Tag Archives: BTS

March 27, 2026 – GH Weekdays, Josslyn Asks Britt To Kill Cullum, Soap Suds, This Week In Reality, Weekend Watching, Where Are They, Fashionable Pets (!), Just Under 9 Quotes & Day

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What I Watched Today

(Weekday bites, Friday’s whole GH enchilada & media minutiae)

General Hospital

🍕 Weekday Slices…                                                                          

Monday:

Valentin set up a romantic meal in Sonny’s old kitchen for him and the moss bowl 🎍. Carly walked in and he said, hungry?

Martin went to see Laura in her office where she was working late. She missed Doc and Ace, but thought Dublin was a good opportunity. Martin said he was leaving Port Charles too.

Tracy saw Brook at the hospital and said she thought Brook was getting overinvolved with the baby. Brook said she and Chase were petitioning to be foster parents.

At the pier, Britt thanked Lucas, as Rocco listened in. She said Lucas and Marco had saved her life. She was leaving with Jason today.

Jack asked if Nathan knew where his sister was. She was a material witness to a WSB investigation in Croatia, and he had follow-up questions.

Dante said the order was coming from Cullum, but Jason said he wasn’t going anywhere. Dante said it wasn’t a request.

Martin told Laura that he’d been offered a lucrative case in Reno and could be gone indefinitely. He offered to turn it down, but Laura said it wasn’t necessary. He felt like he was abandoning her and said Tracy would do what she could to block the zoning change. Laura said she’d be just fine and she’d be there when he got back.

Valentin said, since Donna was with Sonny, he’d made Carly dinner. He’d kept an eye open for anyone coming. He was reckless, not stupid. She tasted his coq au vin, and said it was like he was trying to make her life harder. He asked if she was mad about dinner or them sleeping together, and she said, both.

Nathan said he wouldn’t be looking for Britt if he knew where she was. All he knew was that it was her day off. Jack looked around, and Nathan said he had no right snooping. Jack asked if he should snoop through Nathan’s life. He’d been presumed dead for seven years, yet here he was, alive. Nathan said no one wanted to know what happened more than he did, but Jack thought Dante had been premature in giving Nathan his job back. He’d done some digging and found nothing. Somebody went through a lot of trouble covering Nathan’s tracks, and he was either the unknown beneficiary of someone else’s illegal activities or up to his neck in it.

Dante told Jason that no one had to know. He wouldn’t even use the cuffs. Alexis said she’d call Diane, and Dante asked if Jason was armed. Jason sighed and handed over his gun, when Danny came out and wondered what was going on.

Britt said even if she came back, she wouldn’t be working at GH after disappearing with no notice twice, and Lucas said it was the hospital’s loss. She asked if he was going back to Spoon Island. It wouldn’t take long for Sidwell and Cullum to connect the dots. He said he and Marco had a room at the MetroCourt, and she said they should watch their backs. He said Marco’s father would be angry, but wouldn’t hurt his son, and Britt said Sidwell wasn’t the only person he should be worried about.  

Marco lay bleeding as Cullum cleaned the knife and saw the message on Marco’s phone that Lucas was meeting Britt at Pier 55. He left.

Tracy said it was a terrible idea, and Brook would be devastated when she had to give Phoebe up. Brook said giving the baby a safe, stable, albeit temporary home would be worth it, and Tracy asked, why put herself through it? Brook said Phoebe needed her. Babies were meant to be held, sung to, and covered with kisses. Tracy said they had nurses and trained volunteers for that, and Brook said, when they had time. Tracy said there were trained foster parents who could take Phoebe, but Brook said they weren’t her.

Carly said her and Valentin sleeping together was one more complication. Then Jason walked in. Valentin said they wouldn’t sleep together again, so no complication. He’d take his food and eat in the attic. She said, wait. He’d gone to all this trouble, and it was really good. He should stay. He said it seemed risky, but she said, please stay.

Sidwell showed up at Laura’s office and said he’d seen her brother was off to Reno. She asked how he knew, and he said because Martin had become too suspicious, so he thought he’d send him on an errand. Laura said she’d been backing public works that only benefitted Sidwell, and he said he thought the words she was looking for were thank you. She didn’t want Martin to find out she was working for him. She asked if he was threatening to have her brother killed and said if he was worried about being exposed, the person who should be reined in was him.

Jack asked if Nathan didn’t think it was strange that the door was unlocked and there was a lot missing. Nathan looked in some drawers and said Britt’s clothes were missing… and her luggage. Jack said it appeared his sister had disappeared – again.

Lucas said he’d made Marco realize he was in too deep with his dad, but if not for Britt, Marco would have kept lying and they would have ultimately drifted apart. Britt said he was welcome, and he said he’d confronted Marco, Marco did the right thing, and they were stronger than ever. She said the whole horrible mess actually led them to find their person. They both finally had someone they could count on. He asked if Jason wasn’t meeting her, and she said Jason thought they’d be safest by boat. Lucas wondered if he shouldn’t be there already. 

Danny asked what was wrong, and Jason handed over his gun. He told Danny to go back in, and Alexis said she’d call Diane, taking Danny by the hand. Jason head-butted Dante and told Danny not to follow him. He said he loved Danny and took off.

Alexis asked if Dante was all right, and Dante said he was fine. He called the station and asked for an APB to be put out on Jason Morgan immediately for resisting arrest and assaulting an officer. He’d left the Port Charles high school parking lot, and was armed and dangerous. Approach with caution. Danny said if they thought Jason had a gun, they’d shoot him.

Brook told Tracy that she and Chase had found Delilah and had been there when the baby was born, but Tracy said that didn’t mean she was responsible. Brook said it made her care. She felt a connection to Phoebe. Tracy said Phoebe had a connection to her family. Did Brook hope no one would show up? Brook said, of course (🍷) not, but until they were found, Phoebe needed foster parents, and she and Chase wanted to step in. Tracy said she knew Brook and Chase were having difficulties and asked if she was using the baby as a way to get past them.

Sidwell said Laura didn’t want the photos with Dalton’s dead body to surface, and she suggested he back off. The more she acted on his orders, someone would figure out that he was pulling the strings. He said she was doing a marvelous job. No one had a clue. Between her and Willow, he was well represented. She asked what he’d done to Willow, and he said Willow had learned a valuable lesson that she was still struggling with. It was easier to cooperate with him than drag her heels against him. He didn’t enjoy coercing her. She said, yet he did it with ease and skill, and he asked how Doc and Ace were. He knew where they were in Ireland.  

Lucas said, even crazier than them finding their people, he thought he might miss Britt… a little and sporadically. She told him not to get mushy. Go save lives. Be happy. He deserved it. He said, so did she. He hoped to see her again someday. She said her too… but no hugging. She thanked him again and Lucas left. Rocco peeked around the corner, and Cullum arrived. He said Britt was about to make a deadly mistake.

Carly said she couldn’t believe Valentin went undercover as a sous chef, and he said, it was the summer of 1991. The chef was always furious and threw things. Thank God for his WSB training. She said his time wasn’t wasted. The food was incredible. He asked, how’s the company? and she said she’d had worse. He said Jason wasn’t known for his conversation, and she said Jason said when he meant. Valentin said, and meant what he said. He could appreciate that. She asked what the dinner was really about, and he said it was lonely in the attic. She was easier on the eyes and more articulate than his fellow inmates at Steinmauer, and she didn’t smell like industrial soap. She said she enjoyed his company. If the stakes weren’t life and death, she’d enjoy having him as an upstairs neighbor. There had been progress. The dinner at Windymere was tomorrow. He said he could access the tunnel, while she kept Sidwell busy, and she said she hated using her brother, but him being on Spoon Island was a good reason to visit. They heard someone approaching the house.

Tracy said Brook and Chase had gotten together over Bailey Lou. It would keep them busy and give them a common focus, but it wouldn’t fix their problems. Brook said they had no problems… Okay. Yes. Chase’s belief in Willow and the lengths he was willing to go to help her were difficult, but it was all in the past. It was insulting to think she’d use a child to make herself feel better. Tracy said Brook was strong, but had a human heart. It would break when Phoebe’s family showed up. Brook said her family would be there to help her pick up the pieces.

Nathan asked, what happened? and Dante told Chase to take witness statements. Nathan asked if Dante was all right, and Dante said they had to find Jason. He had to be desperate. Usually he showed passive resistance, but something was going down at the WSB for them to issue a warrant. Nathan said he’d just been with Jack and when he’d told Jack what happened, he acted like it was new information. Dante told him that they couldn’t take what Jack said at face value.

Laura told Sidwell to put himself in her position. He had a son he loved. There was only so much she could do. Sidwell said she was nowhere near her limit. The people of Port Charles adored her. She said, not for long, and he said she’d sold them shifts in position before. Continue to do that and she’d never lose sleep over anyone she loved.

Lucas came into Sonny’s old kitchen, and asked if Carly was having a dinner party for one. She said she was trying to improve her skills in the kitchen, and he said he had good news. She’d be happy to hear that he’d spent his last night at Windymere. He and Marco were moving out.  

Chase said he’d gotten Alexis and Danny’s statements, but there wasn’t much there. Dante said, call Jack and get him down there, and Chase left. Dante said he was getting the damn runaround. The warrant had been called in by Cullum. Nathan said he’d join the search and left.

Cullum said Britt had something that belonged to him. Give him the vials. He drew his gun and told her not to make it any more unpleasant. She said the vials were in her bag and Cullum tossed it to her. He held out his hand, and she gave him the vials. He threw them down and stepped on them. He said he was taking her in for possible ties to a terrorist organization and faking her death, but she said he was going to lock her up until the prototype was finished. Rocco continued to listen, and Cullum cocked his gun. Rocco made a noise and it distracted Cullum. Britt hit him with her bag and he dropped the gun, but grabbed her.

Laura said Tracy was up in arms about the ordinance and would fight tooth and nail, but Sidwell said he had every confidence she could handle it. Laura said he didn’t see it. He was making high profile moves. He said that aspect of his work would be over soon, and she said, then what? He’d leave? he laughed and said, heavens no. He loved the city and he and son had put roots there. He expected Marco would start a family soon and he was looking forward to many happy years in Port Charles.

Lucas said he knew Carly wanted him out. He’d confronted Marco about his involvement in his dad’s dealings and now he was ready to go. Marco said he’d messed up and wanted to put distance between himself and his father. She said Marco was lucky to have Lucas to save him from his father’s bad influence, but Lucas said they were saving each other. He’d told Marco that he loved him. Marco had said it before, but he hadn’t said it back. This time he did. She said she was happy for him, and they hugged.

Alexis asked if she and Danny were free to go, and Dante said, yeah. He knew Danny was worried about his dad, but he just wanted to bring Jason in. Danny and Alexis left, and Jack arrived. He said he didn’t like being summoned, and Dante asked what the WSB wanted with Jason, but Jack said he wasn’t briefed on it.  

Britt yelled for help, struggling with Cullum. She bit his hand and pushed him away, but he tripped her and she fell. He said she was far more trouble than she was worth, when Jason jumped him from behind.

Tracy said Brook’s mind was made up and Brook had her full support, and Brook thanked her. They hugged and Tracy said Brook knew her concern was from love. She couldn’t bear the thought of Brook being hurt. Where was Phoebe? Brook asked if Tracy wanted to meet her, and Tracy said if Phoebe was going to be living in her house, she needed to know what the baby looked like. Lead the way.  

Sidwell said he set the terms, and it would behoove Laura to remember that, and she said if someone threatened Marco, would he be likely to cooperate or fight back with everything he had? He said that was a good question, but he thought he had enough intelligence to assess the situation and see where his advantage lay. He believed she did as well. He said, goodnight, and left.

Carly told Lucas to consider their stay at the MetroCourt her gift for moving out and relieving he of worry. What was next? Was Marco cutting his father out of his life for good? Lucas flashed back to Marco saying that his father would protect him, and Lucas said he wasn’t sure, but moving out would put distance between them. Carly said it was hard, and he said, of course (🍷), but knew it was for the better. Carly said, of course (🍷). Marco got him. Lucas said they were going to be so happy together. Marco chose him.

Marco struggled to get up, but fell back down.

Outside her office, Alexis said she’d check with the WSB, but Danny wanted to go to the police station. They’d know sooner if Jason was found. He was begging her. Please.

Dante said the WSB had triggered something, and whatever it was, it was escalating everything. He needed information to keep everyone safe and wanted to talk to Jack. Jack said he was as in the dark as Dante. He didn’t have any answers. Dante said they had to find Jason before the WSB did.  

Jason fought with Cullum and the struggled over the gun. Rocco saw the gun slide his way as the fight continued. Cullum fell and Jason got him in a headlock, but Cullum threw Jason to the ground. He stood over Jason, snapping open an expandable baton, and was about to whack him, when Rocco shot him in the back. Go Rocco!

Tuesday:

(Side note: I’m loving the new editing technique of blending one scene into another.)

We revisited Jason struggling with Cullum and Rocco shooting him. Nathan came on the scene and asked Jason, what’s the play?

Alexis went to her office with Danny to get a copy of the WSB warrant. When they went in, they saw Marco on the floor, bleeding profusely.

Jason took the gun and asked if anyone knew Rocco was there, and Rocco shook his head. Jason checked Britt and said she had a pulse. He’d take care of her. He told Nathan to get Rocco out of there. When they left, he put his own prints on the gun and shot it over the water.

Alexis told Danny to call 911, and he gave her his jacket to help stop the bleeding. He made the call, said there was a lot of blood, and told them to hurry. Alexis told Marco to stay with her. He’d be okay. Marco passed out.

Carly told Valentin that she’d had to trash dinner because of Lucas. Jack could have been Lucas and they would have been screwed. He said just because she regretted having sex with him didn’t mean she should starve him.

Lucas called ahead for dinner room service at the MetroCourt, and Elizabeth was thrilled to hear he and Marco were moving out of Windymere. He said Marco was the one.

Jason roused Britt. He told her to tell the cops that he shot Cullum and she saw him do it. Dante arrived and said, back away from her.

Carly told Valentin, that wasn’t what it was about. She felt guilty that she’d brought jack into her life. She’d pushed the boundaries by dating a spy and Jack had access to Josslyn because of her. Now Josslyn was trapped in the WSB. Valentin wondered if she thought he and Jack were the same.

Chase showed up at Alexis’s office and said the paramedics were close. They turned Marco on his side.

Dante cuffed Jason and told an officer to call for paramedics. He asked Britt who shot Cullum, but she was dazed. He told the officer to make sure she was examined at GH and took Jason away.

Nathan brought Rocco home and asked if anyone had seen him or knew he was going there. Rocco was silent, and Nathan said all he wanted to do was help. Lulu came out and Rocco hugged her.

She asked how Rocco got hurt, but Nathan wanted Rocco to answer his question. Rocco said, no, just Jason, and Lulu said she wanted her questions answered. Nathan asked if Lulu was alone and how long she’d been by herself, and she said, a few hours. He said, if anyone asked, Rocco had been with her. Don’t even tell Dante. She promised, but wanted an explanation, and Nathan said, a WSB agent was shot and Rocco was involved. Do exactly as he asked and no one would have to know.

Carly gave Valentin some donuts, but he wanted his question answered, and Carly said he and Jack were trained spies. They were manipulators and users. He asked how he was using her, and she said making her dinner was a manipulation, like how Jack played cars with Josslyn on Christmas Eve. Every sweet gesture was an ulterior motive. He said he’d never recruit Josslyn. Because he had a daughter of his own, he’d never jeopardize hers. She asked if she was supposed to just take his word.

Dante brought Jason in and told an officer to take the gun to ballistics and have the prints run. He also wanted a paramedic for Jason’s hand. He told Jason that he was under arrest and gave him his rights.

At the hospital, Britt flashed back to Jason saying they were going to disappear, Lucas bringing her meds to the pier, and Cullum showing up and smashing her meds. She remembered Jason saying, tell them he shot Cullum. Portia came in, but Britt was quiet.

Elizabeth told Lucas that Ross Cullum had been brought in from Pier 55 and was being prepped for surgery. He had a possible spinal cord injury. Lucas said he was on his way.

The paramedics showed up, and Alexis told them that Marco had lost consciousness. As they prepped Marco, in the hallway, Danny called someone to come and pick him up.

In the interrogation room, Dante said it wasn’t Jason’s usual M.O. He was usually more careful, but he’d resisted arrest, assaulted a Police Commissioner, and on top of it, shot a WSB agent in the back.

Lulu asked how she could help without knowing what was going on, and Nathan asked if she trusted him. She said, yes, and he said then trust he’d fill her in on everything. It would be fine for now, but make sure Rocco didn’t talk to anyone. He needed to get ahead of things at the station. She said she understood, and he said Dante could never know. It would put him in an impossible position. She thanked him for getting Rocco home, and Rocco said, is he dead? Nathan said he didn’t know, but was going to find out. Whatever happened, Rocco was never there. He left, and Lulu looked at Rocco’s hand.

A paramedic bandaged Jason’s hand and left. Dante asked, what gives? Usually Jason came with him and called Diane. He didn’t resist arrest, let alone head-butt him. It wasn’t adding up and Jason needed to fill in some blanks.

Portia said Britt hit her head pretty bad. How long was she out? Britt said, a few minutes, and Portia said she’d order a CT scan. They needed to rule out a concussion or brain bleed. Did Britt remember anything about how she got hurt?

Carly said she’d enlisted Valentin’s help to save her daughter and handed him a manual on how to manipulate her. He asked what he’d done that made him less than a partner. He’d followed all of her instructions, but obviously offended her by making dinner if she said he was no better than Jack. She said she was mostly mad at herself. She had hideous judgement. Her daughter had joined the WSB because of her relationship with Sonny. Her choices primed Josslyn for that life and she put a target on Josslyn’s back bringing Jack in the picture. Valentin said, now him, and she said, when they’d teamed up, it was a means to an end, and she told herself not to let her guard down. He said, that didn’t happen, and she said, it started that way. Then they spent so much time together. She told herself that she knew the real him. Just like she thought she knew Jack.

Charlotte picked Danny up and asked where they were going.

Lucas checked his phone, then called Marco. He got voicemail and said he’d heard Cullum was shot at Pier 55. He was just there with Britt and was going into surgery, so he wouldn’t be able to talk, but wanted to hear Marco’s voice. Text when he got this. Lucas wanted to know Marco was safe. He loved him.

Alexis asked if Marco would be all right, and a paramedic said they were doing everything they could. Chase asked Alexis to walk him through what happened since he’d last seen her at the high school. Obviously, she’d come here, but did she make any stops? Alexis said, no, and he asked why she went to her office. She said she wanted a copy of the WSB warrant because Danny asked for her help, and Chase asked, what the hell happened? She looked at the blood on the rug and said she wished she knew.

Valentin said Carly did know him better than Jack, but she said she couldn’t trust herself. He said he was the guy who froze his ass off in her shed and had been keeping vigil in her attic. He could have grabbed Charlotte and taken off, but he stayed because he told her that he wouldn’t. Didn’t that mean something to her? She said he could be the greatest guy ever or a lying bastard. She couldn’t tell the difference and that was on her for hearing what she wanted to hear and believing what she wanted to believe. She told herself that she had a good reason to align herself with him, but she got caught up in it. She’d loved going to Switzerland, getting in to see him with a fake ID, and then hiding him in her attic. It was exciting and she’d focused on that instead of the implications for her and her children. He said he thought she’d picked a hell of a time to start questioning her life choices. He had everything on the line. She said so did she. If it went sideways, she’d lose her daughter and go to jail. He said he’d pledged his life to protect her.

Charlotte was surprised that Jason attacked Dante, and Danny said Jason was in serious trouble. He was on the run all alone. She said she understood, and he said he knew she’d get it. That’s why he called her. She said he called her because she had a car, and he said, that too. He knew she’d help, no questions asked. She asked where he wanted her to take him, and he said, Sonny’s. That’s where he was supposed to go if he was in trouble and his dad wasn’t around. She said they weren’t doing that. Going to Sonny’s would only make it worse.

Dante said he could throw Jason in jail and let the DA’s office do what they’d wanted to for years. He wanted an explanation. The night Dante had come back, he’d been shot and left for dead, but Jason saved his life for Sam, Rocco, and Danny. Danny was like his own son and he loved Danny. Danny and Rocco were like brothers, and he guessed that made them some kind of weird dysfunctional family in a way. What happened to Danny and Rocco when Jason was thrown in a prison cell? Talk to him, for the sake of their sons. Jason said he was sorry he hit Dante, and Dante thanked him and said he assumed Jason had a damn good reason. Jason told Dante that he had nothing to say without his attorney present.

Lulu dressed Rocco’s wound and asked if he was hungry, but he stayed quiet.

Alexis looked at the blood, and Chase asked if she wanted to figure out why the WSB issued a warrant. She said, yes, and he asked if that’s when they found Marco. She said, he was on the floor gasping for breath… There was blood everywhere. He asked if she’d seen anyone leaving or in the vicinity, and she said, no. He wondered if she’d asked Marco, and she said, he could barely breathe. How could he talk… No. She didn’t know what happened before they got there. Chase asked if Marco had any recent run-ins with clients or cases that were high-profile or dangerous, and she said, not that she knew of, but look at who his father was. Chase said he was keeping it in mind. So she didn’t believe it was work related? She said Marco had only worked for her a short time. He’s the sweetest man. She looked at the blood again and said she couldn’t imagine why anyone would do that to him.

Marco was wheeled into the hospital and the paramedic said he had multiple stab wounds and massive blood loss. Elizabeth saw it was Marco and said she’d have the OR prepped, but Isaiah said Marco wouldn’t make it and asked for trauma room one, stat.  

Lucas scrubbed up and flashed back to Marco giving him the meds and saying it was only a matter of time before it was discovered they were gone, but there was no reason to assume he stole them. Lucas said he’d pressured Marco into it, but Marco said helping Britt was the right thing to do. It was worth the risk. He was worth the risk. Lucas went to the OR and saw it was Cullum on the table.  

Isaiah said a bunch of medical stuff, and Elizabeth said Marco’s blood pressure was dropping. Isaiah asked for more blood and said, this isn’t over. Not even close. We saw a puddle of Marco’s blood on the floor.  

Lucas worked on Cullum, and said his blood pressure was dropping.  A nurse said he was losing too much blood, but Lucas said he wasn’t dying on their watch.

Britt paced, when Portia came in and said she had good news. The CT scan… Britt said she needed to see Lucas, but Portia said he was in surgery. He was operating on the WSB agent. Britt asked if Portia could get her phone, but Portia said they didn’t have it. Britt said she had to call Marco. It was vital that she speak… What? Portia said, Marco had also been admitted. He was being treated for multiple stab wounds.

Isaiah said Marco’s blood pressure and breathing had stabilized. His vitals were holding. Elizabeth said he did it, and Isaiah said, we did it.

Valentin said Jason warned him that if anything happened to Carly, he would hunt him down. And Jason had never been known to make idle threats. So he had to keep her safe. It was his only chance to be reunited with Charlotte. She didn’t need faith in him. She had faith in Jason. Problem solved. She said she believed he’d get her through this, but not because of Jason. He said she was right about that, and moved closer to her, but then took his donuts and left.

Chase told Alexis that Jason was in custody, and she said, one problem solved. She’d looked everywhere, but Danny was gone.

Danny asked Charlotte why it would make it worse. Sonny would know what to do. She said they knew that and so did the police. They would expect him and Jason to reach out. She knew someone who could help. He said, who? and she said trust her.

At the station, an officer told Nathan that the Commissioner wanted to meet with him in the interrogation room.

Dante asked Jason to give him something to go on. Anything. Jason said he… had nothing to say. Dante said he had to notify the WSB and let them know he’d brought Jason in, and Jason said, do what he needed to do. Nathan came in, and Dante said, just so they were clear, this wasn’t a threat. If Cullum died, Jason would basically never see the light of day again.

Lulu told Rocco that she understood whatever went down tonight was very bad and he couldn’t let it get out, but she was his mom. She could see he was scared and in pain. It was just the two of them and nothing he could say or do would ever change how much she loved him. He always had her support. He nodded, and she said talk to her. Tell her what happened.

Wednesday:

Lulu said she wanted to help. Rocco didn’t have to deal with this on his own. He flashed back to shooting Cullum and said it wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell her. It was a big, jumbled mess in his head. She suggested they start with the easy stuff. Why was he at the pier? He said, because he was following Britt.

Britt asked what Marco’s prognosis was, but Portia didn’t know. Britt asked if she could find out, but Portia said she was more concerned about Britt. She looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack and might need to be sedated. Britt said it wasn’t necessary, and took a deep breath. She said she was fine, but needed an update on Marco and Agent Cullum. Her life depend on it.

Isaiah said, one stab wound down, another to go, but Elizabeth said they’d found another. There were three. Isaiah said, whoever did this was absolutely brutal.

A nurse said Cullum’s blood pressure was dropping, and Lucas said he needed time to remove the bullet. He told Cullum to stay with him.

Alexis called Danny and got voicemail. She said she was really worried. Please call her back. Chase asked if she had any idea where Danny went, and she said, no, but it was a good bet he was trying help his father.

Charlotte banged on Carly’s door, and Carly asked what she and Danny were doing there. Charlotte said she had to see her father. Danny’s dad was in danger, and he was the only one who could help.

Dante said Jason had shot a WSB agent in the back and not just any agent, a high ranking director. It wasn’t like other times. Diane couldn’t pull a magic trick to set him free. Nathan said Dante was right. Jason needed to make his next decision carefully or he’d spend the rest of his life in prison.

Danny said Jason head-butted Dante and took off, but he didn’t follow him, and Charlotte said Jason could be a fugitive, like Valentin. She thought Valentin could help him escape, give him the locations of safe houses and his contacts. Valentin said, the WSB arrested Jason? Did they have any idea why? Danny said, everyone was surprised, when his phone rang. He said it was his grandma. He’d kind of snuck off. Carly said he needed to answer it. Alexis needed to know he was okay. He answered and Alexis asked why he hadn’t called her back. Where was he? Danny said he was with friends. He was sorry for bailing, but he had to get out. He shouldn’t have left without telling her. Alexis said he shouldn’t have, but she understood his impulse. His father had been arrested for allegedly shooting a WSB agent, Director Ross Cullum. She said she’d come and get him, but Danny said if she wanted to help, help his dad. Please. It was what his mom would have wanted. Alexis said, all right. She’d be in touch. Carly asked if Jason had been arrested for assaulting Dante, but Danny said he’d shot a WSB agent.

Dante asked why Jason shot Cullum, but left when Jason didn’t say anything. Turner told Dante it had been a busy night. Sidwell’s son had been stabbed and a WSB agent had been gunned down. Did he think there was a connection? Dante said, possibly. They had a suspect in the shooting. She asked if it was anyone they knew.

