s very busy catching up on everything he’s missed, but she’s sure he’ll pull out his guitar just for Leo. Violet says, maybe Chase can perform again. Last year, he and Blaze were epic. Chase says he appreciates it, but now that he’s back to fighting crime, he’s put his singing career behind him. Brook says, there’s one thing she and Violet agree on, and Violet says, just one? Brook says, everything her handsome, charming fiancé does is epic, and kisses him.

Blaze tells Kristina, then after midnight mass, her abuela invites everyone over for food I don’t catch the name of, and Kristina asks what something or other is. Blaze says, basically Puerto Rican eggnog. She can make Kristina some when she comes over. Kristina says she’d like that.

Dr. Navarro (I think, different actress) says she was sorry to hear about the miscarriage. Is their surrogate open to trying again? TJ says he’s afraid not. She took it really hard. The doctor says she’s sure. Setbacks like this are devastating for everyone, but they’re here, so she takes it they want to discuss options. TJ says, actually… Molly says, they already have a new surrogate.

At Laura’s apartment, temp Josslyn (see below) holds a gift to her ear, and Trina asks what she’s doing. Josslyn says, making sure it’s not ticking, and Spencer says, digital clocks don’t tick, but if she doesn’t want it… Trina says, it won’t kill her, she promises, and Josslyn says, Spencer shouldn’t have. He says, when she opens it, she’ll wonder how she ever lived without it. Josslyn says she’s sure. Besides, he’s already given her the greatest present ever – there’s a knock at the door – her best friend’s happiness. Spencer says, the gift that keeps on giving, and opens the door. Esme is there.

Brennan walks into Kelly’s, where he lives now, and says he was going to see if Carly needed help, but she seems to have everything under control.

Anna meets Dante at the morgue and asks if there’s a reason they keep meeting here. He says, yeah. He likes it here. There’s no security cameras and the people who are here are bad witnesses. She asks, why the secrecy? and he says he didn’t want to risk tipping anybody off. She asks what he’s been up to, and he shows her a manila envelope and says, investigating Jameson Forsythe.

Violet says she’s going to get a hot chocolate that’s all marshmallow, and Leo says, if it’s all marshmallow, why not call it a marshmallow? (He’s not wrong.) She tells him that the hot chocolate will be poured on top, and Chase tells them to get whatever hot chocolate marshmallow drink they want, and Brook says, they want to take them back to their parents as hopped up on sugar as possible. Chase says, here’s twenty bucks, handing it to Violet. Consider it her Christmas present. She says, not a chance, and tells Leo, let’s go. Brook tells them to stay where she and Chase can see them, and asks Chase, who’s next on his gift list? He says, besides his beautiful fiancé? and she says, Santa already brought her what she wants, looking at her ring. He asks if she’s sure she likes it, and she says, she loves it, but more importantly… He says, Maxie approves, and she says, yes indeed. Now who’s next on his gift list? He says, his dad. No pressure, but this has to be the most special Christmas his family has ever had.

Alexis says, no one understands the desire to send Tracy careening out of a window more than she does. In fact, typically, she’d help Gregory push her, but she didn’t enjoy prison the first time. He says, defenestration isn’t strictly accurate. There will be a fall from a great height, but he intends for Tracy to be flung at her own choosing and attached to a parachute. She says, Tracy is going to go skydiving with him? and he says, that’s the hope. Alexis says, he hasn’t asked her yet, and he says he heard she just got back from Amsterdam. He thought he’d go by her place and pitch it to her. Think she’d go for it? She says, he has a better chance of pitching a strikeout against Mickey Mantle, and he says, Micky Mantle’s been dead for 30 years. She says, exactly. It’ll never happen.

Esme tells Spencer, sorry. She was having a package delivered here and got a notification it was here. He gives her a box and asks, where’s Ace? She says, he’s fine, and he says, that’s not what he asked. She says she met this really nice biker couple who said they’d watch Ace. She didn’t catch their names, but they swore they wouldn’t sell the baby. He says, that’s funny, and she says, he’s in daycare. Relax. He says, she wouldn’t have to rely on daycare so much if she wouldn’t… Trina asks how the new place is, and Esme says, it’s cozy. Peaceful. She thanks Trina for asking, and Josslyn says, then again, anything’s cozier than a jail cell, right? Esme asks if she can talk to Trina for a second… alone, and Trina says, sure. They go into the hallway, and Spencer listens at the door, but Josslyn tells him, leave it.

In the hall, Trina asks, what’s up? and Esme says, Trina may not want to hear this, but thank you.

Anna asks if that’s what she thinks it is, and Dante says, it is. She’s welcome. He holds out the envelope, and she says she told him to stay out of it. He says he knows she did, but she’s not his boss anymore. He doesn’t have to listen to her. She says she told him not to get involved, because if he did, it could be dangerous, and he says he knows. The thing is, she’s his friend and she never turned her back on him, so he’s not turning his back on her. So does she want to see what’s in here or not? She takes the envelope and asks how he got it. He says, the storage locker at the train station, and she asks how he found out about it. He says, the M.E. found a key on Forsythe’s body and handed it over to him. Instead of logging it in as evidence, he kept it. She takes out the report and says, this is it. So she guesses Forsythe must have broken into her apartment that night. He says, that’s not all, and takes out the photos, setting them on the table. He says, here’s her, here’s Forsythe. Who’s that guy? Does she have any idea who that is?

Carly thanks Brennan, but says she doesn’t put her customers to work. He says he’s not just any customer, and she says, but then she’d have to hire him. Deal with the whole hour/wage thing, the insurance, stuff like that. Then she would lose him as her regular. He says, she noticed, but she tells him not to let it go to his head. She always notices when people keep coming around. It’s good business. He says, it looks like she’ll have his business for a while. She asks if he’s sticking around, and he says, it’s taken longer than expected to take care of the security issue in Port Charles. It’s the kind of thing that requires his personal attention. She says she’s sure he’ll figure out the situation soon enough, and he says he hopes not. He’s glad for an excuse to stay. She says, he likes the burgers here that much? and he says, the burgers, The Chuck, the hotel. Opportunities abound in Port Charles, and he intends to jump on every single one of them.   

Brook tells Chase not to worry about a thing, and he says he’ll try. She says, leave it to her and she’ll help him make this the best holiday for his dad. He says, if anyone can do it… She says, thank you. They’re at this beautiful holiday extravaganza, and if they don’t find anything to their liking here, they have the entire city of Port Charles and the internet. So they’ll start here and work their way outward. He says, all right. He and his dad are pretty similar, so if she could just give him a hint of what she’s getting him… and she tells him, like Violet said, not a chance. He says, she can’t blame a guy for trying, and she says, while they’re shopping for his dad, they can find something for Maxie and her kids. It’s so terrible that she’s struggling financially this Christmas, especially since it’s all her fault. He says, once she gives Maxie control of Deception, she’s not even going to remember how tough it is right now. She says, that’s not going to help Maxie through the next billing cycle. She needs to help Maxie right now.

Kristina tells Blaze that Molly and TJ are giving each other presents like the perfect pair of socks or an antique paperweight. Blaze says, they’re so cute, and Kristina says, then she and Sam exchange gifts. Sam got her a pepper spray holster, and she got Sam a pair of brass knuckles. Then her mom launches into this 30 minute, totally inspired speech, free legal advice on concealed weapons. And that was before the Cassadine contingent showed up. Blaze says, so the Davis branch of her family… Kristina says, they’re the sane ones, completely. The Cassadines? Everything Blaze has heard about them… the truth is so much worse. Blaze says, her family is insane, and Kristina says, tell her about it. Blaze says she loves it, and they surreptitiously touch hands. Brook approaches with Leo and Violet, and their hands move apart. Brook says she didn’t know Blaze was going to be here, and they hug.

Molly tells Dr. Navarro that her sister Kristina volunteered to be her surrogate. With Andrea unavailable, they talked it over and would like to get started as soon as possible. TJ says, they haven’t forgotten how much preparation went into this. Kristina knows she’ll be screened and undergo a mock cycle, ultrasounds, bloodwork… Molly says, they’re ready to screen egg donors, and they’re hoping Kristina will be successfully pregnant in the next couple of months. (How come they’re not using Kristina’s egg? Is that too weird?) The doctor says she’s afraid their timetable might be overly optimistic.

Anna tells Dante that she knows him all right. They didn’t have much contact during the operation, but he was involved. Did Dante read the report? Dante says he did. The botched op was trying to get a defector to the WSB, and their job was to escort him to safety. There were other names mentioned in the report besides Anna’s. Who is this guy? How does he tie in? She says, if she tells him… he knows, and he says, she’ll have to kill him. She says she won’t, but someone else might want to. Dante tells her, the way he sees it, knowledge is power, and the more they know, the better shot they have at staying alive and the better shot they have at taking these guys down. She says, don’t say she didn’t warn him. His name is John Brennan, and he was in field ops around the same time as her and Forsythe. Dante asks what he’s doing now. Is he still around? She says, oh yeah. He’s the current director of the WSB.

Carly tells Brennan, as luck would have it, Port Charles is pretty security conscious. They’re a major center for commercial shipping, medicine… He says, crime, and she says, that too. He’ll have plenty of business to jump on. He says, how about her? and she says, what about her? He asks if she feels safe here, and she says, security-wise? Yeah, sure, but she doesn’t live what one would call a typical life. He says he’s not surprised. There’s nothing typical about her. She says, that obvious, huh? and he says, despite the single mother, business owner exterior, she gives off a distinctly unconventional vibe. And he’s very much like to get to know her better.

Gregory says he doesn’t think Alexis is giving Tracy enough credit. He thinks she has an adventurous streak. Alexis says, she definitely has an adventurous streak. Anyone who flees the country as much as she did to avoid prosecution has a sense of adventure. Not to mention, she was married to Luke Spencer. He says he read about Luke in Lucy Coe’s book. He’s like the adventurer in us all. She says, exactly her point. Would Tracy jump out of a plane to avoid capture by either the authorities or the underworld? Easily. But would she jump out of a plane for amusement? He says he supposes only one way to find out, and she says she’s not trying to be a party pooper. Go ahead and ask her, but she doesn’t want him to get his hopes up. This is a big ask for Tracy. He says, it appears to be too big of an ask for everyone, but she says, that’s not true. What about Chase? he says, Chase would do it, but Brook would age thirty years waiting for him to land. She says, how about Finn? but he says, single parent. Violet has to come first. Oh well. Maybe this has to be the one item he won’t be able to check off his bucket list.

Brook says, look at Kristina and Blaze, thick as thieves. She’s glad they hit it off. Blaze says, you can never have too many friends. She loves all the little pop-up shops. Did they get anything good? Violet says, the grown-ups are here to shop. She and Leo are here to see Santa. Leo says, Violet’s here to see Santa, and Brook asks if he doesn’t want anything for Christmas. He says he wants a 3-D puzzle, and Violet says, then tell Santa, but Leo says, there is no Santa.

Josslyn tells Spencer, get away from the door, but he says he doesn’t think so. She asks if he isn’t always praising Trina for being smart and capable, and he says, yes, but… She says, if anyone can handle Esme without back-up, it’s Trina. Now how about if they open her present?

Trina asks, what exactly is Esme thanking her for? and Esme says she knows Trina encouraged Spencer to accept she was moving out. He was so opposed at first, it made it harder for her to do what they all knew was right, but Trina talked him down and made it possible for her to start over and stand on her own. So thank you. Trina says she needed Spencer to know her feelings. To be clear, she didn’t do it for Esme. Esme says she never assumed Trina did. She just… Trina says she asked Spencer to let it go for his own good. She loves Spencer and she intends to have a future with him, but he was trying to be a father to Ace, not a brother, and it was getting in her way. Esme says she figured it was something like that. Even so, Trina has been patient and even polite to her, which can’t be easy with everything she did to Trina. Trina asks if she doesn’t mean the old Esme, and Esme says she’s come to realize that even if she never remembers what happened, all the things she did to Trina, Josslyn, and Cameron… She has to take responsibility for her actions, past and present, so she wanted to thank Trina. But she also wants to apologize for everything she put Trina through. She knows it’s too little too late, but she really hopes it’s not nothing, and maybe someday Trina might even manage to forgive her. Who knows? They might even end up as friends. Trina says, that will never happen.

Carly says she’s happy to get to know Brennan as a customer, and he says, ouch. She says, maybe even as a friend, but she thinks she told him… He says, she’s seeing someone. He remembers. She says, keep remembering, and laughs, and he says, whoever this guy is, he doesn’t seem to know how good he’s got it. She says, he does and so does she, and Brennan asks if the someone she’s seeing is Donna’s father. She says, a different someone. She and Donna’s father are divorced. He says, his loss, and she says, since he’s going to be a regular, what can she get him to eat? He says, sorry. He was being intrusive, wasn’t he? Occupational hazard. She says, that’s okay. She’s an open book. But she doesn’t know a lot about him. He says, ask him anything, and she says, what she knows about him is, he likes to run, he likes burgers, he works in security. What else? He says, there’s one more thing she knows about him, and she says, what? He says, that he enjoys her company, and she laughs. His phone rings, and he says, sorry. He has to take this. He’ll see her again soon. He grabs his coat, and leaves.

Anna tells Dante that Brennan took over as head of the WSB when Frisco was ousted, but when they were part of that failed operation, he was stationed in London and provided remote support and logistics for them. Forsythe was a field agent; she was basically a courier. It was her job to pose as the defector’s girlfriend and get him across the border, which didn’t happen because he got caught and killed. Then the other part is, the money that was allocated to buy the defector’s cooperation was just never recovered. Dante says, so what does the Bureau think happened to all that money? and she says she thinks they chalked it up to intelligence failure. It’s all here – she picks up the report – the dates, the locations, the agents involved. That’s why she kept a copy. Just in case somewhere down the line, they decided to pin this screw-up on her. He says, so Brennan’s now in charge, and Forsythe is dead after going to great lengths to get his hands on that report. There’s got to be something in it worth hiding. She says she guesses Brennan just rose up through the ranks and that would have given him more and more clearance. Eventually, he would have had access to his own records and would have seen a copy of this report. Dante says, but now in his new position, he can’t be implicated for the death of a defector and ten million dollars missing. She says, that’s a lot of money. If they’re right about this, then Brennan wants to eliminate any and all traces of this report. He says, and anyone who knows about it.

On the phone, Dante says, his name is John Brennan, head of the WSB. They want to find out any information about him, news releases, that kind of thing. Anything that will tell them who he is or who he’s connected to… He thanks Sam and tells her, you be careful too. He tells Anna, it’s safe to assume this guy is in good standing with the other Bureaus, the FBI, the CIA… Anna says, yeah. He was always super slick. Dante says, Brennan wasn’t incriminated, but they know he was involved somehow. Forsythe was incriminated, and now he’s dead. She says, what they need is something that ties Brennan to the defector’s assassination. Possibly if they could find out anything on that missing money it would help. He says he might have something. He found this in the locker with the report. He hands her the wallet and asks what she thinks those numbers are. She says, it’s twenty-one digits. That’s the exact number needed for a Swiss bank account. He says, maybe that’s where the missing money is, and she says she doesn’t know that’s where it is, but that could be where it went, and that might lead them to the person who’s responsible for the botched operation. He says, they’ve got to stash this evidence somewhere where Brennan can’t get to it, and she says she knows someone they can call.

Violet says, there is too a Santa, and Chase says, of course (🍷) there is. Brook asks why Leo would say such a thing, and he says, it’s scientifically impossible for one man to visit every single house in the world in one single night. (Again, he’s not wrong.) Violet says, when daddy orders food on his phone, it comes in three minutes or less, and Kristina says, with technology, anything is possible. Leo says, but Santa didn’t have the internet hundreds of years ago. And even if Santa visited every house in the world for one second, that would still be between one and two billion seconds. He’d have to bend the speed continuum to do so. So it’s impossible for there to be a Santa Claus. Violet asks Chase, is it true? Is Santa impossible? Blaze suggests Brook and Chase take Leo shopping, and Brook asks if she’s sure. Blaze says, Brook asked her to trust her as a manager. Does Brook trust her? Brook says, sure, and Chase says, just don’t entice her into a rock and roll lifestyle. Chase and Brook leave with Leo, and Blaze squats down to Violet’s level. She says, here’s the skinny on Santa. The truth is, Leo’s right.

Dr. Navarro says, essentially, Molly and TJ are starting from scratch. Realistically, the soonest they can expect successful implantation is six months, and that’s if the surrogate gets pregnant on the first implantation. TJ asks if there’s anything they can do to expedite things, but she says she’s sorry. As they already know, it’s a painstaking process and there are strict procedures that have to be followed every step of the way. Molly says, they understand. They just let themselves get carried away. She tears up, and TJ puts his hand on her back.

Alexis says, hold it, and Greogry stops on his way out the door. She says, he doesn’t have to defenestrate her diving ambitions just yet. He says he sees what she did there, and she says, does this dangerous and insane thing that insane people do… Does he really want to do it? He says, very much so, and she says, and his condition doesn’t prevent it? He says, not yet, but who knows how long that’s going to last. She says, then she has an idea. Is he ready? He shrugs, and she says, then just do it. Jump. Finn, her, Chase, whoever he wants will be standing there cheerleading. Hopefully, he’ll land safely. Just jump. Does he have to jump out of a plane with somebody else? He says, no, he doesn’t, and she says, there you go. He says, in fact, there’s not a single item on his bucket list that requires a partner, but he wants one anyway. The time is coming when he’s going to be trapped in his own body, unable to put thoughts into words with his mouth or his hands. Essentially, he’s going to be alone with his thoughts and memories until the end of a very short, difficult life. If that’s the way he’s going to go, then he wants his still active, still alert brain to be overflowing with memories and experiences that he shared with people he loves. Experiences that they can tell their kids and grandkids about when he can’t, because he’s unable to or because he’s gone.

Blaze tells Violet, a lot of things are scientifically impossible until someone comes along and proves they’re very possible. I’m thinking, bumblebees, but Violet says, like Santa? and Blaze says, exactly. And here’s how she knows. When she was young and learning how to sing, her voice teacher told her it was too hard for her to hit a high C, that she didn’t have the pipes. But with a little belief in herself and a lot of practice – she sings – now I can sing as high as birds can fly. That’s not impossible after all, huh? Violet says she wants to sing like Blaze. Maybe she can ask Santa for singing lessons. Blaze says, why ask Santa when she’s right here? Kristina watches, smiling.

Alone in the doctor’s office, Molly says she feels bad, but TJ says, she’s hardly the first person to become emotional in the doctor’s office. She says, but she’s not those people. She’s her. She doesn’t do this. He says, why not forgive herself just this once. He teases her, saying, he won’t. He’s so embarrassed. She laughs and he says, that’s better. How does she feel about starting over? She says, her first impulse is full speed ahead, and he says, now that she’s had a second? She says, it’s a long and arduous process. Not just for them. Kristina’s ready to go now. She’s going to have to wait too, and if what happened to Andrea happens with Kristina… He says, she’s right. They need to both be ready to go through all of this again. She says, not to mention the expense, which is another emotional toll. He says he appreciates her mom offering to help them the first time, but he’s not comfortable asking her again. She says, her neither. So she guesses they’re on their own. Can they even do this? He says, they’re going to figure this out. Even if it means they have to do some budgeting, they’ll figure it out. She says, what just kills her is, a month ago, their dream was on its way to happening, and now… He says, they’re back at square one. It feels so… She says, out of reach. Again. He holds her.

Josslyn says, oh my God. It’s perfect. She takes out a dartboard with Spencer’s picture in the middle, and he says he figured the next time he does something that warrants getting a smack, she can save him the bruise. She says, he means he can save him the bruise. She just doesn’t know where she’s going to put it. She can’t put it up in their dorm room. Trina would flip out. He says, Trina knows about it. Josslyn says, Trina’s probably going to use it more than she will.

In the hall, Trina says she’s glad Esme’s changed. And she believes Esme is sincerely sorry. Esme says she really is… Trina says, maybe it’s a good thing that Esme doesn’t remember all the incredibly cruel things she’s done to her. But she does remember. There will never be a day where she or Joss or Cam will look at her and not remember. So they can be cordial, even friendly, but that, this right here, is as good as it’s going to get. Esme thanks Trina for hearing her out, and leaves. Trina goes back inside, and Josslyn asks what Esme wanted. Spencer asks what she said, and Trina tells him, it doesn’t matter what Esme said. It only matters what she said.

Sam comes into Kelly’s and orders a cup of coffee. She tells Carly, it’s going to be a long night. She and Dante are working on something. Carly leaves to get the coffee, and Sam looks up Brennan on Spyder-Finder. She sees an article: WSB NAMES NEW DIRECTOR: JOHN BRENNAN WILL HEAD THE WSB AFTER FISCO JONES OUSTER.

In a very clean alleyway, Brennan asks Hume if he has a location. Hume says, he put their hackers on it. They tapped the GPS system on Anna’s phone and traced her to General Hospital. From there, it’s pretty easy to access… Brennan says he’s not interested in Hume’s processes. Does he know where she is? Hume says, the General Hospital morgue, meeting Detective Dante Falconari. As soon as he connected Anna to Detective Falconari, his people backtracked Dante’s movements. Yesterday he visited a bank where he rented out a safe deposit box. Hours earlier, he was at a train station locker. Security footage shows him retrieving a small package. Brennan says, that must be where Forsythe stashed the report. Now that Falconari has it, Anna does too.

Walking out to the pier with Dante, Anna says, their contact should be here shortly. He’ll make sure the Bureau doesn’t get the evidence, and certainly not Brennan. Dante says, they make sure they secure that report, then go after Brennan himself, and Anna says, yeah. Wherever he is.

Hume asks what Brennan wants him to do, and Brennan says, find that cop and retrieve the report, if he has it with him. And make sure there are no physical or digital copies. Hume asks what Brennan wants him to do about Anna Devane.

Carly pours Sam’s coffee and sees the headline. She asks if that’s the guy Sam is investigating, and Sam says, yeah. He’s head of the WSB. Carly says, really. Because he told her that he was a security consultant. Sam asks if she knows him.

Gregory says he’s sorry. He didn’t mean to unload in Alexis’s office. He’ll get to that report. He starts to leave, but she stops him, snatching the folder from his hand. She says, don’t worry about the article. They’ll run a horoscope. He asks if they don’t have one already, and she says, even astrologers need opposing viewpoints. Just ask a Gemini. He says, no. He wants to work. They can still make tomorrow’s deadline. She says, do whatever he wants, but she’s going to be spending the next three hours calling every single skydiving service in the country, specifically to this area, to check the safety reports, because she’s certainly not putting her life in the hands of some random cloud jockey. He says, she’s going with him? and she says, looks that way. He says, no. He didn’t mean to sway her. She made it clear… She says she changed her mind. Besides, it’ll be a good story. He says, for the paper? but she says, for his grandchildren, and hers.

TJ and Molly walk down the hall hand in hand, and he asks if she’s okay. She says she’ll be fine. It’s just, the last thing she wants to do is take more time. They’ve lost enough already. He says he feels exactly the same, but he thinks they should sleep on it. She says she knows he’s right, and he says, it’s just one more day. What’s one more day? Having a baby is the dream. Isn’t that worth waiting for? She says, of course (🍷), but she thinks they should be taking into account their surrogate too. Kristina has offered them this incredible gift, but that’s doesn’t mean there isn’t an expiration date. He asks if she thinks Kristina will change her mind, and Molly says, no, but she has a life of her own. Her center is scheduled to open in June. Are they going to ask her to push back the opening so she can get pregnant? Maybe they’re being selfish using her sister as their surrogate. TJ tells her that Kristina said she wanted to do this, but she asks if they should really ask Kristina to put her life on hold for them. She does know that pregnant women do stuff, right?

Kristina, Blaze, and Violet walk through Rice Plaza singing Deck the Halls, and meet Chase, Brook, and Leo. Brook asks if everything is good here, and Blaze says she thinks so, but someone’s going to have to tell Violet’s dad she’s taking singing lessons, every Wednesday from 4 to 5. Brook says, with Blaze? That’s amazing. Chase tells Blaze, what did he say about dragging her into a rock and roll lifestyle? and Blaze says she’s giving Violet singing lessons, not lifestyle instructions. Leo asks if they can go home now, and tells Violet that he’s sorry he challenged her belief in something that made her happy. Violet says, that’s okay, and Leo says, even if there’s no scientific explanation for it. Violet says, that’s okay too. Right, Blaze? Blaze says, absolutely, and Brook says, Leo is right. They have to get going. She and Chase leave with the kids, and Kristina says, good save. Does she have any more tricks up her sleeve? Blaze says, stick around and maybe she’ll find out. She can’t give away all her secrets. You have to work for them. She tells Kristina that she’s going to get them some hot chocolate and goes over to the vendor. Kristina flashes back to them touching hands, then being interrupted by Brook.

Josslyn says she’s late for a study session with Adam, and Trina says she thought Josslyn told him that he had to find someone else to study with. He’s nice enough – don’t get her wrong – but he’s not Josslyn’s responsibility. Josslyn says she feels bad for the guy. Darts later? Trina says she can’t wait, and Josslyn leaves. Spencer says, it’s just them now. How did things go with Esme? She says, surprisingly well. Esme thanked her for encouraging him to take a step back. He says he bets, and she says, then Esme apologized for everything she did before. He asks if Trina thinks she meant it, and Trina says she does, but that doesn’t mean she trusts Esme.

Holding Ace near the tree, an ornament in her other hand, Esme says, isn’t it beautiful? Their first ornament for their first Christmas tree. Now watch mommy. She flashes back to being locked in the tower at Windymere and decorating the tree with toilet paper. She remembers saying, what a way to end a year. Ironic, isn’t it Ace? The ornament in her hand falls to the floor and smashes.

Tomorrow, Brook tells Ned that nothing is going to stop her from making this right; Laura asks if Cyrus will do this for her; Nina says she needs Ava’s help before her world comes crashing down; and Sonny tells someone that they’ve already been replaced.

🏥 Dropping In To Port Charles…

About the temp Josslyn.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/courtney-fulk-is-the-temporary-josslyn-recast-on-general-hospital

Below Deck Mediterranean

Backtracking a little, Captain Sandy asks if Lily can do turndowns on her own. She needs Lily to be more aware and have initiative. Lily has to be able to do it on her own, and she’s giving Lily one more chance. She knows Lily is exhausted, but how a crew member maintains is how she decides to keep a crew member. She needs to rely on Lily, and so does Tumi. Check in and stay on top with the radio. Lily says she feels she’s got a method now, and in Lily’s interview, she says she has to change people’s perception of her. They haven’t seen what’s underneath these curtains. The captain calls Tumi to the bridge, and says she talked to Lily. Sometimes you need to take time with someone. They could know what they’re doing, but have the wrong attitude. She always hires based on character, not skills. Skills can be taught; character is more difficult. In Tumi’s interview, she says she was hoping the captain let Lily go, but clearly not. She’s tired of picking up the slack, and so are Kyle and Jessika. She needs Lily to step it up. In Jessika’s interview, she says, Lily’s mistakes are her mistakes, and Lily’s successes are her successes. It’s her problem if Lily isn’t successful, and she’s not willing to take the fall if Tumi notices Lily’s mistakes. On deck, Max hums opera and exercises his abs.

It’s time for the preference sheet meeting, and Captain Sandy says, it’s a repeat customer. Luka asks how their first charter went, and the captain says, not good. Primary Billy is the co-founder of an ad agency. We flash back to that cruise, and the captain reads that he’s happy to be back, and hoping they have a boat with working stabilizers and a slide. He’s bringing his fiancé Chris and six close friends. Jack says, they want a Brazilian steakhouse meal and local Brazilian dancers. Tumi ponders local Brazilian dancers in Italy, and Tumi says, they want to have a sparkles and glitter dance party on the sun deck after dinner. Jack says, they want a big gay breakfast, and Luka says, there will be lots of sausage. Tumi says, they’re also asking Captain Sandy to join them for breakfast. Jack says, they love caviar so he’s getting the most expensive, beluga. Captain Sandy looks like she’s all-in with this. Provisions come, and Kyle is still wrestling with a migraine. He asks Tumi if he can lie down, and in his interview, he says, he was struck at 10 pm and had zero sleep. If this is because it’s been an emotional charter season and the stress has built, he doesn’t know. Haleigh calls the captain and says she’s been throwing up all day; she has a stomach bug. The captain tells her to get rest and hydrate. When she feels better, they’ll pick her up. Jessika shows Lily how to smooth out pillows, and Luka tells Max that he’s on at 3 am. Max says, it’s f***ing him up, and in Luka’s interview, he says, there’s extra pressure because of the last charter. We flash to Captain Sandy griping about Luka getting the schedule together, and Luka says, he’s concerned about Max. When you’re down a crew member, there’s an unspoken rule that you pick up the slack. He would never tell his boss that he can’t do it. Tumi wonders what to do for Kyle, and in her interview, she says, Kyle being down is her worst nightmare. He has he most experience. She still needs to supervise Jessika, and that means she’d need Lily to be alone with housekeeping. No. She just tried to get Lily fired less than 12 hours ago. Imagine if she did. Tumi tells Lily that she needs to be as quick as she can; Kyle is down with a headache. Lily wonders what’s happening to everyone, and the captain says, holy cannoli. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, she’s giving Lily the opportunity to redeem herself, and now Haleigh is gone, and Kyle is down, and Kyle knows the guests. The worst pressure is on her. She wants to pull this off. Please let the weather be good. Jessika asks Tumi if Kyle is going to be down for the entire trip, but Tumi says she can’t think that far.

The guests arrive, and immediately ask about the slide. We flash back to the captain telling them it’s stuck in customs, and she assures them it will be out. The usual happens, and Tumi tells them that Kyle is ill, but not to worry; he’s coming. Primary Billy and fiancé Chris talk to Jack about the cuts of meat and the temperature of this evening’s steaks, and in Jack’s interview, he says he prides himself on his steaks. He worked in an American steakhouse. He explains how he cooks his steak, and says he’ll put his steak against anyone’s. Jack promises the guests there will be steaks of all temperatures. In Lily’s interview, she says, she thinks it will get easier. She can do whatever she puts her mind to. She has a Masters; cleaning is easy. In Max’s interview, he says, Haleigh is gone, and they have less crew. If you don’t sleep, you go loco. The four things needed are sleep, eating, rest, and loving. Lobster spaghetti, Dover sole, and asparagus are served for lunch. Chris wants a potato for the caviar, and Tumi tells Jack. She comes back, and then is sent for crushed ice. Chris says he’s not a huge fan of mint in his asparagus and he has my agreement on that one. He and Chris tell Tumi that they need another plate and another potato, and in Tumi’s interview, she says, with Haleigh sick and Kyle down, the last thing she needs is dealing with difficult guests. Her aim is to keep afloat. She tells Jack that the guests want two potatoes, and he tells her, 20 minutes. She relays the message and asks Billy if that’s okay, but he says, no. They don’t want them anymore. She brings that info back to Jack, who says he hates them already. He wonders if this is going to be the charter that breaks them.

They anchor, and in Jessika’s interview, she says she needs to fully trust Lily. She needs to be on service, which she wanted to do more, but Lily has to be on housekeeping alone. Good luck, Lily. Tumi checks on Jessika in the laundry, and in Tumi’s interview, she says she’s pleasantly surprised. Everything is pressed and in order. With housekeeping, it’s a different story, but she believes in miracles, and she’s hoping their Lilybet is a miracle. Max meets the guests and amuses them, and the guests do water sports. The guests get ready for the Brazilian dinner, and Jack goes over the menu with Tumi. Tumi asks Luka to pick up the dancers, and in Luka’s interview, he says, in yachting, communication is everything. Tumi gets an A for communication, and it’s about time. Tumi asks Jessika what the guests are drinking, and Jessika says, literally everything. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says she has an awesome deck team. Luka is focused and can implement change. Tumi tells Lily to take all the glitz and glamour out of the cupboard, and Max does The Worm down the hallway, which Lara finds disturbing, as do I. The captain checks on Kyle and asks if he’s sick sick. Maybe he should go to the doctor. He should be better be now; this is not normal. She calls the marina nurse Terry and says she’s concerned about a crew member with a headache. She asks for Terry’s help to facilitate a doctor visit, then calls Luka to the bridge. In Lily’s interview, she says she’s a visual learner. She likes when Tumi shows her stuff, but she’ll never fold a towel the same way twice though. The captain tells Luka that Kyle is going to the doctor, and Luka asks Lara to drive him to shore. In Lara’s interview, she says, everyone is breaking. Who are they losing next? The guests see Kyle leave in the tender, and Kyle tells Lara that he has no idea what’s going on. In Tumi’s interview, she says, great. She needs Kyle’s energy this charter. The guests have a relationship with him, and it adds to their experience. She could never reach their level of craziness.

Tumi tells Jessika, it’s going to be a long night. Kyle left for the doctor. Jessika says she’s shook, and Tumi asks where Lily is. Jessika says, doing cabins, and Tumi checks on her. Lily says she’s made the same bed four or five times, and in Tumi’s interview, she says she’s shocked that Lily is managing. She’s actually proud of her. Kyle gets to shore, and Lara tells him, get better. Luka steals a kiss from Jessika, and in Jessika’s interview, she says she’s starting to like Luka a lot. Him showing her so much affection makes her think he likes her more. In Luka’s interview, he says, Jessika is funny and fun, and a producer asks if he’s worried about getting attached, but he says, no. Lara picks up the Brazilian dancers, and in her interview, she says, mamacita! They look good. They should give her dance lessons and she can teach them other lessons later. Chris says, he and Billy had a fantastic time in Rio, so they wanted to bring Rio to the Med. The dancers change into Vegas showgirl type costumes and do their thing, some of the guests dancing with them. The guests are seated for dinner and the rare steak is served first. Billy wants a couple of slices, and Tumi explains that it’s not the medium well he requested, but he doesn’t care. He takes a few bites, and tells Tumi that he wants it more done, as though his order came out wrong. He says, they went over what medium is, and there isn’t a range of temperatures. Instead of wasting her time explaining to him that medium takes longer to cook than rare, in Tumi’s interview, she says, he’s just looking for something to complain about. He took the rare steak even though she warned him.

Jack gives Tumi the well-done steaks, and suddenly everything is perfect with Billy. Tumi asks Jessika to help with the cabins, and Jessika finds Lily almost finished. In Jessika’s interview, she says, is this real? Lily is learning. Guest Matthew, who reminds me of entitled brat Spencer on GH, says, the boat is amazing, but they’re not getting much flavor. Dessert is served, and Matthew says, the dinner was super mediocre, but the dessert is really good. Somebody says, it’s glam party time, and Billy says he loved dinner. Tumi tells Lily that she’s proud of her, and in Tumi’s interview, she says, some people need time. She thrived when she was put on laundry and housekeeping. She figured out the navigation, and Lily needed the space to do that. Katie Flood texts Luka that she’s in Portofino, and in Luka’s interview, he says, they used to date, but now she’s a friend. She worked for Sandy in the past. We flash back, but for the life of me, I don’t remember this girl. A producer asks what their history is, but Luka says, they don’t have any. They hung out a few times. What are you getting at? Lily and Max play roughhouse in the galley, and in Lily’s interview, she says, she and Max have fun together. Lily puts glitter on guests’ faces, and Jack asks Max to help wash dishes. In Max’s interview, he says he can’t close his eyes or someone will find him a new mission. He has to be a British spy. Mission Impossible. Kyle texts Tumi, saying he’s spaying the night on land, but should be back tomorrow. In Jack’s interview, he says he was trained in classical cuisine. He’s not sure what a gay breakfast even means, but he’s making it rainbowy. Wearing a rainbow tutu, Tumi hauls a blow-up penis on deck, unsure of where to put it. She finally plops it near the table. The guests sit and Captain Sandy joins them. Tumi tells the guests that the breakfast special is rainbow pancakes, and Matthew snarks that the chef’s specialty is in food coloring. He could make those pancakes. In Tumi’s interview, she says, oh my God. Here we go. She likes chaotic guests, but the ones who have notes on everything are the ones she doesn’t want. She doesn’t need them nitpicking everything.

Captain Sandy says she knows the guests aren’t overjoyed and the missing link is Kyle. Billy asks about Leah, and the captain says, they’re living together now. She tells them about meeting on Facebook. After breakfast, the guests play with the water toys, and Kyle calls. He says he can come back if someone will come get him, and the captain says she’s sending the tender. She tells the guests that Kyle is returning and tells Luka that someone has to pick him up. Max volunteers, and in Max’s interview, he says he feels like an octopus. The tender will be a sweet escape. No one watching. He can do it twice if he wants. Tumi puts a blue wig on. Max picks up Kyle, and in Kyle’s interview, he says, they did a bunch of tests. He was exhausted and dehydrated with a migraine. He feels guilty and asks if this isn’t normally what celebrities are hospitalized for. Is he a celebrity? Captain Sandy says she’s so happy, and Kyle says, guess who’s back? In Max’s interview, he says he’s hungry and tired and has a right to be a bitch to everyone. Tumi tells Kyle that he should wait before going on deck. The energy is draining. Natalya texts Jack that she heard things were busy. Kyle goes out to see the guests, and Billy says, it’s about time. They hug. Max pokes around the galley for food, and Lara points out that there’s pasta, but Max doesn’t want pasta. He tells Jack, there’s no food, just meat. He whines to Captain Sandy that there’s no food and when he leaves, Lara says, Max just doesn’t want what’s there. The captain calls Max to the bridge and says she doesn’t like to be lied to. Don’t lie again. He said there was no food and pitched a fit when there was pasta. Max says he didn’t know there was pasta, and Lara is like, oh no. He asked her if it was from last night, and she said it was vegetarian pasta. He said he didn’t want it. Captain Sandy tells him not to say there’s no food when clearly, there’s food. What he did was wrong. He didn’t want that food. In the captain’s interview, she says she knows they’re down two crew members and knows it’s extra work and tiring, but she doesn’t like liars. Say he’s sorry. Max says – wait for it – no, and walks off. Captain Sandy says she understands he’s tired and hungry, and Lara says she didn’t want to make a scene, but the captain says, she didn’t.

Next time, Jessika says, things are getting exciting with Luka; Captain Sandy says, Luka is smitten with Katie, and Jess hears; Billy tells Jack, more gay fun, less hotel; Lara has to go to the doctor; and the captain is concerned she won’t be able to leave the dock.

❄️ Dashing, But No Snow…

Set a spell tomorrow for soap and the excavation of internet gems. Until then, stay safe, stay being patient and kind if something goes wrong, and stay not challenging a child’s belief in something that makes them happy, even if there’s no scientific explanation for it.

December 14, 2023 – The Hospital Makes a Decision About Finn, Dress Them Up But Don’t Take Them Out & Good King

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Gregory meets Alexis at the PC Grill and apologizes for being late. He couldn’t get a Ride Share, and skateboarding was out of the question. She sees him struggling, and he says, don’t worry. He’ll last through the holidays.

