Tag Archives: Chicago

July 11, 2024 – Felicia Hears Cody’s Side, Soap Suds, Fresh Oranges, Scary Stuff, Teresa Talk, Have Some Whiskey, Happy Half Birthday & The Park

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Felicia goes to the stable, and Cody asks, what brings her by? He’s probably the last person she wants to see. She says, now that she knows he’s been lying to her family for the last two months, she has plenty say, and asks him to promise to hear her out. He says, absolutely, and she tells him not to give up on a relationship with Mac. She believes the best way out is through, so don’t even think of leaving.

Mac arrives at Maxie’s house, and she says she’s glad he’s home and available to stop by. He asks where the kids are, and she says she had Spinelli take them to the pool so they can blow off steam and she and Mac can talk with no interruptions. He asks if it’s about Cody, and she says, of course (🍷) it is. Mac forgave her when she messed up. Now he has to forgive Cody.

Portia shows up at Jordan’s office and says she knows Jordan is busy, so she’ll get straight to the point. She’s going to gather signatures to put a measure on the fall ballot to recall the vote and remove Laura. If it passes, the new mayor will be Jordan.

At the Pentenville visiting room, Heather thanks Laura for coming. She needs to talk to her. Laura says, before she forgets, she has a photo of the most beautiful grandson. She gives Heather an envelope, and Heather takes out a picture of Ace. She says, he’s getting more adorable each time she sees him. Can she keep it? Laura says, of course (🍷). She’ll try to bring one every time she visits. Heather says she had an unexpected visitor, Curtis Ashford. He told her that Laura was looking into her case and thinking of challenging her sentence. Laura says, all she’s done is request transcripts, but it’s possible a lawyer might find grounds for a petition to reopen her case. Heather says, that’s what she wanted to talk to Laura about. She appreciates Laura caring, but don’t do it. She needs to stay locked up.

Brook lets Kristina in and says she invited her and Blaze over to explore strategies. Kristina wonders if there’s a strategy to uncancel someone, and Brook says she thinks they can mitigate the negative damage. She asks if Blaze has spoken to her mother, and Kristina says she doesn’t know if Blaze did, but she did, for all the good did. Brook asks if she thinks Blaze would be willing to make a public statement denouncing her mother’s words, and Kristina says, what Natalia did was wrong, but she’s still Blaze’s mother. Brook says she can’t imagine how Blaze feels, and Kristina says, Natalia did the damage, but Ava is the one who should have to pay.

Ava tells Sonny to howl at moon for all she cares. Then listen to himself and decide how suitable a judge will find him as a parent. Sonny says he’s not going anywhere, and suddenly, John is in the doorway. He asks if there’s a problem here, and Sonny tells him to mind his own business. Ava says, Sonny won’t leave and he’s threatening her. If John doesn’t believe it, he can listen to their conversation.  

John asks if it’s true Sonny threatened Ava on tape, but Sonny asks why he’d record Ava. She has nothing to say. He holds up his phone, and it says, no audio. He asks if John is going door to door for the FBI asking for handouts, but John says he’s staying here. He heard voices and isn’t surprised it’s Sonny fighting with someone. Ava was living with him a week ago, and she’s the mother of another of Sonny’s children. Sonny says he cares about his kids and fights to keep them safe. What about John? Where’s his son? To be continued. Sonny leaves.

Cody asks how Felicia isn’t angry, and she says she likes to hear all sides before making up her mind. It’s his chance to tell his side. Just be honest. He’s wasted enough time already lying to her family. He asks, what’s the point? Mac made it clear there’s no place in his life for him. She says, Mac is hurt and lashing out. It doesn’t surprise her. He’s been a wonderful father to her children, but he never had a biological child of his own. He accepted the fact it was something life denied him, but when he thought Cody might be his son, he was delighted. When Cody told him they weren’t a match, it was a crushing disappointment. Now that he knows Cody lied, what is he supposed to think? He doesn’t feel wanted and who can blame him? He thinks the only reason Cody came forward now is that he has an agenda. Cody asks if they think he’s hustling for a kidney, and Felicia says, is he? He says, no, and she asks if he doesn’t want to accept that he and Mac have a connection. He says, it was never that.

Kristina says, she’s sick of Ava’s petty BS. She was upset that Sonny didn’t invite her to the wedding and took Natalia. Brook says, there were no circumstances where Ava would have been welcome. She murdered Connie Falconari, and all the Falconaris and Cerullos know it. Kristina asks if she thinks Ava cares. She pretends it never happened and assumes everyone else will too. She plunked herself into Sonny’s apartment and his life, and when he wised up and kicked her out, she retaliated. She had dirt on Natalia and used it, and now Allie is collateral damage. She’s devastated that the label dropped her. Brook says, it’s their loss, and Kristina asks if there’s anything that can be done to turn it around. Is it even possible? Blaze arrives, and Brook says she’s trying to set up an interview to give Blaze an opportunity to respond, not just to Natalia’s words, but the public reaction, the online cancellation. Blaze says she thinks it’s a great idea, and Brook says, but it needs to be a joint interview. Kristina needs to be there too.

Portia says, people on the community message boards are outraged that Heather might be roaming the streets, and Jordan says, Portia may disagree with Laura, but she has to acknowledge that Laura is the epitome of fairness. She’s just asking questions. She has no specific goal or outcome. Portia says, her point is that Laura isn’t thinking about the consequences. Lives will be at risk if Heather goes free. Jordan says, Portia knows Heather’s judgement was impaired. Can she be held fully responsible for the decisions she made? Portia says, Jordan’s responses sound like something a politician would say. Not someone who used to be Police Commissioner.

Ava says she appreciates John’s assistance, and he says he was in the right place at the right time. She says she’s only been here a couple of nights, but he knows that since he’s having her followed. He says, when he’s following someone and it reaches a point where he’s not getting anything relevant or useful, he suspends the surveillance. He asks if she wants him to call security, and she says, he sounds almost chivalrous. She knows how to discourage Sonny, but does he want to stay and have a drink?

Cody tells Felicia that he asked himself the tough questions like, who would want a son like him? No one was the obvious answer. Felicia says, he couldn’t be further from truth. The first thing she noticed about him was how alike he and Mac are. They both have a sense of decency and are kind and patient people. And they’re both good with kids. The kids love Cody. She thinks they’re both teachers at heart. Cody says he spent most of his life making a buck, and played fast and loose with the truth, but she says, he’s not alone. Mac can play when he wants to. He says he doesn’t believe it, but she says, that’s because he hasn’t known Mac long. When Mac was his age, he got in all kinds of trouble. Cody says, maybe he does take after him.

Mac tells Maxie, it’s not complicated. Cody doesn’t seem like someone begging to have a relationship with him. Maxie tells him that she’s not saying Cody’s a saint, but he hasn’t screwed up nearly as much as she has, and Mac never decided she was irredeemable. He always gave her support. Why is he taking a hard line with Cody?

Sonny visits Alexis, and says, Ava served him over sole custody of Avery. Alexis says, first her, then their daughter, now him. He says he doesn’t want Ava to ever see Avery again, and she asks if that isn’t an overreach. He says he had sole custody before. He’s going to come after Ava with everything he’s got. All he needs to know is if she’ll support him.

Laura asks if Heather is saying she wants to stay in prison, but Heather says, of course (🍷) not. It’s like some kind of hell. She hates not seeing her grandchild and hardly sees the light of day. She can’t talk to the inmates, since most of them have done something horrendous, but she knows what goes on inside is real. Laura asks what she means, and Heather says, she can’t remember why she killed people. She knows she did it, and remembers doing it, and even thinking that it was somehow justified. Laura says, she was suffering from cobalt poisoning, and Heather says, from a bad hip replacement. It was removed, and in theory, she’s thinking more clearly, but she can’t be sure if she’s let out that she wouldn’t hurt anyone. She doesn’t know if she’d do it again and doesn’t want to put it to the test.  

Blaze says, Kristina’s not a public figure and it wasn’t her idea to keep their relationship a secret. She feels guilty enough dragging Kristina into the spotlight. Brook says, Blaze isn’t to blame and doesn’t need to apologize. Her personal life is nobody’s business. The public can think what they want. The interview is to engage the people who haven’t made up their minds and let the fans know what’s going on with her. Show them who she and Kristina really are; sweet, loving people who are at ease with one another. She has some contacts, and she’s confident she can find the right one. Kristina says she’ll do it, and Blaze asks if she’s sure she’ll be okay in the limelight. Kristina says, telling the truth is easier than hiding it. They’re in.

Alexis tells Sonny that she loathes Ava with the heat of a thousand suns, but as a mother, she’s uncomfortable keeping a mother away from her child completely. Is visitation out of the question? Sonny says, Ava takes every chance she can to poison his daughter against him. He’s not letting her do that anymore. Alexis says she can’t agree to help him unless he acts within the confines of the law, and he asks if she’s willing to take the stand and say he’s a good father to Kristina. She doesn’t have to talk about Ava. Diane will figure that out. She says she’ll testify that he loves his daughter, but if they ask if she approves of what he does for a living, she’ll have to tell the truth.

Felicia says, Cody made a mistake, the same one more than once, but it’s not the end of everything. Unless he can stand here and tell her that he doesn’t want any part of the Scorpio/Jones family. He tells her that he can’t say that.

On the phone, Brook says she’ll be in touch. Chase comes in and gives her a blackberry. She says she’s surprised they’re ripe already, and he says, it’s an early season because of the warm spring. He and Violet were picking blackberries. Now she’s at the gatehouse impressing Wiley and Amelia with her skills. Brook says she’s glad the kids are getting along, and Chase says, obviously, Violet misses her dad, but with all the kids and so much to do, she’s engaged now and seems happy. She says she knows he was up checking on Violet all night because she knows the kind of guy he is.

Cody says he’s been alone so long he doesn’t know how to feel part of a family, especially one he already knows, and Felicia asks if he’d like to find out. He says he got to know Maxie and the kids, and it felt watching life through a window, but she says, he’s not so far removed. When Maxie needed help, he was there. He loves the kids, particularly James who loves him already. James even told her how he asked Cody to be his brig brother and Cody accepted, and how they spit on their hands and shook on it. It’s a sacred bond. There’s no way he can go back on that. She shows him a photo of him and James eating hotdogs on 4th of July, and Cody says he couldn’t believe James asked him to be his big brother, but that was before he told Mac. Mac is furious now and told him to stay away from James. He said he can never trust Cody again. Felicia says, Mac will be fine. Give him a little time and he’ll find his way to forgiveness. Cody tells her, that’s what Maxie said, and she says, that’s because they know Mac inside and out. It will never happen overnight, but he always forgives the people he loves. Cody says, Mac doesn’t love him, but she says, Mac doesn’t know him. She believes with all her heart that if Cody is willing to give Mac time, he and his father will both get what they really want.

Maxie says, maybe Mac and Cody will have the chance to be father and son, but Mac says, Cody doesn’t want love and acceptance and to make up for lost time. He denied they were father and son. Maxie says, he made a mistake. He’s changed. She thinks he wants to be Mac’s son. Mac asks, why now? What does Cody really want? What’s his ulterior motive? He wants nothing to do with Cody.

John asks, where’s Avery? and Ava says, at Sonny’s. She’s not happy about it. Sonny is doing everything in his power to turn Avery against her. Now he’s trying to take Avery away, and it’s cruel. Avery needs her mother. John says, they seemed to be getting along. What caused the rift? Ava says she has no idea. It’s been difficult dealing with Sonny lately; he’s so volatile. John saw how he was behaving. She’s been walking on eggshells. She’s doing what she can to keep Avery safe and wants to get her away from Sonny. John asks how she plans to do that, and she says, prove Sonny is unfit. John knows how he treated Karen and must agree that he has no business having sole custody, especially of a little girl. John says, no question, and Ava says, he’s known Sonny for decades. Would he be willing to make a statement to her attorney Scott Baldwin?

Portia says, Laura has undone all the hard work Jordan and the PCPD did to get Heather off the streets, but Jordan says she doesn’t see it that way. She was proud to play her role in getting Heather off the streets, but as a cop, she realizes evidence is evidence, even if it if comes at an inconvenient time. She advised Laura against pursuing this. She knew it could be a lightning rod and could hurt Laura’s career. But unlike most politicians, Laura’s main concern was fairness. Portia laughs, and says, fair? Heather targeted Trina because Spencer fell in love with her and not Esme. Was it fair for Heather to murder people? Jordan says, she had a medical condition that compromised her judgement, and it may be fair to reconsider her case. The law isn’t just for people they like and approve of. No more than giving them medical treatment.

Brook tells Chase that she’s in the process of setting up an interview with a major outlet and thinks both Blaze and Kristina are on board. She hopes it works. He tells her that his bereavement leave ends tomorrow, and wonders what that means for Violet. Brook says, there’s no problem with childcare, but he wants to make sure Violet knows she’s their priority. Brook says she can work from home, and he says he can pitch in. She asks if he’s going to detect from the boathouse, but he says he’ll talk to Anna and Mac and see about a three-day week. They’ll do what it takes to make sure Violet has a loving home and family.

Felicia can’t find her phone and asks Maxie to call it. Maxie does, and Cody picks up. Maxie hangs up and asks if they heard anything. Maybe it’s really lost. Mac says, maybe it’s in the kids’ room, and goes to look. Maxie and Felicia smile at each other.  

Kristina goes to Alexis’s house, and Alexis asks if something else happened. Kristina says, no, but it’s going to. She and Allie have been debating how to respond, and they decided not to address Natalia’s comments directly, but show the world who they are, two people in love. There’s something wrong with the world if they can’t accept love in whatever form it takes. Alexis asks if they’re hoping the scandal dies down and cancelation moves on to someone else, and Kristina says, Brook set up an interview where they can present themselves as they are. Sonny says, it’s a good strategy. Show they have nothing to hide. Alexis says, it’s great as long as it’s handled right, and Kristina says, they always taught her to know who she is and to stand up for herself and what she believes in, and she thanks them for that.

Heather says, her blood runs cold to think she could be a killer, and Laura asks if she wants to kill again. Heather says, no, but what if she finds herself in a situation where the feelings come back and consume her and she’s doing terrible things again? She can’t risk it. Whatever Laura is thinking of doing, don’t. She’s in here for a reason and it’s where she belongs. Laura says, what if she was triggered by her medical condition and had no control? She’s just trying to help. Heather says she knows, but if Laura really wants to help, take care of her grandson. Visit once in a while and bring pictures. Let her pay for her crimes in peace, as much as she can get in a joint like this. Laura says, okay, if that’s what she really wants, and Heather nods.

Jordan says, there were toxins in Heather’s blood and Portia was on the team who diagnosed it. Portia says she was doing her job. She believes Heather should get proper medical care, but not absolution. Jordan says, Heather has rights like anybody else, and Portia says she has the right to question the legitimacy of the mayor. Jordan says, it’s just an inquiry. Laura is just asking questions. Give it time and see where it leads. Portia says, if Jordan thinks she’s going to sit around and wait for Heather to be released, she’s got another thing coming. She wonders if Heather had targeted Jordan’s son or murdered him, how Jordan would feel then. She storms out.

Kristina says she’s lucky she has parents who have experience with the press and appreciates their advice and guidance. Alexis says, of course (🍷), and Kristina says, they raised an outspoken daughter who tends to step in it. She can’t afford to make a mistake. Alexis says, it’s a good plan, and Kristina says she has to get it right. Allie’s career is at stake. Sonny says, she’ll be great, and Alexis hugs her. Kristina says she wanted to ask how they’ll feel seeing their kid doing an interview on national TV, and Sonny says, he’ll feel more proud than he already is, and hugs her.  

Brook asks if Chase wants to play croquet with her and Violet, and he asks if she doesn’t have to work. She says she’s waiting for a call back, but be warned, she’s a fearsome croquet player. He says, bring it on, and Brook says she’s a lucky girl. Most brides don’t get a preview of how their husband will be as a father. She saw him with Bailey Lou and now Violet. She picked the right guy. He says, they need to schedule time after croquet to argue about who picked who, and kisses her.

John says he knows Scotty; he was Karen’s dad. He’s an accomplished attorney and a great guy. Ava says, he’s spoken highly of John too, and John says he’s in Port Charles in a professional capacity. He has history here, but he’s not in brief to get involved in a custody battle. She says she’s not asking him as an agent, but as John, a father. She fears for Avery, and they both know she’s the one who will ultimately be hurt. She wants to keep Avery safe. Wouldn’t he want to protect his son from Sonny? He says he can’t promise anything, but he’ll think about it, and she says she needs all the help she can get. He says he doesn’t think she needs to worry too much. Before long, Sonny is going to be behind bars where he belongs if he has anything to say about it.

Maxie asks how it went with Cody, and Felicia says, he definitely wants another chance. What about Mac? Maxie says, stubborn as a mule. Mac comes back and says, there are people who lose things who don’t really lose them, and people who lose things that are gone forever. After all these years, he thinks Felicia might be the second one. There’s a knock at the door, and Maxie opens it. Cody says, Felicia left this at the Quartermaines… He and Mac lock eyes, and Felicia says, it’s not gone forever.

Tomorrow, Sasha says, if she tells Cody, she has to swear him to secrecy; Mac asks, what’s the point of this humiliating experience; and Portia tells Curtis, the worst is yet to come.

🛁 More Soap Bubbles…

I wondered if/how the latest Sonny arc was affecting him. So glad he was able to cope. Frank Valentini has always done right by his actors. I doff my cap.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/maurice-benard-reveals-why-he-had-to-take-time-off-from-gh

This sounds like a fun trip!

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kelly-monaco-and-anthony-geary-reunite

 Extra, extra.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-cameron-mathison-has-an-exciting-new-role

What’s next.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/michael-easton-reveals-whats-next-after-gh

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/gregory-harrison-is-back-on-tv

🍊 O Say Can You C…

The messiness is back. It didn’t take long for Shannon to try and get into it with Alexis, bringing up some old lawsuit she insisted Alexis was involved with, yet she had no receipts. It was at that point, Alexis suggested the real issue was that she was with Shannon’s ex. That’s when she said, if Shannon didn’t like it – all together now – there’s the door Shannon Beador.

A little more about Beador.

https://people.com/rhoc-recap-alexis-bellino-and-shannon-beador-square-off-john-janssen-romance-past-8676867

💎 Worse Than Being Chucky’s Bride…

She’s going to be a great addition to the cast. Hopefully, she can keep her poker face on and not engage in the drama. Or if not, give as good as she gets.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/chucky-jennifer-tilly-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-friend

👙 No Love Bubbles To See Here…

Oh well. We can dream.

https://ew.com/teresa-giudice-rumor-leaving-real-housewives-new-jersey-8675092

Nice try. What’s really funny is, at one point, she said she loved the comments. So why did she disable them?

https://people.com/teresa-giudice-addresses-larsa-pippen-bikini-photoshop-fail-8675214

🐶 Never Mix Whiskey and Fireworks…

This dog. I can’t.

https://paradepets.com/pet-news/bri-bagwell-rescue-dog-whiskey-fireworks

🎂 A Very Merry Half Birthday To You…

My eldest Peke, Marco, is 17½ today. Seems like he was a puppy just yesterday.

Baby Marco

🏊‍♀️ Life’s a Beach…

Come on by tomorrow for soap, a little tea, a bit of talk, and a tune. Until then, stay safe; stay keeping an eye on your children or pets in public areas, and don’t allow them to be intrusive to others (although if it’s me, you can allow your pets to intrude); and stay always forgiving the people you love.