Lulu asked why Rocco was following Britt, and he said he’d gone to her place to ask her to mentor him in a shadowing program at GH. She got a text and said it was work related, but he could tell it freaked her out. Lulu wondered if he asked Britt about it, but he said she’d shoved him out the door. It felt weird, like there was something wrong. He waited outside Bobbie’s, when Britt showed up with bags like she was traveling. He followed her to the pier, where she met up with Lucas. Lulu asked if he meant her cousin. She didn’t think they got along. Rocco said he couldn’t hear them, but it sounded friendly. Lucas left and he was about to go, but then he showed up. Lulu said, who? and he said, Agent Cullum.

Sidwell entertained Ava at Windymere, and she told him about tumbling off the turret. He said, most people wouldn’t want to come near the house after that, but she said when something scared her, she ran toward it. He asked if that’s why she spent time with him. Was she drawn to him because he was dangerous? She said she enjoyed a challenge, and he said, what a coincidence. So did he. They kissed.

Isaiah said, one more to go. They were in the home stretch.

Lucas said he needed more suction.

Isaiah thought there must be internal bleeding. Something wasn’t right.

Lucas said, close him up.

Isaiah said the source was a lacerated blood vessel and asked for another clamp. Elizabeth said Marco’s blood pressure was dropping, and Isaiah told Marco, hang in there.

Ava said she hoped Sidwell would have no trouble with Lucy, but he said they’d come to an arrangement. He couldn’t be constrained to one woman. Ava said sharing wasn’t her strong suit, but she was willing to play by his rules – for now. She thought he’d learn that she was more than enough woman for him. He said he admired her confidence. He’d been married and it ended horribly. He’d vowed never to devote himself to one woman again and wasn’t about to change his mind. Ava said she’d told him that she enjoyed a challenge, and he said she was a fascinating woman. She told him, as they say, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet, and they kissed. Chase walked in and said he was sorry to interrupt, but he needed to speak to Sidwell. It was important.  

Nathan said he didn’t know what happened, but Jason had a serious problem.

Turner said if felt sloppy and wondered why Jason stuck around, but Dante said Jason wasn’t talking. She said, of course (🍷), and he told her, if he had to say, it had something to do with Britt Westbourne. When he arrived, Britt was on the ground and had a head injury. Turner asked if he was able to question her, but he said she was out of it, and he insisted she got to GH. She said he needed to get Britt’s statement ASAP.  

Nathan told Jason that he didn’t know if there was a way out. What was he going to do?

Britt flashed back to Jason saying she had to tell the police that he shot Cullum and she saw him do it, and Dante arriving at the pier. Portia came back and said the only update she got on Marco was that they were still working on him, and Britt said, what about Cullum? Portia said he was stable, but critical, and Britt said, he was still alive. Portia asked why she sensed that wasn’t the answer Britt was hoping for.

Dante told Nathan that he needed to get Britt’s statement, and told Turner that Britt’s brother was the only one she’d talk to. Turner said, everything by the book, and Nathan said, of course (🍷). Alexis came in and said she needed to see her client Jason Morgan, and Dante said he was in interrogation. She went in, and Jason asked if Diane sent her. She said, Danny, and Jason asked, how is he? She said, safe, but he had quite an evening. He saw Jason assault Dante, then they walked into her office to find somebody stabbed. Jason said, not Diane, and she said, Marco Rios.  

Lucas told Jack that he was able to remove the bullet and Cullum was in stable, but critical condition. He wouldn’t regain consciousness for a few hours. Jack thanked him for the update and said he’d check in later.  Jack left with his agents, and Lucas called Marco again and left another message – something went wrong with Britt and Jason’s plan and there could be blowback. Call him as soon as he got this. He loved him. He saw Elizabeth and said, that was a wild ride for a second… What’s wrong?  

Sidwell said his staff had been asked not to disturb him, but Chase said he’d insisted. It was an urgent matter that couldn’t wait. Sidwell said, then be quick about it, and Chase said he regretted to inform Sidwell that Marco had been the victim of a stabbing earlier tonight. He was badly hurt and his injuries were severe. The paramedics took him to GH. Sidwell wondered why anyone would want to hurt his son.

Elizabeth suggested she and Lucas go someplace private, but Lucas said, please just tell him. Elizabeth said she was so sorry. Marco was dead.

Valentin asked if they knew who the agent was, and Danny said, Ross Cullum, and Valentin said Cullum was high up, which made it worse. Carly said, there must be extenuating circumstances. Jason would never shoot anyone unless he had to. Valentin agreed, and Danny said they knew his dad. What if the cops didn’t? He couldn’t lose him. Charlotte said, at least he wasn’t on the run. No one was hunting him down or shooting at him. Danny would be able to see him and with any luck, he’d be home soon.

At the hospital, Nathan said he’d like to speak to Britt if she was up for it, and Britt said she was fine, all things considered. Portia said it wasn’t okay, but Nathan said it couldn’t wait. It was police business. Portia said she’d stay and supervise, and reserved the right to stop it if it was too much. Nathan said that was fair and asked if Britt could tell him what happened. How did she get hurt? Britt said there was a struggle at the pier, and he asked if she was involved. She said, yes, and he asked who it was with. She said Agent Cullum was harassing her, and he said he assumed it had something to do with her time in Croatia. She said, yes. She tried to leave, but he wouldn’t let her and she fell and hit her head. She lost consciousness, briefly. He said, Agent Cullum was shot. Did she see who did it?

Rocco told Lulu that Britt tried to walk away, but Cullum pulled a gun and they started to fight. Britt fell and was knocked out. Cullum was going to shoot her, and Jason showed up and tackled him. Jason knocked the gun out of Cullum’s hand, but he pulled out a metal stick thing. Lulu said, he had another weapon, and Rocco flashed back to that. He started to cry, and she said it was okay. He said he had to do something to help Jason, so he picked up the gun and shot him. He shot Agent Cullum. He sobbed and Lulu held him.

Jason asked if Marco was alive, but Alexis said she didn’t know. The paramedics took him away. She’d never seen so much blood. (I dunno about that. She is a Cassadine.) He asked if Danny was okay, and she said he was shaken up, obviously. His kid was good in a crisis. He asked where Danny was now, and she said he was with friends.

Turner said Jason was close to Dante’s father, but Dante said it wouldn’t be a problem. She said, good, because he was a key witness and she wanted an ironclad prosecution. Jack came in with a couple of agents and introduced himself to Turner. He said he was taking Jason into custody, and they were extraditing him immediately.

Elizabeth took Lucas to Marco’s body, and Lucas asked when Marco as brought in. She said, not long after he went into the OR. He was found in his office with multiple stab wounds to his chest and abdominal area. They did everything they could, but he’d just lost too much blood. Lucas said, Elizabeth was with him. Good. She said she was so sorry, and he asked if he could be alone with Marco. She said, of course (🍷). Take all the time he needed.

Lulu said she couldn’t imagine how traumatic it had been to shoot another human being, and Rocco said, he was going to shoot Jason. She said she knew he was protecting two people he cared about – Jason and Britt – and he said he didn’t think about it. He grabbed the gun and knows he pulled the trigger, but didn’t remember doing it. She asked if that’s how he hurt his hand, and he said he’d never fired a gun before. She said, he shot Agent Cullum. Then what happened? He said everything was sort of a blur. Nathan showed up, and Jason took the gun and told Nathan to get him out. Lulu said, and Britt? and he said she was still unconscious, but breathing. Lulu said she was sure Britt was fine. He told Nathan that no one saw him, but was he sure? Not Cullum or Britt? He said he had no idea. This is bad, isn’t it? She said Cullum being a WSB agent made it trickier. That was why no one could know he was there. Promise not to tell anyone. Rocco promised and said he was sorry, and she said he knew how much she loved him. He said he loved her too, and she said, don’t worry. She was going to take care of everything.

Nathan asked if Britt saw who was responsible for shooting the agent, and she said, Jason Morgan. But he was protecting her. She told Dante that. Nathan said when he left the station, Jason wasn’t talking. She said she needed to see him and asked Nathan to give her a ride, but Portia said Britt needed to be admitted. Britt said that wasn’t going to happen. Give her a ride or she’d take a Ride Share. She’d walk if she had to, but one way or another she was seeing Jason.  

Jason was cuffed, and Dane asked where they were going. Jack said he was under no obligation to give Dante that information. Cullum had made it. He was in stable, but critical condition. It could go either way. Jason better hope for his sake that Cullum pulled through.

Valentin said the kids needed to get going, and Charlotte asked where she could drop Danny off. Danny said he needed to see his dad, but Valentin said he wasn’t going to see his dad tonight. Let his grandmother take care of him and he could see Jason tomorrow. Charlotte hugged Valentin and promised to talk to him soon. She’d let him know if she heard anything. They left, and outside, Charlotte said, Danny didn’t want to go home, did he? Whatever he needed, she was there.

Alexis said it was a violation of her client’s constitutional rights. They couldn’t drag him off to God knows where. He hadn’t stood trial. Jack said he was in charge, but Turner said, that would be her office. The crime was committed in Port Charles. Jack said it was the attempted murder of a WSB director in the line of duty while he was executing his warrant against said suspect. The WSB superseded their jurisdiction. Alexis said it didn’t supersede Jason’s human rights. She’d be filing a habeas petition. Jack said it was her right, but in the meantime, Jason was coming with them. Jason was brought out. 

Isaiah said he thought everything was under control, and Portia said there was nothing else he could have done. Isaiah said, Marco’s whole life was waiting for him to live it. He was so young. Portia hugged him.

Lucas said it was his fault. Marco wouldn’t be there if he hadn’t forced him to help Britt. He was polishing his halo and was blind to the fact that he was putting Marco in such a dangerous position… That’s not true. He knew it was dangerous, yet he insisted on Marco proving his love to him. Lucas cried and said they should have just left town together and never looked back. He was so sorry. He hoped Marco knew how much he loved him. He kissed Marco’s forehead and cried. He said, goodbye, my love, and left.

Carly told Valentin that she was going to station. She needed to see Jason. Valentin said they wouldn’t let her, but she said she’d like to see them try stopping her. He said he wasn’t going to say this in front of the kids, but the shooting of a high level WSB director wouldn’t be taken lightly. The security would be as tight as it got. She said, Jason told her that Cullum was a double agent. Something had to have happened for Jason to do what he did. Valentin said, unfortunately, they didn’t have proof, only Britt’s word, and Carly said they’d get proof. He said Cullum had the power and obviously covered his tracks, and she said she was sure he had. She didn’t know how they’d get proof, but they would. He said, in the meantime, the WSB would close ranks and take care of their own. They’d convict Jason and he’s go to Steinmauer. Carly said that wasn’t an option, and he said, how about this? What if Jason went missing in transit and became a fugitive? She asked how they made that happen.

Alexis demanded to know where her client was going, but Jack said it was privileged information. She said she couldn’t represent him if she didn’t know. She told Jason, this was only temporary. She’d fight this. He said she promised to take care of Danny. He was leaving Danny in her care as his legal guardian. Dante said he had to supervise the transfer.   

Sidwell and Ava arrived at the hospital, and he asked, where was his son? Isaiah said he was very sorry, but Marco didn’t make it. He was the doctor operating and believe him when he said they did everything they could. His injuries were too severe, and he’d already lost too much blood. Sidwell said, Isaiah did this? He botched the surgery to get back at him? Portia said she knew it was a difficult time, but Isaiah would never do that. Sidwell asked where Marco was, and Isaiah said, in Trauma Room 1.  

In the parking lot, Britt asked what was happening, and Dante said they were extraditing Jason. She said, where? and he said they weren’t saying. Britt said, this was illegal, and an agent said, stand back. She said Dante had to do something, and he said he’d love to, but his hands were tied. Britt moved toward the van, and the agent said he wasn’t going to warn her again. Nathan said, give her a minute, and Jason said it was okay. Britt cried and said she loved him, and the agent said, time to go. Jason said he loved her too.  

Valentin told Carly it would be a while before the trial. Jason would be found guilty and sent to Switzerland where he had powerful friends. He’d do what he could and in the meantime, they’d look for proof that Cullum was a double agent.

Elizabeth went into the exam room where Rocco was and said she heard they were looking for her. How could she help? Lulu said, Rocco hurt his hand, and Elizabeth asked how it happened. Lulu said Rocco was helping in the kitchen and got carried away with a knife.

Alone with Marco, Sidwell said he’d worked so hard. All the obstacles and he got over them. He adjusted and went on to become an amazing young man, a brilliant lawyer. He was so proud of him. He held Marco’s hand and asked if it was too late to tell love that he loved him. His kind, generous, beautiful boy… But tears were no good to him right now. No more tears. All he could do for Marco was fulfil the promise he’d made. That fulfillment would make Sonny Corinthos suffer his mother’s death and now his. It would not go unpunished.  

Outside, Ava approached Lucas, but he said, no. They weren’t doing this. If she told him that she was sorry and tried to comfort him, that would make it real. He already knew Marco was dead from a medical standpoint. He saw Marco’s body. He knew Marco was dead, but he wasn’t ready to grieve. He wasn’t ready for any of this. They had plans. They were buying a house, a beautiful house on the lake. Now he was gone. Ava hugged Lucas and said she was sorry.  

Turner said she had the right to hold Jason and try him in Port Charles, but Jack said she’d been outranked. She said they’d see about that, and he said, by the time a judge got Jason out of there, they’d never find him. Alexis said, it was a violation of Jason’s rights, a government authorized kidnapping, but Jack said, Jason shot the wrong guy. His fate was in the hands of the Bureau. Alexis said she promised her grandson to help his father and that’s what she was going to do, but Jack said it was too late. Her grandson was never going to see his father again.

Britt told Nathan that they had to help Jason, but he told her that she’d said herself that Jason shot Cullum. Britt said this was crazy, when Danny arrived. He asked where his dad was going, and Dante said, the WSB were taking custody of him. Danny said, where? but Dante said he didn’t know right now. Jason told Danny to remember what he said, and Danny said he loved Jason too. An agent said, back off, but Danny ran to the van. He said, this is wrong. You can’t do this. Nathan pulled him away, and Danny cried, saying, dad!  

Thursday:

Carly went to see Sonny, who told her to keep calling Jack to find out what the charges against Jason were and where they took him. Carly said she knew Jason was leaving town. What the hell happened?

Saying she was a reporter, Lulu called the hospital for an update on Cullum, since he was a public servant shot in the line of duty. She got nothing. Nathan showed up and she asked if he had news on Cullum or if anyone knew Rocco was involved in the shooting.

Tracy went to see Alexis, who said Jason made the decision about Danny’s guardianship and Danny would be living with her.

Ava came home to Lucas, and she said he had her to help him keep going, even when he didn’t want to.

Dante told the desk sergeant to gather any evidence relating to Cullum. They were keeping it and the WSB could take it up with Turner if they had any questions. Sidwell came in and asked if Dante had apprehended the monster who’d murdered his son.

At the hospital, Josslyn insisted on talking to Britt and asked, what happened to Jason?

Alexis said Jason had told her himself that he wanted her to be Danny’s legal guardian, and Tracy said she couldn’t believe Jason was gone, but it was always going to happen.

Lucas told Ava that he’d been up all night replaying his last conversation with Marco. They’d been making plans. They had a room at the MetroCourt and an appointment to see a house on the lake. He thought they were in the best place they’d ever been, completely honest about everything. Ava said that was special, and Lucas said he was so glad they’d said they loved each other.

Dante said he was sorry for Sidwell’s loss, but Sidwell said he didn’t need Dante’s sympathy. He needed results. Dante asked if Sidwell could think of any enemies Marco might have had, and Sidwell said, just one. Dante’s father.

Carly told Sonny that Jason would never blow a plan this badly. There was an element missing. How would they find him and get him out? Sonny said he was working on it, when Ric knocked at the door.

Lulu told Nathan that Charlotte was still at her mom’s and Rocco was upstairs listening to music. He’d been shaken up, but once he seemed okay, she took him to the hospital. Elizabeth was the only one who saw them and she’d told Elizabeth that Rocco cut himself in the kitchen. Nathan asked if Rocco told her what happened, and she said Rocco told her everything. She knew he’d shot Cullum.

Britt said Jason was taken away by the agency Josslyn worked for, and Josslyn asked what went down. Britt said she’d been waiting for Jason, when Cullum showed up. Things got heated and Cullum ended up with a bullet in his back. Josslyn said, cut the crap. The people she loved were in danger and so was Britt. Jason trusted them and now they had to trust each other.

Nathan said he didn’t see Rocco shoot Cullum, and Lulu said Cullum lost his gun and Rocco grabbed it and shot Cullum in the back with his own gun. Nathan asked if Rocco said why he went there, and she said he went to see Britt and was worried something was wrong. He followed her and ended up shooting a WSB agent to protect Jason and Nathan’s sister.  

Josslyn said Britt needed to tell her everything, and Britt asked if that worked both ways. Josslyn said, yes, and Britt said she was on the pier meeting Lucas. His boyfriend stole the medication she needed for her Huntington’s and Lucas gave it to her. Josslyn said, Marco and Lucas were working against Sidwell? and Britt said, in a way. Lucas left and she was alone waiting for Jason. She didn’t know how Cullum tracked her. Josslyn asked what he wanted, and Britt said he no longer needed her services. She was trying to skip town with the medication to have it reverse engineered and Cullum decided she was more trouble than she was worth. He wanted her dead.

Tracy asked if Jason was hurt, but Alexis said he was mostly fine physically. He was stoic, but she could tell he was worried about Danny. Tracy said Jason was making a big mistake. Taking Danny away from his home was the last thing he needed when his father had just been ripped away.

Lucas told Ava that he’d thought they were moving in too soon, but Marco cut through his fears and convinced him to let Marco love him. Marco would have done anything for him. Ava said they hadn’t wasted the time they’d had together, and Lucas didn’t have anything to regret, but Lucas said he thought he did. Marco was dead because of him.

Sidwell said Marco had been abducted around the time of his mother’s death, but Dante said there was no record of it. Marco said his car had broken down and he got stranded while hiking back. There was no report and no charges were filed. His son said it was unnecessary. Sidwell said it was a lie to keep the peace. Marco didn’t want to start a war. Sonny was more than capable of targeting his son to get to him and of killing him.

Carly asked why Ric was there, and Sonny said he wanted to use Ric’s legal expertise to help Jason. Ric said he understood why Carly didn’t trust him, and Carly said Ric hated Jason for decades. It was great for him. He could worm his way back into Sonny’s business. Ric said he was rebuilding his relationship with his brother and proving Sonny could rely on him, and she asked if Jason could rely on him.

Alexis said Jason had done his best to put Danny first, and Tracy said Alexis was getting what she wanted. Alexis said Scout visited there regularly and she and Danny could make up for lost time. Tracy said Scout was welcome in her home, but Alexis said, Willow wasn’t and had custody of Scout. She and Danny could be together, which was what Jason asked for and her daughter wanted. Tracy said she could fight it, and Alexis said she knew, but why did Tracy want to hurt Danny? He needed all of them.  

Ava said the man Lucas loved was gone and he was trying to gain a tiny bit of control over the situation. Marco’s murder was tragic, but beyond his control. The only person responsible was the monster who did it. Lucas said it could have been different, and she said, emotions were high. He had to give himself time to process and grieve. Let the PCPD investigate. He said when Dante asked who might harm Marco, he’d tell him to start with Marco’s father.  

Dante suggested Sidwell stay focused. They knew Marco had been stabbed multiple times in his place of employment. The office belonged to Sonny’s attorney and the law partner she shared the space with was the mother of Sonny’s kid. The possibility seemed highly unlikely. Sidwell said Dante should recuse himself. He was too biased to see what was in front of him. Dante said it was his department. Don’t tell him how to run it. Sidwell had suffered a terrible loss and wanted the person responsible found, as did he. Sidwell had a long list of enemies. Was there anyone else he thought would attack his son to get to him?

Ric said it wasn’t an easy fix, but he’d do everything in his power to help, and Carly said she wouldn’t stand in his way. She’d let Sonny know as soon as she talked to Jack. She left, and Ric said she’d never trust him. Sonny said he trusted Roc and that’s what mattered. He’d proven Sonny could rely on him and he was putting the Jason situation in Ric’s hands. Jason was gone and he wanted him back. Ric said he wasn’t going to lie. He wasn’t sure that was possible.

Josslyn said she thought Britt was indispensable to Faison’s project, but Britt said, if you pushed hard enough, everyone was dispensable. That’s why she was leaving. She needed to get away before the research reached a certain point and they could turn it over to another scientist. Josslyn said the project could have collected dust until it dissolved altogether, and Britt said, that was the plan, if they’d gotten away, but the WSB had Jason. If Cullum pulled through, he’d make sure she paid. Josslyn said Britt gave a statement to the police. Why did she tell them that Jason shot Cullum? Britt said Jason told her to.

Nathan said Cullum was about to shoot Britt? and Lulu said Rocco saw the whole thing. Cullum was standing over Britt, about to pull the trigger, when Jason attacked him. Cullum got the upper hand and was about to beat Jason with some kind of metal thing. Nathan said, tha’s when Rocco got the gun, and Lulu said Rocco was trying to protect Jason and Britt and was acting in self-defense. Nathan said he agreed, but they had nothing to prove it, just Rocco’s word. If Rocco was thinking about coming forward, don’t let him. If he confessed, it would destroy his life.

Alexis said she had no intention of keeping Danny away from Tracy’s family. He was a Quartermaine, but needed love, boundaries, and peace. She was more equipped to give him that right now. Carly knocked at the door and asked if Danny was there. Alexis said he was out. Why? Carly said she was there on Jason’s behalf and would like to know what was happening with his son.  

Britt said when she came to, Jason was there and Cullum was shot in the back, and Josslyn said, so she didn’t actually see Jason shoot him. Britt said, no, but the first thing he said was that she had to tell them he’d shot Cullum. He insisted. Josslyn asked, why? but Britt said she didn’t know. Everything happened quickly and she was still out of it. The cops showed up and she never would have said that if Jason hadn’t told her to. She cried and said she didn’t know how it happened. They were so close to getting away and being finally free. Instead, it went horribly wrong.

Nathan told Lulu, as far as the WSB was concerned, Cullum was executing a warrant to bring Jason in. He didn’t fight or protest, and there was no struggle. Britt said she’d seen Jason shoot Cullum. Lulu asked how that was possible. Jason was covering for her son. Nathan said Britt was unconscious and Jason told her to say she saw him. He chose to protect Rocco. He told Nathan to get Rocco off the pier before the cops came. Jason was the reason Rocco was home and not in police custody. Lulu said she knew what the WSB did to prisoners. They threw them in a windowless pit to rot. Jason may never come home again.

Ric said the WSB had the authority to take an individual into custody who’d attempted to kill one of their own, and Sonny said, even in the US, Jason had no rights? Ric said they had complete authority to extradite him and not disclose his location, and Sonny said they could throw Jason in a hole and not tell anybody. Ric said, unfortunately, they had little or no recourse, but Sonny said he had information that could change that. Cullum was working against the WSB. He was a double agent who’d tried to kill him twice. He was responsible for the bomb at the penthouse that burned Michael.

Sidwell said Dante needed to confirm the whereabouts of Jason and his father at the time of Marco’s murder, and Dante said his father just sold Sidwell his piers. Didn’t that mean they were getting along? Sidwell said that Sonny had allegedly abducted Marco. Why go after him again? Sidwell said that was for Dante to figure out and went into the squad room. He saw Lucas come in.  

Sidwell hugged Lucas and said Lucas had loved his son. He was so grateful that he got to see how happy Lucas made him. He thanked Lucas for loving his boy and hoped Lucas would come back to Windymere tonight. It was his home after all. He touched Lucas’s face, said it always would be, and left.

Tracy asked if Carly had come to throw her hat in the custodial ring, and Carly said, no, but she’d be happy to have Danny live with her if they couldn’t handle it. Alexis said that wasn’t necessary, and Tracy said Danny would be living with his grandmother like Jason wanted. Alexis thanked her and said she thought Danny would benefit from some structure and supervision. Carly said, rules, and Alexis said sometimes rules were good for children. Carly said if she put Danny in a box with rules and regulations, he’d run in the opposite direction. It sounded like she was going to make the same mistake Alan and Monica had made with Jason.

Sonny told Ric that Brick traced the payment to a WSB slush fund. The bomb was establish intelligence and technology. Ric said, so the WSB had access to it. Who was Cullum working with? Sonny said, Jenz Sidwell, and Ric wondered why Sidwell was still breathing if Sonny knew all this. Sonny said Sidwell had fabricated evidence tying him to a murder he did not commit, and Ric said it wouldn’t hold up against scrutiny. He could get Sonny out of it. Who was the victim? Sonny said he couldn’t. It involved someone else he cared about and he didn’t want to put them in a bad position. He trusted Ric, but couldn’t make choice for them. Ric asked, what was the plan? and Sonny said just because they couldn’t move against Sidwell didn’t mean they couldn’t move against Cullum. They didn’t know he knew they were working together. He could take Cullum out and no one would look his way. Jason was supposed to kill Cullum on his way out and he didn’t know what the hell happened.

Josslyn said Cullum tracked Britt to the pier, so she was guessing he killed Marco, and Britt said Marco died because he was helping her. He didn’t even like her and died because he was saving her. Josslyn said this wasn’t on Britt. Marco helped because he wanted to help. It was all on Cullum. Cullum and Sidwell were partners. That meant Cullum was willing to risk killing his partner’s son. This was information Sidwell didn’t have that they could use. Britt said it showed what a ruthless guy Cullum was. There was nothing to stop him from killing her.  

Tracy said Carly didn’t need to tell her anything about her brother and sister-in-law, and Carly said, after Jason’s accident, they’d tried to constrain Jason, and he went running for Sonny. Alexis said they couldn’t let Danny run wild, and Carly said Danny was Sam and Jason’s son and needed room. She knew how much they loved and wanted to protect him. It’s what Sam would want. If they loosened the reins and were safe space for Danny, he’d come back and not be put in the position where he felt forced to run away. Carly left, and Tracy said she wasn’t wrong. Danny was his father’s son. Alexis had her work cut out for her.  

Nathan said the likelihood of Jason being released from WSB custody was low, and Lulu asked if they were going to let him die for protecting her son. Nathan said, Rocco acted in the moment to save Jason and Jason was doing the same. He didn’t want Rocco to be ripped away from his life for doing a selfless thing. Don’t let him be saved in vain, especially if Cullum died.

In the interrogation room, Lucas said, things were good. They were happy. Dante said what about Sidwell’s enemies? but Lucas said Marco never spoke about his father’s business. He would never be involved in something illegal. Dante asked if Sonny’s name came up, but Lucas said, only that they’d made peace. There was no residual anger on either side. Dante said they’d just started, and he wouldn’t stop until Marco’s killer was brought to justice. But understand, when that happened, it wouldn’t bring back the person Lucas loved. Lucas said it wouldn’t, but justice was important for Marco. It had to happen.