TJ finds Stella in the breakroom, and he asks if that’s what he thinks it is. Chicken and dumplings? She says, it is. Has he had his dinner yet? He says he did, but does she mind if he joins her anyway? She tells him, sit down. Is something on his mind?

Kristina meets Sonny and Donna at the MetroCourt, and Donna asks, what took her so long? Kristina says, parking, and tells Donna that she looks very cute. She kisses Sonny on the cheek, and he says he’s glad she made it. She says she’s glad she got invited. Are they celebrating something special? Donna says, yes. Me. Sonny says, she got a great report card. The teacher in the last quarter said she was talking too much to the other kids… Kristina says, motormouth syndrome. She remembers it well. She used to get all these remarks on her report card. How did Donna turn it around and manage to score a fancy dinner? Donna says she talked less.

At her penthouse, Ava tells Carly that Avery is all settled in and sleeping. She appreciates Carly picking her up from dance class. She’s been so busy with this move. Carly says she had to drop Donna off at Sonny’s for dinner, so it wasn’t a problem to grab Avery. She’s glad they stopped by Kelly’s; she was really hungry, and tired. Ava thanks her for the to-go burger, and says she’s glad Avery was able to get something to eat so Avery could just pass out when she got home… here. She anticipated Avery would have some adjustments to make, but so far, Avery’s been a real trooper. Carly says, she’s moved around a lot. What about Ava? Ava says, moving is so stressful, even under the best of circumstances, and Carly says, but she’s worried about something, and it has nothing to do with moving.

Amy puts out the bin for the hospital toy drive and tells Elizabeth that it really feels like Christmas when they put out the bin. Elizabeth says, that’s the thing about Christmas, people are extra generous and kind.

Portia tells Finn that his recommended treatment plan is spot on, and he thanks her. She says, he knows this is just a formality for the lawyers. He’s a brilliant physician. He doesn’t need any supervision. He thanks her for the vote of confidence, and she says, before he gets all mushy on her, Monica wants to see him in her office.

On the phone, Monica says she can’t tell them how good it is to be home. She’s spending the holidays with her family. And speaking of holidays, she’s wishing them and theirs a wonderful one. She’ll be seeing them. Bye. Tracy comes in and asks if she’s ready for this, but Monica says she’s not sure.

Diane tells Trish that she’s meeting Robert Scorpio, and Trish says, he’s waiting for her. She leads Diane to the table, and Robert tells Diane that she looks great. She says, he cleans up well himself, and he says he’s happy they’re doing this. She says, that makes two of them. She’s especially looking forward to dessert.

Kristina asks, where’s Nina? and Sonny says he promised Donna some one-on-one time. She asked if Kristina could come, so how could he resist? Kristina says, way to go. Thanks to Donna, she scores a free meal at the MetroCourt. They high-five, and Kristina says, not that she needs any excuse. She always loves hanging out with her little sister. Donna says she knows, and Sonny asks why Donna has that look. She says she’s tired of being the little sister. When are he and Nina going to have a baby?

Ava tells Carly, there’s so much going on. Moving out of Windymere, moving into this place, getting organized again. She has a major gallery opening after the first of the year, and of course (🍷) the artist hasn’t delivered all the pieces yet. Carly says, the life of a busy single mom, and Ava says, Carly knows all about that. Carly says she does. She also knows Ava will find a way and make it through. Ava says, she’s right, and Carly says, Ava’s just been rambling on about all the things she’s handling, but she never once mentioned that her boyfriend was murdered.

Alexis looks at Gregory’s phone and says she can’t believe that’s the same sad little tree Violet picked out at Rice Plaza. He says, she took their words to heart, and she says, his words; perfection is the enemy of good. He says, but Alexis clarified it that Violet should look for something special and unique, so she picked out the saddest looking tree on the lot. They took it home and gave it some love, and it’s beautiful. She says, it’s transformed. Everybody looks so happy, even the tree. He says, the whole family pitched in, and she says, even Finn? She finds it hard to believe he’d be the beacon of Christmas cheer. Gregory says, he is when he’s around Violet. He wasn’t exactly ho-ho-ho, but he was radiating joy, and then Violet sang a song she wrote, and Chase accompanied her on the guitar. She says, that sounds incredible, and he says, there’s even more. He’s got big news. Chase and Brook are getting married. She says, he buried the lead. Congratulations. He says he was so worried that Chase would never forgive him about not telling him about his diagnosis, or that Chase would be so devastated, he couldn’t be around him, but look at them now, the literal picture of family unity. She says she’s really happy for him, and he says he loves them all so much. Finn has Violet, and he and Elizabeth are finding their way back to each other. Chase has his true love Brook by his side. he couldn’t wish for more.

TJ says he just came from the OR and grabbed something before he went in, and Stella asks if he’s sure he’s not hungry. He says, she didn’t have to, and she says she can take it back home, but he says, no, taking the dish from her. She says she knows this used to be his favorite. He says, it still is. Don’t tell Molly. He’s fine with veganism, but this is his definition of comfort food. Nobody makes chicken and dumplings like her. She says, actually, Irene made them better than she does. It was their grandma’s recipe and they promised to guard it with their lives. Irene was always a better cook. He asks if she ever regretted moving in with her sister to support her.

Finn asks if they need anything, but Elizabeth says, they’re almost done, and Amy thanks him. Amy goes over to Portia and asks if there have been any updates in Dr. Finn’s malpractice suit. Is there any chance they’d settle and not go to trial? Portia says, this is something the lawyers should be figuring out. They shouldn’t even be discussing this. And it certainly shouldn’t be the topic of any hospital gossip. Just exercise a little discretion. Understood? Amy nods, and Portia thanks her and leaves.

Finn says, Monica wants to see him, and Elizabeth says, maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe she’s lifting the requirement that he needs his treatment plans signed off on. He says, maybe the hospital’s decided to revoke his privileges altogether. Wish him luck. He gets in the elevator.

Finn goes to Monica’s office and says, her assistant said she was expecting him. She tells him, have a seat, and he says he wasn’t expecting to see Tracy here. Tracy says she’s here representing the hospital board. They want a recommendation regarding the lawsuit. Whether to go through a trial, hoping to disprove the Muldoon’s claim of negligence, or whether they should make a separate settlement. Monica says, which would make Finn the sole defendant.

Stella tells TJ, what a question. What brought that on? He says he’d like to hear the answer to the question first, and she says, all right, but it’s not the first time this question has been brought up, and the answer is still, never. She never regretted moving in with her sister and the boys. Don’t get her wrong, she dabbled in the fantasies of what if, but they were just fantasies and can’t compare the life she’s lived, and the life she’s proud of. She and his grandmother Irene shared a deep bond. There was no question she’d step in and help out. She’s proud to have helped raised Thomas and Curtis. They’re her nephews, but she loves them like her own. Just like she’ll always love him and always be his biggest fan. She’ll do whatever she can for him, including sneaking him some chicken and dumplings. He thanks her, and they laugh. She says, that’s the privilege of being an auntie, one of many, and he wonders if Kristina will feel that way.

Robert says, they can swing by Rice Plaza and try and get the tree Diane has been trying to get for so long, and she laughs. She says, touché. No need. She’s already got her tree up. He says he’s impressed, and she says, don’t be. Full disclosure. She actually ordered one from a florist. Did he know they’ll decorate your tree for you? He asks what they’ll think of next. However, he gives her full points for selecting her own. She thanks him and says she does appreciate him coming with her. It’s a shame they had to abort the mission because of Gregory Chase’s attitude. He asks how the malpractice suit is going.

Kristina asks if Sonny and Nina are thinking of having a baby, barely containing her laughter, and he says, that’s not in the cards for a lot of reasons. He’s very satisfied with the kids he has. So is Nina. So Donna is his forever young child, but she’s not a baby. Being a young child means she’s special. Kristina was the youngest for a while. Kristina says, the youngest, the middle, and being the youngest was definitely the best. She asks how things are with Nina, and Sonny says, they’re settling in, and Nina and Willow are doing good. Kristina asks, what about him and Michael? and he says, they’re doing better, but Nina and Michael are not that great. Kristina says, sorry. He’ll probably warm up. Any issues that are going on is probably protectiveness and loyalty. Sonny shrugs, and Kristina tells Donna that she can’t decide. Donna is going to have to pick for her. She trusts Donna. Donna says, sure, and Kristina hands Donna the menu. Hope she likes hot fudge sundaes for dinner.

Ava tells Carly, of course (🍷) she’s affected by Austin’s death. He was murdered, and so violently. She prays the killer is soon caught and behind bars. She guesses she doesn’t talk about it because it’s so upsetting, and it’s complicated. Yes, they were seeing each other, but it was sort of transitional. She doesn’t mean to sound callous, but she really doesn’t know what to make about how she feels now or how she feels about Austin. Carly asks if the police questioned her, and Ava asks, why would they? She didn’t kill him. Carly says, Ava and Austin were involved. Ava was kidnapped by Austin’s cousin. She knows how the police think. It would make sense that they’d ask her about his involvement with his cousin, right? They’d ask her about Austin’s mental state, if he had any enemies, if he was receiving any threats. Ava knows this is standard police procedure. Ava says she doesn’t want to get into that with Carly, and Carly asks, why? Does she have something to hide?

Donna asks if she can see how they make their desserts. Kristina said they use a flame torch. Sonny tells Trish that his daughter got a great report card, and he promised her a great dinner, but she just wants to talk about dessert. Can Trish take her in the kitchen and show her how to make crème brûlée? Trish says she’d love to, and tells Donna, congratulations. Does she want to sample something sweet before dinner? Donna says, yes, please, and goes with Trish. Kristina says, he knows Donna just ruined her appetite, right? but Sonny says, she’ll be okay. How is Kristina doing? Kristina says, good. Busy. She’s assembled the board of directors and the by-laws for the center are done. The construction is set and knock on wood – she knocks on the table – everything’s set. She’s working hard on hiring new staff for the holiday rush at Charlie’s. He asks if she still plans on managing Charlie’s and she says, yeah. Of course (🍷). She loves working there. He says he knows, but he doesn’t want her doing so much that she doesn’t have time for herself. She says she has it handled, and he says, she seems to be talking an awful lot about work and not her personal life. How’s that going?

Gregory says, Alexis wasn’t in the office much today. He finished the article on building rezoning and wanted her feedback. He left her a message. She says she’s sorry. The afternoon got derailed. She has some big news too. He says, a late breaking story he doesn’t know about? and she says, nope. This is personal. She’s going to be a grandmother again.

Portia says she wants Elizabeth’s input on the final candidates for the Epiphany Johnson Scholarship. Maybe before the next meeting. Elizabeth says, Portia’s got it. She thinks it was really great of Sonny to establish that fund in Epiphany’s name. Portia says, and he just underwrote all the Christmas activities for the hospital. The gifts, food, decorations, everything. That man can really surprise you. Elizabeth says, he’s always been really generous with the hospital, and Portia says, now on a not so happy note, can Elizabeth let her know if she hears any gossip around the hospital regarding Finn’s malpractice lawsuit? Amy Driscoll just approached her about news of his suit. Elizabeth says she’ll definitely have a chat with Amy herself. Would Portia mind if she asks why Monica wants to see him? Portia says she honestly doesn’t know, but what she can say is, from her experience Monica is one of the fairest, most impartial administrators she’s ever worked with. And they know Finn is one of the most gifted doctors there is. She thinks they can really hope for the best on this one. She leaves, and Amy approaches Elizabeth. Elizabeth asks why she talked to Dr. Robinson about Dr. Finn, and Amy says she could really use Elizabeth’s advice about that. She was one of the nurses who assisted with Mr. Muldoon’s treatment. She’s supposed to give a deposition, but she doesn’t know what to say or do. Elizabeth says, she has to tell the truth.

Finn says, all he can tell them is that he wasn’t negligent. He’s gone over his notes and examined Mr. Muldoon’s case from every possible angle. He knows he did nothing wrong. Unfortunately, when Mr. Muldoon came to see him, he already had late-stage cancer. It had developed over many years, silently, without any noticeable symptoms. His cancer was also being masked by the presence of a tapeworm, which Finn found and treated with praziquantel. He asked Mr. Muldoon several times to come in and see him for a follow-up, but he was very busy, and it was almost two months before he came back. At which time he ran further blood tests, and more importantly, a colonoscopy, which revealed Mr. Muldoon’s colon cancer. Monica should do what she needs to do. He understands, but he stands by his treatment, whether or not GH stands by him.

Sonny says, Kristina is working at the bar and getting the youth center up and running; that’s two full-time jobs. He wants her to have time to have some fun. She flashes back to kissing Blaze, and says she intends to, but right now she has to focus on other priorities. Fun will come later. He asks, how much later? What doesn’t he know? She says she’s going to be Molly and TJ’s surrogate.

Robert asks if Diane really believes Finn was negligent, and she says, he’s also an attorney, so he knows full well it doesn’t matter what she believes. It matters what she can prove, and she fully intends to prove that if Hamilton Finn had more carefully screened Muldoon, more thoroughly tested him, that Mr. Muldoon’s cancer would have been detected. Hamilton didn’t, it wasn’t, and Mr. Muldoon died as a result… Agree? Disagree? Hello? Robert says, sorry. He wasn’t listening. In fact, he wasn’t thinking about the case at all. He was thinking about her.

Ava says, she and Carly have managed to co-exist and maintain a level of civility for Avery’s sake and she’s grateful for that. But that doesn’t mean she answers to Carly, or that she owes Carly explanations for anything. Carly says, what happens to Ava affects Avery, and she loves that little girl. She’s helped raise her and stepped in for Ava when her life has gotten too dangerous or took her elsewhere. Ava says, Carly doesn’t have to remind her, and Carly says she’s not trying to judge Ava. She’s just thinking about Avery. If Avery were separated from Ava for any reason, it would kill her because she loves Ava. So if Ava had anything to do with Austin’s death, Ava doesn’t have to tell her, but she needs to tell Sonny.

Elizabeth asks Finn, how’d it go? and he says, they won’t be lifting the restrictions on his treatment plans any time soon. Other than that, he has no idea.

TJ says, as Stella knows, their surrogate miscarried their embryo. She’s opted not to try again, and it hit Molly pretty hard. Stella says she’s sorry to have heard that, but there’s still hope, and he says, yes, there is. Because Molly’s sister Kristina offered to be their surrogate. Stella says, what a profound gift Kristina has given Molly, and him, and he says, they’re both very grateful. She says, good… but something’s worrying him. What is it? He says, as a doctor, he’s aware of all the possible risks and health challenges, but what worries him isn’t medical. It’s having to count on Kristina.

Gregory tells Alexis, congratulations. Are Sam and Dante… She says, no. Actually, there isn’t a grandchild yet. He knows Molly and TJ are trying to have a baby via surrogate, right? He says, she mentioned it to him and that the surrogate miscarried, and she says, so Kristina has offered to be the surrogate and Molly has accepted. He says, that’s amazing. Why does she look less than thrilled? She says, because she has mixed feelings about it. She’s of course (🍷) saying this to him in confidence, right? and he says, of course (🍷). She says, because she really has to be able to talk to somebody outside the family. She told him that Molly and Kristina have been bumping up against each other for a while, right? That’s because Kristina wanted to be Molly’s surrogate in the past, but Molly was reluctant about that, and it caused a rift. Just as they were beginning to repair the relationship, the surrogate had a miscarriage. He says, so now Kristina is suddenly option number one, and she says, don’t get her wrong. She’s proud of Kristina for wanting to do something so selfless and loving for her sister, but she can’t help wondering if the two of them are going into this with their eyes wide open or they’re just riding the waves of emotion, not being able to foresee that those waves eventually come crashing down.

Finn tells Elizabeth, the hospital is considering making a separate settlement with the Muldoons. If they decide to do that now, he’ll be going to trial on his own. The fact that the hospital settled would imply they thought there was negligence. Elizabeth says, they can’t do that to him, when Tracy comes out of the elevator. She asks if she and Finn can speak privately, and he walks down the hall with her. Tracy sees Elizabeth glaring at her, and says, oof. Finn says, she’s just voicing her concern and disappointment. He shares both. Tracy says, he knows she considers him a dear friend, but she’s not here as his friend; she’s here as a member of the hospital board.

Monica thanks attorney Clark for coming in on such short notice, and Clark says she assumes this is regarding the proposed separate settlement with the Muldoons. Monica says, the hospital needs to clarify its position on the Hamilton Finn malpractice case.

TJ tells Stella that Kristina has her own way of looking at life and that’s fine, but she’s been impulsive as long as he’s known her. She starts off with the best of intentions, but she doesn’t always follow through. Stella says, so he’s worried she’ll flake out on them with something as sensitive and important as this? She can’t really see that happening. Can he? He says, not intentionally, but his fear is, once Kristina confronts the reality of what surrogacy entails – the hormone treatments, the constant monitoring, the doctor’s appointments – it may be more than what she bargained for. Sometimes it takes two or three tries before an embryo takes. Miscarriage is a significant reality. What if it’s too much? If she changes her mind, he can see her backing out, and that would break Molly’s heart. And his too. Stella takes his hand.

Sonny says he thought Molly and Kristina had some issues recently, and Kristina says, they worked them out. He asks what Alexis thinks about that, and Kristina says, Alexis is her mom. She’s cautiously optimistic, but in the end, everything is going to be fine. And Alexis is going to get another grandchild to love, so she’s going to be over the moon about it. He says, so that’s it? She’s going to put her social life on hold for the next nine months? What does her singer friend think about that? Kristina says, Blaze? and he tells her that he’s just saying. In Puerto Rico, it felt like there was something between them. She says, they’re just getting to know each other. Why? What does he think he noticed? He says he just noticed Kristina lit up when she saw Blaze, and he hasn’t seen her light up like that since Parker. She says, maybe she was just really well lit, and he says he doesn’t want to pry, but if the situation changes, he just wants her to know that he would be happy for her. She thanks him and takes his hand.

Robert signs for the check and tells Diane that he has no doubt she’ll make a strong case. She’s a terror in the courtroom. When he’s not facing off against her, he can’t think of better company. She says, he really knows how to turn a girl’s head. Let her return the compliment. He’s an almost baffling combination of infuriating and irresistible. He says, you sweet talker, you. Did she get a Ride Share? She says, no, she drove, and he says, too bad. He can’t drive her home. She says, no need. He can meet her there… and spend the night.

Alexis says, there’s no need to call a Ride Share. She’s happy to take Gregory home. He asks her not to go to any trouble, but she says, it’s no trouble at all. Besides, he just listened to her vent about her daughters, which she really appreciates, since it’s certainly not something she can share with them. A, she doesn’t want to diminish their optimism, and B, it’s none of her business. They’re committed to this and don’t need their mother mucking it up. He says, she raised capable young women. The risk is theirs to take, and whatever consequences may arise, she’ll be there for them. Let’s just hope the benefits far outweigh the risks. She thanks him for his sage perspective, and he says he’s sagier than ever these days. It’s all about family and connection for him now. That’s what’s keeping him going despite his prognosis. Finn, Chase, Violet, seeing them happy, knowing they’re okay, that’s all that matters. That’s all she wants for her daughters, to know they’ll be okay, and the families will stay connected. She says she wants so much for Molly to have this baby that she wants so much, and she really is grateful that hopefully, Kristina can make that happen.

Stella tells TJ, from what she observed with Kristina and Molly, they have a bond much like she and Irene did. Of course (🍷) they squabble a bit more than she and Irene did, but that’s because of their closeness; they know what buttons to push. He says, the difference is, Molly is like her. The strong one, the rational one. She can tough things out. Stella says, there’s all kinds of strengths. It takes guts to throw caution to the wind and lead with your heart. It’s true Irene leaned on her, but she leaned on Irene too, for advice, support, humor, and consolation. She and his grandmother were sisters. They were a team, and they knew each other better than anybody else. They knew what their successes and happy times meant to each other, just like they knew the heartbreak of their fears and tragedies. Why does he think Kristina offered to be the surrogate, and why does he think Molly agreed? Trust the bond and trust Kristina to see it through. She clears the dishes and says, looks like he was hungry after all. He thanks her for dinner, and she says, absolutely. He says, but the thing he appreciates most is having her as his auntie. He loves her. They hug, and she says she loves him too. It’s going to be all right.

Ava comes out of the bedroom and tells Carly, sorry. Avery wanted a glass of water. Carly tells Ava that she’s said everything she needs to say. She’s going to go. Have a good night. Ava says, if she has a problem that she thinks Sonny can help her with, she’ll tell him, but that’s got to be her decision, not Carly’s. Carly says she has her own life and her own challenges, and she’s all about Ava doing Ava. But she’s not blind or doesn’t care. Ava asks what that’s supposed to mean, and Carly says she hasn’t seen Ava this defensive, or this tightly wound in a long time. She’s obviously in over her head, and if she needs someone to pull her out, Sonny’s the one to do it. And for Avery’s sake, she’d ask him sooner than later. She leaves, and Ava takes a locked box out of the credenza. She puts in a combination and opens it. She looks at the note and the gun, and wonders if Nikolas is back.

Trish brings Donna back and says, she was a very good girl. Donna thanks her, and Trish tells them to have a good evening. Kristina says, speaking of good girls, Santa’s coming soon. Has Donna been a good girl? Donna asks Sonny if she’s been good, and he says, let him think about that… She’s been the absolute best.

Diane unlocks her front door, and she and Robert kiss on the porch. She pushes open the door, and they continue kissing as they go inside. The door closes.

Tracy tells Finn that her recommendation to the board will be that General Hospital backs him. She and Monica agree there was no negligence and there will be no separate settlement. He thanks her and asks her to thank Monica. He’ll never forget this, but what was that whole thing at the meeting where she said she wasn’t his friend? That really scared him. She says she’s not here as his friend. She’s here in a strictly professional capacity. Her decision was based on the fact that he’s an excellent doctor, he’s an asset to this hospital, and they’re very lucky to have him.

Monica tells Clark that they’ve reviewed Dr. Finn’s actions and they’ve found he’s done nothing wrong. Clark says, they’re walking away from a separate settlement, and Monica says, that’s correct. Clark suggests they mount a defense that Dr. Finn was negligent, but acted without the hospital’s knowledge or approval, but Monica says, they concluded Dr. Finn did nothing wrong. So until Clark comes up with another step they can take, Monica thanks her for coming in. Clark gets up and says, as their legal counsel, she feels compelled to offer them some advice. Rethink your decision carefully. The Muldoons have deep pockets and they’re willing to fight. So ask herself, which is more important, backing Dr. Finn or securing the future of General Hospital? She walks out.

Tomorrow, Donna worries about her wish not coming true; Alexis says she and Jordan don’t get a vote on this; Brook says she won’t stop until Deception belongs to Maxie; and Laura asks Sonny if her brother is a murderer.

Southern Creeps Charm

When we left, Shep had alluded to Paige cheating on Craig, and said Craig’s relationship was bullsh*t. Craig gets a free pass because his relationship is long distance, while he’s been torn to pieces with Taylor.

Olivia tells Taylor that she doesn’t enjoy the headlines and stuff. If Taylor had been honest from the start, none of this would be happening. Taylor says she made a mistake and lied about in, and in Taylor’s interview, she says, people have wronged her and she’s forgiven them. Shep cheated on her and she forgave him. She wants a forgiving friend in her life, and if Olivia can’t be that, what are they doing? Olivia says, the level of betrayal is bizarre, and Taylor’s inability to recognize that is baffling. Then she used Austen to make Shep jealous. Taylor says she did a dig, and she’s owning up to it, and Olivia says she doesn’t know where Taylor’s head is at. Craig comes back, and at the bar, Austen says, the dinner turned to mayhem. Olivia says, if there had been headlines about her and Shep, she would have gone to Taylor. She hates that their friendship is broken more than she hates the relationship with Austen being broken. She doesn’t know how to be friends with Taylor anymore, and hates her for that. She hopes he was worth it. She walks out and into the bus. The rest get ready to go, and Shep says he’s sorry, and thank you everybody, like he’s accepting an award. Shep pops onto the bus where Olivia is with Venita and Madison, and says, all she has to do is say she’s sorry. Venita wonders what Olivia has to be sorry about, and Madison tells him to let her deal with it at her own pace. Shep says he told Taylor to apologize. Is Venita out of her mind? Venita assures him that she isn’t, and tells him not to talk to her like that. He says he’s trying to get Olivia and Taylor out of the muck and mire, and Venita says, get out. He wisely follows her direction and sees Craig. They hug, and in Craig’s interview, he says he forgives Shep. He knows Shep’s not mad at him. Shep just doesn’t know how to deal with anger. The islands are not a place for fighting. Olivia says she looks like the crazy girl who can’t drop it, and Madison says, look! The guys are hugging. Craig gets on the bus and asks Olivia how her talk with Taylor went. Olivia says, they just don’t see things the same way. In the other bus, Taylor says she’s not having that conversation again. She apologizes and Olivia says she hates her. She doesn’t want to be verbally abused. In Austen’s interview, he says he thought he as in a good spot with Olivia. We flash back to them talking in the park, and he says, so they have a blow-up and Olivia is upset. It’s disappointing. Taylor says, Olivia doesn’t even want to look at her, but Austen is off the hook. In Rod’s interview, he says, Olivia had a trauma in losing her brother, and he thinks Austen leveraged the situation. Shep says, a post mortem isn’t going to help anybody. On the Taylor bus, Madison imitates JT, while in the Olivia bus, Craig imitates Shep. He says, they made a mistake. We’re all good?

In the morning, JT has a beer in the bathtub, which makes my stomach turn. It’s less about having a beer in the morning, than JT having one in the tub. Austen calls Whitney and says he wants to download Whitney on last night. Whitney suggests they meet on the beach. Madison brings Venita coffee, and Venita says she was ready to fight Shep last night. Madison says, that was her favorite part. She thinks Austen’s therapy is working, and Venita says, he didn’t walk away, so that’s something. We flash back to Austen getting raked over the coals, and they text Olivia about going to the beach. Craig video chats with Paige and says he doesn’t know how Austen and Olivia aren’t exhausted. He tells her about Shep suggesting she cheated, and Paige says, and she went to his lame pheasant dinner. They yell about her when she’s not even around. In Craig’s interview, he says he knows it’s not true, but it’s easier for Shep to yell at him than deal with his own sh*t. He tells Paige that they’re going on a booze cruise later. At the beach, Whitney tells Austen to put on SPF 1000. Austen asks what he’s been doing, and Whitney says, working. Austen tells Whitney about Rod having a problem with him, and Whitney says, it’s a cheap gambit. Rod is trying to get Olivia’s attention. Austen says, JT thinks he’s on a holy crusade to defend Taylor’s honor. The bottom line is, he and Shep landed the girls.

JT and Taylor walk to the pool, and JT tells her that she didn’t say much. She was probably emotionally traumatized. Taylor says, she was being verbally abused, and JT says he felt terrible. He cares about her and he’ll keep defending her. In Taylor’s interview, she says, part of her wishes she had feelings for JT, but girls want bad boys. Boys want girls who aren’t into them, and girls want boys who treat them like sh*t. (Just for the record, not this girl.) Austen tells Whitney that Olivia called him a POS, and in Austen’s interview, he says, even though he’s not pursuing a romantic relationship with Olivia, he cares about her. And her calling him a POS makes him sad. Olivia, Madison, and Venita come across a swing that’s a favorite on Instagram, and Venita takes photos. Austen tells Whitney that Olivia is up and down, then she puts on a show, calling him a POS. In Whitney’s interview, he says, Austen and Olivia are exhausting, but you reap what you sow. Olivia tells Madison that Taylor said things that were inconsistent. It’s the first time they talked since Taylor’s text to Shep. In Olivia’s interview, she says, nothing is consistent with Taylor. Forget the friendship. She’s talking about Taylor’s character at this point. Madison says, Olivia will probably never trust Taylor again.

It’s time for the booze cruise, and the group heads for a yacht club. On the bus, Madison pops champagne, and Craig wonders why Taylor and Shep are sitting next to each other. Austen says, when Shep finally brings someone else around, Taylor is going to get mad. Rod says, if it’s the other way around, Shep will blow up. Imagine if it was JT. Madison asks if Austen is going to come clean. He probably needs to say he’s sorry. In Madison’s interview, she says, they get solid points for having survived a toxic relationship. They now support each other from afar, and Austen came to her for advice. And he needs it. She tells him, quit making it so weird. They go to a marina and onto a yacht, where they’re welcome to the Aristocrat Tour with Captain Sardine. The captain says, the boat is all theirs while they’re here. In Craig’s interview, he says, your worries go away on a boat. If you see someone having a bad time on a boat, they probably suck. Taylor apologizes for snapping at Venita, and says, she thought he said the opposite of what he said. They make a snorkel stop, and I cry because I should be doing this. Not this bunch of losers. Craig says he’ll stay on the boat and drink, since they have no spears to spear fish with. Madison joins him, and Venita and Olivia also sit it out. The others get in the water. Madison asks if Craig misses Paige, and Craig says, he’ll get a tan, go home, and f*** her. Alrighty then. He asks if Madison has a girl crush on Paige, and she says, for sure. He says, Paige has one on her too, and Madison says, get her to move to Charleston. Craig says, the original plan was for him to move to New York for a few years, but his company is getting big, and it’s tied to Charleston. Madison asks what he’ll do if Paige doesn’t want to move to Charleston, and he says, probably break up.  

Craig tells Madison, first he would fight for it, and do what it takes to figure it out. A DJ does his thing, and everyone dances on deck. Mostly badly. Some of the crew do a sort of funky line dance, and in Craig’s interview, he says he loves to dance. He used to watch YouTube videos to learn. NSYNC and Justin Bieber. They head back at dusk, and Shep says he’s going to miss Captain Sardine. He just talked to Whitney, who has upgraded to the presidential suite. Craig asks what Shep would say to the next girl who goes out with JT, and Shep says, don’t wear heels. (In case you didn’t know, JT is short.) Craig asks what Taylor would say to the next girl Shep dates, and she says, don’t expect to finish. Yikes! In Austen’s interview, he says he wants everyone involved to have fun, if it’s one or three. Shep says, as long as he gets off, he doesn’t care. He’s not going through a big production. In Taylor’s interview, she says she can count on three fingers how many times, and I’m just stunned. Whitney has a fully stocked bar delivered to his suite and tells the waiter, it’s not for him; it’s for the hoi polloi. The others approach the door, and Madison says, it’s fancy AF. For whatever reason, Shep decides to try to break in, hitting the door with his shoulder, and only hurts himself. Whitney lets them in and gives Shep the tour. Shep says, it’s Shangri La, and Austen says, it’s where it doesn’t happen. Whitney asks, what happened on the boat? and Shep sits away from everyone. Madison says, they have to change for dinner, and Shep pouts, saying, he’s not showering. He wishes Austen changed. Austen says he does change, but Shep can’t, and that’s the problem. Shep says, a problem for whom? and Austen says, everyone Shep ever met in his life. Ouch.

Shep says he has a lot of good friends and doesn’t need Austen. Austen says he cares about people and would never say that. Shep told Taylor that he liked cheating on her. He’s been an absolute f***. Shep asks what Austen has been, and Austen says, honest. In Craig’s interview, he says, Shep has been in denial so long, he’s finally realizing his best friend hooked up with his girlfriend. Austen says, Shep holds a soft spot for Taylor, and Taylor grabbed him. She came on to him, not the other way around. Shep says, she’s never been honest, but Austen says, she was honest. With him too. Whitney wants Austen to act it out and plays Taylor in the scenario. Shep tells them, f*** off, and Austen says, Shep can’t face the fact that he and Taylor f***… ing made out and she’s moved on. Madison says, he almost said f***ed, and in Madison’s interview, she says, Austen just admitted it. Austen tells Madison that she’s a bored housewife, and Madison tells Whitney that she’ll see him at dinner and leaves.

Taylor is the first to arrive at dinner, and no surprise, Olivia shows up next. Craig says, Austen hooking up with Taylor f***ed up his position, and Shep’s anger at Austen continues to surface. Austen says, Taylor is taking Shep’s lead. He keeps saying it’s all good, but sometimes he gets angry. Shep says, it’s been nice. Austen doesn’t give a f*** about anyone but himself. He used to be 34 and a scoundrel. Austen says, a total scoundrel, and in Shep’s interview, he says, it’s an accumulation of things with Austen. They spent time together in Australia and he didn’t say a word. He has no concept of friendship or loyalty. Austen says, if that’s how Shep feels, he doesn’t know what to say, and Shep says he’s going to change his clothes. Whitney says, thanks for coming. It was a really, really nice time. Shep drove off Madison. How do you do that? Shep says, someone had to. At the table outside, crickets chirp.

Venita sits down and asks for a glass of bubbles, since she’s five, and Madison joins them soon after. In Madison’s interview, she says, talk about awkward. That the hell is she doing here? A family style dinner is served, and everyone else trickles to the table. Craig has his shirt unbuttoned almost entirely, and Madison calls him Rico Suave, buttoning up one more. Austen says, they’re all hammered. He and Whitney made out. Craig says, Austen and Shep finally fought it out, and Taylor says, then made out. JT says, it’s the biggest plot twist on a vacation he’s heard of in his life. Whitney says he and Austen took a jacuzzi, and Madison asks Austen, which kiss was better, Whitney or Taylor? Austen says she’s a f***ing bored housewife, and Madison says, if that’s his dig, lights out. Whatever that means. Austen says, don’t talk to him, and Shep says, they had fun today. Madison says, it was a moment, and everyone toasts to Craig. Shep says, cheers to Captain Sardine, and they toast again. Taylor gets up and clinks her fork on her glass. She says she knows she was quiet last night, but the conversation has been happening for two and a half months. For her of herself and her own well-being, she wants to put this to rest.

To be continued…

🌰 Looking For Pre-Roasted Chestnuts…

Slide in tomorrow for the free-for-all that is Friday, from soap to sage words. Until then, stay safe, stay not over committing, and stay not being the person having a bad time on a boat. Because if you are, you probably suck.

December 13, 2023 – Ava Thinks She Knows Who’s Taunting Her, Annemarie Dispenses Unwanted Medical Advice At a Party & Home

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Alexis walks into her house and sees Kristina and Molly. She says, whoa, and tells them that she’ll have to call them back. She tells the girls that she loves having surprise visits from her daughters. Why don’t they tell her what’s going on? Or they could leave her in suspense. Actually, there is no second choice. What’s wrong? They laugh and Kristina says, she got there fast. Alexis says, they both have beautiful faces. And they should never play poker with them. Clearly, they have something to tell her, so let’s hear it. Molly says, she’s right; they have news. Alexis asks if it’s good or bad, and they tell her, it’s great.

The last of Ava’s stuff is moved into her new/old penthouse. She tips the mover, and when he leaves, she says, this is so much better than Windymere. Why did she ever give this place up? She takes an envelope out of her bag that says AVA and slides a picture of dead Austin out of it. She takes out a note that says: DON’T TELL ANYONE.

Josslyn and Trina come back to their dorm room to find Adam playing guitar and singing in the hallway.

Sonny approaches Stella and Felicia at the hospital, and Stella says, well, look who we have here, and Felicia says, hi. Sonny says, sorry to interrupt, but Stella says, his timing’s just fine. What brings him to the hospital? He says, her.

Dante comes in, and Sam says she knows he couldn’t say anything to her at Kelly’s, but they’re home now, so she’s hoping he can tell her. Did he find anything when he opened up the locker? Any indication of who was after Anna?

Carly follows Donna into the park, while Donna kicks along a soccer ball. Carly says, she looked so great on the field today, but Donna says, it’s a pitch, not a field. The coach says, if you lick a ball just right, it will go around the goalie. She’s been practicing. She can show Carly. Carly says, let’s see, and Donna kicks the ball. She says, it was supposed to curve, but Carly says, it’s okay. Like the coach says, she has to practice, right? Let’s get the ball. Brennan comes along, carrying the ball, looks at Donna and asks, by any chance, does it belong to her?

Felicia says, she’ll leave them to it, but Sonny says he doesn’t mean to exclude her. She’s a patient advocate also, right? Felicia says she’s still learning the ropes, and Stella tells her that she’s doing excellent work. Felicia thanks her and asks if Sonny needs a patient advocate. He says he does, but not to help him navigate health situations, and Stella says, that’s a relief. So what can they do for him? He says he wants to do something for the hospital, and she says, he already does a great deal for the hospital. He says, this is different. He wants to donate or underwrite, however she wants to call it, all the hospital holiday celebrations. The decorations, the pediatric party, any expense that has to do with the holiday, he wants to take care of it. Felicia says, he’s like their very own Santa Claus, and nearby, a little girl says, he’s not Santa Claus.

Dante tells Sam that he checked out the locker and came back when no one was watching. When he finally got into the locker, there was a package inside. It was wrapped up like it was going to be mailed, but it didn’t have an address label on it. Sam says, that’s because the late Mr. Forsythe wasn’t able to mail the package, and he says, right. He didn’t want to draw attention to anything, so he got the package out of there. She asks where he went, and he says, to the bank.

Carly introduces Donna and Mr. Brennan, saying, he got the ball out of the bushes for them. Donna thanks him, and he says she’s most welcome. He asks what position she plays, and she says, forward. He says, that’s a lot of running, and Carly says, that’s not a problem for Donna because she’s in constant motion. Speaking of running… He says his job can be a lot of high pressure at times, so he runs to decompress. Sometimes it even works. She asks if he’s been to the running trail on Harborview, but he says, not yet. She says, people swear by it, and he says, what about her? She says she’s not a runner. She likes Pilates, yoga, swimming… Although she hasn’t done that in a while. PCU has a great swim complex. It’s open to the public every morning. He says, maybe he’ll see her there sometime, and she says, he swims too? He says, when he can fit it in. Running requires a lot less forethought and prep time. Donna asks if they can go for a hot chocolate, and Brennan says, at the risk of intruding, perhaps he can accompany them. His treat. Carly says, that won’t be necessary, but he says, it will make up for him up and disappearing the other day. She says, why not? and the three of them leave together.

Adam notices the girls and says he’s sorry. He didn’t realize anyone was listening. Trina says, he’s in the hall, and Josslyn says, of the dorm. He says, normally no one’s here this time of day, and the acoustics are pretty good. Josslyn says, he knows this because he plays in here a lot? and he says, yeah. In the afternoons, he gives himself a break from everything. Trina says, don’t let them interrupt him. Come in. Play something else for them. He follows them into their room and tells Trina that she doesn’t have to say that, but she tells him that if he thinks she’s just saying that to be polite, think again. She’s majoring in art, so she’s never dishonest about an artist’s work. He says, what artist? and Josslyn says, she means him. He says he was just goofing around, but Trina says she’d love to hear what he sounds like when he’s serious. He says, they don’t really want to hear him play, but they both say, yeah, they do.

