Tag Archives: celebrity deaths 2023

Jan3

January 2, 2024 – It Can’t Get Worse, TempSam, His Fave, Soapy New Year, Salty Talk, Worst In Real, Upcoming Vampire, Roll Calls, Star Celebrations, Furry Resolutions & 2525

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

In bed with Drew, Carly says, she thought this was going to be a horrible New Year’s Eve, that she was going to be spending it all by herself, but here he is. She must be dreaming. He says, it’s no dream; it’s real. She says, no way. She must still be asleep. This is too good to be true. He says, let him convince her that he’s really here, and they kiss.

TempSam (see below) and Dante stand on the terrace watching the fireworks. Dante says, and just like that, it is 2024, and Sam says, time goes so fast. She’s sorry their plans got stalled tonight. He says, is she kidding? It wouldn’t be any fun at The Savoy knowing Scout’s at home sick with a sitter. Besides, does she really want to get dressed up and celebrate with a bunch of people? Because he doesn’t. He’d rather celebrate it right here. She says, he really doesn’t mind? and he says he really doesn’t. He’s right where he wants to be. She says she is too, and they kiss. He picks her up and carries her inside.

Brook and Chase go into the Quartermaine mansion, and Brook says, let’s make it quick. Get in and get out. They make a beeline for the living room.

At Pier 54, Michael’s phone rings. He asks Willow if everything’s okay. She’s supposed to be here for the fireworks. She says, everything’s fine, but she got held up, and asks where he is now. He says he’s at the pier. The fireworks are almost over. Does she want to meet at The Savoy? She says, sounds good. She’ll see him there. Ned and Olivia arrive at the pier, and Olivia asks Michael if Sonny’s here, but Michael says he hasn’t seen Sonny. Olivia says, Lois didn’t make it back here either, and Ned says, maybe they’re still at the club. Olivia says, they have to get back there – now.

In her office, Nina fingers her engagement ring, and flashes back to marrying Sonny. She remembers him telling her that he loves her and always will. She says she has to tell Sonny, and gathers up her stuff. She opens the door and Willow is there.

Sonny asks, who’s lying to him? and Lois says she’s sorry she has to be the one to tell him, because they’ve been friends for a really long… He says, she hasn’t told him anything yet, and she says she knows who really ratted out Carly and Drew to the SEC. And his family knows too.

Carrying in a bottle of champagne, Brook tells Chase that they’re going to ring in the new year with the good stuff. He says, all right. Come on. Let’s go. He heads for the door, but she sits down, and he asks what she’s doing. He thought their plan was to get it and get out before anybody else shows up. She pops the cork and says, too late. The cork’s out of the bottle. He knows her motto: It’s better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission. He says, or they could not get on Ned’s bad side, and she says, look at him, trying to score points with his future father-in-law. Trust her. Dad will get over it. He says, there was champagne at the club, and she says, it was great to see Blaze perform, but that place was a dive bar. It is a well-respected dive bar where many a future rock star has appeared. It was a solid booking. He says, and Blaze did amazing, and Brook says, she did, but that champagne was swill. He says he wouldn’t know; he stuck to the ginger ale. She says, good for him. She has to cleanse her palate. And tonight is their first New Year’s Eve as an engaged couple. What’s a more special occasion than that? His phone dings, he looks at it, and says, whoa.

Dante and Sam kiss, when Scout walks in. She says she had a bad dream.

Drew and Carly clink champagne glasses and kiss. She says, if this is any indication of what’s going to happen in 2024, this is going to be a damn good year, and he tells her that he couldn’t have said it better himself. She says, he just got off a plan from Australia. Isn’t he jet lagged? He asks if he seems jet lagged. He is a little hungry though. She says she has tons of food in the kitchen. She can make him something. He says, if she doesn’t mind, he’ll take the lead on that. He knows how she is in the kitchen. She tells him that her kids say she makes the best brownies on the planet, and he says, those brownies from the box are really good, and they get out of bed.

Nina invites Willow in, and Willow says she took a chance that Nina would still be here. She remembers Nina mentioning she had to work New Year’s Eve. She’s sorry. Did she catch Nina on her way out? Nina says, she’s just in time, but she thought Willow would be at the New Year’s Eve party at The Savoy with Michael. Willow says, that was the plan, but then it hit a snag… Really. She shows Nina a rip in her dress, and says she got dressed at the hospital. She decided to check on a patient before she left, and her dress got caught on the door. She thought Nina could maybe help her out. Nina says, of course (🍷) she can.

Sonny says he doesn’t know why Lois is making a big deal about this. He knows Ned turned Carly and Drew in to the SEC. So what? She says, it wasn’t Ned. He’s been letting everyone believe it was him because it works to his advantage. He says, why would it work to Ned’s advantage? Why would he take the fall? Maybe she misunderstood what she heard. She says, no. Trust her. She’s the only one with her head on straight. If he doesn’t believe her, ask his son. Michael comes in with Ned and Olivia.

Chase says, it’s his dad, and Brook says, oh no. Did he get hurt? Is he at the hospital? He says, just the opposite. His dad sent photos of him skydiving. She says, what? and he says, how crazy is this? showing her the photos. She says, look at Gregory smiling; he’s so happy. Chase says, he really is. The way he looks in this photo is how his dad is to him. That’s who he was when Chase was growing up. He thought when his dad started using a cane, he’d never see him like this again. He’s really happy that his dad can jump out of an airplane. She asks, what’s wrong? and he says, it’s just that, before the ALS, it would never have occurred to his dad to go skydiving. He’s really making the most of the time he has left.

Dante hands Scout a glass, and says, when he was little and not feeling well, his mom always gave him ginger ale and that did the trick. Sam asks if Scout wants to tell her about the dream, and Scout says she had a dream about going to her new school. The teacher was a monster. She tried to get away, but she couldn’t. It was too fast. Sam holds her and says, it’s okay. She doesn’t have to go to that school if she doesn’t want to. Scout says, daddy will get mad at her, but Sam promises he won’t. Because she and Scout’s father just want what’s best for her. Scout says she thought they told her that school was the best, and Sam says, it’s a good school, but the best school is the one where Scout feels comfortable, and she enjoys learning. Scout says, so she doesn’t have to go? and Sam asks if that’s what she wants. Scout nods and says she wants to stay with her friends. Sam says, then no, she doesn’t have to go, and Scout thanks her.

Drew says, that hit the spot. Carly has to thank Josslyn for the leftovers. Carly asks what he’s talking about. Her name wasn’t on that box. He asks if they were hers, and she says, no. He says, Donna’s? The moss bowl’s🎍? and she says, no. He says he rests his case. If she complains about it, tell her that he owes her a yummy meal. She says, okay, and hands him a glass of champagne. He asks if they’re toasting the New Year, but she says, no. They already did that. They’re toasting his return. They clink glasses and kiss, and Carly asks, what happened? She thought he was extending his stay so he could negotiate more joint ventures. He says he got a little impatient with some of the board members in the company he was dealing with. He wasn’t quite as skillful as he thought he’d be. He figured it would be best to let a colleague finish the deal. She says, Drew Cain lost his patience, and he says, it was more like he kind of got out of there before he lost his patience and blew up the deal altogether. She says, wow. That’s not like him at all.

Michael asks, what’s going on? and Sonny says, that’s what he’d like to know. Lois says she told Sonny that it wasn’t Ned who pointed the SEC at Drew and Carly, and Olivia says, stop it. Lois says, he deserved to know. Michael, Olivia, and Ned (who Lois seems to think is Sonny’s whole family) know who’s really responsible. Olivia looks like she has a migraine, and Ned says, Lois is right. He didn’t go to the SEC. He wouldn’t hurt Carly that way. Sonny says, what about Drew? and Ned says, he and Drew have had their issues, but he’d never expose Drew to Federal scrutiny. Olivia says, Ned is telling the truth. He’s not the one who tipped off the SEC. Sonny says, Michael is very quiet over there. Is what Lois is saying true? Did Michael keep this from him? Michael flashes back to almost telling Sonny, but deciding not to, and Sonny saying, Michael can come to him with anything. Michael says, yeah. He did.

Chase tells Brook that he’s not going to keep bringing their whole night down. He’s not a doctor. His dad could be around for a long time. Brook says, okay, and hands him a glass of champagne. To her incredible fiancé, the best man she knows. They clink glasses and drink, then kiss. She says, okay, it’s his turn to toast something amazing about her. He says he doesn’t know what he’d toast about her, and she says, thank you. He says, there’s just so much. He wouldn’t know where to start. But he’ll start with her beauty, her kind heart, and her generous spirit. She’s wildly talented, and the way she makes him feel like he can do anything. So he’s toasting to all of the above. He loves her. She says she loves him too, and they’re about to kiss when his phone rings. She says, he really has to turn that off, but he answers, Detective Chase… No, they were right to call him. He’ll be right there. He says he’s sorry; he has to go. She asks if everything is all right, and he says, police business. He kisses her and leaves. She drinks down her champagne and picks up his glass, saying, no sense in wasting good champagne.

Sam says she just checked on Scout, and she’s out like a light. Dante says, poor kid. She’s really stressed out about this school. She says, it’s heartbreaking to be so afraid of changing schools and feel like she couldn’t say anything about it. He agrees and asks what she’s going to do, but she says she doesn’t know. She didn’t press the issue with Drew because she thought Scout was warming up to the idea of going to Westwood. Really, she was just saying what she thought he wanted to hear. Dante says, it’s tough. You want to get them out of their comfort zone so they can grow, but at the same time, you’ve got to respect their feelings. She says, yes, and that’s what she’s doing now. When Drew first brought the idea of Scout going to Westwood to her, she was totally worried about Scout going there; transferring her away from her friends at her current school, and right in the middle of the school year. Now that she sees how upset Scout is, she’s not going to make her go. He says he respects her position and her decision, but how does she think Drew’s going to react?

Drew asks if Carly thinks there’s something about the New Year that makes you want to make changes in your life, but she says she’s not good at New Year’s resolutions. If she makes a big, sweeping change, it usually blows up in her face and she backslides by February. The moss bowl🎍considers all the resolutions Carly has broken, and Drew says he just had a lot of time to think about things when he was in Australia. Some things he’s happy with, and some things he’s not. She says, like what? and he says he just kind of fell into a role he’s not comfortable with. He was just so grateful to be home after being held overseas that he fell into this role of peacekeeper with the Quartermaines. He felt it was his duty to get along with everybody, to calm the waters at ELQ, and that’s just not working for him anymore. Where was Ned’s loyalty to him? Ned’s the reason he got sent back to prison. She says she understands what he’s saying about Ned, and she agrees with him, but the rest… She loves how kind and generous and forgiving he is. He tells her that he’s just saying he’s not a choirboy. He’s a grown man and he’s got his limits. And he’s got an extended family that knows how to play dirty. Where has that forgiving nature got him other than months in Pentenville?

Sonny says, Michael knew? and Olivia says she thinks they’ve done enough damage for one night, looking at Lois. Lois says she hopes Sonny knows she only wanted to help, and Ned suggests they give Sonny and Michael some privacy. He leaves with Olivia and Lois, and Michael says he’s sorry, but Sonny says he doesn’t want to hear Michael’s apologies. Why didn’t Michael come to him as soon as he found out who turned Carly and Drew in? Michael says, there’s no clear-cut answer… and Sonny says, it’s very simple. Just tell him the truth. Michael says, it was best for everyone involved if Ned took the fall, and in the end, Ned agreed. Sonny asks why he would do that, and Michael says, because they made a business arrangement that worked out in Ned’s favor. Sonny says, it works out for Ned, yeah. He wheeled and dealed, and Michael kept his mom in the dark? Michael says he thought it best for everyone, including Sonny, and Sonny asks how lying is best for him. Michael says, because sometimes the truth can do more damage than a lie, and Sonny asks how long he’s known. Michael says, since October. He found out right after Sonny and Nina got married.

Willow comes out in a new dress – black, sparkly, sleeveless, and low cut – and Nina says, she looks lovely. Willow says, Nina’s Crimson closet of dresses sure came in handy. What does Nina think? Is this a good look for New Year’s Eve? Nina says, it’s almost perfect. She needs a necklace. Nina takes off the one she’s wearing and says, take hers, putting it on Willow. Yes. Much better. Willow says, this is so generous. Thank you. Nina says, anything for her, and Willow takes Nina’s hand, saying, she knew she could count on Nina. Nina’s eyes fill up with tears, and Willow asks, what’s wrong?

Sam tells Dante that Drew is just going to have to accept the fact Scout isn’t going to Westwood Academy, because this is about what’s best for their daughter, not what he wants. Dante says, he’s a reasonable guy. He’s going to understand Sam’s decision, and if he doesn’t, he’ll come around to it when he hears her side. She says she knows. He’s a terrific dad. She just thinks she’s going about this all wrong. He says, how so? and she says, isn’t she doing what Drew did? Making a unilateral decision without consulting the other parent? He saw how upset Scout was. She doesn’t know what else she’s supposed to do.