Sidwell went to Ava’s, and said he’d just seen Lucas at the police station and realized Lucas was the only other person who’d truly loved his son. Ava said, Lucas loved Marco very much and for good reason. Marco was a remarkable man. Sidwell cried, and Ava said the pain he was feeling was unimaginable, unbearable. She was so sorry. He said it wasn’t just Marco’s death. That was horrible enough, but it was how he died. Someone viciously stabbed him seven times and left him bleeding on the floor in pain. (And where he worked – that’s the worst part. Who wants to die at their job?) That was personal. That was the message. Was it his fault? Did he get his son killed? Ava took his hand.

Sonny told Ric that Jason made the call a few days ago, and Ric asked if it was possible Jason tried to kill Cullum at the pier, but Sonny said Jason was a professional. He didn’t get sloppy. It wasn’t supposed to happen at the pier. Things must have gotten out of control for him to shoot Cullum and not kill him. Cullum was alive and gotten through surgery. Ric said, assuming he made a full recovery, Sidwell had his partner at the WSB and Sonny had lost Jason for now. Sonny said they’d think because he didn’t have Jason that his organization was crippled. They could use that to their advantage. He and Jason had two different ways of doing things and he needed to do it his way. Help him take down Sidwell and Cullum. It was risky and very dangerous. If Ric hadn’t thought about it, there was the front door. Ric said, if Cullum lived, he and Sidwell would think they were holding all the cards, but they weren’t. They didn’t know what he and Sonny could do. Forget the door. He wasn’t going anywhere. They shook hands.

Britt told Josslyn that Brennan knew Cullum was a double agent. Couldn’t he do something? Josslyn said Brennan only did what benefitted him. She wished it was different, but there was nothing they could do for Jason right now. All they could do was look out for themselves and the people they cared about. It’s what Jason would want them to do. Britt said Cullum was a monster. If he recovered, he’d go after everyone connected with this and they were as good as dead. Josslyn said, that may be true, but Cullum was lying unconscious and Britt was a doctor. That meant she had access to him. Maybe she should use it.

🫔 Friday’s Enchilada…

Brook brushes her hair and asks what Chase is doing. He doesn’t have time for a shower. He asks, what’s wrong? Is someone in trouble? She says, yes, they are. They have their in home interview with the social worker in 20 minutes.

In the nook, Michael asks Wiley to tell him about the project he’s got to do… Is he okay? Wiley says, yeah. It’s just, where’s Danny? Where’s Uncle Jason? Why do people just go away? Michael says, Uncle Jason had to go on a little trip. They probably won’t see him for a while. But Danny is just at his Grandmother Alexis’s house. He’ll be back before Wiley knows it. He knows how Danny loves spending time with him. Wiley says he wishes Danny was spending time with them now, and Michael says him too, but for now, it’s just them and Wiley has this big project to do, so what does he say. Shall they get to work? Wiley says he has to pick an animal and make a drawing that says where they are on the food chain. He doesn’t know what animal to do. Michael asks, what’s his most favorite animal ever? and Wiley says, spiders. They’re Jacinda’s favorite. Michael laughs.

On the phone, Sonny says he wants the plates of every car that drives by here. Run intersecting patrols and he wants it 24/7. He goes inside and asks Gio, how was his workout? Gio says, great. What’s going on? Sonny says, nothing, but Gio says, there’s tons more security. When he got back, one of Sonny’s guys was looking at his car kind of suspiciously. Sonny says, things are just a little tense, and Gio says, because of the fight Jason had with Dante?

Turner asks if Dante has a minute, and he says, sure. They go into the interrogation room, and he asks what he can do for her. She says, that stunt the WSB pulled with Jason Morgan last night was appalling. An extraordinary rendition? Unbelievable. Dante says he guesses that’s her first experience with the WSB taking over a case, and she says, the idea that the WSB can just take over a case and supersede local jurisdiction whenever they feel like it is garbage. He says he agrees with her, but their jurisdiction is Port Charles and the WSB’s is… well, the world. She says, even so, they should be handling it, not the WSB, and he says that’s why he has the evidence under lock and key, so the WSB won’t get their hands on it without court orders, warrants, and the cavalry.

Rocco comes downstairs and asks, what time is it? Lulu says, it’s afternoon, and he says, what about school? She says he needs the rest. How did he sleep? He says, the sleeping part was fine, but waking up, he remembered what happened. He was hoping it was a dream, but then hi hand hurt, and he knew it was for real. He shot Agent Cullum.

Britt says, so the solution is, she kills Cullum? and Josslyn says, pretty much. Britt tells her that she doesn’t know what to say to that, and Josslyn says, Britt said it herself that if Cullum recovered, he’d make them pay. It’s better for both them and the people they care about if he’s gone. He’s in ICU. She doesn’t have access to him, but Britt does and they’ll never have a better chance than now.

Chase tells Brook that he was working on Marco Rios’s homicide all night and didn’t get to bed until 7 this morning. Is there any way they can reschedule? Brook says, no. They asked that the appointment be expediated because of special circumstances. He says he was aiding an investigation of a homicide. He’s pretty sure they would understand. She says, no. If he says he can’t do the interview because he was working all night, it would be like saying he couldn’t parent because he working all night. He says, okay. That is not exactly… She says, they just have to show them that they’re good to go, no matter what the circumstances are. Phoebe will be placed with them immediately. He says, okay. Than that’s what they’ll do.

Turner tells Dante, putting aside this Jason/WSB situation at the moment. Where are they in the Marco Rios murder? Did Lucas give him anything new when he made his statement? Dante says he tried. He spoke to Lucas, but he’s going to have to try again. He was pretty messed up. She says she’s sure. What did forensics turn up at Alexis Davis’s office? He says, not much. It was during business hours, so there was no sign of forced entry. The doors were unlocked and there were no cameras in the waiting room or office. She says, of course (🍷) there aren’t, and he says, they’re still dusting for prints, but there’s been nothing unexpected found. She says, what about the victim’s phone? but he says, it’s still missing. She asks what Jenz Sidwell said when Dante questioned him, and Dante says, a lot, especially about his number one suspect – my father.

Sonny wonders if Gio is worried because he knows Jason can do some damage, but Gio says, Jason is a solid dude. He knows the guy has a reputation, but he lives at the Quartermaines’. He’s so great and level-headed. Sonny says, Jason has different sides to him. They all do. Gio must figure that Dante is pretty tough too. Gio says, he has to be if he’s up and walking around after Jason slammed him in the face, and Sonny says, Gio can go check on Dante himself.

Lulu says, Nathan came by earlier, and Rocco says, to arrest him? but she says, no, to check on him. She wants to make sure he understands what they said last night. He cannot tell anyone he was on the pier or involved with the shooting. He says he knows, and she says, not anyone. Not even Charlotte or Danny. Rocco says, okay. He gets it. She says, good. She knows he’s been though something terrible and he’s going to want to talk about it, and he should, but only with her, okay? He says he promises. Where’s Jason? What happened to him? She says, Jason has been arrested, and Rocco says, for what he did?

Britt says, so is Cullum a WSB sanctioned hit and Josslyn is the messenger or has Josslyn just gone completely rogue, which she kind of respects. Josslyn says, they know Cullum is Sidwell’s partner. They know Cullum is covering Sidwell with the WSB, so the WSB is basically useless. Britt says, so rogue it is, and Josslyn says, and they’re pretty sure Cullum killed Marco. Britt says, our Director Cullum is quite the multitasker, and Josslyn says, our Director Cullum is lethal. And if they don’t get rid of him now, Britt is going to go back where she started, relying on him for her medication as he holds her life in his hands. Britt says, she’d be so much worse off, and Josslyn asks if she thinks Cullum would finish the job on her. Britt says, eventually. After what happened at the pier, he’s going to make it his mission to exact revenge on Jason through her. Josslyn says, so if Cullum recovers, her situation deteriorates fast. Don’t let it come to that. Get Cullum before he gets you.

Gio says, Dante is probably okay, and Sonny says, it’s okay to be worried about Dante. That says a lot about who Gio is after what the two of them have been through. Gio says, it hasn’t been easy, and Sonny says, it’s not Gio’s fault. Dante has been hard on him. Gio says, he has been, but he gets it, and Sonny says, just because he gets it doesn’t mean it’s right. The fact that he still cares about what’s going on with Dante has got to mean a lot. Gio says he’s thought a lot about what Sonny said, that one of them has to build a bridge in that situation, and Sonny says he should have been more specific. Gio is the one that’s got to build the bridge. Gio says, why him? and Sonny says, because Dante has given him space. He has to let Dante know when enough’s enough. If Gio feels that way, he thinks that might be how Dante feels.

Brook sets out tea, when the doorbell rings. She yells upstairs to Chase that the social worker is here. Hurry up. She answers the door and introduces herself. A woman says she’s Sarah Miles from Children and Family Services, and Brook thanks her for coming over so soon. Sarah tells her, they said the circumstances were urgent and they listen when people say that. Her home is lovely. Brook thanks her and says, it’s been in the family a long time. Sarah says, speaking of family, her husband is joining them, right?

Michael says, remember what Jacinda told him about the spiders she saw in Australia, and Wiley says, yeah. She said they were as big as cats. Michael says, that’s way too big if you ask him. In fact, he has a little confession to make. Wiley says Michael can tell him, and Michael says, spiders kind of scare him. Olivia comes in, and Wiley says he wants Michael’s help, but doesn’t want him to be scared. Does he think they could ask Jacinda to help him with his project? Olivia clutches her figurative pearls.

Rocco tells Lulu, Cullum was the one committing a crime. He was about to shoot Britt. He’d have killed her if Jason hadn’t stopped him. Then Cullum attacked Jason. He didn’t know what to do. That’s why he grabbed the gun and did what he did. Lulu says, unfortunately, there’s no way to prove what he’s saying, and Rocco asks if there were no security cameras down by the docks. Lulu says, if there were, they would have picked up everything, including Nathan getting him out of there, and Nathan would have told them. It would mean Rocco’s word and Jason’s against Cullum and Cullum is a WSB agent. Not just an agent, a director, a hero who was shot in the line of duty. Rocco says, he is not a hero, and she says she knows, but he has a reputation that puts him above suspicion and Jason is… just Jason. And Rocco’s word… He’s the one who shot Cullum. Rocco says he did it because… and she says she knows why he did it and so does Jason. That’s why Jason had Nathan get him out of there. Rocco says, it’s so unfair, and she says, yes, it is. He says, Danny’s father shouldn’t go prison for him, but she says, based on what he and Nathan told her, it sounded like Jason saved his life last night. Knowing Jason, he decided to return the favor. That’s why he’s not saying what really happened. He doesn’t want anyone to know, and that definitely includes Danny and Rocco’s dad.

Sarah says, so why not tell her how Brook and her husband came to know this baby, and Brook says, it’s a really sad story… Chase joins them and says he’s so sorry he’s late. Sarah Miles. How is she? Sarah says, fine, thanks. She saw his name on the application and thought it really couldn’t be him, could it? Then again, how many Harrison Chases could there be? Brook says, so you two know each other? and Chase says they worked on a case together last year. Sarah says, and it had a good outcome. In no small part because of Brook’s husband. It’s good to see you again. Detective Chase. Chase says, actually, it’s not detective anymore… but Brook says, that’s story for another time. Sarah says, that’s fine. They have plenty of other things to discuss. Chase says, he’s sure they do. Just so she knows, he’s still on with the PCPD, just in a different capacity. Sarah says, glad to hear it, and Chase says he’d be happy to tell her about it. He and Brook are an open book.

Dante gives the desk sergeant a folder with an update, and everything listed in the Rios case, in case Turner needs it ASAP, and the officer says, got it. Gio comes into the station, and Dante asks if he’s all right. Gio says, yeah. He’s good. Dante says, that’s a relief. What brings him by? Gio says, actually he’s here to check on Dante.

Fizz 🐶 barks and Sonny says he hears him loud and clear. Someone’s at the door. He picks Fizz 🐶 up and says, okay now. You’ve got to stay frosty. You never know what’s going to happen when I open the door. Turner is there, and Sonny says, hey. He thinks that’s Fizz 🐶advising him not to talk to her.

Rocco asks Lulu, what about Cullum? Is he… She says, as far as she knows, he’s still alive, and Rocco asks if he’s going to make it. She says she’s not sure, and he says he hopes Cullum does. He knows Cullum probably shouldn’t have tried to kill two people he cares about. He knows Lulu doesn’t like that he cares about Britt. Lulu says, how he feels about Britt is how he feels about Britt. As far as Cullum goes, it’s good he cares about what happens to him, but it’s not a surprise. that’s who he is. Rocco says, somebody who doesn’t know the difference between good and bad? but she says, no. He’s kind and compassionate, even when people don’t necessarily deserve it. She’s not talking about Britt, just Cullum. He says he didn’t want to kill Cullum, but had to stop him. She says she knows, and he asks if she can call Nathan and ask how Cullum is, but she says she’ll do him one better. She’ll go down and check on him at the hospital herself and report back. He asks if that wouldn’t be risky. No one is supposed to know he’s involved. She says, and they won’t. His mom is a reporter. She’ll just say she’s doing a follow-up piece on the events at the pier, which she actually probably will someday. Okay? Rocco says, okay, and she says he knows she’d do anything for him, right? He says he knows, and they hug. She says, they’re going to get through this, and he says, it’s going to be okay.

Josslyn asks, what’s so funny? and Britt says, nothing. Just the new me and good old pier 55. Josslyn says, where Britt saved her life, and Britt says, who would have known a few hours later, Cullum and company would snatch her from the jaws of death, and here they are again. You and me. Josslyn says she definitely couldn’t have predicted it at the time, and Britt says, honestly, until Josslyn walked in here, she couldn’t have predicted them having this conversation ever. Josslyn says her neither, but here they are. And the question is, what’s going to happen when they leave this room? Britt says she wishes she knew, and Josslyn sits down. She says, Britt is a doctor. She took an oath. Killing Cullum – or anyone – is a big ask. Britt says, what a gift you have for understatement, Agent Jax, and Josslyn says she’ll do it. Britt says, her, a baby WSB agent, assassinate one of her own higher ups? and Josslyn says it’s not like she has a choice. Britt says, unless she does it, but Josslyn says Britt is off the hook. She shouldn’t have asked. Britt thanks Josslyn for thinking of her, but isn’t it a bit out of Josslyn’s purview too, or do they just tell her she can go in and whack anybody she wants? Has she ever killed anyone before?… Okay… Josslyn says she was trained to identify when an agent has to take action independently for the greater good and this is one of those moments. She gets up, and Britt says, wait. Marco lost his life trying to get her those meds, and God knows what will happen to Jason. She doesn’t want anyone else to risk themselves for her. Josslyn asks what she wants to do, and Britt says she’ll take care of Cullum herself.

Brook tells Sarah that they brought Phoebe’s mother Delilah to the hospital. Delilah asked her to stay while she gave birth and she did… at first. Chase says, unfortunately, Delilah didn’t make it through the delivery, and Sarah says she’s sorry. It must have been a difficult experience. Brook says, it was awful. After everything that happened, of course (🍷) they feel a responsibility to the baby… to make sure she’s well taken care of until her family is located. Sarah asks, how’s that coming? and Chase says, the PCPD is working on it. Unfortunately, progress is a little slow at the moment. Sarah says, so they’re both going into this expecting it to be a temporary arrangement, and Brook says, absolutely. They just want to help Phoebe in the interim. As she can see, they have a big house full of family and access to the best resources. She’ll want for nothing. Chase says, and they both have experience as guardians. He had temporary custody of his niece Violet for several months back in 2024. Sarah says, yes. She has that in here. Brook says she cared for her friend Maxie’s little one, Bailey Lou, and Sarah says, she did? She wonders why it’s not in her folder, and Brook says, there were extenuating circumstances. Chase says, the child’s father was Peter August, and Sarah tells him, enough said. They all remember him. Let’s back up a minute. It seems they’ve both developed an attachment to this child, which is completely understandable considering everything they’ve gone through together. Brook asks if it’s that obvious, and Sarah says, a little bit. Given that this is a temporary foster situation and not a permanent adoption, she has to ask, will they be able to give up the baby when the time comes?

Michael says he knows for a fact that Jacinda knows a lot more about spiders than he does – Olivia looks to the heavens – and he knows she’d love to help Wiley. Wiley asks if they can invite her over then, and Michael says he’ll call her right now. Olivia says she thinks she saw Wiley’s boots in the mudroom. Does he think he could put them where they belong before somebody trips? Wiley says he’ll be right back, and leaves. Olivia says, seriously? and Michael says Olivia made her position on Jacinda perfectly clear, so let’s just not do this right now. Olivia says she’s afraid they have to, and he says, why now? Olivia says, because it’s important they talk honestly. Frankly, she owes him an apology. he says, for what? and she says, for being right

Gio says he saw online that Jason assaulted Dante and took off. Is that true? Dante says, pretty much, give or take a few details, and Gio says, that’s crazy. Dante says, it wasn’t great, but he’ll be fine. Thanks for checking on him. Gio says he’ll let Dante get back to work, but Dante says, wait. Between the two of them, he’s no good with the coffee machine in the breakroom. Does Gio want to give it a shot?  

Turner says, if Sonny doesn’t mind, she’d like to confer with his counsel personally. Sonny says, like he told her before, Fizz 🐶 is not a fan of District Attorneys, and she says, yet. But any good consigliere will try to negotiate. She gives Fizz 🐶 a treat, and Sonny puts him on the floor. He runs off, and Sonny says, so much for Fizz 🐶 being loyal to him. She says, it’s just as well. She needs to ask him a few off-the-record questions without his lawyer present. He says, about what? and she says, Marco Rios.

Charlotte comes home and asks if Rocco is sick. He says, not really. He just messed himself up a little. She asks what he did, and he says he was helping mom in the kitchen and sliced open his hand. She says, grisly. Don’t take this the wrong way, but she can’t see him being any help in the kitchen. He says, obviously not. How was grandma’s last night? She says, it was… Is mom here? He says, nope, and she sits next to him on the couch. She says, so grandma had a work emergency to deal with, which turned out to be a good thing, because Danny texted her and she had to sneak out to help him.

Britt goes into Cullum’s hospital room, her right hand in her pocket. She walks to the bed slowly and takes out a syringe. She’s about to inject his IV, when she hears Lulu say, Britt?

Britt says, what the hell? This is the ICU. Lulu can’t let herself into a patient’s room in the ICU. Even she has to know that. Lulu says, about that… but Britt says, there is no about that. Lulu is trespassing, so excuse her. She’s treating a patient who’s in critical condition. Lulu says, sorry about that, and Britt says, then get out. Lulu says, the thing is, she’s writing a story for the Port Charles Press – Britt says she doesn’t care – about the shooting of WSB Director Ross Cullum. Britt says, as Lulu’s journalistic powers of observation probably told her, the man is unconscious with a tube down his throat, so he’s not taking questions at the moment. Lulu says she can see that, but Britt was involved too, wasn’t she? Would she be willing to give a statement?

Charlotte says, then they pulled into the police station and saw Danny’s dad, and Rocco asks if he was okay. Charlotte says, he’s Jason Morgan, so she’s sure he was fine, but they had him all chained up. Two WSB guys put him into a van. Rocco says, they can’t just take him like that, can they? and she says, oh yeah, they can. They did the exact same thing to her dad, no trial or anything. The WSB just showed up and then he was gone.

Turner says, according to Marco’s father, Jenz Sidwell, Sonny is responsible for Marco’s disappearance last summer, and Sonny says he heard that. Turner says, now he’s espousing a theory that Sonny had his son killed as part of some of personal vendetta Sonny has against him, but Sonny says he had nothing to do with Marco’s death. Turner says, and she should believe him because … He says, Marco was seeing Lucas Jones and Lucas is his ex-wife Carly’s brother. Carly would be pissed off if he killed her brother’s boyfriend. Has she met Carly? She says she has, and he says, then she knows it’s not worth it. Sidwell wants Marco’s death to be his fault. She asks, why? and he says, Sidwell desperately wants to blame anyone else but himself.

Brook tells Sarah, there’s no denying they’re both very involved. At least one of them goes to see Phoebe every day. Chase says, mostly they both do, and Brook says, they’ve both been trained to hold her. They want to make sure Phoebe is held as much as possible. Chase says they get regular updates from the staff at GH, and Brook says their main goal is to take great care of Phoebe, so she is as happy and healthy as possible when it’s time for her to go back to her family. Sarah says, they keep calling her Phoebe. Officially, she is… Chase says, Baby Jane Doe, yeah, and Brook says she couldn’t stand it and the hospital staff didn’t like calling her that either. Chase says they checked with the hospital psychologist to make sure giving her a temporary name didn’t mess her up, and they assured… Sarah says, no. It’s fine. It’s just that naming a baby is a very parental thing to do. Brook says they know… and Chase says they made a promise to her mother to make sure she was okay and would love a chance to honor that promise. Sarah says, all right then, and closes her notebook. Why don’t they take her on a tour and show her where Baby Phoebe will be spending her time?

Olivia says she’s sorry about how the family came after Michael about Jacinda, but not sorry about why. She thinks he knows they had a reason to be concerned. He says, let him guess. Ned asked her to apologize to him. She says she and Ned had a constructive conversation, which is what healthy couples do in a relationship, and Michael says, thanks for the tip. He gets up and she says, speaking of tips, in a healthy relationship, one person is not paying the other one. He says he’s not paying Jacinda, and she says, but he was. At one time or another, he was paying Jacinda for her services. He says, this is just another opportunity to take body shots at her, and Olivia says she’s not hearing a no. He says he’s not hearing an apology. But to answer her question, no. She says, and he’s not hearing an apology because they both know it’s totally inappropriate for him to be having carnal knowledge of that woman in a house full of kids, and he says, she’s mentioned the gatehouse and discretion a hundred times, and he’s apologized every time. She says, he apologized once, and he says, she’s lucky she got the one, and inappropriate or not, Jacinda is important to him. She says it’s important he understand that he and Willow have a custody arrangement in place right now, but what about the future? Who knows what’s going to happen, and if something does, Jacinda’s history isn’t going to help him out then. Michael says he’s not going through this. He’s not going to not spend time with someone he likes because of what may or may not happen. And for the record, he likes Jacinda a lot. His feelings are growing stronger by the day. She says, what about Jacinda’s feelings for him? Does he really think she has them? He says he does and he’s not going to apologize for his relationship or his feelings for Jacinda because she’s uncomfortable with Jacinda’s previous occupation. She says, he can use any euphemism he wants, but he can’t hide the fact that Jacinda was a hooker. Wiley hears them.

Britt says, if she gives Lulu a statement, does she promise to stay out of the ICU and leave he patients alone? Lulu says, sounds fair, when Josslyn walks by in the background. Britt asks what Lulu wants to know, and Lulu says she understands from the police report that Britt was on the pier last night when Director Cullum was shot. What did she see? Who else was there?

Michael says he knows Olivia. She’s not a prude and not judgy. He respects her concerns and she’s right about the gatehouse. They should have been more careful. She says she’s glad they agree about something, and he says, another thing they can agree on is that he’s been through hell in the last few years with the bombing and dealing with Willow. Olivia says she knows, and he says, Jacinda has been a bright spot for him and his family. She’s great with the kids and makes him happy. Olivia says she can see that. If he’s happy, she’d happy for him. He asks if she’s sure about that, and she says, does she love all the details? No, she doesn’t, but she’s happy for him. He says, okay. He’ll take that. Now how does he get her to give Jacinda a real chance? How does he get her to see Jacinda as a person? What if they have dinner – her, Ned, Jacinda, and him. Jacinda loves Italian food. Olivia hesitates, the says, she could go classic with her traditional lasagna. She guesses that always brings people together. He says he’s never seen it fail.

Brook, Chase, and Sarah come downstairs, and Brook says she hopes she didn’t go overboard with the nursery. Sarah says, not at all. It’s lovely. Chase says he wishes he could take even a little bit of credit for it, and Brook says, the baby is going to sleep in their room, and they plan to get a night nurse anyway. Sarah says, sounds like they’re ready for anything. One more thing before she goes. Would it be possible to speak to other family members who would have regular contact with Phoebe? Chase says, sure. Absolutely they can make that happen. Brook says, in fact, here’s one now, and Wiley says, hey, Brook Lynn, what’s a hooker? (This literally means nothing since all small children will embarrass you like this at some point. All of them.)

Gio and Dante sip their coffee, and Dante asks, what’s the verdict? Gio says, it’s not bad, and Dante says, well, that’s an improvement then. Gio says, no way it’s up to their family standards. Has he thought of getting Corinthos Coffee in here? Dante says he thinks it would go over like a lead balloon in here. His dad would love to have the PCPD as a customer. Gio says, yeah, he would love that. Full disclosure. It was Sonny’s idea that he come down here – Dante says, oh – but he’s really glad he did. Dante says him too. It means a lot. Gio tells Dante that he’s gotta say, it looks painful as hell, and Dante says his face is fine. His pride is a different story.

Turner says, this is still an ongoing investigation so Sonny may be called down to the PCPD, in which case she strongly advises him to bring his attorney. Sonny says he can handle anything she throws at him, and she says, there’s a difference between confidence and arrogance. and arrogance generally results in a win for the prosecution. He says, it hasn’t happened yet, when Fizz 🐶 barks and sits up. He picks Fizz 🐶 up and says, Fizz 🐶, you know you’re not supposed to beg in the house. Turner says, maybe not, but he does have a very good nose because – gasp – she does have another treat. She gives it to Fizz 🐶, and Sonny says, she didn’t just come over here to ask questions. She says she may or may not have had another motive, and he says, what might that be? She says, Fizz 🐶 is really growing on her, and leaves. Sonny says, Fizz 🐶, you’re my rival now. I never saw that coming.

Charlotte tells Rocco, the worst part was when Danny tried to say goodbye to his dad and the WSB goons just slammed the door in his face. He was pounding on the van, trying to get the doors open. It took both Dante and Nathan to pull him off. He was still screaming for his dad as they drove away. Rocco says, oh my God, Charlotte… and Charlotte says she knows. What if Danny never sees his dad again?

Britt says, on second thought, no comment, and Lulu says, why? According to the police report, Cullum knocked her out, and when she came to, she saw Jason shoot him. Doesn’t she want the people to know why? Britt says, Lulu seems to have all the details, but Lulu says she doesn’t. That’s why she’s here. Britt says, Lulu is a journalist, not a District Attorney. She doesn’t have to answer Lulu’s questions, and Lulu says, okay. She won’t even talk about Britt. Can Britt at least give her an update on Agent Cullum. Is he going to pull through? Britt says, at this point, it’s hard to say

Josslyn goes into Cullum’s room and checks his IV lines. He opens his eyes and she freezes.

