What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the Quartermaine mansion, Chase says he doesn’t want to dump all his problems on Willow, but she says she doesn’t feel dumped on. She’s flattered that he thinks she can help. Besides, he seems different today. Like there’s less of a burden on him. He says, it’s true. They’re having a family sit-down – him, mom, dad, and Finn. She says, that’s great, and he says they have to find a way to move forward. She asks what that looks like, and he says he honestly doesn’t have a clue. All he knows is, as mad as he is at his mom and Finn for lying to him and his dad, nothing will get better if he keeps avoiding them. She says she’s happy for him. Facing each other is the first step. The last time she saw him, he couldn’t even be in the same room as his mom. What changed things? He says, she did.

Michael picks up Wiley’s toys in the foyer, when there’s a knock at the door. He opens it, and Ned walks in. Michael asks if Olivia is expecting him, and Ned says, good afternoon to him too. He says he’s actually there to check on Brook, and Michael says, because Brook is his daughter, or because she’s using her unborn child to manipulate Valentin? Ned says, can’t he be worried about both?

Holding a plate of sushi, Brook puts her feet up, and says, finally, some me time. Olivia runs in, and snatches the plate from her, saying, whoa-whoa! Is she out of her mind?

Valentin opens his room door, and Carly strides in. She says she doesn’t know if he’s been keeping up with the local news, but Jason was denied bail, and has been remanded to Pentenville where he has to await trial. Valentin says, it’s not all that surprising, considering Jason’s reputation and extensive rap sheet. She says, Jason is innocent; Peter’s the killer. He says, that’s going to be difficult to prove, just ask Obrecht. She says, there’s no comparison, but he says, sure there is. They’re both notorious outlaws. Peter also benefited from Franco’s widow discovering Jason standing over the body. She asks if he’s going to help her prove that Jason is innocent, or just sit there acting like he can’t do anything. He says he wants Jason exonerated because he wants Peter convicted, but that’s going to take time. It’s going to take patience. Carly says, she knows Jason would tell her the same thing, and they’re both wrong. Cyrus doesn’t want Jason convicted out of the goodness of his heart. He wanted Jason in Pentenville because he’ll be an easy target. Valentin says he was under the impression Jason could take care of himself, and she says she’ll feel better when Jason is free, and the only way to do that is to prove Gladys is lying.

At the MetroCourt lounge, Cyrus looks at his phone and tells Brando, it appears justice has finally been done for once. Jason Morgan was denied bail at his arraignment, which means he has some business to attend to. Brando asks where he can take Cyrus, and Cyrus says, this is a personal matter. Why doesn’t Brando stay and have lunch? Put it on his tab.

Sasha runs into Gladys in the dining room, and says it’s nice to see her again. Gladys asks if Sasha is in a rush. There are a few things she needs to talk to Sasha about.

 Laura is concentrating on her laptop, and Doc sneaks up behind her, kissing her neck and startling her. She says he’s bad, and he says he could think of a lot more sinister activities to spend their afternoon with than going over proposals. She says, as much as she’d like to join him in those sinister activities, she’s really behind in her work. He says, that’s not like her. She’s the most efficient person he knows. She thanks him, and says her half-brothers have been distracting lately.

On the phone at the gallery, Ava says, Franco’s final works haven’t been evaluated yet. She promises she’ll call them, and thanks them for their interest. Nikolas walks in, and she hugs him, saying she’s happy to see him. She was afraid he was going to stand her up. She knows the centerpieces aren’t a favorite topic of conversation, but she wants everything to come together. She wants it to be perfect for their renewal ceremony. He says whatever she wants is fine, and she asks why she gets the feeling his heart isn’t in this anymore.

Willow gets nervous, and steps away from Chase, pretending to be busy with something. He tells her that he ran into Finn at the MetroCourt, and they had an almost normal conversation. When Finn left, he spotted his mom. He thought about sneaking out, but ended up saying hi instead. She says, good for him; that took emotional courage. He says he wouldn’t go that far, but talking to her helped. She made him realize that the only way to heal was to do it together as a family. Willow says she’s glad. However badly they messed up, Finn and his mom still love him. He says it’s only fair that he do for them what Willow did for him. She says, sorry. He lost her. He says, she forgave him when he told her that he and Sasha only pretended to be together. She heard what he had to say, and found a way to love him again. She gives him a nervous smile.

Olivia says, Brook is pregnant. She isn’t supposed to be eating uncooked fish, or cold cuts, or drinking alcohol… Brook says, actually, the doctor said it’s okay to have a glass of wine every now and then. Olivia says, not in this house, it’s not, and Brook says, okay, but this is a really good source of protein. She grabs the other side of the dish, but Olivia isn’t letting go, and says, so is a meatball. The plate slips from Brook’s grasp, and goes flying out of Olivia’s hand, flinging sushi everywhere. Ned and Michael walk in as Brook says, now look what you did. Olivia says, a broken plate is a small price to pay, and Michael says, see Ned? No reason to worry.