Carly says, they haven’t talked much about Drew’s time in Pentenville, and he asks, what is there to talk about? She says, for one thing, he’s different. She noticed a change when he got out. He’s coming down much harder on Ned, whereas before, he would have tried to keep peace in the family. He asks if that’s unreasonable, but she tells him that she didn’t say unreasonable; she said different. There’s the whole situation with Scout’s school. He asks if Sam told her that he got Scout into Westwood Academy, and she says, Sam told her that he announced it to her and Scout, without any discussion. He says, she’s going to have a lot more opportunities at that school than the one she’s at now, and Carly tells him that she’s not saying if it’s good or bad if Scout goes to that school. He asks what she is saying, and she tells him that she’s saying she loves him, and she’s concerned about him. He says, because he wants his daughter to go to an excellent school? and she says, because he went through hell, and it’s changed him. She just wants him to know that whatever he’s going through, he doesn’t have to carry it alone. She’s here.

Nina says, it’s nothing, and Willow says she knows they’re still figuring out their relationship, but she hopes one day they get to the point where they’re able to tell each other anything. Nina says she does too. She needs to tell Willow something… Looking at Willow, she’s reminded how they were robbed of the moments they didn’t get. Brushing Willow’s hair before school, looking at a million pictures from Willow’s prom, and helping her pick out her wedding dress. The list goes on. She was so happy when she found out she was pregnant, and she dreamed about all the things she would do if she had a daughter, and she had a daughter. But they never got to do those things. Willow says, the important thing is that they have each other now – she takes Nina’s hands – and there will be many more moments for them in the future.

I don’t know about you, but I feel sick.

Brook is about to leave, when Ned, Olivia, and Lois come in. Olivia asks what she’s doing here, and Brook says she was picking something up. Ned asks, how was Blaze’s show? and Brook says, it was great. She was phenomenal. Everybody loved her. She’s going to be a star. Lois says she thought Brook was spending tonight with her fiancé, and Brook says, they were. Chase got called into work. How was their night? Olivia says, Brook can direct that question to her mother, and Brook asks Lois if something happened. Lois says she’s sorry, but she and Olivia need to talk, privately. She steers Olivia into the living room and closes the door. Brook says, obviously, something happened, and asks Ned to tell her everything.

Lois says she knows Olivia is upset, and Olivia says, damn right she’s upset. What the hell was Lois thinking? Lois says she was thinking that Sonny is her good friend, and Olivia says, well, congratulations. She just ruined her good friend Sonny’s life.

Sonny says, Michael has known for over two months who tipped off the SEC about Carly and Drew? and Michael says, yeah. Sonny says, so Michael is telling him that he found out after his wedding. Michael knew how important it was for Sonny to have him at the wedding. So the whole reconciliation is a lie? Michael says, he loves Sonny. That’s not it… Sonny says, Michael loves him. So why didn’t Michael tell him the truth? Michael says he tried. He went to Sonny to tell him, and Sonny was just so happy, the happiest he’s seen Sonny in a long time, and Michael didn’t want to take that away from him. He also thought if he told Sonny the truth, something might be broken, maybe between them. Sonny says, Michael knows he loves him. He would never let anything be broken between them. Michael says that he knew if the truth came out, it would hurt Sonny more than anyone else.

Carly takes Drew’s hand and says, if he wants to leave what happened at Pentenville in the past, that’s fine. She just wants him to know that she loves him. She’s here for him, and if he ever needs her, all he has to do is ask. He says he just wants her to know that he hears her and appreciates her. He hugs her and tells her that he appreciates everything she’s saying so much. Just knowing she loves him and is here for him is all he needs. She says, if he changes his mind, ever, that’s okay, and he promises if he ever needs any support, he’ll come to her. Now what does she say he gets in the living room and makes a nice fire? They can finish that bottle of champagne and make some New Year’s resolutions they can actually keep. She says, like what? and he says, like taking long walks together. Like leaving their phones at home. She says she could do that, and he says, like Saturday morning donuts, and she says she could really do that. He says, like spending way less time with business when they could be in bed, and she says, these are some resolutions she can definitely get behind. They kiss, and he says he’s going to get started on that fire. He leaves, and she says, he’s definitely going to be okay. Her phone rings, and since the moss bowl🎍doesn’t answer phones, she picks it up.

Sam tells Dante that this is all relatively new to her. She’s basically been a single parent to both Scout and Danny, and she’s used to making all the big decisions on her own. He tells her that he’d say she’s done an awesome job because she has two awesome kids, and she thanks him. She says, when Drew first came back to Port Charles, they were basically in lockstep on how to parent Scout, until he came back from Pentenville. Dante says, maybe he’s just trying to put it behind him too fast. He knows he did the same thing. Drew probably wants to prove to himself and to Scout that he’s a good dad. What better way to prove that than to get your kid into some elite school? She says, but why not come to her first, so they could talk it over and see if it was appropriate for her? She knows Westwood is just one decision, but it’s a big one, and there are going to be so many more, bigger decisions the older she gets. He says, right. That’s why they have to get on the same page now, so down the line, they can make these decisions together. She says, right, but she just told Scout that she didn’t have to go to the school, without including Drew in the conversation. Did she just make a big mistake?

Lois says, Olivia can’t guilt her. Sonny had a right to know. Olivia says, but she told Lois in confidence, but Lois says, Olivia didn’t tell her anything. She figured it out on her own. Olivia says, whatever. She begged Lois not to say anything because this affects so many more people than just Sonny. Lois says, it affects Ned’s deal with Michael to get control of ELQ, and Olivia says, but it affects more people than just Ned. Since they’re on the subject of Ned, why don’t they talk about Ned? ELQ is his family company. He loves it. It means something to him. Just because Lois can’t stand it, she had no right to mess this up for him. Lois tells Olivia, what can she say? If she sees something, she says something. You know something funny? Olivia used to be the exact same way. Olivia says she thought Lois was her friend, and Lois says, she is Olivia’s friend, but she’s also Sonny’s friend. Olivia says she can’t even trust Lois now. She begged Lois not to say anything, but she had to go run her mouth and ruin everybody’s life. Lois says, the way she sees it, Olivia knows better than anyone what it means to keep secrets from Sonny. Olivia says, wow, and Lois says, Livvy… Olivia says, Lois said what she said because Olivia kept it a secret from Sonny that her child was his son? So that when Dante grows up and becomes a cop and goes undercover, he doesn’t realize he’s going after his father? That when Sonny finds out and doesn’t realize the cop that he’s shooting is his own son? Is that what Lois is talking about? No. Is that what Lois is throwing in her face right now? Her good friend?

Michael says he didn’t want to hurt Sonny, especially after getting him back, but Sonny says, the only way this would hurt him is if the person who turned Carly and Drew in to the SEC is someone he cares about. He knows Michael didn’t do it because Michael wouldn’t do that to his mother. Michael says, it wasn’t him, and Sonny says, so he must have good reason to withhold this information from Carly and Drew. What is it? Michael says, the informant wasn’t close to his mom or Drew, but exposing them would hurt someone else he loves very much. Sonny says, Willow, and Michael nods.

Willow tells Nina, it’s New Year’s Eve. How did they get talking on such a heavy topic? Tonight is all about new beginnings, right? Nina tells her, that’s what people say, and Willow suggests they head over to The Savoy. She thinks they’ve kept their husbands waiting long enough. Nina says, okay, and they get their bags. Willow says she’s not sure what to do with her dress, and Nina says, Crimson has a person that does alterations on the model’s dresses. She can make sure that is as good as new. Willow thanks her and says, that would be amazing. It’s a brand-new dress. She was going to wear it for the first time tonight. It would be great if it didn’t go to waste. Nina says, it just occurred to her that Willow could have gone to the Quartermaines to change, but she came here. Willow says, the Quartermaine house is so far away. Why go all the way home when she has a mother who works in fashion? She thanks Nina again for loaning her the new dress and fixing the old one. It really means a lot to her. Willow hugs Nina, and says, shall we? Nina says, after you, and follows Willow out. She closes the office door and leans against it for a moment, wishing she could cry, then leaves.

Dante says, it seems to him, the only mistake Sam would be making is forcing Scout to go to a school she strongly doesn’t want to go to. Sam says she knows Drew didn’t mean to put her in a rough spot, but Scout did feel like she has to change schools because it’s what he wants. Dante says he thinks Drew is a great dad, but he did put Scout in a rough spot and also put Sam in a tough spot. He thinks Sam should trust her instincts and try to make it right. She thanks him for having her back, and he says, she always has his. That’s what makes them so good together. They kiss, wish each other a Happy New Year, and get busy.

Brook says, let her see if she has this straight. Ned let everyone think it was him who tipped off the SEC about Carly and Drew’s insider trading? He says, actually, he was on his way to tell Drew who was really to blame when he slipped and fell and lost his memory. She says, them when he got his memory back, he made an agreement with Michael to keep quiet in exchange for Michael’s stock proxy? He says, that’s right, and she says, and people wonder why this family scares her sometimes. Olivia bursts out of the living room, and Lois begs her to wait. Olivia asks if Lois has some more helpful advice. Someone else’s secrets that she feels entitled to announce to the entire world? Lois says she went too far, and she knows it, and Olivia cries and says, the night Sonny shot Dante was her worst nightmare coming true. That moment haunts every quiet corner in her mind. Just tell her. How long has Lois had that locked and loaded and ready to throw in her face? Olivia runs outside, and Lois calls after her. Ned follows Olivia out, and Brook asks Lois, what did she do? Lois says she opened her big mouth, and she may have started the new year by losing her oldest friend.

Sonny says, what about Willow? and Michael says, Drew’s out of Pentenville. Mom’s happy running Kelly’s. She and Drew are happy together. Please, let this go. Sonny says he doesn’t want to hear that. Who is it? Nina and Willow come down the stairs, and Sonny asks again, who is it? Who turned his mom and Drew in to the SEC? Michael says, it was Nina, and Sonny turns around to see her.

Carly looks stunned, when Drew comes back and says, the fire’s lit… She stares at her phone, and he goes over to her, asking, what is it? She says, it was the embassy in Amsterdam. My mom’s dead.

Geez, can this day in Port Charles get any worse?

There was no preview. Just the full credits with Deck the Halls sung in the background. Which seems weird since we’re past New Year’s Day.

🚑 Sliding Into GH Like…

The latest in quick change artists.

GH’s Sam Temporarily Recast With Lindsay Hartley Again

🧮 Except For the Wig…

This was a favorite of mine too. And I’m with him on the wig. They’re annoying.

Easton Rocket Sweda Reveals His Favorite GH Episode of 2023

🥂 Soap Celebrations…

Like Christmas, it’s probably not much different from what we all do.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/cbs/see-how-the-stars-rang-in-the-new-year

🧂 Salt This…

Biggest revelation – if we want to call it that – Jen gave Heather the black eye. But there weren’t any details. I want details. I kind of liked Monica after half-watching this season, and don’t think she’s necessarily the bad guy. She just suffers from the same boredom and lust for screen time that all the other Housewives do. And here’s a thought. If things are dark, dirty, and scandalous, don’t do them. Because Monica was right about one thing, nothing stays in the dark forever. Not in today’s society.

While I don’t do resolutions, I’m honestly rethinking watching any of the Housewives more than peripherally. They seem to start off with promise, but slide downhill faster than my local K-Mart did when it was new. I had the Salt Lakers on while I was doing something else, and there were so many bleeps I couldn’t even hear the conversation. While I was raised by a sailor and enjoy a colorful adjective, come on. These are adults with children and jobs… sort of. It just boggles my mind that they act like age five to middle school on any given day. Dropping huge bombs and grilling people on personal issues at parties or group dinners, who does that? And the mean girl ganging up that happens, like on RHOBH. While that behavior should never be acceptable, if you’re doing it after college, what are you doing? Go sit in the corner. I’ll get off the soapbox now, but they all might be reduced to a link next season. Here’s the salt.

https://people.com/rhoslc-recap-monica-garcia-trolling-account-exposed-season-4-finale-8421154

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4 Finale Recap: Some Shocking Truths Exposed

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/rhoslc-season-4-finale-recap-cast-updates-reunion-details

📺 Worst Of the Worst…

I can’t understand how they missed The Littlest Groom. I watched about half of one episode and couldn’t stomach the voyeuristic nature of the show. Since it was yanked off the air pretty quickly, I’m guessing other viewers felt the same.

https://ew.com/gallery/worst-reality-tv-shows-ever/

⚰️ Interview Times Two…

Season One was pretty impressive, so I’m sure it’s worth a watch.

https://ew.com/interview-with-the-vampire-season-2-jacob-anderson-interview-8417770

🌠 Stars That Dimmed…

Andrea Evans, Jackie Zeman and Treat Williams were big shockers for me. Norman Lear, not so much. I couldn’t believe when I saw the headline Cause of Death Revealed. At 101, what do you think it would be?

Honoring Stars Who Died in 2023: Lisa Marie Presley, Anna Cardwell and More Celebs We Lost This Year

https://www.avclub.com/remembering-the-stars-we-lost-in-2023-1849997910

🎊 Ringing It In…

What the stars did for New Year’s Eve. Some of these celebrities are just like us; others, not even close.

https://extratv.com/photos/image_jpg_20240102_9942c23e11d14fc5be4388de302d5d12/

https://www.eonline.com/photos/36751/stars-celebrating-new-years-eve-2023

And some stars didn’t have such a great New Year’s Eve. I have no doubt he got slammed for this, and maybe even had his reasons, but why did he leave the car when his daughter was in it?

https://people.com/ian-ziering-thankful-to-be-unscathed-attack-bikers-8421158

🐕 Resolutions Aren’t Fur Everybody…

I didn’t see any resolutions mentioning cats. I assume cats just refuse to make them.

https://www.thewildest.com/dog-lifestyle/dog-new-years-resolutions

A Dog’s Guide to New Year’s Resolutions

🍾 Not Forgetting Auld Acquaintances…

Come on by tomorrow for soap and cringing through Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay looking forward to the days ahead, and stay never feeling entitled to announce anyone’s secrets to the entire world.