Alexis sits in between Molly and Kristina, and says she knows how they operate. The last time they sat her down like this, it was to talk her into getting a puppy. Molly says, they’re not trying to talk her into anything. She and Kristina have done a lot of thinking, and they’ve made a decision that will affect both of them. Kristina says, actually, it kind of effects the whole family, and Molly says, they just hope she can support them. Alexis says, oh boy. Okay. Molly says, Kristina is going to be the surrogate for her and TJ.

Ava hears someone coming in, and shoves the picture in the envelope, tossing it on the table. Nina asks how it’s going… What happened?

Sam says, Dante went to the bank? and he says he wanted to go somewhere private and secure where he wasn’t being watched or monitored. He also needed someplace he could leave the package that was secure where someone didn’t have access. So he got a safe deposit box. She says, that’s certainly more secure than leaving it in the train locker. What was in it that was worth killing for? Dante says, that WSB file, pages yellowed like it had been in that trunk for decades. She says, thank God the WSB didn’t have it. They would have destroyed it years ago. He says he saw Forsythe’s name right away. He was the field agent in that op that went bad. He wrote down some names that were mentioned too, including Anna’s.

Felicia says, Lindsay is one of her clients, and introduces the little girl to Sonny. He says, nice to meet her, shaking her hand, and she asks why Felicia said he was Santa Claus. Felicia says, what she meant was, Mr. Corinthos is like Santa Claus because they’re both generous and giving. But she got it wrong. Everyone knows there’s just one Santa Claus, and he’s going to bring her presents at Christmas. Stella says, Mr. Corinthos was offering the people at the hospital to have a happy Christmas, and Lindsay asks why he’s doing that. Sonny says he’s a big fan of Santa Claus and always follows his example.

Adam sings for Trina and Josslyn, and he’s pretty good. They applaud, and Trina says, he’s very good. He says, for a guy on a study break, but Josslyn says, no. She’s right. He has a real feel for the music. She had no idea he had such a great voice. He says, she really thinks so? and she tells Trina, back me up. Trina says, she’s right. It’s not really her kind of music, but even so, she can tell he has a real gift. He thanks her and says he really appreciates that. Anyway, he played longer than he meant to, so he’d better get back to studying. Trina says, he needs to eat, doesn’t he? and he says he’ll have some ramen or order something, but Trina suggests he eat with them instead.

Ava says, Nina knows what moving is like. It’s overwhelming, even in the best of circumstances, which these definitely are, but you do realize just how much stuff you have. And no matter how carefully you box it and tape everything up, what you really want, you’re worried you left behind. But in the end, here she is, back in this penthouse she loves so much, and that’s thanks to Nina. Nina says, Ava will be an ideal tenant. She can’t believe how lucky she is to be leasing it to her. Now what has gotten her so terrified? Ava hands her the envelope, and Nina says, no, not another one of these. Come on. She looks at it, and reads, don’t tell anyone. She asks if Ava got this at Windymere, but Ava says she found it in her handbag.

Alexis says she has no doubt TJ and Molly will be amazing parents, and Molly thanks her. Alexis says, and Kristina, what a generous gift to give to her sister and her brother-in-law. Kristina says, but she has reservations. She knows Alexis did when she first offered to be their surrogate, but it’s been months now, and things have changed. Alexis says, no question. It’s her job as a parent to try and look at every angle with all things everywhere, and she can’t help but see potential pitfalls. Molly says, they see them too. Does Alexis remember when they ran into each other at the Port Charles Grill after she met with the matching professional? Alexis says she remembers, and Molly says, Alexis gave her some really good advice that day. Alexis said, whatever she and TJ decided, they had to make that choice together. It made her realize, as bad as she wanted a child, she and TJ weren’t on the same page about another surrogate. That hit her really hard. She had a meltdown in the park, and Kristina saw her crying. Kristina says, it killed her to see Molly upset like that, and after they talked about it, she put a lot of thought into it, and she decided to offer again. Molly says, before Alexis says anything, she talked it over with TJ, at length and at great detail, and the three of them have made the decision to move forward together. She just hopes Alexis can be happy for them.

Nina asks if Ava thinks the killer was here in this penthouse, and Ava says she certainly thinks it’s possible. With all the movers, and her driver, and a messenger from the gallery, people were in and out of here all day. It would not have been difficult for someone to slip it into her bag at some point. Nina says, Ava can’t let this person terrorize her. She has to go to the police. Ava says, no, snatching the note back. Nina knows why she can’t do that. She had ample motive to kill Austin and has no alibi for when he died. They had a horrible fight that night. He knew that she was abducted. He knew his cousin Mason was following Cyrus Renault’s orders, and he didn’t go to the cops, and he didn’t go to Sonny. He did exactly what Cyrus wanted. He testified to get Cyrus out of prison. Nina says, which seems to indicate that Cyrus murdered Austin, so why doesn’t she tell the police that? Ava says, because these notes. Why would Cyrus waste his time in toying with her? She’s of no value to him. She’s just the opposite really. He knows if he pushes her too far, she’ll go to Sonny, which is trouble he does not need. So as awful as he is, she doesn’t believe Cyrus is responsible. Nina says, all right, then who is? and Ava says, someone with a talent for mind games. Someone with the money to play them. Someone who loves watching her squirm. Someone who hates her and wants revenge. Nikolas. Ha! I called it first weeks ago.

Sam says she’s curious. Why didn’t Dante take a picture of the report? He says he just got paranoid. He figured if it was on the phone, then it’s in the cloud. It could be hacked by the WSB and brought back down, using whatever technology the WSB has that they don’t even know about. He didn’t want to risk it getting out, so he went low tech. She says, he has a point there. That report escaped notice all these years because Anna kept a hard copy in a trunk. He says, and other documentations. It wasn’t just that report in that trunk. There were papers, records, other files. Sam says, seems like she was pretty thorough, and Dante says, or also extremely guilty. That’s a lot of insurance to keep. Insurance you’re not going to need unless you’re blackmailing someone in a pretty powerful position. Sam says she just doesn’t get it. Yes, Anna has a made a lot of mistakes. She has since redeemed herself. He says, that’s what she keeps saying. Maybe that’s what she’s trying to convince herself of, but can you really redeem yourself of all the things you’ve done wrong? Or does enough time pass that you don’t think about it anymore? Or maybe you rewrite it in your mind, or maybe you try to convince yourself it never happened altogether. She asks if he’s still talking about Anna, and he says he’s talking about everyone. How accurately can Sam recall something that happened ten, twenty years ago? A failure, a screw up, a lie she told. She laughs and says she doesn’t know. To be honest with him, she doesn’t want to know. He says he doesn’t think Anna does either. He thinks she’s rewritten the 80s to make it easier for her to redeem herself. But everything else, this report and everything that was in that trunk, that says otherwise. Sam asks him if he trusts Anna.

Donna, Carly, and Brennan walk back to Rice Park with their hot chocolates, and Carly tells Donna, be careful with that. Donna asks if she can go practice some more, and Carly says, just stay where she can see her. Donna says she will, and runs off. Carly says, like she told him, always in constant motion, always, and Brennan asks if soccer is a special passion, or is Donna like this about everything? Carly says, she’s like this about everything. She’s all-in, whether it be a flower girl in a wedding or baking cookies. Although Donna really does seem to like soccer. She’s fast and she’s competitive, so Carly thinks soccer’s a good outlet for her. Brennan says he thinks Donna bears a strong resemblance to her, and Carly says, really? Everyone says she looks exactly like her father.

Sonny asks Lindsay what she hopes to get for Christmas, and she says, a tracing pad. Sonny asks if she’s kidding. He has a daughter just about her age, and she wants the same thing. Lindsay’s mother comes over to them and asks if Felicia could help her with some forms. Felicia says, absolutely, and leaves with Lindsay and her mother. Stella says, Sonny’s always been generous with this hospital, but making this special gift for just holiday celebrations is above and beyond. What has fired him? He says, a friend of hers, and she says, not to brag, but she has quite a few friends. But still, she thinks she knows the one he means. His father.

Alexis says, of course (🍷) she’s happy for them. She wants them to have everything in this world that’s good for them. And she loves being a grandma. She doesn’t always like being called a grandma. A welcome addition to the family is a beautiful thing and the bond Kristina and Molly have built is a beautiful thing. It makes her tear up. That Kristina would offer Molly this gift and she’d accept it… but – Kristina says, here it comes – she’s worried this could be complicated. Pregnancy is complicated and there’s a risk, physically and emotionally, and there’s no guaranteed outcome. Molly says, if something goes wrong, she’ll be devastated, but she’s not going to deprive herself or TJ of what they want out of fear. They all know she likes to be cautious, but if you wait and wait for everything to be perfect, you might miss your chance altogether. Kristina tells Alexis that her OB said she’d be a great candidate. Molly and TJ really want this, and she wants this for them, but selfishly, for her too, to bring her little niece – Molly says, or nephew – or nephew into the world. Alexis says, they don’t need her blessing, but they have it. Molly’s phone rings, and she says, it’s the office. She answers and says, now?… Okay. Have the file waiting for her. She’s on her way. She says she’s so sorry, but Alexis says, if anyone understands, she does, and Molly hugs them goodbye. She leaves, and Kristina says, since she’s here, does Alexis want to finish organizing the upstairs closet. She can totally take the clothes Alexis doesn’t want to the shelter. Alexis says, the closet can wait. Has she really thought this through?

Nina says, according to Laura, Nikolas is in Europe, so why would he come back here to kill Austin? and Ava says, who knows why Nikolas does anything? Maybe Austin double-crossed him too; that seemed to be his pattern. Nina says, double-crossed him how? and Ava says she told Nina that she mistakenly thought she killed Nikolas. Not only did he survive, he made a miraculous recovery. She thinks he may have had some medical intervention. Nina says, from Austin, and Ava says, Austin lied about to her the whole time and helped Mason blackmail her. Maybe Austin made the mistake of trying to blackmail Nikolas as well. Or maybe Nikolas killed him just to torment her. Nina says, she doesn’t really believe that, but Ava says, Nikolas thinks she tried to kill him. Of course (🍷) he wants revenge. And what better way to get it than frame her for Austin’s murder?

At Kelly’s, Josslyn goes to put in the orders, and Trina asks where Adam learned to play guitar like that. He says he thinks he was four when he started to play piano, but he didn’t really have a feel for it. Then when he was about ten, his teacher introduced him to the guitar. That was it. She says, he just knew, and he says he guesses he did. But his parents said, if he wasn’t going to play piano, they weren’t going to pay for music lessons. She asks what they have against him playing guitar, and he says his dad says people who play guitar are low brow, but he really couldn’t let it go. Since then, he’s just been self-taught. She asks how his parents don’t realize he’s really gifted.

Stella tells Sonny that Mike might have started off as her client, but he became so much more. She’s had dear friends before, but none like him. And the way he faced his Alzheimer’s, she admired that. He was scared, but it was always his love that came through. Sonny says, and his encouragement, for all of them, and Stella says, as hard as it was for Sonny to watch what Mike was going through, Mike never saw anything but Sonny’s love. Sonny says he misses Mike every day, especially at this time of year. His last Christmas, he was in and out. Sometimes he would be his old self, sometimes he’d be a stranger, but he always loved Christmas. He loved the trees and the decorations; he was like a kid with the feeling of true joy for the season. Stella says she remembers that, and Sonny says, but it’s tough to get that true joy feeling in a hospital. That’s why he wants to help.

Brennan says he wasn’t talking about Donna’s appearance, but she and Carly share a certain lightness of spirit. Carly asks what he means, and he says, her daughter is open and friendly, not shy and withdrawn. She’s interested in things around her, and she’s certainly not bratty or demanding. She says, not Donna, but there’s plenty of people who would say she’s bratty and demanding. He says, we all have our moments, and asks if she’s unusually demanding. She says she doesn’t think so. She used to think everything had to be a battle. Then she learned how and when to compromise, and when to fight for something she believes in. And she’s not afraid to push if she thinks something’s important. He asks how she decides if something is important.

Kristina says, whatever she does, whatever she decides to do, Alexis is constantly assuming she’s being impulsive. Alexis says, that’s not what she meant, but Kristina says, it is, and it’s how Alexis makes her feel. Alexis can’t credit her with knowing herself or knowing her own brain. For looking at a situation, deciding the best course of action, executing it, and following through. It’s a tired narrative and she’s sick of it, because she’s done her due diligence, and she knows what she’s in for. Alexis says, no, she doesn’t. She can’t, because she’s never been pregnant. She’s never brought a child into the world. She doesn’t know what it’s like physically or emotionally, and no amount of research or due diligence is going to prepare her for that. In the best of circumstances, if nothing goes wrong, for nine months, she’s going to be carrying this life inside of her. Then she’s going to bring it into the world, and Alexis promises her, it will change her. She knows how much Kristina wants to give Molly and TJ what they want, but she’s asking Kristina if she’s truly considered what she wants.

Josslyn sits down, and Trina says, Adam was telling her that he used to take music classes, but then he started teaching himself guitar. Josslyn says, that’s incredible. He plays really well. He thanks her, and Trina says, maybe it’s an advantage being self-taught. You don’t get locked in. You get to explore and develop your own style. He says he doesn’t know about all that. It’s really just something that helps him decompress. Trina asks if he’s thought about playing professionally.

Ava tells Nina that their relationship was so sick and dysfunctional, and she was nearly as addicted to it as he was. As awful as it was, she thinks Nikolas did her a real favor by getting Esme pregnant. That’s when her perspective shifted, and she was able to see their relationship was just misery. She was able to see that if she didn’t get out, Nikolas would destroy her. Nina says she’s so sorry. She knew things were bad between them, but she didn’t know how bad they were. Ava says, neither did she until it was almost too late. She stopped playing games and started pulling back. Nikolas was just too invested. He would not let her go, and that’s why he came to Windymere that night, threatening to take Avery. And that’s why she hit him and that’s why this is happening now. Nina says, if it is Nikolas sending those notes… Ava says, the killer is going to great lengths to torment her, and the only person with the motive to do that is Nikolas. She intends to beat him at his own game.

Dante tells Sam that he does trust Anna, but none of them knows how they’re going to react when the past is dredged up, right? What is Anna going to do? Is she going to cover up what she did? Is she going to overcompensate out of guilt to make it easier for whoever this is to get her? He wants to talk to her, but doesn’t feel he has enough of a handle on the situation. Sam asks what he plans to do, and he says, go back to the bank. Read that report more thoroughly. He skimmed through it enough to know what the mission was. It was all about getting this Eastern Block general to defect and bring his top-secret files with him. In exchange, he was going to get ten million 1987 US dollars. Sam says, whoa. No wonder the WSB wanted him and his files; the man didn’t come cheap. Dante says, but the op went bad. The general was killed, his files went missing. She says, what about the ten million? and he says, that’s also missing. Forsythe was the field agent. The last thing he wants is for this report to see the light of day. She says, what about Anna? and he says, her role was to be the girlfriend of the general so they could cross the border together and it would look less conspicuous than a single guy crossing on his own. She says, what about the other things in the files. He said they didn’t make any sense? He says, there were these passport photos; they looked like they were from the 80s. One was Anna, one was Forsythe, and one was someone he doesn’t know, but there was this other thing… He goes to his duffel bag and takes out the wallet. He says, that, and tosses it on the table.

Alexis says, hormone shifts and swollen ankles, and Kristina may get morning sickness. Kristina says she might, and she doesn’t know how she’s going to handle that. She won’t know until it happens, but she has faith in herself that she knows what she’s doing. Yes, this feels big, and it feels a little scary, but it also feels right. She’s confident in her decision, and honestly, she wishes Alexis had a little faith in her. Alexis says she has faith in Kristina and her courage and her generous heart. She needs to remember that Kristina is a beautifully grown woman, and she’s perfectly capable of making her own decisions and deciding what she wants. And now it’s her job to just step back and support Kristina, and she will support her. She loves her. Kristina says she loves Alexis too, and they hug.

Nina asks if Ava’s sure she’s going to be okay. Ava can always stay with her. Ava says she’s fine. The more she thinks about it, the more convinced she is that Nikolas just had somebody put that envelope in her bag. He wouldn’t risk Laura or Spencer seeing him in Port Charles. She’s sure he’s back in Europe and harassing her from afar. Honestly, she’s fine. Don’t worry about her. Nina asks if she’s sure, and Ava says she is. Nina leaves, and Ava double locks the door. She goes over to her desk, where the middle drawer is a little bit open. She opens the drawer fully and sees a gun with a note. She takes out the note and reads: YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU’LL NEED IT.

Trina says she doesn’t mean to tell Adam his business, but her grandfather is a professional musician, and she knows how important music is to his soul. Adam says, that’s okay. She’s passionate about it; he gets it. Josslyn says, Trina’s grandfather plays the clarinet and he’s absolutely incredible. He actually performed at her parents’ wedding reception, and it was beautiful. Adam says, that’s really cool. Is he successful? Trina says she guesses that depends on how you define success. He doesn’t fill stadiums or concert halls, but he supports himself as an artist and puts is art out there for people to experience. Adam says he can’t imagine what his life would be like if he just spent it making music, and Trina says, he doesn’t have to imagine it; he can actually find out. Josslyn says, he could change his major to music, and Trina says, or join a band or have a solo career… He says, that can’t happen. He’s going to be a doctor. Trina says, that’s good too. Her mom’s a doctor. As long as he knows he doesn’t have to do that. It’s his life, and if music fills his soul, she says he should do it.

Lindsay’s mother says she can’t thank Felicia enough. Being here over Christmas is already tough enough, but now she doesn’t have to stress about the paperwork. Felicia says, no, she doesn’t, and Lindsay says, if she’s here for Christmas, how will Santa find her? Felicia says, that’s easy. General Hospital has been working with Santa Claus for a very long time. They make sure he can find everyone here, so she doesn’t have to worry.

Stella tells Sonny that Mike got her through some tough times. He’d make her laugh until she was crying. That man could flirt. Sonny says, she’s right there, as he recalls, and she says, he better believe it. She didn’t know what courage was until she met that man. He set a whole new standard. But the thing she remembers most is how he loved Sonny. Sonny thanks her for that, and Stella says, he would ask her to remember their friendship even when he couldn’t. Like it was something she could ever forget. He says he appreciates that she treated his dad as a person and not just a patient, and they hug.

Carly tells Brennan, if something touches her family, that’s important to her, and that includes her business because it affects her family. He says, and after that? but she says she doesn’t know. She’s not shy in speaking up if she sees an injustice. At the same time, she’s not here to manage people’s lives. What does he find important? Donna comes back to have her hot chocolate, but she says, it’s barely hot anymore. Carly says, because it’s freezing, and they need to go home. She thanks Brennan for the hot chocolate, and Donna says, thank you. He says, it was his pleasure. Keep practicing. She’s good and getting better. Carly tells Brennan goodnight, and they leave.

Sam looks through the wallet, and Dante says he was going to leave it in the safe deposit box, but then he thought he’d bring it home to get a closer look. She says, ooh. Look. There are numbers here. A lot of numbers actually. She uses a magnifying glass to look at the inside of the bill compartment. He asks, how many numbers? and she says, twenty-one. Maybe it’s an account number. He says, could be, and she says, or it could be a phone number and they’re just throwing it off, disguising it with all these numbers. He wonders how the numbers relate back to the WSB report and whoever is after Anna.

Tomorrow, Portia says, Monica wants to see Finn in her office; Gregory says, Alexis looks less than thrilled; Carly says, Ava doesn’t have to tell her, but she has to tell Sonny; and Tracy asks someone if they’re ready for this.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Mauricio asks how the weed party was, and Kyle says, ridiculous. She says, there are a lot of rumors on the internet, and tells him about her argument with Sutton. We flash back to the ring discussion, and Kyle says, everyone thinks something now. Mauricio suggests she tell them to f*** off. He thinks it’s mean, and it causes more problems, more rumors, more bullsh*t. In Kyle’s interview, she says she shouldn’t be surprised, but she is.

Sutton and Avi go to her store, and she says she’s partied out. Event planner Nicole walks Sutton through the event, and in Sutton’s interview, she says she’s dreamt of having a store for over ten years and got one four years ago. She loved the opening. We flash back to that, and Sutton tells Avi and Nicole that they’re still here. People didn’t believe in her, and she wants to celebrate that. In her interview, she says, it became a business, turned into a bigger business, and now she has a second business pairing on top of it. Everything is happening quick and getting bigger. She’s become a businesswoman. Avi asks about food, but she says, no food. Everyone is on Octavia… Olympic? Avi says, it’s Ozempic, and in her interview, Sutton says she loves that she’s doing it on her own and didn’t take anybody’s money. It feels really good. A producer asks if she used her spousal support, and she says, of course. Hey, she earned that. Crystal calls and asks how Sutton is feeling about tomorrow’s event. Is everyone still invited that was invited? Does she want Kyle there? Sutton says, not if they’re going to fight. To hear Kyle making accusations about her drinking is so ridiculous. Crystal says, Dorit also said something, and Sutton says, it pisses her off. It’s the most ludicrous and dangerous accusation and she’s stomping it out. In Sutton’s interview, she says, it could hurt her business or her custodial arrangement. Her ex could take her son to England.

Therapist Jamie goes to Kyle’s house, and she has to lock the door to the room they’re in because her Golden Retriever can open the door with her paws. I sigh because my Golden, named Einstein no less, would look at a Frisbee until it bounced off his head and was literally scared of his own shadow. Kyle says she’s nervous, and Jamie says, she’s wired to be obsessive and anxious. What was she dealing with that’s triggering her? Kyle starts crying, and says, the past year she’s dealt with family stuff with her sisters, and it affects her intensely. She had an issue with her oldest sister Kathy. We flash back to Kyle asking Kathy how she can say those things, and Kyle tells Jamie, the result is, they’re not speaking again. It’s been happening off and on for ten years, since they first fell out after Mauricio started the agency. We flash back to 2011, and Kyle says, Kathy should be proud, but it’s never that. When she wrote her book, Kathy thought it was something it wasn’t and was mad at her. Kathy had an issue with her opening her store, and when she produced American Woman, she got a letter. We flash back to Kathy saying, it puts their mom in a bad light, and in Kathy’s interview, she says she had her lawyer write a letter saying her family can’t be used. Jamie says, Kyle can let them know she loves them, but it can’t be on their terms where she’s in the doghouse all the time. What would it take for her to feel safe and be open? Kyle says, but people say, it’s blood, but he says, there are no obligatory relationships. Family or not, this isn’t healthy. Kyle says, her very best friend for her whole life took her life on May 1st .

In Kyle’s interview, she says, Lorene was her other half. They were separated at birth, even though Lorene was a 6-foot blonde. We flash back to Lorene joining Kyle for some event on the show, and Kyle says, they met in second grade when they were seven, and were best friends ever since. Lorene was the most important person to her outside of her family and knew everything about her. She told Lorene more than she told her husband. She tells Jamie that Lorene was so together and in charge of everything in Kyle’s life if something happened to her. She doesn’t have answers and it’s frustrating. In her interview, she says she lost someone who’s a constant in her life, who she’s never had a falling out with. Someone who’s been through everything with her, and who she talked about everything with. She talked to Lorene about her sisters and never imagined something like this could happen. Jamie says, it’s a huge loss, but Kyle has to know that what Lorene represented, she still needs. She needs a safe place. What does she need to feel safe? Kyle says she surrounds herself with people who want the best for her. She’s taking care of her body and working out. In her interview, Kyle says, first losing a friend, then what happened with her sister is another loss. Her marriage always made her feel safe and grounded, and not feeling that is a lot. Jamie says, it’s important that she stand firm about feeling good. Relationships where there’s drama and she’s feeling judged aren’t good; it doesn’t matter if they’re blood. Give herself some credit. She’s growing and shifting, and it will ruffle a few feathers. So be it.

Garcelle goes to dinner with Jaid and Ashlyn, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says she wasn’t mentally prepared for Jaid growing up and having a girlfriend. Ashlyn is sweet, but it’s hard to see Jaid like someone other than her. Her two boys couldn’t be more different, but she worries less about Jax. He has a mature sense of self, but Jaid is in the head of a fifteen-year-old. Basketball, his friends, his girlfriend, and shoes are all he thinks about. That’s it. He’s who she worries about now. Ashlyn is sweet with good manners. She speaks her mind and is sassy to Jaid. He picked a good one, but she wants to make sure she’s not a grandmother any time soon – again.

Annemarie says her house is bananas. It’s crazy energy at all times with eight million things going on. We see her trying to get the kids to eat breakfast, and in Annemarie’s interview, she says, it’s a tough job, but she loves it. Her kids are her priority and come before work and her husband. She and Marcellus have been married nine years. There were a lot of women going after him, but from day one, he owned their relationships. When they first met, he said, she was going to be his wife and acted accordingly. She won. He’s told her the reason he fell in love with her is that she’s an 8 ½ at everything. She’s not a 10, but a solid 8 ½, and not a lot of people can say that. She did get a 9 ½ on her body though. We see the insanity of getting the kids ready for their day.

Erika calls mom Renee, and tells her that in the 5th grade, she did a book report on a city, and for some reason chose Las Vegas. She just signed a contract for her Vegas residency. We see a clip of Erika being presented with the offer and signing the contract. In Erika’s interview, she says, Erika Jayne is back and bigger than ever. She tells Renee that she’s doing twenty shows, and in her interview, she says, at this time of year last year, she never could have imagined this. We flash back to that not so pretty mess, and she says, it’s nice to share good news for once. She plans on having more good news. She invites Renee to opening night, and her mom says, they knew she had talent, but perseverance is another situation. Erika needed this and deserves it.

Sutton does a double check before the store party, and Avi stresses over her touching things. She tells him to stop bossing her. Everyone gets ready, and Kyle calls Morgan. She tells Morgan that her date is her sister Kim, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, her relationship with Morgan is different than with her other friends. Morgan is constantly teasing her, and she knows when they hang out, she’s going to be roasted. She tells Morgan that she had a huge fight with Sutton. She and Garcelle thought a ring they’d never seen before was a make-up gift from Mauricio for cheating. She wonders what rumor her necklace is going to start. Maybe Mauricio has a family in another country. Maybe she does. The women start arriving, and Erika asks how Annemarie is feeling after the weed dinner, and Annemarie says she thought it was a comedy. In Dorit’s interview, she says, Sutton gave her a heads up that there would be about 80 people. It’s allowed her to mentally prepare herself for the situation going into. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she’s proud of Sutton. Four years is a lot to keep thriving. When she and Sutton met, Sutton said she hadn’t worked in 17 years, and Garcelle thought they’d have nothing in common. Now she loves Sutton. In the limo, Kim tells Kyle that she gets a lot of energy walking into a room, and it can be overwhelming. In Kyle’s interview, she says, she’s happy Kim is going. It will show Sutton that she didn’t lose two sisters. We flash back to Sutton’s cutting remark, and Kyle says, she has one with her. In Sutton’s interview, she says, Kyle’s not stupid. (I beg to differ, but go on.) She brought Kim to prove she and her sisters are close. At least one of them. They all search for something to say, along with some artist that got dragged in, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, if crickets could start chirping, it would be in this moment with Kyle. That’s how awkward it is. In Kim’s interview, she says, she’s here. She showed up. It’s not comfortable. Sutton takes the mic and looking at her notes, she thanks everyone for coming. She says she loves having her girlfriends here with her. A lot of labels get thrown out there about women, and hopefully it’s not women throwing labels at women. But tonight, she loves labels. In Erika’s interview, she says she doesn’t think Sutton is giving the most eloquent speech, but you can’t check all the boxes. Sutton says she’s the worst speaker, but she’s proud of herself. She thanks everyone and tells them to go back to drinking. She tells Avi that she can have her cocktail now, and asks Kyle if it’s okay. It’s her first one of day. She tells Kim that she’s asking permission from mom.

Kim says, obviously, there’s something more, and Kyle says she knows Sutton is upset about what she said the other night. Sutton was acting off, and she said she didn’t know if Sutton had one or five. Sutton says, it’s okay that Kyle had too many at Garcelle’s party, and we flash back to Kyle acting like an idiot. Garcelle asks how Erika felt at dinner with Denise, and Erika says, it was weird. Garcelle says, Erika keeps blowing her mind with her lack of reaction, and Erika says she’s in a place where she’s moved on and choosing to stay present in the moment. She was so high, she slept 17 hours. Kyle tells Sutton that she was talking about a moment. What about the bomb Sutton dropped about her jewelry? Sutton tells Kyle that she never said it was a makeup gift. Garcelle was the one who asked the question. Kyle suggests Garcelle was repeating what Sutton said, and Sutton says, ask Garcelle. It was a symptom of what they were talking about. Kyle wonders who’s saying what about her marriage, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, they’re saying Mauricio cheated. Mauricio moved out, Kyle moved out, Kyle doesn’t love him anymore. She stays out people’s bedrooms… unless they’re single. They go over to Garcelle, and Kyle demands to know why Garcelle didn’t ask if it was an anniversary or birthday gift or something she bought herself, which she did. Why doesn’t she ask about anything else? In Garcelle’s interview, she says, it’s almost like Kyle wants her to ask. Garcelle says, if there was a story behind it, would Kyle own up to it? and Kyle says, yes. In Sutton’s interview, she says, Kyle has another new ring that symbolizes connection, strength, and love; rooted in partnership. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, is that about Mau? Sutton says she’s disappointed in Dorit gossiping about her. Saying she has a drinking problem is unfair. Dorit denies she said it, but Sutton says, Crystal told her. She said Dorit is running around telling everyone that Sutton has a drinking problem. Dorit says, the only conversation she had was with Crystal and Kyle at Kyle’s house, and we flash back to Dorit saying, Sutton probably has vodka in her coffee in the morning, which is a pretty awful thing to say. Sutton says, the accusation is dangerous, and Dorit says she’ll figure it out with Crystal. In Dorit’s interview, she says, Crystal hardly ever speaks, and now she’s decided to be a carrier pigeon for Sutton. Dorit applauds, but I’m not sure if it’s for herself, Sutton, or the idea of a carrier pigeon. Kyle tells Sutton that she’d like to fix things. Sutton’s comment about denial hurt her. Sutton says she’s sorry. She’s a forgiving person, and as long as the other person is honest, she’ll always move on. Kyle apologizes to Sutton, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, they’ve apologized, but is she running through lavender fields? No. They have to lick their wounds and start anew. They both said terrible things that will take a while to get over. Dorit asks why Crystal is saying she’s going around telling people that Sutton has a drinking problem. Crystal reminds Dorit that she said it to her, and Dorit says, so did Kyle. Crystal says, then both of them did. In Crystals interview, she says, you hear it. You fear it. You wish it never happened. She’s on the other end of a jury interrogation. Dorit goes on and on and on about how Sutton is a drinker, and Crystal says she’s bored. Garcelle and I both laugh.  

Crystal says she wants to be clear, Dorit only told her and Kyle. Annemarie says she overheard Sutton saying she has neuropathy. She must be taking gabapentin, but she said she could have a drink with it. She can’t. Sutton says, her doctor said she could, but Annemarie insists she can’t. Sutton says, her doctor okayed it, and Annemarie says she can a do what she wants, but technically, the two shouldn’t be put together. Sutton says she takes it at night, and Erika says she does that anyway with a lot of things. Garcelle says, they lived it, and Kim says, what about the esophagus thing? Sutton says she’s not on medication for that, and in Annemarie’s interview, she says, what Sutton is telling them doesn’t make sense. Annemarie says, she only does anesthesia, but this sounds like a symptom of something, not a diagnosis. If Sutton has a stricture, she needs to chew her food more. She can get treatment for the problem. She uses it as a reason for not eating food. Sutton says she does eat food, and Annemarie tells Sutton that she didn’t say that. She’s saying, it doesn’t make sense. Sutton says, Annemarie’s not her doctor, but Annemarie insists it doesn’t make sense. Sutton tells Annemarie not to yell at her. Why is she at a doctor’s appointment now? Does she need her insurance card? Annemarie says, she can get treatment, and Sutton says, her brother gets his esophagus stretched out. She chooses not to. Shall they do it as a group? Erika suggests she give a BJ, and in Erika’s interview, she says she’s solved the mystery. Sutton has a small esophagus, so no date number two. It’s not the cat sweater or the kooky behavior. It’s the esophagus. Sutton says, are we done, doctor? and Annemarie says, that was condescending. Well, what’s condescending is Annemarie not correcting Sutton that she is not a doctor, never mind giving Sutton unwanted medical advice when she’s not licensed to; and doing this at Sutton’s party. Why, oh why, do they always bring up inappropriate things at gatherings? Annemarie says, it doesn’t medically make sense, and Sutton says, it works for her. In Sutton’s interview, she says, they just met. They’re basically strangers. She doesn’t know Annemarie’s last name. Buy her something at least. Sutton suggests they get more lighthearted. She’s trying to relax. This is a big deal for her. Kyle says, cheers, and in Erika’s interview, she says, Sutton is a business owner, ambitious, and doing her own thing when she doesn’t have to. She could lay around in a kaftan drinking martinis. In Dorit’s interview, she says she’s proud and excited for Sutton, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, she sold her store because the rents were so high. Sutton’s store is a good thing and still going strong. Sutton says, her ex is now moving to England, and she’s scared. Erika says, when you live your own life completely, you blossom. She’ll feel different, free in a different way. In Sutton’s interview, she says, after the divorce, she had to grow up, but she knew he was still there. It’s the end of a fairy tale. She’s seeing herself, not as a housewife, but this woman who’s succeeding in multiple ways. She should be and is proud of herself. They take photos.  

Later in the season, Garcelle tries to talk to her sons about sex; Erika’s Vegas residency; a trip to (I think) Spain; a haunted castle; Kyle is scared to let Kathy back in; Kyle doesn’t know if she and Mauricio are going to make it; Morgan gives a shout out to Kyle at her concert; and Crystal ends up in the emergency room.

🔎 Hunting For the Good Tape…

Join me tomorrow for soap and what passes as Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping your normal routine as much as possible throughout the holidays, and stay not waiting for everything to be perfect to try for what you want, or you might miss your chance altogether.

December 12, 2023 – Ned Wants To Make a Deal With Nina, She Shines, Daytime Emmy Info, Speaking Out, Mishap, No Snow, Not So Pretty, VanderTrailer, Stay Healthy, Holiday Pets (!) & Feliz

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Tracy walks into the nook and sees Ned on his guitar. She says she knew it was too good to be true. Eddie Maine has clearly not left the building.

Brook is about to knock on Maxie’s office door, when she hears Maxie talking to Felicia on the phone. Maxie says, her mom and dad have already helped her so much. She can’t allow them to jeopardize their financial future to get her out of this mess.

There’s a knock at Nina’s office door, and she says, come in. Willow walks in and asks if it’s a bad time, but Nina says, never. She’s so happy to see Willow. Willow asks if she’s sure, because lately, it feels like she’s been pulling away.

Obrecht meets Scotty at Kelly’s, and he asks her to have a seat, but she says she’s not sitting. She’s not staying. State his business. He says, coffee. He thought they agreed if they ran into each other in public, they’d be civil. She says, they did, but this is not a chance encounter where they can nod their heads regretfully to each other in passing and continue on. He says, you call that civil? and she sits down. She says, he asked her here to what end? and he says he thinks their relationship ended too soon.

At the counter, Hume asks Brennan why he keeps coming back to Kelly’s, and Brennan says he likes the ambience. Hume says, he knows this place is owned by Corinthos’s ex-wife. What if someone recognizes them?

Sam meets Kristina at Kelly’s, and Kristina gives a crazy coffee order. Sam says, it sounds like someone needs a pick-me-up. Did she have a late night? Kristina says, no. Just indulging while she can. Sam asks what that’s supposed to mean.

Dante hangs around the lockers until he’s sure no one is around. He takes out the key.

As Brook listens, Maxie says she loves that her parents want to bail her out, but if they could just make the money back, they’d have it… Okay. Let her look at the numbers. Maybe they can come up with a compromise, like a partial loan or something, but she has to go… She loves Felicia too. Bye. Brook knocks at the door, and Maxie says, it’s open. Brook comes in, and Maxie says, this is a surprise. Brook asks if she’s in the middle of something, and Maxie says, always, but it’s good to see her. Brook asks if everything is okay, and Maxie says, fine, great actually. Deception is back and better than ever. Brook asks if she’s sure, and Maxie says, yeah. Why does she ask? Brook says, because she was just eavesdropping on her.

Ned continues to play, and Tracy says, the Bridge and Tunnel twins swore up and down he was in his right mind. She doesn’t know why she let them get her hopes up. Clearly those perpetual teenyboppers prefer having Eddie Maine around. He asks if she really thinks so, and she says she knows so. The Pink Ladies from Bensonhurst are probably tearing each other’s hair out, battling over who gets to wear his leather jacket. He says, are you quite finished, mother? and she says, it’s ridiculous to… Did he just call her mother? He says he’s sure that’s not the only thing he’s called her, and she says, Ned? He says, it’s me.

Nina says she hasn’t been distancing herself from Willow. Absolutely not. It’s just with the magazine and the MetroCourt and the holidays, she’s been jammed. Willow asks if she means that, and Nina says, of course (🍷) she does. Willow says, because if this relationship is going to work, they have to be honest with each other, and Nina says, absolutely. Willow wonders if she said or did something to upset Nina, but Nina says, it’s just she’s been swamped on all fronts. She knows people were concerned when she offered to sell her half of the MetroCourt back to Carly. They thought she was doing it to score points with her and Willow, but honestly, it’s really that having two full-time jobs has taken its toll. Willow says, of course (🍷). She gets it. Nina says she’s glad Willow is here because she wanted her input. She has some ideas, but wanted Willow’s opinion. What does Willow think she should get Wiley and Amelia for Christmas?

Obrecht says, the bond she and Scotty shared was broken, and he’s the one who broke it when he chose to help Elizabeth, even though Elizabeth’s lies contributed to her Britta’s death. He says, she was his client. Confidentiality. Obrecht, as a doctor, knows it would have been unethical for him to tell her. She says, legally and medically, they’re both such paragons of ethics. She’s truly sorry, but their problems are unsurmountable. He says, they also had a lot of fun even though they have these problems. The way he sees it, they march to a different drumbeat. That’s why he thinks they are a good match. She says, that’s why they were a good match, but now… He doesn’t want her back. He just wants someone to avoid being alone. She thinks people understand that. She’s been in relationships where she felt more alone than when she was encumbered. (Truth!) That’s how she knows it’s best not to settle. He says, settle. She hasn’t even been around. She’s been galivanting all over the country to all these medical conventions and everything else. Tell him. Is she not just a little bit lonely?

Sam tells Kristina that she heard about the miscarriage. Molly is devastated. Kristina says, it’s awful. She ran into Molly in Rice Park. She was bawling her eyes out, so Kristina took Molly back to her apartment. They talked about things, and they decided she’s going to be Molly’s surrogate.