Carly says she thought Valentin had Gladys eating out of the palm of his hand, and he says they had a successful first date, but if he comes on too strong, he tips his hand. Gladys is unrefined, but she’s not stupid. Carly says, she’s not stupid, but she’s vulnerable. She wants to be on the inside; she wants to matter. If Valentin can make her feel that way, he’ll win her over. He asks what Carly would have him do, and she says her hotel staff has been discreetly following Gladys, and know exactly where she is. She hands him his jacket, and says, it’s time he and Gladys had another chance encounter.

Gladys says Sasha knows about Brando’s past history with drug abuse. As his mother, she’s concerned about him getting involved with someone who’s also in recovery. That’s why she was less than cordial with Sasha when they saw each other at Kelly’s. Sasha says, that’s okay. She’s actually involved with someone else. Gladys says, Michael Corinthos. She’s sure Sasha is aware of the family connection, although Michael isn’t really a Corinthos. He was adopted. Be that as it may, Sonny always treated him like gold, when he could have done more for his blood relations. Sasha says she and Brando are just friends, and Gladys says, as it should be. Brando walks in, and Gladys hugs him. She says she ran into Sasha on the way in. It’s so exciting that he knows a supermodel. She tells Brando that she hopes that nice boss of his gave him time for lunch. Can he join her? He says, sure, and asks if she can give him a minute. Gladys tells Sasha it was nice seeing her, and she’s glad they had a chat. She goes off to find a table, and Brando and Sasha walk into the hallway.

Brando asks what the chat was about, and Sasha tells him, let’s just say she gets the feeling his mother is sitting on a whole bunch of loaded emotions. She can see why he was worried she’d make a scene at his son’s funeral. She says she’s sorry; that was incredibly offensive. He says, it’s not that. He hasn’t been honest with her.

Doc tells Laura, so Cyrus is still playing mind games with her, and she says, he couldn’t wait to tell her it was naïve of her to think Martin was the good brother. Doc says, that’s because Cyrus likes to be the spoiler in other people’s relationships, and she says, to Martin’s credit, he owned up to it. Doc says, to what? and she says, apparently, after the bombing at The Floating Rib, Julian came to Martin. Martin didn’t want to help Julian, but Julian had some photo of Martin with Cyrus, and basically blackmailed him. He says she had to be disappointed, and she says, that wasn’t the worst part. After Martin helped Julian escape, he called Cyrus and alerted him. Julian could have gone to the police, and told them about Cyrus’s involvement. Cyrus would have been in jail. He says, there’s no point in speculating on what could have been, but she has good reason to be disappointed. She says she shouldn’t even be thinking about her brothers. She should be doing the work the good people of Port Charles elected her to do. He says he guesses he’ll put his nefarious attentions for her aside for the time being. He’s going to see about the painting Franco left him. She says she thinks it’s wonderful that Franco left something to him, but she’s not surprised. He’s the most compassionate man she knows. He says, you never know whose life you’re going to touch, and she says, as far as his nefarious activities, they’re not canceled; just postponed. He says he looks forward to that.

Nikolas tells Ava that he’s sorry. He didn’t mean to imply the ceremony wasn’t important to him. She asks, what’s going on? Why is he all doom and gloom? He says he tried calling Spencer, then tried calling again, and both times he got voicemail. Spencer isn’t a precocious ten-year-old anymore; he’s almost a graduate. He doesn’t have to like that they’re committed to each other, or approve of their vow renewal, but he needs to learn to give Nikolas a minimum of courtesy and respect. Spencer doesn’t get to hang up on him months after he’s heard about it. Ava says Spencer doesn’t want her in Nikolas’s life, and Nikolas says, at some point, Spencer has to get over himself. He certainly won’t feel right if Spencer isn’t by his side. She says she knows Spencer will come around. Maybe not tomorrow or next week, but sooner or later he’ll remember that Nikolas is his father, and family is everything. Martin walks in, and says, he for one, couldn’t agree more.

Ned tells Olivia, the broken plate is in the trash, and the sushi is literally down the drain. Olivia says, nothing is damaged, nothing is stained, and Brook says they’re acting like it’s wall-to-wall carnage; it’s not a big deal. Olivia says, Brook was about to eat raw fish, and tells Ned that his daughter isn’t taking care of herself. Brook says she doesn’t think one tuna roll is going to matter, and Olivia says Brook is very pregnant with her first child, and there isn’t one baby book or prenatal vitamin in the house. Ned asks if Brook is more interested in using the baby as leverage, or taking proper care of her health, and Olivia asks, what is he talking about? What leverage? Ned asks if Brook wants to tell Olivia, or should he?

At the MetroCourt, Carly watches Gladys sitting at a table, and Valentin sitting at the bar. Gladys gets up, and goes over to Valentin. She asks if he remembers her, and he says, Miss Corbin. She tells him to call her Gladys, and he says, as if he could forget her. Is she alone? Can he buy her a drink? She says he certainly may, and sits next to him.    