January 30, 2024 – Esme In Paris, Life After Scandoval, Thoughts & Jazz

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Puerto Rico. Sonny tells Dex that he’s glad they’re away from Port Charles. The environment is easier to control in Puerto Rico, and there’s a lot more things that Avery can do to keep her occupied. Dex says, per Sonny’s request, security was added before they came, so it’s more secure than normal. He’s going to go over all of it himself to make sure. Ava comes in and says, Sonny has gone above and beyond. She doesn’t remember this kind of security the last time she was here. Sonny says, times change. So do threats.

In the visiting room at Pentenville, Jordan says, Anna has a complicated history with the man. She can question him alone if Anna likes. Anna asks if Jordan is worried that he’s going to get under her skin, but Jordan says, on the contrary. She’s worried Anna will wring his neck. Anna says she’s not going to do anything. He’s playing games. She wants to find out why. John Brennan walks his suave self in and sits down. He says, Anna Devane. How lovely to see you. She tells him to spare her the polite chit-chat, and he tells Jordan, she’s in a mood. His compliments to Jordan for figuring out he was the one who contacted her. He wasn’t sure she would put it all together. She says, happy to exceed his expectations. He told her that he had information on the rifle that shot Curtis Ashford. He said he’d be in touch, then went silent. Why? He says, first, let’s talk about what you’re going to do for me.

Martin tells Finn that he needs a decision. What are they doing? Are they going forward as planned or going with this new theory, the malpractice suit is fraudulent? Finn says, Mrs. Muldoon and her kids are a grieving family. He can’t go after them. Drop it. Martin asks if he’s sure. They’ve got the records to prove Dennis Muldoon was financially strapped before he met with Finn, and they’re about to get proof that he was either seen or being treated by an oncologist before he ever set foot in Finn’s office. Whatever his wife’s involvement was, it’s obvious Finn was never going to get the chance to diagnose that cancer. It’s a solid way out. Is he sure he wants to pass it up? The bailiff says, all rise, and Judge Arnold takes the bench. Finn says he can’t put the mother of four at risk for prosecution.

In the hallway, Mrs. Muldoon (who has no first name) says she’s not interested in anything Tracy has to say, and Tracy says, few people are. But she never lets that get in the way, especially when a crime is being committed on a good friend of hers. Mrs. Muldoon says, if she’s referring to Dr. Finn, he’s the one that committed the crime. He allowed her husband to leave, undiagnosed and untreated. Tracy says, Mrs. Muldoon doesn’t know the first thing about Dr. Finn, or her for that matter, but she’s about to get an education on both.

At the hospital, Portia says she knew Curtis was going to push himself hard during his physical therapy session. So honestly, how his he feeling? Curtis says, a little sore, but that is to be expected. He knows it’s going to take a lot of work for him to regain his mobility, but he’s here for it. Marshall joins them and says, that’s his boy, always rising to meet a challenge. Curtis says he knows all this hard work is going to pay off as soon as he’s back on his feet, and Portia says, and he will be. Marshall says, and in no time, he gets to be courtside in what promises to be a fierce game of basketball. Curtis says he knows Portia has her mind on Trina. Is she going to be okay by herself? Portia says she’ll be fine. She has plenty of work to do. And besides, she’ll just wait for Trina to call and tell her what a wonderful time she’s having in Paris.

Paris on the Banks of the Seine. Spencer leads a blindfolded Trina along the deck of the Haunted Star a yacht, and tells her, one more step. He takes off the blindfold and says, welcome aboard. She looks out over the water and says, what is all this? He says he arranged a private getaway for her. He thought she should have a chance to see the countryside before she has to start hitting the books. She says she can’t believe he did this, and he says, they’re going to go on a private cruise. They’re going to travel down the Seine to Normandy. He had the hotel bring their things after dinner and tomorrow morning she’s going to wake up to the most beautiful coast she’s ever seen. She says, it’s hard to imagine anything more spectacular than this, and he says he’s sure they’ll figure out a way.

On shore, Esme says, he can’t steal Ace away from her so easy. She looks in her bag and takes out a capped syringe.

Mrs. Muldoon says she’s already learned all she needs to about Dr. Finn, but Treacy says, she’s wrong. She claims she brought this lawsuit for her family. Dr. Finn has a family. They adore him, especially his young daughter. As a doctor, there is none better. In fact, he’s the reason she’s able to stand here and talk to Mrs. Muldoon. When he came to Port Charles, she was very sick. She’d run out of options, and he saved her life. She’s not the only person who can say that. Dr. Finn is a kind, caring, generous, good man, and Port Charles is so much better for having him here. Mrs. Muldoon says, Tracy is obviously very passionate about her friend Dr. Finn, but for all of his supposed brilliance, his negligence led directly to her husband’s death. She starts to walk away, and Tracy says she was hoping to break through Mrs. Muldoon’s grief to appeal to her sense of fairness, but clearly, she’s going to have to appeal to something else. So how about her sense of self-preservation?

Brennan says he’s offering a trade. His help in exchange for his freedom. Anna says, after he tried to kill her? and he says, if someone tried to kill her, he wasn’t present. Nor can she prove he gave the order. Since their time together is limited, they should spend it on all the valuable information he possesses. Jordan says, neither of them has the power to grant immunity, but he says, Anna has ties to the DA. She even married him – twice. Tell Scorpio that he wants immunity and all charges dropped. Anna says, never going to happen, and he says, then he’s sorry. He just can’t help her. Good luck with the investigation. He nods to the guard, but Anna says, no, and holds up her hand. What if she was to give him an even better offer? He asks, what’s better than his freedom? and she says, his life.

Dex says he’s going to walk the perimeter, and he’ll check back in with Sonny later. He leaves, and Sonny says, it looks like Ava is about to jump out of her skin. She says she could use something to calm her nerves, preferably something with a little umbrella in it. She was on board when he said he wanted to come down here. She thought it would give them more room to breathe instead of being cooped up in the penthouse. But now that she’s here, she feels so exposed. He says he’s making it as secure as he can, and she says, Avery doesn’t seem at all concerned, does she? She practically sprinted from the tarmac to the beach. He says, Avery loves the ocean, and she’s secure with the guards they have and the nanny. No one’s going to get near her. Ava says, okay. That makes her feel a little better. He says, she’s got to stop making herself crazy. All Avery knows is, she’s in Puerto Rico having fun with her parents. Ava says, she’s not such a little girl anymore though. She notices more than he may think. It won’t be long before he’ll have to be having some pretty difficult discussions with her.

Portia tells Curtis not to worry about her and have fun at the game with Marshall, and Curtis says, they definitely will. Laura comes by and says she was just on her way to Portia’s office to look for her. It’s good that everyone’s here because they should all know this. Curtis asks, what’s wrong? and she says, Esme’s not in Toronto. She’s in Paris.

Diane tells the judge, during the recess, Mr. Grey informed her that he’d be adding a witness. She moves to adjourn so that she may prepare for that testimony. Mrs. Muldoon comes in and taps Diane on the shoulder, and the judge asks if Martin has any objections. Martin says he’s afraid he owes the judge and opposing counsel an apology. There’s been a change of plans. He had intended to add a new witness – Tracy comes back – but on further reflection, that will no longer be necessary. So with all due respect, he’d just like to proceed with the witness list he presented to the court. The judge tells him to proceed, and Diane says, if she may. Martin says, this is a first. He hasn’t even started yet, and already Ms. Miller is objecting. Diane says, if her esteemed counsel will just give her a moment, she’s been informed by her client that she wishes to drop the lawsuit. Soap looks all around.

Judge Arnold says, order, even though there’s no reason to, and asks Diane and Martin to join him in his chambers. The bailiff says, all rise, and Diane and Martin go with the judge. Finn says, what the hell just happened?

Sonny says, discussing his business is off-limits to his kids, just like it’s off-limits to Ava. It’s just safer that way. She hasn’t been discussing anything with Avery, right? She says, of course (🍷) not. She’s too young to understand anything about that. She’s talking about the other radioactive subject they’ve all been avoiding… Nina. She knows he thinks he’s been hiding it, but it’s all over his face. She can tell the situation has him all tied up in knots, and being here doesn’t help any. This is where he and Nina were married. She’s sure it’s bringing up all kinds of feelings. He says he’s fine, and she says, is he though? Because she saw him when they ran into Nina and Valentin, and he didn’t seem fine. He looked like somebody punched him in the gut. He says, discussing Nina is off-limits, and she says, all right. Fine. She’s just bringing it up because their daughter is smart. And if she can tell something’s off with him, then so can Avery. He says, Donna and Avery are just kids. He’s done his best to shield them from anything that’s happened with Nina, and he thinks he’s done a good job because Avery hasn’t asked him about it. Ava says, Avery’s asked her.

 The captain says, good evening, to Spencer and Trina, and welcomes them aboard. Their suitcases arrived in their state room. Please make themselves comfortable. They’ll be leaving shortly. Spencer thanks him and he leaves. Trina thanks Spencer, and he says, of course (🍷). She says, since being with him, she’s gotten to experience the most amazing things. Not just this trip and all of the amazing things they’ve done in Paris and all the fantastic things he planned in New York to show how well he knows her. But the entire feeling of being with him and loving him and being loved by him in return is the most amazing thing. And it’s all because of him and the incredible person he is. He says, she’s done that for him a thousand times over, but she knows that, right? Before her, all he could see is pain and she opened his eyes to a whole new world. He showed her that there’s much more to feel, and she taught him that he’s a person who’s worthy of love. Being with her has made it so much better; every day is better than the last. She’s everything he’s always wanted, but never believed he could have, and he wants to love her for the rest of his life. They kiss.

Laura says, after laying a false trail in Toronto, Esme used The Invader’s corporate credit card to buy herself a ticket to Paris, and Curtis says, there’s absolutely no reason Esme would have for going to Paris unless she’s going after Spencer. Or worse, Spencer and Trina. Either way, their daughter is in serious trouble. Marshall says, maybe there’s another explanation. Esme had to know the credit card charge would be found. Maybe this is just another attempt by Esme to throw everybody off her trail. They don’t know for a face that she’s even in Paris. Portia says, Marshall is right. She wouldn’t put anything past this girl. Maybe this is just her version of toying with them. Curtis says, or just simply ruining Spencer and Trina’s trip, but Laura says, no. The PCPD has some security footage of Esme getting on a plane to Paris, so she’s definitely there. Portia says, they have to warn Trina, and takes out her phone.

Spencer holds out his arm, and offers to escort Trina to her stateroom, and they leave the deck. Esme watches from the top of the stairs, then walks down.

Finn asks Martin, what’s going on? Why did the judge want to talk to him? The bailiff says, court is now in session, and Judge Arnold says, the case against Hamilton Finn and General Hospital has been dropped. This case is dismissed. He bangs his gavel, and Elizabeth runs over to Finn. She hugs him and says, it’s over. Congratulations. He says he didn’t do anything. Did Martin? Martin says, no, he didn’t. He knows what Finn is thinking, and he swears, no pressure was applied. Mrs. Muldoon just had a change of heart. Gregory says he’s thrilled for Finn. This case was a lie from the start. Nothing that happened to Muldoon was Finn’s fault. Elizabeth says she completely agrees, but that doesn’t explain why Mrs. Muldoon dropped the lawsuit. Tracy says, who cares? Justice prevailed. That’s all that matters. She hugs Finn.

Brennan asks if his life is at stake, and Anna says, you tell me. He claims he can give them information to help them find the person who shot Curtis Ashford. He says he can, and she says, they’ve come to believe the intended target was Sonny Corinthos. She’s sure he’s well-acquainted with Sonny’s reputation. She just wonders, if Sonny were to find out he was withholding this information, how long Brennan would last in Pentenville. That’s not a rhetorical question. He either deals with them or Sonny. Take his pick. He says, how the mighty have fallen. Anna Devane, reformed double agent, zealous defender of law and order, and this is all she’s got, her only leverage is to go tattling to a thug. She asks if that’s a yes or no, and he says, Cesar Faison would be so disappointed in his protégé. She says, you son of a bitch.

Sonny wonders if Avery doesn’t think she can talk to him, but Ava says she doesn’t think it’s that at all. She just thinks, Nina was gone suddenly. Avery can tell he’s upset, and she doesn’t want to make anything worse. She’s done her best to deflect Avery’s questions, but she thinks Sonny has to talk to her. However he wants to do it; she’ll follow his lead. Avery comes in with a basket and shows them the seashells she found. She gives Sonny one that she picked out just for him, and he thanks her. He says he needs to talk to her about something, and they sit down. Ava says she’ll go get settled in her room, but Sonny asks her to stay. He tells Avery that he’s sure she’s noticed Nina isn’t staying at the penthouse. He’s sure she’s a little confused about that. So he wanted to let her know that he and Nina are going to be living apart for a while. She asks, why? and he says, with adults, things get complicated and they kind of have to stay away and figure things out. But he wants her to know everything’s fine with him. She says, okay, and he says he just wants everything to be fine with her too. So how does she feel about Nina living apart somewhere else? She says she guesses it’s okay, but she misses Nina. Nina was really nice to her. Is she ever going to see Nina again?

Martin tells Diane that he’s afraid his curiosity has gotten the best of him. Why did she drop the suit? She says, because her client instructed her to, and he says, as thrilled as he is with today’s outcome, he wishes he’d gotten the chance to best her, fair and square. They shake hands, and she says, he may get that chance – she adds a Southern accent – when hell freezes over. She leaves, chuckling.

Tracy says, this calls for a celebration. Champagne at the MetroCourt, her treat. Finn says, that’s very generous of her, and glances at Elizabeth, who nods. He says he thinks they’ll take her up on it, and Gregory says, count him in too. Mrs. Muldoon walks over and asks if she can speak with Dr. Finn.

On the phone, Spencer says, Laura is cutting in and out… She’s cutting in and out… Hello? Trina asks if the call dropped, and he says, it was super staticky, then it went silent. She says her service is bad too, but he says he wouldn’t worry about it. It will probably get better when they’re off the river.

Portia leaves a message for Trina, telling her to stay safe and call her as soon as she gets this. She loves her. She tells Curtis that she doesn’t get this. Why didn’t she pick up the phone? Laura comes back and says she was able to get Spencer on the phone for just a few seconds before the cell dropped. It wasn’t long enough to warn them about Esme, but he sounded normal, like everything was just fine. Portia says, but when she called Trina, it went straight to voicemail. She never, ever has her phone off. What if Esme’s already gotten to her? Curtis says, don’t do that, and Marshall says, Curtis is right. Don’t panic until they know something for sure. Portia says, they do know something. They know that crazy girl, that psychotic girl is after Trina again, and Trina is halfway around the world from Portia and in danger. And it all comes back to who? Spencer Cassadine.

The captain sees Esme on deck and says something to her in French, but she says she’s sorry. She’s lost. Is this the river tour? He says, this is a private vessel. She’s a stowaway. She’s coming with him. She takes off, but he grabs her. She elbows him, and he doubles over. She grabs the fire extinguisher and whacks him in the head with it. He drops to the floor.

Ava says, even if Nina isn’t living with Avery’s dad, Nina still loves her just the same. That’s not going to change. Avery says, good, and asks if she can go put her seashells back in the ocean. Sonny says, yeah, but hurry up because they’re going to have lunch. Avery says, then candy? and he says, what? Candy? She hugs him and runs off. Ava says, she’s got him wrapped around her little finger and she knows it, and he says he’d do anything for that little girl. He just wants to let Ava know that he appreciates her telling him that Avery was confused about Nina and helping him with her questions. She says, he’s welcome. She thinks he handled it perfectly, although he didn’t really answer her question about Nina. Is that because he doesn’t know? He wonders if she’s asking for herself or for her best friend Nina.

Finn meets Mrs. Muldoon in the hallway, and she says she doesn’t really know how to say this. She owes him an apology. She just learned that Dennis went to see an oncologist before he saw Finn for the first time. He must have known more about his diagnosis than she was aware of. Finn says he sees, and she says she’s so sorry. He may not believe her, but Dennis was a really good man. He loved them. He must have felt so desperate. Finn says, people will go to great lengths for their family to make sure they’re taken care of, and she says, he’s being so understanding after what she put him through. She can’t help but wonder why. Elizabeth watches from a distance, and Finn says, perhaps because he’s a single father to a little girl. He knows how hard it is to be the only person responsible for your family’s well-being. Her family just suffered a terrible loss. He wanted to spare her and her children from any more pain. She says, his kindness won’t be forgotten. His daughter is really lucky to have a man like him for a father. She leaves.

Portia says, Trina should be enjoying her time in Paris and studying. Instead, she’s a sitting duck, because some psycho girl wants revenge? Is that what she wants? Laura says she’s so sorry that Trina has been drown into yet another conflict because of her family, and Portia says she knows Laura is worried about Spencer too. There’s going to be time for them to figure out the why – why this is happening. Right now, the only thing that matters is finding Trina and Spencer, and stopping whatever Esme has planned for them. Laura says she’s on her way to the airport right now. Ned has allowed her to use the ELQ jet, so she’ll get to Paris as quickly as possible. Portia thanks her, but Curtis says, wait. Is she going by herself? Laura says, just on the flight. Dante’s already gone on ahead of her and the Paris authorities have been notified. Curtis says he hopes the ELQ jet has room for one more because he’s coming along.

Esme runs over to the captain and says she’s so, so sorry. She was just trying to find her son and get him back to her. She checks his pulse, and says, thank God. Just keep breathing, okay? She’s in trouble already. She drags him off the deck by his feet.

In their stateroom, Trina says, look at this place. It’s incredible. How does he keep on topping himself? (I’m not impressed. Not only does it look suspiciously like the room Trina was in on the Haunted Star, it has no window.) He says he doesn’t know. He guesses she’s worth it. This is a nice room, isn’t it? He thinks he prefers the New York hotel room though because of what happened there. She says, something happened there? She can’t quite remember what. He says, maybe he should refresh her memory. He’s about to kiss her, when she yawns, trying to hide it. He asks, what was that? They just got on board. She says she’s jetlagged, but she’s guessing he has another surprise for her. He says, no, not tonight, but tomorrow is going to be very special. She says, now she’s really intrigued, but she guesses tomorrow is soon enough. He says, they had a very long day today, so if she is sleepy, they can just go to bed if she wants. They kiss, and she says she wants him – today, tomorrow, and forever. They fall onto the bed.

Gregory says he’s just curious. Was Tracy aware that Mrs. Muldoon has a fundraising page on My Face? He just found out about it a few days ago. A friend helped her set it up to cover expenses after her husband died. Tracy says, Mrs. Muldoon is fortunate to have such caring friends. What does that have to do with her? He says he just checked, and it seems someone made a very generous donation right around the time Mrs. Muldoon dropped her lawsuit. Quite a coincidence, wouldn’t she say?

Elizabeth asks Finn if everything is okay, and he says, yeah. Mrs. Muldoon just wanted to apologize for everything she put them through. She says she’s surprised. She’s glad. Is he relieved that the case was dismissed? He says, of course (🍷). He also feels kind of bad. She says, why? and he says, the Muldoons have lost a husband and a father. They’ll never be the same. Winning that case would have made a big difference for them. Elizabeth asks if he knows how amazing he is. Dennis Muldoon set him up to be falsely accused of malpractice, possibly destroying his entire career, and yet here he is having compassion for the man’s family. He says, that’s very kind, but he doesn’t deserve her praise. He’s no hero.