Dec29

December 28, 2023 – Lucy Begins Step One Of Her Plan, Jake 2.0, Salty Talk, VanderChat, Another Roll Call, Traditions, Times Square, New Year Pets (!) & Loved

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the Home & Heart set, Maxie asks if they think it’s too much or not enough, and Brook says, if her mom were here, she’d say, there’s never too much. Tracy says, the viewers may not agree, and Maxie asks if she thinks they should ease up on the cowboy props. Tracy says she’s all for a little Western flair, but she doesn’t want it to evolve into kitsch. Brook asks what Sasha thinks, and Sasha says she thinks the art department did a great job. It’s a little over the top, but isn’t that the point? They’re selling a fantasy, right? Brook says, if you’re lucky enough, sometimes fantasies come true, and Tracy says, usually with a lot of hard work and some money. Not that Lucy Coe would have any idea about that. She’s a spendthrift with the attention span of a gnat. Maxie says, her fantasy is Tracy and Lucy not going at each other’s throats, and Sasha says she’s just glad she missed the fireworks… Although she’s so sorry she was late. Maxie says, that’s okay. She was there for most of the meeting. Brook says, Sasha never told them where she was, and Sasha says she was with Cody. They lost track of time. Maxie says, really? Has something changed between the two of them? Cody walks in, and probably wonders why everyone is looking at him.

Elizabeth goes over some hospital things on the phone, and watches as Finn gets in the elevator.

Lois walks into the nook and says, something smells so good. Olivia says she finally got around to making that post-Christmas turkey soup, and Lois says she told Olivia that she wanted to help with that. Olivia says she’s sorry. It totally slipped her mind. But what’s done is done. She’s got to make sure it’s on the low burner… Lois asks, why does it feel like Olivia’s been avoiding her since Christmas? but Olivia says, no. She’s happy to have Lois in the house. Lois says, if she’s done anything to upset Olivia, she wants to know, but Olivia says, it’s not that. It’s not Lois; it’s her. Lois says, what about her? and Olivia says, it’s nothing. It’s not a thing. She really has to check the soup. Lois says, not until Olivia tells her what’s going on with her, and Olivia asks if she betrayed Lois when she married Ned.

Alexis goes to the penthouse, and Sonny asks what brings her by. She says she’s there to ask a favor, and he says, she never asks for a favor, but she says, this is an exception. She needs Sonny to tell her that she’s wrong.

Kristina is reading What To Expect When You’re Expecting, and there’s a knock at the door. She puts the book behind a couch pillow and opens the door to TJ. She says, Molly’s not with him? but he says, it’s just him. She asks him to come in, and he says, this is actually Molly’s idea. She thought it would be better if they talked privately. Kristina says, that sounds ominous. Is Molly okay? He says, her sister’s fine. She told him about the conversation they had with Alexis. Kristina says, it was more like a lecture on legal ramifications and some obscure law that only applies to surrogacy with a donor egg. He says, it made him realize they have to set some things straight, and she asks if he’s changed his mind about her.

Behind the scenes at Home & Heart, Lucy says, Scotty remembers the plan, right? and he says, yes. He picks a fight with Lucy and Tracy overhears, but it’s not much of a plan as far as he’s concerned. She says, it’s just step one, and he asks to circle back to the part where he marries Tracy. What’s in it for him? She tells him to keep his voice down and focus on the task at hand. They have to make Tracy believe they’ve had this huge falling out, so she sees Scotty as an ally, and he has a chance to charm her pants off. He says, wait a minute. He’s not Sir Lawrence Olivier here, and she says, he’s not, but just focus on the goal. And the goal is their satisfaction in knocking Tracy down to size and taking her for everything she’s worth. He says he loves when she gets into scheming mode, and she says, then get ready, because she’s just getting started.

Sonny says he and Alexis have known each other a long time. He doesn’t think she’s ever asked him to disagree with her, but he’ll give it his best shot. She says, don’t get used to it, and he says he assumes this is about Kristina. She asks if he’s aware Kristina is now going to be the egg donor as well as the surrogate, and he says, Kristina filled him in. She says, that’s it? That’s the reaction? How can he be so calm? Doesn’t he see how this can tear the girls apart? He says, how so? and she says, for starters, there is no contract between TJ, Molly, and Kristina that’s legally binding, which means that Kristina, at any given point, can change her mind after she becomes pregnant. And there’s no legal remedy because it’s her biological child. He says he talked to Kristina. She’s thought long and hard about it and knows it’s a huge responsibility. Does Alexis think otherwise? Alexis says she does, because Kristina’s never been pregnant before. She doesn’t know what it’s like, and Alexis is concerned it will be harder than Kristina expects. He says, like it was hard for her to give up Sam? and she says, that was vastly different circumstances, but yes. So this could not only be problematic for Kristina and Molly, but for the entire family, because it would put them in a position where they have to pick sides, which is impossible. This could be a nightmare. He asks if this is where she wants him to tell her that she’s wrong, and she says, yes. She’s underestimated Kristina in the past, so tell her. Is she doing it again?

There’s a knock at Finn’s office door, and Elizabeth says, hey. He says, enter at your own risk, and she says she saw him coming out of the OR. He seemed to be in a mood. Did something happen in surgery? He says, no. Everything was by the numbers, no complications. She says, then why the mood? and he says, because Dr. Warris had to waste her valuable time watching over him. She didn’t assist him. She just stood there watching, because apparently, after 25 years of doing this, he can’t operate without having someone supervise him. And he guesses he’s just tired of having this lawsuit hanging over him. She says she knows. It’s beyond frustrating having your every move monitored. He says he’s dedicated his entire professional life to medicine, to healing people. Amy just told him that three of his patients would like their files transferred to other doctors. He hasn’t gotten a chance to defend himself, and already his reputation is taking a hit. She tells him to remember that Monica and the GH board are behind him, and he says he appreciates that. If he loses this case, insurance will pay out the damages, but they’ll drop him as a client. If that happens, he’ll be unable to get malpractice insurance elsewhere, and at that point, the hospital will have no choice but to let him go. (Wow. That’s a bigger racket than health, homeowners, and flood insurance combined.) She says, he needs to remember he did nothing wrong, and he says, how do they make the jury believe that?

Scotty loudly tells Lucy, come on. This is just a sales appearance. She doesn’t need the Deception lawyer here. Besides, he’s very important. He’s got a lot of high-end clients. Lucy says, he’s so important. Look at him. She pays him a lot of money, and he comes showing up in an outfit like that, all scruffy? He asks, what’s wrong with this outfit? and she says, it’s kind of like business wrinkled. He says, it’s not… Tracy runs over and says, please. Zip it. If they have to talk, modulate their voices. Try to act like professionals.

Julie says she can take Sasha and Cody to their dressing rooms now, and they follow her. Felicia comes in, and Maxie asks what she’s doing here. Wait, she has to answer this email really quick. Cody glances back at Felicia, and Felicia watches Cody as he goes to the dressing room.

Lois asks, where on earth did that come from? and Olivia tells her that she’s just saying. She knew Ned was Lois’s husband when she came to Port Charles, but she fell for him anyway. Lois says, that was like, six years ago. Olivia and Ned have been married most of that time. They broke up, they got back together… Why is this coming up right now? Oliva flashes back to Tracy asking if it doesn’t bother Lois that Olivia married her former husband, and Olivia says she knows Lois came to Port Charles because Lois read the article about Brook being fired from Deception and she’s Lois’s daughter; that’s her priority. Lois says, of course (🍷) she is, and Olivia says, but Lois has been here since before Thanksgiving. That’s a long time and she’s Olivia’s best friend. They never talked about her marrying Lois’s ex-husband, and she’s got to wonder, is there a reason for that? Lois wonders if Olivia is asking if she has thoughts about her best friend marrying her ex-husband, and Olivia says, yes. Lois says, you bet I do.

Sonny says, is Alexis underestimating their daughter? Maybe, maybe not, but the way he sees it, he’s proud that their daughter is willing to carry her sister’s baby. And he thinks Kristina’s proud. That’s even more important. All those years they saw her struggling with her self-esteem… It makes sense, because she has parents who are driven and successful. He always felt that Kristina was kind of lost, personally and professionally, and he thinks things have changed now. She says, he may be right. She’s noticed since Kristina started developing the youth center, she’s more focused and more mature. Sonny says, she’s gotten past the self-doubt that’s been holding her back in the past, and Alexis says she thinks it’s wonderful that Kristina has this new-found confidence, and she knows Kristina’s intentions are good. But sometimes life has a way of upending your intentions. Look at them. It’s not like they planned on having a baby together. He says, plans change, and she says, that’s her point though. When Kristina said she wanted to be the surrogate, Alexis was concerned, but thought, that’s doable. But now that the baby is going to be biologically hers, it makes it all more complicated. He asks if she can imagine a life without Kristina, regardless of how she got here, and she says, no. Of course (🍷) she can’t. He asks if she knows why. Because babies change everything.

Kristina says, this is exactly what she was afraid of, because TJ never really wanted her to be the surrogate. He only went along with it because it’s what Molly wanted, and now that her mother has announced there’s no legally binding contract, he’s having second thoughts. He asks if she can stop telling him what he thinks long enough for him to actually talk, and she says, yes. Sorry. He says, part of him loves the fact that if they use her egg, both he and Molly will be biologically related to the baby. On top of that, it’s a huge relief that she and Molly have reconciled and gotten past their differences. It makes him happy to see Molly this happy. Kristina says, so what’s the problem? and he says, in many ways, she’s the ideal egg donor, but Alexis is right about the legal situation. So he needs to hear for himself from her lips that he and Molly will be the parents of this baby and Kristina will be the aunt. Nothing more, nothing less. Can Kristina actually live with that?

Tracy says, Brook has been distracted since she got that call from Chase, and Brook says, he was with Gregory at the hospital. Tracy asks, what happened? and Brook tells her, Chase said he took a hot yoga class, so they’re hoping it was just dehydration. Tracy says, maybe it’s his ALS, and Brook says, he was admitted to the hospital for the night, and they’re going to check everything and make sure he’s okay. She sees Julie and asks if Julie can give the director a note from the Deception team. When the models come out on stage, can she tell him to make sure the products are all featured at every camera angle? She knows Sasha and Cody are both very good-looking people, but they’re selling products, not models. Julie leaves, and Tracy says, good note. Very astute.

Maxie says she appreciates the support, but she also knows Felicia doesn’t stop by her work for no reason. Is she still on the Cody-is-Mac’s-son train? Felicia says she’s really proud of Maxie. She thinks it’s great that Home & Heart booked Deception as a repeat performance so soon after the last one. Maxie says, their last appearance here, they sold out in 20 minutes, and she has the feeling this is going to be just as good, if not better. She thinks it’s safe to say, Deception is back. They hug.

Cody and Sasha come back out, and Cody says, Felicia is only hanging around because she’s suspicious of him. She says, or he could see it as Felicia wanting the husband she loves to know he has a son. He says he already told her why that can’t happen. Not only does Mac deserve a better son than him, but he already signed a document saying he’s Taub’s son. It’s fraud and perjury. He can’t risk that coming out. She says, try not to worry. She promises she’ll help him keep an eye on Felicia. The hairstylist says she’s ready to work on Cody’s hair, and Cody sits in the chair at her station. Felicia gives him the side-eye.

Elizabeth says, Finn and Dennis Muldoon were chatting at a school function. He mentioned he was having some symptoms, and Finn suggested Muldoon come see him as a patient. Finn says, Mr. Muldoon had been a patient here at General Hospital for several years. He thinks they were in network for his insurance, and before he came to see Finn, Finn went over his entire history. Over all, in pretty good health. She says, the man had Stage IV colon cancer. He must have had some symptoms. He says, they both know people who have ignored symptoms for months. Sometimes it’s people who are too busy to see a doctor; sometimes they’re too afraid to see a doctor. Unless Muldoon saw a doctor out of network. She asks if he means like when he was overseas, and he says, it’s possible. He was thinking something closer to home. He remembers Muldoon mentioning something about having a vacation home in Beechers Corners. He used to try to juggle his schedule so he could spend at least a month there in May or June. She asks if Finn thinks he could have seen a doctor there, and he says, if he did, he would have paid for it out of pocket. That wouldn’t show up in his file at GH. And if he did see a doctor within two or three months of seeing Finn for the first time, it’s another doctor who didn’t detect the cancer either.

Sonny tells Alexis, this isn’t a closed adoption where Kristina isn’t going to know what happened to the baby. She’s always going to be in the child’s life as the aunt. She’s going to watch that baby grow and thrive with terrific parents like TJ and Molly and Alexis and Jordan. Alexis asks if he doesn’t think that could make things worse possibly. How hard does he think it will be for Kristina to stand on the sidelines and watch someone else raise her biological child? What if she doesn’t like the way Molly and TJ are parenting? He says, like how? and she says, Molly’s a vegan. Kristina is not. How long does he think it will be before she slips the kid a cheeseburger at Charlie’s? He says, what if he slipped the kid a cheeseburger. He’s the grandfather biologically, right? She says, no, he’s not. That’s just her point. He’s not the grandfather. He’d be the great-uncle because he’s Molly’s uncle. Does he see how confusing this is? If it’s confusing for her and Sonny, think how confusing it will be for them. This could tear the whole family apart.