Brando tells Sasha, Dev wasn’t his son, and she says she doesn’t understand. He says, Sonny met Dev in Turkey. Dev helped Sonny out of a jam, and Sonny offered to do what he could for Dev. Dev took the offer literally, and made his way to Port Charles without papers or a valid visa. He risked being deported back to Turkey where his life was in danger. Sonny gave Dev a new ID, and because Brando’s mom told Sonny that he was dead, Sonny invented a story that Dev was his son. Sasha wonders why Gladys would tell everyone Brando was dead. Why would she do that? He says, it’s complicated and dysfunctional, like most things in his family. By the time he got to Port Charles, Dev was legally his son, and Sonny asked him to play along. She asks why he agreed, and he says, it kept Dev safe. He’s never been to Turkey, but knows there’s a lot of unrest. He couldn’t have looked at himself in the mirror if Dev had gotten deported. She says she doesn’t know what to say, and he says she shared her dirty laundry with him, and he wants her to trust him like he trusts her. She says he can trust her. She promises not to share anything he tells her. He thanks her, and she asks if this means Michael knew.

Michael sees Willow and Chase laughing together, and says, sorry. He didn’t mean to interrupt. Chase asks why Michael is apologizing; it’s his house. Michael says, don’t let his grandma hear that, and Chase says, because…? Willow says, because Alan built the house and gave it to Monica, and Michael adds that Tracy never forgave Monica. Willow says, everyone else who lives here are just guests, and Chase says, now that he’s been enlightened, he has to get to the station. He kisses Willow’s cheek, and leaves. Michael says, it looks like things are going well with her and Chase.  

Ava tells Martin that he intruded on a private moment, and he says he thought the gallery was open. She says, they’re on a break. Maybe he could come back later. He takes it he’s unwelcome, and Nikolas asks if he expected otherwise from family. Martin says, like it or not, it’s what they are. His half-sister is Nikolas’s mother, and that makes Nikolas his nephew. Nikolas says, as it happens, he and his mother spoke this morning. She told him what Martin did for Julian. Martin says he sees Laura told Nikolas everything, and Ava says, no one told her. What exactly did Martin do for her brother? Nikolas says, after Julian was linked to the bombing at The Floating Rib, Martin helped Julian get away.

There’s a knock at the door, and Laura wonders if Doc forget his key again. She opens the door, but it’s Cyrus, who says, hello, sis.

Olivia asks if Brook is using her unborn child as leverage in a stock maneuver. Has she lost her mind? Brook thanks Ned for throwing her under the bus, and says she already loves the baby very much. Ned tells Brook to stop feeling guilty for selling her ELQ shares to Valentin. He’s forgiven her. She says she won’t forgive herself if they don’t regain control of ELQ. She doesn’t see the problem. Ned tells her they’re just making sure her health is her first priority, and she says she knows they don’t believe it, but her baby is her priority. She storms out, and runs into Chase by the front door.

Michael asks if Willow has a second, and she says, sure. What’s up? He says he wanted to make sure they were on the same page as far as Nina not seeing Wiley for the time being. He apologizes for making the decision without her, and she says, apology accepted. She gets that it was right in front of him, and he had no time to call her for a consultation. She agrees that until Nina has time to work through her grief, and gain a more realistic understanding of who Nelle was, she shouldn’t see Wiley. He says, if Nina presses the issue, they’ll deal with it together, and she says, it’s a messy situation. She can’t help feeling bad for Nina. He says, Sasha said almost the same thing.

Brando tells Sasha that he’s sorry. He didn’t mean to cause trouble between her and Michael. She says she knows. The fact is, there were too many months when Michael couldn’t trust her with a revelation like that, but Brando did. He says, it was his secret to tell. Not that he can count on his mom keeping her mouth shut.

Gladys tells Valentin about Brando’s old heap of a car. She thinks he got all the parts from the junkyard. Even as a  teenager, he had an interest in fixing cars. Valentin says Brando has her smile, and she says, he thinks so? She always thought Brando had a nice smile. She shows him a picture, and he says, that’s not a car from a junkyard. She says, it’s hers. Sonny bought it for her as a gift. She hopes Valentin doesn’t hold it against her that she’s related to Sonny, and he says in the short time he’s known her, he can tell she’s not like Sonny, or anyone else in the Corinthos family. She says she heard Valentin snatched Michael’s business out from under him, so she guesses Valentin is no friend of theirs either. He says, it’s good for Michael to feel disappointment from time to time. It builds character. She says, maybe it’s not a good idea for Valentin to be sitting with her. The black widow is shooting daggers at them. Valentin suggests they finish their drinks and retire to a different venue that’s more private.