Laura tells Curtis that she’s sure there’s enough room. She’ll let Ned know right now. She leaves, and Marshall asks if Curtis is sure. Is it a good idea for him to go to Paris. Curtis says his recovery is right on schedule. He’s fine, and even if he weren’t, his daughter needs him, and he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her. Marshall says he understands that. He’s worried about Trina, too, but he’s also concerned about Curtis. Curtis tells Marshall not to worry about him. He’s gotten pretty good at wheeling around in this chair. He’s not going to let it stop him. Marshall says he knows Curtis won’t. Being in that chair doesn’t change who Curti is, and that’s a loving father who’s determined to protect his family – at all costs. Curtis says, damn right, and Marshall says, that’s why he’s concerned about what Curtis will do to Esme Prince if he gets within ten feet of that girl. Portia says, he can double that concern because she’s going to Paris too.

In bed, Spencer touches Trina’s hand and whispers, how did I get so lucky? She says she’s not sleeping. He says, she’s just resting her eyes? That’s okay. Keep them closed. He’ll be right back. She asks where he’s going, and he says he doesn’t know about her, but he’s starving. He’s going to go get a snack. She says, hurry back, and he promises he will. He kisses her and leaves.

Jordan asks if Brennan wants to make a deal, or should she call Sonny? Brennan apologizes and says he and Anna have a history that tends to intrude in the present. She was saying? Jordan says, how did a rifle seized by the WSB end up shooting Curtis Ashford? He tells her, in 2019, the WSB conducted a raid where a cache of mixed weapons, all unmarked, was confiscated. They were given serial numbers and stored in a locker at the Bureau’s Berlin station. The whole shipment disappeared while en route to WSB headquarters in London. Jordan asks if he knows who took them, and he says he only figured out who was likely responsible shortly before he was arrested, so he didn’t have time to act on the information. Anna says, so he sat on it, and he says he thought it might be a useful bargaining chip. And here they are. And since his life hangs in the balance… Anna says she can see he’s terrified, and he says, a bargain’s a bargain, and he said he’d tell them all he knows. Someone’s been selling the weapons at a high price. Find them, and they’ll be lead to the shooter.

Ava tells Sonny, forget she said anything. Just know that Avery isn’t the only person around here concerned about him. Sonny’s phone rings, and Laura says she thought he should know, they found out where Esme went. He says, that’s great news, and tells Ava that Laura found Esme. He says he’s going to put Laura on speaker. Ava’s here. Ava says, please tell her that awful girl is on her way to a jail cell. Laura says, unfortunately, no. She’s in Paris. Ava asks if she’s after Trina, but Laura says, they don’t know exactly. She and Dante are going there to meet with the authorities. Sonny asks if there’s anything he can do, but she says, they’ve got it covered. She’ll update him after they’ve landed. Ava says, please do, and Sonny tells Laura, listen. Esme has nothing to lose, so that’s going to make her unpredictable. So she needs to be careful. He hangs up and tells Ava that he knows she’s concerned about Trina. He’s concerned about Spencer, but Laura and Dante are going to have it all covered. They’ll make sure they’re safe. And that means one less threat to Ava. Ava says, for the moment.

Dex goes out the front gate and calls to guard Adam. He sees Adam lying on the ground and runs over to him.

Tracy tells Gregory, maybe when Mrs. Muldoon posted that she dropped the lawsuit, and someone felt bad and made a donation. He asks if Tracy didn’t speak to her, and she says, they may have exchanged a few words. She may have imparted what a good doctor Finn is. He says, that’s it? Tracy didn’t use her financial powers of persuasion to make it worth her while to drop the lawsuit? She says, if she was to ever conceive of doing such a thing, so what? and he says, it would be unethical for one thing. And she might be in a heap of trouble if the District Attorney constitutes it’s a bribe. She says, lucky they’re just speaking in hypotheticals, and he says, hypothetically, if it were true, he would be extremely grateful that Finn has a friend who’s willing to put herself on the line for him. and he would owe that friend quite a debt. She says, good to know, but she doubts that friend would ever collect.

Elizabeth takes Finn’s hand and says, he was willing to risk everything he’s accomplished in his life for the Muldoon family. She thinks that’s the very definition of a hero. He says he wasn’t risking everything. There was a time when he thought being a doctor was the very essence of his being, that it defined who he was. Then with this case, he realized he has people in his life that he really loves and somehow, they love him back. If he couldn’t practice medicine anymore, he’d still have Violet and his family and her. As much as he loves being a doctor, they’re the ones he couldn’t live without. His true purpose is all of them. As long as he has that, he’ll always be okay.

Jordan says, before they leave, is there any other pertinent information Brennan has for them? but he says he’s told them everything he knows. Anna says, somehow she doubts that, and motions for the guard. She tells Brennan, enjoy the rest of his stay, and he says he looks forward to seeing her again soon. The guard leads him away.

Curtis asks if Portia got someone to cover for her, but she says she’ll do it from the plane. Trina’s in danger. The only thing that matters right now is getting to her. Marshall says, it’s great to see them working as a team, even under these circumstances. Esme’s going to be sorry she ever messed with their girl. Portia says, he’s got that right, when Laura comes back. She says, time to go. Curtis is still coming with her, right? Curtis says, both of them are, and Laura says she’s not surprised. As a mother, she’d want to be there too. Marshall tells Curtis to bring his granddaughter home, safe, and Curtis says, he’s got it. They’re going to get to Trina and Spencer before Esme does.

As Spencer heads for the galley, he sees the door to the deck is open. He steps out and sees the streak of the captain’s blood going across the deck, along with the fire extinguisher.

As she’s getting dressed, Trina hears the door open. She says she hopes those snacks include a baguette. The bread here’s incredible. She turns around and sees Esme.

Dex hears something, and grabs Adam’s gun and his radio.

Sonny says he won’t let anything happen to Ava or Avery, when Dex radios for them to get down. Sonny and Ava duck under the table, and shots ring out.

Tomorrow, Carly tells Tracy that it’s an opportunity she can’t afford to miss; Lois says, if she leaves it up to Olivia, they may never speak again; and Nina tells someone that it’s all she has to say on the record.

Vanderpump Rules

Ariana has a cinnamon pen. I’ve never seen that before. Is that from Brookstone or something? We see what everyone is up to. None of it very exciting. Katie says, everything is falling into place with Something About Her, but as far as I know, it still hasn’t opened. In Ariana’s interview, she explains that she and Sandoval live under the same roof, but they communicate through assistant Ann. Tom and Raquel/Rachel/ whatever are still sending love notes to one another. James and Ally now have a house, albeit too close to the airport, with a pool. In James’s interview, he says he’s seen Sandoval’s cuckoo performances, yelling about Raquel and Itsy-Bitsy Spider, and thinks he’s out of his mind. Scheana tells Brock that Sandoval blocked her, Shenanigans, her sister, and Summer Moon. They talk about Raquel, and Brock says, that one is a whole bag of mixed worms. Best quote of the night.

Lala’s mom lives with her, which is probably the best roommate she could ask for at this point, a built-in support system. The custody battle with Randall is still going on, and Lala says she has a lot of trauma to work through. She thought everything was perfect, then ended up fixated with a custody battle before she could deal with her heartbreak. In order for her to be a good role model for Ocean, she has to work through her emotions. She trusts no one. Her mom says, she’ll work through it.

James meets Schwartz, who comes bearing housewarming gifts. He’s probably glad anyone in the friend circle wants to talk to him. Scwartz is wearing a Schwartz & Sandy’s hat, and says he was worried he’d get booed. In Schwartz’s interview, he says, the bar became a casualty of Scandoval and it was toxic. He had enough problems in his life and didn’t need this. It was the radioactive cherry on the sh*t sundae that was his year. James says, Schwartz is his best Tom when he’s alone, but not so much when he’s TomTom. James is now California sober because Ally gave him an old tomato ultimatum. He’s only drinking Red Bull and Fiji Water, but weed just makes his day better. James is playing at TomTom, and Schwartz asks for advice about approaching Ariana if she shows.

Ariana and Scheana go for a spa day. They talk about Scheana’s kid and Ariana’s new boyfriend Dan. In Scheana’s interview, she says she doesn’t think Ariana has processed the Tom trauma, but if Dan doesn’t sleep with one of her best friends, it will still be a step up. She tells us that she was diagnosed with OCD, and just when she was managing it, the affair took her OCD and mixed it with her anxiety. Scheana asks Ariana about Schwartz, and Ariana says she was on the fence until Schwartz was on Watch What Happens Live and suggested everyone hug Sandoval. Scheana says she doesn’t need Ozempic. She’s got Scandoval.

Ariana hasn’t been back at TomTom since the discovery of Sandoval’s infidelity. In her interview, she says she doesn’t want to make her life smaller because of that idiot. There’s a Lisa sighting, and Ariana decides to ice Schwartz out. In his interview, he calls her the patron saint of scorned women. If she’s not friends with him, it gives him no hope with the other women. In Ariana’s interview, she says, being there is bringing back all her old Sandoval memories, and we flash back to a bunch of those. I always thought he was kind of a d*ck, so not much has changed for me emotionally there. A little more scorn perhaps.

The ladies toast to a Bad Bitch Summer. Lala tells Lisa that she’s feeling a lot of different ways about the Raquel situation. She knows the feeling of thinking there’s only one person on your side. In Lala’s interview, she says she knows what it’s like to have someone paint a beautiful picture and see a future with them, while ignoring what everyone else is telling you. Lisa is glad Lala isn’t being rigid in her position, and in Lisa’s interview, she says, Lala was the last person she expected to have forgiveness. If Lala can come around, she wonders if the others can. Lisa wisely leaves before things get messy. It looks like a good time, but too crowded. I can’t imagine how long it takes to get a drink in that place. Scheana apologizes to Katie, and in her interview, Scheana says she was about to write off their friendship, especially after years of walking on eggshells, but they put their differences aside for Ariana and bonded over not one, but two, common enemies. In Lala’s interview, she says, everything Raquel did was stupid, but as someone who knows what it’s like to see comments about being a mistress, she doesn’t want Raquel to wear that forever. She leaves Raquel a text, and after seeing that Raquel viewed it, she says she’s going to throw up and sh*t her pants.

In Katie’s interview, she says, after 12 years together, she’s happy to say Schwartz isn’t her problem anymore. After the way he spoke about her, he has no access to her life other than joint custody of the dogs. It’s the switching of the dogs day, and when Katie drops them off, she makes the mistake of sitting down. Schwartz says he wants to get on Ariana’s good side, and hints around at Katie helping him, but she’s like, no thanks. That night, Katie has drinks with the girls and tells them about Schwartz’s pet bugs. Against her better judgement, she asks to play devil’s advocate for Schwartz, but in Ariana’s interview, she says, the devil doesn’t need any more advocates. Lala feels like she’s a dog in everyone’s fight, but still has to fend for herself. In Lala’s interview, she says she doesn’t know how to have a friendship when someone shuts her out like Ariana does. She explains her train of Raquel thought to Ariana and admits to sending Raquel a message. (On WWHL, Lala said, Raquel never responded.)

In Ariana’s interview, she compares Lala reaching out to Raquel with Lala having said, no one who communicates with Randall will be in her friend circle, which is apples and oranges. Randall is a creeper, and Raquel is a dumbass. Lala tells Ariana that she can relate to the feeling, and in Scheana’s interview, she says, the temporary restraining order changed everything, referring to the one Raquel took out on her. Ariana says, as far as Raquel getting a foot in the door, there’s not a foot to be had. In a few minutes though, all is well, and everybody loves everybody.

Sandoval comes home to an empty house from wherever the hell he was. I wasn’t paying attention.

This season, same sh*t, different season. A few highlights: Lisa calls Jax a f***ing hypocrite; Schwartz goes blonde; Schwartz says he made out with Scheana in Vegas; lots of arguing between Ariana and Sandoval over the house.

💭 Thoughts: While I’m pretty much over the Housewives – I can’t take one more season of 14-year-old mean girls in middle aged, sequined gowned bodies – for now I’m sticking with the Rules. For one, there are always Lisa/Villa Rosa/various pet sightings. And unlike those women who are outmaneuvering each other for screen time and circle the same drains, we actually see growth in the cast members. Lala is the MVP of this show – so far. That’s why I think it’s a shame they fired Stassi, et. al. Aren’t people supposed to grow and learn from their screw-ups? Kathryn Dennis is another example. Keeping them on by no means condones what they’ve done, but these are reality shows and those people exist. And it’s doubtful ostracizing someone forever teaches them anything. Scandoval aside, watching the VPR cast go from practically children to adults with houses and children and businesses of their own is what reality is about. That and a few ponies, swans, and a pink puppy or two.

🐓 Duck, Duck, Bantam Rooster…

Join me tomorrow for soap and holding my nose before I plunge into RHOBH. Is it me, or has this been an extra-long season? Until then, stay safe, stay never ordering the most expensive menu item if someone else is paying (unless it’s with an expense account), and stay not letting your work define you. Let your true purpose be the people in your life that you really love and somehow love you back.

November 4, 2022 – Joss Sneaks Out To Warn Cam, New Donna, Blaze, Finding Love, Back Together, Spotted, Reaction, Cancelled, Even More Costumes (Plus Pets!), Month Number Of Quotes & Time

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Willow and Michael are at Charlie’s, and they kiss. Michael says, this is nice; date night. She says, it’s perfect. Just them. He says he loves spending evenings with Wiley at home, but when Wiley said he wanted to spend the night at Leo’s, he couldn’t complain. Once the baby comes, these nights are going to be few and far between. He’s sorry. Things got crazy at Aurora, and he couldn’t make her GH appointment. She says, that’s okay; it was routine. She flashes back to asking TJ what Britt is concerned about, and Michael says, nothing is routine when it comes to her and their child.

Dex hangs around outside Kelly’s, while inside, Sonny shares an ice cream sundae with Nina. She says, who’d have thought big bad Sonny Corinthos, who loves fine dining, his guilty pleasure is an old fashioned ice cream sundae. He says he’s just excited they don’t have to pretend anymore. They’re out in public; no more apologies. She says she knew that was true when Sonny stood up for her with Carly. She’ll never forget him saying that he’s a part of her life, so that makes her part of his kids’ lives. He tells her, he didn’t even have to say it, the way Donna and Avery responded to her, it made him realize she’s already part of the family.

Austin tells Mason, he’s done. Done with Mason. Done with his boss. He’s a different person now. Mason says, sure he is, but tell him, why is that exactly? Maxie walks in, and says, sorry. She didn’t realize Austin was in the middle of something. Is everything okay? Mason asks if Austin wants to tell her, or should he?

Standing on a terrace at the MetroCourt on the phone, Spinelli says he doesn’t have to offer any explanation. Society Set-Ups is his business, and he needs to know how long it will take to shut it all down… Yes, he’s aware revenues are up, but that’s not the point. Trust him. He has his reasons for shutting it all down.

Curtis tells Jordan, he didn’t want to say this in front of Trina, because she’s already freaked out enough as it is; but if the police department believes Josslyn was the real target the night Brando was attacked, he’s almost certain that killer isn’t going to stop until they zero in on Trina. Portia says, they can’t let that happen, and Jordan promises them both, the PCPD is going to do everything in their power to keep Trina safe. Curtis says, they’ll all have to pull together. Someone should call Taggert. Trina’s father should know what’s going on.

Josslyn tells Carly, she’d just hoped this year would be normal. That she and Trina could go to college and be regular college students, hanging out with their friends – on campus. And now someone’s targeting them? Carly hugs her, and says, she’ll never let anyone hurt Josslyn. Josslyn says she’s glad Jordan was here, and that Trina got home safe… Oh my God. She takes out her phone, and says, if Trina and everyone who stood by her at the trial are targets, that could be Cam too. She has to tell him. She gets voicemail, and says, if he gets this, call her immediately. He could be in serious danger.

Cameron walks on the footbridge, and looks at the locks on the handrail. He flashes back to being with Josslyn in his room, about to get busy. He hears something, and says, is anyone there?

Austin tells Maxie, Mason was saying that he’s having a few problems with the GH Insurance and Billing Department, and asked him to make a few calls on his behalf, but – he looks at Mason – he’s not comfortable crossing any ethical lines. Mason says, is that so? and Austin says he supposes he could make a few calls. He’ll see what he can do. Mason says, that’s all he’s asking, and thanks him. He says, lovely to see Maxie again, and leaves. Maxie says, wow. Having a family that’s constantly asking for favors, that’s got to be exhausting. Insurance and Billing is not Austin’s specialty. He says, it’s not. Why is she here? She says she tried to call his cell, but he didn’t answer, and he says he’s had his hands full. What was she calling about? She says she knows she cancelled their date, but she thought they could grab a quick bite before she goes back to the office. He says he’d love to, but he has some things to take care of here, and she says she totally understands. She should probably just grab something from the MetroCourt and eat at her desk. She’ll see him later though. Austin says, yeah, and she leaves. His desk phone rings, and he answers. He says, yes, he did. The patient who’s been requesting him in the ER, please let everybody know he’s on his way.

Curtis says he’s going to beef up the security, both inside and outside the house, and Jordan says she’ll make sure a police car patrols their block. Portia says, Trina is not going to want to go into hiding, or put her life on hold, and Jordan says, she has the right idea. Even with the threats hanging over her head, Trina needs to live as normal a life as possible. Curtis says, how are they supposed to do that when they’re planning a wedding? and everyone looks uncomfortable.

Carly says she’s sure Jordan’s been in touch with Cam, and Josslyn sends Cameron a text: Call me back!! Important! She grabs her coat, and Carly asks where she thinks she’s going. Josslyn says, Cam is working; she has to go warn him. Carly says, Josslyn left a voicemail and sent him a text. When he calls her back, she can warm him. Josslyn says, what if the killer is scoping out the restaurant or Elizabeth’s house just waiting for him to be alone?

Cameron asks, who’s there? and Drew says, Cameron? Cameron says, Drew, and Drew asks if Cameron was expecting someone else. Cameron says, it’s just that people are getting murdered by The Hook. He’s a little jumpy. Drew says he gets it, but what is Cameron doing out here by himself? and Cameron says, it’s Oscar’s birthday. He can’t help thinking about how much he misses him. Out here, he feels closer to Oscar. Drew says, him too. Oscar’s in his thoughts on a daily basis, but when he’s out here, he misses Oscar a little bit less.

Carly grabs Josslyn’s arm, and says, if Cameron’s at Kelly’s, that means he’s in a public place. There’s lots of people around. Josslyn says she needs to see him. She can’t let anything happen to him. Carly says, Josslyn texted and called him. Why does she need to see him in person? Josslyn says, Cam is her boyfriend. She needs to make sure he’s okay.

Dex buttons up his coat, and flashes back to Josslyn saying she’d be lying if she said he hadn’t disappointed her. In Kelly’s, Nina asks Sonny if Dex can’t protect them inside; it looks pretty cold out there. Sonny says, the cold keeps him alert, and she says, Sonny is tough. She can’t get used to having a bodyguard. Sonny says, she’d better. He’s not going to let anything happen to her. She says she knows, and they kiss

Willow says, according to Dr. Westbourne, everything with the baby is fine, and Michael says he just wishes he’d been there. She says, her too. She went through her first pregnancy totally alone, and it’s a bonus that she gets to share this pregnancy with him. He says, maybe with most couples routine checkups are mundane, but he treasures them as much as she does. So believe him when he says he’ll be right there with her. She says, promise? and he says, the way he sees it, she’s stuck with him forever. She says, forever, that has such a nice ring to it. They kiss, and Michael says he’ll be right back.

Jordan says, they’ve set a wedding date. Congratulations. Portia thanks her, and says, they’re shooting for Valentine’s Day. Jordan says, that’s less than six months away; that’s not much time to plan. But since her and Curtis’s divorce is now official, there’s nothing to stand in their way.