Brennan tells Hume that the only one who would recognize him is Anna Devane, and it’s been over thirty years. He doubts she’d recognize him. Hume says, spies have very long memories; it’s part of the job. Brennan is living proof.

Dante opens the locker and takes out a box wrapped in brown paper. Another man comes in, and Dante puts his hand on his gun, but the man takes out his phone and keeps walking. Dante closes and locks the locker, and leaves with the package.

Nina says, wheels. Got it. How about Amelia? Willow says she understands Amelia is too young to understand what she’s playing with, but if Nina decides to get her a doll, she prefers it to be a doll with a career. (Do baby dolls have careers now?) Nina says, all right, so like a doctor, a lawyer doll? and Willow says, or even an editor/hotelier like her grandmother. Nina says, or a nurse like her mom, and Willow says, all good ideas. Nina says she just has to tell Willow… She thanks Willow for coming here. She really appreciates it. Willow says, right back at her, and Nina says, Willow will let her know if she overdoes it, right? Willow says, total honesty means total honesty. Since they’re discussing Christmas, Michael tells her that they’re going to be spending Christmas Eve with her and Sonny. Nina says, yeah. Is that okay? Willow says, it’s great. She was thinking the kids could open up their presents from her and Sonny while they’re there. That way, Nina can see their reaction.

Tracy says she missed Ned so much, and he says he faked that amnesia for months just to hear her say that. She asks if he wants another head injury, and he says, not that he doesn’t deserve one. He’s sorry for how he behaved toward her when he thought he was Eddie. She says, no apology necessary, and he says, really? She says, actually, it’s Eddie Maine who owes her an apology, but his non-existence in and of itself is a gift. She’s so grateful to have her son standing in front of her is enough. He says, she knows he loves her, right? and she says, of course (🍷). What’s not to love? He laughs, and she says she loves him too. She punches his arm, and he says, what? She says, he’s wasted so much time, and he says, saying they love each other? She says, he let her go on and on about him being Eddie Maine still, and he says, have you ever tried to stop you? She says she wants him to put this guitar in the attic. He needs to focus and stop Michael from taking ELQ. He says he thought she wanted nothing to do with ELQ, and she says she doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean she wants to see Alan’s surprise offspring and his grandson run away with it. Ned needs to get his head in the game.

Kristina tells Sam that she doesn’t have to say anything. She knows how Sam feels about it. Sam’s already told her that she doesn’t think it would be wise for her to be Molly and TJ’s surrogate. Sam tells her that she never said that. What she meant to say was, being pregnant and giving birth are bigger than Kristina could ever imagine. They have to be experienced to be understood. She just wanted Kristina to think about it carefully before she made a commitment. Kristina says, Sam was right, 100%. She wasn’t ready. And now she is, and so is Molly.

Brennan says he knows Hume has met Corinthos face to face. Is there anyone else in town who could recognize him? Hume says, a few of his guards and business associates. Other than that… Brennan says, maybe it’s time for Hume to head back to DC, and Hume says, whatever the circumstances require. Brennan says, but before he goes, find the report that Forsythe stole from Anna Devane.

Obrecht tells Scotty that she may be alone in her travels, but she’s never lonely. She’s interacting with her peers, talking about her expertise. And she’s learning so much; discoveries and developments in disease, discoveries in technology and treatments. She can’t begin to tell him how exciting it all is. He says, that’s it. He wants her to tell him this stuff. She says, Scotty. Stuff. He says he wants to tell her something, since they may never see each other again, and she says, an ominous prologue. He says he thinks she may be doing all this traveling to hide from her grief, and she says, Auf Wiedersehen. Have a good life. She gets up, and goes outside, but he follows her. He says, hang on a second. Talk to him. he understands the grief she’s going through. More than anybody. He buried three children. Their children were forces of nature, and he thinks if they talk about them, if they share their grief – he takes her hand – that will bring them closer together. She says, that is precisely why they’re not together. He couldn’t be more wrong.

Maxie tells Brook, what can she say? At least Brook is admitting upfront this time that she’s spying. Brook says she wasn’t spying… this time. Maxie’s door was a little bit open and she just happened to hear part of the conversation. Maxie says, fine. She guesses that’s the definition of eavesdropping. Since Brook isn’t here for corporate espionage, what is she here for? Brook says she wanted to share some news, brushing her hair back with her left hand so Maxie can see the ring. Maxie says, oh my God. Brook and Chase? Brook says, they’re engaged, and Maxie squeals, running over to Brook. She says, congratulations, hugging her, and Brook thanks her. Maxie says she has to look, and takes Brook’s hand, checking out the ring. Brook asks if it meets with her approval, and Maxie says, yes, it does. That is a good stone. Her feelings are a little hurt that Chase didn’t consult with her, but whoever he did go to steered him in the right direction. Brook says, he did his research and the was thorough. Chase is so sweet that way. Maxie asks if Brook and Detective Adorable have set a date yet, and Brook says, not yet, but they’re thinking early in the new year. Maxie says she sees, and looks at Brook’s stomach. She says, for real this time? and Brook says she’s not pregnant. Maxie says, why the shotgun? and Brook says, there is no shotgun or weapons of any kind. They just… Violet doesn’t believe in long engagements. Maxie says, all right then. If she needs a wedding planner… Brook says, like she would consider anybody else. And she’s sure Maxie has planned her entire wedding already. Maxie says she has a file… and a vision board. She has color samples, dress choices, dinner and dessert menus, a DJ playlist, venues… Brook says, she hasn’t picked the band yet? and Maxie says, Brook is the one who knows all the musicians. Maxie says she’s missed them, and Brook says, her too, taking Maxie’s hand. Since Maxie is going to make her the happiest woman on her wedding day, maybe there’s something she can do for Maxie in return. Maxie says, such as? and Brook says, spill it. Tell her what’s going on.

Nina says she and Sonny would love to watch Wiley and Amelia open up their gifts, and Willow claps her hands and says, yes. Nina says, as long as Michael’s okay with it, and Willow says, it’s Christmas. She can’t imagine why he wouldn’t be. Ned knocks on the door and says, this is convenient. He can kill two birds with one stone. Willow says, he has something to discuss with both her and Nina? and he says, as a matter of fact, he does. Drew. Willow says, what about Drew? and Ned says he just wanted to make sure they both knew; Drew will be spending Christmas in Australia with a business deal. Willow says she knew that. Nina? Nina says, that’s news to her. She’ll have to make sure Sonny knows that. She thanks Ned for coming by and telling them. That might change Carly’s holiday plans, which might change their plans. Ned says, the domino effect. One decision sets in motion a whole chain of events. Willow says she’s got to run. She’ll talk to Nina if she has any more gift ideas for the kids. Nina says she’ll do the same, and Willow leaves. Ned closes the door and says he can’t tell Nina how tempted he was to let Willow know he wasn’t the one who turned Drew and Carly in to the SEC. It was her. She says, so why didn’t he?

Maxie tells Brook, when Tracy’s lawsuit stalled Deceptor sales, the stocks plummeted, and she stopped drawing salary. Brook says, no, and Maxie says, she went from paying off her credit cards monthly to only making the minimum payments, but she still had bills, so she was still charging. She basically blew through her savings and dug herself into a major hole. Brook says, but Deception is recovering, right? And Maxie’s salary is going to kick in soon. Maxie says, if only, and Brook asks what she’s going to do. Maxie says, her mom and Mac want to liquidate part of their financial portfolio to help her out of this debt, but she doesn’t feel right about doing that. They’ve worked their entire lives to earn that money so their portfolio can grow. Brook says, okay, so how about if she loans Maxie the money? and Maxie says she appreciates the thought, but she can’t accept that. Brook says, why not? She’s a trust fund baby. She has tons of funds in an account that she didn’t earn. She would be putting it into good use. Maxie thanks her for the offer, but her parents are going to help her, and Brook asks if Maxie would even be in this position if it weren’t for Tracy’s lawsuit, or her spying. Maxie says, no, she wouldn’t, and Brook says, so let her fix this. She owes it to Maxie. Maxie says, this is not Brook’s problem to solve. It’s hers and she will. Now she really needs to get back to work. Brook says, why? It’s not like she’s getting paid. Maxie says she can’t wait to plan Brook’s wedding, even more than she already has, and they hug.

Scotty says he doesn’t understand why Obrecht won’t let him comfort her, help her here. Forget about a relationship. Why won’t she let him help her? She says she doesn’t want him to. She doesn’t want anyone to. When she lost Nathan, she didn’t think she could go on, but she did. In part, because she still had her Britta. Some people might find comfort that their child died heroically. She envies them. All she feels is grief. She doubts she’ll ever make sense of why she’s still alive and her children are gone. Perhaps it’s so she can redeem herself with her grandson James. He reminds her so much of her son Nathan. She starts to cry, and he says he understands the whole grandkid thing. Elizabeth’s kids aren’t his by blood, but he is their grandfather. He likes it that way. She says, it’s good they can still count the few remaining blessings they have, and he says he thinks they can have more blessings. She says, just when they were doing so well, and laughs. He says he wants love. He thinks she does too.

Kristina tells Sam that she knew how badly Molly wanted to be a mother of course (Auf Wiedersehen), but she never really grasped it until she saw Molly in the park that day. She wants to be Molly’s surrogate. She wants to give Molly and TJ what they want more than anything.

Hume says, they’ve been attempting to reconstruct Forsythe’s movements from the night he retrieved the report until his death. Brennan asks when they’ll have actual results, and Hume says he’s been assured, very soon. Brennan says, none of this would be necessary if someone hadn’t jumped the gun quite literally and got rid of Forsythe prematurely. He was much more valuable alive.

A bank officer brings Dante a safe deposit box, and thanks him for choosing their bank. He leaves, Dante opens the box, and takes the package out of his duffel bag. He puts on gloves, takes out a pocketknife, and slices open the paper.

Kristina tells Sam that she just knows Molly and TJ want this so badly. She wants to be a good sister. She wants to give this to them. Okay, hit her. Thoughts, concerns, questions, objections. God knows Sam’s got them. Sam says she does, and she can see Kristina has thought this through, and it’s coming from a place of love. And she supports Kristina all the way.

Dante takes a box out of the paper and opens it. He takes out some papers and looks at them. It looks like it’s probably the report in question because it talks about an operation and Forsythe’s name is all over. We see Anna’s name, and something about a whole lot of money that was never recovered. At the bottom, it says, WSB. After flipping through it, Dante sets the report aside, and shakes some photos out of a small envelope. He sees a headshot of a guy I assume is Forsythe, one of Anna, and when he looks at the last picture, Dante says, who are you? I’m thinking Brennan, younger and without facial hair.

Scotty says he knows he and Obrecht were crazy about each other a while back. He thinks they can be crazy about each other again. She says, is that so? and he says, yes, it is. He has another point. Time is ticking away and they’re not getting any younger. So he says they strike while the iron’s hot. She says, he believes they should embrace this opportunity because another, better one might not come along, and he says, yeah. If they can take this opportunity, why wait for another opportunity? She says, an admirable attempt. What Maxie would call, a nice save. If one of them is settling, then they both are, and she never settles. She kisses him on the cheek and says she hopes he knows, even though they won’t have their own happy ending, she hopes he finds one himself. She leaves.

On the phone, Maxie says, they can let Haven know they’ll consider booking another segment with Sasha and Cody, but Haven will have to agree, in advance, to limit her own camera time. Lucy comes to the door, but says, sorry. Maxie’s busy. She’ll come back. Maxie signals her not to go, and says, just give Haven the message and let them know what she decides. They’re not in a hurry. She asks Lucy, what’s up? and Lucy says, nothing really. No. Nothing… She thinks she made a mistake.

Brook asks if Tracy’s got a minute, and Tracy says, for her granddaughter, always. She shows Brook her tablet and says, look at these pictures. Isn’t Sasha radiant? Brook says, she always is, and Tracy says she doesn’t really get the point of Cody though. Brook says, everyone has a different demographic, right? and Tracy says she supposes so. Sasha has the department store and boutique crowd, and he maybe increases foot traffic… Can Brook imagine? Lucy Coe wanted to replace her with a random singer? Brook says, that random singer’s name is Blaze, and she happens to be wildly popular and extremely talented. Tracy says, good for her, and Brook says, Blaze is also her client. Tracy says, good for Brook. She’s definitely not the Face of Deception, nor will she ever be. Brook says, which coincidentally, she wanted to talk to Tracy about. Tracy says, the singer? but Brook says, no, Deception.

Ned says he doesn’t know. Why didn’t he expose Nina to Willow and blow up her newfound detente with her? Nina says, there’s one thing everyone seems to be conveniently forgetting. Regardless of who turned in Carly and Drew to the SEC, that doesn’t change the fact that they committed insider trading. He says, so Drew at least got what he deserved, including a beating… She says, Drew didn’t deserve to be attacked, but that had nothing to do with the insider trading, and he says, Drew wouldn’t have been in Pentenville in the first place if Nina hadn’t turned them in. She says, if Carly and Drew hadn’t committed a crime, and he says, if this had been about justice or doing the right thing, she wouldn’t have used Martin as her go-between. So now, she’s scrambling because she wants to keep all of this quiet, because she doesn’t want to lose Sonny or lose any chance of having a relationship with Willow, her sweet, beautiful daughter. So far, it’s worked. So far. She says, if he wanted to blow up her life, he wouldn’t be talking to her right now. He’d be out there talking to Sonny or Michael or Willow or whoever. But here he is talking to her. So tell her, what does he want? he says, what he wants is to make a deal with her.

Tracy says she thought Brook wanted nothing to do with Deception. That she wanted her sole focus to be music, and she couldn’t have Deception as back-up because it would prevent her from going all-in on her dream of being a so-called manager for so-called talent. Brook says, Tracy was listening, and Tracy says she heard every word. Brook says, how else could Tracy use it against her later? and Tracy asks if Brook just dropped by to remind her that she turned her nose up at that generous offer? Brook says, actually, she dropped by to tell Tracy that she reconsidered, and Tracy says, reconsidered what?

Maxie asks, what’s the mistake? and Lucy says she had drinks with Scotty. Maxie says, she’s done that billions of times. Not literally billions, but at least in the thousands. Lucy says she’s not making herself clear, is she? and Maxie says she can’t believe she’s asking this, but can Lucy elaborate? Lucy says, Scotty asked her to join him for drinks, and like Maxie said, a billion times, so she agreed, but it quickly became clear, Scotty’s really lonely. He seemed out of sorts. He had that break-up with Liesl… Maxie says she never thought he was good enough for her, and Lucy says, what? She always thought exactly the opposite. Scotty has faults, she agrees – many, many faults – but deep down underneath, he has a big heart of gold. And therein lies the problem. Maxie says, that she thinks Scotty has a big heart of gold, and Lucy says, yes. She can’t help herself; she sympathizes with him. And sympathy always leads her down this road that she’s traveled many, many, many times. And the last time she traveled that road, she lost her Doc for good, and she doesn’t want the same thing to happen with Marty. Maxie says, of course (🍷) not, and Lucy says, she and Maxie were thinking the same thing; she and Scotty are just friends, right? They’re best friends. They’re just friendly friend, friend friends, and could never be anything else but just friends. Because if they cross that line of romance, it leads ultimately to total disaster. She ends up heartsore, humiliated, and broke; sometimes all three happen at the same time. But at the same time, it’s not Scotty’s fault. He’s a unique, funny, wonderful man. He’s also absolutely the catalyst to some of the worst decisions she’s ever made in her entire life. There’s a knock on the door, and Scotty asks if he’s interrupting.

Nina says, in return for Ned keeping quiet about her turning Carly and Drew in to the SEC, he wants what? He says he’s willing to continue taking the blame for Drew going to prison, if she gets him some insider information. She says, he doesn’t lack for audacity, does he? and he says he sees the irony hasn’t escaped her. (Me neither.) She says, okay, so this isn’t a joke. He wants her to get him insider information on what? Crimson or the MetroCourt? He says, Drew and Michael have been double-teaming him again with ELQ and Aurora. What he wants – what he needs – is an advantage, specifically inside information on Crimson’s parent company Aurora.

Kristina says she’s got to run and asks Sam if everything is okay. Sam says, yeah. She was just hoping to hear from Dante. He’s working on a case and she wants to make sure everything is okay. Kristina says, Dante is a badass. She’s sure he’s fine. Sam says, when Kristina is right, she’s right, and Kristina asks her to say it again. She wants to make that her ringtone. Sam says, when she’s right, she’s right, and Kirstina says she loves Sam. She kisses Sam on the cheek, and leaves.

Hume says, continuing to search for the report could leave them exposed, but Brennan says, that is the risk. Hume asks if it’s worth taking, and Brennan says, if that report were to fall into the wrong hands, it would not only compromise the WSB, it would compromise Pikeman. Does Hume think it’s worth it?

Sam is about to send a text to Dante: Everything okay? but she puts her phone down. Willow runs over to her table, and Sam jumps. Willow says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to startle Sam.

Dante looks through a wallet, but it’s empty. He puts everything back in the box, closes it, folds the wrapping paper, and puts it on top of the box. He puts everything in the safe deposit box, but as he’s about to close it, he takes the wallet back out. He puts the wallet in his pocket, closes the box, and locks it. He picks up his duffel bag and leaves.

Brook says, since she got engaged, she’s realized Tracy is right, but Tracy says, she’ll have to narrow that down. Brook says, until she gets more clients and gets them more gigs and more contracts… Tracy says, and until she starts making money… Brook says, it’s going to be hard to live on Chase’s salary. So it seems like a good idea to find something more stable to supplement her income. So if Tracy’s offer is still on the table… Tracy says her offer is still on the table. She’d be delighted to have Brook join her at Deception. Brook thanks her, and Tracy says, and some day in the future, the company will be Brook’s. But until then, she has a lot to learn, and Tracy can’t wait to start teaching her.

Lucy says, she and Maxie were in the middle of a very important conference, and Maxie says, Scotty’s not here on Deception business, is he? He says, no, it’s personal, and Maxie says, she and Lucy were in the middle of something. Lucy says, they were, but tells Maxie, they’re fine. Maxie thanks her for the escape, and leaves. Lucy asks what exactly Scotty wants, and he says he’s flying down to Florida to see Serina for Christmas and say hello to the manatees. She says, that’s really nice, and asks him to give Serina her love, but he says, why doesn’t she tell Serina herself. Does she want to tag along?

Nina says, Ned thinks she can get insider information on Auroa, and he says, Crimson is one of Aurora’s biggest assets. That gives her access. She says, it doesn’t. Aurora is all Michael and Drew. Michael hates her guts, and she and Drew aren’t exactly best friends. Ned says, if she thinks he hates her now, just wait until he finds out she’s the reason he almost died in prison. She says, even if she sets up a meeting with Drew to talk about Crimson and Aurora, he’s not going to talk to her about anything except Crimson. He’s not going to give her any relevant details about Aurora or ELQ. Ned tells her to think back to those bygone days in Nixon Falls, when she kept Sonny’s identity hidden from him; when she kept Sonny’s very existence hidden from everyone here. She says, he’s bringing this up why? and he says, to remind her just how resourceful she can be, especially when her back is up against the wall, which it most certainly is right now. She says, Nixon Falls is a very small town. All she had to do was not say anything, and people still found out. He says, get him that intel. Otherwise, he’ll just make that short, three-minute walk from the mansion to the gatehouse and share some insider information of his own with Willow about just how low Nina can stoop.

Willow says, Christmas Eve, she and Michael are taking the kids to Sonny and Nina’s, and Sam says, she and Dante are taking the kids to the Quartermaines on Christmas… She suddenly gets up and runs to the door where Dante has just come in. She throws her arms around him, and Willow says, perfect.

Brennan tells Hume, worst case scenario, Forsythe passed the report on to someone else. Hume says, and if that is the case… Brennan says, whoever has it now will have to be dealt with.

Tomorrow, Nina asks what’s got Ava so terrified; Sam asks if Dante trusts Anna; Kristina says she knows what she’s in for, but Alexis says, no, she doesn’t; and Brennan says, perhaps Carly can accompany him.

🌞 She’s No Slouch…

At 9 years old, I was playing with Barbies.

🏆 Awarding Daytime…

This Friday, December 15th, 9 pm EST, on CBS and Paramount+.

I like how they chose the presenter for Susan Lucci’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

🚽 Ozempic Not OK…

Maybe it’s me, but I’m not into the side effects.

https://okmagazine.com/p/bravo-celebrities-who-have-spoken-ozempic/

🎤 Her Show Went On…

Seriously, does it really make any difference?

🐉 Jon Stalled…

Looks like a wall got put up on this one.

https://www.cbr.com/jon-snow-game-of-thrones-disappointing-update/

👠 And She Oughtta Know…

What she said was very accurate. I also highly recommend her new film Leave the World Behind on Netflix. It really keeps you guessing.

https://ew.com/julia-roberts-responds-pretty-woman-gift-real-housewives-beverly-hills-8413985

🍸 Prolonging the Pain…

Milking the VanderCashCow.

https://people.com/vanderpump-rules-season-11-extended-trailer-8414301

🍰 Staying the Course…

And remember, it’s not what you eat between Christmas and the New Year, but what you eat between the New Year and Christmas. Although admittedly, that eating business begins at Halloween.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/food-dining/2023/11/20/staying-healthy-holiday-tips/71570950007/

🦌 On Doberman and Dachshund…

Luckily, my newest dog doesn’t mind a hat.

🐀 Not a Creature Is Stirring…

Join me tomorrow for soap and the nonsense that is Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay hydrated even in the cooler months, and stay embracing opportunities, but not settling.

December 11, 2023 – Dex Tells Josslyn About His Past, A Drunk Guest Invades the Crew’s Privacy On Deck & Hey Sis

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Everyone applauds and cheers Violet’s song, and Violet gives kudos to Chase. Brook says, maybe she can get him a gig as a studio musician, and he says, never mind him. He thinks she’s found her next break-out performer. Finn tells him, bite his tongue, but Brook says, don’t worry. She thinks Violet’s a little young to go out on tour. Violet says, maybe, but she’s old enough to sing at their wedding. Please.

Marshall comes downstairs to find Curtis on the laptop, and he says, something tells him that Curtis isn’t working on his Christmas list. Curtis says he’s not, and if he gets his wish this year, he’s never asking for anything again.

Dex says, sorry he’s too busy to cook for Josslyn, but she says, she isn’t. He says, ouch, and she says she loves his cooking, but she was in the mood for sushi, and he hasn’t mastered that yet. He says he’s making dinner for her this weekend, and she says, if he insists. Only if she can help him. He says, deal. Any requests? She says she doesn’t know. Something cozy. Maybe his bolognaise. She knows. They can go to the store and get some ingredients and then on the way back, pick up a little Christmas tree for in here. He says, that’s okay. He doesn’t need a tree.

Sam says, they should figure out when to decorate the Christmas tree, and what is the deal with Christmas? and Dante says, she knows. A fat, jolly guy comes down the chimney, and then she buys him a bunch of presents. She throws a pillow at him and says, he’s hilarious. He says, tell him something he doesn’t know. She says she means, when are they going to go to the Quartermaines’ versus her mom’s and Willow’s… He says he doesn’t know. He thinks they have too many family members. She says, that’s not an answer, and kisses him.

Coming into the penthouse, Nina asks the guard to put her bags on the table and thanks him. Sonny comes out and asks how she is. She says, good, and they hug. He asks if she left anything at the store for other people to buy, and she says, make fun all he wants, but this is their first Christmas as husband and wife, and she’s going to go all out.

Looking at the tree, Olivia says, they do good work, and Lois says, Sister Joanne Claire would be proud. Olivia says, they’ve got a lot more house to go, but these two rooms look beaut-tee- ful. They hear the door slam, and hear Tracy say, no. They go out to find Tracy walking through the foyer with her luggage carrier, saying, no, no, no, no, no. This will not do. Not at all. Lois says, what won’t do? and Tracy says, it looks like Coney Island in here. Olivia asks if she’s got a beef with Coney Island, and Tracy says she’s home in the nick of time apparently. Leo comes downstairs and says, oh man. Christmas is ruined.

Nina pulls out some plushies and tells Sonny that she got them for Avery and Donna. She’s not sure who’s going to get which one. He says, they’ll love those, and she says she thought so too. She got ties for the guards and a new laptop for Dex. He says, she wasn’t kidding when she said she went all out, and she says, and she got riding boots for James. He’s really into riding these days. He’s even taking lessons from Cody Bell. He says, it looks like she’s thought of everything. What about Amelia and Wiley?

Dante tells Sam that he’s not too concerned about Sonny and Nina. they live down the hall, so they can stop in anytime for a drink. Sam says, there will be enough cookies for everyone. She bought two dozen from Aiden Webber. He says he’s trying to be good this year, but she says, no one’s good during the holidays. He kisses her and says, he won’t tell Santa, but she says, that’s not what she meant. Not only are Aiden’s cookies delicious, he’s using the money to pay his way to Paris. He wants to go to pastry school. Isn’t that cool? Dante takes the bag with the locker key out of his pocket at looks at it. She says, he didn’t turn the key in yet, and he says, if he had, it would have been long gone by now.

Josslyn asks if she’s dating the Grinch and didn’t know, but Dex says, no. She asks if he doesn’t celebrate, and he says he does. She asks why he doesn’t want a Christmas tree, and he says, because it’s a lot of work. You have to water it, decorate it, and sweep up all the pine needles. She says, oh, the horror, and he says, besides, Christmas is for kids anyway. She says, exactly. It’s the one time of year they’re reminded of how much interest credit cards charge all that childhood magic. He says, if you had that kind of childhood.

Brook hugs Violet and says, she should absolutely sing at their wedding, and Chase says, if not at the ceremony, definitely at the reception. Finn asks if they’re absolutely positive. Violet will remember this. Chase says, 100%, and Violet says, that’s a lot of percents. Elizabeth says, she’s got him there, and Finn says, she’s got him everywhere. Elizabeth says she’s so excited for Violet, and Gregory says, she’ll have to pick a special song. It’s a special day. Violet asks if he’ll help her, and he says he’d love to. Violet asks when they’re going to have their wedding, and Brook says, Violet would fit right in, in Bensonhurst. Violet asks if that’s a place where they have weddings, and Brook says, frequently. Violet asks if they’re having their wedding there, but Chase says, they haven’t figured that out. Elizabeth says, weddings take a long time to plan. Sometimes you have to pick a date that’s more than a year away. Violet asks if they’re going to wait a whole year.

Tracy says she’s been gone a pretty long time. Isn’t Leo happy to see her? Leo says, yes, and she says she senses a but in there. He says, but Christmas is fun and she doesn’t like fun. Olivia has to turn away, not being able to contain her laughter, and Tracy says she likes fun… occasionally, and Luke was a big believer in fun. Leo asks, when’s the last time? and she says, when she had fun? She thinks a moment and says she had fun at the luau with Brook. Lois says, luah? and Olivia says, there was a luau at the MetroCourt. Lois says, and Tracy went? and Olivia says she has photographic documentation. Lois says she’s got to see that, and Tracy asks, how is Leo? Leo says he’s good. Did she see any animals on her trip? She says she did. He should look in his Photo Ark book… a red deer and peregrine falcons. He says he will. Zoo or natural habitat? She says, okay, fine. She saw the falcon in captivity, but the deer she saw in nature. He says, cool, and she says, he should check it out. He says he will, and heads upstairs. He stops and says, the house looks pretty. Lois and Olivia thank him, and Tracy says, you know that expression, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? Olivia asks, what is not beautiful about all this? and Tracy says, where to begin. Lois says, buckle up, and Tracy says, there’s way too much garland. Way too much garland. She walks into the living room and says, way too many ornaments, and the tree is in the wrong place. Face it. If her son was still in his right mind, they never would have been given free reign. Lois and Olivia look at each other.

Curtis tells Marshall, instead of taking years to possible regain mobility, he could be walking with full body support in a matter of weeks. Marshall says, it sounds like magic, and Curtis says, it may be. Marshall says, downsides, and Curtis says, it is an experimental procedure in the early stages of human trials, so there are a lot of unknowns and absolutely no guarantees. Marshall says, that’s a nice way of saying a lot of things could go wrong, and Curtis says, yeah, but what if it all went right?

Tracy says, Ned is Ned? No more Eddie Maine? Olivia says she thinks Eddie is always going to be a part of Ned, but yes. Her son’s memory is fully restored. Tracy asks, when? and Lois says, a week ago? Olivia says, give or take, and Tracy says, and no one thought to tell her. She guesses it makes sense. She’s only his mother. Olivia says she thinks they assumed Ned would want to tell her himself and in person, and Lois says, face to face. Olivia says, mano a mano, and Lois says, mano a mama. They laugh, and Olivia says, that’s a good one. Tracy asks if they’re done, and they both say, yeah. Tracy says she guesses it’s really lucky she came home. She might have gone to her grave thinking her son was lost to her forever. Olivia says, speaking of which, if Ned did not prompt this visit, why did she fly all the way home?

Chase says, they haven’t picked out a date yet, but they promise it will be way sooner than a year, and Brook says, way, way sooner. Violet asks if they mean it, and Brook says, as if she could wait any longer to marry Violet’s uncle. Violet says, give her a ballpark, and Finn says, Violet, making a cutting motion. Violet says she just wants to know how long, and would it be longer if there were two brides and two grooms there? Finn shakes his head, and Elizabeth says, oh no. Violet asks, what’s wrong? and Elizabeth says, how about them Mets? that star at the top of the tree is crooked. It has to be fixed right away. Doesn’t Finn think? Finn says, absolutely. Is there a tree doctor in the house? Violet says, Dr. Violet reporting for duty, and Elizabeth says, this is a very complicated Christmas tree surgery. Gregory asks if she’s sure she’s up for it, and Violet says, as sure as she’ll ever be. Finn says, they’ll take it. Pick up or ladder? Violet says, of course (🍷) pick up, and Elizabeth says, hurry up. The patient doesn’t have a lot of time. Finn asks if Violet is ready. One… two… three. He picks her up and brings her to the tree.

Josslyn asks if Dex didn’t have a Christmas tree growing up, but he says, they did. They did all of the ritual and all of the traditions, but it was all kind of for show. Like they were playing make-believe or something. Christmas was not a happy time in their house. She asks, why not? If he’s not comfortable, he doesn’t have to tell her, but she loves him and this is a part of him, so if he does want to share it, she’d like to hear. He says, it’s not all that original. His dad was a selfish SOB who cheated on his mom all the time. She says, and he knew? and Dex says, he didn’t exactly try to hide it. She says she’s so sorry; that’s awful. He says, the worst part is, she stayed with him, and Josslyn asks why he thinks she stayed. Dex says, he was successful. He gave her a good life, but he really thinks she just wasn’t strong enough to stand on her own. She says, that must have been really hard for him and his brothers to watch, and he says, for him, yes. For his brothers, not so much. They grew up to be just like their dad. He was the only one who didn’t play along. She says, and his brothers didn’t like that, and he says, that’s why they beat him up.

Dante says, the final arson report came back on Anna’s house, and Sam says, anything interesting? He tells her, you could say that. They found shreds of fabric in the bushes. It tested positive for the accelerant used to start the fire and the DNA was a match for this Jameson Forsythe guy. She says, the dead guy with the key, and he says, right. And because there was incriminating evidence against him in that report, Anna thinks he stole it. What she doesn’t know, is that he might have put it in his locker before he was murdered. Sam says, so Anna still doesn’t know about the key, and he says, he was going to tell her… Sam asks, what stopped him? and he says, the M.E. Get this. Forsythe’s body is gone. She asks what he means. It just disappeared from the morgue. He says, basically. The WSB had it confiscated.

Finn says, thank you, doctor, and Violet says, anytime. Brook says, her mom wants them to stop by the house. Chase asks if she said why, but Brook says, he knows Lois. She loves a good mystery. She thanks Finn for having them. This was so much fun. Finn thanks them for all the help with the tree, and Chase says, she’s a beaut. The perfect choice. There are hugs and congratulations, and Violet says she wants to know the wedding date as soon as they decide. Chase says, yes, ma’am, and Greogry welcomes Brook to the family. He asks if she’s sure about this, and she says, as sure as she’ll ever be. Gregory says, it was the best news he could get, and they go to the door, Violet calling, as soon as you decide. Brook says, they got the memo, and they leave. Finn says, okay, missy, and Violet asks who he’s calling missy. He says, the girl whose bedtime was over an hour ago, and she asks if grandpa can tuck her in. Gregory says he’d be delighted, and Violet hugs Finn and Chase goodnight. Gregory says, lead the way, and follows her to the bedroom.

Curtis says, Portia is the one who brought this procedure to his attention, and Marshall says, Portia signed off on this? Curtis says, she submitted him as a potential candidate, and Marshall says, so Portia is all right with him being a guinea pig, no matter the dangers involved. Curtis says, Marshall acts like she’s pushing him into this, and Marshall says, isn’t she? Curtis says, she’s his wife. She presented him with information and an opportunity. Ultimately, the decision is his. Marshall says, sounds like he already made it, and Curtis says, and if he has? Would that be a problem for Marshall?

Dante tells Sam, not only did the WSB confiscate the body, they confiscated everything related to Forsythe, the forensics on the accident, all of it. She says, clearly the WSB doesn’t want anyone knowing why Forsythe was in Port Charles or who killed him, and he says, does she know what else was on that list of confiscated things? The arson report. He doesn’t have access to it anymore. She says, so the WSB knows it was Forsythe who burned Anna’s house down.

Nina tells Sonny that since he’s getting Wiley Yankees tickets, she thought she could get Wiley a baseball cap or a jersey, so he could be outfitted for the game. And for Amelia, she saw this really cute lavender snowsuit. It had a really cute fur lined hood… What? Are those bad ideas? Sonny says, no, they’re great ideas, but it’s just kind of modest. Amelia’s a little girl – she’s not going to know the difference – but Wiley, why doesn’t she get him a little more? She says, he comes from a really big family. She doesn’t want to get him a mountain of gifts and overwhelm him. Like her nanny used to say, if you give so many presents, no present is special. (She’s not wrong.) He asks if that’s it, but she says, no, and he says, exactly what he thought. What else? She says she’s trying not to provoke Michael.

Tracy says, Luke’s legal affairs are impossibly tangled. Bobbie, to her credit, had been really tenacious. She won’t accept no for an answer, and she’s also charming all of the bankers and bureaucrats. It’s definitely a two-person job. Olivia says, which is exactly the opposite of explaining why she’s here, and Tracy says, in order to be effective, she has to prove her legal standing. Luckily, Luke did give her power of attorney a while back, so she came here to retrieve those documents. Lois says, Tracy flew halfway around to world to get paperwork that they could have just pulled and sent to her? Tracy says she doesn’t trust anyone with her personal papers, and Olivia says, heh. Tracy asks what that means, and Olivia says, nothing. She just thought that maybe, just maybe, Tracy flew all this way because she wanted to be with her family at Christmas.

Sonny says, there’s still tension between Nina and Michael. It should not be that way. Nina says, it could be worse. Michael is perfectly pleasant when they’re all together. He says, there’s a difference between pleasant and welcoming, and even accepting, and she says, all she can hope for is that things get better with time. It certainly has with Willow, right? Look where they’re at. She knows it’s new, but she treasures that relationship. He says, Willow is a special person, and Nina says, and for her to have Willow in her life, she has to keep the drama at a minimum. So this is her letting Michael set the pace. He says he’s going to talk to Michael on her behalf, but she says, no, putting out her hand to stop him. Please. He can’t do that.

Sam and Dante get into bed, and he says he got another piece of the puzzle from the Medical Examiner. She says, do tell, and he says, Forsythe had a burn scar on his leg. She says, let her guess. Approximately four months old. He says, lines right up with Anna’s house burning down, and she says she’s assuming the WSB took those notes too. He asks if she’s a detective or something, and she says she’s a P.I. Even better. She kisses him and says he was really smart not to log that key in. He says, they would have been all over it. The WSB must not know this key exists. She asks if he’s going to tell Anna about it, but he says, no. Not yet. He wants to look into it himself first.

Josslyn says, Dex’s own brothers beat him up? and he says, it was kind of a thing at their house. Fun for the whole family. She asks how he can joke about this, and he says, because he’s here, isn’t he? They didn’t break him. She asks why they wanted to hurt him. Was it because he protected his mom? He says he and his mom weren’t close actually. He never understood her. He was always disappointed that she didn’t leave his dad, who to his brothers was king. They worshipped him. It was so obnoxious. These arrogant, win at any cost jerks. She says, looks like she chose the right brother, and he says, she would have had even less use for them than he did. By the time he was twelve or thirteen, all he wanted was to get out. She says, that’s why he enlisted, and he says, the day he graduated high school… He’s sorry. She asked him why he didn’t want a Christmas tree, and here he is opening a vein. She says she’s glad he told her. It makes her love him even more.

Gregory reads to Violet: And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, happy Christmas to all and to all a good night. They’re not supposed to read this until Christmas Eve. They’re jumping the gun a little bit. Violet asks if he thinks the Christmas tree is happy now, and he says, most definitely. Especially now that she fixed the star. She’s so right; it’s a special tree. She says, they made it beautiful, and he says, they certainly did. It takes a kind heart to do that, to make a home for a less than perfect tree. That really is the true spirit of Christmas. She says she really loves Christmas, and he says, him too.

Elizabeth says, it really is a beautiful tree, flaws and all, and Finn shushes her. She asks if he thinks it has ears, and he says, you never know. She says, maybe there’s a lesson in there somewhere, and he says, how so? She says, the point of a Christmas tree isn’t that it’s perfect; it’s what it represents. Love, light, warmth. He says, hot cocoa? and she says, that too. When she looks at this tree, she sees the joy in Violet’s face when she watched Chase and Brook decorating. And his dad. He really is so happy to have his family together… Tell her. He tells her that he doesn’t want to say it, but she says, it might help. He says, this might be his dad’s last Christmas.

Sam says, the reason Dante didn’t tell them about the key to begin with is that he thought the locker was potentially under surveillance, or worse. He says, worse like what? Boobytraps? She says she’s being serious. He thought Anna going to that locker might put her in danger. He says, that’s still a possibility, and she asks if he’s just willing to throw himself in the line of fire. He says, since the WSB classified everything to do with Forsythe, taking the body and all that stuff, that strongly implies they don’t know about this locker, that they’re still looking for this report. If they knew the locker was out there, they’d have found their way to it by now. She says she gets that he wants to protect Anna and loves that he has her back, but if he goes into this alone, who has his back?  

Buzzkill Dex tells Josslyn, for most people, decorating the Christmas tree is something to look forward to. It’s like the official start of the season. She says, but not for him? and he says, that tree going up was like a warning flare that things were about to get more tense. And all the parties. Either his dad would go and leave his mom alone, or she would go with him, and they’d come home fighting because he was hitting on some other woman. It was this vicious cycle that his mom refused to break, and he couldn’t help resenting her for it. Josslyn says, that must have been torture to watch. She’s so sorry. He says, don’t be. He went out and made his own life. One he’s very grateful for, especially because she’s in it. He kisses her, and she says she’s sorry their Christmas tree filled him with dread instead of joy, but she hopes that she can show him how special Christmas can be.