Martin tells Ava, he had no idea her brother had anything to do with the bombing. He thought Julian was fleeing in fear of Sonny, and for the record, he was coerced. He had no choice. Nikolas says If Julian hadn’t run, he could have testified against Cyrus, who was ultimately responsible. Martin says he’d never protect Cyrus if there was evidence of his wrongdoing, and Ava says, come on. Martin says he remembers she sheltered her brother to protect him from Sonny, but she says, that was before she knew the damage Julian had caused, and knew Lulu was a victim. Martin says he deeply regrets his reaction to her brother’s extortion, but that’s not why he’s there. He’s worried about Laura. Cyrus is about to pull her into his very dangerous orbit.

Cyrus says Laura has a beautiful home. He’s not surprised, since she’s a woman of taste and refinement. She says she’s also a woman with limited patience. Why is he here? He says now that she realizes Martin has his own closet full of skeletons, he hopes she renews her effort in retrieving his mother from Jason’s clutches. She says his mother isn’t really kidnapped. Jason moved her, but Martin is fine with it, and he’s in control of her medical care. Cyrus says his less than sainted brother can’t make those decisions if he’s not in their mother’s presence, and she says, his problem is with Martin and Jason, not her. He says, yet she has some influence over both of them, but she says there’s nothing she can do to help him find his mother. There is something he can do.

Martin says his brother has a certain amount of – for lack of a better word – charisma. Cyrus knows it, and knows how to use it to gain leverage in getting someone to do his bidding. Nikolas says his mother is immune to that, but Martin says Cyrus sees Laura as the flipside to his own coin. He sees Nikolas’s mother as a kindred soul; both of them rebellious and reckless. He sees them both as people who take chances, and are comfortable with a certain amount of risks. Laura takes risks for the common good, but Cyrus sees them as having the same wild streak. He’ll use his wiles and chip away at her defenses. He’ll find and twist whatever darkness he thinks is buried. Ava says, Laura isn’t like Cyrus, and Martin says he agrees, but Cyrus doesn’t. Therein lies the problem. Laura needs her family to protect her. Nikolas says, understood, and Martin says, it’s a charming gallery. He hopes Ava allows him to return one day, perhaps to buy some artwork. He leaves, and Ava asks if Nikolas thinks Martin is telling the truth that Cyrus is a threat to Laura, but Nikolas says he’s not sure.

Cyrus says he’ll take any advice Laura wants to give him, and she says, okay. Jason only took Cyrus’s mother as an insurance policy to keep his family and friends from being attacked. Cyrus has a reputation for going after families. Cyrus says, nothing but lies… and she tells him, stop it. Take responsibility for the crimes he’s committed, including the ones against her daughter. If he did that, Jason wouldn’t think he’s a threat anymore, and won’t hide his mother. He asks if she’s saying he should confess to his alleged crimes, and she says, yes, and serve the sentence he’s given. He says he’s not going back to prison, and she says, so his statement that he’ll do anything to protect his mother was just hyperbole. He says she just took sides in a real alleged turf war, and she asks what that means. He says he told her they were more alike than she was willing to admit. He’s made his case.

Brando thanks Sasha for understanding, and she says, the same to him. They see Valentin and Gladys clink glasses, and Brando asks if that isn’t Valentin Cassadine. Sasha says, it sure is. She didn’t know Valentin knew Brando’s mom, and says if she was him, she’d keep an eye on Valentin. He’s not dangerous per se, but she knows firsthand that he doesn’t do anything without an underlying agenda. She has to go, and Brando says he’ll see her around. Sasha leaves, and Brando watches Gladys laughing with Valentin.

Willow tells Michael that she’s glad she’s not the only one who’s sympathetic to Nina. She knows Nina will get in a place where it’s okay for her to have contact with Wiley, but hopes it’s sooner than later. She says, sorry. It sounds like she’s pressuring him, but he says, don’t apologize. He likes hearing her opinion. Willow says, if that’s true, Michael has a T-shirt with holes and grass stains on it that’s got to go. He says, it’s his lucky T-shirt. He doesn’t know how many games he’s watched in it. His team doesn’t always win, but they’re above the statistical average. She asks if he thinks the shirt helps, and he says, it can’t hurt. She says she’d never have guessed he was superstitious, and he says there’s a lot she doesn’t know about him. She says she knows he’s fundamentally a fair person, and she appreciates him keeping an open mind about Nina. He says, good to hear they’re both on the same side of the argument, and she says she’s glad Sasha got through. He says, it wasn’t Sasha. It was her.  

Ned and Olivia argue loudly, and Brook tells Chase, it sounds like World War III. He says, it’s none of his business, but she says their volume makes it everyone’s business. They were discussing her pregnancy. He asks if Ned and Olivia aren’t happy about it, and she says, it’s not the pregnancy; it’s her. And things are going just the way she wants. In the living room, Olivia says she loves Ned’s daughter, but this has to be the most irritating thing she’s done. Ned says he knows, and Olivia says they’ve got to stop shouting, and be the adults in the room. They’ve got to save Brook and her baby from Brook. He asks how she proposes to do it, and she says, march over to Valentin, and tell him what Brook is up to.