Olivia and Lois have some wine, and Lois says she loves Ned. He’s the father of her child. They’ve been through so much together, but she is not in love with Ned. She hasn’t been in love with Ned for years and years and years, and she only wants what’s best for him. And Olivia is the best. It does her heart good to see how happy they are together. Olivia says, it does? and Lois says, of course (🍷) it does. Olivia says, thank God, and Lois says she doesn’t get it. Olivia thought she’d have a problem with her being married to Ned? That she, Lois Cerullo, who Olivia has known her whole life, would sit on her feelings? Come on. Does that even sound like her? Olivia says she doesn’t know what she was thinking. She was a big dummy. Lois says, okay, so what happened at Christmas that got her so freaked out? and Olivia says, Tracy. Lois says, of course (🍷) it was Tracy. What did Tracy say? Olivia tells her, it’s not so much what she said. Tracy insinuated that she should be very eager for Lois to leave because of her history with Ned. Lois laughs and says, think about it. Of course (🍷) Tracy wants her out of this house, because like oil and water, they do not mix. And they both have major differences of opinion on what’s best for Brook. Olivia says she knows. She’s sorry. She can’t believe she fell for Tracy’s nonsense. Lois tells her not to beat herself up about it. Tracy excels at getting into people’s heads. It’s a typical Quartermaine trait. Olivia says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she’s so happy to have Lois here. And not just for Brook’s sake, but for her own too. Lois says, Olivia can just think of it as payback. Back in the day, growing up in the neighborhood, Olivia was the coolest chick she knew, and when all of those mean girls started coming after her, Olivia was the one who had her back. Olivia says, that’s not exactly the way she remembers it. She remembers Lois being very tough and learning pretty quickly how to take care of herself. Lois says, that is true, but Olivia’s always been way tougher than she’s been. This proves it. She’s living with the Quartermaines. She couldn’t do it, but Olivia can. They clink glasses.

Maxie asks if she can talk to Sasha for a second, and Sasha asks, what’s up? Maxie says she just wanted to see how it’s going working with Cody. They look great together on camera, but she knows it’s probably a strain working with him because Sasha has feelings for him. Sasha says, Cody has been great. She really enjoys working with him. Maybe too much. Maxie says, that’s good. She knows Sasha has had a tough year. Sasha says she trusted the wrong people. One more reason she really needs to work on herself before she can even think of starting a new relationship. But that’s for her and Cody to figure out; professionally, they’re great. Maxie says, that’s good, because they’re becoming one of Deception’s biggest assets. Sasha looks around and wonders where Maxie’s mom went.

Felicia watches as the hairstylist finishes with Cody. He goes to the set, and Felicia tells the hairstylist that she heard the producer was looking for her. She leaves, and Felicia takes a tissue and puts the hair from the brush into a plastic bag.

Sasha tells Cody that she’s sorry. She lost track of Felicia.

Maxie says she needs to take care of something right now, and leaves the set. Tracy tells Sasha and Cody that they’re ready for their spokesmodels, and Lucy says, by the way, they look awesome, but something’s missing. Something’s not quite right. She looks around and says she’s got it. She takes a cowboy hat off a prop cactus and says, they’ll place that on Cody’s head… and look at that. He’s definitely a romantic, rugged cowboy. Just the image they need. Tracy says, it’s all wrong, and takes the hat off Cody’s head. It casts a shadow on his face and you can’t see his beautiful eyes. Scotty says he thinks Tracy’s right about the cowboy hat, and Lucy says, did she ask for his input? He asks if she’s the only one who’s allowed to have an opinion around here, and she says, he’s an attorney. What does he know about fashion? Obviously. He says he’s just trying to give her a guy’s point of view here, and she says, obviously, he doesn’t know the female perspective. No wonder Liesl dumped him. Everyone looks somewhere else, anywhere but at Scotty.

Elizabeth says, so if another doctor, maybe even multiple doctors missed Muldoon’s colon cancer, that could be good for Finn’s case. Finn says he gets why it’s difficult for juries to understand medical complexities in a malpractice suits. From a jury’s standpoint, this man came in with a simple stomach ailment, and is somehow dying of cancer, leaving the family behind, because Finn found the tapeworm, but didn’t discover the cancer until later. They assume that must be negligence on his part. She says, so if they can prove to the jury that another doctor missed the cancer… He says, it might help them to understand how difficult it is to make a diagnosis based on Muldoon’s symptoms. He doesn’t know. What does she think? She says she thinks it’s going to work.

Kristina says she gets why TJ is asking these questions. She does have a well-earned reputation for leaping before she looks, but she can assure him, she’s really done a lot of soul searching about this, and she doesn’t want children of her own. At least right now at this point in her life. He asks if she’s sure, and she says, pretty sure. And she’s excited to be pregnant and go on this journey of course (🍷). She’s going to love this baby, and it’s a little bit more intense now that they’re using her egg of course (🍷), but it’s going to be special. And maybe she will even have a special connection to it, but once this baby is born, she’s more than content to step back and let him and Molly be parents, so she can just keep being that cool aunt. He says she has no idea how good it feels to hear her say that, and she says she’s happy to help him and Molly finally have a baby. She’s also happy, after the baby’s born, to focus on running her center. She promises she knows what she’s getting herself into.

Scotty says he knows Lucy can fight dirty, but this is an all-time low. You know what? He’s not going to be her lawyer anymore. Find herself another top-drawer attorney. He quits. He walks off, and Lucy says, fine. She’s glad he quits. She’s just going to find another attorney tomorrow. So about the hat… Tracy says she hasn’t changed her mind about the hat, and Lucy says, neither has she, picking it up. Cody says, if they don’t mind hearing from one of the models, he has an idea that might make Lucy and Tracy both happy. Brook asks, what’s his idea? and he says, how about – he takes the hat from Lucy and puts it on – they start off with the hat on, then they take it off. He takes it off with a flourish, and Lucy says, okey-dokey. She guesses that might work. Tracy says, let’s try it. (He’s a genius!)

Felicia puts the bag in an envelope and seals it. Apparently, no one cares that she doesn’t belong there and is taking something from the hairstylist’s station. Sasha comes along and asks if she’s enjoying herself, and Felicia says, yes. Being backstage is always so fascinating. So much goes into making a TV show. Sasha says, rehearsal is starting. Does she want to watch? Felicia says, absolutely, and heads for the stage. Sasha notices the hairbrushes lined up on the station table.

Olivia says, life here is definitely more difficult with Tracy in the house, and Lois says, Olivia tells her that like Tracy is the exception. Quartermaines have been bickering about everything all the time, even her own Brookie. Don’t tell her that she said that. Olivia says, Lois’s secret is safe. Ned can be reasonable. Lois says, unless he’s going against Drew and Michael, right? and Olivia says, true. Lois says, to be clear, all of the Quartermaines have their good points individually. She just hates to see what it does to Ned when he’s around his family. Olivia says, Lois is talking about the old days. Ned has changed. He’s really become his own man now. Lois says she knows Ned is Olivia’s husband and she has to defend him, but can she really say Ned is his own man when he ratted out his own cousin to the SEC? Olivia asks what she said, and Lois says, Ned turned his own family in to the SEC. Olivia says, Lois doesn’t understand, but Lois says she understands Drew is Ned’s cousin and Carly is Michael’s mother. If somebody turned her mother in to the SEC, she’d never forgive them. So Michael should forgive Ned? No way. Olivia says, Ned is not a rat. Ned is allowing everyone to think the worst of him for the sake of the family.

Scotty approaches Tracy and says he’s glad she’s here. She says she thought he quit, and he says he did, but he wanted to apologize to her for the other night, those horrible things he said about Luke. He knows she really loved Luke and it was very disrespectful of him. She thanks him… she guesses. Why the change of heart? He says, that stuff Lucy said about his ex-girlfriend Liesl really hurt him. So he thought he probably did the same thing to her and that’s why she threw that martini in his face. She says, apology accepted, but if he does it again, she’ll do it again. He says, never. And she was right about that cowboy hat. He doesn’t think Lucy pays attention to all the little details. She says, not a good trait for the head of a company, and he says, no, but Tracy’s here to keep her in line. He’ll catch her later. He leaves, and Tracy looks perplexed.

Alexis tells Sonny, say something, and he says, she raised two strong, intelligent women, not to mention compassionate. She says, but she wants them to stay that way. If Kristina isn’t able to keep her promise to Molly, Molly will be devastated. And on the other hand, watching somebody raise your biological child may be too painful for Kristina and maybe she’ll just have to leave town. He says, if this were court, she knows the judge would have to overrule her speculation, and she says she knows she’s worrying about things that haven’t happened yet. Tell her that she’s wrong. He tells her that he’s not going to say she’s wrong. He’s a little worried too. Alexis looks like she has a headache.

Brook asks if everything has to be a battle with Tracy, and Lucy puts her fingers in her ears, singing, la-la-la-la. She doesn’t take behavior tips from a traitor. Brook says, fine, and walks away. Maxie tells Lucy, this has to stop. She can’t take the constant fighting. Lucy says she’s sorry. She’ll do better, she promises. She probably did overreact a little bit. For Maxie, she’ll be better with Tracy. Maxie says, good. Because none of them like it, but right now, Tracy is their cross to bear. Lucy says, yep. She can’t wait for Tracy to get what’s coming to her.

Lois asks if Olivia is saying Ned wasn’t the one who turned Carly and Drew in to the SEC, but Olivia says, don’t listen to her. She misspoke. It’s not a thing, and it’s… Lois says, so why is everyone saying it’s Ned? and Olivia says, Ned denied all the accusations at first. Then he had his accident and he turned into Eddie, and Eddie couldn’t have cared less. Eddie didn’t have any of Ned’s memories and Eddie couldn’t be bothered. Lois asks if she’s saying when Ned got his memory back, he also remembered that he wasn’t the one who turned in Carly and Drew to the SEC. Does he know who the real rat is? Why is he taking the rap for somebody else’s bad deeds? There’s got to be a reason. Olivia says, Lois has to remember, Carly is her second-best friend, but she did commit insider trading. She bought up all the Aurora stock when Michale told her that ELQ and Aurora were going to merge. Lois says, but they didn’t merge, and the SEC would have never gone after Carly unless someone else provoked them. Olivia says, let it go. Just let the sleeping dogs lie. Lois says, so who turned in Carly and Drew to the SEC? Who is Olivia protecting, and why?

Olivia says she’s not going to tell Lois who the real rat is, and Lois says she doesn’t understand why Olivia won’t. Olivia says, because it was Ned’s choice, and Lois says, and she’s not going to explain why? Olivia says, the only thing she can tell Lois is that she and Ned agreed it was best for the whole family if they both kept the identity of the rat a secret. What could be more loyal than that? Lois asks, what happened to telling it like it is? and Olivia says she would have thought by now the two of them would have learned, sometimes it’s best to keep their big mouths shut. Sometimes the truth can hurt, and right now, it would hurt some of the people they care most about. And they’ve been through enough these past three years. She just doesn’t want another disaster. Not right now when there’s finally hope for a little bit of joy. Please promise she’s not going to say anything. Lois says she doesn’t know anything. But fine. She learned long ago to stay out of Quartermaine business.

Alexis asks why the hell Sonny was pushing back so hard if he agreed with her, and he says, she asked him to talk her off the ledge and he did his best. She says, all of a sudden, he’s being cooperative? and he says, it’s hard for him to accept not being the grandfather. Can she imagine how hard it is for Kristina to accept not being the baby’s mother? She says, yeah… So what are they going to do about it? He says, there’s nothing they can do. Kristina says she knows what she’s doing; he’s going to take her word for it. Alexis says she doesn’t think Kristina is lying to them. She’s just worried Kristina is lying to herself. He says, she’s worried, he gets it, but ultimately, it’s Kristina’s decision, and they’re going to have to stand by and love her no matter what. Alexis says, and she’s so good at standing by, and Sonny says, she did the right thing by not going to Kristina and venting, and instead coming to him and talking to him. She thanks him and thanks him for being here so he could listen. He says, always.

TJ says he appreciates Kristina talking this out, and she says, he wouldn’t be a good dad if he didn’t ask the tough questions. She can already tell he’s going to be a fantastic father. He thanks her, and she thanks him for loving her sister and for supporting her through all of this. She admires both of them. He says, it’s mutual, because they both admire the hell out of her for doing this. She’s making his and Molly’s dream of becoming parents come true. She says she loves that she’s stepping up for Molly. Molly has done it for her countless times. She can’t wait to see who their child grows up to be.

Elizabeth asks if Finn’s dad is up for dinner with them in his room, and Finn says, he pulled the old, I don’t want to be a burden, but he slowly came around. She asks if he’s concerned about Violet seeing him in the hospital, and he says he’s been thinking about that. He thinks he’s going to tell her the literal truth, that grandpa overdid it in hot yoga – he never thought he’d say those words – and that he is staying overnight so the doctors and nurses can keep an eye on him. She says, perfect explanation, and while they’re there, they can celebrate. He says, celebrate what? and she says she reached out to a couple nurses she knows in Beechers Corners. It turns out Muldoon did see a doctor there, about a month before he came to see Finn.