Josslyn tells Carly, she and Trina know Jordan’s theory; Cam doesn’t. She needs to warn him. Carly asks if she’s sure that’s all it is, and Josslyn says, isn’t that enough? but Carly says she’s Josslyn’s mother. She knows when Josslyn’s keeping something from her. Josslyn says, fine. She’ll call Kelly’s then. Carly asks if something happened between Josslyn and Cameron, and Josslyn flashes back to buttoning Dex’s shirt. She tells Carly, things between them are fine, except they’re both potential targets for a killer. Carly says she understands Josslyn is concerned, so she’ll take care of it, and she walks out of the room.

Drew tells Cameron, when he made the decision to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, it was meant to be a grand farewell; to spread his son’s ashes in a majestic vista worthy of Oscar’s forever home. Cameron says he’s sure Oscar would love that, and Drew says, it’s such a magical place. When you’re at the peak, you’re so close clouds, you feel like you could reach out and touch them. Cameron says, that’s officially on the list of things he needs to do, and Drew says, when he got to the top, he just sat there for a few minutes. It felt like he was holding Oscar’s hand, and he knows it might sound crazy, but it felt like Oscar was touching his. Cameron says, it doesn’t sound crazy. If it makes Drew feel any better, he talks to Franco almost every day. Drew says, he should. They should never forget them. Drew’s phone rings, and he asks Carly, what’s up? She asks if he can do her a huge favor. Josslyn is worried about Cameron, and he’s not picking up. Could he swing by Kelly’s and make sure Cameron is okay? Drew says, no need. He’s here with Cam right now. She asks if he’s at Kelly’s, but he says, no, he’s at the footbridge. Is something wrong? She tells him, everything is okay. Just both of them get home safe.

Nina and Sonny kiss, and she says she’s not complaining, but what was that for? He says, ice cream isn’t his only guilty pleasure, and she says he’s going to spoil her. He says, that’s the plan, and she says, to think she was so concerned what other people think. He says he doesn’t care what other people think; he just cares what she thinks. She says, that’s not true; he cares what other people think. Dante, Kristina, the two little sweet ones, they’ve pretty much accepted her, but Michael and Josslyn, not so much. He says, that’s a work in progress, and he’s not giving up. She says, of course (🍷) not. That’s not his style. She thinks she loves him. He says, she thinks? She’s not sure? She says, all right. He deserves better than a half-declaration. She’s sure. He says, about what? and she says she loves him. He leans in for a kiss, but she puts a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth.

Michael says, Willow barely touched anything, and she says she’s nervous waiting for her test results. He says he thought Dr. Westbourne said the baby was fine, and Willow says, she did. The tests were just a precaution. He says, she had him worried for a second. So she knows, even if the tests are just precautionary, they’re in this together.

Spinelli says he doesn’t care about the economic ramifications. He just needs to shut it all down… Maxie walks out behind him, and he says, trust him. He has his reasons… No, that’s not soon enough. Please, just see what they can do. He turns around, and asks what Maxie is doing here, and she says she placed a to-go order; she’s having dinner at her desk. She’s got a long night ahead at Deception. It sounds like he has a long night ahead too. He says, juggling Society Set-Ups has proved more difficult than he expected. This business isn’t what he’d hoped for when he started. She says, let’s stop dancing around the issue. She knows the real story behind Society Set-Ups, remember?

Curtis says he’s going to call Taggert, and keep him in the loop. Unless Portia wants to make the call. After all, they’re both Trina’s parents. Portia says she’s fine with him calling, and he goes upstairs, which is kind of weird, but okay. Portia says she appreciates Jordan’s well wishes on the wedding. She knows this can’t be easy for Jordan. Jordan says, her marriage to Curtis is legally ended. They’re no longer in limbo. Portia thanks her, and says she owes Jordan one. Jordan says, Portia doesn’t owe her anything, but she does owe Curtis the truth.

Nina brings Dex some hot chocolate to keep warm, and he says that’s very thoughtful, but he’s working. She says, just take it, and Sonny joins her, saying, the lady insists. Dex says, she brings out the best in his boss, and Nina asks if Sonny heard that. Sonny says, Dex doesn’t need to tell him that, and Nina asks Dex if Sonny is always so tough on him, but Dex says, he’s a big softie. She says, he is, and they go back in.

Drew knocks at Carly’s door, and she asks what he’s doing here. He says, she sounded tense on the phone, he wanted to see how she was doing. She says, he can’t be here. He has to leave.

Josslyn sees Dex outside Kelly’s, and asks what he’s doing here. He says, working. The boss is inside with Miss Reeves. Josslyn says, oh crap, and looks in the window, seeing Sonny and Nina. Dex asks if she’s looking for someone, and she says, Cameron, but she guesses he’s not in yet. He says, she’s not going inside? and she says she tries to avoid Dex’s boss and his girlfriend whenever she can. It’s nice of Sonny to leave him out here to freeze after almost killing him. He says he’d like to think she’s concerned about him, but it’s just another excuse for her to hate on Sonny. She says she doesn’t need an excuse, and it’s just a waste of energy to tell him anything different when this is what he wants to do. He says, she has no idea what he wants, and she says, why doesn’t he tell her? Cameron walks up, and says, what’s going on?

Willow takes Michael’s hands, and says, they share everything, right? Good times and bad, sickness and health. He says, that sounds an awful lot like wedding vows, and she says, it does. He says, there’s are any number of late night judges who owe the Quartermaines a favor. Does she want him to call one up? They can say those words and make it official. She says, what if she did? and he asks if she’s serious. Is she saying she wants to get married, this time for keeps? She says, she’s saying she never wants to leave him, Wiley, or this new baby.

Austin walks into his office to find Mason in his chair, his feet propped on the desk. Austin says, no. Get the hell out of his office. Mason asks why Austin’s in a bad mood. He’s just here for a progress report on his friend. Austin says, there will be no phone calls or any paperwork for Mason’s boss to worry about, and Mason says, that’s very good to hear. And Austin? Austin says, crazy. He’s not going to alert the authorities and let them know he just did a completely illegally did a medical procedure on somebody with a gunshot wound. But Mason is never going to speak to Maxie again. Mason laughs, and says, so this virtuous man thing’s not an act? Who is Austin trying to be some kind of good guy for? Austin says, who does he think? and Mason says he gets it. Austin is acting out a country song. The love of a good woman is making me turn over a new leaf. Come on. He knows the real Austin. Austin can’t possibly think he and Maxie are meant to be. The lady works for a fancy cosmetics company, and Austin is more down and dirty than anyone here knows. If Maxie knew the compromises and deals with the devil Austin’s made, she’d be running for the hills. Austin says he chooses to believe Maxie cares about him enough to accept him. And if she accepts him, she’ll accept all of his mistakes. Mason says, right, because they’re meant to be. He’d love to test that theory. He says he’ll see Austin around, and leaves.

Maxie says, she may not be a computer whiz like Spinelli is, but it doesn’t take rocket science to see he went into the business of matchmaking after Ellie left him. She thinks deep down, he believes if he can help other people find love, it will mend his broken heart. He says, she’s very astute, and she says she knows he’s been in a sad place for a while, but she has faith he’ll find love again; that the right person is out there for him.

Portia comes downstairs, and tells Jordan that Curtis left a message for Taggert, and he’s talking to Trina. It’s just the two of them, and just so Jordan knows, Curtis hasn’t got the results back from his genetic counselor. So until she has confirmation that Curtis has the genetic markers for schizophrenia, there’s no reason to worry Trina about any of this. Jordan asks, what if Curtis has the DNA markers? If he’s Trina’s father, he could have passed them on to her. Portia says, if he has the markers, then she’ll be the one to figure out what to do next. Jordan says she probably should go, and Portia says she’s sorry. She does want to thank Jordan for taking care of them. She brought Trina home. Portia appreciates that, and thanks Jordan for expediting the divorce papers. Jordan says, it’s the least she could do after she lost the first set. Portia says, there’s so much Jordan doesn’t know. With everything that’s been going on – the good, the bad – can’t Jordan see she’s right in not turning everyone’s life upside down that she cares about? Not until she knows for sure.

Drew tells Carly that he doesn’t understand. He just got here. Carly says, he’s the one who said Ned could turn them in to the SEC for insider trading. He’s the one who said they should keep their relationship a secret. He says, the longer he stands out here, the better the chance of someone seeing them together, and she says, come in. He does, and she says, he was so serious about this earlier, and now he’s joking about it. He was clear they were to stay under the radar. He says, she’s right. He just wants her to know, he walked Cameron to his car. He said he was on his way to Kelly’s; he’s probably there by now. She says, can he please tell Josslyn? She’s worried sick. They go into the living room, but it’s empty. Carly calls for Josslyn, but there’s no answer. She tells Drew that she knows Josslyn left to check on Cam.

Josslyn says she’s so glad Cameron is okay, and throws her arms around him. Isn’t he getting her calls or texts? He says he was with Drew. He was going to call her when he got here. What’s going on? She says, Commissioner Ashford told her and Trina that when Brando got attacked outside of Charlie’s, he wasn’t the intended victim; she was. Cameron says, oh my God, and Dex says, the cops think she was the target? Based on what? Josslyn says, all of the victims are linked to Trina’s trial. Ava was her mentor; Diane, her attorney; and Oz Haggerty was the witness who got Trina exonerated. Cameron says, Josslyn testified that Trina was innocent, and she says, yes, she did, but so did he. So he could be a target too. Dex says, Sonny needs to hear about this, but Josslyn grabs his arm and says, no, he doesn’t. Dex says, she just told him that she and Cam are targets for the killer. Isn’t that more important than her pride?

Sonny says, it’s getting late, and Nina says, time for bed? He says, wha-a-at? and they get up. Dex comes in, followed by Josslyn and Cameron, and says he’s sorry to interrupt, but Sonny needs to hear this. Sonny asks, what’s going on? and Josslyn says, someone is out to kill her and Cam.

In an ironic twist, Michael and Willow also get ice cream sundaes. Willow says, Michael knows how much she loves him; how much she loves their family. He says, of course (🍷) he does, and he loves her just as much. He had a full life before he met her. He’d been in love, and knew what it was like to be happy. At least he thought he did. With her, his whole life has changed. She and their children are everything he wants. Til death do us part. Her phone rings, and it’s Terry. She says, it’s the hospital, and he says, it must be Britt with her test results. She answers.  

Jordan says, Trina is a sophomore in college. Portia has had nearly two decades to determine who her father is. Yet in all that time, Portia chose not to pursue it. She can’t support that. Portia says she’s not asking Jordan to support what she’s done over the years, but now is what she’s talking about. Marshall being diagnosed with schizophrenia; Curtis being tested for genetic markers. This is all about what’s happening now, and all she’s asking Jordan is for a little bit of time. Jordan says, it’s much more important than ever that Portia tell Curtis everything now. Jordan’s divorce to him is is final, and Portia and Curtis set a wedding date. Why go into this marriage with this big secret hanging over her head? Curtis is willing to put his life on the line for Portia’s daughter. Doesn’t he have the right to know if she’s actually his daughter too? Curtis c comes back downstairs, and says he spoke to Taggert, and he’s down to do whatever it takes to protect his daughter. He even mentioned rejoining the PCPD. Portia says, wow, but Curtis says, it’s not really a surprise, is it? He can’t think of a father who wouldn’t do absolutely anything to protect his child.

Carly calls Josslyn, but gets voicemail, and she says, dammit. She tells Drew, Josslyn’s not picking up because Josslyn knows she’s furious with her. The police stood here and told Josslyn to stay put. Drew says, Carly told him that Josslyn was concerned about Cameron. When Carly was her age, what would she have done? Carly says, she would have driven straight to Kelly’s, but that’s not the point. Josslyn is supposed to be smarter than she was. She’s going to Kelly’s. Drew says, they’ll take his car, but she says, he can’t take her; they can’t be seen together. He says, this is about Joss. The hell with the SEC. Carly opens the door, and Josslyn is on the porch with Sonny.

On the phone, Willow says, she’ll see them then. Michael asks what Britt said, and Willow says, Britt wants to see her tomorrow to discuss the test results. He says, that means there’s something to discuss, and Willow says, that was her impression. He says he’s coming with her, and please don’t say it’s not necessary. She says she’s not saying that. She wants him there. He says, they have a big day tomorrow, and he wants to get her home.

Maxie says she knows the way Spinelli’s mind works. It makes sense that he’d want to quantify love; make an algorithm of it, so it removes the uncertainty. But in the end, you’re still taking a risk. Austin almost comes out on the terrace, but hangs back. She says, you can trust the algorithm first, but you still have to trust your heart. Austin comes out, and asks how it’s going. He got done at GH, and Maxie said she was getting takeout here, so he took a chance. Maxie says, she and Spinelli just got wrapped up in his Society Set-Ups issues, and Spinelli says, Maxie… but she says, it’s okay. She told Austin that Society Set-Ups is his baby. Spinelli can trust him. Spinelli says, he’s not exactly comfortable with more people knowing about his level of involvement, although he’s grateful for Austin’s silence thus far. Austin says, no problem, and asks if Maxie can have dinner with him. Maxie says, sure, and goes inside to cancel her to-go order. Spinelli says he should get going, but Austin says, not so fast. He needs to ask a favor. Spinelli says, that was quick. What favor? Austin reminds Spinelli that he just said Austin kept quiet about his Society Set-Ups endeavor, so he figures Spinelli kind of owes him one. He needs Spinelli to do something for him on the downlow. Spinelli needs to run his algorithm on Austin and Maxie.

Jordan says, it’s been a long day. She’ll make sure a patrol car comes around the house. Portia and Curtis thank her, and she leaves. Curtis tells Portia, it’s not too late to change the date. They don’t have to get married on Valentine’s Day, especially with this threat hanging over Trina and her friends. She says, Trina would want them to be happy, and he says, then what Trina wants, Trina gets. They kiss, then sit on the couch, cuddled. Portia says, promise her everything is going to be all right, and Curtis says he promises to never let anything or anyone come between their family.

Cameron flips the sign to Closed, and Dex asks if Nina is ready to go. She says she is, and Dex says he can drop Cameron off, but Cameron says he’ll pass. Dex says, the boss wants him to make sure Cameron gets home safe, but Cameron says he doesn’t work for Sonny, so he’ll make his way home himself. Dex says, it’s his call, and Nina asks if Cameron is sure he’ll be okay by himself. Cameron says he’ll be just fine, and Nina and Dex leave. Cameron looks at his phone, and sees Josslyn’s text: Call me back!! Important! He flashes back to her hugging him, and smiles.

Carly asks if Josslyn is okay, and Josslyn says, she’s fine. She tells Sonny, the only reason she let him take her home was because Cameron is a potential target. Make sure he’s safe. She doesn’t want any protection… Carly pulls her inside, saying, get in the house. Sonny says, he ran into Josslyn at Kelly’s, after he heard Jordan’s theory the Brando’s death was a mistake, and the intended victim was Josslyn. So he brought her here, and had his guy Dex take Cam home. Carly thanks him, and Sonny says he guesses it’s all good here, so he’s going. He leaves, and Carly says, Drew has to go so Sonny sees him leave. He says, but first, and kisses her. He leaves, and unbeknownst to them, Josslyn has been watching, and her expression goes through a few changes.

Tomorrow, Valentin tells Anna that he has a plan; Holly asks if Robert has any details he can share with her; Nina tells Sonny, if she needs to step back, that’s what she’s going to do; and Heather says, speak now, Dr. Dreamboat, or forever hold your peace.

👧🏻 Pumpkin, Is That You…?

I have to admit, little Donna is pretty cute.

🔥 Trail Blazing…

I’m guessing Linc figures it wouldn’t hurt if she sabotaged Brook’s relationship with Chase too.

💖 The Charm…

She sounds like she’s doing well, despite the long covid.

🎞 Reunited…

This film sounds kind of interesting. Something different, yet timely.

🍊 Seen In the Wilds…

She probably stowed away.

🗽 Loser’s Club…

All I can say is, ugh. Ramona.

🐎 Not a Surprise…

It was a good show, but it was no longer Westworld after the first few seasons.

https://people.com/tv/westworld-canceled-by-hbo-after-four-seasons/

🦸🏽 More Masquerade…

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Family time. I’m so stupid. I thought, how is that kid looking out of that mask with no holes? and it was a graphic put there to block his face.

https://parade.com/news/best-celebrity-family-halloween-costumes-instagram-photos-2022

🎯 Random celebrities.

🎭 Celebrities dressed as celebrities.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanschocket2/people-dressed-as-celebs-costume

🥇 Another category that’s debatable.

https://www.tmz.com/2022/10/31/halloween-costumes-best-2022-celebrity/

🐩 And no way I’d forget.

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/top-dog-hallowen-costumes-2022-37174276

🐓 Quotes of the Week

The cow didn’t even help me. – Kimberly Menzies, when her boyfriend’s mother did not bless their union even after gifted with a cow, 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot. – Michael Altshuler

In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so. – Immanuel Kant

Focus on the journey, not on arriving at a certain destination. – Chris Hadfield

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.  – Viktor Frankl

If you hear a voice within you saying, you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced. – Vincent Van Gogh

Our thoughts and actions should express our mind of compassion, even if the other person says and does things that are not easy to accept. We must practice this way until we see clearly that our love is not contingent upon the other person being lovable. – Thich Nhat Hanh

Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swamps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists… it is real… it is possible… it’s yours.Ayn Rand

Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.Albert Einstein

If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans. – James Herriot

The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made. – Groucho Marx

Falling Back…

Don’t forget, you gain an hour’s sleep this weekend. I’ll be back when the Dead Walk. Until then, stay safe, stay being grateful for at least one thing every day, and stay never going into a serious relationship with a big secret hanging over your head.

July 30, 2019 – A Trick Up Shiloh’s Sleeve, the End Of BH As We Know It, the Feels, No Mama & O-U-T

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Sam, Jason, and Danny go to the park. Sam and Jason talk bikes while Danny plays ball. Sam asks Jason not to buy Danny a bike until he’s twenty.

On the phone, Shiloh says he wants the Job finished today, and to call when it’s done. Danny’s ball rolls near him, and he picks it up. He asks if Danny remembers him.

Kim opens one of Drew’s medals. He says the originals must have been confiscated when he went AWOL. Oscar had them replaced. Oscar’s last gift to him was a piece of his past.

Curtis meets Jordan and Stella at the MetroCourt. He says he only has a minute. He has to do a security walk-through at Aurora. Stella says she’s proud of him. Head of security is impressive, and better than chasing shadows and digging up other people’s secrets.

Peter goes to Lulu’s place. He tells her that he must have dropped his wallet in the couch cushions, and digs around. She says Rocco is at the Quartermaine’s and Charlotte’s father just her. He says he noticed she took a personal day. Is she okay? She says, everything is fabulous. She takes a sip of wine, which she’s obviously been drinking for a while. She says she’s taking Maxie’s advice, grabbing life by… whatever you grab life by, and throwing herself back into the mix.

Valentin tells Obrecht, welcome back to Windymere. She tells him, stop hovering, but he says he’d hate to see her take a tumble over the side. She says she knows the house well. She was holding people hostage there long before he showed up. Nina comes out, and Obrecht thanks her for her concern, but she’s safe in her own home. Valentin says she lives by herself. If anything happens, who knows when, or if, she’ll be discovered. Nina says it’s giving her peace of mind. Obrecht says, it’s not necessary, and they already have a full house with Charlotte and Sasha. Sasha joins them, and Nina tells her to let Obrecht know how roomy the house is. Sasha says they’re going to have even more room when she moves out.