Marshall says, if Curtis decides to go forward with this experimental procedure, he’ll be behind Curtis 1000%. (Wow. Violet should get a load of those percents.) Curtis thanks him, and Marshall tells him that he’s not saying he’s good with the risks involved, but if it gives Curtis hope, if it gives him any chance of recovering what he lost, it’s worth a shot. Curtis says, that means a lot, and Marshall asks, what’s his timeline? Curtis says, as to when the procedure will get started? Sometime in January or February. Marshall whistles and says, that soon? Curtis says, what’s the point in wasting time? If he’s going to do it, there’s no sense in waiting.

Finn tells Elizabeth that he keeps thinking he’s going to get used to it, but every time his dad stumbles or collapses into a chair… She says, it’s torture, and Finn says, he’s getting less and less steady on his feet every day. Sooner or later, he won’t be able to hide it. She says she doesn’t think he’s trying to. What he is trying to do, and succeeding in her opinion, is basking in his family. Soaking up every ounce of joy that he possibly can. Finn says, his dad told him that he wants this to be a good Christmas. He wants that too. It wants it to be a great Christmas. For his dad, for Violet… She says, for all of them, and he says he wants to appreciate their joy, not dwell on what they’re about to lose. She says, then do that, and he says he’ll try. He asks her to do him a favor, and she says, anything. He says, if she sees him start to backslide, call him on it, and she says, okay, but if she’s not around and he feels himself heading toward a dark place, she wants him to look at that tree. It’s all the light he needs. She puts her head on his shoulder.

Violet asks if Gregory is glad Chase and Brook are getting married and he says, very glad. She asks what song she should sing at the wedding, and he suggests they talk about that tomorrow. Now’s time for dreamland. He kisses her forehead and tells her goodnight. She watches him struggle to his feet and asks why he uses a cane now. He says he recently discovered he’s needing help to walk, and she says, that’s okay. We all need help sometimes.

Tracy asks what the tree is doing in the living room. It’s always in the foyer. Olivia says, the tree is perfectly fine there, and Tracy says she sees that nobody purchased any gifts. Lois says, they just put the thing up, and Tracy says, a tree without gifts is depressing. She takes some wrapped boxes out of her bag and says, these are for Leo. Olivia says she thought Tracy just came home for some paperwork, and Lois says, but she had time to go shopping for her grandson? Tracy asks why Lois is still here. Isn’t she late for a nail appointment in Bensonhurst? Lois says she does these herself, and Tracy says, of course (🍷) she does. Lois says, circumstances have necessitated her presence, and Tracy says, like what? Brook and Chase walk in, and Brook says, it looks so beautiful in here. Olivia says, you see? and Chase says he agrees with Brook, very festive. Brook welcomes Tracy home and hugs her. Chase says, it’s good to see her, and Brook asks, how was her flight? Tracy says, Brook looks happy, and Brook says she is. Tracy says, but unusually happy. Why is that?

Curtis says he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t just a bit overwhelming, and Marshall says he’d be worried if Curtis wasn’t overwhelmed. He’s got this, and if he needs help, just look behind him. He’ll see Portia, Stella, him, Trina, all there to back him up. Curtis says he’s just not used to being propped up; it’s usually the other way around. Marshall says, good. It gives them a chance to repay Curtis for everything he’s done for them. Curtis says he’s scared, and Marshall says, that’s good too. You can’t be brave if you’ve got nothing to be afraid of.

Finn helps Elizabeth on with her coat, when Gregory comes back. Finn says, all good? and Gregory says, Violet is fast asleep. Finn thanks him, and Gregory says, it’s his privilege. Elizabeth asks if she can give Gregory a ride home, but Gregory says he’ll grab a Ride Share. Elizabeth says she’s sorry. She’ll rephrase the question. She’s taking him home. Finn says he wouldn’t argue with her, and Gregory says he’s getting that sense, and thanks her. Finn thanks him for helping take Violet Christmas tree shopping, and Gregory says, it was a very good day. Watching Finn be a father to that incredible little girl makes him insanely proud. He and Finn hug, and Gregory leaves. Finn kisses Elizabeth, and she follows. Finn watches them from the doorway, goes back inside, and looks at the tree.

Nina says she doesn’t want Sonny advocating for her. That’s the last thing she wants, and the thing she wants even less is to be a point of contention between him and Michael. She saw how sad Sonny was when they were estranged. He says he loves Michael. He knows his son. He’s loving and loyal, but he can be the worst enemy you can have. He got his stubbornness from Carly and his ruthlessness from him. Nina suggests they look at the bright side. Michael has decided to bring Willow and the kids to their place on Christmas Eve. That’s huge. That’s a step forward, a big step. Sonny agrees, and she asks if he wants a little hint of what she got him for Christmas. He says, her as his wife is the only thing he needs for Christmas, and kisses her.

Sam says she knows Dante would never let Anna do this alone, so why don’t the two of them investigate this together? He says, the WSB definitely has her under surveillance. If he involves her… She says, it will alert the WSB, and he says, that’s why he has to do this himself. He’ll get whatever’s in this locker, take it to a secure place, and check it out. She says, what if he’s also under surveillance? but he says he thinks that’s unlikely. Plus, he’ll be super careful. She says, there was a time the WSB almost destroyed his life. She doesn’t want him pulled in any deeper. He says, it’s because of his time with the WSB that he feels he has to do this. They’ve been grossly abusing their power. He feels like he has to hold them accountable.

Violet sleeps, and Finn sits beside her bed. He says, goodnight, sweetheart. Sweet dreams. He kisses her forehead.

Brook says she and Chase are getting married and shows Tracy the ring. Tracy says she knew it. Her only question is, what took them so long? Lois says, that’s Q for congratulations, and Chase says he just wanted to make sure that Brook knew that he loved her for her, not her money. Tracy says, there’s a very easy way to convince them of that; sign a prenup. Lois and Olivia protest, and Tracy says she’s just being practical. Brook says, now is not the time to be practical. They just announced their engagement and they’re on Cloud 9. Chase says, if he’s learned anything from what’s going on with his dad, it’s that the future is not promised. But whatever it holds, no matter how long it lasts, he knows he wants to face it with her granddaughter by his side. Lois and Olivia go, aww! and Tracy says, in that case, she wishes them both a lifetime of happiness. She means it. Chase thanks her, and Brook says, it means the world, and hugs Tracy.

Tomorrow, Brook says, maybe there’s something she can do for Maxie in return; Tracy says, Ned needs to stop Michael from taking ELQ; Lucy says she made a mistake; and Dante goes to the locker.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Captain Sandy looks for someone to be on deck and tells Luka that he needs to get his schedule straight. This is the stuff makes that her mad. She tells him to get Max up, and guest Amish yells for more ale. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, she understands where Luka is coming from. There are four stews, but if they’re busy and need help, call them. Amish announces that he’s getting f***ed up tonight. Jessika finds towels all over and feels frustrated about Lily. Dinner, aka food porn, is served, and Tumi asks how cabins are going. In Jessika’s interview, she says, Lily is too inexperienced, and she has to check Lily’s work, so she can’t help on service. In Lara’s interview, she says, the schedule is being adapted. The interior should have gotten breaks when they were on the diving excursion. They need to keep a stew up to help with service. Jessika asks Kyle, what’s wrong? and he says, it’s about how everyone feels about him. He feels like he’s back at Kyle 31. C’est la vie. I have no idea what he means. Dessert is served, and it’s mmm… lava cake. Because he’s an idiot, Amish says, three-mi is better than Tumi. There’s more of her. In Tumi’s interview, she says, this dentist is acting like an absolute twat. How embarrassing. The captain tells Luka to go over his schedule, and he explains that no one got a break. That’s why they were all down at once. Captain Sandy says, they should have had a break in the morning. He has to plan, and never have three people down, then leave the boat. It’s a safety issue. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, the activities were earlier, and she knows it’s Luka’s first time being a bosun, but it’s later in the season, so her expectations are higher. It’s the same with Tumi. She didn’t know there were two stews doing cabins, and Tumi should call interior first for service. The guests want to go to bed, all except Amish, who says, they have one weekend to do cool sh*t. Don’t be a bitch. He goes behind the bar, grabbing a bottle for himself, and says, everyone else is in bed and he’s f***ed up. Lily asks Kyle if he’s the most drunk guest they’ve had, but Kyle doesn’t know. In Lily’s interview, she says, it’s going to be awkward, isn’t it? Kyle sees Amish in the hallway outside his room and tells him that his underwear is on his foot. In her interview, Tumi says, it’s been extreme stressful, with both the guests and Lily. Her lack of experience is becoming a liability. She needs a deckhand to help, and needs to figure out how to work around this. Amish yells, more ale! since he’s confused the yacht with a pub in Old Ireland. He roams around the boat, asking, where’s the hot tub? He goes to the crew mess and sits down, saying, he doesn’t know how he got here. It’s f***ing awesome. More! More! He wanders around some more and knocks on the crew’s cabin doors. Not waiting to be invited in, he opens the doors. Jessika is like, what the f***? and Luka gets up. Now Amish is just opening doors without knocking, and in Jack’s interview, he says, you’ve got to be kidding. Luka tells Amish that the crew is trying to sleep. They have to be up early. Amish wanders off, asking, where’s the hot tub? In his interview, Luka says, he’s never witnessed this. A guest trying to get in the crew cabins is not acceptable.

Amish drifts back upstairs and bounces off the walls. He continues to yell about the hot tub, and then he finds it! Lara tells Kyle that a guy is wandering around drunk. She sees why they need someone up. Amish nearly falls down the stairs and drops his glass, which shatters on the deck. Kyle asks if he’s okay, and he says he’s fine, but he dropped a glass. Kyle tells him, all that matters is him being fine, and in Kyle’s interview, he says he doesn’t know what the hell happened. He’d put Amish to bed after pointing out his underwear on his foot. He’s not going to stay until Amish falls asleep. He deposits Amish back in his cabin, and Kyle and Lara discuss in the crew mess. They decide to tell Captain Sandy, and Kyle knocks on her door. He says he’s sorry to disturb her, but he wants to give a report. Guest Amish had been in bed, then went to the girls’ cabin and opened the door. She asks where the guys were, and he says, in bed. He’s sorry to wake her, but she says, no. A guest can’t go into the crew’s quarters. In her interview, the captain says, the crew needs a safe place, and this is a violation. The door is a barrier for a reason. The primary needs to get this under control or she’ll end the charter. Captain Sandy tells Kyle, if there’s a next time, get her. He tells Lara that the captain was thankful, and Lara goes to bed.  

In Luka’s interview, he says he feels bad, but he’s got to keep the team together. They’ll get through it and drink after charter. The tender is launched, and Jack tells Tumi that the breakfast special is Bubble & Squeak. In her interview, Tumi calls it Bubble & Squash. She asks Jack what it is, and he says, it’s an Irish breakfast with potatoes and bacon. I’m in. Kyle shows Lily some stuff in the laundry, and she tells him that she thinks he’s a great guy, but the pick a side thing felt weird. We flash back to that, and Kyle says, it’s between him and Jack because of Natalya. He wants her to give him a fair chance too. Lily says she’s not clear on what happened, so she’s not forming an opinion, and Kyle says, that’s mature. She says, it’s something she needed to say, and he says, she chose right time. They hug, and in his interview, Kyle says, leave it to the girl he didn’t know to be on the button and apologize. He still feels a lingering tension, but at the top of the list is Jack. He’s too exhausted to think about it. Captain Sandy tells Lara, if a guest is going into the crew’s area, next time, get her. Luke says he told Amish to get out, and Max says, he was about to go crazy. Tumi tells Lily that she wants her to do cabins on her own, and in Tumi’s interview, she says she’s trying to see what Lily is good at. She has patience, but she’s exhausted and has to try something new. In the galley, Jack drops a watermelon on the floor, and it splatters. Captain Sandy calls primary Mike to the bridge, and in her interview, she says, as captain, she has to keep everyone safe, but the crew is her priority. She tells Mike that last night Amish got into the crew area and opened doors. It’s not funny; it’s a problem. He needs to get it under control or Amish is off the boat. Amish strolls on deck with a blow-up doll.

Natalya texts Luka that she needs cuddles, and in Luka’s interview, he says, they had a connection, but it couldn’t go anywhere. Natalya had a lot of things to sort out. Jessika gets in Luka’s bunk with him, and I’m starting to not like him. Lily struggles making beds. Mike tells Amish that the captain talked to him and said he was out of control last night. He can’t go into the crew mess and opened doors. He can’t go into people’s private spaces. They have to be respectful of that. If he gets out of control again, he’s going to be booted off the boat. Calm it down. Kyle’s boyfriend Zach calls, and Kyle says, there’s a lot of negativity on board. Zack calls Kyle the love of his life and future husband, and says, that’s no reason not to put in the effort. In his interview, Kyle says he misses Zach so much. He’s lost so much of himself through all this. He’s tired of wasting energy on negativity, hostility, and sadness. He doesn’t know how to change people’s ideas and thoughts about him if they feel that way already. A gale warning is issued, and Captain Sandy calls Luka to the bridge. Tumi explains to the guests that Bubble & Squeak has potato, cabbage, egg, and bacon, and everybody wants one. In Jack’s interview, he says, no one can resist it. The captain tells Luka that they’re hauling anchor and going in. She tells the guests that she has not great news. They have to head back to the dock because of the weather. Since all they’re doing is drinking anyway, they don’t protest and say they trust her. Luka does a handstand for no apparent reason, and in Jack’s interview, he says, there’s no point in confronting Kyle. He plans to avoid it. If he loosens his tongue, he’ll get asked off the boat. Tumi checks on Lily and corrects her bed making. In Lily’s interview, she says she’d rather take a math test. Math is more straightforward; the numbers add up. Tumi tells Mike that she has an opera singer coming on board, and anchor is hauled and home. Tumi sees some beds aren’t made, and radios Lily to come to the cabin. In Tumi’s interview, she says, it’s her responsibility to teach Lily, but at the same time, she feels like Lily’s not getting it. If Lily’s not processing what she’s saying, it’s not going to work.

Lily curses her life as she makes the beds. Kyle reminds Jessika that it’s the birthday bash tonight. The docking is a tight fit again, and in Luka’s interview, he says, it’s been a tough charter season, but he’s proud of the crew docking the boat; they’re good at it. They’re pretty much touching the other boats, and there’s no room for error. Captain Sandy says hi to the people on the deck next door, and they dock. In her interview, Tumi says, Lily needs win. Blowing up balloons shouldn’t be hard. Jack says he’s making lobster and Wagyu T-bone steaks, as well as a cake. The performer and her violinist arrive. Lara says she’s disappointed not to be singing, and in Lara’s interview, a producer asks if she took lessons, but she says she has natural talent. Mike tells the other guests that he’s arranged a special gift, and opera singer Sofia Ferrara sings accompanied by the violin. Kyle goes out on deck, and dabs at his eyes. In Kyle’s interview, he says, the entire season had a heaviness. He wonders how to expel it in a healthy. There are bravos and applause as Sofia finishes. She leaves, and dinner is served. Lily explains that she’s making her own assembly line to do the cabins, but Jessika suggests they finish one cabin at a time. Mike says he’s taking the chef home, and Kyle tells Jack that all he’s hearing is wows. Jessika looks for Lily, and finds towels stacked in the hallway. She tells Lily that it can’t look like this, and Lily says she counted the towels out. Jessika says, not on the ground, and in Jessika’s interview, she says she doesn’t know what’s going on. Lily’s got her iPad out. She’s probably making TikToks. She can’t trust her. She tells Tumi about the towels on the floor and wonders, what’s with the iPad? She’d rather do it by herself. Tumi says she’ll go deal. Guest Connie says, it’s the best lobster she’d ever had. Tumi asks Lily about the iPad, and Lily says, that’s where she’s keeping her to-do lists, but Tumi says she’d rather Lily write it down. In Tumi’s interview, she says, her patience is gone. iPads and cellphones are distracting. It’s the last straw. She tells Lily that the iPad causes problems.

Lily asks why Jessika didn’t tell her instead of going to Tumi, and Jessika says, it’s not her place. In Lily’s interview, she says, great of you. Jack brings in the cake, and the crew sings Happy Birthday. Mike and guest Cliff agree the cake is impressive. Jack texts Natalya, saying he misses her, and Luka also texts her, saying he’s glad the charter season is almost over. Ugh.

Final day of charter. Amish tells the captain that everything was magnificent, which I guess is how he apologizes. The crew lines up for guest departure, and Mike says, it was once in a lifetime. He hopes from the bottom of his heart this will put a smile on their faces. He gives Captain Sandy the tip envelope and thanks her again. The guests leave, and Jessika says, the envelope looks small. Personally, I would have shaken Amish down for extra tip money. They meet for the tip meeting, and Captain Sandy says, they did a great job, but one thing she wants to address. Don’t call for one of the deck crew, when the stews have two people on cabins. They had to wake people to help them, and she apologizes; she wasn’t aware. The tip is not as Jessika predicted, but $23K or $1700 each, and Captain Sandy says, nice work. They say, cheers, clink glasses, and the captain tells them, have fun tonight. Jessika says she needs a shot or four, and Jack says, the green goblin comes out tonight. They get in the taxis, and Kyle says, I can’t wait to say goodbye to you motherf***ers. At the restaurant, they toast to Friday night. Kyle says he’s going to get very drunk and apologizes for anything that comes out. Jack says, he needs to calm down. Akuna matata. Lily tells them, play nice, and Kyle says, maybe it’s time for him and Jack to talk. Are they cool or not?

Jack tells Kyle that he was taken aback, and we flash back to the last dinner out. Kyle says he’s sorry. He was in his head and took out a lot of his emotions about Natalya. Jack says, Kyle was overemotional, but he was being a bit passive. In Tumi’s interview, she says she doesn’t recognize these people, and in Kyle’s interview, he says, a weight has been lifted. He can drink with joy instead of drink to forget. They go back to the boat, and Jessika asks Luka what the best part of his night was. He says he doesn’t know; he’s not finished. Lara and Max goof around kickboxing, and Luka and Jessika put up a privacy curtain. Thank you. Haleigh starts throwing up around 3 am, and tells the captain, something’s not right. She feels like death. In Haleigh’s interview, she says she hopes she doesn’t give it to anyone else, and Captain Sandy calls for a ride to the doctor for her. Haleigh leaves for the doctor, and in Tumi’s interview, she says she doesn’t know what to do. She meets the captain on the bridge, and says, she feels nothing bad for Lily personally, but workwise, she’s dead weight. Lily’s not getting it, and it’s frustrating her. The captain suggests having Kyle and Jessika talk to her. She has to show that she can do it or she’s off the boat. Kyle says, he’s exhausted, and Captain Sandy calls Lily to the bridge. In the captain’s interview, she says, in her experience, being honest is the only way to motivate people. No sugarcoating. She asks how Lily is doing at the job, and Lily says, it’s a lot of learning. Captain Sandy says, it’s the third charter. Does she think she can do turn downs on her own? She needs Lily to be more aware and have initiative. She needs to do it on her own. She’s giving Lily the opportunity for one more chance. How a crew member maintains under exhausting conditions is how she decides to keep a crew member. In Lily’s interview, she says, give her a break. She can’t win.

Next time, showgirls; a repeat charter that wasn’t good the last time; Jack hates the guests already; Haleigh is still sick; Kyle has a migraine; and Captain Sandy tells Max that what he did was wrong.

☃️ Wishing For a Winter Wonderland…

Take a break tomorrow for some soap and teabits. Until then, stay safe, stay connected to your social network if you’re feeling stressed (IRL, not social media), and stay remembering we all need help sometimes. Never be afraid to ask for it.

December 8, 2023 – The Not Perfect Tree Is Lit, Her Return, The M.E., Side Gig, Barrier Breaker, Sisters, Problem, Hamster Wheel, You’re Fired, LVP Report, Hannukah Pups, Quote Octet & Hollis

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth and Finn walk to his door, and he thanks her for doing this. She says she wouldn’t miss it, and from inside, Violet asks if it’s Finn. He says, it is, and she says, don’t come in until she tells him to. She says, he can come in now, and throws open the door. She says, look at her tree, and Gregory says, she picked it out herself. The tree isn’t quite Charlie Brown, but it’s pretty janky.

Molly is about to knock on Kristina’s door, when TJ asks if she really wants to do this. She asks if he’s having second thoughts, but he says, let’s call it an abundance of caution. Sometimes life doesn’t give you time to think things over. You make a snap decision and have to live with the consequences, but they have time to take a moment and review and reevaluate. She asks where he’s going with this, and he says, she’s the smart Davis daughter, Sam is the resourceful one, Kristina is the impetuous one. Are the 100% sure they want her to be their surrogate?

Anna goes to Valentin’s house and asks if Charlotte is here. He says, she’s with Laura. It helps her to spend some quality time with her grandmother. Anna says, that’s perfect really. Laura is a wonderful presence in Charlotte’s life. Charlotte’s lucky to have her. He says, she’s got a dad too, and asks what he can do for Anna. She says, nothing. She just came by to give him an update. He says, on? and she says, on the arsonist who set fire to her house. It wasn’t Charlotte.

Lois looks up the stairs and says, this is a disaster, and Olivia says she knows. Lois says, not one inch of this entire gigantic house has been decorated for Christmas.

On a plane, Tracy hears the stewardess say that they’re anticipating landing in an hour. She looks at her phone and sees her and Luke’s wedding picture. She starts to cry and puts on her sunglasses and a hat.

Lois tells Olivia that Lila would be so upset. She’d have Reginald… Olivia says, who? and Lois says, Reggie. He was the butler when she and Ned were married. She would have Reggie and the entire staff decorating this house by the first of the month. Everything would be out except for a few things that came out on Christmas Eve. She’s thinking of a specific train set that Alan was very fond of. It was a family heirloom given to him by his grandfather who was in railroads. Olivia says, like an engineer? but Lois says, no. Great-grandpa Quartermaine owned railroads going upstate into Canada, and this particular train set was an exact replica of one of his trains. Alan was so proud of it, but by then, it was an antique, so it only came out on Christmas Eve, but everything else was everywhere else. There were wreaths on the doors, there was a garland going all the way down the staircase, and everything by December 1st. She can’t believe Olivia wasn’t more on getting the decorations up. Her family’s house, her father’s garage was like a Christmas wonderland. Olivia’s own apartment… She could tell Olivia’s room on the street just by looking up. Olivia says she still enjoys Christmas decorating, but early on in her marriage to Ned, she and Monica sort of clashed over the Christmas décor. She wanted a fresh tree; Olivia put up something more… effusive. Monica made it very clear that this was her house, it was her choice, so Olivia just let it be. She let Monica take the lead with the Christmas decorating. Lois says she appreciates the sensitivity, but they can’t leave this house bare while they’re waiting for Monica to come back from her medical conference. Olivia says, okay, then let’s go for it, and Lois says, if her vote has any weight to it, she would appreciate a natural tree as well. Olivia says, she can do natural. Look at her fingernails. If they’re going to get a tree, they’d better get moving.

Violet says, it wasn’t as pretty as the others. If she hadn’t picked it, it might have not gotten picked at all. Finn says he thinks she chose the perfect tree, but Violet says, the whole point is that it’s not perfect. Finn says, but he thinks it’s perfect for them, and Elizabeth says she agrees. Violet is really getting into the spirit of Christmas. And she promises they are going to make this tree look spectacular. Gregory says, the first step is putting on the lights. Who’s going to do the honors? Violet says, daddy, and Finn says, how about a nice cup of hot cocoa first?

Molly says, from the moment she and TJ decided to have a baby, they faced nothing but setbacks. Sometimes she thinks the universe is trying to tell them something. Maybe they’re not meant to have children. He tells her, he never said that, and she says, so he does want to have a baby. He says, absolutely, and she says, so does she. Anytime she thinks about giving up and accepting they’re not going to have kids, she gets this pit in her stomach. That’s why she was crying in the park when Kristina found her. The thought of never having a family with TJ broke her. He says he’s so sorry, and she says, that’s when everything started to shift. Think about this. She’s never in the park in the middle of the afternoon. She’d be in her office or be in court. What are the odds she’d be there and so would Kristina? About a million to one. That’s got to be fate, right? Fate that her sister would find her. Fate that her sister would offer to carry their child again. And she has no interest in fighting fate. She can feel it in her heart that this is the right thing to do, and she’s 1000% sure about Kristina. He says, then so is he. Let’s do this. She knocks on the door, and Kristina invites them in. She asks what brings them over, and TJ says, this is more of a sister thing, so he’ll let Molly explain. Kristina says, spill it, sister, and Molly says she’s here to officially ask Kristina for a huge favor, one that will dominate her life for the next nine months… Kristina says, yes, she’ll be their surrogate, and Molly asks if she’s sure. Kristina says she’s never been so sure of anything in her life, and hugs Molly.

Valentin says, Charlotte has always denied burning down Anna’s house, but she lies about a lot of things. Anna says, she didn’t lie about this, and Valentin asks how she can be sure. She says, forensics collected some scraps of fabric in the bushes around her house and they all tested positive for the accelerant that started the fire. And they lifted some DNA which matched someone who isn’t his daughter. He says, thank God, and sits down. She sit’s next to him and says, it’s a relief. She didn’t want to think Charlotte had gone that far. He wonders why he didn’t believe her. Why didn’t he have faith in his own daughter? She said there’s a DNA match. Who’s the arsonist? She says she can’t tell him that.

Gregory says, the whole point is that it’s not perfect, and chuckles. He sits on the sofa, and Finn asks if he’s all right, but Gregory says he’s fine. He just sat down a little more quickly than he intended. He really wants this to be a good Christmas. Finn says, one to remember, when Elizabeth comes back with Violet and says, cocoa’s ready. They all take a cup, and Violet says, they should put up the lights. Finn says, since she did such a good job making the cocoa, it seems a shame to gulp it down, but Elizabeth says, don’t worry. She can make more. There’s a knock at the door and Finn answers it to Chase and Brook. Finn asks how Chase is with Christmas lights.

Anna gets up and says, she just wanted Valentin to know his daughter’s not responsible for the fire at her house, and he says, if there’s a DNA match, that means the arsonist is in a data base somewhere. So who is it? She says she can’t share that information with him, and he asks if it’s classified. She says she doesn’t know. She would imagine there’s someone somewhere who considers it classified. He says he’s not talking to them, he’s talking to her, so who burned her house? She says, he doesn’t need to know, and he says he doesn’t understand. She says, really? It astonishes her that he doesn’t understand, because she feels she made herself quite clear the last time they saw each other. She can’t tell him who burned her house down because she can’t trust him.

Kristina says, Molly was so emotional the last time she saw her, she wondered if, in thinking about it more, Molly might not want her to be her surrogate. Molly says, life’s been a roller coaster since she found out she can’t get pregnant, and when Andrea miscarried, she and TJ were devastated. TJ says he can quote her the odds on miscarriage, but none of that prepared him for when Andrea told him that she lost their baby or having to tell Molly. Molly says, when Andrea miscarried, she realized she needed to do some real soul searching. For the first time in her life, something she really wanted wasn’t going to come to her because she was smart and prepared and willing to work hard. She felt entitled to being a mom. Like whenever she and TJ were ready, whenever it fit into their schedules, she’d get pregnant, and they’d have a baby nine months later. But when that couldn’t happen because of her, because she’s basically infertile – she tears up – she jumped right into finding a solution, solving the problem. She could do that, so she picked Andrea to be their surrogate and she got pregnant. Everything was going according to plan… until it wasn’t. And it’s only now she realizes she has to do the thing that scares her the most. She has to accept that she’s not in control and ask for help.

Olivia and Lois come into the mansion, and Lois says, at least they made a start. Olivia says she’ll get the other garlands and wreaths from the florist, and Lois says she’s so glad they got the tree from PC Pioneers. It makes you feel so good knowing you gave back to the community, and those kids in their uniforms, so cute. Olivia says, it makes her think of little Dante when he was that age, and Lois asks if he was a Pioneer. Olivia says, no, he wasn’t, but it’s not for her lack of trying. She signed him up and took him to his first meeting. The kid jumped out the window and escaped before she even got her car out of the parking lot. Lois says, no, and Olivia says, hand to God. She got a call from the troop leader. He was apologetic, beside himself, and she told him, calm down. She went and checked the corner lot, and who is there playing baseball but little Dante Falconari. She wanted to grab that kid by the back of his hair and drag him home, but then she said, you know what? Who is she to dictate his dream? If her kid wants to play sandlot baseball and dream of a career in the major leagues instead of learning the fundamentals of camping, who is she to say? He’s her kid and she should support him, so that’s what she did. Lois says, that’s always been one of her favorite things about Olivia. She just takes people as they come and loves them for who they are. She doesn’t try to make them who she thinks they should be. Olivia says, it’s a fine line sometimes. With your kids, you’ve got to accept them, but you’ve also got to provide some guidance. Lois says, it’s like being a carpenter and a gardener, but Olivia says she doesn’t follow. Lois says, a carpenter builds a house based on his plans. The wood has no say. But a gardener is different because he raises what he has. He may tend the soil, fertilize it, pull the weeds, give it water, a little bit of love, but he doesn’t plant a pine tree expecting it to grow into an oak. He just raises the very best trees he can. Olivia says, Lois has definitely done that with Brook. She’s a spectacular young woman. Lois thanks her, and says, Olivia’s done a pretty good job with Dante and Leo as well. Olivia says, they’re both very good gardeners, and Lois says, that they are. Olivia says, Cody is going to be here with the tree any minute. They’ve got to get the Christmas ornaments. They both race up the stairs.

Molly says, people always tell her that she’s generous, and Kristina says, and humble. Molly says, what she never realized is that the person who is giving is in charge. They’re deciding when and how much, and hopefully, they’re doing good, but they’re in control. And they all know how much she loves to be in control. TJ says, she’s being way too hard on herself, and Molly says, asking for help means giving control to someone else. And that would be hard for her under any circumstances, but it’s excruciating when the person she’s asking for help is someone she’s treated unfairly. Kristina says, if Molly means her, she’s forgiven. Not that there’s anything to forgive. Molly says, what about the fact she was a total witch the first time Kristina offered to be their surrogate? but Kristina says she didn’t really think it through. She didn’t realize what was at stake. TJ says, he and Molly were pretty raw in those first weeks. Neither of them made an effort to see where she was coming from. Molly says, especially her. She realizes her reaction back then had less to do with Kristina and a lot more to do with her being messy and irrational, things she tries to avoid. It hurt that Kristina could carry a child and she can’t. It would be easy for Kristina, which doubled down on her pain, which makes no sense, she knows. Kristina says, please. She wrote the book on being messy and irrational, and if Molly had taken her up on her original offer, it would have been a huge mistake. They weren’t ready. As painful as it was going through this process, it made them ready. She is ready and she wants to do this. Molly thanks her and says she’s so lucky to have Kristina as her sister, and as her surrogate. Kristina says she’s the lucky one, and they hug.

Anna says she really does want to be clear on this. Valentin lied to her, and because he lied, she had no idea the intruder in her apartment was his daughter. He says, she’s right and he takes full responsibility, but she withheld information too. She’s far too good an agent to shoot at pointblank range without a confirmed target. She was gunning for someone that night, wasn’t she? Charlotte got in the way. She says she guesses they both have to live with that for the rest of their lives, right? She heads for the door, but he says, wait. He’s sorry. He wishes he’d told her. He didn’t tell her that Charlotte was stalking her because he was afraid. He was afraid if she knew, she’d leave him; she’d end their relationship. She asks why she would. She doesn’t know that she would have ended the relationship, but they’ll never know because he didn’t give her a choice. He didn’t tell her the truth, so she couldn’t make her own decisions. It’s too late for them, but it’s not too late for his daughter. He needs to focus on her and get her the help she needs.

About to plug in the lights, Chase says, everybody cross your fingers, but Brook says, wait. She brings Violet in front of the tree and tells her that if she makes a wish the moment before the Christmas lights come on for the first time, it’ll come true. Get her wish ready. Violet closes her eyes, and Brook says, okay. Chase plugs in the lights, and Violet looks at the tree. She says she knew it would be beautiful.

Olivia and Lois look through the Christmas ornaments, and Lois asks what this reminds Olivia of. She holds a silver ball by each ear, and Olivia says, how about St. Finbar’s their sophomore year? Sister Joanne Claire was so mad when she realized it was them sneaking into her office and moving around pictures of the saints. Lois says, they would swap Peter and Paul, and Olivia says, they got themselves detention and they had to decorate the auditorium for Christmas all by themselves. Lois says, they were there until 3 am, and Olivia says, 3:17, but who’s counting? Lois says, when they came out that morning and their parents were waiting for them, she doesn’t think she’s ever seen her mother so angry, but her father was disappointed. Somehow, that was so much worse. Olivia says she got a speech the whole way home. She can still hear it. Your cousin Connie would never do anything like this. Lois says, that’s because her cousin Connie never stepped a toe out of line. Although she’s got to say, she wishes she’d followed Olivia’s cousin Connie, because she was grounded with a 5 pm curfew until the following April. And by the way, Olivia was supposed to be grounded too. Olivia says she was, technically. Does Lois remember her bedroom window? It was a joke. Lois says, Olivia snuck out of that bedroom window so easily, she might as well have been on the ground floor. Oliva says, right out the window and into the nightclubs in the city all night long. Lois says, her poor parents, and Olivia says, honestly, she looks back and feels bad for all the worries she gave them, but at the time, she really enjoyed herself. Lois says, yeah, she did, when Cody comes in. He says he grabbed the tree and got some garland. Where do they want them? Lois says she’s so glad he asked.

The stewardess gives the spiel to prepare for landing, and Tracy buckles her seatbelt. She looks at her phone and says, damn you, Luke Spencer. I miss you.

Valentin says he doesn’t think Anna is in a position to tell him what Charlotte needs right now, and Anna says, she needs counseling. Charlotte was stalking her for months. That is not normal behavior. He says, she saw the letter from Victor. She knows Charlotte’s actions weren’t malicious. She says, maybe not, but they are unquestionably illegal, and he says, Charlotte thought she was protecting him. She thought Anna was a threat. Anna tells him that he’s not doing Charlotte any favors by making excuses for her. He’s enabling her. He says, she was manipulated by a master manipulator. Victor exploited her love for her father and need for a family. She thought Anna was dangerous. Then of course (🍷), when he released her file, and the world knew Anna had been acting as a double agent… She says, don’t throw that in her face, please, and he says he’s not, but she can’t refute it; it was true. Charlotte thought she was protecting him. Think about that. A teenage girl standing against a master spy. So they can say what they will about his daughter, but she’s not a coward. She did what she thought she had to do. Anna says, he’s proud of her? but he says he’s appalled at what she did, but he’s proud of her courage and determination. He’s sickened that Victor twisted her for his purposes. She says, he didn’t tell Charlotte to write the word murderer on her door or break into her hotel suite and trash her clothes and write a threatening message on her mirror. Charlotte came up with that all on her own.

Molly says she can’t believe this is actually going to happen, and TJ says, sometimes the universe finds a way. She says all she knows is, she’s grateful. This feels right. Kristina comes out with three filled champagne flutes, and says, it’s time the expectant parents celebrated up.

Cody, Olivia, and Lois all help with putting a fabulous garland on the staircase banister. Lois says she’s been meaning to ask Cody, why does he call Olivia Mama Q? He says, she’s Dante’s mother. What else would he call her? Olivia says, if Lois tells him zia, she’ll murder her where she’s standing. Cody asks, what’s a zia?

Violet says, they need tinsel and ornaments, and Chase says, before they get to the real decorating, he and Brook have an announcement to make. Violet asks if he can announce fast. They have to decorate. Elizabeth says, it might be important. Don’t rush them. Violet apologizes and tells them to take as much time as they need. Brook thanks her and says she thinks Chase should do the honors. Chase says, okay. Dad, Finn, Violet, Elizabeth, Brook has agreed to be his wife, and they’re getting married. Everybody is all, yay! and Brook and Chase kiss.

Kristina hands out the glasses and says, to the baby to come. No child will ever be more loved or more welcome. TJ says, hear, hear, and they clink glasses. Molly says, it’s ginger ale. Not that there would be anything wrong with drinking right now, and TJ asks if Kristina is jump starting a healthy new lifestyle or is this the only thing with bubbles she had in the fridge. Kristina says, both. She had a friend bring a really nice bottle of champagne over actually, but it didn’t last very long in this house. Maybe she should get an early start and indulge in all the caffeine and alcohol while she can. TJ says, they know she’s giving up a lot, but Kristina says, it’s well worth it. TJ says, to Molly, to Kristina, and to this… Kristina says, to this expanding family. They all say, cheers, and clink glasses.

Valentin says, it’s true. Victor never told Charlotte how to stalk Anna. He imagines she got that off the internet or some book. Anna says, he imagines? Did he question her about this? He says he hasn’t interrogated his teenage daughter, no. She’s been traumatized. She’s recovering from a gunshot wound. Anna says she’s aware, and he says, she needs time to heal. Anna says, she needs her father to stop making excuses for her. He’s not protecting her. He can’t keep blaming Victor for what happened. He says, Victor’s to blame, and she says, if Charlotte had been arrested for the crimes she committed, what was she going to plea? My dead grandpa made me do it? It doesn’t matter what Victor wrote to her. It doesn’t matter what lies he told her. Charlotte is responsible for her own actions, and he has to make her understand that. And he has to get her the help that she needs, before she does something irrevocable.

Everyone congratulates Chase and Brook, and Gregory says, Chase is a lucky man. Brook says she’s the lucky one, but Chase says, they both are. Gregory says he wishes them both a lifetime of love, and Violet asks if Chase gave Brook a ring. Chase says he did, and Brook says she kept it hidden as to not ruin the surprise. She takes it out of her pocket, and Chase asks if Violet wants to see him put it on her finger. Violet says, yes, please, and Chase takes the ring. Violet says, wait. He’s supposed to get down on one knee. Brook says, he did when he asked her to marry him, and Violet asks if he can’t get down on one knee again. She wants the complete picture. Finn says, him too, and Chase says, of course (🍷) he can. He does and puts the ring on Brook’s finger. They kiss and everyone applauds. Violet asks when Finn is going to give Aunt Elizabeth a ring, and Finn is like, uh… Elizabeth says, time to decorate the tree.