Brando goes over to Gladys, who apologizes for forgetting about lunch. She wonders where her manners are, and introduces Brando to Valentin. Valentin introduces himself, and says Brando’s mother says he’s into cars. Maybe he’s found a new mechanic. Brando says he’s always happy to have new customers, and asks if he can see Gladys for a second. She says, of course (🍷), and tells Valentin she’ll be right back. She steps away with Brando, and Valentin slides her phone over and looks at it.

Brando asks how Gladys knows Valentin, and she says, he’s just a new friend. Brando isn’t worried about her, is he? He says he only knows Valentin by reputation, and it’s quite colorful. She says, if it matters that much to him, she’ll let Valentin down easy, and they can have lunch, but keep in mind, she’s grown and makes her own decisions.

Valentin sends a text with a phone number. Then he reads, message blocked. Gladys asks what he’s doing with her phone, and he says she caught him. He was trying to sneak in his number, so they didn’t have to depend on running into each other. Did he overstep? She says she’ll forgive him this once, and he asks if he can buy her lunch to make up for it. She says she promised to have lunch with Brando. Another time? He touches her arm, and says he looks forward to it.

Olivia tells Ned, Valentin is staying at the MetroCourt; he’s not hard to track him down. He says, they can’t do that, and she says she understands that he doesn’t want to interfere, but that’s what family does. They stop the people they love from making dangerous choices… Wait a minute. They both agree that Brook using her baby as a bargaining chip for ELQ shares is a bad idea, right?

Chase tells Brook, he knows that look. She’s up to something. She says her dad and Olivia both agree that she’s not making her baby a priority, and Chase asks if that’s true. She says, of course (🍷) it’s not true. She might not be conventionally maternal, and she’s not devoting three hours to prenatal yoga, but if Olivia and Ned want to worry all day, having a common cause is good for their marriage. Chase says, she wants them together? and she says, of course (🍷). They belong together. Olivia gets on her last nerve, but she’s a great lady, and her dad is crazy about her. Brook deleted one voicemail, and her all of a sudden, her dad moves out. Chase says she can’t take the world one her shoulders; they bear the responsibility themselves. She says, maybe, but she has to help anyway. He says, good luck… as long as it doesn’t involve him arresting her again. She asks if he’d dare arrest a pregnant woman, and he says, try him.

Laura tells Cyrus, he’s said his piece; now it’s time to go. He gets up, and she opens the door, saying, she has to get back to work. He says, the fortunes of the Corinthos family are changing. Jason can’t run the businesses from prison. She has the opportunity and power to prevent an all-out war. If she chooses not to, any blood spilling on the street is on her hands. From the hallway, Nikolas grabs Cyrus, and shoves him up against the door frame, telling him, stay the hell away from my mother.

Gladys tells Brando that Valentin is a charmer, and he says, until he stabs you in the back. She says he shouldn’t judge Valentin so harshly. He’s allowing Carly and Michael to cloud his judgement. They’re hardly reliable sources. He says, Sasha warned him too, and she asks if Sasha’s opinion means that much to him. He asks if that’s a problem, and she says, no.

Carly asks what Valentin found out, and he says, Gladys has been receiving call from an unlisted number, starting the day Franco Baldwin was murdered. He did a quick online search, and it belongs to a disposable burner phone. She asks how much he wants to bet that phone belongs to Cyrus.

Cyrus tells Laura to tell her son to release him, or there will be consequences. Nikolas says he loves consequences; bring it on. Laura asks him to let Cyrus go, please, and he does. Cyrus says, isn’t this lovely? A family reunion. Nikolas asks what Cyrus wants with his mother, and Laura says, he wants his mother. He’s upset because she told him that she couldn’t help him. Cyrus says, fine. If she doesn’t want to help protect the lives of her family, perhaps her son will want to protect the lives of his.  

Doc comes into the gallery, and Ava says, what a nice surprise. He says Franco left a work for him, and she says, it’s in the back. She sees a package marked fragile in his hands, and she asks if he came bearing gifts. He says, maybe, but he found it outside. She says it’s probably name plates she ordered, or maybe it’s a wedding gift. She starts to open it, and he says Laura told him that they were renewing their vows. She says, yes they are. It’s so exciting, but she’d expect a wedding gift to be wrapped… She tosses the package onto the floor, and a hand falls out.   

Willow tells Michael that she doesn’t understand. He said Sasha agreed with her. He says Sasha did agree, but it just helped him realize that her opinion means more to him than Sasha’s does. She says, it makes sense. She is Wiley’s mom, which is exactly what I was just thinking. He says it means more to him than her being Wiley’s mom. How she feels matters. She says he matters to her too. They’re about to kiss, when Sasha walks in.   