Ryan picks up the phone, and tells Ava, hello darling. Has she missed him as much as he missed her? He saw her Crimson cover. It was evocative. And Midnight in the Garden pf Good and Ava, appropriate imagery. She says he never struck her as the type to follow fashion. He says that’s because she only saw him mimic his brother’s banal sense of style, but he threw in some flair. He has his own aesthetic. She says she noticed. She tells him, as he may have guessed, it’s not a social call. He asks, how can that be? He only ever thinks of her. He laughs, and says there has been something else on his mind. Not so much a who, but a what; his kidney, the one stolen from him. Did she happen to have a hand in that? At first she’s confused, but then the lightbulb comes on, and she says, that would make sense. She wondered why he, of all people, donated an organ, to the Commissioner no less. She thought he was offered a deal, but now he’s telling her that they actually stole it. Those self-righteous hypocrites. No wonder… he holds them in contempt. He tells her that she almost said we. She gets him. No matter how much she thinks she hates him, she knows him, like he knows her. He missed that. She says she hasn’t, and he says, of course not (🍷), but obviously she needs something from him. How can he help?

Stella tells Curtis, that came out wrong. A corporate job must be nice change. He says, it has its advantages; regular hours, a salary, generous benefits, especially while Jordan is recovering. Jordan says it will be better when she’s up to full speed, but Curtis tells her to take her time. Stella says they both deserve a rest, although it must be tame after chasing Ryan. Maybe Curtis will find some corporate espionage to spice things up.

Nina says Sasha promised to stay for the wedding. She can’t move back to Chappaqua now. Sasha says she’s not. She’s finding her own apartment. Between the job and some other things, she’s decided to stay. Nina hugs her, and says she’s so thrilled. When she sees Michael Other Things Corinthos, she’ll have to thank him. Sasha tells her not to say anything, and spare her the embarrassment, but Nina says she never got the chance to show Sasha’s prom date her baby pictures. She has to make up for lost time. Nina asks Obrecht if it isn’t wonderful, but Obrecht says she’s calculating the distance to shore, in case she decides to go swimming for exercise. Valentin asks if she can’t stay out of the water, and she says she’ll be better prepared for sharks this time. Nina says they don’t have them there, but Obrecht says, they’re not necessarily in the water. Nina is excited that her daughter chose to live in Port Charles. Obrecht says she’s brave, considering the crime rate and the low number of convictions. Nina sits between Valentin and Obrecht, and puts her arms around them. She says she has everyone she loves close by. Just the way she likes it. Neither Obrecht nor Valentin look thrilled.

Kim asks if Drew had no idea, and he says he was completely blindsided. She says, it’s pretty spectacular. Drew says he wishes they’d got there in time for Oscar to see them, but Kim says Oscar didn’t need medals for him to think Drew was a hero. She thinks he ordered them so Drew could be as sure as Oscar was that he’s a good man.

Shiloh asks Danny if his mom and dad are around. Jason runs up, and tells Danny to go back to his mom. Danny asks if he’s in trouble, but Jason says, not at all. Shiloh tells Danny to say hi to his mom. Danny runs off, and Shiloh tells Jason he has a lovely little boy despite his efforts to close him off. Jason says, do not approach his family again. Shiloh asks what Jason is going to do; it’s a public place, and Danny is a few feet away. How is he going to explain beating a guy for telling the truth? Jason says Shiloh assaulted Danny’s mother, calling him Hank. He asks if Shiloh wants another beating. He can’t speak if his jaw is wired, and he can’t grope anyone with two broken hands. Like the big baby he is, Shiloh says he’ll tell his lawyer that Jason has been making threats. He leaves, and Danny asks Jason if everything is okay. Jason says, it’s all good.

Kim asks Drew if the medals came with any paperwork, and he tells her the citations are there. She says she’d love to know what he did to earn them, and he gives her the envelope.

Lulu tells Peter, Maxie is right. She has so many amazing things in her life. For instance, her children. She has a kickass job with a kickass boss. She has a byline. People know who she is, and her stories make a difference. He says he knows that; he publishes them. She says she helped to catch a serial killer. She’s so much more than Dante’s wife. She’s Leslie Lou Spencer, and what she is, is remarkable. It’s hard to feel amazing and abandoned, but she’s more remarkable than abandoned. Peter is sure Dante is remarkable too, but from where he’s standing, Dante is an idiot.

Jordan asks Stella what’s going on with her. How’s Marcus? Stella says, same as usual. Very much in love with his wife. He’s in a very complicated, heartbreaking situation, all of which she’s accepted. Jordan says it’s wonderful how they’ve become such great friends, and Stella agrees it’s nice they’re in each other’s lives again. Jordan asks what about her genealogy search. Did she follow up? Stella says, nothing. She took the bait, and gave them money to send the relative a letter about meeting, but they never heard back. Jordan tells her, give it time. Stella says, whoever the mystery relative is, they’ve chosen to stay a mystery. Curtis and Jordan exchange looks, and Stella says they’re doing that thing couples do when they want to work your last nerve. Jordan says she took it upon herself to send the genetic markers to a friend in forensics. Stella asks if she’s related to Billy Dee Williams, and Curtis says, that would be awesome. Jordan says, genetically speaking, it’s a much closer relation than they thought.

Drew tells Kim that he got a medal for saving Shiloh, and she says, Shiloh claims that’s the moment he turned his life around, and embraced the light. Drew says he saved a man who turned out to be a con artist, but Kim says he couldn’t know that then. He says, according to Shiloh, they were best buddies. Kim looks at the paperwork, and says according to this, he rescued a civilian contractor, and went back to rescue SEAL Charles Tex Owens. Maybe he can give Drew information, and shed light on his supposed friendship with Shiloh.

Danny asks, what happened? Did he do something wrong? Jason says he did everything he was asked and didn’t argue. Sam says she’s the one who made a mistake. She should never have introduced Danny to Shiloh. He’s a bad man she was investigating, and should have told him. Danny asks why she didn’t, and she says she didn’t want to confuse him. Jason is pretty sure Shiloh knows not to come near Danny, but if he does, Danny should get them or an adult he trusts. He tells Danny not to be afraid; just be aware. Shiloh won’t hurt him, and if he tries, they’ll stop him.

Ava tells Ryan that she’s working with someone to reach Kiki. Kiki’s spirit can’t find peace. Ryan doesn’t see what that has to do with him, but she says, he killed her. He separated her soul from her body. The least he can do is help her put Kiki’s soul to rest

When they’re alone, Valentin says he owes Sasha an apology. He told her to steer clear of Michael, but now that she’s formed an emotional attachment, it might work in both their favors. She says she’s been trying to tell him that. Nina wants her there, and is happy she’s staying, but he’s the man Nina loves. Charlotte is Nina’s stepdaughter, and they’re a family. Valentin says she’s part of the family now. It’s not how he planned it, but sometimes things work out for the better. Sasha is everything he’d hoped for in a daughter for Nina. He’s happy she’s developed a life of her own that will keep her close by. That leaves just one problem; Obrecht. She asks how he suggest they handle that, and he tells her, leave it to him. He has a few ideas. Outside the door, Obrecht listens.

Jordan explains the DNA comparison between Stella and the mystery relative, showing her the percentage of genetic material they have in common. Stella asks if that makes them cousins, and then asks Curtis why he’s looking at her like that. Curtis says she knows nothing in the past or present could affect how they love and respect her. She says she’s starting to wonder, and he says, if something happened when she was younger, maybe before she lived with them, like perhaps having a child she couldn’t keep, she can tell him.

Stella asks if Curtis has lost his mind. She doesn’t have a secret love child roaming around. He says he didn’t think so, and she asks why he said that. He says, just on the off-chance, he wanted her to know she could tell them. She knows his heart is in the right place, but she’s told him time and again that he and his brother are all the children she needed. This has officially become more trouble than it’s worth. The truth can’t possibly be as crazy as the story they cooked up. Jordan says she’s closely related, but Stella says they have no intention of meeting with her, and she has no need to search the world for a stranger.

Lulu asks Peter what he said about her husband. He’s wonderful and amazing, so are their kids. He’s going through something horrible. Peter says he was there when Dante shot him. He doesn’t think Dante even knew what he was doing. But he doesn’t understand how Dante could walk away from them. She says, he has PTSD. Peter says, he abandoned the family he claims to love. She says he does love them. That’s why he’s making this choice; the most difficult choice of his life. He’s protecting them, knowing he might not return, in order to make her feel safer.

Ava tells Ryan, in death, as in life, Kiki refuses to speak to her. The psychic said Kiki thinks Ryan still has a hold on her, and needs to let her go. he asks, how? and she says the psychic seems think if he apologizes, Kiki will finally be able rest. He says, okay, and she says, so he’ll apologize for taking Kiki’s life, and let her go? He says, of course (🍷). Confession is good for the soul, but it’s not specified which soul. It’s not helping to remind Ava of who she is; a force to be reckoned with. Not some patsy being taken in by a con artist. The dead are dead. There are no souls wandering the earth for resolution. Kiki isn’t restless. Her soul doesn’t exist, and never did. He tells Ava, go home and come back after she gets the help she clearly needs. He hangs up the phone.

Drew and Kim approach Curtis’s table. Stella tells them again that she’s sorry for their loss. Drew thanks her, and tells Curtis the offices are emptied. His team can finish securing the area, and when Curtis is ready. Drop Drew a line when he’s done. He’s sure they’ll be safer.

Danny asks if he can go over his soccer moves, and Sam tells him to stay where they can see him. She asks Jason if he thinks Danny is okay, and Jason says, he seems to be. She doesn’t want him to be afraid that Shiloh is lurking somewhere. Jason thinks Danny trusts them to deal with Shiloh. Now, they just need to figure out how do that.

Shiloh waits. He remembers telling Drew that they could run a sting. Root the bastards out, and trick the sellers. They could split the money, and never see each other again. Returning to the present, he says, where the hell are you?

Ryan picks the phone back up.  Ava says he’s right about one thing; he has no soul. It’s a comfort to know, once he’s gone, he’s gone for good. He’s nothing on the outside, and it matches what’s on the inside. He says, that’s more like it. There’s his Ava. She says whoever stole his kidney shouldn’t have stopped. He should be dead. The knife she plunged in his back should have killed him. He says that’s what he missed so much. Her veracity and passion. It was one of the first things he fell in love with. She says, then let her go. He says, whoever said if you love something, set it free was just making excuses. Why would you want it to go anywhere? That’s not how it works. She says, please, and begs him to let her go, so Kiki can rest in peace.

Lulu asks if Peter is trying reverse psychology on her; pissing her off about Dante so she defends him. Peter says he’s being honest because he cares. Lulu says he thinks he understands, but has no idea. They had issues like everyone else, but the bad was so small and insignificant, it was nothing compared to the good. How good it felt to love each other. That’s why Dante is staying away; he loves them. Peter wonders why he can’t find another way that doesn’t rip the family apart. Lulu says Peter reminds her of herself, passing out advice like she has a clue regarding what she’s talking about. It’s easy to Monday morning quarterback other people. If he had loved anyone before Maxie, maybe he’d understand. He says maybe he is love challenged, and is unfamiliar with the ins and outs, but if it hurts this much, maybe Lulu is better off without Dante. He walks out.

Nina says Obrecht’s room is being prepared. She tells Valentin that Obrecht insisted on the room farthest away from them. Obrecht says why should her snoring bother anyone. Valentin says her generosity in thinking of others is uncharacteristic. Sasha says she has to meet Michael. They’re going away, but she’ll send Nina her contact info. Nina looks at her phone, and says she’s been waiting for this. Obrecht asks if another body has been found, but Nina says it’s the new numbers from Crimson. They’ve exceeded expectations, and are annihilating the competition. She wants to get out the best champagne, and hopes Jax and Hayden choke on it at dinner. Obrecht says, Hayden is coming there tonight? Nina knows Hayden and Obrecht hate each other, and Obrecht accused Hayden of trying to kill her, but this is a super important business dinner. Obrecht says she’d rather eat in the barn, and Nina tells her, just don’t set it on fire this time. Everything is coming together. Crimson is on top, her beautiful daughter has decided to stay in town, and has found love. Sasha says they haven’t said the L-word yet, but Nina says it will happen. And her aunt didn’t drown. Obrecht says Nina needs to raise the bar. Nina says she’s marrying Valentin in September, and it’s going to be the happiest day. There’s nothing to worry about, and nothing to stress them. They can just focus on their happiness. She kisses Valentin, and Sasha says she needs to go. Nina leaves to see about dinner, and Obrecht says, so the wedding is going on as planned? and Valentin says, which begs the question, why would he jeopardize Nina’s happiness by harming Obrecht?

Kim understands why Drew doesn’t want the procedure done – he doesn’t want to risk his relationship with Oscar or Scout – but the medals are a great gateway to his past. Drew says, not just his. Shiloh’s redemption story hinges on Drew saving him. Now there’s another witness to prove he’s a liar.

Stella tells Jordan that she has to get to work. Jordan looks at her, and she says, what now? Jordan says her friend from forensics found something. Stella says she told Jordan to drop it, and she means it. Jordan says Stella might reconsider. Her friend used the same lab that the PCPD uses, and the information suggests Stella’s relation lives in the greater Port Charles area.

Ryan tells Ava that if she really believes the truth will set Kiki free, here it is. He doesn’t regret doing anything, if it meant being by Ava’s side and in her bed. Deep down, he thinks she feels the same way, but she says, not true. He says she consented to everything they did, and she says she consented to Doc. Ryan says she wouldn’t look twice at Doc. She consented to being with him. He suggests she look up the word deception. She tells him to consider taking that back if. He laughs, and tells her, ask herself why he would want her be less haunted by her love for him, than he is for her? She says she hates him, and he says, that’s two sides of… she knows the rest. If the psychic is right, they’re bound together for eternity, and he takes small comfort in that.

Obrecht tells Valentin, stop the petty torment and mind games. She knows he’s the one who tried to kill her. He says, cut the crap. If he wanted her dead, she’d be dead. He has a vested interest in Nina’s happiness. If she’s looking for who pushed her, look at someone else. It’s not him. Not this time.

Jason tells Sam that DOD is practically shut down. Shiloh’s followers are leaving, and his offshore assets are frozen. Sam says the Pledges were destroyed, and Shiloh has been stopped from going near Wiley. Jason thinks Shiloh still has another trick up his sleeve. They’ve just got to figure out what it is.

Curtis goes into Drew’s office, and finds the credenza open and ransacked. He makes a call saying he needs some guys there now.

Someone meets Shiloh, but we don’t see who they are. He asks if they got it. He’s handed the flashdrive, and he says, nice work.

Tomorrow, Alexis wonders how her sex life became a hot topic, Valentin says Cassandra has resurfaced, and Drew tells Shiloh that he’s going to find out what happened in Afghanistan.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills – The Reunion – Part Three

Almost done with The Real Housewives of Self-Righteous Hypocrisy.

Backtracking a little, Camille says Denise told her to tell her daughter that she’s an effing liar in regard to Teddi’s snub. Denise says Camille needs to take a second. Because this is not good. Andy asks what was going through Denise’s mind at lunch, when Camille trash talked everyone. Denise starts saying she was uncomfortable, and Camille gets up. She says, it’s a set-up, and leaves, taking off her dress as she goes. Denise asks if she’s on something. She’s so angry. Backstage, Camille calls them nasty bitches, and Denise says, she’s effing nuts. Denise never said that.

Andy goes backstage, and Camille says, that’s it. She’s done. Andy asks, what set-up? and she says Denise did say she cursed at her kids. We view some unseen footage that backs up what Camille is saying. On stage, Denise says she never told Camille to tell her daughter that she’s a liar. Erika says she’s speechless, and she’s rarely speechless. LisaR says Camille didn’t want them at her wedding. We go back to last week, where Camille said it was just for production. Camille tells Andy that they were nasty about her wedding, but Andy says, they thought it was great. Camille points out that Teddi claimed the best part of her wedding was leaving. We see a clip from the Watch What Happens Live aftershow where Teddi says just that.

Kyle says, Camille was so mean, and LisaR says, no one ever said they didn’t want her somewhere. I find that hard to believe. Camille tells Andy that they want her to jump on the LVP hate train. She understands how they feel, but she still misses LVP. Can’t she say something nice about LVP without them jumping on her? She feels ganged up on because she didn’t gang up on LVP. Kyle says Camille isn’t being genuine, and Andy tells Camille that he thinks they feel she says one thing to them, and another behind their backs. Camille says, they all talk about each other. Andy thinks if she was consistent, there would be no issue. Camille doesn’t know what issue Denise has with her, and Andy says Camille just said she didn’t like Denise. LisaR says Camille is much angrier than she realized. Andy asks Camille to come back for more torture.

Andy goes back, and tells the women that Camille feels they want her to talk sh*t about LVP. He told her they wanted her to be consistent, but she’s upset because they trashed her wedding on the aftershow. Kyle says, it’s Camille on season one times ten. Camille returns, and Kyle says, it’s so awkward, but LisaR says they’re glad Camille came back. Andy asks why Camille is crying, because either he’s a total idiot or wants to make her cry harder. She says it’s been hard for her to talk to them. She was very hurt after the wedding. LisaR asks if she’s okay, and if there’s something more going on. Camille says she was really hurt, and LisaR says, it was a great wedding. Camille reminds Teddi that she said the best part was the departure. It broke her heart. She thought they had fun. Teddi says they did enjoy it, and they being shady. They’d heard terrible things that Camille said. She didn’t know Camille was mad during the camping trip. She never said anything. Camille says she was just mad in that moment, but Teddi says she didn’t just talk about it once. Camille says she’s had a lot going on. She doesn’t even remember everything that happened specifically.

On top of the large volume of flashbacks, they also keep overlapping when we come back from a commercial break. Did they seriously not have enough material without LVP? Kyle tells Camille that she said she didn’t want to invite them to her wedding. She’s feeling hurt, and it’s confusing. Camille says she’s confused too. Kyle says she knows Camille is a good person; just be honest. She knows it’s hard sometimes. It was hard for her go to LVP and be honest. Andy says Camille made serious claims about Dorit’s financial status, but said she was protecting her. Camille says she didn’t want to say anything, and Dorit says, but she did. We flash back to that, and Erika says, it was a thinly veiled threat; I know something about you. Camille says, it was irresponsible, hurtful, and mean. She realized after she said it, and felt horrible. Dorit says she’ll always have shadow of doubt, and can’t trust what Camille says is real. Andy tells Camille that she said she doesn’t care for Denise. Was there something specific? Camille says she didn’t like what Denise said about her daughter lying. Denise insists she told Camille to reassure her daughter, and tell her Teddi was just in a hurry. She doesn’t think she would say anything like that, but if she did, she’s sorry.

Andy brings up the controversial conversation about Brett Kavanaugh, and how it took a personal turn. We flash back to that, and he asks if Camille feels misunderstood about what she said. Camille says she feels people need be heard and believed. LisaR says she thinks having the conversation was a good thing. She thinks it’s important that victims be believed; her mom is one. She’s a survivor, and so is Camille. Erika is a survivor. Erika says Camille is a survivor of a lot of things. Andy asks what it was like for Camille, walking through the embers of her house. She says they were lucky to salvage some stuff, like baby pictures. She starts to cry as we flash back. Andy says he can’t imagine, and everyone says they’re sorry. Erika says but Camille does have the ability to rebuild. Thank God she’s safe, and she’s got the kids. Camille says she lost Scott too; her assistant and confidant is gone. Andy says it struck him when she said she lost her house, but losing a friend is more difficult.