As they decorate the tree, Cody asks, what’s so bad about being called a zia? Olivia says, nothing… or everything, depending on your circumstances. He says he doesn’t get it, and Lois says, zia means auntie, which could refer to your mother or your father’s sister. Olivia says, or your sister-in-law, and Lois says, or it could be distant cousin or any female relation. But it could also be a term of affection. Olivia says, or someone, a woman, who you’re close with, but aren’t actually related to, and Lois says, but there is a generational aspect to it. It’s for somebody older. For example, you would never refer to her Brookie as zia. He says, but he could call her zia, and she says, no. Technically yes, but absolutely no, he cannot. She would prefer it if he’d continue to call her Lois. He says he totally understands, and Olivia says, this tree looks so beautiful. It’s so nice having Cody to help out. Cody says, it’s his pleasure, and Lois asks how he likes working for the Quartermaines. He says he really likes it. It’s the first place in a long time that feels like home.

Olivia thanks Cody and says, they couldn’t have done it without him. Lois says, he gets extra points for patience, and he says, it was a lot of fun. He learned a new word, although he’ll never call either of them zia. And it got him into the spirit of the season. He might grab a tree for the stables. He thanks them for a fun time, and leaves. Lois tells Olivia, you know what? She’s got to say, this looks a lot better than the auditorium at St. Finbar’s. They laugh and clink glasses.

Anna tells Valentin, Charlotte has to know what she did was wrong, and that she can’t solve her problems by breaking into people’s houses and writing threatening messages. He says he agrees. Charlotte needs limits, and she’ll get them. She needs counseling and she’ll get that too, but they have a big problem. Victor convinced Charlotte that Anna was dangerous, and Anna shot her. So in Charlotte’s mind, Victor was right. Anna chokes up and says she hopes he gets through to his daughter, and that he gets her to understand that Victor was never right about anything. She walks to the door, and he says, wait. She turns to him, and he says he’s sorry. She says, so is she, and leaves. When she gets outside, she cries.

Brook says, that is one gorgeous tree, and Chase says, it might be the best tree he’s ever seen. Elizabeth says, it certainly is lovely, and Violet says, Brook was right. When you make a wish on a Christmas tree, your wish comes true. Hers already did. Finn asks what she wished for, and she asks if it’s okay to tell. Brook says, absolutely, and Violet says, she wished for this to be the best Christmas ever and it is. Their tree is beautiful, Uncle Chase and Brook are getting married, and she has a present for all of them. Gregory asks, what kind of present? and she says, stay here. She’ll be right back. She winks at Chase and runs off. Gregory asks if Chase has any idea what this is, and Chase says, it could be beaded necklaces. Finn says, he’s kind of secretive. Is he sure he doesn’t have any idea what this present is? Chase says he can neither confirm nor deny, when Violet comes back with a guitar. She hands it to Chase and says she’s going to sing a song that she wrote herself, and Uncle Chase will accompany her. Chase plays, and Violet sings about, when there are no lights, I want to shine for you. She’s very good for one so young. They applaud and cheer.

Kristina asks, what happens next? and Molly says, they talk to their fertility specialist, let them know they have a surrogate and they’re ready to move forward. TJ says, once they have a more concrete timetable, they’ll get back to her about scheduling, but they’re hoping it will be soon. Kristina says, the sooner, the better. Now that they know what they’re doing, there’s no point in waiting around. TJ thanks her, and they hug. Molly says she’ll be grateful to Kristina forever, and they hug. Kristina says, it’s her great honor, and Molly and TJ leave. In the hallway, TJ says, this is really happening, and Molly says, they might just get their miracle after all. They hug, and inside, Kristina sends a text to Blaze: Want 2 talk I have big news.

Olivia says, they do good work, and Lois says, Sister Joanne Claire would be proud. Olivia says, they’ve got a lot of house to go, but these two rooms look beaut-tee-ful, and Lois says, they do. They hear the front door slam, and hear Tracy say, no. Olivia and Lois go to the foyer, where Tracy is walking through with her luggage carrier, saying, no, no, no, no. She tells them, this will not do. Not at all. Lois and Olivia look at each other.

On Monday, Curtis tells Marshall, if he gets his wish, he’s never going to ask for anything again; Josslyn tells Dex not to joke about this; Tracy says, she’s home in the nick of time; and Sonny says he’ll talk to Michael on Nina’s behalf, but she says, no.

💝 Revisiting Irene…

All about Marshall’s first love.

🔬 Livingston We Presume…

I thought I’d seen him around.

🚗 Drive She Said…

When she’s not singing, she’s driving a Honda.

🥀 Goodbye To a Game Changer…

Farewell to a soap legend.

💎 Shoots Own Foot…

If she knows it’s going to cause her angst, why does she keep talking?

🍊 Spilling On Shannon…

It wouldn’t surprise me.

💐 Exes With No Charm…

These people are too weird. Although I wish I’d been a fly on the wall at BravoCon.

🍹 Not So Hospitable…

I watched this. Coupled with her poking the bear on Southern Charm, I’m starting not to like Leva so much.

🍸 All About That Pump…

I can’t wait. Chateau shenanigans

She’s basically pleading the fifth.

Six degrees of LVP.

🐶 Festival Of Dogs…

Furbabies ready for the holiday.

You, too, can include your pup.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/celebrate-hanukkah-dog-220838396.html

🐧 Quotes of the Week

Get up. Bring your butter. – Heather Gay, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

Vision without action is daydream. Action without vision is nightmare. – Japanese Proverb

Healing comes from taking responsibility: to realize that it is you – and no one else – that creates your thoughts, your feelings, and your actions. – Peter Shepherd

We can have peace if we let go of wanting to change the past and wanting to control the future. – Lester Levinson

The opportunity of a lifetime is to pick yourself. Quit waiting to get picked; quit waiting for someone to give you permission; quit waiting for someone to say you are officially qualified… and pick yourself. – Seth Godin (For those who were always picked last in gym class.)

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. – Anatole France

True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice. – Saint Francis of Assisi

You know what a gift card says? You do it. – Carl MacMillan (Reno Wilson), Mike & Molly

🤹🏽‍♀️ Jingling Only Partway…

Make a return trip on Monday really Tuesday for soap and what little the Med has to offer. Until then, stay safe, stay extending acts of kindness to those with no family, and stay taking people as they come, loving them for who they are, and not trying to make them into who you think they should be.

December 6, 2023 – Alexis Puts Finn In the Hot Seat, What the Blip Denise, Salty Talk, Too Old For This Nonsense, Loving Paris & Drummer

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis, Marshall, and Trina go Christmas tree shopping, and Curtis says he’s been looking forward to this all week. Freshly cut pine trees are the best smell in the world. (He forgot about coffee, but I’ll let it pass.) Marshall tells Trina, Curtis always felt that way. Any time they got near one when he was young, Curtis would say it smelled like Christmas. Curtis says, it still feels that way. He tells Trina, take her pick, any one she wants, but she says, no way. This is a group effort. The three of them are picking a tree together.

Loading up a luggage carrier, Esme tells Ace that mommy is calling a Ride Share so someone can pick them up and take them to their new apartment. Spencer asks why she doesn’t just let him drive her.

Laura thanks Dante for stopping by her office, and says she’s asked Deputy Mayor Ashford to sit in. He asks what he can do for her, and she says, they’d like a full update on the Austin Gatlin-Holt murder case.

Leading Sasha and Cody into her office, Maxie says, that couldn’t have been a better public appearance. They were a hit. Everyone at Wyndham’s loved them. Cody says, it was all Sasha, but Sasha says, is he kidding? They couldn’t take their eyes off him. Maxie says, it’s the two of them together. That’s what people are responding to. They have this special chemistry that everybody can see. I’m glad Cody has his facial hair back. Shaved, he looks around 12.

There’s a knock at Josslyn’s dorm room door, and she opens it to Adam. She asks, what’s the emergency? and he says, the results are back for the Organic Chem make-up test. She asks how he did, but he says he doesn’t know. He’s too scared to look. She says, he studied really hard. She’s sure he’s fine. He says, what if he didn’t? If he got less than 85%, his life is over. Honestly, he might as well jump off a bridge. Josslyn tells him not to say things like that, and gets on her laptop. He says, sorry. He makes bad jokes when he’s nervous. She says, it’s one test, but he says, one super important test that will determine if he becomes a doctor. He’s way too stressed out. Can they please look together?

Elizabeth tells Jake, look at these beautiful trees. How can they pick just one? Jake says, one is all they can fit in the house, so… She says, he doesn’t have to be so literal. Whichever one they pick, Aiden is just going to have to be on board because it was his choice to stay home and bake. Jake says, Christmas and Valentine’s Day are his busiest time of the year. Lots of people want custom cookies. She says, this is true, but if he didn’t come pick out the tree, he can’t criticize their choice, right? Jake asks if something is wrong, and she says, no. Why? He says, it seems like she’s trying to hard to make it seem like she’s happy. Is something bothering her?

Martin and Finn show up at Alexis’s office, and she says, good. They’re right on time. She’s glad they’re here. She’s prepared and ready for them. Finn says, ready for what? He thought they were prepping his deposition. Martin says, that’s exactly what they’re going to be doing. Alexis has kindly volunteered to act as opposing counsel for the prep. Alexis says, just so Finn knows in advance, she won’t be playing nice.

Dante says, what they know so far is, the morning after Thanksgiving, a Pautuck resident noticed the door on an unoccupied residence was open. They walked in and found Austin’s body. Laura asks how he was killed, and Dante says, two shots to the chest, close range, sometime in the 48 hours leading up to Thanksgiving. Jordan asks if they know who owns the house where he was found and when it was last lived in, and he says, it was being used as a weekend short-term rental, but it hadn’t been occupied since late September. It was owned by the victim, Austin Gatlin-Holt.

Trina says, what about this one?… They don’t like it? Curtis says he knows he said she could choose any tree she wants, but is she sure she should make a decision so quickly? Why doesn’t she look around for something else? She says, why? This one’s nice and it smells amazing. What’s wrong with it? Marshall says, if her father won’t tell her about his problem with this, he will. It’s too small.

Elizabeth asks when Jake became so perceptive, and he says he’s not a little kid anymore. She says, no, he’s not. When she became a mom, she promised herself that she’d always be honest with her kids if she thought they could handle it. He’s definitely old enough and mature enough to talk about this. She’s worried about Finn. He asks, why? and she says, there’s a situation at the hospital where he’s being accused of doing something wrong. Jake says, does she mean like a malpractice suit? She looks surprised that he knows what this is, but isn’t he at least in high school?

Alexis says she might not have her legal license anymore, but she still has a lot of legal stuff right up here – she points to her head – and she’s going to use it to help Finn with his deposition. Finn says he’ll take all the help he can get, and she says, Diane is a formidable opponent. Martin says, indeed. They don’t call her Killer Miller for nothing. She’s going to try to trap Finn into making a statement about negligence, so no matter what happens, don’t let her provoke him. If Finn loses his temper, his need to defend himself may lead him to say things on the record that can’t be taken back. Such as statements that might give the impression that he’s too arrogant to admit he missed something, and now a man is dead as a result. Finn says, right, and the best way to prevent that from happening is to let Alexis beat up on him a little. Alexis says, it’s for his own good.

Esme says, they’ve been over all of this, but Spencer says, it seems crazy to him. She’s going to have to load all of Ace’s things into some stranger’s car, she’s going to have to set up his car seat, and pay someone she doesn’t know to drive her a short distance just so she can unload Ace and all of his things. His car is parked in the garage ready to go. He’s more than happy to take them and more than happy to help her carry everything she has to carry… She says, stop. She really doesn’t know how much clearer she can be. She can’t rely on him anymore.

Josslyn says she thinks she found the grades. Is Adam ready? He says, just tell him, and she says, he got a 97. Congratulations. He says, my God, and breathing heavily, makes a call. He says, hey, dad, guess what? He just got his Organic Chem make-up test back, and he got a 97%… Yeah, he did say make-up test… Why did he have to take it again? Um… No, it wasn’t anything he did wrong. Actually, it was someone else. His friend Josslyn had to go to the emergency room during the exam and they asked him to take her.

Maxie says she knows it’s been a long day, but just one more piece of Deception business, and then Cody and Sasha can go. Sasha says, don’t worry about them. She’s excited. They have a video conference call with Pavella; that’s huge. Maxie says she knows. It took her forever to convince them to take that meeting, but she has another piece of good news. Do they remember that desert photo shoot she was talking about a few months ago? Cody says, yeah, but it was a few weeks ago, and she says, well, it’s a go. They have to wait a few months because the photographer is completely booked, but they’re going on location in Monument Valley. Cody says, the Monument Valley, where all those Westerns were shot? and Maxie says, yes. She’s been told it’s even more spectacular in person. They’re going to shoot at the Pink Cliffs at sunset. Sasha says, that’s amazing. She’s seen it in movies, but never in person. Cody says, Deception is really going all out for this, huh? and Maxie says, of course (🍷) they are. The perfect photo location is so important to this campaign. Because Deception is not just selling makeup and beauty wands. We’re selling romance.

Alexis tells Finn to have a seat in the witness chair, and he sits down. She says she meant what she said; Diane Miller is one of the best. Finn says he’s aware of her reputation, and Martin says, being aware of it and experiencing it for yourself are two totally different things. Alexis says, she’ll turn his deposition into a minefield, and Finn says, it sounds like they’re going into battle. She says, they kind of are, and he says, then how do they ensure the truth comes out and they win this case? Martin says, preparation, that’s what’s key here. And they make absolutely certain that Finn abides by the Golden Rule. Finn says, which is? and Martin and Alexis both say, never volunteer anything.

Elizabeth says, it’s very humbling, trying to shield Jake from something he already knows about. Yes, Finn is being sued for malpractice. Jake asks, why? Did one of his patients die? She says, the man he was treating had cancer and he didn’t find out in time. Unfortunately, he passed away. Jake says, that must be so hard on Finn, and she says, it is. He’s really beating himself up over it. As much as they’d like to think of doctors as infallible, medicine is not a science, they’re not gods, and they can’t fix everybody all the time. He says he knows that, but if Finn is getting sued, did he do something wrong? and she says, absolutely not. Finn is an incredible doctor. He gave that man the best care possible, and what happened was not his fault. Jake says he’s glad she told him and that she realizes he can handle hearing things like this now. She says, he’s been so good with Aiden, picking up the slack since Cameron left. If she hasn’t told him enough, she’s so proud of him. He thanks her, and she says, now that he’s asked her a question, can she ask him one?

Trina says she guesses this tree doesn’t seem small to her because it’s the size she and mom always got. Small has a lot of advantages. They’re easy and cute and you don’t need a ladder to put up ornaments. Curtis says, it’s okay. They both know he won’t be climbing any ladders this year, but it doesn’t mean someone else can’t. They’ve been blessed with a beautiful big house with high ceilings. It would be a shame not to take advantage of that space by filling it with the biggest, best tree we can find.

Esme tells Spencer that after today, she and Ace are going to be on their own, and she has to get used to loading him and all of his stuff in and out of Ride Shares. He says, fine. Why can’t she just let him do this for her just one more time? She says, no. She’s sorry, but she has to get comfortable being on her own and relying on herself. The sooner she does that, the better it will be for Ace. She’s doing this for him. Can’t Spencer see that? He says he guesses he didn’t really think about it like that, and she says she knows this is hard on him. She’s sure he probably thinks she’s shutting him out and making things as difficult as possible, but he says he sees where he was wrong. And he is sorry. She says, apology accepted.

Adam tells his dad that he has to go. He has a lot of studying to do… He’ll see them at Christmas. He’ll talk to them later. Bye. Josslyn asks why he lied.

Laura tells Dante that she’s concerned they’re not further along in this investigation at this point. Austin Gatlin-Holt was a doctor at General Hospital. He was related to the Quartermaines. There are many people in this town who want to know who’s responsible for that man’s murder. Dante says he gets that, but they’re doing what they can. He wasn’t killed here. Jordan says, which means this case is officially being handled by the Pautuck PD, and Dante says, that’s right. And they’re in constant contact with them, as well as talking to Austin’s associates here in Port Charles. Laura asks if either department has come up with any suspects, and Dante says, no one officially yet, but there are a couple persons of interest. One of them is Laura’s brother.

Maxie tells Sasha and Cody that she’s explaining this all wrong. Of course (🍷) Deception’s products are amazing, the best in the business. The Deceptor? Game changer. But advertising is all about getting customers to associate selling with something that they want, even if it’s subconsciously. Whether people are willing to admit it or not, everyone wants a little romance in their lives. Cody and Sasha together, in front of a gorgeous sunset… It’s the epitome of that. Sasha says, it sounds like Maxie has a very thorough, well thought out marketing plan, when there’s a knock at the door. Felicia says, sorry to interrupt. She just didn’t want Maxie to worry. James is okay. Cody asks if something happened to James.

Trina says she had no idea Curtis was going to have such strong feelings about which tree they should get, and Marshall laughs and says, he always did. When Curtis was about three years old, he and Irene took Curtis and Tommy to pick out their tree. This is when he makes a beeline to the one he wants, this ugly, gnarly piece of tree. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. Curtis says, they ended up getting the tree, and Marshall says, absolutely. Because Curtis’s mother agreed with him. She said, Curtis picked out the loveliest tree. Trina laughs.

Jake says, sure. Elizabeth can ask him whatever she wants. She asks how things are between him and Charlotte, and he says he’s not really sure. He thinks they’re still dating, but since what happened, they haven’t seen each other that much, and she hasn’t really texted him back either. Elizabeth says, maybe she just needs more time, and he says, maybe. Even before that, she was kind of hard to read. Most girls he knows talk a lot and say everything that’s on their minds, but not Charlotte. He never knows what she’s thinking.

Adam tells Josslyn that he’s sorry. He just panicked. His dad would have been so mad that he left an important test. She says, even to help a friend? and Adam says, he would have hated that. She says, except she was the one who left for him, and he says he knows. She says, so what he’s telling her is, if she was the one who was in trouble, he would have left her and she would have been on her own. He says, she doesn’t understand. Ever since he was a little kid, his parents have wanted him to be a doctor. She asks what he wants, and he says, it doesn’t matter what he wants. It doesn’t work like that in his family. She says, so he’s just going to do what they want him to do forever? When is he going to start making decisions about his own life?

Esme tells Spencer that the Ride Share will be here in twenty minutes. She’s going to check their room to make sure she didn’t accidentally leave something. He says, don’t forget his favorite blanket, the warm fuzzy one he likes, and she says, it’s the first thing she packed. Would Spencer mind watching him? He says, of course (🍷), and she gives Ace to him. She goes in the back, and he sits on the sofa with Ace. He says, okay. This is it, buddy. Ace and his mommy are going to be getting their own place, which means they’re not going to see each other as much. Which means – he tears up – he’s going to miss Ace. But he’s still going to take Ace to the park to see the ducks, and he’ll ask if he can be the first person to give Ace some ice cream, because he knows it’s going to be his favorite too. Esme watches from the doorway, and Spencer kisses the top of Ace’s head. He says, and then next summer, they’re going to go to the pool again, because he knows how much Ace likes the water. And he knows they’re not going to live together anymore, but he wants Ace to know that he’ll always, always, always be his big brother. Okay? No matter what happens. He kisses Ace again, and Esme looks like she might cry.

Alexis tells Finn that he wants to keep his answers short. Yes or no; don’t volunteer anything. Finn says, this is all much more complicated than he realized, and she says, the law is much more complicated than most people realize. By the way, this is important, specifically to Finn’s case. It could backfire on him if he says he doesn’t remember. A man is dead, a family’s grieving, and the jury wants to feel that Finn will remember every detail leading up to the death. Martin says, but don’t lie. If there is something Finn forgot, it’s better to admit it than make up a story that’s going to come back to bite him. Finn says, nobody’s ever accused him of being overly verbose, so don’t worry. He thinks he’s got this. Martin and Alexis look at each other.

Laura says, clearly, Dante isn’t talking about Martin, and Dante says, no. Her other brother, Cyrus. Jordan says, considering his rap sheet and all the crimes she personally saw him commit, he’s certainly capable of murder. What’s his connection to Austin Gatlin-Holt? Dante says, it looks like Mason and Austin were both working for Cyrus the whole time he was in Pentenville, and Laura says, doing what? Jordan says, and how does Dante know this? and Laura says, this is a huge accusation. Does he have any proof?

Alexis asks if Finn can state his name for the record, and he says, Dr. Hamilton Finn. Martin says, wrong, but Finn says he’s pretty sure that’s his name. Martin says, it is, but that’s not what she asked. She specifically asked could he state his name for the record, to which he replies… Finn says, this is ridiculous. This is a deposition, not Simon Says. He’s not going to play lawyer games and parse every word coming out of Diane Miller’s mouth. Alexis says, he’d better, because Diane is going to parse every word coming out of his mouth, and then try to get a jury to see he’s negligent and at fault. So does he want to take a breath and they’ll start again? Can he state his name for the record? Finn takes a breath and says, yes. She asks, what is his name? and he says, Dr. Hamilton Finn.

Elizabeth tells Jake, Charlotte’s been through a lot. There are two kinds of trauma that happen after someone gets shot and she’s going through both. Obviously, there’s the physical pain, but there’s also the mental and emotional trauma of knowing she could have died. He says he guesses he didn’t see it that way, and Elizabeth says, she’s lucky though. Her physical injuries are healing, and she’s going to make a full recovery. But the other wounds? They’re going to take a lot longer to heal. Jake says he hates guns.

Trina says she’s a little scared to ask, but what do they think about this one? and Marshall says, don’t look at him. Talk to the tree whisperer here. It’s all his decision. Curtis says, getting close, but this ain’t it. Why don’t they take another look at this one? Trina’s phone dings, and she says, it’s perfect. She loves it. She can’t wait to see it decorated. She kisses Marshall and Curtis on their cheeks, and runs off. Marshall laughs and says he guesses she had someplace to be.

Felicia says, James went to the school nurse saying that his tummy hurt. When they couldn’t reach Maxie, they called her. Maxie says she can’t believe she left her phone here. They tried to call her four times. Felicia says, don’t worry. He’s okay. Cody asks, how sick is he? Where is he now? Felicia says she took him home. She put him right to bed and gave him some ginger ale and his favorite comic book. Liesl was willing to examine him and said, don’t worry. It’s just a case of the 24-hour flu that’s been going around. She’s there with him now and said he should be as good as new tomorrow. Maxie says, okay, so it’s not an emergency, and Felicia says, not at all. Cody says he’s happy to hear that.

Josslyn says she understands Adam is under pressure, but she doesn’t like when people lie about her, for any reason. She stayed because it was the right thing to do, and she wouldn’t have felt great if she’d just focused on her test and left him to fend for himself. He says he’s sorry. He owes her. She says, he doesn’t owe her anything but honesty. He doesn’t have to go around telling people what happened, but if he does, tell the truth. He says he has to get going, but he forgot to ask. What did she get on the make-up test? She says she got a 90, and he says he’s sorry. That’s too bad. He’s sure she’ll do better next time. He’ll see her later. He leaves.

Esme says, it looks like she has everything, so she guesses this is it, and Spencer asks if she wants him to put Ace in his stroller. She says she’s got it, and takes Ace from him. He says he guesses she doesn’t want him to help, and she says, it’s a production, but she’s got it. She guesses this is it, so wish them luck. He says, luck, and opens the door. Esme leaves with Ace, and Spencer watches as they get in the elevator.

Dante says he has a confidential informant, and they’re telling him Austin visited Cyrus at least one time in Pentenville, maybe more they don’t know about yet. Jordan says, that’s interesting, and Dante says, it is, especially when you consider the fact Austin testified at Cyrus’s hardship release hearing, saying that Cyrus was ill and he wasn’t a danger. Laura says, it shouldn’t be too hard to find out how many times Austin visited Cyrus in prison. There’s a visitor’s log, there’s security footage; Pentenville’s full of cameras. Dante says, in theory, that should be the case, but when he called Pentenville and asked them, they said they had no record of Austin being there at all. Jordan asks if there’s any possibility his confidential source is lying, but he says, not a chance. They’d have no reason to. He thinks someone wiped the records clean.

Alexis says, tell her about Mr. Muldoon’s first appointment. What were his symptoms? Finn says, dizziness, fatigue, gastro-intestinal distress, some weight loss, and Alexis asks if Mr. Muldoon disclosed anything that pointed him toward a preliminary diagnosis. Finn says, he’d been traveling through rural areas in the tropics and believed he’d contracted a tapeworm, and Alexis says, who initially raised the possibility of a tapeworm, him or Mr. Muldoon? He says he believes Mr. Muldoon did, and she asks, what was his response? He says he ran some tests and a culture, and she asks what he thinks those results indicated. He says, the tests revealed low hemoglobin and elevated white blood cell counts, and the culture came back positive for a tapeworm, so he… She says, you what? and he says, the tests confirmed Mr. Muldoon had a tapeworm, and she asks if he treated Mr. Muldoon per that diagnosis. He says, yes, and she says, how? He says he gave him praziquantel, and she asks if those symptoms Mr. Muldoon was experiencing could have been indicative of anything else… She asked him a question. He said his patient was complaining of dizziness, of fatigue, of low hemoglobin, of low white blood cell counts. Could any of those symptoms been indicative of another disease or illness? Finn says, only about 10,000 things.

The tree guy hangs a sold tag on the tree, and Curtis thanks him. Curtis tells Marshall that they’re going to deliver the tree this afternoon. He hopes Marshall is up for it tonight, because he’s ready to hang some ornaments. Marshall says he loves how Curtis gets so excited about Christmas. It reminds him of Curtis’s mama and how she got excited about it too. Curtis says, it was always her favorite time of the year. Even when times were tough, she always went all out, no matter what it cost.

Trina knocks on Laura’s apartment door, and Spencer answers. She hugs him.

Jake tells Elizabeth that he knows what happened with Charlotte was an accident, but it still really scared him. So he started reading about some gun control groups. He thinks he wants to get involved with one of them. She says she loves that. She loves that he’s finding something that matters to him, and he wants to make a difference. Let her know if there’s anything she can do to help. He says he will, and she says, but for right now, they have to find a tree. He says, she’s right, and they need to find the best one to send pictures to Cameron. He points at one and says he likes that one over there.

Curtis tells Marshall that when he was a kid, he used to think Christmas just happened. Mom and Aunt Stella always did such a good job at making Christmas magical for him and Tommy, it never occurred to him that it took work. It wasn’t until he was an adult that he realized they had to plan and save all year so that day could be memorable to them. Then every year without fail, they always had many gifts under the tree; good gifts too, stuff they wanted. Mama always knew how to make them the happiest. She and Aunt Stella would go without so they could make it happen for them. He asked mama one year if Christmas was any fun for her, because she didn’t get many gifts. He remembers her saying, baby, the best presents are the smiles on your faces. Marshall says, that sounds like Irene.

Trina and Spencer sit on the sofa, and Spencer says he hates to admit it, but Esme was right. It’s taken him a long time to understand this, but he thinks it’s going to be better for Ace in the long run. Trina says, it may not mean much in the moment, but she’s so proud of him for being so mature and putting Ace first. He says, that means a lot actually, and it’s better that he’s so young, because he’s never going to remember his life was any other way. But the thing is, Spencer will. He’s never going to forget all those moments of seeing Ace change and watching him grow. Watching him figure out that he’s got fingers and toes. And he’ll always remember how it felt to hold him and rock him in the chair in his room, both of them so cozy and happy while he sang Ace to sleep. She says, that’s beautiful, and she believes Ace will remember all of it. Maybe only subconsciously, but it will always be in his mind that Spencer’s voice was the first one that he heard. That Spencer’s arms used to hold him. And he’ll remember how safe and secure he felt with Spencer. That will be imprinted on his mind and in his heart. She cuddles against him.

Josslyn tries to study, but puts down the book. She puts in earplugs and gets on the bed with her phone.

Adam tries to study, but gets frustrated. He opens his desk drawer, taking out the prescription bottle. He downs a couple of pills and goes back to work.

Maxie tells Felicia that she doesn’t know what to do. She hates not being with James when he’s sick, but this video conference call is really important. Cody says, if it will help her get back to James, he can talk to Pavella’s people all day, and Maxie says she appreciates that. She really does. And it’s not that she doesn’t trust him and Sasha. They were great together on Home & Heart. It’s just that this conference call is so important. Felicia says, Cody and Sasha want to do this, and she said herself that they can handle it. So just say thank you and let them. Sasha promises they’ll call her right after and tell her how great everything went, and Cody says, yeah. Maxie says, they’ve convinced her. They’ll have to let her set them up first. She leads them over to a table and tells them where to sit. She asks Cody to scootch closer to Sasha, then tells Felicia, let’s go before she changes her mind. They leave, and Sasha opens the laptop. She asks if Cody is ready, and he says, hit it. She links in to the call and says, thank you everyone. They thank everyone for meeting with them today. She’s Sasha Gilmore and this is her colleague, Cody Bell. Cody says, nice to meet them. He and Sasha just want to fill them in on what’s going on with Deception.

 Martin slaps a twenty dollar bill on the table and tells Alexis that she was right. Broken in less than fifteen minutes. Finn says, objection. He did not break. Martin says, as much as it pains him to say it as Finn’s attorney, he definitely did. When he snapped at Alexis, it was basically admitting he took the easy way out with his diagnosis. Finn says, that is not what happened, and Alexis says, it doesn’t matter what happened. If he says that, this is what the jury is going to hear, that he took his patient’s word for it. Finn wrote him a prescription and sent him on his way without finding or treating the cancer that eventually killed him. Finn says, understand this. There are literally thousands of illnesses that present with fatigue, intestinal distress, low hemoglobin, and elevated white blood cell count. That’s a fact. Look it up. How would they like him to answer this question? Martin says, as simply as possible. When Diane asks him if those symptoms were indicative of anything else, just say yes. Alexis says, just that. Just that one word, yes. Finn says, okay. Keep his answers short. Duly noted. Thank you. Alexis says, all right. Let’s take it from the top. Can you please state your name for the record? Finn says, yes.

Laura says she’d like Dante’s opinion. Does he think Cyrus murdered Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt? He says he doesn’t have any evidence to back up that theory, but she says she’s not asking about evidence. She’s asking his opinion. He says, did Cyrus have a motive? Yeah. Sure. Austin came to see him at the PCPD before he died. He was worried that Mason was going to make it look like he kidnapped Ava. He wanted immunity. He was going to give up the name of the person he and Mason were working for and he was going to provide corroborating evidence. She says, and he thinks that person was Cyrus? and he says, just to be clear, Austin never told him that he was working for Cyrus. He found out after Austin died. Jordan says, but it certainly gives Cyrus ample motive for Austin’s murder, and Dante says, the problem is, Cyrus has an alibi. He was mopping floors at the Port Charles Grill when Austin was killed. Jordan says, this is Cyrus they’re talking about. If he didn’t want to do it himself, he certainly could have hired someone else to do it. Dante says, but that’s making a couple of assumptions. One of them is that Cyrus still has the associates and contacts that would actually murder for him; and two, that he knew Austin was going to give him up and he’s not convinced Cyrus did. Laura says, all right, and gets up. She wants Dante to keep her in the loop with everything involving this investigation; nothing is too small. Dante says, absolutely, and she says, because if her brother is the same ruthless killer he always was, she’ll make sure he never sees the light of day again.

Tomorrow, Gregory says, it’s an unfortunate coincidence running into Diane; Curtis asks if Portia is saying this is a possibility for him; and Anna tells Dante that she knows someone else is involved.

The Real Awful Housewives of Beverly Hills

We backtrack a little. Sutton says, something is going on with Kyle’s personal life that she’s not sharing with the group, and Kyle asks, with what? Garcelle, tired of circling this drain, says, her marriage. What’s with the new band? Knowing Kyle probably thinks this is about a concert, Sutton says, she’s not wearing her wedding ring. Garcelle says she thought it was a make-up band, and Kyle asks if they’re saying her husband cheated on her. Sutton asks if she said that, and Kyle asks if Sutton wants Mauricio to have cheated on her, but Sutton says she’s content with Kyle’s answers. Morally corrupt Faye feels like this is wrong, and Kyle says, when she drinks, she feels down and depressed. She can’t afford to feel that way right now. She discusses these things with her good friends. Sutton says, maybe they’re not as good of friends as she thought, and Kyle says, Sutton’s not acting like a friend. Sutton says, they just came from a quiet room, but Kyle brings up the name ‘em discussion and we flash back to that. Sutton says she had a lot going on and she’s sorry for that. And she’s sorry for how Kyle reacted as well. We flash back to Kyle literally running away from the conversation, and Kyle thanks Sutton for apologizing on her behalf. There are crickets for a while, and the next course is served. Garcelle talks about getting make-up gifts from Michael. She says, Michael is great dad and a horrible husband, but life continues after divorce. Erika says, she wants to have a love affair like you see in the movies, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, Erika had a love affair like in the movies. It was Harold and Maude, but in reverse, and will eventually be made into a Lifetime movie. The chef is barraged with questions about his personal life, and we find out he’s married before he runs from the room. In Erika’s interview, she says, Tom was established and had his own life for many years before she came along. She fit in his life. We flash back to better times, and Erika says she doesn’t want to do that again. She wants to carve her own life and meet someone with whom she can go forward together. Dorit asks if Denise missed them, and Denise says she did. She has a question for Erika. Why is it that Erika treated her a certain way after they met? When she met Erika for the first time, she thought Erika was sweet and lovely. We flash back to that, and Denise says, a year later, it was a different dynamic. Erika says she doesn’t feel anything personal toward Denise, and Denise asks what she did to Erika. Clearly, Denise is not herself. She seems more drunk than stoned though. Erika says, tell her what it is, and Denise says she’ll be clear. Erika was so kind to her… In her interview, Erika says she doesn’t know if Denise is high. She knows she’s high, but Denise seems to be on another level. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, maybe Denise had a drink before because she was nervous. In Dorit’s interview, she says she doesn’t know what Denise is partaking in, but she doesn’t want some. Denise says, then Erika was very different, and Kyle asks if there’s a specific moment Denise is talking about. Denise says, they’re grown-ass adults. Erika knows what she’s talking about. Erika says she really doesn’t, and I believe her because I don’t either. In Sutton’s interview, she says, Denise can say it. What did Erika do to her? Erika asks if it’s something specific or just the whole thing, and Denise says, the whole thing. They don’t need an example. Watch the show. In Crystal’s interview, she says, the weed dinner is kicking in. What are you talking about? Bitch, what? At the table, Crystal starts laughing like you sometimes do with weed.

In Garcelle’s interview, she wonders, who is this Erika? She’s cool as a cucumber and not lunging across the table. The old Erika would be like, bitch, what are you on? Denise says, she was so f***ing nice to Erika, then Erika was a bitch to her. Own it. Erika says, what? and Denise says, that. Now I’m laughing. In Erika’s interview, she says she’s so confused and high. They were having a good time, and this is ruining her high. She has no idea what Denise is talking about and neither does Denise. Erika apologizes because where else is there to go? and Denise thanks her, then says, you’re welcome. The chef tells the kitchen staff, Denise Richards is f***ed up. Sutton lights up a joint, stunning everyone at the table, and I’m dying here. Sutton says, it’s totally legal, and Erika says, they’re hitting the trees at the table. She never thought Sutton would love a joint. In Crystal’s interview, she says she loves Sutton, but she’s a walking contradiction. Here she is, smoking a joint, but in Vegas, she couldn’t deal with a few half naked men. That’s Sutton. Sutton says, there are things about her they don’t know, and dessert is served. Garcelle tries to talk to Denise in private, but Kyle, Annemarie, and Dorit follow them. In Kyle’s interview, she says she doesn’t understand what’s going on. Did Denise partake before she got here? Garcelle tells Denise that she thinks Erika really doesn’t understand, but Denise says, Erika is playing dumb. They all knew. Erika f***ing knew. In Sutton’s interview, she says, sometimes Denise doesn’t know how to say things she needs to say. If she was Denise F***ing Richards, she’d be walking around naked drinking tequila. She doesn’t like tequila, but that’s what she’d be doing. Dorit notices that Denise has her little, pink fuzzy coat on upside down, but Denise insists it’s fine. She tells Dorit, don’t do it. She knows what Dorit is doing, and she doesn’t give a flying about her jacket. In Dorit’s interview, she says, maybe Denise is onto something, and they’ll all be wearing them upside down. But right now, it’s a hard no. Denise leaves, and Erika tells Crystal that she doesn’t know what she apologized for. Denise ruined her buzz. Outside, Denise tells Kyle that Erika knows what she did, and gets in her limo. Erika tells Crystal, you can always count on someone here to ruin a good time. I say, yeah, and sometimes it’s you. Not today though.

Dorit tells Kyle, that was intense and not cool. Sutton was saying Kyle was in denial, and Kyle says she asked Sutton, what about? Sutton was acting like she knows something. Sutton makes the mistake of joining them, and says, it seems like Kyle is denial about something, but Sutton doesn’t know anything, so she wants to let it go. Kyle tells Sutton to quit gaslighting her, and if she knows about something, share it with her. Sutton says, she doesn’t know anything, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, Kyle is in denial about something going on with her marriage. Personally, she thinks Kyle is unhappy, but Kyle doesn’t like to talk about personal things. Kyle says she’d told them that her marriage wasn’t the best right now when they were at the retreat. Sutton says, Kyle’s been saying she doesn’t eat. She eats. Kyle says, maybe Sutton has a disorder, and in Sutton’s interview, she says she has an esophageal disorder and it’s nothing to make fun of. There are times she can’t swallow her own saliva. What’s going on in Kyle’s life that she’s not drinking? Is it because there was a problem? Sutton tells Kyle that she’s sick of fighting with her. Kyle already lost two sisters. Does she want to lose a third? Kyle says she knows the truth. Sutton had her own situation with her. She kisses her ass in public. Sutton says, so this is about Kathy, and Kyle says, Sutton just made it about Kathy. Sutton says, Kathy didn’t like that she didn’t stick up for her with the press, and we see a clip of Sutton being interviewed. The interviewer asks who Sutton believes, Kathy or Lisa, and Sutton says, it probably lies somewhere in the middle. Sutton says, Kathy called her and she felt firsthand what Kyle experienced, but Kyle says, Sutton was real quiet that day. We flash back to the Reunion, and Kathy insisting things that happened never happened while Kyle is bawling next to her. In Erika’s interview, she says, Kathy holds the key to what a lot of people want. She can lock you out of parties and social standing. Erika has always been a lone wolf on the outside. She doesn’t care if she’s on the list. They all know Sutton likes a socialization situation. That’s just the way it is. Erika tells Kyle that she doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with Kyle’s marriage, and Kyle admits it’s not great right now, but she wasn’t okay with Sutton’s sister comment. Outside, Annemarie tells Sutton that it was going good, then it was going bad, then it got going good again, then bad. Everyone leaves, and Kyle hugs the staff since that’s all she really has.

This is excruciating.

Erika and her assistant wonder how to make lemonade, and Erika suggests they look on the internet. Her assistant wonders if they don’t have to set up a stand if they make it. I only included this because I thought it was amusing that anyone would have to look up how to make lemonade. Um… water, lemons, sugar? The amount depends on how you like it.