Ned tells Olivia that he wishes Brook wasn’t in this situation, but like it or not, she’s having Valentin’s baby. She says, that doesn’t give Brook the right to use her unborn child to manipulate Valentin, and Ned says, he gets what she’s doing. It’s for the family. She says, spoken like a true Quartermaine, and he says, in this case, is it such a bad thing? Olivia says she was so heartbroken when Ned and Brook were on the outs. She hated seeing Ned put the company in front of family. She prayed like hell that he and Brook would find their way back to each other, but she never dreamed it would be because Brook started thinking more like him. God help Valentin. He has a helluva surprise coming.

Brook looks uncomfortable as she gets on her bed. She pulls up her shirt, and undoes her fake pregnancy belly.

Tomorrow, Sasha asks Michael if she walked in on a moment, Alexis says there’s not much time before she has nothing but time, Ava takes a gun from her purse and says she never goes anywhere without protection, and Cyrus says it doesn’t have to be that way.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht

The guests go to bed, and Daisy says, it was a sh*t show. She had to hunt down the boys to participate. Colin tells Gary, it wasn’t too bad. The things we do… Jean Luc flirts with Dani in the laundry room.

In the morning, Natalie suggests a surf and turf dinner, and Daisy says she’ll just write down what the guests want for breakfast, and basically that will be it. She doesn’t want a repeat of yesterday. In Daisy’s interview, she says now she knows she has to check every order. It’s pretty annoying. She tells Gary that yesterday was sh*t for her. If he sees they’re busy, he should ask the deck crew to help. It’s not just making her look bad, but the whole crew. In Gary’s interview, he says if interior needs a hand, and they’re not busy, fine; but if they’re busy, to give someone up would be shooting himself in the foot. If he says they can’t help, it’s for a good reason. Glenn tells Daisy about the city they’ll be docking at, and in his interview, he says, it’s not an ideal maneuver, but it’s the perfect backdrop for tonight’s proposal.

Daisy asks Natasha to make a fruit platter, and Barrie tells Tony, happy birthday. Daisy tells him that he doesn’t look a day over 40. I don’t know how old he is, but… no. Daisy fills Alli in on the birthday festivities, and says Barrie is also proposing to Scott. She takes breakfast orders, and Glenn tells the crew to take out snorkel gear and paddleboards for starters. Gary says he’ll get his swim gear. Breakfast is served, and Daisy tells Natasha that the guests are happy. Gary tells Sydney to go with the guests in case they need a hand, and take a pool noodle. Barrie asks Daisy to be there with the champagne when he proposes. She says she hopes they’re enjoying themselves, and he says, it’s amazing. Daisy goes over the evening’s logistics with Natasha.

Jean Luc watches the eight kids snorkeling, and counts them. I understand this, since at one point, I had 8 small dogs. I was constantly counting. Gary flirts with Alli, and Natalie goes over the dinner menu with Tony, who complains again that his last meal was cold. Natalie says she’s gotten Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, and a cotton candy machine. Gary tells Colin that he got an earful from Daisy. He knows she’s busy, but he can’t always help.

Jean Luc asks Natalie if she’s really whipping up cotton candy. Natalie tries to work the machine, and apparently it’s harder than it looks at the county fair. In Natasha’s interview, she says she has more important stuff to deal with than a candy fluff machine. The guests want steak and lobster, and all the shenanigans that go with it. I had no idea shenanigans went along with surf and turf. Have I been missing out on something? She says she’s over it. She’s not doing it. Glenn says the place where he wants to dock is busier than he thought it would be. In his interview, he says he’s concerned about the anchors being far enough away to do their job. He’s going to be dropping anchor a few meters away from a bunch of little boats, and from where he is, he’s flying blind. He’s relying on the crew. Barrie tells Scott, it will be a night to remember. He watches as Glenn docks, and says, it’s a tight hole the boat has to squeeze into. And it is. In Glenn’s interview, he says, you know what won’t make it the perfect evening? Crashing into one of these little boats while he’s trying to dock. Barrie thinks Glenn is going to make it, and Gary says, looking good. He tells the deck crew, golden team.

In Daisy’s interview, she says, there’s a lot going on. They have turn-downs, dinner, and a secret proposal on the fly bridge. And no one can know what’s going on. She tells Alli that she needs candles and roses. Natasha prepares the lobsters, and Daisy asks Gary for help. She hopes they never have nine guests again. The guests sit for dinner, and Alli asks Sydney to help her. They set up tealights on the bridge with rose petals in the middle. Daisy and Dani serve, and Jean Luc asks if he can help. Natasha says, everyone loves to see you, babe, and he brings some dishes to the table. When he’s done, he says, back to scrubbing, bitch.