Andy says Denise had to run out of the house at a moment’s notice. Her house was okay, but all of their belongings had smoke damage. Denise says every piece of clothing, but it’s stuff. For her it was her kids and her dogs. It was moving so fast, and they had to get out. Andy says it’s nice that the other women brought them clothes. Camille says, it was very kind. Andy stirs the pot by reminding Camille that she said Denise doesn’t understand the heartache. Her rented house didn’t burn down. Denise doesn’t know the reason. She thinks they’ve been empathetic. She and Camille talked several times. Who gives sh*t if she was renting? They’ve been figuring out where to live, and she wondered where this was coming from; what did she do to Camille that Camille thinks she’s not empathetic? Camille doesn’t know; she has no answer. She’s sorry. Denise says, this is where we think before we speak, making me want to smack her, even if I agree. She says Camille said some extremely hurtful things that had no truth to them. She’s talking out of her ass. Denise says she’s been nothing but nice, kind, and supportive. Camille says she’s had a difficult year. She doesn’t have a home; her family has been displaced; and her mom is very sick. She’s overwhelmed. LisaR comes over, and sits next to Camille, putting an arm around her. Camille says she was nervous to come. Denise wonders if she needs to take a minute, but Camille says she’ll be okay. LisaR says she’s been through a lot. Andy asks if she regrets being so open in her opinions. Camille says she’s been wrong, and she’s sorry if she’s been cruel. Andy suggests they take a break, and air the room out.

Andy says the jet setting housewives took their wanderlust to the next level. We flash back to their Bahamas trip, France, and camping. A viewer says Kyle having a Rolex postmated to the dinner table was the diva behavior to which she aspires. Andy asks if she needs Mauricio’s permission to make a purchase. Kyle says, first of all, she had the watch delivered that was because the shop was going to be closed, and for a big purchase, she checks with Mauricio, and he does the same. Erika says she doesn’t buy her own jewelry because Tom likes to do it. Dorit says, anything over $10K. Oh yeah. For me too. Andy asks how much Camille’s wedding cost, and she says, $120K. Her first wedding was closer to a million, but a lot was spent on security. A viewer can’t believe the spent $700 on groceries for one night when they went camping. Andy asks what happened to the leftovers, and Teddi says they donated them to the other campers. Everyone talks about how often they personally grocery shop, which is more than you’d think, but I would too. He asks what LisaR had packed in her bag, and she says, everything. We flash back to Erika asking, what’s in the bag? A dead body? Vanderpump? Erika says LisaR is their resident pharmacy – in a good way. Andy says people were surprised they were without a glam squad in Provence. Erika says they were fine; they’re capable. He asks when Kyle was more hammered, clubbing or the wine tasting, and she says, Provence. We flash back to her helping Teddi up the stairs. Erika doesn’t know how they were still walking upright. Kyle says they also had extreme jet lag. In nine years, it was the most she’d consumed, and the worst it’s gotten. Andy tells her, that’s saying something.

And in the moment we all knew was coming, we flash back to Puppygate and the Radar Online article. Dorit says it was no longer about the dog, but about her friendship with LVP. We see Kyle’s involvement, and her wondering how she was going to say LVP had nothing to do with it, when she’d been accused of it before. We go way back to the reunion where Adrienne said LVP had leaked a story. We see the beginning of LVP’s argument with Kyle, and LVP asking Camille if she’ll have to take a lie detector test. Andy says a practicing attorney told them the test was 70% accurate, and not admissible in court. Erika says, Tom weighed in, and said they were unreliable, but can be good if the right person [administers] them. Dorit is also suddenly a font of information about the tests. Denise wonders how LVP found it. Andy says he’s skeptical about how Kyle found out, and asks if she’s sure production didn’t tell her about it. Kyle says the family of one of her daughter’s friends was burglarized, and they had the construction workers take one. Andy asks why she’d dispute it’s validity, and Kyle says they’ve used it with workers, and someone failed who she knew didn’t do it. I’m wondering how she knows that for sure, but okay. I’m also guessing the test would be more likely to err in this direction if the person was super nervous. Kyle says the friend said the lady with the dog was there. LVP did a practice run, then had production film it. Andy asks why they think LVP had a trial run, and Kyle says, to see if she passed. Erika says, so when the cameras showed up, she gave a great performance. Andy tells them the boss at Radar said LVP wasn’t the source, and has never been an anonymous source. Kyle says someone in that position wouldn’t normally make statements unless they’re a friend. She doesn’t think Radar is losing sleep over whether LVP leaked a story or not. Camille asks if Denise thinks it could be someone from the center. Denise says, maybe. LisaR says LVP isn’t stupid enough to make the call herself. She’d have someone else do it. She says LVP talks through the press. That’s how she announced she was leaving the show.  Andy talks about LVP’s digs at them via social media. Kyle says they’ve been accused of bullying LVP, but haven’t stooped that low. We see a clip of LVP joking about Erika tucking, and the mini backlash that followed it. It’s pointed out by a viewer that Erika talks about her d*ck on the show, so what’s the difference? Erika says LVP was taking a swipe at her and being funny, but hurt a viable community. I love how it’s always someone who isn’t a member of a viable community, uses that for their own agenda. Andy says, considering LVP’s brother had committed suicide, viewers felt it was a pile-on when LVP wasn’t in the best state of mind. We flash back to one of the few times we’ve seen LVP cry. Kyle says they all have empathy, and Dorit says they spoke a lot, almost every day. LisaR doesn’t think they were mean girls or they bullied LVP. Kyle says LVP’s Behavior wasn’t a new thing. Andy tells them LVP said she wasn’t watching the show. Teddi says, when you’re surrounded by people who tell you what you want to hear, you lose the ability for self-reflection.

Andy says LVP and Kyle’s rollercoaster of a relationship came to the end of its run. We flash back to their friendship, and LVP saying they’re partners in crime, and end with that miserable fight, which I’d love to never see again. Kyle cries, and says, it’s sad. It’s sad LVP isn’t there. She paid the ultimate price by being honest. She has thought about how it might have played out if she hadn’t told LVP. Dorit says, it’s a sad end. Andy asks what the prediction is for the future. Kyle says she had thought LVP would show up. Camille cries too. Andy says he hates to see it. Since he’s so choked up, without even missing a beat, he says, Ken’s infamous farewell went viral with the #GoodbyeKyle challenge. We see clips of various people saying, goodbye, Kyle, Harry Hamlin and Kris Jenner among them. Andy asks what the intention was, and Kyle says she was being trolled on Twitter, and people were using the hashtag. Instead of taking it, she decided to make a joke out of it. She says it’s another example of LVP making her look bad. Her sister Kathy was at their house, and even though LVP acted wounded, they were laughing about it. She thinks LVP thought it was funny. She says LVP has amazing qualities, and you take the good with the bad with friends. Andy says he’ll leave it there. He thanks Camille, who says it was heart wrenching. She had a lot of emotions going on, and she’s sorry if she hurt anyone. She adds that she adores Kyle, and they hug. LisaR gives Camille kudos for showing up.

Andy says in the final moments, he wonders what the most surprising revelation was for the newest Housewife. Denise says the friendships between the women. Also the friendships she formed. She knows they’d be there for her, and vice versa. In LA, that’s something wonderful to have. Andy says that in an interview, Erika says she allowed herself form a sisterhood, something she hadn’t had before.  Does she think she’s changed? Erika thinks they’ve all changed. Dorit says her friendships were challenged, and Andy asks if she feels secure. She says she does in this group, throwing one last dig at LVP.  Andy asks if Teddi still feels pressured to be the moral compass for her friends. Teddi says she’s learned a lot, about her friends and herself. It was a good wake-up call. Andy reminds LisaR that last season, she was the nicest effing version of LisaR. What about this season. She asks what he says, and he tells her that he’d say she’s just an a-hole with iconic hair and lips, which I assume is referring to some earlier joke. Or Andy is being totally rude. LisaR says she thinks she was forthcoming. He says for Kyle, the season ended a long friendship with LVP. How else does she want it to be remembered? She says she’s been asked a lot how she can still be doing the show, but she has fun with the women. Even though a door closed, she doesn’t know what the future holds. They’ve all bonded, and opened up. They’ve shared more than they ever have, and she laughed so much. Andy begs to open LVP’s birthday present, and Kyle says okay, but he has to put the bow back on. It’s from Manolo Blahnik. Andy takes out a pink belt with a sparkly buckle. Teddi suggests he wants for the clubhouse, but Kyle says she’s sending it. She thought she was going to give it to LVP today.

Tequila shots appear, and Andy says they’re well-earned. They’ve been troopers. It was a wild season, but he’s glad they got closure. It was a nice way to end it. He asks who’s going to lead them in a toast, and Denise says, Queen Kyle. Kyle says, to friendships, and being honest with each other, and being there for each other, and continuing to grow in their friendships. Dorit says she’s grateful for them, and everyone clinks glasses. Andy thanks them for a great season.

🍸 My Own Wrap-Up…

I’m sad that I’m glad this is over. I remember thinking during the first episode of the entire franchise, The Real Housewives of Orange County, that this was the future of television. There had been reality TV before. While most of us don’t remember the Loud family – stars of An American Family on PBS in the early 70s – although their show has been rerun from time to time. I spent one New Year’s Day hungover and fascinated with it. Probably the most popular up until now is The Real World, which was actually a good show before it became the hot-tub-drunk-sex show. People had lives and jobs and meaningful interactions, both with their housemates and people on the outside. But for some reason, when the Housewives began, the world was ready for a change in programming, and here we are.

I’ve never missed an episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. While I’ve let some Wives fall by the wayside – looking at you, Atlanta and Potomac – and there were others I struggled to find – The Real Housewives of Sydney, anyone? – I’ve stuck with these women through thick and thin. There has been no season, however, that made me want to stop watching until now.

I’ve joked that if LVP would adopt an older child, I’d be on her doorstep in a heartbeat, and said she can do no wrong, but I’m not daft. She doesn’t walk on water, and we all have faults. But the relentless raking her over the coals was insane. They even talked about her throughout most of the reunion, which I might add, must have been lacking in material since a good 40% of it was flashbacks. With another 40% given to talking about LVP, it didn’t leave much. Maybe because there isn’t much to leave.

In a year where her brother committed suicide, her mother died (albeit after filming), several of her dogs went to the Bridge, Giggy was diagnosed with a heart condition, she opened three restaurants, and nearly single-handedly brought attention to the dog meat trade, these women decided to make LVP a target because she may or may not have pointed out the obvious. Dorit did an effing stupid and thoughtless thing, disregarding a dog adoption contract because she wanted to circumvent the rules. Maybe she didn’t want to face LVP, maybe it was just inconvenient, but in giving the dog to what she thought was a new, loving home, it ended up in a shelter. Dorit was wrong. Period. Camille was the only one to point this out, but since she was Enemy Number Two, no one listened.

I don’t believe LVP leaked the story, but that’s not to say it didn’t come from her staff at Vanderpump Dogs, or that she didn’t turn a blind eye. The really stupid thing is, anyone who cares would have ended up knowing anyway, because, the show. So in the long run, the whole thing was immaterial. Dorit wailed over the backlash, to which I say, don’t do something stupid in the first place, and after that, nothing LVP could have done would have been enough to convince them she wasn’t lying. Even a lie detector test was found fault with. Yes, I’m completely aware they’re inadmissible in court, but passing one while still being guilty is pretty difficult. Ain’t nobody got time for that, least of all LVP. When Kyle flat-out said she didn’t believe LVP, the friendship was done, and LVP was done with the show.

The whole thing was depressing, and I don’t think any of them came out looking good. Regardless of how much of a hand LVP did or did not have to do with the Radar story, she didn’t deserve the persistent sniping and continual jabs throughout the season, especially after the year she had. Even Brandi was dragged in for her nasty two cents. It was a huge disappointment to me that she’s good friends with Denise Richards, who I’ve liked up until now. I still like her, but I think she came in knowing nothing, and probably still doesn’t. I, too, believe even a hooker deserves Thanksgiving dinner, but I’m not going out for drinks with her, and listen to her opinions about LVP. (That was a joke. I’m sure the hooker was much more of a lady than Brandi.) I think Denise likes to take in strays, and I’m not just referring to dogs and cats. The worst part was how no one could understand why LVP no longer wanted to be friends with Kyle, when Kyle said she believed LVP was lying. They didn’t seem to get that, from that time forward, LVP would be wondering if Kyle believed anything she said. So what would be the point of a friendship? LisaR also got the nasty consolation prize, for giving Kim the finger and calling her a c-word while dressed as Erika Jayne, and using that as an excuse. And I don’t even particularly like Kim.

I also found it creepy how the group passed LVP’s symbolic crown to Kyle, making her queen of the group. She pretended to be all humble, but I’m pretty sure, deep down, she was pleased. While I’m curious who will have the bullseye on their back next season, I’ll have to read about it in someone else’s recap. If I even do that.

🎼 No. Just No…

LuAnn as Mama Morton? Here’s the scoop on the Countess being in Chicago on Broadway. As I thought, not quite. And I’ll bet she needs more rehearsals and coaching. She’d possibly need someone singing in her ear.

https://pagesix.com/2019/07/29/inside-luann-de-lesseps-chicago-mix-up/

🐶 Working Double Dog Duty…

While my partner in pup care works overtime. So the answer to this question is, me.

July 25, 2019 – A Dinner Date Is Set, NYC Concludes Reuniting, Farewell Sweet Wolf, Broadway Maybe, Ramona Cougar, Who?, Reunion Reflection & Someday

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Sonny is sitting outside Kelly’s, and sees Robert. Sonny says, it’s been a while, and suggests they chat. Robert tells him, stop right there. If he wants to chat about Dev, forget it. It’s a touchy subject, especially now that he’s DA.

On the phone, Carly tells someone to move the party. She has no idea how long Jax is going to be in town. Call her back in August. She tells Jason that she doesn’t know whether she’s annoyed or happy that Jax is still at the hotel. He’s in her best suite, and paying full price, but she has to keep moving bookings. Jason asks if she wants Jax to move, and she says not necessarily. He’s still talking about buying Connie’s house. Josslyn would love it. Jason says, Sonny would hate it. Carly says, maybe it’s better if he stays at the hotel. Jason wants to talk to her about her newest employee.

Cameron sees Dev, who tells him that Josslyn went for a run with Trina. Dev is tossing and catching some keys, and tells Cameron that they’re Sonny’s speedboat keys. He took it out this morning. It was sweet, especially when he didn’t run out of gas. The girls join them, and Cameron asks how the run was. Trina says, longer than expected, and Josslyn says she needed extra endorphins after last night. One of her last memories of Oscar disappeared.

Finn tells Chase that he doesn’t want to talk about it, but Chase says he has to bring it up. Imagine his surprise when the woman he was questioning said she was almost his sister-in-law. He didn’t even know Finn had been engaged.  He’s never once mentioned it in the two years Chase has been there. Finn says, the past is the past, and Chase says he thought they were trying to have a real relationship as brothers. He knows nothing about Finn’s life, while Finn knows everything about his.

Willow runs into Michael at the MetroCourt, and explains she needs a job until she can track down a teaching position. Michael is sorry the school reversed its decision, but she says parents don’t want someone teaching their kids who’s spent time in jail. Michael says she was just protecting her child. His mother co-owns the hotel, and he’s sure she’d be happy to find Willow something. She says maybe she’ll take him up on it in a few months if she’s still unemployed. He says his family owes her. She tells him she was glad she could help his sister, but she’s hoping to get her next job on her own merits. He says, that’s admirable, and she says, or stubborn. He asks how she’s holding up, and she says, it’s Wiley’s birthday today. Why not be happy?

At Crimson, Jax says he has to hand it to Nina. The ad rates have been good since they promoted the Ava issue. Nina says wait until he sees the subscription revenue and page views. He’s sure he’ll be thrilled. She asks if he’ll be thrilled enough to concede she’s right about the budget. He says he concedes that she’s right on a lot of things. She asks Curtis if he heard that, and Curtis tells her not to rope him in. She asks Jax what she’s right about. He says her dangerous woman concept. What woman should be up next? She says, Helena, and he says, never. She says, Alex, and he says, a possibility, but who was the other one? She says, Cassandra Pierce, and asks what he knows about her. Curtis listens.

Jax asks if they didn’t have this conversation before. Nina says Ava interrupted them before he told her his connection. He says they’ve never met. He knows nothing about her, He wondered if she had personal dealings with Cassandra, and that’s why she came to mind. Curtis says he thinks Nina should change her passwords, but Nina thinks it can wait. She tells Jax that she met Cassandra a few times, but Cassandra has a more complicated past with her fiancé. But he already knew that, didn’t he?

Finn says Chase is right, and he should make more effort. What would Chase like to know? Chase asks how long Finn was together with Hayden, and Finn says, not long. Eleven months, two weeks, and four days, if you’re counting. It was intense. She was the first person to recognize he was an addict. Chase says, another thing Finn doesn’t talk about. Finn says he does, but prefers telling strangers at a meeting with bad coffee. Chase says, fair enough. Finn says Hayden was there when he pushed everyone else away. She helped him through his addiction. He found out that he wasn’t dead inside. He could feel something again after Reiko died. He loved her, but there were problems in the relationship. He flashes back to Hayden saying maybe they’re jumping the gun, and him saying he wants to be a family with her. He tells Chase that she was pregnant.

Sonny says he doesn’t know what Robert is talking about. Dev’s been a close member of the family for a long time. Robert asks what he wants to talk about, and Sonny says, Dante. Dante shot Peter. Robert says he hated how that went down. Peter should never have been in the facility. Sonny says, neither should Dante. Robert promised to bring him home, but he’s not even going to treatment willingly. Robert says, the Bureau handled it badly. If he hadn’t been put out to pasture, he could have done something, but Dante acted on his own. He knew the risks, and took them.

Willow tells Michael, Wiley has two loving parents. It’s everything she wanted. Michael says that doesn’t mean she can’t miss him. She says she does, and always will, but she knows he’s safe and loved. That’s more important. Michael admires how she’s dealing with it. She asks, what about him? Wiley and Jonah were born on the same day, and he’s facing a loss much deeper than hers.

Josslyn says the padlock is gone, and Cameron asks, what padlock? She says the padlock from Oscar’s locker at school. She knows it’s stupid, but they signed their initials on it in nail polish, and attached it to the footbridge. Cameron flashes back to community service guy telling him to remove them. Josslyn says it was on Oscar’s last good day; the last time he was on his feet. It was the last day he was able to leave his own home. She’d promised it would be there forever, and everyone who walked by would know they loved each other. For a while, it worked. There were more locks; more couples who wanted to leave something permanent. When she went there last night, they were all gone. She doesn’t get it. Why would someone cut them all off?

Jason asks Carly how Dev is working out at the restaurant. She says, everything seems fine. He hasn’t worked many hours. She doesn’t need a dishwasher, but he knows what they say about idle hands. Jason says, especially Dev’s. She asks if Jason thinks Dev staying there is a bad idea. He says, Dev is a decent kid; a little wild, but that’s not surprising. He’s sure she and Sonny are keeping a close eye on him. Carly says they are, but things are going to get crazy soon. A baby is a huge adjustment. It’s a lot. Jason asks if there’s something she’s not telling him about the baby, and she says, there is.

Robert tells Sonny that he’ll have a contact keep an eye on Dante. Sonny says he appreciates that, but has another concern; his daughter Kristina. How long is she supposed to tolerate Shiloh walking around like he’s king of the world. Robert says he argued, but the judge chose to let Shiloh walk on bail. However, he is allowed to do his job. Shiloh’s freedom is only temporary. By the way, he and Sonny have to establish clear boundaries on what they can and cannot discuss. Robert is a member of law enforcement, and Sonny is… Sonny says, an importer. Robert goes into Kelly’s.