On Monday, Kristina tells Tracy to bring her family together; Michael says Chase and Brook know someone with more influence than he does; Lucas tells Josslyn that he’s going to make sure Marco didn’t die in vain; and Carly tells Jack that she deserves a real answer.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

I’m taking it personally.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-comings-goings-adrian-anchondo-out-as-marco-i-cant-take-it-personally/

Poor Lucas can’t catch a break.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-exclusive-heartbroken-van-hansis-talks-marcos-exit-lucass-future/

Real life reaction.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospitals-adrian-anchondo-exit-days-star-boyfriend-colton-little-pays-tribute/

Kristina’s side gig, and it’s not Charlie’s.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-star-kate-mansi-heads-to-the-silver-screen-in-new-movie-casa-grande/

This is a bit of a stretch, but okay.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospitals-van-hansis-reveals-easter-egg-in-lucas-britt-scene/

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Below Deck Down Under

New charter primaries Clay and Mark wanted to have a once in lifetime celebration of [their] life together with their best friends and wanted Captain Jason to officiate. In other words, they were doing a vow renewal during the charter. Finally having enough of Ben calling her honey, sweetie, darlin’, or anything else that wasn’t her name, Ellie went firmly and quietly ballistic, kind of like an elementary school teacher. Guest Neshea found a panty liner – yes, you read that right – WTF? – stuck to the inside wall of a cabinet in her cabin, which once again spoke to the characters of the previous charter guests. Although it also doesn’t say much for the stews’ cleaning skills. Guest Christina got drunk, and after refusing help getting on deck from a platform, fell and hit her head. This was even before everyone celebrated Pride Night, which was a huge success. Ellie finally blew her stack at Ben and went on a hunt for the captain. I hadn’t watched this offshoot of the franchise before and I’m loving the beautiful surroundings and the weird, colorful sea creatures.

Summer House

There was a party for Kyle’s birthday, and the theme was old folks, everyone dressing up accordingly. As usual, the costumes were on point, and also as usual, Kyle drank too much. He whined about not getting enough attention, but who wants to pay attention to a whiney 40 year old crybaby? He ended up calling Amanda a f***ing dumbass bitch, which no doubt was a final nail in their divorce coffin. He’s such an asshat.

Southern Charm – Reunion Part 2

Speaking of whining, there was lots of it from Craig. Any apology that was squeezed out of him was followed by a but. He still insisted it was Salley’s fault that he and Charley broke up, even though Charley was sitting right there and said, nope. It was him. Salley still insisted there was a future for her and Austen – even if it was just as friends (yeah, right) – even though Austen was sitting right there and his face said, nope. Not happening. It was Charley’s birthday, so the Reunion ended with cupcakes and the usual out-of-tune singing of Happy Birthday. Why is that song universally sung badly? Something to ponder. Shep also gave a toast: I drink to your health when I’m with you. I drink to your health when you’re gone. I drink to your health so often, I’m nearly endangering my own.

Southern Hospitality

I just don’t like the rudderless people on this show. The only thing I retained was that there was a bobbing for cucumbers game. Some sort of Truth or Dare situation. And something with Emmy and a microagression.

Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills

The women went on a grape stomping excursion. My first thought was, with my luck, I’d slip on some grapes, and then in Rachel’s interview, she said it was a Tuscan miracle she hadn’t gotten injured. Kyle and Erika tried to get Dorit to open up, but instead, Dorit dumped them during a gelato run, leaving them to figure out their own way back.

Ladies Of London: The New Reign

Missè and Kimi met to have a chat about Kimi’s comment that diminished the death of Missè’s brother. Kimi said she hadn’t meant it in a bad way, although I don’t know how else it could have been taken. When nothing else worked, she threw Margo under the bus, saying Margo had made a bigger deal out of it than it was. Lottie and her Dali doppelganger husband Joshua had a gender reveal and it’s a boy. Lottie said she’d dreamed of dresses and tiaras. Now she had visions of mini suits. I dunno. I think for sure Joshua would wear a tiara, so why give up the dream?

Random Reality Items

I’ll miss the Marge, but I can understand her wanting out.

Yeah, that Jersey Mike’s rant did her no favors.

I seriously thought The Valley: Persian Style was replacing this. Why do we need this show to come back again?

But will there be table flipping?

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

One Battle After Another. HBO/MAX. While Sinners was still up my alley with its parallel horror, this was an excellent film. Single father Bob has a revolutionary past, and when it catches up to him, he has to find his daughter, but can’t remember the code words to get to her. He’s all of us when his agency puts him on hold. I couldn’t help but like him. While the story is intense, there’s plenty of humor and the characters are believable. Sean Penn got a well-deserved Oscar for his portrayal of a military man gone off the rails. Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio del Toro should have their own show. There’s lots of action, but be prepared for things you might want to look away from.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/one-battle-after-another-movie-review-2025

Wicked: For Good. Peacock. I saw this in the theatre and talked about it before, and no doubt it’s been talked about to death. That doesn’t make it any less worth watching, so I watched it again. It’s truly magnificent, even on a smaller screen. I dunno if it’s the best film for little kids. The Tin Man scared the bejesus out of me and you might end up having to explain some adult themes you weren’t ready to. Then again, probably all they’ll remember are those amazing CGi animals. And that poor, sweet Cowardly Lion. Let’s have a collective aww!

Like Wicked: For Good for Dummies.

https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/everything-to-know-about-wicked-for-good

https://www.wickedmovie.com/

🧙‍♂️ Watch Of the Past…

I don’t remember a lot about this show, but I do remember liking it a lot.

https://ew.com/northern-exposure-cast-where-are-they-now-11921831

🦄 Seasonal Change For the Stylish Pet…

People aren’t the only ones ready for spring.

👒 Outfit ideas.

https://www.parisianpet.com/blogs/news/picture-perfect-outdoor-spring-outfit-ideas

🐕‍🦺 Safety tips.

https://www.parisianpet.com/blogs/news/outdoor-safety-tips-for-spring-adventures

👜 For traveling pets.

https://www.parisianpet.com/blogs/news/spring-travel-checklist-for-dogs

📣 Quotes of the Week

If you always do what you’ve always done, you always get what you’ve always gotten. – Jessie Potter

Change is inevitable. Growth is optional. – John C. Maxwell

Life is about making an impact, not making an income. – Kevin Kruse

Permit yourself to change your mind when something is no longer working for you. – Nedra Glover Tawwab

My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition. – Indira Gandhi

Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.C.S. Lewis

There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction. – John F. Kennedy

I see you moonwalking back out of that. – Judge Dana Cutler, Cutler’s Court

👟 Spring In My Step…

Until next time, stay safe: stay using sunscreen during all seasons; and stay remembering that just because you get it, doesn’t mean it’s right.

Video> BTS (방탄소년단) ‘봄날 (Spring Day)’ Official MV – YouTube

April 17, 2024 – Brook Has the Money Talk With Chase, Sudsy Stuff, This Week’s Top, An Exit, A Date Or Not, Melrose Return, OctoWonder & Day

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Laura says she hopes she’s not interrupting anything, but Anna says she could use the break. You’d think protecting a community wouldn’t require so much paperwork. Laura says, try getting the right colored trash cans to the right address. You’ll be buried under paperwork for weeks. She was just about to meet someone, but she wanted to talk to Anna first. Anna asks, what’s on her mind? and Laura says, justice. She thinks she and Anna have been standing in the way of it for too long.

As they put away chairs after a meeting, Finn says he and Alexis are in the room at the same time. She asks if he missed her chair stacking abilities, and he says, still not good. He hasn’t seen her. Has she been hitting another meeting or… She says she could give him a million reasons why, but it all boils down to other things taking precedence, and he says, it happens. She says she knows people slack off from time to time, but if she continues to do it this way for this long, she may risk everything.

Aiden tells Violet, dinner has arrived, as he walks into Finn’s apartment with Elizabeth and Jake. Violet says, good. She didn’t feel like cooking. Elizabeth says she’s glad they could help. How is she? Violet says, good, and Elizabeth asks Gregory, how’s his day? He says he’s fine, and she says, Finn’s not home? He says, not yet. The babysitter just left. Violet asks what they’re having for dinner, and Elizabeth says, they’re having turkey burgers, fries, and salad. And her dad better hurry up or he’s going to miss out. Aiden says, they’ll have fries if it’s okay for him to use the air fryer, and Gregory says, of course (🍷) it is. Just make sure to tell Finn how much he loves it. It’ll make his day. Elizabeth tells the boys to unload the stuff in the kitchen and get started, and Gregory tells them to help themselves to anything in there. Violet suggests she show them where everything is, and Gregory says, good thinking. Violet follows the boys, and Elizabeth asks if Gregory is okay with a turkey burger. He says, if she’s asking him if he’ll be able to hold it, or will he fumble it all over himself and the table and the floor, her guess is as good as his. She says she was asking him if he was in the mood for it, and he says, sorry. A burger sounds great. She says, and for the record, if he holds it, drops it, or wears it, it’s still going to taste really good. He asks, what’s going on with Jake? and she says, ugh. He says, never mind. He thinks he knows.

Chase comes out wearing an apron and carrying some plates, and Brook says, the smells coming out of that kitchen are driving her nuts. She can’t wait to dig into this very green… He says, chicken. He was very free with the spinach. He went with their honeymoon theme – chicken Florentine. He sets the plates down, says, Italy, and pulls out her chair. She sits and wonders how she got so lucky. First him, now this. He says he’s made dinner before. It’s not that big of a deal. He opens a bottle of wine, and she says she loves him for doing this. She loves all the extra work he did in the kitchen to make this happen. She loves him for selling his truck, but hates the fact that he doesn’t have it anymore.

Chase says, the truck was just a silly guy thing. He had no idea she was so attached to it. She says she’s attached to him, and he loved that truck, but he says, no. He loves her. Besides – he takes the apron off and sits down – it’s not like he needs the truck to haul lumber or bales of hay or anything like that. She tells him, whatever you say, and he asks if she has a picture in her mind of her standing in the truck bed, holding a Just Married sign, with tin cans hanging from the bumper. She says she does now. She would have loved that. Though at the moment, she would much love Lucy Coe dangling from that bumper. He says he saw what happened on Home & Heart. He’s sorry the video launch of Deception’s new cream was so problematic. She says, if Sasha hadn’t shown up when she did, they’d still be hearing about the trials and triumphs of Lucy Coe, and he says, Sasha’s pretty great. Brook says, because she’s gracious and charming, and she made it clear the viewers that they should buy Deception’s new cream. Lucy made it clear to the viewers that she needs therapy. He says, it got a little better when Scott got there. He at least mentioned the cream. She says, the Home & Heart new product launch was supposed to be another step in Deception’s financial rebound, and he says he’s on track to get a raise at the PCPD’s next fiscal year. She says, he’s on track? He should just get it right now. No one’s better at their job than he is and he works harder than almost anyone. He says, if he does get the raise – they clink glasses – he thinks that they should invest the money in some property, build a little forest getaway, and maybe that truck will come in handy. She says, he realizes they don’t have to wait, right? They could buy five new trucks, five forest getaways… They could probably buy five forests. He asks if they need to have the money talk again, as in, her family has all the money, and he has a decent government salary. She says, they probably should, but first, she just needs to take a couple of bites of this gorgeous, green chicken to fortify herself.

Alexis says she doesn’t know if Gregory told Finn, but she’s so sorry. She’s not going to be able to make Chase’s wedding. He says he’s sorry to hear that. Did she get a better offer? She says she got a different offer. Diane has made it her mission to get her disbarment fixed. He says, good news, and she says, shocking news. She would not have thought after all this time… She thought the chances of them wanting to review her disbarment highly improbable. He says, it became not so improbable, and she says, it became real. She has a hearing with the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan the day after Chase’s wedding, but she has to be there 24 hours in advance. He says he’s sure Chase and Brook will be disappointed, but they’ll be thrilled by the reason. She says, getting a hearing does say the court feels there’s sufficient grounds to take a second look. He says, if anybody deserves a second chance… but she says she doesn’t know about that. He asks why she says that, and she says, maybe she got the justice she deserved the first time when the court smacked her down. He says, the court smacked her down, but she’s doing a pretty good job of it herself, and she says she knows she didn’t support perjury and she didn’t perjure herself, but she did lie to the medical board, and she was under oath. So when the disciplinary committee took action, she didn’t think it was appropriate to contest it. He says he gets it. She needed to punish herself. If we don’t think we’re worth saving, we don’t even try.

Laura says she doesn’t think she or Anna were consciously trying to impede the pursuit of justice. She’s just saying that she knows she’s guilty of not seeing clearly what was right in front of her. She’s sorry. This has been weighing on her for a long time. Anna says she thinks Laura is going to have to be a bit more specific, and Laura says she’s talking about her friendship with Sonny. Anna says she knows he and Laura have a history, and Laura says, Luke and Sonny were friends. The club Luke owned was originally owned by Sonny. Anna says, Paradise Lounge, and Laura says, yeah. Anna says, such an ironic name in retrospect, and Laura tells her, to say it was a disreputable place would be a compliment. Eventually, they just shut it down, and then Luke and Sonny turned that space into Luke’s blues club. They really bonded over that. They became very close, and since then, Sonny has done a lot of things to help a lot of people that she loves. Anna says, he did for Robin. He was there for her daughter in ways she couldn’t be. Laura says, he’s done a lot of good. He really has, especially for the hospital. And the thing is, she really believed they had a bond. Anna says she did too. He listened to her when that double-agent thing came out. She considered him a friend, albeit an unconventional one. Laura says, considered. Past tense? Anna says, an individual walked through this door into her office and told her flat out that Sonny ordered him to kill someone, and Laura says, Sonny ordered a hit. She guesses she knew in theory what Sonny did for a living, but she guesses she didn’t allow herself to think about what it meant in practice. Anna says, he’s charming and generous and has decent impulses, no question. But charm has no moral weight and impulses aren’t character. Laura says she feels so ashamed that it took her so long to wake up and see him for everything that he is. Anna says, every time, she felt they shared this understanding of darkness that no one else shared. She didn’t allow herself to play out what that was, what that actually meant. Laura says her friendship with Sonny was never a secret. She’s just here to say, if Anna ever felt inclined to go easy on Sonny because of her, don’t. (Come on. These two aren’t stupid and they’ve been around the block and back. They knew Sonny was a mob boss, but thought all he did was import coffee?)

Laura says she realizes now that Sonny has a very dark side, one that he can keep hidden from most people, but she got a chance to see what that side was capable of when she saw her brother lying in that hospital bed, and she realized that Sonny is a violent and dangerous time bomb that could go off whenever he decides it’s necessary. Anna says, that sounds about right, and Laura says she knows Cyrus has done the same, probably a lot worse, but Cyrus is not as skilled as Sonny at not getting caught. Anna says, he’s not a generous philanthropist that has woven himself into the very fabric of the city for the past few years, and Laura says she’s still struggling with what Sonny is capable of doing. That he could do what he did to her brother with just his bare hands. Anna says, and in church. She talked to Cyrus, and he said he would not testify against Sonny. There were no other witnesses, and she knew that Sonny would lie about whatever charges she filed against him. Laura says, and as they’re learning, Sonny is really good at lying, and Anna agrees. Laura says she thinks she’ll be going. So if the opportunity presents itself for Anna to pursue this case… Anna says she’ll be ready. Laura can count on it. Laura thanks her and leaves.

Chase says, his wine guy had several choices to pair with tonight’s dinner, but he chose the pinot grigio because it’s Italian, and Brook says, like the chicken. He says, and the woman he loves, and she says she loves him too. And she loves this wine. She thinks she’s had enough of it to have the money conversation. So she and Tracy talked… He says, let him get a pen, and she says, for what? He says, so he can sign the prenup that Tracy drew up and they can get back to the wine, but she says, drink the wine. There is no prenup. He says, it’s fine. He thought about it and he’s fine with signing it. And he wants her to feel safe. She says she does feel safe, and he says he does too. Which is why he’s fine with saying that nothing is ever going to happen to their marriage. Which means this prenup means nothing. So they’ll put it in a drawer and pull it out in 50 years, and they’ll see how much his signature changed. She laughs and says, they both know his signature changes depending on his mood. Remember when his team lost and he had to sign the pizza delivery guy’s receipt? The pen almost went through his hand. There is no prenup. He got another bottle, didn’t he? He says, how about this? If for some reason their marriage falls apart, then he walks away with nothing more than he brought to the marriage. She says she appreciates the offer, and he says, but she’s not going to take it. Because according to Brook’s teachings, you never accept the first offer. She says she couldn’t be prouder. Their marriage isn’t going to fail. She knows it and he knows it. So the conversation they should be having isn’t about what happens when they split up. It’s about what happens when they don’t.

Finn says, good thing Diane is in Alexis’s corner, because it doesn’t sound like Alexis is, and Alexis says she’s just being cautious. She does have a history. He says, history is in the past. It’s done. She says her apologies to him and Mr. Faulkner, but the past is not dead. The past’s not even in the past. It’s right here. And that side of her that’s capable of doing horrible things or self-sabotaging may be in the backseat right now, but it’s always around there, lurking somewhere. He says, they’ve talked about this. They’re wired the same way. That’s what makes them always focus on the negative things first and the good things come in tenth place, but that doesn’t mean they’re to be ignored. Some really wonderful things have come out of her past. She says, her girls. Best thing that ever happened to her. Nothing else even comes close. She refers to them as little Roombas because they’re always wandering here and there and everywhere, but eventually, they always get back on track and come back to mom. He says, she must have done a lot of things right to have three daughters as great as the ones she has. She says, other than her girls, she feels like the most good she’s ever done in the world has been through her legal career. Because she’s been able, in some very small way, to move the needle of justice forward. She wants to do that again. She wants to feel good like that. He says, yes. And if the court case goes the way it should, she will. She says, so she just needs to not get in her own way and stay sober. And they both know if she loses this case, she’ll want a drink to console herself and if she wins it, she’ll want to celebrate. He says, life doesn’t make it easy, does it? and she says, Molly is already worried about her. If she slips up again, her girls may be done with her. He says, she’s not going to let that happen, and she says she’s here. And she’s going to be here tomorrow and the next day and the next day and the next day. And if she’s not here and he’s here, he better call her out on it. He says, okay. He’s watching his dad die slowly before his eyes. And after treating his dad poorly most of his life, he has a few months to make up for it. So he’ll be there for her if she promises the same for him. They shake hands, and she says, always my friend. She hugs him, and he thanks her.

Violet and Aiden come out of the kitchen, and Elizabeth asks, how’s it going in there? Aiden says, all good, and Violet says, it would be great if Aiden could make the cheese fries instead of regular ones. Gregory says he’s all for it if it’s okay with Aiden’s mom, and Elizabeth asks if they think she’d say no to cheese fries. Is his brother helping? Aiden says, he was, but now he’s on his phone, and Elizabeth says, just yell if they need anything. They go back into the kitchen, and Gregory says, it’s none of his business, but he’s guessing that the tension level has risen a few notches in her house since Jake’s father came back in the picture. She says, yeah. Actually, she was hoping to talk to him about this. She knows there was a time when Finn rejected him, and even though their situations are completely different, there’s a form of that happening with Jake. He doesn’t want to talk about Jason. He doesn’t want to acknowledge his name. He’s so, so angry. Obviously, Gregory didn’t just up and leave his kid without any notice whatsoever, so she doesn’t know. Maybe he doesn’t have any advice to offer. He says, it sounds like Jake’s not the only one who’s angry, and she says, no, he’s not, but he is the one most crippled by it. He says, sometimes he thinks anger is just our way of punishing ourselves when the one we really want to hurt is someone we love and can’t let go of. He can’t tell her how much he loved Finn’s mom. Watching her die was the worst thing that ever happened to him. Worse than waking up now each morning, wondering what ALS has stolen from him. But then he met Jackie. She was so young and vibrant, she made him feel alive again. Maybe it was a rebound. They loved each other and he wanted to be in love again so badly. It didn’t feel wrong to him. It didn’t feel like he was being unfaithful to his late wife. She says, but that’s how Finn saw it, and he says, that’s the way Finn had to see it. Otherwise, he would be being disloyal to his mother. The anger that Finn channeled his way… But like anything that hot and intense, it had to eventually exhaust itself and it did. And what remained is a loving father/son relationship that she sees now. So maybe Jake just needs to let his anger burn itself out so he can get to his own now.

Alexis says, Finn knows if there’s anything he or his father want or need, she’ll be there, and he thanks her. She says she just wants to let him know that she saw Gregory recently and he didn’t look very good. Finn says he knows. And like her, he’s struggling to hang on to his sobriety. When he reflects on his past, he was not a good son. His dad did nothing but good, and he treated him very badly. Alexis says, he’s changed. He’s made amends. He’s not the same person anymore. He says, yeah, but that person knows where he lives. Now his dad has turned inward. Gregory won’t let Finn go to any of his doctor’s appointments with him and won’t let Finn see any of his test results. All he does is give Finn these glowing reports about how well he’s doing, and all Finn has to do is take one look at him to know he’s lying. She says, being a doctor and his son, he picked the wrong guy to try and bluff, and Finn says, he’s holding himself together by sheer force of will so he can make it to Chase’s wedding. She says, it means a lot to him, and he says, it does. It’s going to, right? Chase is the good son. He’s the one who wronged his dad. He turned it around in his head to make himself right. It takes a lot of time and energy to convince yourself everyone else is the problem, but not you. She says she knows the syndrome, and he says he stays up at night thinking of all the time he lost his family, the lost days that became lost years. He doesn’t sleep much anymore. She says, nobody can punish us like we can, and he says, his dad was devoted to his mom. He was there for her. She died so young. Finn was just angry. He was angry at everyone. But when his dad met Jackie and she helped him move on and be happy, he found a way to punish his dad for it. Sleeping with her before the wedding, before their wedding. What kind of son does that? (I’m glad he mentioned this. When Gregory didn’t, I started to wonder if I’d made it up. I guess he felt it wasn’t his place to tell Elizabeth.)

Brook tells Chase that her mother kept them away from the Quartermaine money. She knew it was there, but she had a pretty good career as a music manager. The Quartermaine money wasn’t always a gift. He asks if Ned was around, and she says, enough. She’s pretty sure he paid child support. It’s not like she ever felt she didn’t have two parents. And her grandparents, her aunts and uncles, her cousins, all the people who might have been cousins, they were always around. He says, so that’s why the guest list for their wedding was so long, and she says, and she only invited the ones she likes. Some of her relatives had a house. Some of them had one gifted to them in a will, but none of them were rich. They were comfortable in Bensonhurst. He says his upbringing was probably quieter than hers, but they were pretty middle class too, and she says she wants that kind of life for their kids. A life full of love that makes them feel safe. She knows there are going to be bumps along the way, but they will be surrounded by family who will take them by the hand and help them. He asks if she doesn’t think there will be members of the family who will want to take their hand and put a bunch of money in it, and she says, there definitely will be. He knows her family. That’s going to happen, but there’s two of them and they can send them off. It’ll be a little tricky to have a normal life, especially in Port Charles, but it’s not impossible. He takes her hands and says, if they’re together, nothing is impossible, and she says, there you go. She thinks what granny was really after with that prenup wasn’t about protecting her trust or her inheritances from him; it was about protecting them from what the insanity of that kind of money can bring. He tells her that he never thought he’d say this, but he thinks Tracy has the right idea.

Chase hands Brook her glass of wine and says, here’s what he thinks, and he thinks Tracy would agree. They’re young, they’re healthy, they have careers that they love, and between them, they’re comfortable. She says she’s with him so far, and he says, they take the interest from her trust fund and any other funds she has and put them into a savings account for their kids. It’ll be for education… and shoes. She says, exactly what kind of shoes is he thinking? It sounds good. He says, it will be a safety net if anything comes up, and she says, like a shoe emergency. He says, a medical emergency. Or if they want to help out a loved one. And he’s sure there’s charities they’d like to support. She says she likes the sound of it, and he says, the only thing he cares about their kids inheriting is the good stuff they bring to their lives. Honesty, compassion, a strong work ethic. She says, he brings so much more than that. Granny told her that no one would want to live off their spouse’s money, which is a really weird thing for her to say, considering all the guys in her life did just that. He says he never understood her taste in men, but he understands where she’s coming from. He always wants to feel like he can serve and protect this family. See what he did there? She says she did, and he says he thinks he brings value to their marriage. He can sing. She says, yeah, he can, and he says he can cook. She says she can attest to that, and he says he can catch the bad guys. Some might even say, it’s her dollars against his collars. She tells him that she’d never say that, and they kiss.

Laura goes into the Bistro and says, she asked them to meet and keeps them waiting. She’s so sorry. Cyrus says he’s always happy to wait for his sister, and he used the time to try and figure out the reason behind her unprecedented invitation. She asks what he came up with, but he says, nothing. He decided to be grateful just to spend some time with her. She says she’s glad they’re doing this then. He’s looking well. He thanks her and says he’s feeling good. He’s getting stronger every day. He tries to look at his time at GH as just an extended spa stay. She says, he’s joking, but what happened to him in that church was no joke. He says, it’s in the past, but she says she’s been thinking about it an awful lot lately, and if he chose not to press charges against Sonny because of her, because of her friendship with him, she wants him to reconsider. He deserves justice. She doesn’t want to be the reason he doesn’t get it.

Detective Brennan says, Anna wanted to see him? and she says she wanted to know the status of Dex Heller’s application to the academy. He says, Heller aced the written exam. He’s got a physical and job standard test next. He’s got to say, the guy looks army ready. He can’t imagine there would be a problem with either one. She says, that’s great. Sounds very promising. He says, they don’t get candidates of this caliber very often, and when they do, the academy grabs them. She thanks him for the update, and he says, if he could be honest, he thinks though, in this case, they should consider passing on it.

Violet says, ladies and gentlemen, dinner is served, when Finn walks in. He hugs Violet, and Gregory says, your timing is impeccable, sir. Finn says, sir. He likes it. Jake says he hopes they made enough fries, but Finn says, don’t worry. He’ll just eat Jake’s. Aiden says, there’s another basket ready to go. His air fryer is amazing. Finn says he knows. He keeps telling people and they say he’s crazy. Gregory, Aiden, and Violet head for the kitchen, and Finn asks how Jake’s day was. Jake says, no complaints. How about him? Finn says, no complaints, and Jake says, they’re living the dream. Jake follows the others, and Finn apologizes to Elizabeth for being late. She kisses him and he says he had a meeting and he stayed behind for a little bit and talked to Alexis. She asks if everything is okay, and he says, just checking in with each other. How’s his dad doing? She says, he’s just the sweetest person. If it wasn’t for Finn, she’d be halfway in love with him already. Finn says he better not be late for dinner again, and they go to the kitchen.