Maxie asks how it is being the male Face of Deception, and Cody says he still thinks he’s an odd choice for a spokesmodel, but if it makes Sasha happy, he’ll muddle through. She says, they make a great team, and he says he thinks so too.

Felicia hands a man the envelope and thanks him for getting here so quickly. She tells him, make sure this goes straight to the lab, expedited testing. He leaves, and we see Sasha watching.

Tomorrow, Olivia tells Lois to please accept that and move on; Alexis asks Gregory to forgive her; Nina asks what Cyrus plans to do with what he knows; and Heather says, Esme remembers.

🎨 Circling Back…

At least he didn’t go upstairs and polish his skis for 20 years.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/hudson-west-opens-up-about-his-new-gh-storyline

🧂 Just a Pinch…

It wouldn’t be the first time Andy had to scream at a bunch of Housewives.

Heather Gay Teases RHOSLC Season 4 Reunion: ‘I Saw Andy Cohen Scream’

Canceling the whole panel at BravoCon? It must have been one ugly fight.

Monica Garcia Seems Unbothered Ahead of RHOSLC Season 4 Finale: ‘You Big Mad?’

🍸 Teasing the Rules…

Well, what did they expect? Everyone forgot?

‘Fractured Friendships’ Teased in New Pump Rules Season 11 Promo

This must have been a tough choice since there are so many.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/vanderpump-rules-stars-dumbest-moments-211741813.html

🥀 2023’s Losses…

I’m obsessed with these lists.

https://people.com/celebrity/celebrity-deaths-2023/

🎉 Keeping It Traditional…

New Year’s traditions and celebrations.

https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/holidays-celebrations/g34787153/new-years-traditions/

https://www.countryliving.com/life/g5075/new-years-eve-traditions/

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/g25360543/new-year-traditions/

https://www.tlc.com/life—relationships/new-year-s-eve-traditions-across-cultures

🗽 Dropping the Ball…

Most expensive Olive Garden buffet ever.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/new-years-eve-parties-inside-times-square-carry-hefty-price-tag-over-12k-to-ring-in-2024

Trust me. It’s better to watch the webcast. I never went there personally, but my best friend did and said it was a nightmare. Not only was it beyond crowded, but someone also spilled beer on her, and someone peed on her shoe. Not the same person, but still, no thanks.

https://www.timessquarenyc.org/times-square-new-years-eve

🐶 Let Auld Pets Not Be Forgot…

Keeping it safe and fun.

https://be.chewy.com/how-to-have-a-safe-fun-new-years-eve-with-pets/

Dressing up. I’m not too sure about the pantyhose though.

https://www.rover.com/blog/new-years-looks-dog/

🪩 BYO Disco Ball…

Join me for the last blog of the year tomorrow and celebrate the changing of the calendars, keeping in mind, we don’t need no stinkin’ resolutions. Until then, stay safe; stay not overdoing it on New Year’s Eve, but not pressuring yourself if you don’t want to do it at all; and stay not worrying about things that haven’t happened yet.

Jul1

June 30, 2023 – Curtis Confronts Jordan, Returning, New Gig, Copy Cannoli, Shams Now, Runway, Vander This, Real Bonkers, Midyear Roll Call, Pick a Trailer, Winning, Mixed Quotes, Pet (!) Safety & Carry On

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer leaves a message for Trina to call him, when Esme walks in with an ice pack. He screams at her to get out.

Finn says he’s sorry, and Elizabeth asks what he’s apologizing for. He says he’s not sure, but he thought he should, and she says, he has nothing to be sorry for. Tonight was really… Violet runs in, calling, daddy! and Finn asks, what’s wrong? She says, Aunt Elizabeth can’t leave; not yet.

Sonny thanks Sasha for coming by, and she says, of course (🍷). She always loves spending time with him. He asks if he can get her anything, but she says she’s good. She’s curious as to what he wanted to talk about, and he says, her future.

In Portia’s office, Trina hears Spencer yell at Esme to get out, and he says, sorry. He’ll call her later. Portia comes in and apologizes for keeping her waiting; she wanted to talk to Trina. Trina says she wanted to talk to Portia too, and Portia says, about Spencer? Trina says, no, about Curtis. She knows what he did.

Zeke calls Jordan and says he knows it’s late notice, but is she free for dinner tonight? She says she’s free, but she has no interest in spending time with him, and he asks if she doesn’t think they should clear the air. She says, as far as she’s concerned, the air is crystal clear; they’re done. There’s a knock at her office door, and she tells Zeke to hold on. She says, yes? and Curtis walks in.

Austin kisses Ava, and she pushes him away. But then she changes her mind and kisses him. Suddenly, they’re in the bedroom getting busy. Alrighty then.

Elizabeth asks if Violet had a bad dream, and Violet nods. Finn asks if it was the shadow again, and she says, it was. It was scary. She tried to find Finn, but she couldn’t. Aunt Elizabeth was gone too. He says, they’re both right here for her, and Elizabeth says, her dad has been here the whole time. They’ve both been here. Violet says, what if she falls asleep again? What if the shadow comes back, and she can’t find either of them again? Finn kisses the top of her head and tells her, it’s okay.

Sasha says, that wasn’t at all what she expected Sonny to say, and he tells her that he and Gladys were talking. She told him that Sasha was ready to end the guardianship. Sasha says, that is true. She’ll forever be grateful to Gladys for everything she’s done, but she doesn’t want to be a burden on her anymore. Sonny says, she’s not a burden to anyone. They just care about her and want to see her get on her own two feet. She says, that means a lot, but her decision is just partly about Gladys. She just thinks it’s time. He says, what if he told her that Gladys thinks she’s not ready, and she asks if Gladys came to see him about her. Sonny says, Gladys thinks she’s rushing things and she’s worried, and Sasha says, so is she.

Spencer says he told Esme that he was fine; now go. She says she’s not going anywhere. He could have a broken rib or internal bleeding. He says he has neither, and she says, because of all the medical expertise he has? What happened to him anyway? Did someone attack him? He says, we just got in a little fight, and she asks, who is we? Someone he knows or did he get in a fight with a complete stranger? He asks if it would matter. What does she care? She throws the ice bag, hitting him, and he yells, ow! She asks if he thought about what it would mean if he got hurt or arrested. Did he even stop and think what it would mean? He says, it happened kind of fast, and she says, then they answer is no. He didn’t think.  

Jordan tells Zeke that she’s sorry, but she can’t talk right now, and hangs up. She says she can guess what Curtis is here about, and he says, it’s not to get in an argument if that’s what she’s thinking. She says, good. He shouldn’t be angry. Not at her anyway. He says he just can’t understand why she’d tell Portia about their kiss when they agreed that it was best they keep it to themselves. If she changed her mind, why didn’t she talk to him first? She says she tried to warn him, and he says, right. Then she decided she knew what was best, and telling Portia couldn’t wait. She says she didn’t say a thing to Portia about their kiss. She never wanted Portia to find out at all. He says, if she didn’t tell Portia, who did?

Portia tells Trina, obviously, she’s very hurt. She and Curtis both made mistakes. Trina asks why Portia wants to let him off the hook that easy, but Portia says she’s not letting him off the hook. This is complicated. Trina says, he kissed another woman – his ex-wife. Why isn’t she angry at him? Portia asks why Trinia is getting all riled up about this? And Trina says, it was wrong. Is Portia really going to roll over and let him treat her like this? Portia says, this has nothing to do with Trina.

Like the Burger King employee who starts cleaning around your table while you’re still eating, Ava makes the bed around Austin. He asks if she’s really making the bed now; he’s still in it. She picks up his clothes, and wonders where his other sock is, and he says, on the sconce. She retrieves it, and he says, this is weird. Is this her thing? Is this like a post-coital clean-up thing? He’s okay with it, but it’s a little neurotic. She says she’s not neurotic, and he says, she’s orderly? She’s neat? She’s tidy, right? Is she coming back to bed? She looks at him, and he says, all right. Not too long ago, they were almost yelling at each other and were at each other’s throats, and they decided to do something else. Is that something they need to talk about? Ava says, they’re done talking, and she’s not coming back to bed. He’s leaving – she tosses his clothes at him – now.

Finn says he’ll be here if Violet needs him for anything, and she asks if Aunt Elizabeth can come in with him. He says, Aunt Elizabeth has to go home to her kids, but he promises she’ll come in and say goodnight before she leaves. She says she likes it when Aunt Elizabeth is here. Doesn’t he?

Jordan says she’s not getting in the middle of this. This is between Curtis and Portia. He asks if she’s respecting boundaries after the damage is already done, and she says, he can believe her or not. He says, she obviously knew it was coming. Otherwise, why would she try to warn him? If she didn’t tell Portia, who did? N’neka? She was at the club that night. Jordan asks if he really thinks N’neka saw them kissing and then went running to tell Portia, and he asks what he’s supposed to think. Who else could it have been? She says, it was his brother-in-law. Zeke is the one who told Portia.

Trina asks why Portia is trying to protect her. She’s not a child anymore. Portia says, Trina is always going to be her child. And she’s not protecting Trina in the way Trina thinks. Trust her. This is her attempt at being fair. She’s a grown woman and needs to figure out her relationship with Curtis on her own. Trina says, why? She’s right here. Portia can tell her anything. Portia says she appreciates Trina for saying that, but she doesn’t want Trina involved in any issues that she has, with Curtis or with her marriage. She doesn’t want Trina to have to think about that. She doesn’t want her to have baggage when she’s dealing with Curtis. Trina shouldn’t have to be taking sides or keeping secrets or any of that. She doesn’t want Trina to worry about any of this. Trina’s phone rings, and Trina looks at it and puts it back down, saying, it’s just Spencer. Portia says, she usually can’t pick up the phone fast enough for Spencer. Is she feeling okay? Did they have a fight? Trina says, no, they didn’t, but Spencer did.

Esme comes back into Spencer’s room, reading from her phone that rib fractures can have short term consequences, such as severe pain while breathing, pneumonia, or death. He says he thought she didn’t want to be around him, and she says, long term consequences are also possible, such as, decreased lung function and chronic pain. How is he going to yell at people if his lungs are damaged. Did he ever think of that? He says he didn’t realize she cared so much, and she says she’s calling a doctor, but he says, don’t do that. He doesn’t have a broken rib. She says, he might not know that until symptoms develop later, and he says, if they do, he’ll contact a doctor at that time. Please stop worrying about him. She tells him, who says she’s worried? She just doesn’t want to have to take him to the emergency room in the middle of the night. It would throw off Ace’s whole sleep schedule. He says, his mistake. It’s not about him, which makes sense, because in her eyes, he’s not worth worrying about. To her, he’s always going to be his father’s son.

Ava tries to toss Austin his keys, but misses, and they end up on the floor. She says, take a hint, will you? and he says, she’s throwing him out. She says, nothing gets by him, and he says, except his keys. They laugh, and she says, they both know this was a mistake, but they’re adults and can skillfully pretend it didn’t happen. Now get a move on. His shoes are next, and she’ll have much better aim. He says, she doesn’t need to do that. He doesn’t want to stay somewhere he’s not wanted. But just so she knows, he feels what went on here wasn’t a mistake. She says, if it weren’t for Nikolas’s accidental death, they wouldn’t even be here. They would hardly know each other. He says, but they do know each other, and they are here. And he thinks there are actual literal scratches on his back that let him know she thinks there are worse ways to spend an evening.

Finn says, yes, he likes when Elizabeth is here, but doesn’t Violet think her cousins would miss Elizabeth if she was here all the time? She says, they could come too, or she and Finn could go there, and he says, oh boy. Elizabeth comes out of the kitchen, and asks how Violet would like some of her special sleepy time magic milk. Finn asks how she knew about that, and she says, all the moms know. Violet asks if she put in the secret ingredient, and Elizabeth says, of course (🍷). It wouldn’t be magic without it. Violet takes a sip, and says, it tastes different than when daddy makes it. Aunt Elizabeth’s is better… but his is good too.

Sasha says she thinks she’s doing the right thing by ending her guardianship, but she wishes she was sure, and Sonny asks what doubts she’s having. She says, some days she feels strong and confident and healthy, and other days are just so-so; everything feels off. It feels like she’s just pretending to hold it together. Those don’t bother her so much. She’s used to those. He says, they all have so-so days, and she says, those aren’t the days that scare her. The days that terrify her are the bad days; the days when the darkness just comes back, because it will happen for no reason at all. She’ll be putting sugar in her coffee, then suddenly she’ll remember when she was pregnant and couldn’t have caffeine. It was the worst, but it was totally worth it. She loved her baby so much, and couldn’t wait to meet him. Then she’s remembering her baby is gone, and the sadness just takes over, and it just feels like a weight pressing down on her heart, and it scares her. She doesn’t know, was that a memory or was it just a delusion? Did she somehow think she was pregnant again? He says, they both know what grief does. It plays tricks on your mind, and messes with your sense of time. Sasha says, that’s what she thinks too. The next day might be so-so again, and the day after that might be good. So does it scare her thinking about being on her own again and making her own decisions? Yes, but something inside of her is telling her that she’s ready, and she thinks it’s time she starts listening to that voice. Maybe she’s making a mistake. What does he think? Does he think she’s doing the wrong thing in trusting herself?