Willow asks if Michael wants to talk about it; fair is fair. Michael says the truth is, he’d give anything for Jonah to be there celebrating his first birthday. But if he dwells on it, he’ll miss out on what’s right in front of him. It’s Wiley’s birthday, and Wiley is his godson. He’s going to focus on that; the life that surrounds him. Willow says, it’s a beautiful idea, but doesn’t make it easier. He says, no, it doesn’t.

Chase says, Hayden was pregnant? He’s an uncle? Finn says, no. The baby didn’t make it. Chase is so sorry, and Finn says that’s all the sharing he can do for one day. Robert asks Finn for a word, and Finn says, saved by the bell. Chase says, this time, but he wants to continue the conversation. There might be hugging. Finn says, no threats. Chase leaves, and Robert says, he spoke with Anna, and she understands Valentin has lots of questions about their friend Cassandra.

Jax isn’t clear what Nina is implying. She says he wouldn’t be asking if he wasn’t already aware of Cassandra’s complicated history with Valentin. She asks if he’s making sure she can be objective if they run her profile. He says she caught him. He doesn’t want any conflicts like with Ava. She says the interview with Ava should have taught him that he can trust her instincts. He asks her to let him make it up to her, and take her and Valentin out to dinner.

Jason says he noticed Sonny and Carly have been quiet when the baby is talked about, and Carly says, it hasn’t been easy to process, let alone saying it out loud. Talking to him makes her feel better. The last ultrasound showed the baby has spina bifida. In simple terms, the nerves in the spinal cord are exposed. Jason asks if they know how serious it is, and she says they’ll find out today. He asks how she is, and she says, terrified, but trying not to show it. She already loves the baby with all her heart, but fear keeps whispering in the back of her mind that love isn’t enough. Jason says that’s not like her. She says she’s not a victim, and he says she comes out swinging. She has nowhere to put her energy. She says it would make it easier if she could scream or yell at someone. He tells her, scream at him. She says there is something he can do for her, and he says, anything. Name it. She says, Dev is going to need someone to keep an eye on him so he stays out of trouble. Can Jason do that for them?

Josslyn bets none of the other couples are freaking out. Trina says she doesn’t know that, and even if they don’t care, that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t. Josslyn says, it’s just a symbol, but Dev says, symbols are important. They remind you of things you can’t express in words. Cameron says he’s so sorry. He’s the one who cut the locks. Josslyn asks him, why? and he says he was doing community service. His supervisor told him to cut the locks off. Trina says it’s not hisfault. He says he would have saved it if he’d known. She asks where he put them, and he says he threw them in the trash near the bridge. Dev says, maybe they’re still there, but Cameron says he saw the garbage truck take it. Josslyn says it’s not his fault. It’s not like he knew. No one can do anything. She runs off, and Trina follows her. Cameron asks Dev, what if there’s still a way to make things right?

Chase meets Willow at the MetroCourt. He asks Michael how his side is, and Michael says he’s been hurt worse, but never pitched to worse. He has to take off, and Chase asks if Willow is ready to go. She says she still has to put in a job application. Michael distracted her. Chase says he planned the whole day. They can bike to the new brewery, have dinner, and then they’re showing The Princess Bride in the park. She says she appreciates what he’s trying to do. He says, have a great day? and she says, he’s trying to distract her because it’s Wiley’s birthday. He asks if it’s working.

Josslyn and Trina come back, and Josslyn says, typical. Dev left the boat key. She’ll have to put it back unless Trina wants to go on the water. Trina says they have to figure out what they’re doing tonight. She says The Princess Bride is showing at Rice Plaza. Does Josslyn think Dev has seen it. Josslyn asks if they’re taking him, and Trina says, if Josslyn wants, they can stay in and binge watch Grey’s Anatomy again. Josslyn says Trina is a great friend, and Trina says Josslyn would do the same for her. Josslyn says Trina must be thinking it’s stupid to be this upset over a lock, but Trina says she gets it. It’s like Dev said, symbols say things we can’t say in words. Josslyn says she could go there and remember Oscar. Trina says she doesn’t need a lock to remember him, and Josslyn says, not now, but one of these days Oscar won’t be the first person she thinks of in the morning, and the last thing she thinks of before bed. She’ll move on, and he’ll be gone forever.

Cameron and Dev go to where the recycling is kept. Dev asks if Cameron is sure it’s in there. Cameron says, it’s where they unload the recycling. Dev says, it could be anywhere or nowhere, and Cameron asks if he’s going to help or not. Dev remembers talking to Josslyn on the bridge. She tells him that the lock was supposed to be a symbol of her and Oscar’s love lasting forever. Now, it’s gone. He’s gone. Dev says, okay. Where does Cameron want to look first?

In the examining room, Sonny tells Carly, whatever the results are, they’ll deal with it. The doctor comes in, and says she’s sure they had a lot to think about since last time. Carly says she read about in utero surgery that cold repair the open spinal cord before the baby is born. The doctor says, it’s an option, but it’s mostly used to treat more severe cases, and Carly isn’t a good candidate for it, given her history. They’ll do the ultrasound, see what they’re dealing with, and take it from there. The doctor gets everything ready, and puts the device on Carly stomach. They all look at the screen.

Robert tells Finn that Anna wants to find out why Valentin is curious about Cassandra. Finn asks if Anna shouldn’t be bringing in the WSB, but Robert says, too risky. She wants to keep it on the QT. Is Finn interested in what he dug up or not? Finn says, what? and Robert says Cassandra was spotted once in northern Italy.

Carly and Sonny wait. Sonny says he’s going out of his mind; how’s Carly? Carly says, terrified (WOTD). The doctor comes back, and Sonny asks, what’s the verdict? Carly says, how serious is the baby’s condition?

Josslyn tells Trina, hard as it is, missing Oscar every minute, she hates knowing it will change. She has to live her life, and it will eventually fill the huge hole left behind. If she if allows that to happen, she’ll betray Oscar’s memory. Trina says, Oscar would never think that. He planned his own memorial, and the first rule was, no one was supposed to cry. He wants her to remember, but not make her life smaller. She can be happy, and hold the memoires of Oscar in her heart, even if she doesn’t have the lock.

Dev tells Cameron to give him a boost, but Cameron says he’ll do it. Dev can watch for the guard. Dev says they’re not real police, but Cameron says they can call the real cops, and he’s on probation. Dev helps him into the dumpster, and Cameron says it’s disgusting. Dev says, it’s trash. What did he expect? They hear a guard say, kid! What are you doing? Cameron ducks into the dumpster, and Dev puts something on top to hide him better. He tells the guard that he’s sorry to bother him, but he has a report for summer school on waste management. The guy says he’s just a guard, but Dev says who better than someone who works there? and starts to ask questions about recycling. Cameron rips open a bag, and digs around in it.

At Sonny’s place, Michael is glad he caught Jason. He says Jason and Drew have made good progress on the treehouse. Jason says the plans Michael drew up are easy to follow. Michael thinks the new baby and Avery might want their own treehouse. When Jason is done, maybe they can team up, and build a Corinthos treehouse. Jason asks if Michael knows anything about carpentry. Michael says, not really, and Jason says, why not? Michael asks if Jason wants him to tell Sonny and Carly, but Jason says he just missed them. They’re at the hospital for their OB appointment. Michael says they’re probably listening to the baby’s heartbeat as they speak. He asks if Josslyn is there, and Jason says, she’s on the terrace with a friend. Michael says he won’t bother her. He’s happy she has a friend to talk to. His phone rings. It’s a collect call from Pentonville from Nelle.

The doctor tells Sonny and Carly that there’s less likelihood of nerve damage with the type of spina bifida their baby ha. There might be other possible complications though. Sonny asks what they do, and the doctor says they’re doing a C-section to minimize them. The baby will also have surgery within 48 hours of delivery.

M won’t accept the charges. Jason asks what it was, and Michael says, it was from Pentonville. Nelle is trying to call. It’s the anniversary of Jonah’s death, and she could be using it to manipulate him. According to Willow, she’s been asking questions. Jason asks how he knows that, and Michael says, how’s this for a small world? Harmony is Nelle’s cellmate.

Willow tells Chase that she had a good talk with Michael about Wiley and Jonah, and how dwelling too much on the past can cause you to miss out on the present. Chase says he should apply that to his brother. Finn is many things, but a talker isn’t one of them. He avoids personal conversation like the plague. He had no idea Finn was engaged to Hayden or that she was pregnant, and they lost the baby and broke up. Willow, says, that’s a lot. Even if he’s not a talker, it’s likely there’s a lot going on in his head. He must have had a lot of thoughts about being a parent. She did. Chase says she’s be a parent again, but she says, not yet. The past year was a whirlwind, and she’s just putting her life back together. One day. What about him? He says, sure, but not any time soon. He never thought about it until recently. She asks where this is coming from. He says, it’s the sort of conversation two people have when they love each other, and he loves her.

Nina says, Jax is inviting her and Valentin to dinner? He says they started off on the wrong foot. They can usher in a new era of their working relationship. Nina says she’ll do him one better. Come to their place. She’ll have the staff prepare a five course meal. She tells him to bring his girlfriend. He says Hayden is only his CFO, but on second thought, great. She suggests tonight, and he says, perfect. He wouldn’t miss it for the world. He leaves, and Curtis asks what the hell is she thinking?

Carly says, the baby is going to need surgery hours after the birth? The doctor knows how it sounds, but they won’t know how severe the process needs to be until they know how severe the nerve damage is. Carly says, so they’re still playing the waiting game.

Josslyn tells Trina that she can’t shake the feeling that she and Oscar’s love would have lived on at the footbridge. Dev and Cameron come back. Dev says, told him, and Cameron says, it was his idea to track it down, and dig through the trash. Dev says he had a chat with the guard, and learned more about waste management than he ever wanted to know. Cameron tells Josslyn, it got busted up, and the paint is chipped. He gives her the lock, and she throws her arms around him.

Willow says, Chase loves her? He says she doesn’t have to say it back, but she says she loves him too. They kiss, and Willow says she should fill out the application. She starts to walk away, but he pulls her back, and they kiss again

Finn asks if Robert knows anything else. He says a letter was delivered by a guy they think was on the same mercenary team that forced Finn to work on Cassandra, but he wasn’t close enough to the surveillance cameras for a positive ID. In any case, Finn is out. Finn asks if Anna is telling him, or Robert. Robert says, Cassandra is a dangerous woman. She’s already got a grudge against him. Robert tells him, stay out of it, and leaves;

Curtis tells Nina, they both know Jax has a file on Valentin. Why invite him into her home? She says she’s letting him think he’s winning her over. He’s going to let his guard down, and she’ll wine and dine him until she finds out why he’s so interested in Valentin.

On the phone, Jax says Nina did them one better. They’ve been invited to Windymere. It’s the perfect opportunity to search.

Jason asks if Michael wants to get breakfast, but Michael wants to wait for his parents to get back. Jason leaves, and Michael’s phone rings again. It’s another collect call from Pentonville. The recording asks if he accepts.

Harmony prays Brad and Lucas take the baby and run, Valentin has instructions to escort Obrecht home, and Nina gets bad news.

The Real Housewives of New York City – The Reunion – Part Three

Ramona says she thinks LuAnn is still drinking on the side. You don’t leave rehab after two weeks. LuAnn says, it was three weeks. Ramona says LuAnn has a problem, and LuAnn says Ramona is her problem. Andy asks LuAnn, in leaving early, if she can see how the others would think she’s not serious about her sobriety. She says she totally understands why she was misconstrued. Bethenny says maybe she wasn’t ready to leave, but LuAnn says, that was in May, and it’s July. It was a long time ago. Andy asks how many months of probation LuAnn has left, and LuAnn says, three. She tells Ramona, today, she’s not drinking, and she’s taking it one day at a time. Andy congratulates her on far she’s gotten. We see text that says six days after this was filmed, she went to court for her probation violation, and was given more conditions.

We travel back to the Berkshires next. The naked chef, going to the Morgan house, Sonja drunk at dinner, cabaret in Rhinebeck. We then see clips of Miami, Sonja drunk at dinner again, and the paramedics coming. We see a clip of Sonja’s interview, where she says, the trips can get tense, but in the end, they work it out. LuAnn says Tinsley has a nice butt, referring to one of the clips. Andy says she’d been so shy, then somehow something happened in Miami. He asks if she feels more comfortable now, or was she just drunk. Tinsley says, both. She was having fun. Andy says viewers were surprised Dorinda has a sister. Dorinda says Melinda is a character. Their lives are totally different, but they have the same mannerisms.

Phyllis from Detroit wonders if there was a certain moment that consumed Sonja at the Morgan house. Sonja says if she didn’t have a daughter, and hadn’t served on the Morgan charity board, she doesn’t think she would have been so affected. Dorinda had told her to get out from the burden of the house. Andy asks if Dorinda thought it took a wrong turn. Dorinda says her own house was built by Stanley (of Morgan-Stanley), and they were friends. So she wanted to be friends with Sonja again. it was a fig leaf. I think she means olive branch. Sonja says she thought it was nice, but realized when she got in the thick of it, why she moved out of the townhouse. It gives her agita.

Andy says some people found Sonja’s interaction with Tej amusing, but some thought it was inappropriate. Sonja says, it was too far, and days she was too much for him to handle. Andy sighs, and says, not him; it was her. She agrees, but says it wasn’t her intention. Andy says concerns about Sonja’s drinking have been raised over the years, and there were two instances that were scary. In the Berkshires, when she was freaking out about the letters, and in Miami, when she fell off of her chair. Sonja says the welcome drinks were hard liquor, and she downed five with no food. Bethenny says when the medics came, she discreetly went through Sonja’s purse off-camera, since LuAnn made no small accusation. She found a thousand hormones, and was googling things, making sure Sonja wasn’t mixing the wrong thing. LuAnn says she didn’t claim Sonja was dropping acid. Bethenny says she let Sonja know the next day, but she’d done it privately, and for Sonja’s safety. Sonja is totally cool with it.

We revisit Ramona going to her hometown, and how her dad left her nothing when he died. Ramona says it brought up memories she’d thought were buried. We flash back her and Bethenny, trading childhood horror stories in the bar. Ramona says she had to face it, but she was afraid to go by herself. It was very cleansing. Andy says Dorinda seemed taken aback, and she says it was news to her. She guesses she never absorbed the intensity. She felt sad for them both. LuAnn interrupts by asking Andy what time it is, since she has to do her breathalyzer thing several times a day. Andy thanks the women for sharing, and says, it was intense.

Andy welcomes Barbara. He says she came from the construction site, hoping to build friendships, and we see clips of her throughout the season. Getting put in the fish room, being a mediator, Ramona being a jerk, LuAnn saying the other women have brainwashed her. It ends with a clip of Barbara telling someone that LuAnn can’t sing. D’oh! Andy asks if she’s in the doghouse again, and LuAnn nods. LuAnn says the first thing she thought was Barbara was at it again; like she did with Carole, talking about her wedding. We flash back to Barbara telling Carole that LuAnn would rather get married and end up divorced, then cancel the wedding. I hate to say it, but that was probably true. LuAnn says, someone who can’t sing, she’s been cast in Chicago on Broadway. (Kinda sorta. Links below.) She can take that, and shove it up her ass. Barbara asks if LuAnn is directing that at her, and LuAnn says she is. Barbara says she supported LuAnn through every cycle of her life. She dropped her own life for LuAnn. She’s been to eight shows, and brought a number of people. She thinks LuAnn is a great performer, and loves the show. But LuAnn needs some self-awareness. She thinks everyone would agree, and Devil Andy says, that she can’t sing? Barbara says, she’s not Adele. Andy asks what the other ladies think about LuAnn’s singing, and – I kid you not – there is total silence for a moment, then stammering. I’m dying. LuAnn says she doesn’t pretend to be a great singer, so why is it an issue? She’s going to kill it on Broadway. Dorinda says, they get it. Congratulations. Dorinda tells her that Barbara is trying to say she was ride or die. LuAnn says she’s the same, but Barbara says not the same way she was to LuAnn. Bethenny says LuAnn is really way off. She’s tone deaf about this one. LuAnn says, it was upsetting to see. Barbara apologizes. She didn’t mean for it to come out like that. She loves the show. Dorinda says they all think she’s a great performer. Bethenny thinks Barbara is wearing too much tanner, and walks over to her with tissues. LuAnn says, there’s too much shimmer, and Dorinda says, she looks like the Tin Man. Bethenny shows what’s on the tissues, and we see a clip of Barbara leaving it all over her room in Miami.

A viewer comments, why would LuAnn take herself so seriously? That’s the appeal of the show; the spectacle of it all. She’s not Liza Minelli, who can sing. LuAnn says, there’s always going to be haters and negative people. Bethenny says she’s not a great singer, and LuAnn says it isn’t nice to hear. Barbara feels like LuAnn is ready to ruin a friendship over something like that. Bethenny asks who goes for a hall pass, and everyone does. LuAnn agrees to give Barbara one. A viewer asks why Ramona is anti-Barbara, and if it’s really for shallow reasons, like how she dresses, and being rough around the edges. Ramona is no finely polished gem. Ramona says she helped Barbara pick out outfits when they went to Miami. Andy says she clearly didn’t want Barbara to join them in going out. Ramona say she apologized the next day. She’d wanted a one-on-one with Tinsley. Barbara tells her, they kept saying she wasn’t engaged and involved, but when they were going out, Ramona didn’t want her to come. Ramona agrees it wasn’t welcoming. Andy reminds her about Ramona and Dorinda heckling her outfit by the pool. Barbara says she was the new girl, but Dorinda says Barbara acted like a bitch – after she pissed all over Dorinda’s apartment (she means figuratively, not literally). Barbara says Dorinda asked her to leave, and she felt uncomfortable. Andy asks why Dorinda lost it to such an extreme, and Dorinda says she thought her relationship with LuAnn was rock solid, and Barbara was an interloper. It’s like the kid’s game about which one doesn’t fit in the fruit basket, and there’s a basket of fruit with a big fat turnip in it. LuAnn says Barbara was trying to protect her; being her warrior, but she felt like a turnip. Andy says Barbara revealed her past relationships with women on camera, and she says, not in the big picture. It’s important that people know there are people like her on the spectrum. She went out with a woman for a year. If people want to call her bisexual, and label her, go ahead. Andy says Sonja had called her gender fluid, and explains it’s sexually fluid. Barbara says she believes in love. Andy asks what it was like, being confronted by the whole group about not fitting in, and Barbara says, it was hurtful. It was like being at camp. She doesn’t think anyone got know her. Bethenny says when Barbara called her upset, she said Barbara didn’t reveal herself. The show is about opening up, and taking chances. She gets up to hug Barbara – not too close, because of the tanner – and says that’s why Barbara makes a good friend. It’s a good thing. She doesn’t have to get dirty and banged up, but gets to be on the show. LuAnn gets up, and gives Barbara a full-on hug. Her foot is asleep, and she plops down on the couch. Dorinda asks if it isn’t better than being mad. LuAnn says she’s tanner now, and goes back to her seat. Sonja hugs Barbara next, and says she did interviews, and talked about how wonderful Barbara is. Not wanting to be left out, Ramona hugs Barbara too, telling her, what they said. Bethenny says, Tinsley is wearing a $6000 dress, and she’s not hugging anybody. (A note on what the women are wearing. They dress very high-end, like Beverly Hills, but more sophisticated. IMO, Bethenny wins this reunion in a sparkly – not sequins, metallic thread – color block dress of simple design. It’s just gorgeous.) Andy asks if Barbara was pissed about Sonja and Ramona stuffing lobsters in their purses. Bethenny says, this is Dan Rather with a lobster update. Barbara says she told them to take the food. She’d rather it not go waste. She was actually happy about it. Andy thanks her for joining them, and spreading her tan.