Cyrus says, Laura isn’t the reason Sonny escaped justice for his assault. He is. She asks what he means, and he says, Nina Reeves came to see him when he was in the hospital. The Lord works in mysterious ways. Tell him, does she think people like Nina Reeves and the Quartermaines become phenomenally wealthy without breaking the law, or are they just phenomenally good at not getting caught? She says, if she had to take a guess, she’d think that over the generations it’s probably a bit of both. He says, Nina used some of that generational wealth to walk in and buy him a radio spot for his Scripture based show. She asks if that was in exchange for him not pressing charges against Sonny, and he says, yeah and he agreed. She says, now she knows how he got on the radio, and he laughs. He says, it’s over now. He got sick of hearing his own voice and some of his listeners told him they thought he sounded phony when he quoted the Bible. He was terribly offended until he listened to himself. She says, was it bad? and he says he has no standing and no business telling anybody how to live their life. He thinks that came through. He has a lot of work to do on himself, and it’s probably best he takes care of that before he presumes to shepherd a flock. She says, he seems different, at least more thoughtful, and he says he prays that he is. She says, now that he’s taken Nina Reeves payoff, would he consider pressing charges against Sonny?

Brook says she can’t believe how nervous she was talking money with Chase, and he says, she’ll get better with practice. Besides, he thinks they’re going to be having that talk every few years. She asks if he thinks they’ll change their minds, decide they want to buy all the trucks, and he says he’s pretty confident in saying no to that, but money changes. Banks close, markets crash, opportunities come up that weren’t there before. She says, they’ll cross those bridges when they get to them, and maybe they’ll buy them if they want to, but for now, they’re good. He says, she was nervous about having the money talk because of his fragile male ego, wasn’t she? Because if the shoe was on the other foot and he had the millions, he doesn’t think she’d like living off his money either. She says, probably not, and he says, that’s all he needed to hear. She says, he should have told her sooner; she would have said it sooner. He asks if they can be done with this money is a ruinous burden talk, and she says, yes, yes, a thousand times yes. He says he wants her to give him one practical good thing that money brings them, and she says orthodonture. Their kids are going to have beautiful teeth. He laughs.

Anna asks why Brennan thinks they should pass on Heller. He just said Dex was extremely qualified. He says, there’s some things the intake test can’t catch, and she says, for example? He says, Heller made a wrong turn in his life and he’s trying to make up for it, and she says, Brennan thinks Dex is trying to make up for the time he spent working for Corinthos. He says, yes, and penance is the wrong motivation for becoming a cop. When there’s a guy with a gun holed up somewhere, the cops who have something to atone for are the ones who run in too soon too fast. A lot of times, they don’t come out. She says, got it, and thanks him for the update and insight. He says, no problem, and leaves.

Cyrus says he doesn’t know if reinstating charges against Sonny would serve justice or not, and Laura says she saw him when he was lying in that hospital bed. He was unconscious, but that man could have killed him with his bare hands. He says, but he didn’t, thank the good Lord, and she says, yes, thank God, but she heard that Sonny wasn’t able to use his hand for more than a week. Cyrus says, but he was responsible for the circumstances that made his beating happen, and she asks what he means. He says, by dishonest means, he came to know certain things about Nina. And he followed Sonny into that church knowing full well how his ill begotten knowledge would hurt him, and he haunted Sonny with it. He knew the pain would make him crazy and it did. She says, so he goaded Sonny into a rage, and he says, yes. And he knew, even as his own blood was flowing down his face, he had won. With every blow, he had more leverage over Sonny, and it disgusts him. Everything he’s ever done involving Sonny disgusts him. It’s been so long, he doesn’t even know what it was he wanted from Sonny to begin with. But that night, it had to do with revenge. She thanks him for admitting all that to her, and says, but he still didn’t deserve to be beaten like that. He says, maybe he didn’t, but maybe he did. Maybe it would be good for Sonny to go away for a while. He doesn’t know. She says, well, she does, and he says, then he’ll let himself be guided by her, but she says, no. She can’t tell him what to do here. He has to decide this for himself. He says, what an irony. The one time he didn’t ask for it, he holds Sonny’s fate in his hands.

Tomorrow, Finn tells Dante that Chase’s bachelor party went sideways, and he doesn’t know what to do; Cyrus goes to see Anna; Michael tells Josslyn that they should keep an eye on that guy; John says, it’s time he finally gave Carly something in return; and Lois says, it wouldn’t be complete without Sonny.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

I was surprised that this was the most difficult scene for him, since Jason got socked with a lot of surprises.

Grandpa Carmine has RSVP’d yes.

New gigs for three.

She deserves it, and she’s absolutely gorgeous.

🔪 Tonight In Chefs…

A Supper Club sounds amazing. I love this site’s blow-by-blow recaps.

💎 Because We Can’t Have Nice Things…

Is Bravo kidding? She was just coming into her own, and part of the trio of reason – Garcelle, Sutton, and Crystal. They never know a good thing when they have it and hang on to the bad things for far too long. She will be missed.

https://ew.com/crystal-kung-minkoff-exits-rhobh-after-3-seasons-8634000

🗽 No Boy Toy Here…

He looks too much like the Count. Methinks the Countess wants one a little younger too. And possibly more French.

No judgement on the age difference. I have zero against that whichever way it goes. But they literally look like a father and daughter when next to each other, especially when he’s holding her hand. I blame it on Mary Kate dressing like she’s 12.

💅🏼 Reviving Their Place…

It’s good to see Heather Locklear sharpening her claws again.

https://people.com/melrose-place-revival-in-the-works-with-heather-locklear-laura-leighton-daphne-zuniga-8629989

🐙 Just Marvelous…

After seeing so many videos of them doing things like playing with divers, I won’t eat octopus (or eel) anymore. Again, no judgement. You do you. I don’t think I could ever give up a tasty burger.

https://people.com/paul-rudd-marvels-at-mimic-octopus-8630194

🪣 Fighting Fire With Water…

Join me tomorrow for more soap and amusement. Until then, stay safe, stay turning obstacles into opportunities, and stay not wasting time and energy convincing yourself everyone else is the problem, but not you. It’s probably you.

May 16, 2023 – Nina Comes To Carly For Help, Prohibition Party From Hell & DNA

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sasha hears a baby crying in her earpiece, and actually looks more annoyed than anything else. Haven says, Sasha hasn’t been in front of the cameras for a while. Looks like someone’s got a bit of the jitters. Russell tells Julie, crank the baby crying in Sasha’s headset up to 8, and Julie says she’s got it. I have to say it. This is kind of ridiculous, not just because it’s a home shopping channel, but it’s in her earpiece, not her head. She had a nervous breakdown; she wasn’t struck stupid. From the sidelines, Lucy says, Sasha, hang in there, and Haven says, Sasha doesn’t look so good.

Anna asks Robert what he means by what was she thinking? and he says, why she wanted to go on the rescue mission. She says, good, because as motives go, stopping a genocidal maniac is self-explanatory to her. He says, it’s one thing to take on Victor. It’s another to take on a virus that has an 80% kill rate. She says, there are worse odds, and they’ve faced them, and he asks if she was thinking about her daughter. Was she thinking about Noah or Emma? How about even him? If she’s going to run off and die with this guy, shouldn’t she be putting her family first? She tells him, don’t ever say she’s prioritized anyone or anything above her family. He would have done the exact same thing. He says, they’re not talking about him, but she says, he knows she’s right. He would do anything, he would risk everything for the woman he loves. He says, first, he’s got to choose the woman.

Alexis meets Diane at the Savoy, and apologizes for being late. She could tell Diane all about it, but she knows Diane doesn’t want to hear about it. What’s the occasion? Diane says she knows she did the right thing, but she needs Alexis to tell her that she did the right thing, and she didn’t… Holly walks in and hugs Felicia, and Diane says, make a fool of herself. Alexis asks if Diane wants to tell her what’s going on, and Diane says, not really.

Holly asks, where’s Felicia’s handsome husband? She thought he was joining them. Felicia says, he was before he got called into the station on a case, and Holly says, that’s the trouble with law enforcement; they’re always on duty. He should become a criminal. They have very flexible schedules… apparently. Felicia says she’ll suggest it when he retires, and Holly says, as much as she’d like to celebrate with Mac, she’s pleased it’s just her and Felicia; the girls. Felicia says, honestly, her too. She knows what Holly’s been up to, but what’s next? Is she back in Port Charles for good? Holly looks over at Diane, and says, that’s the idea, if she’s wanted.

Gladys asks Selina how she’s supposed to get so much money together so quickly. It’s impossible. Selina says, there might be another way for Gladys to repay her debt, and Gladys says, Venmo? Crypto? Can she write Selina a check? Selina says, no, and suggests they talk about this somewhere more private.

There’s a knock at Sonny’s old kitchen door, and Carly walks past the ever glorious moss bowl🎍to answer it. It’s Nina, and Carly thanks her for coming. Nina thanks Carly for calling and asking her. They were interrupted at the hospital, and there’s still so much more Nina has to say. Carly says she’s listening, and asks if Nina wants a glass of wine, but Nina says, no thank you. Like she was telling Carly at the hospital, she’s been doing some soul searching and realizes she’s been acting from a place of fear, and that fear has led her to make some poor decisions that hurt people, mostly Willow. And in that fear and jealousy, she blamed Carly for the distance between her and Willow, and that was wrong. But she thinks it’s easier for her to hate Carly than accept the consequences of her own actions. She knows it’s late, but she understands it now. She’s so sorry. Carly asks if that’s it.

In a hallway at the back of the club, Gladys tells Selina she doesn’t have the money now, but she can get it. A large man joins them, and Gladys asks if that’s Selina’s steno. Selina says she was under the impression Gladys was Stella’s guardian and has complete control of Sasha’s finances. Gladys says, that’s right, but it’s a lot of money to move all at once; Sasha might have questions. She supposes it’s not impossible, but she has to be subtle about it. Selina says she understands Gladys’s quandary. Availing herself of Sasha’s money to pay off her growing debts could put her in an awkward position; with Sasha certainly, but legally as well. But like she said, there are other ways to make good. After all, money isn’t everything.

Sasha says she thinks there’s a problem with her earpiece, and Haven says, what kind of problem? She doesn’t hear anything in hers. What is Sasha hearing exactly? Brook tells Lucy that something is wrong with Sasha, and Lucy says, maybe Maxie pushed her too soon; maybe she’s not ready. Brook says, something’s wrong with her earpiece. Sasha says, The Deceptor is a portable home spa device for the woman on the go, and Russell tells Julie, louder. He wants that baby wailing. Julie says, okay, when Cody comes in. He says, forget the wailing; just cut the sound or he’s going to start streaking. Russell says, he what? and Cody starts taking off his clothes, and says, cut the sound now, or he’s going to start streaking. He takes off his shirt and undoes his belt, and says, by the way, it’s huge, so cut the sound now. Julie leaves, and the crying disappears from Sasha’s earpiece. Flora says, and just look at the design. So much thought went into that. Haven tells Flora, she’s sure their viewers would rather hear all about it from the Face of Deception herself. Go ahead, Sasha. All eyes are on you.

Anna asks what Robert means by that, and he says, she’s tired, it’s late, and he’s kind of overstayed his welcome. She says, he did that when he rang the bell. This is so typical of him. He comes barging in here, picks a fight with her, just because he has something else on his mind. What is it? He says, Holly has indicated that she wants to have a relationship… with him. She says, good. She knows he cares about Holly. What’s the problem? He says, the problem is… another woman.

Felicia asks if this means Ethan is safe, but Holly says, not really, but Australia is familiar territory. He has to replenish his funds if he’s going to… Felicia says, pay back the people he stole from, and Holly says, make restitution. Felicia asks if that’s what they’re calling it these days, and Holly says, it’s not entirely his fault. He’s young, and both of his parents have been known to, on occasion, avail themselves of things that aren’t necessarily theirs. Felicia looks at Diane, and says, case in point.

Diane says she may have given Robert a slight ultimatum, and Alexis asks, how slight? Diane says, she told him not to call her until he’d decided between Holly and her.

Felicia asks if they should relocate, and Holly asks, why? Felicia says she thought this might be a little awkward, but Holly says, it could if they make it so. Actually, if Robert’s fond of Diane, she should take this opportunity to get to know her. She gets up, bringing her drink, and Felicia follows her.

Diane says, it’s early days for Robert, but she’s not going to waste her time if he’s in love with Holly. Holly and Felicia approach the table, and Holly asks if they can join them. Diane says, uh… yeah.

Sasha says, first of all, Haven, Flora, and especially the viewers at home, she’s so sorry. Her earpiece was making this horrible noise. Know what it sounded like, Haven? It’s not important. She thanks the viewers for staying tuned in, and promises they won’t be disappointed. Flora says, don’t keep them in suspense. Tell them all about The Deceptor. Sasha says, The Deceptor is a revolutionary new product; it’s an at home spa device for the woman on the go. Flora asks how it works, and Sasha says, it’s really simple. Would Flora like to be her model? Cody watches from the sidelines, and Flora says she’d love to. Sasha says she thinks Flora is going to love the results.

Alexis says, of course (🍷), please join them, but Diane says, actually, would she and Felicia mind if she and Holly had a moment alone? Felicia suggests they order the second round, but Diane says she has everything she needs right here. Alexis tells Holly to take her seat, and goes to the bar with Felicia. She asks if Felicia thinks they need a referee. Diane says she and Holly don’t know each other very well, but Holly strikes her as a woman who’s direct and to the point. Holly says, guilty as charged, and Diane says, so let’s lay our cards on the table, shall we?

Anna pours more wine from the never-ending bottle, and Robert says, they’re both brilliant, funny, and amusing. While Holly is electrifying, Diane has an ease about her. He can talk shop. Hell, he can talk anything. Anna says, and it’s good to know there’s no chance he’ll have to prosecute her in the next few months, whereas Holly… He tells her, she said that, not him, but she says, he’s thinking it. He says, yeah, and wonders what he should do, and Anna suggests witness protection. He says, come on, but she tells him that she doesn’t know what he wants her to say. He’s always managed to make his own decisions in the past. He says, Diane has stated on no uncertain terms that she won’t compete for his attention, and Anna says, good for her. He says, and Holly… and Anna says she’s sure Holly has no problem with competition. He says, every time he sees her face, he’s home, and Diane challenges him. She says, Holly doesn’t? and he says, she does, but… He comes to Anna because she’s always honest with him, even at times he doesn’t want her to be, but what does he do here?

Haven says, that’s all they have time for tonight so she’d like to thank her special guests, Flora Gardens – Flora says, always a pleasure – and the Face of Deception herself, Sasha Gilmore. Until next time, happy homes and warm hearts. When they’re off the air, Haven tells Sasha that went great, and Sasha says, it did. She’s sorry to disappoint Haven. She’ll be hearing from Sasha’s lawyers. Lucy and Brook applaud, and tell Sasha that she was amazing. Lucy asks, what happened at the beginning of the segment? and Sasha says, they were placing a sound effect in her earpiece; a crying baby. Flora overhears, and goes over to Haven. She says she knows Haven did something to that poor girl’s earpiece, but a crying baby? Haven says she did no such thing, but Flora says, don’t lie to her face. Of all the low-down, disgusting, despicable things to do to a woman who lost a baby. She thought the tweets were bad enough, but trying to push poor Sasha over the edge on live TV? Haven says, there was obviously a screw up. She’ll find the culprit. Flora says she thinks she’s looking at the culprit, and know what else she thinks? Maybe she doesn’t want to be the number one seller on a show where these mistakes happen. She quits. Haven tells her to wait. Those baby sneakers aren’t going to sell themselves. She follows Flora out.

Sasha tells Brook and Lucy that she’s okay. She had a second where she thought history was repeating itself; that she was imagining it. Brook says, that must have been terrifying, and Sasha says, it was. But then, she can’t explain it, but she knew the sound was real. It wasn’t a hallucination; it wasn’t Liam. She knew she was being manipulated, and she could keep going. Julie walks over, and tells Sasha that she’s really sorry. There’s just one more caller, and they’re insisting on talking to Sasha about The Deceptor. Can she patch them in? Lucy says, Julie must be as morally bankrupt as her boss to think that Sasha would trust her, or this show, or anybody here anymore. Sasha tells Lucy, it’s okay; patch them through. Lucy says, no stunts, shaking her finger in Julie’s face, and Julie promises. Sasha asks what she can do for the caller, and a woman says, she’s back. She heard Sasha’s baby died, then her husband died. Such a tragedy for a young person like herself. Sasha says, it was a tragedy, but thanks to the support of her family and friends, she’s doing much better. The woman says, isn’t that a miracle? and Sasha says, it is, and you know what else is a miracle? The new device they call The Deceptor.

Nina says she knew better than to think Carly would accept her apology, and Carly says, if Nina were her, would she accept her apology? I get totally distracted by the call of the moss bowl🎍, and Nina says she’d at least acknowledge it. Carly asks if Nina wants a blue ribbon for self-awareness. Nina talks about what she wants from Willow, but she doesn’t talk about what she wants for Willow. Carly wants Willow to be safe, healthy, and happy. Can Nina say the same? Nina says, when all of this is over, and her daughter pulls through, she wants Willow to have a long, happy, healthy life. Even if she’s not part of it. Carly says she almost believes Nina, and Nina says, but if there’s a way she can be part of it, a way she can repair the relationship, she’s willing to do anything. Carly says, Nina just doesn’t get it. The more Nina pushes, the more she drives people away. And what does she mean by relationship? What relationship? What is there to repair? Nina says, Carly is right. When she first met Willow, when Willow was Charlotte’s teacher, she made Willow’s life miserable. She shouldn’t have done that, even if Willow wasn’t her daughter, but when she found out Willow was hers, she’s been trying to heal their relationship, but of course (🍷) that’s after she scorched the earth ten times over, and they all know that. That’s why… In hindsight, she’s relieved Willow had Carly. Willow needed a mother, and Carly couldn’t be that for her. But Carly could, and she did, and for that Nina is truly grateful.

Holly says, Diane doesn’t waste any time. She likes that. Diane says, who wants to go first? and Holly says, may I? Diane says, please, and Holly apologizes for kissing Robert in his office. Obviously they didn’t know she was there. Diane says, and by that she infers Holly knows… She and Robert have been on exactly one date, and she doesn’t ask for exclusivity until well into the second. As such, her relationship with Robert, whatever it may be, is still in the nascent stages, so there’s no apology necessary. Holly says, still, it was inappropriate, and Diane says, that’s between Holly and Robert. Here’s where she stands on things – and she told this to Robert as well – she will not compete with a woman for any man’s attention. Holly says, fair enough, and Diane should know she has strong feelings for Robert. Diane says, Holly has told Robert of these feelings? and Holly says, why hold back? She and Robert have been dancing around each other for thirty years. Diane says, and Holly believes Robert has these feelings for her as well. That’s what Holly’s trying to say, isn’t it?

At the bar, Felicia tells Alexis, Robert and Holly are two of her closest friends. She just wants what’s best for them. Alexis says, and she wants what’s best for Diane, and Felicia says, of course (🍷) she does. Holly knows what she wants, or what’s next. Alexis says, Felicia sounds like she doesn’t. That doesn’t sound like her. Felicia says she’s not exactly lost and aimless, and Alexis says she is. It’s not fun. Felicia says, actually, she’s looking for a new project, something she can get excited about. Like Alexis with The Invader. She’s on a mission to serve the community, and make real, positive change. Alexis says, that was the plan… from the start, and Felicia says, not now? Alexis says, it’s still the plan. It will always be the plan. If she’s going to be completely honest, The Invader isn’t what she wanted it to be.

Lucy heaps praises on Sasha, and Brook sees Cody walking through, and follows him. Russell tells Sasha and Lucy that The Deceptor is flying off the shelves, and Lucy says, of course (🍷) it is. It’s a wonderful product. And pain sells, but he already knew that, didn’t he? She pokes her finger in his chest, and says, listen, you wimpy little weasel. You, and Haven, and Home & Heart are going to make this right. You are going to make this right.

Brook finds Cody putting on his boots, and asks if he’s a big fan of the home shopping channel. He asks, how else could he add to his porcelain cat collection? and Brook says, he didn’t see those inflammatory tweets that the show had people post? He says he does not understand. What are these tweets she speaks of? She says, he got them to stop that sound effect, and he tells her, if you say so. She says, they’re going to celebrate at The Savoy. Is he in? He sees Lucy telling Sasha, if she’d had any idea of what they were going to put her through, she would have never put Sasha in, and he tells Brook that he has a thing. Next time. But make sure Sasha has fun. She deserves it.

Selina says, Gladys has options. There are things she values more than money. Gladys says, such as? and Selina says, assets, of which Gladys has many. Gladys guesses she could finally unload her house in Bridgeport, but Selina says she’s referring to Gladys’s connections. Gladys says, Selina thinks she has connections? and Selina tells her not to sell herself short. She may hold the key to certain business dealings, certain arrangements that could prove useful to her and her organization. Gladys says, Selina wants the skinny on what goes on at Deception… Oh wait. Is she talking about Gladys’s cousin Sonny?

Anna says she can’t tell Robert what to do, and he says, tell him what not to do; that’s the next best thing. She says, a new person is always very exciting, whereas an old love is kind of comforting. He says, he and Holly certainly know each other, inside and out. Anna says, they do. On the other hand, Diane takes it all very seriously, and so does he. He says, Holly looks at it at best a challenge, and at worst, an obstacle, and she says, very exciting though, isn’t it? He says he’s back to square one here, and she says she can totally understand why he doesn’t want to make this decision. He never thought he’d be in a position like this, right? He says he didn’t, and she says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she’s not surprised. He’s quite a catch. He does have his moments, rare though… He says he’s got to go. Tell what’s-his-face goodbye. She says, he means goodnight, and he says, that too. He leaves, and Valentin comes out of the kitchen. He says he thought Robert would never leave, and Anna says, my God, leaning back on him.

Holly tells Diane that she and Robert fell in love decades ago, and those feelings never went away. Certainly not for her, but to answer Diane’s question, in typical Robert Scorpio fashion, he has neither confirmed nor denied. Diane laughs, and says, good to know that’s his M.O. Holly says, exactly, and she wanted Diane to know… this might sound patronizing… Diane says, but she’s going to say it anyway, and Holly says she doesn’t want Diane to get hurt. Diane thanks her for her concern, and says, really, she’ll be fine. As she said to Robert, she has no intention of going to war over a man, especially one, who at this stage, is still just a friend. Holly says, they should remain friends. She’d be completely comfortable with that. Diane says, that’s good to know; that’s very generous. So let’s say she bows out, and Holly and Robert pick up where they left off. Holly says, the ideal situation… for her, and Diane says, here’s what she doesn’t understand. What makes Holly so confident that their relationship will work out – this time?

Alexis tells Felicia, the news she wants to report is just a fraction of the news that needs to be reported. And there’s administrative and economical issues. Felicia says, The Invader may not be exactly what Alexis envisioned when she started there, but it’s become a respectable publication. That’s because of her leadership. Alexis thanks her, and Felicia asks if she’s wrong. Alexis says she thinks Felicia is very kind. She spends most of her time finding advertisers, managing investors, managing staff. To be honest, it’s a little disappointing. Her wish for The Invader hasn’t entirely come true. Felicia says, yet, but if anyone can make it happen, it’s Alexis.

Lucy, Brook, and Sasha come into the club, and Lucy says she promises she was very polite when she cornered the Home & Heart producer. She just said, Russell, Russell, Russell, intentional infliction of emotional distress, lawsuit, lawsuit, etc., etc. Guess what? They ended up with five more spots for Deception. Prime time. Of course (🍷) it comes with one condition; hers, not theirs. She wants Sasha to be The Deceptor’s spokesperson.

Carly says she’ll help with Willow, and Nina thanks her, saying, it’s more than she dared to hope. Of course (🍷) they don’t want to do anything to make Willow feel uncomfortable, so she was thinking maybe Carly could set up a phone call. If that goes well, maybe they can… Carly says she’s going to stop Nina. She wants to be really clear. She’ll help Nina with Willow by supporting whatever decision Willow makes for her family. If Willow decides to let Nina in, she promises not to stand in the way. But if Willow decides she wants nothing to do with Nina, Carly won’t advocate for her. Nina says she should have known Carly wasn’t going to help.

Gladys says she doesn’t know anything about Sonny’s business, and Selina says, but they’re close. Gladys says, no, not really. Sonny doesn’t really like her that much. Selina says, even so, Gladys might know more about Sonny’s business than she realizes. Gladys says she doesn’t, and it’s asking for trouble neither of them wants. Selina doesn’t understand why Gladys is bothered by the suggestion. It’s one way for her to handle her ever-increasing debt. Gladys says she can get the money. She just needs a few more days. Selina says she has until tomorrow, noon, and Gladys says, that’s not enough time. Selina says she grows tired of making allowances to someone who won’t take a gift when offered, and Gladys stammers, saying, she’s so thankful for Selina’s patience. Selina says, perhaps she’s been too patient. Noon. Tomorrow. And if she can’t pay, perhaps Sasha will. She leaves with her henchman.

Sasha thanks Lucy and Brook for being so supportive, and Brook says, they never doubted her for a second, but Lucy says she did. If she’s being honest, she feared the worst, but Sasha pulled it together and became this magnificent creature who she knew Sasha could be. Sasha says she doesn’t know what she would have done if they hadn’t been there, and Brook says she thinks Sasha still would have made it. Even when she got distracted, she didn’t fall apart. Lucy says, Sasha got right back on her feet, and there was no stopping her. Brook says, she kept her focus, she kept the segment going, and sunk that landing like a boss. Sasha says, they’re right. She feels more like herself than she has in a long time. Lucy tells her to just pace herself, and Sasha says, maybe it’s the rush talking, but she’s wondering… Maybe it’s time she got back in the driver’s seat. Brook says, from where she’s standing, absolutely. N’neka brings a bottle of champagne, and they go to a table.

Felicia tells Alexis, it can’t be that late. She told Maxie that she was going to stop by and bring her some soup. She thanks Alexis for the chat, and says, Alexis has given her a lot to think about. She leaves, and Alexis says, same here.

The moss bowl is featured prominently, and Nina says she can’t believe she came here groveling and begging for Carly’s forgiveness and help. She never should have listened to Drew. Carly wonders what Drew has to do with it, and Nina tells her that he said she should come here and acknowledge her mistakes and be honest. But Carly doesn’t listen. Carly says, no one can save Nina’s relationship with Willow but her, and Nina says she’s asking how. Carly says, stop pushing through every boundary Willow sets a million miles an hour. And have some patience for a young girl battling cancer. All Nina does is put her needs above Willow’s, time and time again. Nina says, Carly is such a hypocrite, and Carly says, maybe she is; maybe she’s not. But right now, they both know she’s right about Nina and right about Willow. If Nina wants to be Willow’s mother, she’s going to have to do it on Willow’s terms.