Barrie thinks the food is delicious, but Tony gripes that the streak is a bit overcooked. While helping light candles, Sydney tells Dani that she doesn’t get big romantic gestures. She’s almost always attached. When she’s not, if her girlfriends are busy, she just goes through the roster to see whose available. She doesn’t know if it’s a need for attention. In Dani’s interview, she says she’s not that person. She values herself more than that. In Sydney’s interview, she says she and Gary work well together, but she’s glad for a day off, since she doesn’t know where they stand. The candles are lit, and Daisy calls the crew to the main saloon. Daisy asks Natasha where the cotton candy machine is, and Natasha says, it was too much. Daisy says the whole point was they were making a big deal of it. In Daisy’s interview, she says, Natasha went rogue and she’s angry. If you don’t want to do it, that’s fine. Just say so, but not after you’ve told the guests. In Natasha’s interview, she says, calm down; it will be fine. It was just a suggestion. It’s not an effing five-year-old’s birthday party; it’s adults they’re dealing with. The crew sings Happy Birthday (very lamely) to Tony, Natasha brings out the cake, and Tony cries. Barrie wonders about the cotton candy, and Daisy says she’s sorry. It’s unclear what she made up, if anything. In her interview, she says it’s time for her to put on her fake smile and distract them with drinks. Hopefully they’ll just forget about deserts. Vodka shots make it all good, and Daisy gripes that Natasha didn’t wait for her when bringing out the cake.    

Barrie asks if Scott loves him, and Scott says he does. They go to the fly deck, and see the rose petals and candles, and Daisy waiting with champagne at a discreet distance. Barrie says the reason he asked Scott if he loved him, was because… He shows Scott a ring, and says he wants to ask Scott to marry him. Daisy opens the champagne on the stairs, and the pop is loud. Scott says, yes, and Sydney runs to tell the others. Scott looks out over the water, and says, it’s effing beautiful. Everyone comes upstairs – kids and crew – and there are hugs all around. Dani tells Jean Luc about the ring, which is huge, and he asks if that’s love. In Alli’s interview, she says she thinks Gary is just horny, but at the same time, it’s nice to have attention.

Scott says he hasn’t done a shot in 8 years, and everyone drunkenly dances around. Barrie takes daughter Saffron to her room, where she promptly throws up. Behind the closed door, we hear Barrie say, good God. Dani kisses Jean Luc, and in her interview, she says, cute. They kiss some more in the galley, and Dani says, romantic night. Jean Luc says he’ll never finish with the dishes. In his interview, he just laughs. The stews gather up the candle/petal remains, and Sydney cleans the deck. Jean Luc tells Glenn, it’s going good. Dani says, for future reference, don’t use so many candles.

It’s the final day of charter, we see towels hanging up, with a post-it note that says, towels with vomit. Bleh. The anchors are home, and Glenn heads out. Barrie asks how Saffron’s head is, and Daisy tells him they’ll be disembarking at 3. She asks Glenn if they’re sailing, and he says, you almost always want to sail. She asks what they should do about service, and he wonders if they can just attach food bags to the guests like a trough. He tells her that he thinks they’ll sail gently. Barry announces to the family, Saffron was throwing up everywhere. Lunch is fabulous – muscles, pad Thai, and red curry. Glenn tells Tony and Barrie that they’re going to do more sailing, and the sails are put up. Natasha asks if there’s a lot of wind, and Colin says, a little bit. Stuff starts falling, and Natasha yells for help. Daisy says she told Glen, and service is in five minutes. Glenn radios the crew that they should be leveling off in ten seconds. Drawers start falling open, and Jean Luc and Colin help block things in the galley.

Glenn says they should be on an even keel for the rest of the meal, and lunch is served. Barrie says, it’s absolutely scrumptious, which sounds like something Mary Poppins would say. He says, it’s incredible, and Natasha did a super job. In Natasha’s interview, she says she finally likes him now, but she’ll be happy to see him leave. Natasha and Alli chant, we’re on the home stretch, and the boat docks. A drawer has opened in Daisy and Dani’s cabin, and it blocks the door from opening. There’s a lot of laughing and trying to squeeze in, but they finally have success. While bringing the guests’ luggage to the dock, Gary wonders how many pairs of shoes do you bring on a boat? Having been guilty of overpacking myself, I can answer that – a lot.

The guests say goodbye, and Tony says, it was absolutely amazing. He feels like he’s known the crew for years. Barrie says, and they want to pinch some of the crew (i.e. steal, but he probably means it the other way too). He gives Glenn the tip envelope, and thanks the crew for everything. Daisy says she hated them, but grew to love them. Glenn says they have a lot to get accomplished, and they start cleaning the boat. Glenn calls the crew to the main saloon for the tip meeting.

He says it was their third charter, and the toughest they’ve seen yet. The deck team did a good job with the toys, and helping out the interior. He appreciates it. He knows it was tough for the interior; having nine guests is usual.  Daisy says it was a challenge, but thinks with Natasha, it was just miscommunication. Going forward, whatever she says, goes. She’ll take responsibility for whatever goes wrong. In Natasha’s interview, she says they don’t need to air their grievances in front of everyone. Daisy says they physically can’t do it without the support of the rest of the team. If Gary sees something isn’t right, instead of her having to be the chief bitch, as per usual, he could jump in.  She’s not having a go at him, but when she needs support, she’d like some initiation on Gary’s part. Gary wonders when the deckhands are supposed to get a break. His department isn’t just doing nothing. Daisy says she doesn’t think his people aren’t busy, but she had to ask several times before Gary took action. In Gary’s interview, he says, it’s Daisy’s way or the highway. That’s bullsh*t. No one gets a break as it is. He didn’t join yachting to be a stew. He hates doing dishes.