Kyle jogs to Annemarie’s house and they play pickleball. Kyle says she doesn’t know the rules. She just hits the ball. In Kyle’s interview, she says she and Annemarie are both working moms with a lot in common. They’re both competitive, like to work out, and live down the street from each other. Annemarie speaks her mind. In Annemarie’s interview, she says, they share weird things. Like she has the same birthday as Kyle’s mom, and she and Kyle have the same surgeon. They play and it looks like ping-pong with a bigger ball and net. In her interview, Annemarie says she was into sports at five years old. She raced every grade, and in high school, she got into basketball. The janitor opened the gym at 6 am for her every day. It was no coincidence she ended up with an NFL football player. They sit down, and Annemarie says she needs a full rundown. It was her first encounter with most of the women, and she didn’t know why they were doing whatever. Sutton didn’t want to say what she was talking about and was talking circles around it. In Kyle’s interview, she says, it’s upsetting that Sutton would throw accusations at her. Garcelle, too, when she’s gone through it publicly and knows how hurtful it is. She’s disappointed. Annemarie says she feels she wants to know Sutton more.

Crystal, Garcelle, and Sutton meet for lunch, and Denise joins them, Garcelle saying, oh yeah, she invited Denise. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, Denise looks like she’s gliding through the wind. Calm, composed, and beautiful. Not like at the weed dinner. Garcelle tells Sutton that she saw a commercial where they talked about neuropathy. She hadn’t known about it until Sutton said she was experiencing it. Some cases are so severe, they have to amputate. In Crystal’s interview, she says, thank God Garcelle isn’t a doctor. You’d come in with a headache, and she’d say you have a brain tumor. Sutton says, Kyle asked if she’d had too many drinks or was it her medication, and Denise says, Kyle was judging Sutton on drinking. Sutton says, splits and ponytail on the ceiling, and Garcelle says, and sweeping the dancefloor with her coochie. They’ve all seen I t. Crystal thinks Sutton throwing sisters was hard, and Sutton admits it was a low blow. At Annemarie’s, Kyle tells Annamarie that Sutton’s remark was designed to hurt her. In her interview, Kyle says she doesn’t know if Sutton has something going on personally or has issues with her, but Sutton should stop thinking about Kyle’s life and focus on her own. She and Annemarie talk about Sutton’s eating issue, and in Annemarie’s interview, she says she’s a nurse anesthetist. She puts tubes down people’s throats, and airway anatomy is her jam. She uses the words esophagal sphincter and Kyle can’t compose herself because she’s five. At the restaurant, Crystal asks Denise what the thing with Erika was about, and Denise says, they were at a dinner party and Erika was talking about threesomes when her kids were at the other table. We flash back to that, and Crystal says, what the hell? Denise says she wants Erika to acknowledge it and apologize. Otherwise, she’s just a mean-ass bitch.

Dorit says she has to catch PK up on Kyle’s party. Something is going on, but Kyle hasn’t spoken about it in detail. PK says, Mauricio has been busy. He’s on the global domination track, and travel has put pressure on their own marriage. Just be a good friend. In Dorit’s interview, she says she’s not surprised that Kyle reacted so strongly. She understands Sutton wanting something clarified, but to come at Kyle like that felt dirty. She says she wants to talk to PK about homeschooling, but PK says, being with other kids is important for their kids’ growth. If it was up to Dorit, she’d keep them home until they were 19. In Dorit’s interview, she says, during the pandemic, they started homeschooling. Teachers come to the house. The kids are thriving, and they love their teachers. They do well one-on-one. She tells PK that she wants them to have a good transition back, and he should hear what they have to say. PK says, it’s not a consideration. School days are the best days, and their kids should experience them. Dorit says, that would be true if he was here, and in her interview, she says, when PK travels, she feels like a single mom. PK isn’t involved with the kids. He doesn’t know their needs and wants to swoop in and tell her what’s best. She asks PK for another year, but he says, no. He understands she went through a trauma, but her fears are irrational and she’s going down the wrong avenue. He heard her tell Jagger that if he goes to college, mommy is going to live on campus. A lot is coming from her need and desire for the kids to be close at all times, and she needs to own that element. In Dorit’s interview, she says, it’s a year and a half post home invasion, and PK is still not getting the gravity of the situation. She lived a moment where her kids’ lives were over. She saw it in her head, and it does something to a person he can’t understand. She tells PK that if she thought something wasn’t good, she’d change it. What’s best for the kids is at the forefront of her mind, always.

Erika meets with Mikey, and says, it’s time to turn a page. In Erika’s interview, she says she loves performing so much. She’s missed performing and the exchange of energy with the audience. The only time she’s truly present in life is on stage. That, and when she has good sex. Mikey says, they need the right room with the right capacity, and to have a residency. In her interview, Erika says she loves Las Vegas. Showgirls, costumes, money, all the steak and lobster. She tells Mikey, creating new music and creating a show and mounting a show is a big thing, but there’s nothing like it. In her interview, she says what she loves most in life is the pursuit. She’s a hunter by nature. Why not hunt the biggest game?

Dorit meets Kyle, who says, it was insane. Sutton saw a ring she’s never seen before. Kyle has a lot of jewelry Sutton hasn’t seen. Dorit says she’s trying to understand what Sutton was trying to say, and Kyle says, it was very clear. Dorit says, she was suggesting Kyle is trying to hide something, and Kyle says, it was a low blow. Kim arrives, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, their relationship is in a good place. Kim knows she’s going through a hard time and has been supportive this last year. Kim says she hasn’t left the house since lockdown, but it’s given her time to work more on herself. She also started coloring on the walls. In her interview, Kyle says, Kim had a hard time during the pandemic. She didn’t leave home and started painting murals. She’s actually really good. We see pictures, and she is. Kyle says, seeing Kim painting and out socializing makes her happy. Kim says she told Kathy that if Paris needs anything painted for Baby Phoenix, let her know. Kyle asks if she’s seen Phoenix, and Kim says she has. We see a clip of Kyle telling Mauricio that she found out about Phoenix on Instagram, and in her interview, she says, her sisters and nieces are a package deal. If she has an argument with one, she’s cut off from everybody. That’s the hardest part. Kim says, life is too short to fight. She tears up and hugs Kyle. She says she wants them to fix it, and Kyle says she doesn’t know how it got to this degree. She only had good intentions wanting Kathy to be in the group. Kim says, they both could have done something different, but even though you don’t see it in the moment, everything’s a lesson. In Kyle’s interview, she says she thinks of all the time she’s losing, the babies in the family. Normally, they’d all be together, and the kids would be close like they were when they grew up. It makes her sad. She tells Kim that sometimes you need to take a step back and take time, and Kim says, too much time becomes resentment.

Next time, Garcelle has dinner with Jaid and Ashlyn; Sutton has a party for her store; Annemarie asks Sutton about her medical issues; and Sutton wonders why she suddenly has a doctor’s appointment.

🧂 A Pinch Of Salt…

The mess that is Salt Lake.

🏂 The House That Shall Not Be Named…

I keep trying to watch this, but nope. Again, no judgement.

🩰 We’ll Always Have Paris…

While I didn’t watch the first season, Season 2 of Paris in Love is on Bravo, and I loved it. Her film This is Paris was very impressive, and if you don’t know it already, there’s a lot more to her than just being hot.

https://collider.com/paris-in-love-season-2-marital-drama/

📜 Checking My List Twice…

Come along for the ride tomorrow to soap and unreliable Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay forgetting about perfection, and stay not fighting. Life is too short.

December 4, 2023 – Two Romantic Resolutions In Port Charles, Captain Sandy Isn’t Happy On Deck & Nights

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Lois looks over Ned’s shoulder while he’s on the computer and says, three million, four hundred and fifty-nine thousand. He says he didn’t hear her come in, and she says, that’s because he was focused on the numbers. He says, these are figures on a deal Michael closed with an Australian company, RCD. Michael and Drew insist it’s a good deal, but he’s not so sure. She says, that’s because his numbers are off by eight hundred and twelve thousand.

In the nook, Chase asks Brook what she’d say are three most important moments in her life, and she says, when she scored Jonas Brothers tickets in 2010, but he says he’s being serious. She says, heavy question. Okay. The last time she ever saw her great-grandfather Edward, the first time she wrote a song, and… when she gained a little brother in Leo. He says he wants this moment right now to be on that list, and she asks what he’s talking about. He gets down on one knee and says, Brook Lynn Quartermaine, will you marry me? She says, he really doesn’t have to do this.

Going into Molly’s apartment, Kristina tells her to sit down and let her get Molly a drink. What would she like? Another glass of wine? A pot of coffee? Molly says, Kristina doesn’t have to baby her like this, and there’s silence for a moment. Kristina says, it just got really awkward, and Molly asks if she’s sure she wants to be the surrogate for her and TJ.

Kelly’s is closed, but Josslyn walks in, and Carly asks what she’s doing here. Is everything okay? Josslyn says she got Carly’s text that she was covering for Amber, and she knows Amber usually closes, so she came to see if she could help with anything. Carly says, she’s thoughtful, and her timing is great, and Josslyn asks what she can help with. Carly says, a lot, but clean-up can wait. She has an update on Josslyn’s grandmother.

Nina asks Sonny if Ava was right. Is Cyrus after him? Is his life in danger? Sonny says, they’ve gone over this how many times? Threats exist in his business, and he’s going to take care of it like he always does. He just doesn’t want her to worry. She says, if his life is in danger, of course (🍷) she’s going to worry. They’re married. They’re in this together. And yes, she realizes there’s a certain amount of danger in his business, but this ruthless man just got released from prison, and he still might be after Sonny? And Sonny doesn’t want to discuss it with her?

Carly gives Josslyn a bowl of ice cream, and Josslyn asks if she’s softening bad news with it or are they celebrating good news with dessert? Carly says, they’re burying frustrations with a treat, and Josslyn asks, what’s going on with grandma? Carly says, she called from Amsterdam. Josslyn knows how her grandmother is always happy and upbeat. She is drowning in red tape. Surprise, surprise, Luke didn’t have his papers in order. Josslyn says, shocking, and Carly says, that man never met a form he wanted to fill out or a tax document he wanted to file. (To be fair, have any of us?) Josslyn says, so he left her with this mess? and Carly says, oh yeah. She said she’ll probably have to stay away longer. Josslyn asks if Tracy didn’t go over there to help her, and Carly says, Tracy’s there full of opinions and insisting that she knew what Luke would have wanted. She’s basically driving Carly’s mother crazy. Josslyn says, Tracy can be tough, but her money’s on grandma, and Carly says, hers too.

Sonny says, he’s been very clear from the beginning. There are things in his business that he can’t tell Nina. She says, he can’t discuss it with her because he doesn’t want her to be implicated if whatever he’s involved in gets investigated by the police, and he says, it’s for her own protection. Look what happened to Carly even after they were divorced. Nina asks what he’s talking about, and he says, the SEC investigation? It wasn’t about insider trading. They were trying to squeeze Carly to get her to give up information on him. Nina flashes back to telling Martin to go out all and expose Drew and Carly for insider trading, and to make sure to keep her name out of it. She tells Sonny that she wants to make one thing clear. Her situation is nothing like Carly’s.

Molly says, Dr. Navarro reminded her that there’s always a chance of miscarriage. What if it happens to Kristina? Kristina says, then they’ll survive it, and Molly says, there are possibilities of other complications too. Kristina will be taking a chance with her own health. Kristina tells her, take a breath. There are no guarantees of course (🍷) with an easy, successful pregnancy or a delivery, but the odds are in her favor. It’s the right timing and she’s in good healthy mostly, and she really wants to do this. TJ comes in and says he didn’t expect to see Kristina here, but welcome. Kristina says she’s heading out, but she’ll see them later. She leaves, and in the hallway, she gets a text from Blaze: R u around? Kristina texts back: Just leaving my sister’s, and Blaze asks: Can I see u? Kristina texts: Meet me at my place. 27 S. Patton, apt 3B.

TJ says he’s been thinking a lot about their last conversation, and Molly says, her too. She wants him to hear her out first.

Ned tells Lois that he was hoping to find some discrepancy in the numbers, but he’ll have to find another way to blow up this deal. She asks why he’d want to do that, and he says he was right in the middle of his own negotiations with RCD when he took that damn fall at the MetroCourt pool. She says, and woke up as Eddie Maine, a dedicated musician whose only interest was in performing and didn’t want anything to do with ELQ. He says, which gave Michael the exact opening to swoop in and renegotiate the deal for completely different terms than he’d been working on. And to top it all off, Michael closed the deal without even checking with him. She asks how Michael could check with him. He was Eddie Maine. What does he think Eddie would have said if Michael tried to talk to him about a business deal? He says, it doesn’t matter. Michael wasn’t even working for ELQ. He’s a shareholder, nothing more. He had no right to go behind Ned’s back and close that deal. Lois says, that makes no sense.

Chase tells Brook, he doesn’t have to do this? That’s so not the answer he was hoping for. She asks him to stand up, and says, he’s the sweetest man she’s ever known, and she loves him like crazy, but he doesn’t have to ask her to get married just because her mom and grandma are stuck on the subject. He says, that’s not why he asked her to marry him.

Molly tells TJ that she ran into Dr. Navarro leaving the hospital. She’d heard about Andrea’s miscarriage, and her reaction was that miscarriages aren’t uncommon, and she reminded Molly of all the people who’ve had children through surrogacy that wouldn’t have otherwise. It really resonated with her. So she ended up taking that meeting with Claire Brown, the matching professional, and Claire presented her with new potential surrogate candidates for them. But then she ran into her mom, and her advice was, whatever they choose to do, it has to be a mutual decision. And she knows her mom was right, so she only wants to explore new surrogates – if he’s totally open to it too.

Kristina says, sorry to keep Blaze waiting, but Blaze says she just got here. Kristina opens the apartment door and says, welcome to her humble home. Blaze says, nice and cozy, and Kristina says she’s glad Blaze likes it. She likes it too. Beautiful building and view, but the thing she likes best about it is, she pays her rent all by herself. Blaze says she can tell that really means something to Kristina, and Kristina says, it does. Both of her parents are super successful, and she spent plenty of time running around as a trust fund kid, which was fun in the short term, but she didn’t like the person she’d become. She knows managing Charlie’s isn’t very glamorous, but it’s where she got her head screwed on straight. It’s good, honest work, and she’s really proud of herself for standing on her own two feet. She really likes this version of herself better. Blaze says she can’t speak to who Kristina was in the past, but she likes this version of Kristina now a lot. So what does Kristina think? She takes a bottle of champagne out of her bag and says, time to celebrate?

Brook tells Chase that she knows her mom and grandma can be a lot. They have the subtlety of a freight train. He says he thought they were great, but she says, come on. Can he honestly say that the idea of marrying her ever came into his mind before her grandma’s lecture on marriage? Then her mom has to pile on top of it with her Chase-you-make-my-kid-happy speech. He says, so what her mom said wasn’t true? He doesn’t make her happy? She says, he makes her incredibly happy. Happy with their life together in his apartment. Happy that he accepts her for exactly who she is. Happy that he has a really great sense of humor about her family, both sides. But don’t let them pressure him into asking her to marry him. They can just take that topic off the table and forget it was even brought up. Okay? He says, nope, it’s not okay. It’s too late to take marriage off the table. He takes out a ring box and shows her a gorgeous round diamond ring that no doubt someone helped him pick out. Maybe his ring guy. She asks what he’s doing.

Josslyn asks if she told Carly about Adam, the kid that lives down the hall from her, but Carly says, nope. Josslyn says, he’s in her Organic Chem class, so they study together sometimes. Like ten minutes into this test, he starts freaking out. He starts hyperventilating and looking like he’s going to faint, so the TA had to stop the exam. Carly asks if he had a panic attack, and Josslyn says, that’s what it looked like, so she volunteered to take him to GH. Carly says, poor guy, and Josslyn says, he told her that he took some sort of medication to help him focus and he took an extra dose before this test. That’s why he thinks he had a panic attack. Carly asks what Josslyn thinks.

Nina tells Sonny, Carly did commit insider trading. When she bought that Aurora stock, she did so because she had privileged information that ELQ and Aurora were going to merge. That is why Carly and Drew got into trouble. It’s just unfortunate that the FBI and SEC were trying to use that as leverage to get Carly to flip on Sonny. He says, she’s missing the point. The FBI knew Carly had information because when he was in Nixon Falls, Carly was running his business. Nina says, and she kept him from his life in Port Charles. Is that what he’s saying?

Blaze says she thinks Kristina is going to like this champagne; definitely worthy of a special occasion. She pours them both a glass, and Kristina asks what they’re celebrating. Blaze says, the remix of her latest single just went number on the dance charts, and Kristina says, congratulations. Blaze thanks her and they clink glasses. Blaze says, let’s toast, and Kristina says, Blaze is her stage name. What’s her real name? (This is so weird, because I was just wondering about that.) Blaze says, Allison Rogers Ramerez, and Kristina says, to Allison. They clink glasses again.

TJ says he wants a family with Molly. They love each other. They’re committed to each other, and part of that commitment is listening and respecting each other’s needs and feelings, and that’s something he neglected to do this morning. She says, it’s okay, but he says, it’s not. He was so wrapped up in his own feelings and in his fears, he didn’t make enough room for her and what she’s going through. For that, he’s so sorry. She says, he was being honest, and she needs him to be honest. She wants him to know that she has every intention of being honest with him too. She never would have gone further than an initial meeting with Claire without talking to him. He says he believes her. So she was meeting to look at other potential surrogates. Did she find anybody she liked or thinks they might connect to? She says, yes… and no.

Brook says, it’s beyond beautiful, and Chase says he bought this ring weeks ago, way before her mom and grandmother came to town. His original plan was to propose on Christmas. All Lois and her grandmother did was just speed up the timetable a little bit. She asks, why? and he says, why did he buy the ring or why did he move up the proposal? Because he loves her and he wants to spend the rest of their lives, short or long, together. His dad’s diagnosis made him realize all over again that life can be random, and nothing is entirely promised. He doesn’t want to waste today waiting for a tomorrow that might never come. They need to do what matters now, while they still can. And what matters most to him is her. It’s her. Well? She says, well what? and he says he didn’t technically get an answer. She tells him that she said what she said before because she thought he was just following her grandma’s instructions. Ask her again. He says, Brook Lynn Quartermaine – he gets down on one knee again – the love of his life, would she do him the greatest honor in marrying him?

Lois says, the deal hadn’t closed when Ned hit his head and woke up as Eddie Maine. Correct? Ned says, yeah. So? She says, standard business practice would be to put the deal on hold if one of the parties, mainly him, was not in his right mind. And if ELQ hadn’t sent someone to close the deal, then the Australian company would have had to assume that there was no deal to be had, right? He tells her that he couldn’t really say, but she says, be honest with her. If Michael hadn’t gone and negotiated the deal, there would be no deal, right? He says, that’s not the point, but she says, the point is, Michael closed the deal and he didn’t. Isn’t that what this is really all about?

Josslyn tells Carly that she’s sure the meds contributed to Adam’s panic attack, but she thinks it would have happened regardless. Carly asks, why? and Josslyn says, because he has this relentless pressure put on him by his parents. Then he puts more pressure on himself. He thinks 92% is failing. Carly says, that’s not good, and Josslyn agrees. She says, he spends all of his time studying. He has no friends. When she and Trina got back from Thanksgiving, he had been in the dorm the whole time. Carly says, he wasn’t with his family for Thanksgiving? and Josslyn says, no. His parents were in St. Bart’s. He literally stayed on campus and studied. Carly says she wishes she would have known that. Josslyn could have brought him home for Thanksgiving. Drew comes in and says, they’re closed, huh? but Carly says, not for him. What would he like, ice cream or chili? He says he was hoping to take her out for dinner. One last night out before he heads to Australia. Carly says, what?

Sonny says, whether anybody believes it or not, he and Nina know the most important thing that happened in Nixon Falls was that they fell in love. Nina says, he’s right, and he says, the only reason he brought up Carly was to make an example of it. What if the FBI thinks Nina has information to implicate him? Then they’ll come after her. That’s why he can’t tell her everything. She says she knows that. She’s made peace with what he does, with his life choice, and she does understand why sometimes he can’t tell her everything. It’s not like she wants to be involved in allegedly illicit activities. He says, good. That means they’re on the same page. She asks if they really are. Because if her husband is in danger, she’ll do whatever she can to make sure he comes home. And if there’s a chance her husband she loves won’t come home, doesn’t he think she has the right to know that?

Brook says, yes. With all her heart, she’ll marry Chase. He takes her hand and puts the ring on it. She says, look at that. It’s a perfect fit. Just like her and him. He says he knows that diamond might be a little small by Quartermaine standards… She says, stop it. She loves it. She loves that she chose it. She loves that she gets to wear it for the rest of her life, and she promises she’ll love him for as long as they both shall live. They kiss.

Ned tells Lois that he turned ELQ over to Michael, a decision he’s come to bitterly regret. He was too young to be named CEO… even if he did turn out to be surprisingly effective at the job. Lois asks, so what’s the problem? and Ned says, the problem is, once Michael got a taste of that power, he was never willing to let it go. When Michael was pushed out by him and Valentin, he went to work for Drew at Aurora. But he knew Michael was just lying in wait. When he had that fall at the pool, it was just the chance Michael needed. Michael jumping in and finishing that Australian deal was just the beginning. If Ned doesn’t find a way to stop him, Michael will push him out. Lois says, all these years after Edward’s death, all the Qs are still fighting with each other. Ned’s grandfather – may he rest – he would be so proud of that. That makes her so sad.

TJ says, Molly did find a surrogate possibility, or she didn’t? and Molly says, after her conversation with her mom, she had a million thoughts turning through her brain. She went for a walk in the park to get some air, and she ran into Willow and Baby Amelia. He asks if it felt like torture, and she says, in a way, but torture of the sweetest kind. She got to hold the baby and it almost knocked her over with longing to have a baby of their own. She got so overwhelmed with the fear that it might never happen, she went to an isolated park bench and broke down into a million pieces. It’s okay. She just had this flood of emotions that needed to come out. She just sat there and sobbed. He says he was so wrong. He’s so sorry. She says, it’s okay. While she was crying, Kristina found her.

Kristina says, Allison Rogers Ramerez. She’s so curious how that morphed into Blaze. Blaze says she just though her name was to generic to win over a big audience, and Kristina asks if she just woke up one day and said, call me Blaze? Blaze laughs and says, no. She was in high school at this open mic night, and even though this is everything she ever wanted, she was so shy back then. Kristina says she finds that hard to believe, but Blaze says, it’s true. She knew she could sing, so she signed up, but then she got hit with this massive wave of stage fright. She went up to the DJ who was announcing the singers and begged him to withdraw her name. All she wanted to do is run away and hide. Kristina asks, what happened? and Blaze says, the DJ challenged her. He said, do you really want to scurry away like some scared little mouse, or would you rather go out in a blaze of glory? So she went out on that stage and sang her heart out. She got a standing ovation and from that night on, she was Blaze. Kristina says, that is amazing. She loves that story. Blaze says, Kristina’s turn. What was she like in high school?

Drew says he’s flying to Australia for business, and Carly asks, for how long? He says, for a week, and Josslyn tells Carly that she can clean up if they want to head out, but Carly says, Drew’s going to help her clean up. Then they can talk. Josslyn says, then she’s going to go. Have a great night. She’s going to text Drew a list of her favorite places to go when she’s in Australia with her dad. Drew thanks her and says he’d love to check out a couple. Josslyn says, goodnight, and leaves. Carly asks when Drew’s going, and he says, tomorrow. She says, that’s not a lot of notice, and he says he realizes that. He’s sorry, but it just came together so quickly. He just got back and now he’s leaving again, right before Christmas. She asks why he’s going.

Sonny tells Nina that he has to be extremely careful. That’s why he has bodyguards and Brick screens everything. She says, he hasn’t given her a straightforward answer about Cyrus. Is he still after Sonny? Sonny says, he was. Ava was right about that part. When Cyrus was in Pentenville, he used Austin and Mason to set him up to get busted by the Feds. She says, so Cyrus Renault is responsible for him getting arrested, but he says, it didn’t work because there was no proof. The charges didn’t stick. He’s a free man. She says, but so is Cyrus. He just got released from Pentenville. What if he decides to go after Sonny again?

Blaze asks if she just asked the wrong question, but Kristina says, no. She was in an abusive relationship in high school. Blaze says she’s so sorry. Please don’t feel obligated to tell her about it, but Kristina says, it’s okay. She wants to tell Blaze about it because it’s a big part of her and a big part of who she is. She genuinely thought her boyfriend Kiefer had a really sweet side to him. And she did love him, but he was also wildly insecure, and he had a bad temper. Once when they were arguing, he slapped her. She remembers it like it was yesterday because her reaction to it was so messed up. Blaze asks what she means, and Kristina says she was embarrassed. She blamed herself. She was sure she’d said or done something to trigger that reaction from him. The one thing she didn’t do was blame him. She certainly didn’t break up with him. The slapping eventually turned to hitting, and it took her a really long time to ask for help. Blaze says she’s so sorry Kristina went through that, and Kristina thanks her. She says, her next boyfriend Trey was not much better. Not that he was abusive, but her parents didn’t like him and she was in her rebellious phase, so she married him for what felt like five minutes. Then when that failed, she thought she’d try college, and when she was in college, she had an affair with her professor. Blaze asks, how old was he? and Kristina says, she was in her mid-thirties.

TJ asks what it was like when Kristina found Molly crying, and Molly says, she was actually really wonderful. Kristina calmed her down and got her out of the park. Kristina took her back to her place and listened while she opened up a vein. And then, Kristina offered to be their surrogate again.

Lois says, Ned knows she loved his grandfather, and in many ways, Edward was a wonderful man, and she cherishes his memory. He says he feels the same way, and she says, and he loved keeping them all in an endless competition; everyone always jockeying for power. He loved playing them all against each other. Ned versus his mother; Ned versus AJ. All the while, belittling poor Alan, who only wanted nothing to do with the family business. She remembers when Edward exiled Tracy. Then he let her come home and exiled her all over again. Ned says, his mother is hardly an innocent, and Lois agrees. She says, maybe that made for a very successful business, but it made them all miserable. Edward is gone. Does Ned really want to carry on his legacy? Ned at Michael’s throat; Michael at his. He says, that’s just how the Quartermaines are, and she says, really? She looks at a photo of Edward and Lila, and says, what about Lila?

Drew asks Carly if she remembers him telling her that when Ned was out of commission, Michael closed a deal between ELQ and an Australian firm. He’s going to finalize the paperwork and probably oversee a few other acquisitions while he’s there. She says, that’s ELQ, not Aurora. She still doesn’t get why he has to go. He says, Michael was going to go, but he was reluctant to leave Willow and the kids so soon after her leukemia. She says she thinks it’s really wonderful of him to offer to go so Michael could stay home. She just wishes he would have told her, so she could have planned and processed it. He says, it really did come together last night, and she says she’s going to miss him. He says he’s going to miss her too, and kisses her.

Brook says, Chase started this by asking about the most important moments of her life. This is definitely one of them. She’s so surprised she’s not even nervous at all. He says, it just feels right, and she agrees. She says, even if they can’t predict the future, at least they know they have each other. He asks if she remembers when they first met. She clocked him over the head with a bottle. When he tells people about that day, he’ll say it was one of the most important days of his life because it was the day he met his wife. They kiss.

Lois tells Ned, Lila was sweet, angelic, loving, but she was nobody’s pushover. She saw through every one of them, including her husband, and she loved them all anyway. He says, grandmother was one of a kind, and Lois says she asked Lila one time what her secret was. Lila told her, I always look for the good in everyone, and I almost always find it. She was a Quartermaine. Ned could try her way for a change. Look for the good, right? He was incapacitated. He wasn’t able to finish the deal, so Michael stepped in, and he made the deal for Ned. If it was good for ELQ, it was good for everyone in the company, including Ned. So instead of trying to blow up the deal, why doesn’t he thank Michael for making the deal, and next time a deal comes around, Ned can ask Michael to collaborate with him. They can work together instead of against each other. Maybe the results will surprise him. He says, she really channeled his grandmother right there. He hopes she knows how proud of her Lila would be.

Outside Kelly’s, Carly asks where they’re going, and Drew says he was thinking Café Cheri, a bottle of wine, maybe two. She says, sounds like a perfect farewell dinner, and he laughs. He says he realizes he’s letting her down, but it’s only a week. She says she knows, and she knows it’s important to him. If it weren’t, she’d tell him to send Ned. He says he wouldn’t trust Ned to close this deal. The man can’t see past his own ego for the good of the company. She says, Drew sounds like Michael, and he says, Michael is right. She should have seen Ned when he found out Michael closed the deal. He turned into a little four-year-old. He told Michael that he wasn’t authorized when he should have been thanking him. She says she gets it. That sounds like Ned, but Drew is usually the one to let things go and move forward. He says, one trip to Pentenville is enough for him. Ned isn’t going to stab him in the back again. She says she understands that, but please don’t let Ned change who he is. He says he can’t undo what he’s been through, and she says she knows, but we can choose to fill our minds with better things to dwell on, like our dinner and our wine and us. He says, and us, and they kiss.

Sonny tells Nina, Cyrus is mopping floors at the PC Grill. He has his guys on Cyrus 24/7. Yes, Cyrus was a threat, but those days are over. Mason Gatlin is on his way to Pentenville, Austin’s dead and Cyrus’s allies and connections don’t want to work with a broken old man. She laughs and thanks him for sharing that with her. He says he didn’t tell her about Cyrus because he didn’t want her to be worried, but she says, he doesn’t have to shield her like that. She’s tougher than she looks. He says he has no doubt, and kisses her.

TJ says he doesn’t understand. The last time Kristina offered to be their surrogate, Molly wanted nothing to do with it. She says, they talked about that, and Kristina admitted that when she initially offered, she hadn’t really thought it through. It was just an impulsive idea. And Molly admitted she overreacted. She was just hurt because her sister can carry a child and she can’t, but Kristina’s being really sincere about doing it. She’s in perfect health and she’s kind of a perfect candidate, but only if it’s something TJ wants too. He says, if this is something Molly wants, he thinks they should accept Kristina’s offer, and she asks if he’s sure. He says, as sure as he is of his love for her, and they kiss. He says, let’s have a baby.

Kristina tells Blaze that her name was Parker. It started off as a crush, but it developed into something much deeper. And that was her first and only relationship with a woman. Blaze asks how it ended, and Kristina says, Parker dumped her for her ex, and Blaze says, ouch. Kristina says, honestly, she doesn’t fault Parker for that, because if not for Parker, she would have kept on denying that part of herself for God knows how long. Blaze says she certainly knows what that’s like, sets down her glass, and kisses Kristina.

Tomorrow, Cyrus tells Ava that he has an alibi, and asks if she does; Anna tells Felicia that she could really use a friend; and Sonny asks what Curtis wants from him.

Below Deck Mediterranean

I grit my teeth and hold my nose and dive into this floating pile of garbage. I’m not quite getting it with the online backlash against Kyle. He’s a gossip and drama queen for sure, but I honestly think he doesn’t compare to Natalya, who just seems like a straight-up bad person.

Genoa, Italy. In Jack’s interview, he says, when he sees Kyle, he sees drama. He was supportive of Natalya, but now he wishes he’d been more supportive of her, based on what he’s seen. At the restaurant, Kyle leaves the table to take a wee, and in Tumi’s interview, she says, Kyle is a stick of dynamite that doesn’t need a match. Can they just behave? On the boat, Captain Sandy wanders around, looking disgruntled. Max hits on Jessika, and outside the restaurant, they race each other to nowhere. Everyone gets in the taxis. The captain continues to wander around, and seeing the mess in the mess, she says, this place is disgusting. It’s like babysitting. In her interview, she says, when she goes downstairs, she doesn’t want to see a disaster. It’s not a frat house. The crew goes to a bar/club, and Max orders one shot for everyone to add fuel to the fire. In Max’s interview, he says, Lily is a new adventure. He and Peter Pan will never be serious, and he likes her vibe. In Jessika’s interview, she says, Luka is cute and you’re stupid if you don’t think so. I guess I’m good then. Kyle broods, and Lily asks Jack, what happened? Jack tells her about being friends with Natalya and that Kyle caused trouble, but Kyle suggests she reserve her opinion. Jack’s been against the interior since the beginning. He’ll separate her from the rest of them. She should have her own opinion. Lily says she doesn’t care about any of it, and Jack tells her not to respond. Kyle says, some people have growing up to do, and some people need to level up. In Lily’s interview, she says, Kyle is making her feel like if she’s not on his side, she’s out to sea, and she tells them, we’re ending the conversation. Lily tells Tumi that she doesn’t want to get involved in the gossip. She’s ignoring Kyle and Jack, and it’s feeling uncomfortable. In Tumi’s interview, she says she feels like a preschool teacher getting the kids together. Natalya is gone, so she thought the drama was gone. She has no time to babysit. We flash back to the tornado that was Natalya, and Tumi says she and Kyle need to have a conversation – without alcohol involved. In the taxi, Kyle says he thinks Lily is being influenced by Jack, but Tumi says she doesn’t think so. In taxi #2, Max flirts with Lily, while in taxi #1, Luka kisses Jessika. Lily wants Max to carry her, and in Max’s interview, he says, oui, oui, oui a thousand times. Jessika gets in Luka’s bunk, and Max gets in Lily’s bunk. Lily hits her head on the bunk above them and I laugh. In the Jessika/Luka bunk, there’s a lot of movement under that blankie and I don’t want to know. Max and Lily both slide off the bunk and onto the floor.

In the morning, Lily says she’s hungover as sh*t, while Tumi tries cleaning up. Lily says she’s dying, and Max and Luke fist bump. In Max’s interview, he says, Lily is pretty with emerald eyes. It feels like Christmas in July. Tumi asks Jack, what happened? and Jack says, Lily wanted to know what went on. Kyle butted in and told her to have her own opinion. In Tumi’s interview, she says, Kyle is paranoid, and we flash back to Kyle thinking Jessika was against him, then telling Jack that Natalya will throw him under the bus. Tumi says, it’s her job to keep Kyle under control. Lily is horrible at laundry, and she needs him. In Luka’s interview, he says, in the past, he didn’t have to do paperwork. He’s glad he can rely on Lara. She’ll just push through.

Captain Sandy calls Luka to the bridge, and tells him, the way the crew mess was left was not okay. There was food and booze, the garbage was overflowing, and plates were stacked up in the sink. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, Luka knows her expectations. The job’s not just about throwing lines. It’s about making sure the schedule is working and the crew mess is clean. She doesn’t want him to get complacent. She tells him to kick some ass, as Lily repeatedly throws up in the cabin bathroom. In Jessika’s interview, she says she’s in a scary place, knowing her feelings for Luka are showing. He’s a Scorpio, and Scorpio men are known to be promiscuous. She tells Tumi that Lily is throwing up, and Tumi checks on her. Lily says she’s dying, and Tumi tells her to take an hour. Clearly more in practice with drinking, Jessika says she wants a burger. Tumi tells Kyle that the chef and his new friend felt Kyle was overstepping yesterday. Kyle revises history, and Tumi says, what happened was clearly triggering. Kyle says he didn’t tell anything to anyone. Jack wants to cause atomic bombs. Tumi says she’d rather Kyle and Lily communicate with her, and in her interview, she says she doesn’t know how to handle these people. She can’t be handling men in their 30s. Sorry. The captain calls Luka, Jack, and Tumi for the preference sheet meeting.

The primary is Michael, the CEO of a dental implant company. He’s bringing his wife and several friends. Luka reads that they want to go diving at Christ of the Abyss, and Tumi reads that they want a 007 Casino Royale party. Jack reads, late night snacks are welcome, and there’s something about singing Happy Birthday as an aria. Kyle tells Jessika, the laundry is a sh*tshow, and Jessika says, Lily can’t be sleeping all day. Kyle tells her that anything he says is taken to the next level, so he’s not saying anything anymore. Max brings Lily some water, and Tumi tells Captain Sandy that Lily is hung over. The captain says she’ll wake Lily up, and tells Lily, it’s your captain. She needs Lily on deck. This is a real job. Lily says she needs 20 minutes, and the captain says, holy cannoli, as she walks away. In the captain’s interview, she says, if it happens again, they’ll need to have a serious conversation. Maybe don’t drink as much next time. Tumi calls to find some entertainment for the 007 party, and the provider says they have a mentalist. In Tumi’s interview, she says, what the f*** is a mentalist? That has nothing to do with the theme, but her options are limited. It sounds like a bougie way of saying psychic . Jessika relegates Lily to scrubbing toilets, which is not just poetic justice, but a good idea since she’s not done throwing up. She looks absolutely miserable. In Lily’s interview, she say she thinks she drank a bit too much. In Tumi’s interview, she says, it’s a lot to manage Lily. She’s not retaining information. Tumi knows she can do it, but she’s trying to figure out how. In the crew mess, Lara is encouraged to be the singer for the guests, and in her interview, she says, her love of opera started young. She listened to Phantom of the Opera all the time, and that love is still with her. She sings in the crew mess, and I give it a 6 out of 10. Luka says, the guests will love her, and in Lara’s interview, she says she believes she’s destined to be an opera singer. Then she laughs. Lily hits her head on the top bunk again. Man, she is not bright at all. In Lily’s interview, she says, the Brit is back.

True story. My first day at my very first job in NYC, I was hung over since I’d gone out with a group from school the night before. Adding to my misery, it was Donut Day or something and the donuts that particular day had green and orange frosting on them. To my credit, I made it through the day without going all Lily.

Luka tells Haleigh that she’s going on the dive with the guests, and Tumi meets with the interior in the crew mess. She tells Lily, the biggest thing is having initiative, and tells Jessika to guide her. Captain Sandy radios the interior and asks that her clothes be brought up. She has no clean shirts. Jessika goes to the laundry room, and Tumi says, they need to speed things up with the laundry. Jessika sees the captain’s shirts aren’t ironed, so she finishes the job on one and delivers it to Captain Sandy. Tumi calls Lily to the laundry and points out what hasn’t been done. She says, it’s her pet peeve. When someone says something is done, she assumes it’s done. Lily makes excuses in her interview, and says, it feels like the interior is breaking down and she’s the one breaking it. She has little experience in laundry. There’s no winning here, only failure. No positivity.