Holly tells Diane, that’s an annoyingly good question. The reason she and Robert are going to work out this time is that… this time there are no obstacles. Diane says, what about the fact he’s a district attorney, and Holly leads a colorful life? Holly says, so there’s one obstacle, and Diane asks if it doesn’t concern Holly that, despite there being a rich tapestry that’s her history with Robert, the two of them currently reside in completely different worlds. Holly says she’s not going to apologize for the way she lives her life, but Diane says, no one’s asking her to apologize. Quite the contrary; she thinks Holly should write a book about her escapades. But has the universe really been working overtime to keep her and Robert apart? Or is it more likely that things haven’t worked out because they can’t, and probably never will?

Russell says, The Deceptor’s sales are off the charts, and Haven says, even without a total meltdown. They high-five, and Cody comes onto the set, saying, oh my God, Haven de Haviland. She says, this is a closed set, and he says he knows. He almost ran across it, naked. That’s how he got her PA to cut the cute sound effect they were using to gaslight Sasha. Russell says, the show’s over, so why doesn’t he… Cody grabs Russell’s hand, and asks if he knows how many bones are in this hand. Does he want to find out? Haven asks what he wants, but Cody says, nothing. He just wants her to know, if she ever threatens his friend Sasha again with a stunt like that, her sales figures will be the least of her problems. She asks if he’s threatening her, and he says, yes, ma’am, I am. And she doesn’t want to see him make good on any of his threats. He leaves.

Gladys asks N’neka if Miss Wu is still in the club, and N’neka says she is. Does Gladys want her to tell Selina that she’s looking for her? Gladys says, no, and N’neka moves on. Gladys overhears Sasha say, it’s been a while since she allowed herself to trust her own instincts. Now that’s all going to change. She thinks it’s time to let Gladys off the hook, and end the guardianship. She’s ready to take the reins again. She, Brook, and Lucy clink glasses.

Nina says she’ll give Carly this, besides having the world’s most fabulous moss bowl🎍, she didn’t drive the wedge between Nina and Willow, but once she saw it was there, she didn’t hesitate to take advantage. Carly says, if by take advantage Nina means take care of the young woman her son is in love with, the young woman Nina abused relentlessly, then yeah, she took advantage of her. Nina says, to think she felt guilty about… Carly says, guilty about what? and Nina says, blaming Carly for the estrangement between her and Willow, when it’s clear Carly will do everything in her power to keep them apart. Carly says, Nina can lash out at her all she wants. It doesn’t make it any less true. On her way out the door, Nina says, good luck with the SEC.

Diane asks if she’s spoken out of turn, but Holly says, not at all. She appreciates Diane’s frankness. Diane tells her, then what’s left to say except, you’re welcome. Now if Holly will excuse her, she’s going to call it a night. Holly says, not on her account, but Diane says she has to be in court in the morning. Who knows? Maybe one day she’ll get to defend Holly. Holly says she’d trust her freedom to no one else, and Diane says, nor should she. She walks over to Alexis, who asks, how’d it go? Diane says, not bad. She actually thinks she kind of likes Holly. Alexis says, that’s nice, and suggests she sleep on it. Diane says she’s not too proud to admit, Holly Sutton has some interesting qualities. She almost feels sorry for Robert, having to decide between them. Almost.

Valentin asks what Robert wanted, and Anna says, he’s having a really hard time making a decision. He wanted her to make it for him. Valentin asks if she did, but she says, no; not this time. He says, while she was solving her ex’s life problems – he puts her feet in his lap – her current, which is him – she says she remembers him – was putting the finishing touches on dinner, and not to brag – she says, as if – it’s the greatest amatriciana ever made. Even he’s impressed. Is she hungry? She says she could eat, and he kisses her.

Selina says she’s so glad to see Holly back in Port Charles, and Holly says she’s glad to be back. Especially since there was a moment she didn’t think she’d be back here, or anywhere else, ever again. Selina says, since she’s here safe and sound, she wonders if Holly would be open to doing a little more business. Their last venture proved fruitful to them both, did it not? Robert comes down the stairs, and stops short when he sees them. Holly says, it certainly did, and Robert watches from behind a column.

Tomorrow, Spencer tells Trina that she’s a genius; Selina tells Curtis that she can make the DNA test go any way he wants; Diane tells Mac, if he wants answers, he’ll have to ask his brother; and Holly asks someone for help.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Most embarrassing episode yet. And that’s saying a lot.

12 hours after Dolores’s Prohibition party. We see a clip of Danielle and Marge arguing heatedly at the party, and then Rachel and Danielle arguing. In a voiceover, Melissa says, for the last six months, she’s been keeping a secret, and doing everything in her power to keep the family together. Teresa says she didn’t want to say anything. She was scared they would ruin her wedding. Dolores calls Melissa, and says she feels bad about what happened at her house. She asks if Melissa and Joe #2 are going to the wedding, and Melissa asks how she can celebrate the marriage of the people who are trying to destroy hers. We see a clip of Joe #2 and Louie arguing, and they both look insane. Melissa says she doesn’t need to deal with toxic people, even if they’re in the shape of her family.

12 hours earlier. Dolores gets ready for her Prohibition party, and in her interview, she says she would have been a boss bitch in the 20s. Every mobster would have been fighting over her. We see a group from the Irish School of Dance, and Dolores says, Paulie wanted to bring Ireland to the boys, since the boys didn’t experience Ireland like they did. They have Irish dancers, Irish whiskey, and Irish singers. Paulie is handling everything, and all she has to worry about is looking pretty. It’s like her coming out party. She gets to show the crew her home, and her and Paulie as a couple, doing something together. The women and their SO’s trickle in, and in Melissa says she’s decided the 20s is her era. In her interview, she says she’s waiting for Paulie to get on one knee. Any time now. There’s more food than you can eat in a lifetime, and Frank dances with the Irish dancers for a millisecond. In Jennifer’s interview, she says she likes what whiskey does. She doesn’t remember Ireland, but remembers she had a good time. Rachel tells Marge that Danielle was playing nice at Teresa’s shower, and Marge says, Danielle was crying; she’s always crying. She doesn’t believe it’s just about Danielle’s brother. Rachel says she’s curious as to what’s going on that’s affecting Danielle so deeply. In Danielle’s interview, she says, she’s hoping for the best, and preparing for the worst. Bill tells Paulie that the guys he’s been trying to get Joe #2 to talk to Teresa, and we flash back to Joe’s interview, where he said he didn’t want his children raised in hate and anger. He tells Bill that it’s a tough situation, but Bill says, these are moments that only happen once in a lifetime. Melissa asks Danielle why she’d been crying, and Danielle says, everything is a trigger with Melissa and Teresa. Rachel says, Danielle seemed off when they were in Ireland. She has a relationship with Marge, and wants to give her a fair chance. Now she knows if she had said something negative about Jennifer, Danielle would have told her. In Rachel’s interview, she says, Danielle revealing that Teresa and Jennifer were talking to Laura isn’t a bad thing, but it proves her point. Rachel tells Danielle that Laura is Marge’s ex-friend, and it’s sensitive subject, so she wanted to give Marge a heads up. She wanted Marge to know what was being talked about. Danielle says she just wanted Rachel to be careful, and asks if they can put it behind them. In Danielle’s interview, she says she always wanted a friendship with Rachel. She doesn’t want to fight with her or have friction. She tells Rachel that she wants to move forward and build a friendship; their kids get along. Rachel says she was genuinely concerned about Danielle, and Danielle says, what she and Rachel had escalated, but she’s good now. In Rachel’s interview, she says she thinks she and Danielle could have a nice friendship, but they just haven’t been able to get to that point. Melissa comes by and asks how Danielle is. She was concerned about Danielle in Ireland. Danielle says she’s good now. She had things weighing on her mind in Ireland. Melissa wonders what it was.

In Danielle’s interview, she says she has a lot going on in her mind. She’s navigating the best way to tell Melissa about the rumor. She doesn’t want to hurt Melissa, and she’s damned if she does, and damned if she doesn’t. Melissa says, it’s an Irish party, so that means everyone must be drunk. Teresa and Louie are the last to arrive, and Louie deliberately ignores Joe #2. In Joe’s interview, he says, enough is enough. Louie knows what he’s doing, and he doesn’t respect that. Bill insists that it’s going be great night, and Frank tells Joe that Louie was short with him too. Louie says, you’d think, being her blood brother, Joe would show up differently, but Teresa says she has him and her love bubble. She just wants to be happy. Louie says he’s not happy with her brother, and Jennifer says, she’s happy for Teresa; Teresa’s chosen family, who want to celebrate her marriage, will celebrate with her. Danielle tells Jennifer that she’s going to tell Melissa about the rumor. She feels it’s the right thing to do. Jennifer says, she can’t do that, but Danielle tells her, if somebody was saying that about her, she’d want to know. Jennifer says, after what she went through last year, she didn’t want to do that to someone else. In Jennifer’s interview, she says, nobody protected her or her children. She doesn’t want to be that girl to another family. She tells Danielle that she was trying not to repeat what she was told, and in her interview, Jennifer says, Melissa didn’t do anything to her; it was Marge. She tells Danielle, at the end of the day, all this stuff comes from Marge. Danielle says, it’s only a matter of time, and in her interview, she says she doesn’t want to hurt Melissa, and doesn’t want to believe it’s true. She wants to tell her what a woman told her friend. If she heard something like that, and has to tell her in the most sincere way. She tells Jennifer that she’s looking out for Melissa; she’s not going to throw Jennifer under the bus. Jennifer says, it came from Laura, and Danielle says, if they want to put it on her, let them.  

Up the Dubs! Whatever that means. Danielle asks Melissa to come outside with her, and Jennifer watches. In Danielle’s interview, she says she has no strategy. She’s going in😐. Melissa is going to say, that’s not true, thanks for telling her, let’s do a shot, go back to the party, and continue the fun. She tells Melissa that she found out some information in Ireland that affected her on level where she was like, f***. She wants Melissa to know what’s being said about her. Laura was saying that Marge claimed a friend caught Melissa in the back seat of a car, kissing a guy. He told Marge about it, and Marge told Laura; that’s what Laura is saying. Melissa says, to be honest, she already heard about it through her husband. His sister called him secretly to tell him, behind Melissa’s back. In Melissa’s interview, she says, six months ago, Teresa called Joe over to her house, and said she’d heard this rumor. She believes it so much, she had to call Joe. How dare Teresa tell her husband that she cheated? She tells Danielle, that’s pretty f***ed up, coming from her sister-in-law. In her interview, she says, Teresa is repeating a baseless rumor from some woman who wants to hurt Marge. Melissa suggests Danielle call them both over. Teresa has accused her of doing a lot of things. She’s been a stripper – we flash back to that – she’s been accused of doing it in parking lots before – we flash back to that – and Teresa has said a multiple times that she’d leave her husband in a heartbeat for a richer man – and we flash back to that. There have been multiple things said that they’ve let go. In her interview, Melissa says, she had no intention of confronting Teresa about this because Joe doesn’t believe this BS, and she wanted Teresa to have a peaceful six months leading up to the wedding. But she has her minion come to make Melissa look bad in front of everyone, so they hear Melissa is a cheater. She asks Danielle if she looks like someone who would be in the back seat of a car, and Danielle says she doesn’t believe it. Why not address the messenger? Marge hears her name, and says she’s going to take Danielle’s Amazon dress and wrap around her throat. She comes over to Danielle and Melissa, and says she’s hearing her name. Danielle says, they were talking about Laura, and Marge wonders why she’s talking about someone she doesn’t know. Danielle says she heard something, and Marge asks, from who? Danielle says, don’t shoot the messenger, but Marge says, she’s not a messenger; she’s a sh*t starter. Danielle says, Marge has got the wrong person, and puts her finger in Marge’s face. When Marge tells her not to do that, she waves her hands all over the place, and Marge calls her a low budget Betty. Across the room, Dolores’s antennae go up, and she wonders if something is going on. Danielle says, everything is coming from Marge, and Rachel asks, what’s going on? Marge says, Danielle is a disgusting wannabe, and Melissa says, these two met up with Laura, pointing at Teresa and Jennifer. She calls Teresa a loser, and says, Teresa called Joe #2 to her house to tell him Melissa was in a car with a guy. In Dolores’s interview, she says she’s been around enough fights to know when it’s going to escalate. This is bad. Melissa follows Teresa around, mimicking her. Honestly, I have never seen adults behave like this. I can’t be certain what goes on behind closed doors, but certainly never at a party. Or a bar. Or anywhere in public.

At this point, there’s so much yelling and screaming and people bending over in a kiss-my-ass gesture, a lot is left out. It’s just a big, embarrassing free-for-all.

Melissa says, Teresa feeds on the hope she and Joe will get a divorce, and in Teresa’s interview, she says she didn’t want Louie to do it, but he’s the one who told Joe. If Marge was coming for him, he wanted Joe to be able to get in front of it. She never repeated it to anyone. Louie announces that he told Joe, and someone says, calm down, but Louie says he doesn’t give a f***, and gets all crazy eyed. He says he’s a winner. Teresa is winning. Teresa says, Melissa just wants attention, and Joe asks Melissa, what happened? She says, Danielle tried to tell her about the kissing in a car thing, and in Joe’s interview, he says, Louie called and said he needed to see Joe right away. He’d heard Melissa cheated on him. He’s got the wrong girl. Melissa says, they have to stop protecting them, and Marge says, this stupid girl brought it up, indicating Jennifer. Teresa says she knew this would blow back on her, and in Melissa’s interview, she says, Teresa knew this was going to happen, and was nervous. That’s why they were late. She should have told them to shut up. In Jennifer’s interview, she says she told Danielle not to say anything, but you can’t tell people what to do. Marge tells Jennifer that Laura is crazy, and Jennifer says, why fabricate a specific story with names, dates, and places? 😐Laura sung like a bird. Rats, birds. What is this, the poor man’s mafia circa 1948? Marge says she told Laura nothing, and Jennifer is on a revenge tour. She’s upset about what happened last year. Jennifer yells, now her daughter wants to be a therapist. I love how she makes this sound like such a bad thing. She says, that woman threw herself at her husband. <snort> She nearly launches herself at Marge, and starts crying. Bill manages to get her out of the room, but she yells the whole way. Rachel wonders, what just happened, and Teresa follows Jennifer. In her interview, Jennifer says, Melissa is a filthy cheater; not her husband. Melissa says, this was a great party move, and Danielle says she had good intentions. Marge told Laura and Danielle found out when they were in Ireland. Melissa asks if Danielle thinks it happened. In Rachel’s interview, she says, just because you have an ax to grind and say something, where’s the street cred?  You can’t just pull something out of the sky and say it’s true. That’s not how it works. Joe #2 laughs, and tells Melissa not to lose any sleep over it. Teresa says that Louie called Joe, and Louie announces that his friend Bo Dietl knows sh*t about everyone in the room. Everyone is like, who the hell is Bo Dietl? In Joe #2’s interview, he wonders who Louie is talking to, and tells Louie to back the f*** up. Nate holds Louie back and some guys hold Joe back, and Joe yells that Nate doesn’t have to hold Louie back.  

Joe #2 tells Louie, back the f*** up. He doesn’t talk to Joe’s wife like that. Louie laughs, and goes downstairs, and in Joe #2’s interview, he says, don’t get in his face like an angry devil. Who talks to woman like that? Louie tells Teresa that Melissa tried to fight him, and then Joe wanted to go at him. He told Melissa the truth. Teresa says she didn’t want him to call her brother. She knew it would blow back on her. Marge says, Danielle did this, and Danielle says, Marge can kiss her ass. Marge says, Danielle did to try and break up a family. Good job. In Danielle’s interview, she asks if Marge didn’t legitimately break up a family, which seems oxymoronish. Marge says, Danielle is a stupid bitch, and Rachel says, it wasn’t done privately. In Rachel’s interview, she says, personally, she wouldn’t pick these circumstances. She would have shared it in , but she’s not Danielle. In her interview, Danielle wonders why she’s being painted as the bad guy. It was Marge all along, and she tried to expose that. Joe #2 moans, why can’t we all just get along? The 90s called, and they want that back. In Dolores’s interview, she says she wasn’t thinking about the party and what she’d put into it (oh yes she was). She just wanted everyone to be okay. She’s so hurt for everyone.

We see in the text that Danielle and her brother still haven’t spoken. She’s focusing her energy on her Bougie Kidz line – one tutu at a time.  We see Marge is still living with Lexi and Nino (and presumably Joe #3). She’s continuing to build her arsenal – of extended family. Aww. Rachel has officially adopted Jaiden (yay!), and to celebrate, they took a trip to DisneyWorld, where Rachel hung out with her favorite rat, Mickey Mouse. Wait. What? This is the kind of thing that contributes to people who think mice grow up to be rats. Seriously, I had a friend who thought that.

Jennifer visits Teresa, who is cranky from last night. In Jennifer’s interview, she says, it’s supposed to be the happiest time in her good friend’s life. The situation is sad and disappointing. She should see it from my end. Teresa says she feels horrible, and Jennifer says she told Danielle not to do that. Teresa moans that the finger is always pointed at her, and I think of a finger I’d like to point. In the car, Dolores calls Melissa, and says she’s checking in on Melissa. She feels bad about what happened in her house. Melissa says she knew about Laura repeating the rumor. She’s known for six months, and had been dying to tell them. Louie whines to Teresa about being devastated, and Teresa says, it doesn’t stop. Joe #2 does construction on his new house, and in his interview, he says, Louie told him about the rumor, and continued to push. He said Melissa had been with multiple men, and told him to leave her. Then Gia called and said she’d heard what happened, and she thought he could do better. She said, mommy thinks so; they all do. He asked himself if he wanted to be around people who love him or want to hurt him. It’s a f***ed up situation. Melissa tells Dolores that Teresa and Jennifer were behind Danielle talking about the rumor. Teresa has been after her since she was 24, and she doesn’t need to deal with toxic people bringing her down, even if they’re in the shape of her family. Dolores asks if Melissa and Joe are going to the wedding, and Melissa asks how she can go support someone else’s marriage when they’re constantly trying to destroy hers.

Dolores tells Melissa, if they miss the wedding, she thinks it will be over over, but Melissa says, it’s been over. Dolores says she’s on her way to Teresa’s house. If they ask if Teresa’s brother is coming, should she say no? Melissa gives her the go ahead, and Dolores says she’s sorry for everything. She feels bad about last night. In Dolores’s interview, she says she can’t imagine if her only sibling didn’t come to her wedding. it’s not what she wants or wishes for them. It makes her nauseous to say it, but how is anybody coming back from this? She goes to Teresa’s house, and says she’s anxious for Teresa and her brother. She was talking to Melissa, who’s been upset. She’d kept her mouth shut, but now it’s out. In Teresa’s interview, she says she had plenty of opportunity to bring it up, but she kept her mouth quiet. She knew they would put it on her. Louie joins them, and says, last night was heavy. I expect him to put on a Nehru jacket any minute. Dolores says, Melissa felt that Teresa was behind it, but Louie says he called Joe, so he could get ahead of it. He doesn’t deserve to have it blow up in his face. The P.I. Bo Dietl brought him information on every person in the group. In Teresa’s interview, she acts ignorant of knowing anything, and Louie says he’s successful because he surrounds himself with successful people. In Dolores’s interview, she wonders what kind of information he has. She doesn’t understand what he’s talking about with this P.I. She tells them that Melissa said she and Joe weren’t coming to the wedding, and Teresa says, they hate her and Louie. This has been going on for over ten years. First she dealt with it with her ex, now she has a new chapter, and she’s so done. In Teresa’s interview, she says, family is the most important thing. You need to honor and respect family, not hurt them. Jennifer asks if she’s cutting them out of her life, and Teresa says, like her cousin Kathy. In other words, anyone who dares to tell her the truth. In her interview, Teresa says she’s been dragged through the mud and back. It’s gone on long enough. She tells Dolores that Melissa wanted to get her brother away from her, and got her wish.

We see in the text that Melissa is planning a housewarming. Teresa and Louie aren’t invited – it’s chosen family only. Teresa tells Dolores, that’s a relief, and thanks her. We read that Dolores and Paulie are looking for a new home. Dolores is looking for the gold at the end of her rainbow – in the shape of a ring. Jennifer and Bill continue to work on their marriage. Jennifer hopes Bill comes to prioritize the family over the pool house. Teresa tells Louie that she feels relieved, and he says, it’s over. He loves her. The text tells us that they’re preparing for their wedding. They lost two guests, but they’re gaining five pounds – of hair.

Next time – Teresa Gets Married – lots of Bravolebrities; Teresa wants it hot, sexy, and something people won’t forget, with as less clothes [sic] as possible; Jennifer says, the hair should be an accent piece, not the main event; Teresa cries over Melissa and Joe’s Instagram posts; and Gia says, it’s over for everybody.

🧊 Tipping the Iceberg…

Come back tomorrow, if you dare, for soap, and the VanderMoment we’ve all been waiting for. Until then, stay safe, stay arguing productively, and stay keeping it private if you’re going to be the messenger and not a sh*t starter.

September 14, 2021 – Peter Sets the Tan-O Ablaze, Thoughts, Postponed, Gala, Video Wins, Must Watch & Boom

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Harmony works with a patient at Spring Ridge, when Alexis walks in. She asks how Ryan is enjoying his afternoon excursion, and Harmony says Ryan is in his room resting. This is Greg. She says, she knows Ryan’s presence there concerns Alexis, but Alexis says it does more than concern her; it alarms her and fills her with dread. Every time she walks in there, she has to brace herself that he’ll be in there. Harmony says, and when Alexis sees him, is there ever any change? Ryan’s been reduced to an invalid; he’s no threat to anyone. Alexis tells her, so says every teenager in a horror film before the guy with the chainsaw shows up. Harmony says she’s not responsible for Ryan being there. She didn’t ask to be assigned to him. Her job is to care for him, so she’s going to do that to the best of her ability, but don’t mistake that for liking him or defending him, because she doesn’t. Alexis says, it would be easier to believe Harmony if she didn’t know how susceptible Harmony was to a certain kind of monster. This, coming from Alexis, of all people.

Dante swings a baseball bat, and Sam says, strike three. He says he didn’t know she was counting balls as strikes. She says he missed by a mile, and he says, he did, but he was distracted a little bit. She says she wonders why, and he laughs.

Chloe checks Drew’s wounds, and says he’s lucky. His ribs are only bruised, not broken. He says, the guards must be slacking. At least they spared his pretty face this time. It worked. She says she had to turn him in for stealing a pen, and he says, which gave them a reason to trust her. She says, he’s a Navy SEAL, right? Didn’t they teach him how to lock pick? Why didn’t he escape? He says, and leave her there? No way. She says he’s lost the pen, and he has multiple bruises. What do they do now? He says, get the hell out of there.

Josslyn sees Spencer at the MetroCourt, and says, hello, Spencer. Or should she call him Victor? He says she can’t possibly be mistaking him for his late, unlamented great-uncle, and she says, no. She was mistaking him for someone who had maybe grown up a little bit, and achieved some decency. Her bad. He’s taller, but he hasn’t grown at all inside. He’s still just as spiteful and dishonest as ever. He asks how she really feels, and she says she really feels like punching him in the face, but it would just give him another excuse to feel sorry for himself. He asks what she’s talking about, and she says, poor, poor, pitiful Spencer, with his trust fund, and his mansion, and his boarding school in Europe. He doesn’t get along with daddy, so that justifies him buying and using people, right? Getting Trina to keep his secret, and telling her that his name is Victor, and for what? It’s all just going to blow up in his face. Does he know why? Because the truth always comes out. Always.

Sonny looks around the bench for his phone, when Jax comes by. Sonny asks what he wants, and Jax says he’s just trying to spare the people who care about them as much pain as possible, and that includes Phyllis and Nina. Sonny says, there’s not going to be any pain once Jax leaves town, and Jax says, Nina hasn’t talked to him yet? Sonny says he lost his phone, came to look for it, and it’s not there, and Jax says, so he still doesn’t know the truth. Sonny says Jax makes that sound like a threat. He doesn’t give a damn about Jax’s truth. He just wants to find Nina, so they can get on with their lives. Jax says, it’s a little late for that. Always has been.

Nina tells Peter, just go. Leave them in peace. The longer he’s there, the greater the chance he’ll be discovered. Peter says he intends to leave, and soon, but she and Phyllis won’t be. In fact, the two of them won’t be setting foot outside the Tan-O again. Nina tells Phyllis, don’t worry. It’s going to be okay. She knows Peter. He’s just a big talker, but he’s really just a typical insecure bully. He’s going to crumble like a paper cup when Valentin alerts the police. He says, nice try, but even if Valentin did pick up on her feeble attempt to warn him, he’ll be long gone before law enforcement shows up. She and Phyllis, on the other hand, will succumb to a different fate.

Sam says, she thought Dante was the one who had thousands and thousands of hours of experience with baseball. He tells her, he thinks he said tens of thousands, and she says she thinks that time was wasted, because he has a serious flaw in his swing. He says, so she’s the expert now. He holds out the bat, and asks why she doesn’t show him how it’s done, but she says she’s not giving her tips out. Besides, her team is going to the championship, as she predicted. Where’s his team going? Nowhere. Cuz you guys got beat. He says, just like he thought – girl talk – and holds out the bat again. She takes it, and he pulls her to him. She says, not so tight, and stands behind him with her arms around him. She says, shoulders back… He choked up. He says, no, he didn’t, and she laughs, putting her head on his chest.

Drew asks, how many guards Chloe has seen, total? and she says she hasn’t kept count. Ten altogether? At different shifts. He says, any guess on nationality? and she says, they seem to be from all over. He says that could actually work for them, and she asks, how? He says, they’re mercenaries. That means they’re in it for the money. They’ll do their jobs, but they’re not going to risk their lives to stop an escape. A guard bangs on the door, and says, time’s up. Drew says they need to get the keys, and she says he took that beating; what’s a little more pain? and he says, what? She tells him to pretend to be dying, and pushes him on to the cot, pressing on his wounds. He yells out, and she tells him, louder. She calls to the guard, saying, she thinks Drew punctured a lung. They need to get him to a doctor. The guard comes in, and Drew writhes in pain on the cot. The guard says Drew can die for all he cares, but she says she’s pretty sure Russel cares, and whoever Russel works for. They think this man is valuable, and if he dies, who does the guard think they’ll blame? Drew takes note of where the keys hang on the guard’s belt.