Glenn says it wasn’t their best charter, and it’s reflected in the tip. It’s probably not as high, considering what they did for the guests. It’s $15K or $1660. Daisy says, it’s bullsh*t, 1000%, and Glenn says he has good news and bad news about tonight. Their next charter is tomorrow afternoon. Even I groan. The good news is, it’s only two nights and three days. They’ll have to turn over the boat tonight. It’s a legit school night. In Alli’s interview, she says she feels like someone kicked her in the chest. She’s exhausted, and was looking for a night to blow off steam. The stews get together in one of the guest cabins, and Daisy says, Gary is bad leadership. Gary tells the deckhands that it’s a safety risk. He’s getting six hours sleep as it is. Daisy says they’ll see how the next charter goes. If they’re not progressing… Dani says, she can take it to the next level. Dani confesses to kissing Jean Luc, and they all squeal like it’s a pajama party. Daisy says she’s not sure if Dani should be proud, or if it’s an achievement. They clean the boat, and Gary helps Natasha in the galley. They throw out the muscle shells and gag over the smell. Gary admits most of the pressure is on Daisy and Natasha during the charters.

Natasha listens music in her cabin, and Jean Luc is on anchor watch. In Natasha’s interview, she says she like to take off-time by herself. She doesn’t drink a lot. She doesn’t like having no control, and she feels like she’s losing it. Glenn tells the crew not to stay up late, or they’ll regret it. Alli tells Gary, she enjoys their flirtation, but that’s as far as it’s going to go. Sydney joins them, to no one’s surprise. Daisy and Colin agree whatever was said about helping was nothing personal, and Daisy is glad there’s no tension between them. In Dani’s interview, she wonders why everyone likes Gary (you and me both, sister), and Alli tells Dani, Gary is the person she’s most attracted to. Dani tells Alli, just have fun, and Alli says maybe she’s warmed up to the idea more than she expected she would.

The girls acts like idiots, yelling, party! and Colin tells them, Glenn is asleep. Alli begs Jean Luc to be a part of the party, and flips on the light in his cabin. His response isn’t a happy one, and she tells the others that he was dead asleep; it didn’t go down well. In her interview, Alli says she’s going to allow herself to explore something she’s enjoying. She’s allowed to get to know Gary more. They go out for a smoke, and Sydney smells it in the air. She comes out on the pretense of getting something, and Gary tells her to stay, confusing all of us. In Alli’s interview, she says, now it’s made even more awkward. Dani tells Colin, at least someone is getting busy on the boat, and he says she could be, but she says, no. Glenn, who apparently wasn’t sleeping, comes out and says he’ll see them bright and early at 7 am. Daisy goes to bed, and Alli, Sydney, and Gary keep having one more cigarette, and one more shot. In Alli’s interview, she says it’s impossible for her and Gary to get to know each other when they’re interrupted every time. And 90% of the time, that person happens to be Sydney. First of all, she has Gary to thank for that, and secondly, getting to know her isn’t what Gary wants to do. Unless she means in the biblical sense. At 1:30 Alli goes to the bathroom, and Sydney tells her to bring the final shot back. In her interview, Alli says, this is the weirdest throuple she’s ever been in. Oh, been in a lot of them, has she? In Gary’s interview, he says he has no objection, but no way is it happening. Daisy tells Alli that Sydney is being territorial, and Alli says she doesn’t know what’s going on.

Alli comes back, just wearing a big T-shirt, and Gary says, the Three Musketeers. He suggests they go swimming, clothes optional. I think about all the lectures given about swimming drunk on these shows, and have the feeling even Glenn wouldn’t sanction this. Sydney says, it’s naked or nothing. In Gary’s interview, he says he can’t let two naked girls just jump in the water. What if they start drowning? Helping them is his main concern. Alli jumps in first, and Gary sort of pushes Sydney, and then follows. Later, on Watch What Happens Live, Andy called it a three-way pants off cannonball, which sounds pretty accurate. Glenn hears the splashes, and is like, WTF?

To be continued.  

🎭 SAG This…

The most important thing…

https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/sag-awards-2021-best-dressed-celebrities

The winner’s list…

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/04/sag-awards-2021-winners-list

And the sad part.

https://people.com/movies/sag-awards-2021-chadwick-boseman-wins-lead-male-actor/

🚚 Movin’ Out Like Billy Joel…

Time to jet, but don’t forget about Pooch Perfect, on ABC, Tuesday at 8 pm. LVP, Rebel Wilson, and lots of cute dogs – it’s the best! Until we meet again at the corner of Port and Charles, stay safe, stay remembering your value, and stay out of whatever those shenanigans are that go along with steak and lobster.