The guests arrive, and primary Michael says he’s so excited, he’s jacked. Let’s get this party rolling. The group seems pretty boisterous and pay little to no attention to the tour. In Kyle’s interview, he says, these dentists are having the best time of their life. Where were they when he was getting his teeth extracted. We flash back to Kyle’s dental woe last season, and the boat heads out. Guest Amish noses around the galley. Kyle and Jack are still silent with each other, and Amish lies down for a nap. Lunch is served, and in his interview, Kyle says he doesn’t owe Jack anything. He’s going to focus work on his work. It’s not the place to become chums. In Luka’s interview, he says, if he’s not in a relationship, he’s doing a fling. He’s not usually in trouble, but if he is, it has something to do with the ladies. The guests are happy with lunch, and Captain Sandy radios for someone to take out the garbage. Max goes to help, the water toys are put out, and the guests use the slide. In Lara’s interview, she says she’s lead deckhand and is there to help where needed, but Luka has to adjust the schedule for sleeping. Haliegh and Max leave with Michael and his wife for the dive, Lara driving the tender. Lily sits on deck for a smoke with Jack, and Jack tells her that Kyle is overthinking things. He wants to speak to Kyle, but thinks Kyle should instigate it. A sign of real maturity.

They go to Christ of the Abyss, and in Haleigh’s interview, she says, diving started her out on her ocean career. She’s not super familiar with yachting, but she’s super familiar with diving. She doesn’t have to talk underwater. They dive, and on the boat, Luka texts Natalya. Jessika and Lily do cabins, and Jessika shows Lily the ropes. In Jessika’s interview, she says she doesn’t like to train. Tumi is the chief stew though, and she has to do what she’s told. She doesn’t like teaching people things. She’s a sponge; Lily can be a sponge too. Lara radios Luka and says, Max is having more fun than the guests. Tumi instructs Lily in napkin folding, and in Tumi’s interview, she says, it’s important for her to show Lily how to do stuff. She wants to cover her tracks. If Lily can’t do it, she can say she showed her already. But if she comes out on top, she can say she trained Lily and it was a pleasure. Michael tells Lara that he can tell Haleigh knows her stuff, and they head back to the boat. Even though Lara wants a break, she tells Max to go, and in her interview, she says, a higher up should never a take break before their teammates. She should have been given a break earlier, but she’s not throwing a tantrum like Max. We flash back to Max being a baby, and she says she’ll just deal with it. The mentalist shows up at the dock, and Tumi tells Luka that he needs to be picked up. Luka is annoyed that he’s already put the tender away, and in her interview, Lara says, there should have been better communication on both their parts, but Luka could have asked if interior needed to launch the tender later. The chief bosun should communicate with the chief stew. What did they do the whole day on the boat, have a tea party?

Luka picks up the mentalist, and Tumi says she hears he has magic powers. In her interview, she says, if the guests are happy, she’s happy. She didn’t f*** up. The guests are dressed like characters in a James Bond film, and Tumi directs them to some entertainment before dinner. The man (who’s either nameless or I didn’t catch it) asks who knows what a mentalist is, and Amish says he has no idea what the f*** is going on. The mentalist asks one of the guests to think of a famous place they’ve never been before and would want to visit in the future. He writes something down and asks her to tell him what it is. She says, Australia, and he reveals he’s written Australia on the board. He does some more mind reading tricks, and he’s pretty impressive. Lily says she feels like Tumi and Kyle don’t like her, but Jessika says, if they see she’s working hard and always doing something, they’ll respect her. Kyle radios for someone in the deck crew to help with service, but gets no response. Captain Sandy wonders where the deck crew is, and gets on the radio herself. Luka is in the tender, but she radios him, asking where the deckhands are. Luka says, Lara and Max are sleeping, and the captain says, he’s the only one on deck? That’s not okay. They always need at least two. Captain Sandy pokes her head in Lara’s cabin, and says, they need someone on deck. Lara says she’s on from 10:30 to 3, and in Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, it’s important to have at least two of the deck crew on deck in case of an emergency. It’s not just about safety; it’s about service. The deck team supports the interior, and there are no water sports at night. She needs two. She tells Luka that she’s not happy. The priority right now is food, and this is the kind of stuff that makes her mad. He has to figure out the schedule, and when she radios, someone needs to answer.

Next time, Jessika complains about Lily; Tumi says her patience is gone; Captain Sandy says she’ll give Lily one more chance: Lily says she can’t win; Haleigh needs to see a doctor; drunk guest Amish looks for the hot tub and wakes the crew; and Captain Sandy tells primary Michael to get Amish off the boat.

🍦 Whipping It Good…

Join me tomorrow for soap and tidbits of tea and such from the interwebs. Until then, stay safe, stay being realistic about how much you can do during the holiday season – let yourself say no; and stay not wasting today waiting for a tomorrow that might never come. Do what matters now while you still can. Life can be random, and it’s not entirely promised.

November 30, 2023 – Dante Questions Ava, Charleston Invades Jamaica, A Thought, All the Salt, I Can’t Look & Last

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Portia goes into the breakroom and sees TJ staring into space. She says, it looks like he’s got a lot on his mind, and he says he was lost in his thoughts. He asks if she’s on a break or just getting off work, and she says, he doesn’t have to do that with her. She can tell something’s wrong. Does he want to talk to her about it? He says he might have made a huge mistake with Molly.

Molly walks into the park and sees Willow playing with Amelia on a picnic blanket.

Maxie says, it’s generous of Felicia and Mac to offer to bail her out of credit card debt, and Felicia says, she’s their daughter. Of course (🍷) they want to help. She and Mac are confident that Maxie will be on her financial feet in no time. The Deceptor will be flying off the shelves and Deception will make an historic comeback. Maxie says, maybe she can hang on until it does. Or she could take out a partial loan. They don’t have to completely bail her out. She looks at the unmade desk and says, if someone would just assemble this desk, she’d be eternally grateful. Felicia asks if Maxie wants her to ask Mac to come put it together for her, when James runs in and says, guess what? He saddled his own pony today. Felicia says, by himself? and James says, Cody helped. Cody is the coolest. Cody walks in.

Sam and Kristina go to Sam’s place after shopping, and Kristina says, watching Sam move around with maximum efficiency… She knew exactly what she wanted and exactly where to get it. Sam says, when she feels like wandering, she goes to the farmers’ market, but for staples, she is in and out. Kristina asks if Sam is telling her all this is only going to last her three days. Teenage boys. Sam says, and Scout. Scout can hold her own. Trust her. Kristina picks up a brochure and says, Westwood. That’s where she went. She loved Westwood Academy. Are they thinking of sending Scout there? Sam says, Drew is pushing it, and Scout really wants to please her dad.

Michael sees Nina at the MetroCourt and asks if she knows where Sonny is. She says she hasn’t seen Sonny since he left the penthouse this morning. Are Willow and the kids all right? He says, they’re fine. Sonny asked him to meet there. Nina says she’s sure he’ll be along soon. If he wants to sit at a table, he’s more than welcome to. Sonny comes in and says, good. They’re both here. There are a few things they need to settle.

Giles welcomes Ava home and tells her that all her mail is on the desk. He asks if he can make her a martini, but she says she’s surprisingly not in the mood. He says he’ll be down the hall if she needs him, and she thanks him. She goes into the living room and pours herself some (I think) water. She remembers Sonny telling her that Austin is dead, and that if she killed Austin, she needs to tell him now. The doorbell rings, and Ava hears Dante say he’s here to see her.

Maxie tells Cody that James said he saddled his own pony today, and Cody says, he did. He aced all of his riding lessons too. James tells Maxie that Cody said he was a natural with the horses, and Cody says he sure did. James has come a long way since he took his first riding lesson. James says his riding lessons are his favorite part of the week. He looks forward to them more than recess. Felicia says she knew Cody was a jack of all trades, but he’s gone from riding instructor to handman. She looks at the tool bag in his hand, and James says, Cody fixed Comet’s stable door really fast. He told Cody that Georgie’s desk went back in the box because they didn’t know how to put it together. Maxie says, what? and tells Cody that she’s sorry James put him on the spot like that. He doesn’t need to assemble Georgie’s desk, but thank you. James tells them, Cody said he’s going to help him put it together, but Maxie says, no, he’s not. She tells Cody that she’s going to send the desk back, and he asks if she’s sure. Because he always likes an opportunity to show off his handyman skills.

Kristina asks if that’s the blender she heard, and Sam comes in with two smoothies, saying, she thought they should try the new protein powder she bought. She gives one to Kristina, who tastes it and says, it’s really good. The other place that has really good smoothies is the snack bar at Westwood Academy. Funny. She doesn’t know if Sam remembers, but she really enjoyed her time there. She thinks in hindsight, it might have been better to stay there through 12th grade, rather than transferring to Madison. Sam says, she used to talk about Westwood a lot, and Kristina says, it was a lot of fun, and she still keeps in touch with a lot of the girls from there. It’s a great school, and the teachers there are invested; they really care. Why does Sam think it might not be a good fit for Scout? Sam says, because she’s thriving where she is right now, and Kristina says, what if she thrives even more at Westwood? All girls. They have a great swim team. Sam says she knows. Drew told her about all that, but she doesn’t think he realizes Scout had a really tough time when he was in prison. She would ask Sam every single day if he was going to be okay, and school is a bright spot for Scout. She likes her teachers and her friends, and Sam doesn’t want to take her away from all that, especially in the middle of the year. Drew wants her to start at Westwood in January, and it can be tough on a kid. It’s not fair. Kristina says, just say no then, but Sam says she’s not sure she should.

Giles brings Dante in and tells Ava that Detective Falconari is here to see her. She says she can see that and thanks him. Giles leaves, and Ava says she assumes Dante is here on official business. Best to keep her wits about her. What can she do for him? He says, answer some questions? and she says, go for it. He asks, when’s the last time she saw Austin Gatlin-Holt?

Willow sees Molly and says, come. Hang out. She pats the blanket, and Molly walks over. She says she doesn’t want to intrude, but Willow says, it’s no intrusion at all. The more, the merrier. What brings her out this afternoon? Molly says, this gorgeous autumn day. How many more of these do they have before it gets cold? Willow says, winter is right around the corner. And with the lake effect winds, it will be cold before they realize. She asks Molly to have a seat, and Molly kneels down on the blanket. She tells Willow that Amelia is so precious, and Willow says, they were just enjoying some mother/daughter bonding.

TJ says, the service that matched them with Andrea contacted Molly about other potential surrogates, and Portia asks how he feels about that. He says, it’s too soon. He’s still processing the miscarriage. He can’t imagine investing in the prospect of another baby this quicky. She says, how about Molly? How does she feel? He says, Molly is ready to meet with the matching professional and other possible surrogates, and she asks if he’s told Molly how he’s feeling about the whole thing. He says he sort of put it on hold for now. It’s such a time consuming and complicated process, does Portia think trying again so soon would be rushing it? She says, actually, she doesn’t.

Sonny says, Christmas is around the corner and Michael is probably busy with a lot of family obligations. Is he right? Michael says, between mom and Josslyn and bringing the kids to the Quartermaines, he just has enough time for him, Willow, and the kids. They’re fully booked. Sonny says, that’s what he thought. They have a busy schedule too. He was thinking maybe Michael, Willow, and the kids could spend time with him and Nina as a family.

Ava wonders why Dante is asking her about Austin, and he says, because Austin’s dead. She says she’s so sorry to hear about the doctor’s passing, but he says, she doesn’t seem that sorry or surprised to hear about it. Did she already know? She says, so what are these questions he came all the way out here to ask her? She’d like to get on with her afternoon. He says, she shows a remarkable lack of curiosity, and she says, curiosity killed the cat. He asks if she doesn’t want to know how Austin died, but she says she imagines he’s going to tell her. He says he imagines she already knows.

Michael says he’ll have to talk to Willow, and Sonny says he figured that. That’s what he’s approaching Michael now. Do they have any plans for Christmas yet? Michael says, nothing definitive yet. Wiley’s really excited about Santa Claus. Willow wants to make Christmas morning really special for him. Sonny says he knows Carly is going to want to carry over the tradition of Michael coming over for Christmas breakfast and the Qs are going to do their traditional gathering on Christmas Day. So he was thinking maybe they could come over on Christmas Eve. Everybody can see them. They’ll make everybody happy. Nina says, that’s a great compromise, and Sonny says, the kids will open up their Christmas presents from grandma and grandpa. They can make up their own traditions. He’ll even cook. Egg salad… ravioli… like the one Michael used to love. Nina asks if it’s Sonny’s own recipe, but Sonny says, no. It’s Mrs. Cerullo’s, but Lois doesn’t even know the recipe. But if Michael comes early and brings Wiley, they can come in the kitchen, and help cook like they used to.

Portia tells TJ, if she’s learned anything in her life, from keeping Trina’s paternity a secret for as long as she did to Curtis’s shooting, it’s that life is too short. Don’t postpone your joy; don’t postpone happiness. And you can’t sit around and wait for somebody to come knocking on your door to make your dreams come true. They want to have a baby, right? There is never ever going to be the perfect time that you’re guaranteed everything is going to work out the way you want it to. It just doesn’t work like that. You’ve got to take a leap of faith. He says, they’re both still in mourning, and she says she gets that. They’re going to have to find another surrogate. They’re going to have to go through the whole process again and it’s going to take time, maybe even months. He says, so why subject themselves to that kind of stress? and she says, he’s always going to have stress. He’s got stress now being a doctor. And she knows Molly’s got all kinds of stress being an ADA. But time? Time waits for no one, and it plays by its own rules. Rules that you can’t, and honestly you won’t, change.

Willow tells Molly, since she went back to work at GH and Michael’s been running Aurora, Amelia’s been spending a lot of time in the Q’s nursery. And Wiley’s in school full-time now. If she’s not careful, she’ll blink, and it will be Amelia’s turn. So they thought they’d take full advantage of her day off and hang out in the park while they had the chance. Molly says, and here she is intruding on their special day together, but Willow says, not at all. She wanted Molly to join them. She and Michael were talking this morning about how fast Amelia’s growing. She’s loved watching every stage of Wiley growing up, but there is something about this time when they’re still babies. She wants to take in every moment, every smile, every laugh. Molly says, she’s a sweet little angel, and Willow asks if Molly would like to hold her.

Felicia says, James has really taken to Cody, and Maxie says, yeah. Don’t tell Cody she said this, but he’s kind of terrific. James runs out and tells Maxie, come on. He and Cody put Georgie’s desk together. Maxie goes with James, and Cody comes out. Felicia says, it sounds like he impressed James with his handiwork, but Cody says, James did it all himself. Felicia says, sure he did. She’s impressed too. He says, it was no big deal, really, and she says she wasn’t just referring to the desk, although it was really lovely for him to put that together for Maxie. What she meant was, all the attention he’s been giving to James. Teaching him how to ride and tie knots, and now assembling a desk. He says he really likes James a lot; he’s a great kid. And he does have a way with horses. He doesn’t just want to ride them; he wants to get to know them. He has a real understanding of them that’s going to lead to a great connection. He’s going to be an awesome rider someday. Felicia says she’s quite the horsewoman herself. She grew up on a hacienda in Texas that she and her grandmother ran. They had some really wonderful horses, so it runs in her family. Maxie comes back with James, and says, wow, she’s impressed. She tried for two hours to assemble that thing and got nowhere. Georgie’s going to love it. She thanks Cody, and James says, he and Cody did an awesome job. They high-five.

Kristina asks if Sam is going to tell Drew how she really feels about Westwood Academy, and Sam says she’s really torn over it. Kristina says, Scout is Sam’s daughter. She can and should do whatever’s best for her. She knows Drew is a good dad, but mother’s intuition knows best, right? If she doesn’t think this is a good fit for Scout, then just say so. Sam says she wants to parent with Drew amicably and wants to respect what he thinks is best for Scout. If that’s going to Westwood Academy, then maybe she should just agree. After all, he’s been through so much. (Then let him go to Westwood.) Kristina asks how he’s doing physically from the assault, and Sam says, it seems like he’s recovering, but she can tell he’s in a lot of pain. She keeps finding him trying to hide it from her or trying to cover it up. She just doesn’t want Drew to feel more shut out from Scout’s life than he already has. She adores her dad. She would do anything for him. Kristina says, even if she doesn’t want to go? and Sam says, she doesn’t. Scout already told her. Kristina says, then there you go, and Sam says she knows Scout deserves to have her opinion considered, but she’s way too young to be choosing what school she needs to go to. In the end, it’s between her and Drew, but what unsettles her is the way he just decided this for her. There was no discussion, no debate. It literally went just like that. Kristina says, let’s face it. There are a lot of gaps in Scout’s childhood where her father was missing. She thinks now he’s trying to make up for that time. Sam says she doesn’t know. There’s something different about Drew. She didn’t see it at first, and she can’t quite put her finger on it, but something about him has changed.

Molly thanks Willow for letting her hold Amelia. She’s so amazing, such a blessing. Willow says, she really is a miracle, considering everything she went through to get here. Molly asks how many weeks pregnant Willow was when she had to have a C-section, and Willow says, thirty-six. She heard from TJ that their surrogate miscarried. She’s so sorry. There are support groups at GH who specialize in this kind of loss if Molly ever needs Willow to point her in the direction of one. Or Molly can talk to her. Anytime. Molly thanks Willow for being so understanding, and for being so open and generous with Amelia. Willow says, of course (🍷), and Molly says, Willow could have easily scurried away the second she saw Molly, thinking the sight of a baby would upset her too much, but she didn’t. Willow says she thinks it depends on the person, but when she learned her son had died, she found tremendous comfort in holding Wiley. It helped her on her road to healing and she thought it might help Molly to hold Amelia. Molly says, it does, and wonders if she can ask Willow a personal question. Willow says, no subject is off the table between them, and Molly says, after what happened with her first child, did she ever think that maybe she didn’t want to try again?

Nina, Michael, and Sonny sit at a table, and Nina says, having the whole family gathered at their place on Christmas Eve sounds too good to be true. She wants to hear about these fabled ravioli and why she hasn’t had them. Sonny says he only makes them on Christmas because they’re very special, and Nina says she can’t wait. Is it totally 100% homemade or is he secretly buying the dough premade? Sonny says, all authentic made from scratch. Does she know those big raviolis? You got to cut them with a water glass? Put ricotta cheese in there and some secret ingredients. He asked Gloria for the recipe for years and she wouldn’t give it to him. Finally, she gave him the recipe, but he can’t make it as good as hers. He excuses himself and says he’ll be right back. When he’s gone, Michael asks what Nina is trying to pull, using Sonny to get around him. Michael officially becomes insufferable.

In the hallway, Dex says he thought Sonny would want to know right away. They heard from Pikeman.

James says he has their next job, and Cody asks, what is it? James says, the cabinet in the kitchen is loose. Let’s go take a look at it. Cody says, all right, boss, and follows James, but Maxie says, that’s enough. Cody’s already done plenty for them. Cody says, no big deal. He’s sure he and Big James can fix it. James says, they can. And when they’re done, they can take a look at the garage door and the front door; they both squeak. And can Cody build him a treehouse? There’s a huge tree in that backyard, and that would be perfect. (He sounds like me talking to my husband on the weekend.) Maxie tells James, if Cody does everything on his list, he’s going to be here all night, and James says, that would be so cool if he did spend the night. Can he? Cody can sleep in his room. He has two sleeping bags and they’re both Star Wars. Grandma bought them for him. Felicia says, and grandpa, and Maxie says, Cody has a job he has to go do. He needs to go back to the Quartermaine stables to take care of Comet and the other horses. James says, this isn’t fair. Grandpa’s at work and if Cody leaves, that means he’s the only boy. He wishes Cody was his brother.

Ava says, Dante came all the way out here to Spoon Island to inform her of Austin’s death. He’s done his civic duty. He can go now. He says he can’t. He’s here on behalf of the Pautuck PD. They have questions for her. She asks, why Pautuck? and he says, that’s where Austin died… or was murdered. Two shots to the chest, close range. Whoever did it wasn’t messing around. But because he lived and worked in Port Charles, the Pautuck PD thinks the killer is here. She says, there’s a whole big city of people out there, and yet, he’s questioning her. He says, no one knew Austin quite as well as she did, but she says, Austin had a lot of associates. Has he spoken with the Quartermaines? How about Maxie Jones? How about all the people he worked with at the hospital? Dante says, none of those people were kidnapped by Austin’s cousin Mason, but she was.

Kristina tells Sam, of course (🍷) he’s changed. Sam did when she was in Pentenville and Michael was a shell of himself at first. Maybe Drew wanting Scout to go to Westwood is his way of proving to himself that he can provide better opportunities for his daughter. You never really know. Sam says, she could be right. That’s why she doesn’t know if she should fight Drew on this. Kristina says, then don’t. Maybe Scout will be as happy as she was at Westwood. Sam says, or maybe she won’t be. She doesn’t know what’s best for her.

Dex says, Hume came in person to the restaurant and asked to see Sonny, and Sonny asks what Dex told him. Dex says he sent him away pretty quicky, but before he left, he told Dex to give Sonny this message. He needs to see Sonny and he’ll meet Sonny wherever he wants.

Nina says she didn’t put Sonny up to anything. Michael should know his father well enough to understand he’s not easily manipulated. Wiley and Amelia are his grandchildren, so of course (🍷) he wants to see his grandchildren at Christmas. Can’t Michael see that his whole plan to police her access to her daughter and grandchildren isn’t going to work? They’re family. Their lives intersect on too many levels for him to continue this vendetta against her. He says, his mom is family too, and her life intersects with his and Willow’s on just as many levels, but that didn’t stop Nina from turning her in to the SEC. She says she’s done everything he’s wanted her to do. She offered to sell her half of the hotel back to Carly and Carly refused. What more does he want? He says, what he wants is to expose her in front of the whole world for the liar she really is. The only reason he’s not doing that is because he knows how much it will hurt his father and Willow. So he’s keeping silent for them. For them, not her, but she benefits, so it’s going to cost her. She says, what if she’s not willing to pay? when Sonny comes back. He asks if they want to tell him what he just missed.

Willow says she always knew she wanted more children, and Molly asks where she found the courage after losing her first. Willow says, it’s different for everyone. Molly may feel the same way she did, or it may take her a while to decide. But when Willow realized she was pregnant with Amelia and was diagnosed with leukemia, she was advised to terminate her pregnancy so she could start chemo right away. Molly says, but despite the health risks involved, she kept the pregnancy, and Willow says, in her mind, there was no alternative. She even went so far as keeping her diagnosis a secret from Michael. Something she’ll always regret. She should have shared everything with him. It’s not fair to shut the person you love out of a life altering decision.

Maxie tells James that she always wanted a brother, but even though Cody would make an excellent brother, they’re going to settle for him being their friend, okay? James says, Cody would be an awesome brother. They could play video games until midnight every night. Felicia says, but not on school nights, and Cody says, that should do it; no more squeaking. James says, now he can sneak candy without his mom hearing the door open, and Maxie wonders if that’s why he wanted the cabinet door fixed. James wants to move on to the garage door, but Cody says he’s really got to get back to the stables and bed down the horses. James asks if he can’t stay for dinner, and Cody says, James wouldn’t want Comet to be uncomfortable in his bed tonight, would he? James says, no, and Cody says he’s sorry. He really does have to go. James says he’ll walk Cody out and asks Maxie to come with them. Felicia thanks Cody and he says he’ll see her later. She flashes back to Cody saying he’s not Mac’s son, and Mac telling her that looking at the paper isn’t going to change that.

Dante asks, when was the last time Ava saw or spoke to Austin, and she says, two days before Thanksgiving. He asks, where? and she says, he came by her gallery to see her. They spoke. He left. Dante asks if she has proof, and she says, yes. They have security cameras. He’ll be able to see Austin leaving through the front entrance. He asks what time she left the gallery, and she says she was working late. It had to be some time after midnight. He asks if the security footage will back up the time that she says she left, but she says, unfortunately, no. She locked the front door after Austin left, went in the backroom to do inventory, and left out the back. He says, there’s no security cameras at the back door? and she says, they’ve been having trouble with those cameras. They’ve been shut off for weeks. They’re in the process of upgrading them now. He says, so basically, she’s saying she can’t prove she was at the gallery past midnight. He thanks her for her time, and says he imagines the Pautuck PD will have more questions for her at a later date. She says she’ll be sure to have her lawyer with her, and he says, that would be a good idea, and leaves.

Sonny says he’s trying to take the temperature down between Nina and Michael. The reason he wanted to have this discussion today was to make plans for Christmas. He leaves for five minutes and there’s tension? Nina says, no. There’s no tension. She was just quizzing Michael about what he’s going to get Wiley for Christmas. She just doesn’t want to duplicate gifts. Sonny says, speaking of which, he wants to get Wiley a ticket to the Yankee game next summer. Michael, him, and Wiley sitting behind Homeplate. They’ll take the jet. What does he think? Michael says he thinks it’s a great idea. He never thought about giving Wiley Yankee tickets, so yeah, feel free to. Sonny says he just wants to create family memories with Michael and Wiley, and Michael says he’ll have to talk it over with Willow, but he hopes he sees Sonny at Christmas. He leaves, and Sonny asks if Nina is okay.

Portia offers to take care of TJ’s patients for the rest of the day, but he says he thinks being at work actually helps. He thanks Portia for her time and advice. She always knows what to say. She says she should take her own advice, and he says, they’re their own worst critics. She’s doing fine. She tells him, good luck, whatever he and Molly decide.

Molly says, obviously, Willow and Michael got past all that. She’s never seen two people more in love. Willow says, they’re very lucky, and Molly says, she’s in remission, she and Michael have two beautiful children, and Willow even has her birth mother in her life as a bonus. How are things with her and Nina now? Willow says she and Nina are getting along better than she ever dreamed possible, and Molly says, that’s great to hear. Willow says, the kids adore Nina. She brought over gifts on Thanksgiving and gave Wiley this robot that he still can’t put down and a stuffed kitty for Amelia. Molly says, if she knows Michael, he’s still holding a grudge against Nina, and Willow says, he can’t seem to let go of his anger at her. Molly says, when Michael makes up his mind, it’s hard to change it, and Willow says, don’t get her wrong. She respects Michael’s feelings, but she wishes he’d see Nina for who she is now, instead of focusing on what she’s done in the past.

Ava goes through her mail and comes to a handwritten envelope. She opens it, and a folded note says, you’re welcome. She unfolds the paper, and inside is a picture of Austin’s dead body.

Sam looks at the Westwood brochure, when Dante comes in. He says he really hates going out to Windymere. Between the cold, foggy boat ride to Spoon Island, and its inhabitants, not a good time. Is she okay? She says she’s just got a lot on her mind, and he asks, what’s going on? She says she thinks she and Drew may have hit their first co-parenting snag, and she doesn’t know what to do about it.

Michael goes to the park, and says, here’s his two favorite girls. He sits on the blanket and takes Amelia. He asks how Amelia is liking the park, and Willow says, she loves it. She was pointing out a few squirrels to Amelia and she was smiling. He just missed Molly. She hung out with them for a bit. He asks how she’s doing, and Willow says, she’s still dealing with her surrogate’s miscarriage. It helped her to see Amelia though. She understands what Molly is going through right now. Hopefully, she and TJ will figure out how they want to proceed. Where has he been? She tried to reach him at his office, but his assistant said he was out. he wasn’t picking up his cell. That’s why she sent him a couple text messages. He says he had a meeting outside of work, something that needed to be straightened out.

Nina says she’s okay, and kisses Sonny on the cheek. She’s better than okay. He says he just worries about her, and she says, why? The prospect of having the whole family over at their place for Christmas Eve, having this legendary ravioli, and a beautiful set table… and Christmas carols. The family she always wanted. It’s perfect. He says he knows things with Michael are still tense, and he’s sorry about it, but she says, he doesn’t have anything to apologize to her for when it comes to Michael. Sonny says, yes, he does, because Michael is his son and he knows Michael doesn’t make it easy. It’s taken Michael a long time to get right with him and he still feels like the relationship is tense. He wants her to know he appreciates her being patient.

Molly sits on a bench in the park and looks through the pictures of the surrogates. She flashes back to Willow saying she should have shared her diagnosis with Michael and it’s not fair to shut out the person you love from a life altering decision. She starts to cry, and the folder falls to the ground. Kristina comes into the park and runs to Molly. She takes Molly in her arms and holds her as she sobs.

Tomorrow, Lois tells Brook and Chase, if you’re in love, put a ring on it; Finn tells Elizabeth that GH plans to sacrifice him; Dex thinks a mistake has been made; and Nina tells Sonny that the person she should hear it from is him.

Southern Charm

Craig tells Austen that he invited the whole crew to Jamaica so Paige can get to know everyone better. JT says, Rod that has to come on the trip. He needs his wingman. Venita calls Madison and tells her that Manny can’t come because he’s in Utah, and Madison says, Brett had to go back to work after only three days. Paige will make it better. They can have a pina colada and laugh at everyone else. Craig paints one nail blue and I wonder, what’s up with that? He calls Paige and says he was thinking about taking a trip together. He asks if she’s ever been to Jamaica, and she says, no. He says, he found this last-minute deal to go next week for three days. If she came, all the crazy cats in Charleston would get to know her better. She says she thinks it would be a heck of a time, but workwise, it would be irresponsible of her. She wants to hang out, but she can’t right now. In Craig’s interview, he says he’s more of a big picture guy. He should have checked with Paige before scheduling the get to know Paige trip and inviting all his friends. Well, yeah.

Craig and JT meet to shop for beach stuff, and in Shep’s interview, he says, the last time he was in Jamaica was when he was in college. He had a lot of fun. He was partaking in extracurricular activities. He tells JT that after the guys’ dinner, Taylor tried to make him jealous. She texted asking where he was and if he wanted to hook up. He said he didn’t think it was a good idea, and she said, fine. She’d stay with Austen. In his interview, Shep says, the text shocked him to say the least. He doesn’t know what Taylor is trying to do. JT says he thinks she needs closure and she’s having a hard time with it. Shep says, maybe it’s his fault. Maybe??? In JT’s interview, he says, Shep cares about Taylor, but he thinks Shep’s presence is causing complications. Shep says he should leave her alone, and JT says, after their dream trip to Jamaica.

Austen goes to his therapist Kristen and tells her that he feels his routine is good; he’s keeping busy. He’s going to Jamaica, and Taylor is going. He told Kristen about the entanglement at the guys’ dinner. Taylor texted him and Shep. She met them there and proceeded to attempt to make Shep jealous via him. In Austen’s interview, he says he wonders what he got himself into. It was already tense with Shep. She didn’t have to use him for that. He tells Kristen that he thought it would be fine to hang out with other people, in a group setting, but he should have boundaries. Kristen tells him to listen to his intuition, his gut feeling. In his interview, a producer asks if Austen thinks he had good intuition, but he says, no, he doesn’t. Kristen tells him to listen to himself instead of getting caught up in everyone else. In his interview, he says he doesn’t want to piss off people. He’s a people pleaser and his first instinct absolutely gets him in trouble. Kristen says, he can’t make everyone happy, and Austen says he’s realized how much his life is consumed by a pretty girl. He’s not seeking out somebody or dating. That’s not what he’s looking for. He and Olivia now have a working friendship. We flash back to their last conversation, and Kristen says, be clear that his intentions aren’t romantic. Listen to his intuition.

Madison calls Brett on the way to her OB appointment. In Madison’s interview, she says she couldn’t imagine having another child, but she met Brett and thought she’d be crazy not to. He’ll make an amazing father, and he’s amazing already as a stepfather. She tells him that she’ll treat this trip as her last hurrah, since she’ll be getting pregnant when he comes home. He tells her to have fun, and says he hates that he can’t be there. In her interview, Madison says she just got this body, and now she’s going to ruin it, but it’s totally worth it. She tells Dr. Pound that she’s had an IUD for five years, and wanted to know if she needs to do anything beforehand. She’s also having PTSD about being pregnant because she had a pelvic fracture during delivery. In Madison’s interview, she says she was on bed rest for three months after the baby was born. She had a Baby Bjorn and a walker. Being pregnant scares her, but she’s doing it again. Dr. Pound recommends a C-section, but just to avoid fracture. She’s not high risk. When she’s ready, they’ll take out the IUD, and as soon as it comes out, she’ll be immediately fertile.

Taylor visits Leva at the restaurant, and says she has a lot of emotions right now. She knows Shep and she’s comfortable with him. This past weekend, she texted him, and asked what he was doing after the guys’ dinner. She supposes it was a booty call. In Taylor’s interview, she says she’s not sorry about calling. She’s in love with Shep, and it wasn’t a mistake. She tried and it didn’t work out. She tells Leva that Shep said he was headed home, so she said she’d stay with Austen. She was being petty. Leva says she’d love to see them untethered, and in Leva’s interview, she says she’s not sure this is the person she knew, but she thinks Taylor is just having bad breakup. Guys act out of pocket all the time after a breakup, but as women, they’re seen by different standards. She tells Taylor that Shep doesn’t bring out the best in her. She needs to find new boys to hang out with.

Olivia packs while she talks to her mom Robin. Robin asks if Olivia is going to talk to Taylor, but Olivia says, no more conversations. Taylor doesn’t understand the level of betrayal. So she’s taking some space and wants to shelve this in Jamaica. She wants to have fun. Robin says, Rob is sweet, but Olivia says, they agreed it’s better for them to pump the breaks. We flash back to her putting Rob in the friendzone, and Olivia tells Robin, thinking about the different dynamics of uncomfortableness is overwhelming. Austen is saying he still loves her. Robin says she knows it’s confusing at times, and in Olivia’s interview, she says she’s annoyed at herself for back questioning her feelings. She tells Robin that she’s looking forward to the trip and having vacation time.

Craig and Austen work out, and Craig says, Paige isn’t able to make it. They’re more fortunate than most to be able to go at the drop of a hat. He probably should have checked with her earlier. Again, I say, well, yeah, and Austen says, classic Craig. Craig says he can’t get mad, and in Austen’s interview, he says, Craig puts on a façade that it’s all good, but deep down, he’s fretting. He’s not saying there’s trouble in paradise, but Craig can talk to him. He tells Craig that Olivia calls him and they just chat. He has to figure out how to move forward as friends. Craig asks if Austen thinks it’s a steppingstone back to romance, but Austen says he has no agenda. Craig wonders if a friendship can continue. She’s a gal pal, but they used to have chemistry and history. In Craig’s interview, he says, that’s why you shouldn’t hang out with your ex. You just remember the good, but the bad and the reason you broke up is still there, and will rear it’s ugly face sooner or later. Austen is trying to compartmentalize.

They all meet at airport, and fly to Montego Bay, going straight to the Shot Bar. Craig explains the dynamics of the group to the bartender, who I’m sure couldn’t care less. In Craig’s interview, he says, all the exes are hanging out together without closure. He doesn’t know what he was thinking. A bus comes to take them to the hotel, and Craig says, everyone has an oceanfront room. In Austen’s interview, he says, when he and Olivia are getting along, they’re like two peas in a pod. They have to make sure to stay in the friendzone. It takes forever for everyone to check in, Whitney wondering if he got the presidential suite. In his interview, Craig says, checking into a hotel is not that hard. It’s like they never did it before. Taylor suggests someone is trying to get her drunk, and Shep is all for it. In JT’s interview, he says, he and Shep just talked about not giving mixed signals and they just got here. Whitney says his room is not presidential. Not at all.

Dinner is outside, and Madison, Olivia, and Venita show up first. Madison says she wants a conversation with Taylor, but it’s not the time or place. There’s a bunch of mess about seating, and Shep says, the last time he was in Jamaica was 22 years ago. Venita says she’s 29, and Shep looks uncomfortable. Craig thanks everyone for joining him, and says, no matter what’s happening, they can still enjoy a meal, share a smile, and poke non-malicious fun. He tells them that Paige couldn’t make it, and friends sub in when a couple in a long-distance relationship can’t be together. Shep asks if Craig has a girlfriend, and says, that changes everything. In JT’s interview, he says, it’s hard feeling bad for Craig. He’s kind of perfect. (Huh?) But he feels bad that they’re in a beautiful place and Craig must be bummed she’s not here. He’s doing a good job of not showing it. After Shep makes a dig at Taylor for not being more well-traveled, in her interview, she says, Shep acts like he has more life experience, but he’s 40. In his interview, JT says, Shep is being patronizing and disrespectful to Taylor. Let the fish off the line. (Ugh. He acts like he’s so respectful, and consistently likens women to some kind of prey.) Craig tells everyone, it’s an adventure chic aspect tomorrow, but wear a bathing suit underneath. They drink, balancing the glasses on their biceps, and Shep wanders out to the beach, rolling up his pants, and putting his feet in the water. Austen says, they’re all on vacation together, and in Madison’s interview, she says, Austen is like a big kid and drives her crazy, but deep down, she thinks he’s a good person. She sits with him away from the table and asks how he is. She’s seen his face and demeanor, and feels like he loves Taylor.

Austen laughs, but she tells him, don’t laugh. He says, it’s not what he was expecting her to say. She says she’d hate for him not to pursue something because of other people. That motherf***er (i.e. Shep) is the is most selfish person in the entire world. Deep down, she knows Austen has a good heart. She doesn’t want either of them hurt, but at the same time, she wants to be happy for him. The others hang by the bar and discuss Madison talking to Austen. Austen says, at one point, they thought there might be something and Taylor made a move, but now she won’t admit there was a moment. She said it was a two-and-a-half-hour thing, but it was a four or five-day thing when they were thinking about it. He wants the romcom ending. Madison says, he’s a dork, but it’s his niche. That’s what draws people to him. Austen says, this is not his romcom ending. It wasn’t Taylor. They were confused and thought there were vibes, but it was because they were hurting. He was hurting for Olivia.

Olivia tells Craig that Austen talks negative things about Madison. He’s so f***ing fake. Craig says he knows she’s not able to shake him, but she can do better than that. Olivia says, maybe she has unresolved feelings, and Craig asks if she had closure. Olivia says, no. Logically, she knows Austen’s not the person for her. In Olivia’s interview, she says, the problem with Austen is, you don’t know what you’re going to get with him. He’s confusing and can be manipulative. It reminds her of why she didn’t want him in her life in the first place. Craig says, there must be things she can never forgive, and Olivia says, it bothers her that she’s so bothered.

Austen tells Madison, it’s not about Taylor; it’s about Olivia. He loves her. It was always about her. He went to therapy for her and should have ended up with her. Madison asks why he still can’t. He says he doesn’t know why. If he can’t be happy with the person who’s perfect, what’s he going to do?

Next time, waterfalls; Page Six writes about Austen and Taylor hooking up; and Shep and Craig butt heads.

💭 This episode was fairly innocuous. Probably because we need a break now and then. It looks like next week will make up for it.

🧂 Rubbing Salt In the Wound…

I’m watching this peripherally, but it just seems to be circling the same drain. It’s sad that the first season seemed promising and at this point, women who were genuine friends at the start are now at each other’s throats. Jen’s life in prison is probably more peaceful.

🎿 Schwartz Skates Out…

The show I literally can’t watch anymore, but no judgement.

🍤 Requesting the Secret Menu…

Start your weekend off tomorrow with soap and a sleigh full of internet joy. Until then, stay safe, stay not giving to receive, and stay not postponing your joy or happiness, or waiting for somebody to come knocking on your door to make your dreams come true.