Austin says he can see that Ava doesn’t want to discuss their relationship, and she says, they don’t even have a relationship. They’re being blackmailed together; that’s it. He says he does enjoy her company, and she says, they were yelling at each other just a while ago. He says, almost. They were trying to release some of the pressure, and clearly some tension… She says, he’s really sure of himself, but he says, not at all. It’s just really difficult for him to let people in. He doesn’t want to speak for her, but it’s hard to make a human connection. He’s just saying, let’s be honest, and admit to one another they just had a profound physical connection. She says, he lied to her. He kidnapped her daughter, and how he’s saying she owes him honesty? He says he can see where she’s going with this. Under certain terms… She says, a little advice for him. Don’t ever pull a stunt like that again. Because if he does, the next body she dumps in the stables is going to be his.

Esme tells Spencer that she doesn’t know much about Nikolas, except he kept her locked in a tower because he wanted to keep her baby away from her. She knows if given the chance, Spencer would do the same. Spencer flashes back to looking at the fake evidence and saying, just in case. He says he just wants to take care of his brother, and she says, that’s the difference between him and Nikolas. At least he’s here. Nikolas isn’t, and since they moved into Spencer’s grandmother’s, he’s been pretty reliable. Up until now. What happened tonight? He says he got into a fight with Josslyn’s new boyfriend. She says, why? and he says, because he was angry. Because he doesn’t like him. He doesn’t like what he did. Josslyn was dating Cameron when she met Dex, and she was still seeing him when Josslyn and Dex got together for the first time. She asks why he’s mad at Dex. Isn’t it Josslyn… He says, she wouldn’t understand; there’s more to it than that. He doesn’t understand why they’re talking about this, because she’s literally the last person he wants to confide in. She says, well, that’s dumb. Because she might be the only person who actually understands. He says, why is that? and she says, because she does it too. She gets angry. She lashes out. She makes choices she regrets. She makes mistakes, and the worst part is that when she does, everyone is just looking around judging her, like, oh look, here she goes again to her old lying ways. I knew she couldn’t be trusted. He says, and you’ve confirmed all of their worst suspicions about you, and she says, and they have no idea the entire time you were just trying to do the right thing.

Trina says, last night, she went to the Highsider, and Portia says, the biker bar where Oz Haggerty worked? Trina says, they were looking for evidence to prove Esme is guilty, and Portia says, let her guess. This little excursion was Spencer’s idea? Trina says, not exactly, and Portia says she doesn’t even care whose idea it was. She doesn’t like Trina going to that place. Trina says she wasn’t going to that place. Anyway, Joss had the same idea. She brought Dex, and Spencer picked a fight again. Portia says, so it looks like Spencer is back to his old ways, and Trina says, yes. She doesn’t even recognize him anymore. Portia says, really? Because she can. To her, he will always be the boy who lied to her daughter and put her in harm’s way.

Curtis asks how Zeke knew what happened between him and Jordan, and she says she told him. Curtis asks why she did that, and she says she didn’t know who he was. She just found out Curtis was moving back in with Portia, and needed someone to talk to. Zeke was just a friendly stranger with a sympathetic ear. They met at the MetroCourt, and she started venting. She didn’t use any names. She just told him that she’d kissed her ex, but it wasn’t going anywhere. He says, if she didn’t use any names, how did he figure it out? and she says, Portia introduced them. It didn’t take Zeke long to put two and two together. She told him to keep it to himself, but he said he had to tell her. Curtis doesn’t understand how she could tell a perfect stranger something so personal about them. It’s just not like her. She says she needed someone to confide in. He had Portia, and she was all alone. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, now that he knows, she doesn’t see what else there is to talk about. She opens the door, and Zeke is there. No surprise.

Jordan says, she didn’t have time to talk to Zeke on the phone. What made him think she had time for him to come by her office. He says he didn’t know Curtis was going to be here. Didn’t Curtis tell his sister that it was over between him and Jordan? Curtis says, that’s none of his business. Doesn’t he think he’s caused enough problems between him and Portia? Zeke says he wouldn’t have gotten involved if Curtis had just been honest with Portia from the beginning, and Curtis says he bets Zeke just can’t wait to run back to Portia and tell her that he was here. Zeke says, after what Curtis put his sister through, what does he expect? and Curtis says he expects Zeke to keep his damn mouth shut, or he and Curtis are going to have a problem.

Trina says she remembers how Spencer treated her, but he’s changed, and Portia says, has he though? Because the fight Trina’s describing makes her think he’s still working on it. Trina says, Portia thinks she’s being naïve, but Portia tells her that she didn’t say that. Portia tells Trina that she sees what Trina’s saying with Spencer. He has made significant strides in growing up since Trina’s met him. Largely because of Trina. Trina says, yes, he has, and Portia says, he’s more mature now, asking for help when he needs it… and he seems like he’s really taking the responsibility of Ace seriously with Esme. And Esme’s even seriously open to taking a parenting class with Spencer, which goes to show his responsibility, right? That’s a good sign. But by the look on Trina’s face, maybe it’s not a good sign? Trina says she’s glad Spencer is being responsible toward Ace, and Portia says, but what? Trina says, it’s nothing, but Portia says she’s Trina’s mom; she knows Trina. Trina can talk to her. Trina says she doesn’t care about the class. She can’t stand the thought of Spencer spending even one extra second with Esme.

Spencer says, sounds like they’re both trying to be better people, and Esme says, he’s just now figuring that out? Yes. Obviously, she’s been trying to be better. She takes the ice, and puts it on his side, and he holds it there. He says, it’s possible he hasn’t been giving her much of a chance, but she says, it’s not a big deal. She sits on the bed, and says she actually gets why it might be hard for him. He says, for him, why? and she says, he actually remembers the terrible person he was. She has to be told about herself over and over. He says, that’s hard, and she says, constantly hearing what a terrible person you are from everyone. He’s the only one who never talks about their history. They dated in boarding school, right? He sits on the other end of the bed, and says, for like a year. He doesn’t like to remember that time. She says, understandable. But tell her, were they really these awful people, destroying everything they touched? He laughs and says, no, not always. He was very unhappy when they met. He was estranged from his father and had a big chip on his shoulder because of that. He didn’t have any friends; just people who wanted to get close to him because he had money. So he was a bit of a jerk because of that. She says, him? A jerk? No way. He says he met her, and she really listened to him, and she took an interest in his life and didn’t just tell him what he wanted to hear because he’s a Cassadine. He started to depend on her, more than he thinks she knew, but none of it was real. She was manipulating him the entire time. She was his first love, and she was just using him.

Elizabeth asks how Violet is, and Finn says, finally asleep. Apparently, her milk is more magical than his. She says, cinnamon, and he says he can’t thank her enough. She’s really good with Violet. Elizabeth says she’s glad he feels that way. She was hoping she wasn’t overstepping with her magic milk. He says, not at all, and she says her boys are growing up. With Cameron all the way in California, she’s just been feeling it lately. He says, they’ll always need her, and she says she knows, but not in the same way. She guesses she has to let them grow up at some point; at least she’s been told. He says, Violet’s always here if her momage gets too strong. Violet always loves seeing her. She says, be careful. She’ll be over here every night making magic milk… She’s kidding. He says he knows, and they both get up and start talking at the same time. He says, she needs to get home to the boys, and she says she should. Even though they won’t be nearly as happy to see her as Violet was. He says, Violet, and him.

Sonny tells Sasha, know what he thinks? She didn’t tell him that she’s fine, she doesn’t need anybody, and she’s all better. She says she only wishes she were that confident, but he says, that’s a good thing. If she would have said that, he’d say she needed to spend a few more months with Gladys. In his experience, people who say everything’s great all the time usually aren’t. You can’t be great all the time, especially after what she’s gone through. She can handle a lot more than she thinks. That’s why he thinks it’s time for her to be on her own.

Zeke tells Curtis not to get mad at him because he kissed Jordan. He had to tell Portia. Curtis would have done the same thing if he’d been in Zeke’s position. Curtis says, that’s not what he’s talking about. Zeke told Trina – right after he found out Trina was his daughter – to steer clear of him? Zeke says he didn’t even get into any specifics with Curtis’s daughter, and Curtis says, that’s even worse, because he let her imagination run wild. She was just beginning to trust him. Zeke says, maybe she shouldn’t, and Jordan says, neither one of them should be trusted. Curtis asks her to remind him just how she and Zeke met in the first place.

Esme says she’s starting to see why Spencer’s so angry with her, but he says he’s angrier with himself for letting himself be manipulated by her. Esme tells him, sure, the old Esme was calculating, but she seriously doubts someone could fake a relationship for a whole year. He asks who she’s trying to make feel better, him or her? and she says, maybe both? She gets up, and says she thinks the old Esme must have really liked him… just a little. He says, it’s doubtful… Although… No. She says, what? and he says, there was this one time, he was trying to figure out what to get her for her birthday, so he was asking around. He asked the same friends who were leeching off him for money, and they told him that he should get her jewelry. Something expensive, which makes sense. So he did – she says, generous – but then there was this snow globe he got when he was a kid, and he’d taken it with him to school. It was so cheesy; two skiers on top of a mountain with a log cabin and fir trees. It was hideous. He doesn’t know why she liked it, but she did. She played with it every single time she came into his room. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out why. So at the last minute, he grabbed that as well. She says, instead of the jewelry? but he says he gave her both, just to be safe. Don’t get him wrong; she loved the jewelry. But her face when she saw the snow globe, the expression was pure joy. He’d never seen anything like it. He still can’t figure out why someone would have liked a regifted snow globe so much. She laughs and says she can. The old Esme really liked him.

Trina tells Portia, it wouldn’t bother her so much if it was anyone other than Esme. After what Esme did to her, Joss, and Cam, the thought of Esme being with Spencer makes her sick. Portia says, Esme needs to pay for her crimes, and hopefully, the evidence can be found to bring her to justice, but the PCPD have been down this road already, and they came up empty. Maybe they’ll never find anything. Hold on. Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t they have evidence, and a collective decision was made to hold off on that? Trina says, then what? Esme will just be in her life forever? Portia says, no one can predict the future, but if Spencer’s in Trina’s life and Ace is in his, then Esme will be in hers.

Esme says, if Spencer wants to get some rest, she can take the night shift with Ace, and he says, that would be great, thanking her. She walks to the door, and says, oh. Would he be willing to take a parenting class with her at the hospital? She wouldn’t ask, but Dr. Robinson thought it would be helpful… He says, it’s for Ace, right? and she says, exactly. He says, just let him know, and she thanks him, telling him to keep the ice on for another ten minutes. She leaves, and in the hallway, she smiles.

Trina says she can’t accept that Esme is going to be in her life. She wants to be with Spencer… At least she thought she did. Just not like this, spending all of his time with Esme, or raising a child on his own. Portia says, that’s what she’s been trying to get Trina to see. She has to have her own life. She’s smart and beautiful, and has so many opportunities. She has this whole big world she hasn’t tapped into yet. Please don’t make it smaller. Not when she doesn’t have to.

Curtis says he sees what’s going on here, and Zeke tells him, back off. It’s none of his business. Jordan says she can handle her own ex-husband, thank you. But Zeke’s right. Stay out of it. Curtis says, what happens between Jordan and Zeke is none of his business, but what happens with his daughter is. Zeke better think twice before he interferes again. Curtis walks out, and Zeke says, that was awkward. Now that he’s gone, they should talk. She says, there’s nothing to discuss. He knows the way out. He leaves.

Sasha says she’s glad they had this talk. She wasn’t sure she was making the right decision. He says, you never know if it’s the right decision, but she’s on the right track. She’s on her own, but he’s always here to back her, and he thinks Gladys is too. They hug, and he tells her to get out of here and live her life. She thanks him.

Elizabeth says she had a good time too, and Finn says, what she got was an eight-year-old’s version of the perfect date. He can’t thank her enough for letting Violet do that. She says, it was fun, and he says he’d drive her home, but… She says, his baby’s asleep, and she drove herself here. They say goodnight, and she leaves.

Austin says, if he leaves now he has to wake the boat launching guy. Wouldn’t it be better if he spent the night? She says, he could swim, as she hustles him out the door, but he says he’s exhausted, and he thinks she knows why. In fact, he’s willing to bet she’s going to sleep pretty soundly tonight. She closes the door in his face, and smiles.

Tomorrow, Sasha asks when Gladys is going to admit the truth; Mac tells Dante that something interesting crossed his desk; Sonny tells Drew to keep his eyes open and his chin up; and Cyrus says, Drew’s place is with them.

💣 Bible Thumping Bad Guy…

The second I heard Pentenville, I knew it.

Jeff Kober Returns to GENERAL HOSPITAL!

💰 A Little Typecasting…

Except this time, he’ll be playing a real-life entitled brat.

GH’s Nicholas Chavez Lands an Exciting New Role!

👩🏻‍🍳 Anything But the Cannoli…

Everyone involved has too much time on their hands.

RHONJ Star Teresa Giudice is Accused of Copying Kathy Wakile’s Cannoli Recipe, See Her Video as Fans React

💳 Gone But Not Forgotten…

I loved this show, although the fight between MJ and Reza was brutal.

Mercedes ‘MJ’ Javid and Tommy Feight Share a Family Update

👗 Ruling the Runway…

This week’s Project Runway. This site’s recaps are the best. It’s odd I would like this show so much, since I can’t sew worth a damn. In the same vein, there are endless cooking shows I also enjoy. I guess those who can’t do, watch other people doing.