Spencer asks how much Josslyn knows. Or should he say, think she knows? She says, Trina told her that he got back to Port Charles long before his family knew, and how the night he met Trina at her graduation party, he told her that his name was Victor. He says, so Trina told her, and she says, he spent a couple of days playing games; chatting her up, and mysteriously refusing to meet her friends or let her take his photo. But then Trina came up to her and Cam at the MetroCourt pool (🍷) and they introduced her to their old friend, Spencer Cassadine. She could have busted him right then and there – like she should have – but he let her keep his secret. He says things are complicated with his father, and she says, how convenient. He says, excuse me? and she says she doesn’t excuse him, and she doesn’t feel sorry for him either. It’s a shame he has a rotten relationship with his father, but other people have it much worse. They don’t have the luxury of a bottomless bank account, or a grandmother, who would drop everything to rush by their side. Which reminds her, how could he do that to Laura? How could he be in Port Charles for weeks and never try to see her? What was so important? He says it’s none of her business, and she says, when they were kids, that was his tell. When he said something was none of their business, that meant he was lying, hiding, or doing something he wasn’t supposed to. Is that still how he operates? Is that why he needed Trina to keep his secret? He says, Trina was just being a friend, and she says, no. He was taking advantage of Trina’s compassion to play mind games with daddy. He flirted with Trina to get her to cooperate, without ever once mentioning he had a serious girlfriend. This is still his fundamental problem. He has no idea what the word friendship actually means.

Harmony says she’s not asking Alexis to forgive or forget her involvement with Shiloh and Dawn of Day. Alexis says, considering what he almost did to her daughters, it will never be forgiven or forgotten. Harmony says, and she went to jail for that. She paid her debt to society, just like Alexis is trying to do. She starts to put some books away, and Alexis follows. Alexis says, that’s true. She’s not in a position to throw stones, while she sits there as an inmate. And she admits Harmony was helpful giving Nikolas those notes from Ryan’s correspondence. Harmony says she understands Alexis wants to help her nephew. Is everything all right with her nephew? Is that what’s bothering her? Alexis says, that, and other things, and Harmony says she knows better than to ask what those other things are, so she’ll get back to work. Alexis says, she has this friend who’s about to make a terrible mistake.

Jax tells Sonny, he’s just trying to minimize the damage, and keep Nina from being harmed. Remember that when he gets his memory back. He’s called Mike, but they both know that’s not his name. Sonny flashes back to kissing his watch goodbye, and says, Mike is the only name he remembers. The only name that means anything to him. He and Nina let go of the past. All he cares about is their future together. Jax says, the funny thing about the past is, you can run from it, you can even hide for a while, but eventually the past is going to catch up with you. And guess what? Today’s your day, Mike.

Nina says, Peter’s issue is with her, not Phyllis. Let her go. Phyllis takes Nina’s hand, and says she’s not leaving her. No way. Peter says, the loyalty between them is quite touching. Does she have any rope in the back? Phyllis asks what he’s going to do with rope, and he says, what does she think? Go get it. And some duct tape. Uh-oh. Duct tape is never a good sign. He tells her, hurry. Look hard, and look fast. If she’s not back in three… no, let’s make it two minutes, Nina’s blood will be all over her hands. Nina tells Phyllis, it’s okay, and Phyllis starts to leave, but Peter says, oh. Before she goes, leave all the cell phones on the floor. She takes one out of her sleeve, and puts it down. She starts to go again, and he says, all the cell phones. She takes another out of her pocket and puts it on the floor. He tells her that she’s on the clock, and she heads for the back. He tells her, remember, he has her gun from behind the bar, so don’t even think of being a hero again. I’m thinking, she could have a Howitzer in the back for all he knows. He squats down in front of Nina, and says, I thought she’d never leave.

Spencer says he’s sorry he doesn’t meet Josslyn’s lofty standards, and she says, right. Because it’s too much to ask him not to use people. He says he had a plan for how he was going to return to life in Port Charles. Meeting Trina wasn’t part of that plan. Meeting her was a total surprise. He thought he was going to lay low in town for a while, stay under the radar, until he figured out how he was going to deal with his father. She says, then he met Trina, and started lying his head off? and he says, besides calling himself Victor, when did he lie to Trina? She says, he told Trina that he’d meet her friends on 4th of July, but he knew if he did that, she and Cam would recognize him. Of course (🍷) he didn’t show up. He says, oh, all that, and she says, yeah, all that. He left Trina twisting, talking about some guy she met who never showed up. He says, Trina wasn’t like anyone he’d met at boarding school. They hit it off almost instantly. She says, that’s the definition of using. He saw Trina liked him, and that’s how he got her to keep the secret. He asks if Trina said she liked him, and she says, really? That’s all he got from this conversation? Another prop for his gigantic ego? He asks if Trina said those specific words, that she’s into him, and she asks why he cares. He says because he likes her too. In perfect soap timing, Esme joins them, apologizing for being late. She sits down, and asks what she missed. Josslyn says, a lot.

Drew howls in pain some more, and Chloe tells the guard, whatever’s going on with him is way past her expertise. They have to get him to a doctor; he might not make it. He says he’ll go get help, but she says they have no time. She’s a nurse. She can recognize when someone’s dying. He knows how important Drew is. If Drew dies, they’ll kill him too. The guard goes over to Drew, who kicks him, jumps off the cot, and knocks him down with a roundhouse kick. Drew checks the guard, and says, he’s out. He gets the keys, and gives them to Chloe. She unlocks his cuffs, and they run out; Drew closing and locking the door behind them.

Dante takes some swings, and Sam tells him, much better. He says, thanks, coach, and she says there is one more thing she needs him to work on. He says, what’s that? and she says, his home run trot. He says she’s really the one who should be practicing that, since she has something to celebrate. She says she does? and he says, the end of her parole. She says, every time she thinks about it, it reminds her of why she’s on parole. Because she rid the world of Shiloh.

Alexis tells Harmony, she doesn’t need to get into the details, but suffice to say, she can relate to him. He’s been trying to do the right thing, but the road to hell is paved, etc., etc. Harmony asks if that’s how she ended up in prison, and Alexis says, that’s what she tells herself, but the truth is, her best intentions were fueled by alcohol. Harmony guesses she could say she’s addicted to men like Shiloh. It’s a very hard habit to admit, or break. Alexis says she knows. She’s been known to fall under the sway of an unworthy man or two… or ten. Harmony asks what advice she has for her well-meaning friend, and Alexis says, the same thing she failed to do – stay out of it.

Sonny says it sounds like Jax is the one who’s running away from something. Or does Jax expect him to believe he came all the way out there for Nina’s sake? Jax says he’ll admit, he’s made mistakes. He thought he was doing the right thing at the time, and drove away people he cares about. Sonny says he should learn from that, and Jax says Sonny sounds like Alexis. Sonny says, who? and Jax says, a friend. She says he’s too much of a fixer, that one person can’t save everyone. And if you try, sometimes you end up getting burned yourself. Sonny says Jax should take her advice and go home, and Jax says he would, but this isn’t just about Nina. Sonny says, then what is it about? and Jax says, you and me.

Peter says, Nina really thought she could just run away from home, forget all her troubles, all the damage she caused, and start a shiny new life with a man who wasn’t even hers to begin with. Think of it this way. Now she won’t have to face Carly, and explain why she kept Carly’s husband all to herself. He starts to laugh, and says, if she thinks about it, he’s freed her from a world of grief. And if she’s lucky, maybe there’s a little corner of hell where she and Nelle Benson can be reunited. Wouldn’t that be nice? She says, you sick, twisted, son of a bitch. You’re baby is so much better off without you in her life. He says he’s going to find his baby, but her… The phone alarm goes off, and he says, she’s running out of time. He guesses Phyllis didn’t turn out to be that good of a friend after all. He points his gun at Nina, and Phyllis runs out, saying, don’t shoot. He says she’s cutting it a bit close, and Phyllis says she forgot where the duct tape was. Peter tells Phyllis to tape Nina’s hands behind her back, and then tie her to the chair; then he’ll tie Phyllis. Nina asks how Peter is going to find his baby while he’s in prison. He should get out of there while he’s still free. She’s sure by now Valentin has alerted Anna, and he knows what that means. The WSB is on the way. He says he doesn’t think they’re going to like what they find when they get there.

Dante asks if Sam wants to hit something, and she says she’d love to. Any mention of Shiloh reminds her of his connection to Peter, and how they were conspiring to hand Drew over to Helena. He says, that’s ancient history, but she says, is it? What if Shiloh knew who Peter August used to arrange for Drew’s plane to go down? He says, even if he did, Shiloh’s dead, and she says, there is someone else. Someone who was very close to Shiloh who is still alive.

Harmony tells Alexis, while it’s her job to look after inmate’s health, she’s always thought it included emotional well-being. Alexis says she’s not dying for a drink, if that’s what Harmony is thinking, but Harmony says she thinks Alexis is lonely, and there’s no shame in that. An occasional visit from family and friends doesn’t always help. Sometimes it makes things worse. Like when her nephew came with his girlfriend. Alexis says, what about it? and Harmony says, as Alexis recalls, she had a bad feeling about Esme. Alexis says, and Harmony has such good instincts about people. Harmony says she deserved that, but she does know trouble when she sees it. Why was she so interested in Ryan? Alexis says she doesn’t know. Some people are fascinated by criminals. Harmony says, fascinated is one thing, but from what she observed, Esme seemed to be upsetting Ryan. How does Alexis explain that?

Esme says Josslyn should know, she and Spence have no secrets. Anything Josslyn can say to her boyfriend, Josslyn can say to her. Josslyn says, anything she has to tell Spencer, she’ll say to Spencer, and Spencer says, Trina told Josslyn that he was in town before he told anyone else, and used a fake name and everything. Esme says, everything? and Josslyn asks if there’s something else she should know. Spencer asks if it isn’t enough that he made Trina keep his secret? Does she think he’s proud of it? Esme says, poor Trina. She’s such a… What’s the word? Josslyn says, human being? and Esme says, that’s two words. An idealist. She’s always looking for the best in people. Spend a few years in boarding school, and you’ll never be an idealist again; you become too jaded. But Trina? She must be so disappointed in Spence. How can she help him make it better? Josslyn says, Esme can’t. If Spencer wants to make things right, start by telling his father the truth. Spencer says, or what? She’ll tell his father for him? He’s sorry he doesn’t have a perfect relationship with his dad like she does.

Jax says, he and Sonny have their own history, but Sonny says he doesn’t see how. Jax is part of Nina’s past. Sonny is her present and future. Jax says Nina isn’t the first woman they fought over. Hell, she’s not even the second. Sonny says, enough with the hints. If they fought over women in the past, that means Jax knows who he is. Jax knows his name. What’s his name? Does he have kids, does he have a family? Don’t even tell him, because everything that comes out of Jax’s mouth is a lie. Jax says he promised Nina that she could be the one to tell Sonny who he is, but he’ll tell Sonny this much, there are people who have risked their lives to hold on to what’s supposedly his. Sonny says, what’s his is there in Nixon Falls with Nina.  

Nina says she doesn’t know why Peter is going to all this trouble. He could have chartered a plane and been on his way to Mexico by now. He says, and just wave goodbye to her and Phyllis on the way? Ignore the fact they’re witnesses? He’s a fanatic about tying up loose ends. Nina says he has no time. Mike will be back. He says, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike. Doesn’t she mean Sonny? Phyllis asks, who’s Sonny? and Peter says Nina didn’t tell her? He’s so sorry to disappoint her, but her friend Nina has known exactly who Mike really is all along. In fact, she knows his wife and his kids. She just chose to lie about it all this time.

Out in a hallway, Drew tells Chloe, when the guard doesn’t check in, they’ll know something’s wrong. They keep moving, and he says he’s pretty much only seen the inside of his cell; she’s had the run of the place. Where to now? She tells him, outside the door, there’s a courtyard where they park their cars, and he says, he’ll just hotwire one of them, but it will take them a minute. She says, that’s why they have the keys, holding up a car key. He asks how long she’s had it, and she says since he took the beating. He tries different keys on the guard’s ring, trying to open the door, when a guard asks where they think they’re going.    

Dante says, Sam wants to go see Willow’s mom? and she says he has a lot of catching up to do. She goes by the name of Harmony, and Shiloh hardly ever made a move without her knowing about it. Dante says, so he had something on her? and Sam says she doesn’t think it’s something, but more like some sort of attraction. Sam thinks Harmony thought he was charismatic, and that’s all he needed. Harmony would basically do anything he asked, including drugging her and Kristina to initiate them into the Dawn of Day. Dante says Sam had every reason to kill that guy, although he wishes Shiloh was still there to question about Drew. She says, they have the next best thing. She holds out her hand, he takes it, and she pulls him along.

Alexis asks Harmony how anyone can upset a sociopath like Ryan. Esme came off entitled and spoiled, but maybe she’s just a harmless teenager. Harmony laughs, and says, there’s nothing harmless about that girl. The smile, the perfect manners, they’re all a cover, so she can slip the knife in your back, and make off with your wallet. Alexis thinks Harmony has been there too long, and Harmony says, Shiloh collected Esme’s type at Dawn of Day; beautiful as butterflies, but vicious as a nest of vipers. Harmony walks over to help Greg.

Esme says Josslyn has known Spence much longer than she has. She’s sure Josslyn realizes Spence’s feeling for his family is complicated. Josslyn says, that’s one word for it. Esme says, just so Josslyn knows, she told Spence that she thought it was wrong for him to mislead her and Cameron into thinking he’d just come to town, and she was very much against him asking Trina to keep his secret. Spencer says, good to know it’s unanimous. Everyone thinks he’s a jerk. Josslyn says, what a shock, and Esme says he knows she doesn’t think that. He just needs to work on his communication skills and his trust issues. Isn’t today Josslyn’s mom’s wedding day? Shouldn’t she be focused on that? Josslyn says she can multitask, and Josslyn says, so it’s more important for Josslyn to threaten Spence’s new understanding with his father?

Phyllis asks what Peter is saying. Does she know Mike’s real identity? Peter says, shame on Nina, lying to a nice woman like Phyllis, manipulating her. Phyllis let Nina into her home, opened her door to her, and sang her praises, and Nina deceived her all this time. Nina calls him a psychotic bastard, and he says, excuse me. He’s not the one who let Mike believe he was Mr. Nobody. She knew all along he was Sonny Corinthos, a married man, with a beautiful wife, and a whole bunch of grieving children back in Port Charles. Phyllis asks, is this true? like it matters right now, and Nina says, please. Phyllis has to believe her. The man called Sonny Corinthos is gone. He drowned in the Lantano River, and a much better man named Mike took his place. Peter says, that’s rich. He reinvents himself as Peter August, and he’s sick and twisted. Nina reinvents herself, and she’s the goddess of love. Nina says he’s right. They both made a lot of mistakes, but he has a chance to turn everything around. All he has to do is go; leave them alone. He says he thinks he speaks for Phyllis when he says they’ve heard enough of her lying mouth. It’s time to shut her up. He puts duct tape over Nina’s mouth, and Phyllis says she doesn’t want to die. He says he knows. Next time, chose better friends. Scratch that. They both know there won’t be a next time.

Chloe tells the guard, help her. She found this prisoner trying to escape, and she was trying to stop him. As she’s talking, she pretends like she’s scared and goes behind the guard. The guard says, it doesn’t look like it, and Drew asks if the guard is calling Chloe a liar, and punches him. Chloe stabs the guard in the neck with a syringe, and he drops. Drew says, don’t tell him she was planning that too, and she says, sometimes you have to improvise. Help her get him out of here. They pick the guard up, and drag him off.

Alexis says, that’s the second time Harmony mentioned her nephew’s girlfriend. If Esme is trouble, why does she care? Harmony says, because Alexis isn’t the only one who’s lonely. Harmony and her daughter are estranged, for good reason, but not only is she cut out of Willow’s life, she’s cut out of her grandson’s life, which is a long way of saying, she could use a friend too. Sam comes in, and Alexis tells Harmony that she’d like to pick up this conversation, but right now she has a visitor. She hugs Sam, saying, this is a surprise. Sam says she’s happy to see Alexis too, but she’s a collateral benefit. They’re here for another reason. Dante joins her, and says they’re here for a professional visit. They want to talk to Harmony about a case they’re working on.   

Josslyn says, what happened between Spencer and his dad is his business. However, he needs to apologize to Trina, and he’s going to have to work for it. If he’s going to make Josslyn choose between him and Trina, she’s choosing Trina. It’s not even a hard call. He tells Josslyn that he tried to explain to Trina that it’s not about her; it’s about him and his father. Esme tells him, listen to Josslyn. She believes 100% that he wasn’t trying to treat Trina poorly, but he did. Be the guy she knows he is, and apologize. Acknowledge that he put Trina in an impossible situation, and it wasn’t fair of him. He says, him? He did this. All by himself. Josslyn asks if he’s saying there was someone in it with him, and looks at Esme.   

Jax says Sonny claims he loves Nina, and Sonny says, they’re not just words. He loves Nina, and she loves him. Jax says, then trust her to tell him the truth. She’s probably back at the Tan-O. They can go there together… Sonny says he’s not going anywhere with Jax. Jax asks if he doesn’t trust Nina, and Sonny says, he trusts Nina; he doesn’t trust Jax. So Jax can go, he can stay, he can do whatever he wants, but stay the hell away from Nina. Sonny stomps off.

Peter brings out a can of kerosene, totally freaking Nina and Phyllis out. He says, they thought Mike would save the day. He guesses Mike is no more heroic than Sonny. He takes a sniff of the kerosene and warns them about the fumes, telling Nina, it’s certainly no Chanel No. 5. Not to worry. He starts to pour the kerosene on the bar, and says, this will all be over in a few minutes. Nina and Phyllis struggle and try to yell, but there’s no point. Peter pours the kerosene all over the place, and says, dead women tell no tales. He tried to work with Nina, but she had to run to her Aunt Liesl. He pours the kerosene over the boxes, and says, let’s look on the bright side. He, Maxie, and their daughter will live happily ever after. And they’re taking little James with them. He can grow up with a new dad. He knocks some boxes over in front of the door, and gets on the door side. He produces a box of matches that says, Tan-O on it, which he finds amusing. He lights one, and drops it. The flames leap up, and he leaves.   

Drew hopes they can find the right car, and messes with the keys, trying to unlock the door again. An alarm goes off, and he says they must have found the guard he locked in his cell. He continues trying keys, and tells her to go take the car. He’ll hold off the guards as long as he can. She says she can’t abandon him, but he says he’ll be all right. He gets the door open, and tells her, go somewhere public, very public, where they have security cameras, like the U.S. Consulate or a luxury hotel or something. She protests, but he says, someone wants him alive for whatever reason. She’s wasting time. Go. She jets, and Drew slams and locks the door. Two guards confront him, and he rushes them, knowing it’s futile. They punch the crap out of him.

Alexis says, Sam and Dante are working on a case that involves Harmony? and Harmony says she doesn’t know what they suspect her of doing, but she’s doing her best to clean up her act. Willow has made it clear that she wants nothing to do with Harmony’s life, unless she truly changes, which is what she’s trying to do… Sam tells her, hold on. Wait. They’re not here to accuse her. They actually need her help.

Esme says, maybe she’s being too hard on Spencer. She should have made sure he told his friends that he had a serious girlfriend. She should have made sure her appearance at the party was excepted, and not a big surprise. That way, Trina would have known his situation; that he was definitely unavailable. And that way, she wouldn’t have gotten any unrealistic expectations. They’ll just have to admit they messed up, and will do better moving forward. Right, Spence? Josslyn, who’s been watching this with interest, says, okay. She’s got to go. She has to get ready for her mom’s wedding. She tells Esme, as always, a pleasure. She leaves, and Spencer thanks Esme for throwing him under the bus. As if he did all this by himself, like she wasn’t a part of him arriving in town early and in secret. As if she hasn’t been part of the stalking. She’s the one who set Ava’s car on fire, something they never even discussed. She says she’s sorry. She just didn’t think it was the right call to let Josslyn think they were in this together. Trust her. This is his chance to make things right with his father. She’s only thinking about him. Josslyn watches them while she’s waiting for the elevator.  

Phyllis and Nina trapped, and struggle to get free, with walls of fire all around them. Sonny comes up the walk, and says, what the hell? He runs inside, and yells for Nina. Things start falling, and he looks through the flames

Tomorrow, Drew asks if that’s who the big boss is, Spinelli tells Jason that he wouldn’t have it any other way, Maxie tells Britt that the odds are in someone’s favor, and Carly says they have no idea what’s coming. Truer words.

💭 So, I’m wondering if Sonny will get knocked in the head saving Nina and Phyllis, and get his memory back. I’m also thinking, Esme isn’t really from Spencer’s school, and she has something on him. He does not seem interested. Also, Jax is like a head taller than Sonny. I never really noticed before. Maybe there haven’t been the two of them alone in many scenes.

🗽 About That Reunion…

Apparently, the RHONY Reunion has been iffy, but I missed the memo. However, it’s now on.

https://screenrant.com/rhony-cast-finally-coming-together-for-in-person-reunion/

👠 Meta Fashion…

What is this party even for anyway?

The beautiful:

https://people.com/style/the-met-gala-2021-red-carpet-looks-you-must-see/

The weird:

https://mashable.com/article/met-gala-2021-fashion-kardashian

And the after party:

https://people.com/style/met-gala-2021-afterparties/

https://www.eonline.com/photos/33233/2021-met-gala-after-party-photos

Bonus: The food:

🛸 Moon Men 2021…

The VMA winners:

https://people.com/music/2021-mtv-vmas-complete-winners-list/

Megan Fox has nowhere to go but naked next year. The only important thing:

📺 Coming Up…

Some shows to look forward to this fall.

https://ew.com/tv/must-watch-fall-dramas-2021/

🍁 Taking My Leave…

Tune in tomorrow for soap and the latest in the Erika saga, otherwise known as RHOBH. Until then, stay safe, stay making movement part of your day, and stay knowing that sometimes you have to improvise.

August 31, 2021 – Cyrus Has an Ally, ID Switch Dinner Success, Sonja’s New Show & Boom

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Turbulence wracks the plane Scotty and Obrecht are on. Obrecht takes something out of her bag, then starts to hyperventilate. Things settle down, and she asks, is it over?

Nina wonders if Sonny is asking her out on a date, and he says they haven’t had a chance to be together, just the two of them. She says, it’s like they’re the only two people in the world, and he says, aren’t they? She says, how about tonight they are? and he says, just her and him. She says she knows they’ve gone through some tough times lately, but maybe now it’s going to be okay. He asks, why wouldn’t it be? and hugs her. She says, so has their first date officially started? and he says, the good thing is, they’re not going to have first date jitters. She says, or wonder if the date’s going to end in a kiss, and he kisses her.

Carly asks Jason how Cyrus can be making moves. She thought he was in a Federal prison in the Midwest. He says, Jordan said Cyrus targeted someone; not them, but it proves he’s still a threat. She wanted him to know, the Feds believe Cyrus made contact with people on the outside who still back him. She says, but he’s not after them? and he says, not as far as Jordan knows. But it is Cyrus. so that can change at any time.

Josslyn goes into Jax’s place with Trina, and calls to him. She says, good; he’s not here. Let’s get started. Trina says, let’s do it, and they take some bags into the kitchen.

Shawn takes it Jordan isn’t wildly enthusiastic about his decision, and she says, forgive her. She thought this conversation was going in a different direction. He started by agreeing with her advice to focus on his present and his future. He says, it’s excellent advice, that he just can’t follow. Especially since he thinks he stirred things up by poking around. Maybe that’s what led to Naomie Dreyfuss’s murder. She says, let the police handle it. She’s on this. He says she knows he’s never been one for hanging in the back or sitting on the bench, and she says, is that it? Or does he just not trust her to find out the truth?

Elizabeth looks at the directions for putting up the tent, when Finn joins her with Violet. He says it looks like she’s having a little trouble, and she says, it’s been a while. Cameron and Jake used to put the tent up. He says, it’s too bad they didn’t come, and Aiden says, they’re too old for camping. Violet says, that’s silly. Daddy and Aunt Elizabeth are old, and they’re here, and so is Uncle Chase. Elizabeth says, excuse me. First of all, she’s not old, and second of all, she’s not prepared. She should have asked Jake how to set this thing up. Isn’t it supposed to be easier? Finn gets the tent up in a hot second, and says, viola. She says, look at that. Her hero. Violet says, good job, daddy.

Anna says, Drew’s plane was a chartered flight, with someone else on board connected to Leethy Unlimited, when it went down over the Gulf of Adan. Sam asks how long the WSB has been sitting on this, and Dante says he thought it was supposed to be a full investigation back in 2019. How come they’re only hearing about Leethy Unlimited now? Anna says, maybe there was more to the crash than they’re being told. There has to be a reason for that. Sam says, maybe the reason is, Drew is still alive.

Scotty says, what is going on? He paid good money for a romantic trip to St. Lucia, not some death watch. Obrecht says she normally doesn’t give way to terror, but this was an exception. She’s holding a locket, and he asks what she’s clutching. She says, just a little keepsake to remind her of her children. Perhaps Nathan was watching over them just now. She looks out the window, and says, they seem to be turning around. Perhaps there’s something wrong with the plane. He wonders where the pilot is, and tries the plane’s phone. He says, no one’s answering.

Anna says, the WSB had full control over the investigation, which means the other person was left out deliberately. Sam says, so this mystery passenger could be connected to the WSB? Anna tells her, she wouldn’t be able to say with any certainty; she has clearance issues. Dante knows she’s been blocked from several cases because the Bureau thinks she was compromised by Peter. Dante says, to that end, is it possible the WSB still doesn’t trust her?  Are they sure they can trust this information is accurate?

Chase joins the campers, and Aiden asks how Finn knew the trick to the tent. Finn says he’s done his fair share of sleeping on the ground, and Aiden says, him? Finn says, yes, him. Should he be insulted here? Elizabeth says, she thinks what Aiden means is Finn is well put together. He’s a doctor, and probably didn’t spend a lot of time camping. Chase says, maybe not lately, but Finn used to camp all the time when he was Violet’s age. Violet asks if he’s sure, and Chase says he’s heard plenty of stories. Their dad used to take Finn camping year round. Aiden says, even in the snow? and Finn says, snow is tricky because you have to find the right place to set up your tent. Packed snow is better than soft snow, so you have to stomp around the campground and make it nice and flat. Then you put your tent on top of it. Violet asks if they can go camping in the winter, but he says, only if the car breaks down. Chase says, come on. Snow camping sounds like an adventure. Finn says, it was. He remembers them being in their sleeping bags, with the wind howling around their tent. He’d imagine they were the sole survivors of an avalanche. Violet asks if he was scared, but he says, no. He knew his dad would protect him. Violet says, like Finn protects her? and he says, always. That’s a promise. They pinky swear.

Carly says, Jordan told Jason that Cyrus already targeted someone? and he says, the Feds were able to intervene, and protect them, and she says she bets it was Laura. She just got Laura’s RSVP to their wedding, and she said she can’t make it; that she’s stuck in DC for weeks at a conference. He says, she doesn’t buy it? and she says, no. Spencer is back in town, and things blew up big time between him and Nikolas. When Spencer broke his leg, Laura dropped her entire life, and went to France. She would be there for her grandson. He wonders why Cyrus is using all the influence he has left to go after Laura, and she says, other than his mother, Laura is the person he wanted approval from and never got. And worse, he feels Laura wronged him the most. He says, if Cyrus is out to settle personal scores, who else is he after?

Scotty asks if Obrecht thinks the pilot had a heart attack, and she says, maybe that’s why the co-pilot is trying to go back to New York. She hands Scotty the locket, and says, she’s a doctor. She’s going to provide medical assistance. She undoes her seatbelt, but he says, no; buckle up. Unless she knows how to fly a plane. She says it pains her to say it, but no, she neglected that aspect of her education. The turbulence starts again, and oxygen masks drop down. She says, maybe the pilot needs assistance, but he puts her back in the chair, and says, buckle up. He asks her if she needs help with the mask, but she says, no. She needs to survive so she can help Nina.

Nina and Sonny kiss, but this time, Sonny pulls back. He says, it’s just that every time they get close, they get interrupted by something or someone. Is Peter out there? Is she sure he’s gone? Nina flashes back to Obrecht instructing her to tell Peter that Valentin and Anna have a lead in St. Lucia. Soon Peter will never bother anyone again. Nina tells Sonny, trust her. They’ve seen the last of Peter. He says they shouldn’t even be thinking about the guy. What he wants her to think about is the man in front of her. She says she is, but she has one question. What did Peter say to make Sonny want to take his head off? He tells her that he asked if Peter knew who he was, and she says, why? Did Peter seem familiar? Sonny says, no. It’s how Peter looked at him the first time Peter saw him. Does she think Peter knows who he is?

Chase asks, who wants to scout for more firewood? The kids volunteer, and Finn asks if Chase is sure he’s up for it. Chase says, the outdoors is doing him good. And if he has any problems, he has a doctor on call. He tells the kids, hut-two-three-four, and they march off. Elizabeth says, Chase is a big kid, and Finn says, he’s having more fun than they are. She says, it looks like he’s making a full recovery, and Finn says, that makes it all worthwhile. They’d better get the bear bag secured so the bears don’t get their food. The bears want to avoid them as much as they want to avoid the bears, but the bears do love their delicious food. He hoists the bag up, and secures it, and Elizabeth says she still can’t get over him being this master camper extraordinaire. He says he’s not, but he used to live and work in some amazing third world countries. He’s done his fair share of roughing it. She says she’d forgotten about that. There’s a lot they don’t know about each other.

Shawn says, Jordan thinks he doesn’t trust her to do her job? Where’d that come from? She says, there are still some things she’s kept from him over the years. When she first came to Port Charles, and was undercover with the DEA, that was something she neglected to tell him, even though he was looking after TJ. He says, that’s ancient history; there’s no point in dwelling on it. She says she still regrets not pushing the investigation into Hayden’s shooting harder, and he says, he pled guilty, but she says she should have seen the unfair sentencing practices. She should have gone to bat for him. He says she can’t save the justice system and the city of Port Charles. She’s just one person. Besides, she doesn’t have to protect him.

Anna says she’s had conversations with higher ups at the Bureau, and her integrity took a hit because she sought to protect Peter. She assured them that was no longer the case, but the only way she’s going to redeem herself is if she takes part in his capture, and takes him down. Dante says, let’s presume Peter caused Drew’s plane crash. Maybe she raised some red flags by requesting the file. If the info is real, maybe she alerted the person who’s trying to cover it up. Anna says, if that’s the case, the request alone would have been enough, and would have been denied. Sam says, unless they gave her what they wanted her to see. Anna says, if the file was truly altered, that’s a major cover-up, which begs the question, why?   

Josslyn tells Trina, the meat is on marinade, and Trina says her dad’s pantry is impressive. Josslyn says her dad’s a foodie, thank goodness. Trina says Josslyn’s dad is going to flip out when he finds out she’s making him dinner. Does he know she can cook? Josslyn says, she didn’t know she could cook until this summer. Isn’t it strange she moves into a dorm with no kitchen, and has the sudden urge to cook up a storm? Trina says, it’s probably some deep psychologically rooted response to leaving home, but it’s still nice she’s doing it. Josslyn says, it’s a reminder that she loves him and will always be there for him, and he could use the pick-me-up. Trina asks if there’s any specific reason, and Josslyn says, he won’t say it, but she knows he’s upset about her mom marrying Jason. Trina says, Cam told her that the dinner with her parents was super tense, and Josslyn says, that’s an understatement. Her mom and dad act like it’s all cool around her, but she can tell things are definitely not cool between them.

Carly tells Jason, Martin checked out of the hotel, just days after he asked her about their yearly rate versus their month-to-month. Jason says, Laura and Martin suddenly leaving town isn’t a coincidence, and Carly hopes they’re okay. He says Jordan told him the Feds derailed whatever Cyrus had planned, and she says she’s relieved for Martin and Laura, but what about them? He says, they have to assume Cyrus is going to make a move against them at some point; he may already be trying. She says, first Jax tries to trick her into incriminating herself, now they’re back to looking over their shoulders because of Cyrus? He says, the whole thing with Jax was painful, but Jax is not a threat. Cyrus could be. She asks what they’re going to do, and he says he’s going to get to the bottom of it.

Sonny tells Nina, he knows it’s a long shot, but the guy was always so creepy around him; like he had leverage he wanted to spring on him. She says, it was obviously Peter’s arrogance. He always thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room. Sonny says, she knows how he told her not having a past makes you pay more attention to the present? There’s something he’s feeling; he’s listening more and watching more. And from the beginning, Peter gave him bad vibes.

Scotty doesn’t know what Obrecht is talking about, and thinks the lack of oxygen is already affecting her brain. He wants her to put the mask on, but she says she’s breathing just fine. He says, she can until she can’t. Please, liebchen? She puts it on, and he says, if this is it, he wants to tell her something. He thinks that he loves her. He sees that she’s passed out, and he says, schnitzel, come back. He puts his own mask on to help her, and passes out. Rut-roh.  

😒 The President interrupts, but The Man can’t keep me down.

Nina says she really trusts Sonny’s intuition. She only wishes she’d listened to him about Elijah in the first place, but she’s learned her lesson. She’s listening now, and Peter, he’s gone. She couldn’t be happier, and just hopes they don’t spend their first date talking about Peter. He takes her hand, and says if he’s learned anything about Lenny’s passing, it’s that there’s no use in worrying about the future. What’s going to happen is going to happen. She says, all they have is right now, and he tells her, what do you say we make the best of it?

Jordan says, of course (🍷) she wants to protect Shawn. It’s part of her job as a cop. He says they both know what he’s talking about, just like they both know he can handle himself. She says, no question, but it’s still her job to find Naomie Dreyfuss’s killer. He says, it’s not a stretch to think that whoever tried to kill Hayden years ago, killed Naomie. If that’s true, he unintentionally freed this person by pleading guilty, and he has no intention of letting that stand. They can investigate the case separately, or do it together, and find the answer that much sooner.

Elizabeth gets everything ready for them to eat, and Finn pulls some twigs out of Violet’s hair. He says it looks like she’s having fun, and she says, camping is the best. They saw a deer. Chase says, they were so close, Violet wanted to touch it, and Finn says, she knows they don’t pet wild animals, right? She nods, and he says, no matter how cute they think they are, but they’re fun to watch. Aiden says, let’s eat, and Chase seconds that.

Dante says, the Cassadines probably top the list of those with ties to Creighton-Clark, and Anna says, Victor and Helena used that place as their own personal prison. Sam says, Drew was kept there, and Anna says, as was Robin. Dante says, so was he. Lulu, Maxie, Nathan… Anna says, and Obrecht, when Victor believed Nathan was his son. She was just about to arrest Victor when Obrecht shot him. Dante says, they barely got out of their alive when he blew the place up with himself in it in… 2014? Sam says, Victor was in charge of the WSB at the time, and Anna says, it was a very dark path for the Bureau under his leadership. There was unsanctioned, illegal, covert activities all the time. Sam says, think about it. Drew was held at Creighton-Clark when Victor was in charge. They messed with his memory, they programmed him to be their assassin, until Drew was able to break that programming. Dante asks what she’s getting at, and she says, maybe the WSB took down Drew’s plane.

Josslyn takes a recipe card out of a file box, and tells Trina, it’s her grandmother’s recipe, so she’s really hoping she can pull this off. First they have to read it; it’s in cursive writing. It’s a stew that Lady Jane used to make every fall. She knows it’s still warm outside, but her dad loves it. Stew shouldn’t be hard, right? She looks at the card, and says, the cook time is three hours. They’ll be starving by then. Trina says they need appetizers, like cheese and crackers, but Josslyn says they have to do better than that. She gets up, saying, she remembers she saw one she liked. She looks on her phone, and says, baked mozzarella with marinara sauce. They’ll need bread for dipping, cheese, and sauce. Trina says she has the perfect sauce; the one she got in Nixon Falls. Remember when she was starving, and while Josslyn was waiting for her dad, she went to get something to eat? This cute lady at the roadhouse gave her some pasta, even though they don’t serve food, and gave her a jar of the sauce because she was raving about it. She froze half, and it’s enough for the appetizer. Josslyn says she doesn’t want Trina going through all this trouble, when they can get sauce from the supermarket. Trina says she doesn’t mind. The sauce is amazing, and just what they need for tonight. Josslyn says, Trina for the win, and they high-five.

Anna says, the WSB is responsible for Drew’s plane crash? She thinks that’s a bit of a reach. Sam says, is it really, though? There’s a big gap in this file, and that normally indicates cover-up. Dante says, if it was a real cover-up, wouldn’t they have wiped Leethy Unlimited and the passenger from the file altogether? and Sam says, maybe it wasn’t a sanctioned cover-up, but it could have been someone from the Bureau. Dante says, maybe they didn’t get all of Victor’s allies when they cleaned house after his death. Anna says, it would have to be someone with enough authority to conceal the identity of this anonymous passenger, but not enough reach to be able to eliminate the records entirely. Someone who could still be working at the Bureau, and was at least there in 2019.

Elizabeth and Finn come back to the campsite, towels around their shoulders, and Elizabeth asks why the water is so cold. It’s had all summer to heat up. He says he’ll get a fire going. Chase comes back with the kids, and asks if they’re okay. Elizabeth says, never better, and Aiden says she was so funny. She was so worried about Violet falling in, she fell in instead. Violet says, daddy tried to help her, and fell in too. Aiden says, it was so funny, and Finn says, it was so funny, and their concern is so touching. He thanks Chase for scooping up Violet, and Chase says, he’s too polite to gloat, but he finds it interesting that the guy just relearning to walk is steadier on the rocks than either of them. Elizabeth and Finn both say, but he’s not gloating, and Chase suggests they get out of their wet clothes, and he’ll get the fire started. Aiden reminds them about watching the meteor shower, but Elizabeth tells them to go on without her. Chase says he’ll take the kids, and they can get warm. Finn says, sounds like a plan, and Chase leaves with the kids.

Sonny asks if Nina has given any thought to where they’re going tonight, and she says she thought she’d leave that in his more than capable hands. He says he has some ideas of how to make tonight special, and she says, what is it? He says, it’s a surprise. He has to get ready, and it’s going to take some time, so why doesn’t she go put something fancy on and come back? She asks how much time he’s talking about, and he says she doesn’t need a lot of time to get beautiful. So go change and come back. And can she park out back? She asks, why? and he says, humor him. She says he’s lucky he’s cute, and he says, see you soon, and she leaves.

Jason tells Carly that Brick is checking with Sonny’s contacts to see if anyone is dealing with Cyrus, or heard any rumors about him coming after them. She says she just got off the phone with Devon, and Josslyn’s fine; she’s at Jax’s house. He says he talked to Tony about more security at the wedding, and she says, where all of their loved ones are going to be… in one place.

Two guys come out of the cockpit, and check Obrecht and Scotty’s pulses. One nods to the other, and the second guy gets on the phone, and says, it is done, in a foreign language.

Anna asks if she can play devil’s advocate, and Dante says, please do. She says, Leethy Unlimited is a multi-national company with varied interests, and employees all around the globe. What if this anonymous passenger was just a legitimate coincidence? Dante says, they do have an office in Addis Ababa. So what she’s saying is, that anonymous passenger was just a Leethy Unlimited executive, who just happened to grab a seat on that charter flight that Peter was sabotaging and just got caught up in it? He guesses it’s possible. Sam says, then why conceal the person’s identity?

Jason says, Brick is a security genius. Between him and the rest of their people, the wedding is going to be safe. She says she trusts him, but it’s unsettling that Cyrus still has allies on the outside. His organization is shattered and in pieces. Where is he finding these people to carry out his revenge? Jason says, it’s right in front of their faces. Cyrus must have aligned himself with one of the Five Familiespasta e piselli.

Shawn meets Jordan at the docks with food bags, and says he’s come bearing refreshments; two lemonades and donuts from Kelly’s. She says he thinks of everything, and he asks if she’s given any thought to his suggestion. She says he’s right. They can get a lot farther if they work on this together. He says, for real? The donuts must have sweetened the deal. She says, they didn’t hurt. Let’s do this. It would be a waste of time for Shawn to track down public information that she can get much quicker. They can work on this together, but only when she’s off-duty. He says, off-duty? and she says, it’s her final offer; take it or leave it. He says he’ll take it. He hands her the donuts, and says, what he knows so far is, Naomie was murdered, and whoever killed her tried to make it look like a suicide or an accidental OD. What doesn’t he know? She says, it just so happens, she got new information on Naomie’s case just this morning.

Finn asks if Elizabeth is okay. He can hear her teeth chattering. She says she can’t get warm. It feels like it’s freezing outside, but she’s really just freezing inside. You know where this is going, right? She suggests they talk about something warm. Maybe the power of suggestion will help. He thinks he has a place. One of his favorite memories. He was in Namibia for a year, just south of the Sahara; it’s one of the driest, most remote places on earth. It’s desert as far as the eye can see, but not just any desert. It’s vibrant, it’s warm, red-colored swirls of sand, culminating in the most beautiful sand dunes you’ve ever seen. Cascading waves of sand in the burning sun, against a blue sky that seems to stretch forever and ever. An endless horizon. In the late afternoon, all the colors soften to pinks and purples, and a warm breeze engulfs your skin. Does she feel warm or not? She’s still shivering. Elizabeth says, it sounds beautiful. He was lucky to experience that. She’s still chilled to her bones. He says, come here. They can share body heat. She sits next to him, and they look at each other without looking at each other.

On the plane, the guy on the phone says, yes, we have her… She’s fine, sedated… Yes, we’ll take care of Baldwin.

Finn says, Elizabeth is still cold, isn’t she? and she tells him to share his blankie with her. He does, and puts his arm around her. He says, better? and she says, much better.

Trina comes back to Jax’s house, and Josslyn says, stew’s in the oven. Trina says she thought stew cooked on top of the stove, but Josslyn says, not this recipe, which is why it takes so long. Fair warning, the kitchen’s a mess. Trina says she’ll help Josslyn clean it up, and takes the sauce out of her tote bag. She says, now behold everything she needs for her recipe, including a to-die-for sauce. Josslyn says she’s most appreciative, especially since Trina is donating this miraculous sauce to her dinner. Trina says, save her a bite or two so she can have one last dip, and Josslyn asks if it’s really that good. Trina says, trust her. It will change your life.

Carly tells Jason, Vincent Novak was there earlier, and made a point of telling her that he was sending Joey out of the country, and there would be no more trouble from his family. Jason flashes back to Buscema telling him that Joey’s behavior was unacceptable, and that he intended to make his feelings known to Novak. Jason tells Carly, yesterday, Buscema made a point of condemning Joey’s actions, and she asks if he thinks it’s just a smokescreen for the Novaks. He says, and so, what? Joey wasn’t in charge of his actions; he was working off of Vincent? She says, the Novaks are going to try and make a run for their territory, and he says it wouldn’t be the first time the Novaks challenged them. Right now, they can’t rule out anything or anyone.

Someone in an orange jumpsuit is led to the visiting area. It’s Cyrus. The guard uncuffs him. He smiles, sits, and picks up the phone. Someone sits on the other side. Cyrus says, hope you had a nice flight. On the other side of the glass, Mr. Buscema nods, and Cyrus asks what Buscema has for him.

Jordan tells Shawn, they tracked Naomie’s movements up until her death. She wasn’t lying when she told Finn that she’d just come back to the U.S. Passport control confirmed Naomie flew in from Paris the day before she came to Port Charles. Shawn says, that’s like saying LaGuardia or JFK. She could have been coming from anywhere. She says that’s why she requested Naomie’s ticket info; where it originated, the flight manifest. Maybe knowing where Naomie came from can help them figure out why she ended up dead.

Anna puts the papers back in the file, and says, so this other passenger was a person of significance, and that’s why their identity was omitted. Dante says, all they have to do is find out who the other passenger was, and Anna says and if there’s any connection to Victor’s tenure at the WSB. Sam says, no. Maybe it’s simpler than that. Maybe this other person had a connection to Drew.

Nina comes back to the Tan-O, and calls to Mike/Sonny. He comes out, and tells her that she looks beautiful. She says he doesn’t look so bad himself. He asks if she’s ready to go, and she says she can hardly wait to find out where he’s taking her. He says, let’s go check it out, and takes her hand. He brings her outside, where he’s set up a candlelight dinner. He says he couldn’t think of a better place to take her than where they first met. She says, it’s perfect, and he leads her to her chair. She thanks him and sits, and he sits opposite her. He says, a toast. To their first date. She says, to their first date, and they clink glasses, gazing into each other’s eyes.

On the plane, the first guy asks, what did the boss say to do with this one? indicating Scotty. The other guy says, chuck him, and first guy takes off Scotty’s oxygen mask and seatbelt. He lifts Scotty out of the chair, and drags him toward the front of the plane. Obrecht is still unconscious.

Tomorrow, Cyrus asks if Buscema is in or out, Britt can’t help but wonder what Jason and Carly are trying to prove, and Nina says she can’t do this.

The Real Housewives of New York City

As the women were wrapping up the Pin the Lips on Harry game, Ramona’s phone rang, and it was Harry, which freaked everyone out. Since LuAnn is so tall, she easily kept the phone from a jumping Ramona, and answered, trying to fake Harry out. In Leah’s interview, she said Harry was a 60 year old f***boy. Sonja got on, and said she still loved him, but he was toxic. He said she needed to find a nice guy, and she said he was a nice guy until he cheated. Everyone agreed it was weird and random. In her interview, LuAnn didn’t buy that Harry and Ramona didn’t hook up at all, and in Sonja’s interview, she said Ramona didn’t have time to be friends with a man. They sat down, and Leah wanted to hear everyone’s best and worst sexual experiences. Making a really long story short, Ramona said she’d cheated on a boyfriend, and the other guy had a pencil d*ck. She thought God was punishing her for cheating. In her interview, Eboni said Ramona ran from the room if they talked about body parts. Now they knew the truth. Sonja suddenly jumped up, and grabbed LuAnn for a slow dance, and in her interview, Eboni said who was she to question it? Sonja wouldn’t be specific about her experiences, and just gave vague reminiscences about places and positions. Ramona pulled out a pair of pasties from her bag, and then flashed everyone the ones she was wearing. They were like sparkly snowflakes, and she gave them out to everyone, telling them to put them on. No surprise, Leah came out first, and LuAnn said, if you couldn’t get naked with your girlfriends, who could you get naked with? I dunno. Your significant other? Everyone danced around, topless except for the pasties, and in Ramona’s interview, she said she thought covid changed her. Of course, the two tequila shots didn’t hurt.

In the morning, there were remnants of the party everywhere; glasses, feathers, and God knows what. Leah went to Eboni’s room, and Eboni said she was surprised Ramona encouraged wearing pasties. In Ramona and Sonja’s room, Sonja said she was surprised that Eboni loosened up so much. Leah was excited about the identity switch dinner. She wanted to see what everyone else was doing. They took their fancy van to a restaurant, which made Ramona squeal. LuAnn wanted everyone’s best Valentine’s Day story, but Leah didn’t have one. In her interview, she said she wasn’t exactly a romantic, and she asked the others to tell her what she’s missing. Ramona talked about Mario writing extra stuff on cards, and Leah said Rob sent her an old school telegram once when she was away. LuAnn said she kept special voicemails, and Leah said she did too. (Me too.) Leah got teary, and LuAnn detected melancholy. Leah said Rob had disappointed her, but he’d done a lot of great things. You had to accept who someone was. They were still close, and she didn’t want to start a new life with someone because of it. She’d sacrificed that part of herself. In Leah’s interview, she said she’d chosen to do that. She liked what she had with Kiki and Rob, but got sad when she thought about it. Eboni said Leah would move on when she was ready, and LuAnn said, it would just happen. In LuAnn’s interview, she said it was tough out there, but Leah had her guard up. After lunch, they broke plates to banish evil spirits and bring good luck. The each proclaimed what they wanted out of their lives, and what they wanted to come in.  

Bershan arrived, and in Ramona’s interview, she said, the identity switch was LuAnn’s idea, and she’d assigned them whoever they butted heads with the most. For Ramona, it was Leah, and for LuAnn, it was Eboni. Sonja butted heads with Bershan. In LuAnn’s interview, she said she’d done her homework. She wanted to get Eboni down pat. It was all in fun. You had to be able to laugh at yourself. In Leah’s interview, she said she was trying to understand the human that is Ramona. In their interviews, all of the women talked about how they were going to achieve their switch. Eboni was presenting the Cabaret Countess, of course wearing Jovani, and Ramona said Leah was all about shock value. They got in their costumes, Leah stopping by the kitchen to get red coloring for her IV bag of Pinot Plasma. I thought Bershan was going to bust a gut when she saw Leah as Ramona, but Eboni was louder when saw LuAnn as herself. They all seemed like they were having the best time, which is so much better than them fighting. Leah thought Ramona looked hot as her, and in her interview, Ramona said Leah’s portrayal was amusing. She’d nailed the look, except the dress was more Leah. She had to put a little Leah in Ramona. I agreed with this. It was a sparkly mini that I didn’t see Ramona as wearing. Sonja as Bershan came downstairs last. Bershan pointed out her Sonja by Sonja outfit, under $200 at Century 21, and in Sonja’s interview, she said Bershan had her nailed. As much conflict as they had, Bershan got her. Leah told the bartender, whatever your name is, there’s not enough ice in this, handing him her glass, which is totally something Ramona would do. Eboni as LuAnn said she heard it was Ramona’s birthday, and sang Happy Birthday a la the Countess. In Leah’s interview, she said, being LuAnn was hard. You had to sing, and Eboni was doing a great job. Agreed again.

They sat down for dinner, and LuAnn said they each had a card, and there was a question they had to answer as their alter-ego. Leah’s question was, if the New York Times was writing an article about you, what would you want it to say? I was surprised at how kind Leah was, listing all the positives in Ramona’s life, and how she’d achieved so many goals. Ramona said Leah really got her, and they hugged. In Ramona’s interview, she said it was another side of Leah; a softer side that she didn’t show. She wished Leah would show it more. In Leah’s interview, she said just because she and Ramona had differences, that didn’t mean she couldn’t recognize things about Ramona that were good. She wanted to dig deeper. Eboni’s question was, did she, as LuAnn, consider herself a triple threat? and Eboni said she knew she wasn’t Barbra Streisand, but it was about entertainment value, and bringing people joy. In LuAnn’s interview, she said she and Eboni had come a long way. It was nice to see Eboni impersonate her in a positive, spirited way. Sonja as Bershan was asked, who needed the most help? and to give her two-minute best life coaching. Sonja did a little riff on each of the women, and Bershan said she was right on the money. The question for Ramona as Leah was why she talked about raunchy sex so much, and Ramona as Leah threw hydrangeas at Leah as Ramona. We flashed back to Leah throwing ravioli at Ramona in that restaurant in Newport or wherever. Leah said Ramona was scaring her, and hid under the table. We flashed back to Ramona and Sonja huddled under a table, possibly during the same trip. LuAnn’s question to answer as Eboni, was why she referred to herself as Eboni K. Williams, and who was her alter-ego? LuAnn said she’d worked hard to get where she was, and she was going to use her entire name. Eboni was absolutely screaming, and said LuAnn made her feel excited about her own self. In Eboni’s interview, she said, LuAnn did a helluva job. Leah finally couldn’t be Ramona any longer, and ditched her wig and IV bag. In LuAnn’s interview, she said they had all kinds of parties, but the identity swap was the bomb. Agreed one more time. This was the best episode of this season.  

Since it was the finale (sort of), we saw blurbs about what they’re all up to. LuAnn was going to shake her booty on stage when her cabaret show resumed, and was also working on a non-alcoholic rosé. Ramona aced her real estate test, and had gotten a  waterfront condo in Palm Beach… near Harry. Hmm… Eboni had met her new sisters, but had yet to meet her dad, and was working with a matchmaker to get back in the dating scene. Sonja had rented out her townhouse for two years, and was getting ready to do a Comedy Caberlesque show. Leah was going to be a fulltime Jew in the fall, and Kier was enrolled at a top all-girls school, much to Bunny’s delight.   

Leah raised her glass, and said, even though the pandemic happened, they embodied something the country could take notes from in terms of their listening to each other. Even though they were different people, they figured it out. Not just how to co-exist, but they also found something they loved about each other.

Next time – not the Reunion yet, but a Very Special Episode. Remember those? A spitting contest at Martin’s gym, Sonja instructs on how to remove a dingleberry off your dog’s butt, Ramona toasts herself, and LuAnn gets a tattoo.  

😆 Comedy Tonight…

Apparently, Sonja is killing it.

🎈 Up, Up, and Away…

Tomorrow, more hellish behavior from the women with too much money in Beverly Hills. The two Toms will also be hosting a watch party of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City at 9 pm on Bravo. I saw the Vanderpump Rules one – sort of; I was doing something else at the same time – and it looked mildly amusing. They’re just a wee bit full of themselves though. I guess no one has the heart to tell them a Bravolebrity isn’t a real celebrity. No matter what side of celeb you fall on, stay safe, stay gratified with whatever your accomplishments, and stay not petting wild animals, no matter how cute you think they are. Seriously. Don’t do that.