‘Project Runway’ 20 episode 4 recap: On ‘Coronation Day,’ who was the most regal and who got royally screwed? [LIVE BLOG]

🍸 VanderStuff…

The fans aren’t having it.

Fans React to Vanderpump Rules Spinoff News

I have no doubt the producers pump (no pun intended) up the drama, although I find the editing tactics more off-putting. Especially the thing about the galaxy lights. This site and I don’t see eye to eye on who the bad guys are on several shows either.

Pump Rules Producers Accused of Instigating Drama With Raquel Leviss

Heaven forbid this should ever happen, but they’re spot-on with their choices.

Our Dream Casting for a Scandoval Movie

🐻 Out There…

I don’t remember most of these, and didn’t watch much of the ones I remember. It’s probably just as well.

The Most Bonkers Reality TV Shows of All Time

🥀 So Far This Year…

Only six months in, and it’s already an unbelievably long list. I was sad to hear Alan Arkin passed today. If you’ve never seen The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, you’re missing a classic and an amazing performance by him.

https://ew.com/celebrity/stars-we-lost-in-2023-celebrity-deaths/

📽 Trailer Yourself…

You know I love the Barbie one.

https://ew.com/movies/best-movie-trailers-2023-golden-trailer-awards/

🐕 So Ugly They’re Cute…

There are no ugly dogs, but if there were, these would win. Please note there was a Pekingese finalist this year.

https://people.com/photos-2023-ugliest-dog-contest-winners-7553615

🐡 Quotes of the Week

The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term, is the indispensable prerequisite for success. – Brian Tracy

Never stop just because you feel defeated. The journey to the other side is attainable only after great suffering. – Santosh Kalwar

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love – then make that day count! – Steve Maraboli

I’m a dirt person. I trust the dirt. I don’t trust diamonds and gold. – Eartha Kitt

The best revenge is to be unlike those who performed the injury. – Marcus Aurelius

Having a cat is exactly like not having a cat except sometimes you see a cat. – @uberjnet, Twitter

No man is great enough or wise enough for any of us to surrender our destiny to. The only way in which anyone can lead us is to restore to us the belief in our own guidance. – Henry Miller

The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for. – Bob Marley

They’re filming this, Kevin. Shut up. – a hoarder to her husband on Hoarding: Buried Alive

That’s the trouble with your whole MTV, microwave dinner generation. You want it all now. You think you deserve it just because you want it? It doesn’t work like that. You have to earn it, you have to take it, you have to make it yours. but before you do that, Guy, you need to decide what it is you really want. – Buddy Ackerman (Kevin Spacey), Swimming with Sharks

🎆 Declaring My Independence…

There’s no soap or Deck on Monday, and I have no clue about Tuesday, since that’s the actual 4th, so see you whenever the soap falls next. Until then, stay safe, stay enjoying your 4th of July weekend, and stay not saying you’re great all the time if you really aren’t.

Jan28

January 27, 2023 – Terry Gives Willow Another Option, She’s Fine, Paris Meeting, Messy On Deck, Last Return, Early Roll Call, AniPug, Quotes Of Ten & Borderline

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly wakes up and asks why Drew is smiling. He  tells her that when she sleeps her nose wrinkles.

On the phone at the MetroCourt, Victor says, give him the latest. Have  they determined the cause of the flooding? A man with a French accent says, the water main under the building burst, and Victor says he’s aware the pipes are old, but it’s inconceivable that they should happen to burst on the very night Valentin and Anna come to retrieve his guest. Have they found  his son? The man says, not yet. Or Miss Devane or Miss Coe. Victor says that’s not the answer he was looking for, and asks, what’s the hold-up? The man says, the adjoining catacombs collapsed; it’s too unstable. Victor says he doesn’t care how dangerous it is. He wants a team down there right now looking for his son.

Martin goes into the elevator, and flashes back to the first time he met Lucy when he was dressed as Santa, and their subsequent romantic encounter. He looks at a photo of her on his phone, and says, my dear sweet Lucy, where are you? The elevator stops, and the door opens. He sees someone there, and says, they’ve been ignoring his calls, which he doesn’t appreciate. Now what the hell… He’s grabbed by the lapels and pulled out.

Victor says he’ll pay triple the rate. His son might be trapped in those catacombs; he could be injured. He sees Alexis sitting at one of the tables in the restaurant. He says, just find him, when Alexis comes over. He asks if she’s having breakfast with her daughters; he’d love to see them. She says, he never gives up, and he says, family is worth every effort. She says she’s sorry to disappoint him, but she’s here to see the mayor, not her children. Victor says, that’s a pity, and excuses himself, going over to the bar. Alexis follows him, and asks how everything is going with Nikolas. He says he assumes she’s referring to his utter and total disappointment in his nephew. Fathering Esme’s child is just… She says, so unseemly. She guesses things are a little tense at Windymere, and he says, they would be. He’s taken a suite here at the MetroCourt. Not that it has anything to do with the conflict with his nephew. She asks, then why? and he says he thought Nikolas would have told her. He’s handed Spoon Island over to Ava as part of the divorce settlement.

Ava is looking at the settlement papers, when Nina comes out. Ava says, Britt’s memorial is today, isn’t it? At General Hospital? Nina says, they’re honoring her work as Co-Chief of Staff. She thinks Britt would really like it. Practicing medicine was important to her. Ava asks how Nina is holding up, and Nina says she’s fine. Her job right now is to be strong for Aunt Liesl, and that’s what she’s going to do. Ava says she was referring to the Willow situation. They haven’t had a chance to talk about that yet. Ava can’t believe it. Willow is Nina’s daughter? Nina says, a fact she wouldn’t know if that bitch Carly had her way.

Michael tells Willow, good morning, and she says, is it morning? It’s always so hard to tell in here. Did he get any sleep? He says, a few hours, and takes her hand. She asks him to promise he won’t let go, and he says he promises.

Ava says, what Carly did was unconscionable, and Nina says, first with Nelle; now it’s Willow. Ava says, to be fair, Carly didn’t know Nelle was Nina’s daughter until after Nelle died. Nina says, and that makes it okay? but Ava says, of course (🍷) not. She’s not defending Carly. Nina says she hopes not, since there is no defense. Of Course (🍷) St. Carly will be forgiven, because she was protecting Willow from evil Nina, who no one would ever want as a mother. And now that she’s not a bone marrow match, there’s no foul, no harm. She knows that’s what Carly is going to say, and people will buy it. She doesn’t care if the whole world forgives Carly; she’s not – ever. She’s not going to rest until that woman pays for what she did to her.

Drew says, it’s so incredible being alone with Carly. Does she have any idea how hard it is pretending to be just friends? She says, really? She thought it was easy. She’d see him across the room, and think, there’s Drew. Whatever. She’s kidding. When she would see him across the room, like at the Quartermaines’ on Christmas, he has no idea how bad she wanted to come across the room and kiss him. He says, if she’s feeling the urge… and kisses her. Wake me when this is over. She thanks him for sticking with her. He had every reason to bail. She’s really glad he didn’t. He says he is too, and she says, any regrets? He says, except for the fact they can’t go public? and she says, it’s so frustrating because the Aurora/ELQ merger didn’t even happen. She doesn’t know why there’s this issue with insider trading. He says he guesses it helps on some level, but someone could still report it to the SEC, and she asks if they can talk about something else. He says, please, and she tells him to start. He says he loves waking up with her, and she says she loves waking up with him. Is there anything else he likes doing with her? He says he can think of a few things, and she says, tell her more. He says he’d rather show her, and they get busy. Zzzzz….

Terry comes into Willow’s room, and asks how she’s doing. Michael says, she’s in some pain, and suggests upping her medication, but Willow says she doesn’t want that. If she gets more medication, she’ll just sleep, and she refuses to waste… She asks if Terry is here to discuss treatment since Nina isn’t a viable bone marrow match, and Terry says, the donor registry could still come through. Michael says, they can’t count on that though, and Terry says she woudn’t advise it. Michael says, so what now? and Terry says, there is another option. As they know, when bone marrow is taken from a donor, stem cells are harvested, and Willow’s body can use those healthy stem cells to fight leukemia. But bone marrow isn’t the only source. They can also find stem cells in cord blood from the umbilical cord and placenta. Willow says, if Terry is talking about taking something away from the baby to help her, the answer is no, and I wonder how she passed nursing school. Michael says, if there’s an option that can save both Willow and their daughter, they need to hear the doctor out.

Alexis finds it hard to believe Nikolas would give up Windymere, and Victor says, perhaps he felt he owed it to Ava for sleeping with his son’s ex-girlfriend. She says, when he puts it that way… It still seems out of character for her nephew. Laura joins them, and says she hopes Victor is happy. Victor says he doesn’t know; is he? She says he’s gone too far this time, and he asks what on earth she’s talking about. She says she was just contacted by the Paris authorities. Valentin is dead. Alexis says, Valentin is dead? and Laura says she’s sorry. A portion of the Paris catacombs collapsed last night. Alexis says, how? Why? Laura says, it flooded when the water main broke. Rescue efforts are ongoing, but they’ve already recovered three bodies. One of them has been identified as Valentin. Alexis says, what about Anna? Wasn’t she traveling with him? Laura says, Martin told her that he saw them leave Ireland together, so yes, and Alexis asks, what about the other body? Laura says, a woman, but she hasn’t been identified yet. Alexis says she can’t believe Valentin is gone, and Laura says, it’s just horrible. All she can think about is Charlotte. She’s going to be completely devastated. Alexis says, and Robin, but Laura says, they don’t know about that yet. As bleak as it may look, there’s always the possibility that Anna survived somehow.

Martin walks through the woods, blindfolded, and asks if it’s necessary. Clearly, he’s cooperating. Robert and Felicia are with him, and Felicia says, it’s best for all of them, him included, if he doesn’t know where they are. Martin says, mission accomplished, and Felicia knocks on the door of a small house. Anna opens the door, and tells them to get inside. She and Felicia hug, and Felicia says, it’s good to see her safe. Anna says, and breathing, and Felicia says, well, there’s that. Robert says, good to see her, and Martin asks if he can please take this thing off. Robert says, so sorry, and undoes the blindfold. Lucy runs out, saying, Marty, Marty, Marty, and throws herself into his arms. He tells her that she’s a sight for weary eyes, and she says, take it all in, and then kiss her this instant. He says, if she insists, and he does. He says, the nightmare is over, but Valentin comes out, and says, not quite. There’s the small matter of his death.

Basking in the afterglow with Drew, Carly says she wants to stay right here forever. Is that too much to ask? He says he’s got to admit, hiding out sounds pretty damn perfect right now, and she says she doesn’t want to go back to the real world. It’s where Willow has cancer, Wiley might lose his mom, and Michael… She sits up, and grabs her phone, saying, she promised Michael that she would take Wiley to visit Willow. Drew says, Michael asking her to bring Wiley is promising that things are going to be okay between them, and she says she’s lucky Michael has a big heart. Her phone rings, and she says, it’s Sonny. It’s probably news about Nina. She says, hello?… No… Are they sure?… Okay. Thanks for calling. Drew says, Nina’s not a match? and she says, no. He says he’s so sorry, and she says, Willow is so sick. What if they don’t find a donor in time? She leans back in his arms.

Nina tells Ava that she could strangle Carly for trying to keep her daughter away from her. Who does she think she is? Ava tells her, stop it, and Nina asks if Ava is saying she doesn’t have the right to hate Carly. Ava says, of course (🍷) she does, but Carly isn’t what’s important right now, and Nina says she’s not going to let it go. She can’t let it go. Ava says she knows. Because it’s easier to be angry with Carly that facing the pain and fear of losing another child. Willow is Nina’s daughter, and she’s very sick. Nina says, she can’t save her. She can’t.

Willow says she won’t do anything to jeopardize the baby’s health, and Terry says she understands, but the baby won’t be affected in any way, other than being delivered by C-section a few weeks early. Willow says she knows she agreed to have the baby early to prepare for the marrow transplant, but she was never comfortable; she’s still not. Their daughter will be born when she’s ready. Terry says she’s consulted with Dr. Navarro, and she’s confirmed that this late in the pregnancy, the risks to the baby are minimal. 99% of babies born at this stage not only survive, but thrive, and after the birth, the umbilical cord and placenta are no longer serving a purpose. It’s possible to harvest stem cells from the blood. Michael asks, what’s the success rate of this type of transplant? and Terry says, nothing’s 100%, but it’s the best chance they have. Because the stem cells are coming from Willow’s baby, they only need about half the HLA markers to match, which is less than bone marrow stem cells. Michael says, that’s incredible, and we finally agree on something. It is pretty amazing. Terry says, in her medical opinion, this is by far Willow’s best option. Will she give it a shot?

Robert asks if there’s any reason they needed to bring Martin here, and Valentin says, it was vital. Anna says, otherwise, Lucy would have driven them crazy. Felicia says, when Anna called this morning, saying they brought Lucy back, she doesn’t remember the last time she was so relieved. And Anna’s life as a fugitive is over. Robert asks if they’re forgetting the fact that the PCPD has a videotape of someone looking a lot like Anna putting a bullet in Lucy point blank, and Felicia says, Lucy will just say the shooter wasn’t Anna. Charges dropped, right? Anna says she doesn’t know as she’s ready to reveal herself just yet; not since they’ve gone to the trouble of convincing Victor that Valentin is dead. Robert says, any plan that puts Valentin six feet under is fine with him, and Felicia says, they really need to think about this. There are people other than Victor who will be very upset. Are they willing to have that on their conscience?

Victor asks, who contacted Laura, and why did they call her and not him? Laura says, because Charlotte is Valentin’s next of kin, and Alexis says, poor Charlotte. Victor asks how they know the body is Valentin’s, and Laura tells him not to pretend he cares. He says, of course (🍷) he cares; Valentin is his son. Laura says, who he tried to control by threatening Valentin’s little girl, and Victor says, Charlotte was never in any danger, but Laura says, face it. Victor only values family when it works to his advantage. He says he needs to make some calls, and leaves.

Nina tells Ava that she’s filled with regret; what they missed out on and what could have been. Ava says, stop talking in the past tense. Willow is not gone. There’s still hope. Nina says she was Willow’s hope. She was supposed to be the game changer. Her bone marrow was supposed to save Willow’s life, and then Willow would forgive her and love her, but Willow doesn’t want to be her daughter. She doesn’t want anything to do with Nina. Ava says she’s been there, and knows how much it hurts, and Nina says she can’t breathe. She just feels the pain going through her body with every heartbeat. Now she has to go to the hospital, and say goodbye to her cousin when she knows her daughter is there fighting for her life, and there’s not a damn thing she can do about it. She won’t survive losing Willow. Ava hugs her.

Michael asks what Willow thinks, when Carly peeks in, and asks if it’s a good time. Michael says, of course (🍷). Bring him in. Terry says she’ll give them some time to consider their options, and leaves as Wiley runs in. Michael lifts Wiley onto the bed, telling him to be careful, but Willow says she wants the biggest, strongest hug she can get. She hugs him, and says she’s missed him so much, and he says he’s missed her too.

On the phone, Victor says he wants to know exactly what the Paris police know, down to the last detail. This is unacceptable. His son was never supposed to be harmed. He wants answers and he wants them immediately.

Alexis and Laura sit at a table, and Alexis says, Victor seemed really shaken up. Laura says, did he ever, and Alexis says, well done, Madame Mayor; she was very convincing. Laura says, you this better work.

Anna says, Laura and Alexis know the truth. They brought them in on it. Felicia says, what about Charlotte? Valentin can’t be okay with letting her believe he’s dead. Valentin says, there’s a plan in place. Laura knows exactly what to say to Charlotte. Anna says, and if everything has gone according to plan, Laura should have broken the news to Victor right about now. Robert is sure their illustrious mayor is right on schedule. He laughs, and says, sometimes he just can’t believe that little Laura, on the run from Frank Smith, holding the Cassadines at bay with a machine gun. Now here they are, the epitome of law and order. Felicia says, look who’s talking, Mr. District Attorney, and he says, my, how the mighty have fallen.

In the bedroom, Martin asks Lucy to swear to him she’s all right, and she says she’s fine. He says, they didn’t hurt her or touch her in any way? and she slips off his jacket, asking if she doesn’t feel all right. He says she feels incredible, and kisses her. He says, still, it had to be awful being Victor’s prisoner, and she says she did spend every minute of every hour of every day praying to get out of there, and did manage to concoct a few escape plans. He says, that’s his girl, and she says, surprisingly, physically they treated her okay… except for the part where she was chained in the basement. Literally. She thinks it was all part of the plan to get Anna and Valentin… He says he could just kill that smug son of a bitch, and she says, the worst part, she actually had to swim through the catacombs, and it was disgusting and icky. Okay. Deep breath. She breathes, and says, that is all in the past, and she’s back and home safe with him. He kisses her, and says, yes, she is. He  thanks God for that, but watching her get shot, that drone footage… She says she knows, and rubber bullets are really not rubbery, but they hurt. He says, it’s not funny. It was one of the worst moments of his life. She says, her poor baby. She’s so sorry he had to go through all of this. He asks if it’s just him, or does this not feel real? She says, it’s real, and she knows just how to convince him. They get busy.

Ava says, Nina has to hold on to hope, and Nina asks if there is any. Ava says, of course (🍷) there is. As long as Willow is alive, there’s always a chance to reconcile, but Nina says, if she beats this cancer, the possibilities of that are remote. Ava says, look at it this way. Nina’s feelings changed the second she learned Willow was her daughter. She immediately saw Willow in a different light. Nina says, but that wasn’t the case for Willow. She’s made that abundantly clear. Ava says, still early days, and Nina says, she tried to remember the first time she saw Willow – it may have been the park or the classroom – when she was only Miss Tate, and giving Charlotte a hard time. She couldn’t stand Willow. Ava says, because Nina thought Willow was picking on her kid, and Nina says, turns out Willow was her kid too. It makes sense that they didn’t get along; Willow is a lot like her, never running from a fight. Willow’s always been really strong. Ava says, now it’s Nina’s turn. Don’t let Willow push her away. Nina asks what Ava wants her to do. Should she force herself into Willow’s hospital room? Ava says, that might be going a little too far, and Nina says, Ava is a really good friend. Ava says, don’t give up, and Nina says, no giving up. Ava says, that’s more like it, and they shake pinkies.

Willow talks bagels with Wiley, and he asks when she’s coming home. She says she’s not exactly sure, but the second the doctors say she can, she’s running straight to the gatehouse. He says, in a hospital gown? and she says, if she has too. Carly says she’d like to see that, and Michael says, him too. Carly takes a handmade card out of her purse, and tells Wiley to give mommy the card he made her. Willow opens it, and it says Get Well Mommy on the inside. She says, he didn’t make this, but he says he did. She says, these pictures are amazing. They must have been drawn by a professional artist. He says he’s the artist, and she says she loves it. Michael and Carly slip out of the room, and Willow says she’s putting the card next to her pillow, so it’s the first thing she sees when she wakes up. In the hallway, Michael thanks Carly for bringing Wiley, and she says, seeing Willow’s face light up when she saw him was everything. He says, it means the world to Willow, and she says, it meant the world to her that he asked. She hopes this means they’re okay. He says, they are… At least they will be eventually. She asks what Terry had to say, and he tells her, it was actually good news. There may be a way to save Willow.

Alexis says she was relieved to get Laura’s call this morning; she was starting to lose hope. Laura says she was too, but it’s true. Anna, Valentin, and Lucy are safe, and back in the U.S. Alexis says, good, and asks if she thinks Valentin’s supposed death will hold up under Victor’s scrutiny. Laura says, she thinks so; at least in the short term. She thanks Alexis for her help, and Alexis says, The Invader will print an official story that the French authorities say Valentin was caught in an underground flood in Paris. He’s been declared dead. Laura says, excellent. She has to get going. Britt Westbourne’s memorial is going to start very soon. Alexis says she’s so sorry. What happened to Britt is tragic. Laura says, she did die a hero, and Alexis says, if only all of them could say the same thing. Laura says, they’re good? and Alexis says she’s got it from here. Laura thanks her, and leaves.

Lucy comes up for air, and says she has to tell Martin something.  You know how they say when you’re about to die, your life flashes before your eyes? He says, it must have taken a while, and she smacks his arm. He says, that’s not what he meant; she’s the definition of ageless beauty. He was thinking his Lucy is a woman who’s lived one heck of a life. Lucy says she sure has, and he says he loves that about her. She lives each day to the fullest and then some. She says, her last conscious thought before she hit the water was that she didn’t want it to be over, and he has a lot to do with that. There’s so much she still wants to do, and there’s so much life left to live. She’d kind of like it if he’d do it with her, and be by her side. He kisses her, and thanks her for coming back to him. She says, any time, and he says he means it. He doesn’t know what he would have done if she hadn’t. She says, he knows she would never, ever let Victor Cassadine get the best of her. Never. He kisses her.

Anna asks if Robert has heard from Holly, and he says, no, but he doesn’t expect to. At least not until she finds Ethan. She asks, what about those pieces of the Ice Princess that Victor was looking for? and he says, Victor thinks that was destroyed in the explosion. She says, they’re getting closer and closer to Victor paying for what he’s done to Luke.

Felicia says, it’s good to have the gang back together, isn’t it? and Valentin asks if he’s part of the gang. She says, he did okay in Paris. He managed not to slow Anna down. He says, that’s high praise, and she says, how about this? As long as Anna trusts him, she’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. But the second he steps out of line… He says, message received.

Carly tells Michael, this is incredible. It’s the answer they’ve been looking for. He tells her not to get too excited; Willow hasn’t agreed to it yet. Carly asks, why woudn’t she? and he says, Carly has seen how protective Willow is over the baby; she’s going to say no. Carly says, that’s insane. They have to convince her to do this. He says he’ll do his best, but ultimately, it’s Willow’s decision. They go back into Willow’s room, and Wiley is saying, okay, baby, it’s time to come out. We’re ready for you. Willow says, Wiley’s right; it’s time. They’d better call Dr. Navarro. They’re having a baby. He kisses her, and says he loves her. She says she loves him too, and he asks if Wiley is excited.

Victor looks at his phone, and Alexis says she’s sorry to intrude. Has he been able to find out anything? He says, not yet, and she sits down. She says, it’s absolutely unfathomable that Valentin is gone. They got off to a rocky start, but they ended up in a good place. She so sorry for his loss. He says, don’t be. Screw these reports. He refuses to believe his son is dead.

On the phone, Valentin thanks Laura, and says he’ll pass along that update. He tells the others, Victor bought it, and Anna says, that’s great. Felicia says, they finally have him off-balance, and Robert asks, what’s the next part of the plan? Anna says, they exploit Victor’s guilt. Maybe he’ll admit to something in his grief stricken state. Robert says, ramp up the pressure, and Valentin says, big time. Anna says, ideas? and Felicia says, don’t worry. She’s got plenty.

Carly cries in the hallway, and Drew sees her. He asks if Willow had a setback, but she says, just the opposite. She thinks Willow’s going to be okay. He says, that’s incredible, and they hug. Nina walks out, sees them, and moonwalks back out of sight.

On the phone, Ava tells Demetrius that she wants Nikolas out of Windymere by tomorrow… No, this is not a negotiation. The house is hers; she wants him out… Good… No. She doesn’t plan on moving in right away. She’s staying here for the time being.

A nurse tells Michael that she’ll have Terry paged right away, and Wiley asks if she has any apple juice, confusing the nurse with a waitress. Michael says, sorry about that, but the nurse says, no problem, and tells Wiley that she thinks they can scrounge up some juice. He asks what scrounge means, and she says, let’s find out. They leave, and Michael says, Willow means it? She’s going through with the cord blood transplant? She says, yes. She’s going to trust the doctors that their daughter won’t be hurt. He says, she won’t. She’s strong just like her mother. Willow says she can’t wait to meet her, and he says, neither can he, and someday they can tell her how she saved her mother’s life.

On Monday, Curtis says, this is great news, and Marshall says, but what if it isn’t; Stella has a surprise for the bride-to-be; and Nina says, aren’t you two cozy.

🗽 Sure She Is…

The more she keeps saying how happy she is, the less I think that’s the case.

Ramona Singer Dishes On Retirement From The Real Housewives Of New York City; Says She’s “Never Been Happier”

💎 Allez les Filles…

Maybe they were celebrating LisaR making her exit.

Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Star Sutton Stracke Hangs Out With Lisa Vanderpump In Paris

⚓️ Out Like a Lamb…

I’m with Captain Lee on this one. All she had to do was give him a quick call, which she apparently had time to do after the fact.

Below Deck’s Captain Lee Calls Out Captain Sandy for Not Informing Him of Camille’s Firing, Suggests She Lacks “Respect” as Fans React

Passive aggressive much?

Captain Sandy Yawn Seemingly Responds to Captain Lee Criticizing Her For “Lack of Procedure and Respect” Following Camille Lamb Firing

While we’re at it, none of these people are a prize.

The Below Deck Mid-Season Trailer Is Here!

🤯 Already…

They didn’t waste any time. I’m not surprised. It’s very engaging, and the creatures are pretty cool.

The Last of Us Renewed for Season 2

🥀 Dropping Like Flies…

Already the roll call is forming.

https://www.distractify.com/p/lance-kerwin-cause-of-death

https://ew.com/celebrity/stars-we-lost-in-2023-celebrity-deaths/

🐶 Double the Doug…

If anyone deserves it, Doug does.

https://people.com/pets/doug-the-pug-working-on-animated-show/

🎬 Quotes of the Week

The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once. – Albert Einstein

When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice. – Indian Proverb

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. – Oscar Wilde

Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof. – John Kenneth Galbraith

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. – Henry Ford

Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. – Vince Lombardi

Success or failure depends more upon attitude than upon capacity… successful men act as though they have accomplished or are enjoying something. Soon it becomes reality. Act, look, feel successful, conduct yourself accordingly, and you will be amazed at the positive results. – DuPree Jordan, Jr. (Getting out my tiara…)

Sometimes you have to do what you don’t want to do to maintain the life you’ve created. – Judge Lynn Toler, explaining to a man why he has to work to feed his children (sigh)

Man is the only animal for whom his own existence is a problem which he has to solve. – Erich Fromm

It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you are not. – Andre Gide

☁️ In the Cloud…

If you’re still hanging in with me, hang out on Monday really Tuesday for soap and what’s happening on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay resilient, and stay not sleeping with your son’s ex-girlfriend. It’s unseemly.