Andy says the women thought, as LuAnn’s cabaret show grew bigger, her head grew with it. Ha-ha-ha! That’s pretty good. The bestowed another title on her – diva. He asks if LuAnn is on her high horse, or is everyone else just jealous? We see clips of LuAnn’s fabulous cabaret life and insensitivity. The fish room debacle, and Bethenny’s tirade. Bethenny says she needs a moment. Andy tells LuAnn that she’s said multiple times she thinks the ladies are jealous. LuAnn says, what is it then? I guess because it can’t possibly be her. She asks why don’t they leave her alone about the cabaret thing. Ramona says she thought after seeing the show, LuAnn would have realization. When the most oblivious, self-absorbed person says that, you know you have a problem. Bethenny asks what LuAnn just watched. What’s the general thesis? LuAnn says, tell her, and Bethenny says LuAnn said they’re jealous. Dorinda says they do support her, and always tell her how proud they are. Andy says, are they jealous? like it’s a legitimate question. Bethenny says LuAnn can’t possibly think that. Ramona says, it’s all about me, me, me. Which is funny, coming from her, her, her. Dorinda asks LuAnn where Sonja’s daughter is going to school. LuAnn doesn’t know, and Bethenny says, Penn. LuAnn says Sonja never told her, and Ramona says they asked. LuAnn says this is the support she gets, and Andy says it’s about her being singularly focused on herself. LuAnn says when she watches the show, she thinks she looks like an a-hole, but she was trying to keep herself together. She didn’t have enough to give, and felt attacked about the cabaret. Bethenny says they just didn’t want go every day. LuAnn makes it sound like she was being abusive, after she’d helped LuAnn. Andy reminds LuAnn that she was told a room was being saved for Bethenny, she said, screw Bethenny, and made a hand gesture. We flash back to that, and LuAnn calling Bethenny the queen bee. LuAnn says it’s not about Bethenny, and Bethenny says it’s her name that LuAnn keeps referring to. She felt stabbed in the back.

LuAnn stammers, and says she didn’t mean to stab Bethenny in the back. Andy asks if LuAnn hasn’t always acted entitled. Why is it more over the top this season? Dorinda says, it was more intense, and Bethenny says it’s like she reveled in having a comeback from the arrest, thinking she was more famous than ever. She took it as a positive. Andy says she also worked hard, and LuAnn says she made lemonade out of lemons. Bethenny says they’re actually happy for her, and they have been supportive. A viewer says LuAnn’s reaction to her Halloween show showed a lack of gratitude, an essential tool in recovery. LuAnn says she’s still working on it. I give her credit. She did not say she was a work in progress. Bethenny says, most people are humble for a while. For LuAnn, it’s jail, recovery, let’s go. LuAnn says when you first get sober, there’s a moment of elation called the pink cloud. Dorinda thinks a lot of it is a defense mechanism. She’s putting up good façade. Bethenny doesn’t think LuAnn is in a position to be nasty to her. It’s the least she can expect. LuAnn says she wasn’t exactly nasty, and says think of what Bethenny has called her in the past. We flash back to Bethenny calling LuAnn a slut, liar, and snake. Andy says the bigger question is how did LuAnn get from the intervention to calling Bethenny a queen bee. LuAnn says she wouldn’t call it name calling. Bethenny says, it’s not humility. Dennis was thinking about getting money for her, and Bethenny got her rehab paid. Ramona says LuAnn should kiss Bethenny’s ass. Bethenny wiggles her ass at LuAnn, who kisses it. Andy says he’s seen a lot at reunions, but…

Andy wants to get to Miami. Bethenny completely lost her sh*t at diner. Bethenny says it wasn’t all LuAnn. She’d hit her limit. She was filming three weeks after Dennis died. She had LuAnn’s intervention, Dennis dying unexpectedly, she was trying to nurture a new relationship, and wanted to spend time with her kids. When she landed at dinner, she felt hurt, LuAnn say she felt bad. She didn’t want create a breakdown. Bethenny is sorry it happened. LuAnn was the catalyst and the vehicle, but she didn’t want do that to the group. LuAnn says she felt like no one got or respected her. Dorinda says, it was like a champagne cork popped. They were all feeling the same way, but Bethenny verbalized it. Andy says they’d all tried to express it previously, but Bethenny says, LuAnn doesn’t take small doses. She needs to be whacked. Andy tells Bethenny that she’d said she wasn’t sure if LuAnn would change. How does she feel now? Bethenny says she’s been on the couch many times, but she always believed in LuAnn. She does the best she can. Andy wonders where everyone else is coming from; do they think LuAnn will change? Dorinda says she wants to help LuAnn get to the finish line, and LuAnn says she needs the help. Ramona says she’s gone through a lot. Andy says she’d felt unsupported, and asks how she feels now. LuAnn says she feels good. Like her girlfriends are back on her side. She felt like she’d lost her team. Looking at herself, she saw she could have done better as a friend. She needed to take care of herself, and it looked like she wasn’t grateful. She’s sorry. Andy says it looks like they’ve moved forward. Bethenny and LuAnn hug.

Virgin mojitos are brought out. Dorinda says it would be delicious with vodka, then tells LuAnn, sorry. LuAnn says, don’t be sorry; she agrees. Andy say they’ve watched the women play Truth or Dare. It’s time for truth. He says tell the one thing they said or did that made them cringe the most. Sonja says, giving Raj advice. She shouldn’t have done it that way. Nearly everyone says, it’s Tej. Andy says, that was advice? She says she was making him googleable. Ramona says her comment about Dennis. Dorinda says, not going to the clambake and breaking the silence. She was too afraid. LuAnn agrees that she would have been receptive. Bethenny says she was ready at gangster lunch. LuAnn and Dorinda raise their glasses to each other. Tinsley says hers was, sobbing at the circus. The big bow, the whole thing. it was a lot. Andy says she also went on national TV with no lashes or lip gloss. We flash back to her crying about Bambi, and she says, that was her baby. Dorinda and Bethenny both say, that was beautiful, at the same time. Bethenny says when they were at the art galleries. Someone mentioned Bethenny didn’t get a present, and she said her daughter was her present. Tinsley didn’t have one. Tinsley says she didn’t take it as an insult, and Bethenny says she didn’t mean it that way, but when she watched it, she didn’t like how it sounded. LuAnn says she had no business making that hand gesture in regard to Bethenny. Bethenny didn’t deserve it, and she didn’t really mean it.

Andy thinks they’ve had good resolution, and asks LuAnn if she feels she’s in a better place with the group. She says she feels like she has her friends back, and can get through the next couple months. Bethenny says, onward and upward. Andy suggests they toast, and LuAnn says she’s got one. She says, God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change; the courage to change the things we can; and the wisdom to know the difference. Andy says they’re toasting with an AA prayer. LuAnn says, it’s a God prayer. Bethenny says, it’s irony. To cabaret. LuAnn says, life is a cabaret, and Bethenny says, it’s a wrap.

🐺 Tired and Remiss…

Yesterday, I forgot to mention the passing of Rutger Hauer. Bladerunner, Ladyhawke, The Hitcher, True Blood, and Channel Zero are just a few of the things in the body of his wonderful work. He will be missed.

https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/07/rutger-hauer-dead/?b2np=d&utm_source=heavy-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=07/24/2019

🎭 It’s Set In Stone – We’re So Excited…

When LuAnn said she was going to be in Chicago, I wondered in what capacity. They’ve had many guest stars in the main roles, but never one who couldn’t sing. Um… she hasn’t exactly signed on the dotted line

https://www.bustle.com/p/luann-de-lesseps-will-star-in-chicago-on-broadway-the-rhony-women-cannot-believe-it-18236974

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/REAL-HOUSEWIFE-Luann-de-Lesseps-is-Heading-to-CHICAGO-on-Broadway-20190719

🐆 She’s a Maneater…

I can totally understand why a man would be interested in an older woman, but not this older woman.

https://pagesix.com/2019/07/22/ramona-singer-gets-flirty-with-younger-men-in-the-hamptons-again/?utm_source=maropost&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pagesixdaily&utm_content=20190723&tpcc=pagesix_daily&mpweb=755-8125413-711673032

❓ Who?

Oh, she’s Lynne Curtin’s daughter, from The Real Housewives of Orange County. So like I said, who?

https://radaronline.com/exclusives/2019/07/rhoc-alexa-curtin-posted-bond-after-dui-arrest/?utm_source=email&em_hash=72048a93bc8188334dc1071a32fe8f3b

🗽 New York City Rehash…

No new news, but worth it for the pictures.

https://starmagazine.com/photos/rhony-season-11-reunion-part-one-most-dramatic-moments/?utm_source=email&em_hash=72048a93bc8188334dc1071a32fe8f3b

💃 Not Your LuAnn’s Chicago…

But when I will finally get to bed at a decent hour.

April 8, 2018 – Shiloh Hassles Willow Again, Raquel Is Snubbed By Association & Time

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Jason tells Sonny, it’s still always an option. Sonny says, even though he got caught again? Jason says, no. Sam is worried that Kristina will come back to the same conclusion, even if he gets rid of Shiloh. Sonny says, she’ll turn it onto herself. He doesn’t want that. Jason says, it’s his call. Sonny doesn’t agree, but Jason says, the longer they wait, the worse this gets. Sam comes in, and Sonny asks if it’s about Kristina. Does Sam want him to back off while she works her con on Shiloh? She does, but that’s not why she’s there. It turns out Shiloh has some influential followers. Sonny says, like who?

Apparently, Willow and Chase have been kissing all weekend, since they’re still at it. She tells him that she doubts Principal Shultz would be thrilled with her making out with her boyfriend there. Chase says detective boyfriend to her. She says she needs to be on her best behavior. She almost got fired. Shiloh would love that, if she crawled back to DOD. Chase says, she would never do that, right? and Willow says, not for any reason.

Alexis arrives at The Floating Rib, and sees Neil, who says he was just leaving. She says, no he isn’t; he just got there. He says he’s making clear boundaries, and she says, who needs boundaries? He tells her they’ll talk at the next session, but she asks if he doesn’t do sessions outside of the office. Why don’t they grab a booth, and he can bill her? He’s not very receptive, and she blurts out, her daughter is in a cult.

Shiloh watches the video of him and Sam. Kristina comes in, and asks what he’s watching.

Maxie tells Peter that her high school crush finally asks her out, and she had to turn him down. Peter asks, why? and she says she’s been excruciatingly obvious. She has feelings for him. For a while, she thought he felt the same way. At their table, Anna says, it’s Peter’s moment, and Finn says, for what? Anna apologizes for ignoring him, and says she and Peter had a real conversation. She thinks he might take her advice. She tells Finn that she’s all his. He nervously drinks some water. There’s something he wants to… Peter tells Maxie that she knows he has feelings for her. She asks, how? and he says he’s told her. She says he hasn’t really, and he says he didn’t think she’d want to hear all that. Maxie says that’s why she’s been spending so much time with him. Peter says he cares for her, so much more than anyone he’s ever cared about before. She asks why he didn’t say so, and he says, why didn’t she? She says he’s the first person she’s felt this way about since Nathan died. She was nervous, and last night, he said they should live their separate lives. He says he thought that’s what she wanted. She asks where that leaves them, and they kiss, practically diving into each other.

Alexis tells Neil that she understands she’s trampled professional boundaries. She should have given him a spoiler alert. She does understand professional distance, but as a mother, she’s freaking out. He says he has a few minutes, and they sit. He tells her, start from the beginning. Alexis says Kristina was born. She was challenging; a lost soul of sorts, drifting. When she found something that spoke to her, a group that did volunteering and self-help, Alexis thought it was great. Then Kristina got more deeply involved, and began to give them more money. They started encouraging her to distance herself from her family. Alexis is worried they’re going to lose her. What should she do? Neil says, nothing.

Maxie says, wow. Finn tells Anna that he was thinking… and sees that she’s mesmerized. She says, she did that. Not to brag, but it’s about time those two had some happiness. Finn agrees, and she says, what was he going to ask her?

Maxie and Peter kiss again. She says, that was nice. He says, really nice, and she says, but that doesn’t answer the question. He says, if she’s ready, he is. He thinks they’d be good together. She says, now what? and he says they could go someplace nice. Maxie says she’s running late, and Lulu comes flying in. She’s glad she caught them. She needed to see them before she leaves Port Charles.

Shiloh tells Kristina that he was reviewing a session. Seeing progress is exhilarating. She tells him, good news. She got the money she needs for the Trust. Although she’ll probably be tending bar for the rest of her life. He says, fantastic, and she asks when she gets to meet the others. He says, tonight.

Sonny says Margaux is a member of the DOD cult? Sam doubts she’d call it that, but she’s definitely a follower. Jason says it must have something to do with why she dropped the charges. Shiloh forgave him, and she agreed to drop it. Sam says, Margaux is taking his lead, which explains a lot. Like why her attitude changed. She hated Sam, but now she’s nicer. Sonny says, Margaux has gone through a lot in the last six months. She’s recovering from the ugly truth that her parents weren’t exactly the people she thought they were. Sam says she hasn’t found any concrete evidence yet, but the more time Kristina spends at DOD, the worse it looks. She just wanted to update them. Jason tells her, be careful. She leaves, and Jason tells Sonny that they’re better off eliminating Shiloh now, than dealing with the fallout later.

Lulu tells Maxie and Peter that she’s leaving with Rocco tomorrow. Maxie asks if she’s seeing Dante. She’s heard he was in a secret location, and can’t talk, but Anna is there. Lulu says she doesn’t want to put Anna on the spot, since Anna can’t tell her. And it’s not about Dante. Maybe, in a way. Last year exhausted her; there was so much change. She told herself that she was keeping up, but hasn’t been. She’s been treading water. With the Ryan stuff, Dante gone, then back, then gone again; she needs to reset, and she can’t do that there. Maxie asks how long she’ll be gone, and Lulu says, a week, maybe a month. She’s not putting a timetable on it. She’ll come back when she’s ready. Maxie hates it. She’ll miss Lulu like crazy, but she understands. They hug, and Lulu tells Peter, sorry she’s giving no notice. She’s hoping for a leave of absence. He says he might have to deny her request.

Finn tells Anna that he doesn’t say he loves her enough. She says she loves him too. He’s been thinking about the future. All he sees is her and… Anna says, Robert. Robert sits with them, and says he’s come up with some stuff on Anna’s system.

Alexis says she hopes Neil doesn’t expect her to pay him for that advice. How is doing nothing helpful? He asks how old Kristina is, and Alexis says, twenty-five going on fifteen. He asks if she’s being abused, and Alexis says she isn’t. He says, Kristina is an adult, and can do what she wants. Alexis asks if this is the advice he’d give to someone going to Jonestown, or would he wait until they drank the Kool-Aid? He says he’s worked with families similar situations. The key is to be counter intuitive. Kristina will only resent Alexis more if she sees her as the enemy. Alexis says, and she’ll want to be at DOD even more.

Chase asks if Willow wants to talk about it. He thought everything was fine. She says, it will be. A student’s parents wanted her fired, when she’d thought they were supporting her. He asks what happened, and she says the student is a bright, assertive girl, who was bullying a shy, sensitive boy. She addressed it with the parents, and the stepmother claimed the child did nothing wrong. Her mom and dad were more receptive, and the bullying stopped, but then there was another incident. She caught the same girl copying answers on a test. She went to the parents, and they accused her of being biased. She wants to say, it’s impossible, but the truth is, she doesn’t like the stepmother. She’s a total… difficult.  Maybe she jumped to conclusions. It would be totally unfair, and not the kind of teacher or person she wants to be. Chase tells her, it’s possible to recover from inerrant judgement. You have to admit you’re wrong, learn from the experience, and start rebuilding. He says it doesn’t seem so dreadful, but she says it’s not the behavior she wants to model on her job. She wants her students to learn more than reading and math. Fairness, tolerance, and accepting each other’s differences. Chase says it’s cool seeing how passionate she is. Shiloh appears, and says, trust him. She’s always been that way. I call him an a-hole even though he can’t hear me.

Sam sees Kristina reading through the window at DOD, and comes into the house. She asks if Shiloh is there, and Kristina says, he’ll be back soon. He’s taking care of some things for tonight. Sam asks if he’s teaching classes, and Kristina says, it’s a higher level thing. She can’t talk about it. Sam gets it, and tells Kristina that she had a one on one with Shiloh, but it’s not enough. Kristina is glad someone in her family gets it. Sam says Kristina had seemed less than thrilled that she was involved, but Kristina admits she was jealous; a baseline emotion. After tonight, she doesn’t have to worry about her standing in the community. Sam asks, what’s going on tonight?

Robert tells Anna, Boris Makala was an obscure case. It was never digitized, so finding the file took some digging. Anna was the courier. Alex was posing as the girlfriend for a diplomat, and had to be fingerprinted for clearance, so she was in Bern. Anna says Boris lost his life because she froze. Robert says she couldn’t have saved him, but she doesn’t believe it; not then and not now. Alex did her research. She made it sound like she was there. Robert says the DVX gave her the details. He knows Anna will be hard on herself. She says she’s back to square one. She doesn’t know which memories are hers and which are Alex’s. She needs a minute, and steps away from the table.

Maxie asks Peter what’s wrong with him, and Lulu says she needs to regroup. Maxie tells Peter there are statures and laws to protect Lulu, but he says they misunderstood. He wants her to remain on staff. For the last six months, she’s written about the most covered story, and she was personally involved. A lot of people would love to hear about her experience. She asks if he wants a special section in the magazine, but he’s thinking it would make a fascinating book. What better reset than to put it in writing? She says she hasn’t been a reporter that long, but Maxie thinks it’s a great idea. Peter says she can leave it on the page. Lulu says she has a lot to consider, and she has to pack. Maxie says they need a drink. Peter tells them that he’ll get lost, but Lulu’s job is waiting. He hopes she finds the peace she’s looking for. Maxie kisses him, and Lulu is like, wow. Anna watches.

Neil tells Alexis, the key is to plant seeds of doubt, so Kristina will look more critically at DOD. Alexis says that’s a gradual process, and she doesn’t have the luxury of time. Kristina’s father is impatient, and wants to deal with it now, despite any psychological ramifications. Neil asks if Kristina’s father is suggesting kidnapping her.

Shiloh says Willow has a special gift, and calls her Kelly. She says her name is Willow. He pretends he forgot, and says he still thinks of her as Kelly. She’d prefer he not think of her at all. He says, hi, officer, to Chase, and Chase says he’s a detective. Shiloh says if his child is having issues, he suggests bringing them to DOD. They have all kinds of programs, as he’s sure Willow can attest to. Chase says she’s made it clear she doesn’t want to talk to him. He could arrest Shiloh for harassment. Shiloh says he didn’t know her address, and he’s here because he has something that belongs to her.

Sam tells Kristina, it sounds like a big deal. Can Kristina give her a hint? Harmony comes in with Daisy. Kristina introduces herself, saying she’s heard so much about her. Harmony says she’s heard about Kristina too. That’s why she came all this way for tonight. She wonders who Sam is, and Daisy explains she’s Kristina’s sister. Kristina introduces Sam, and Harmony tells her, welcome. She asks Daisy to show her to the attic, so she can get set up for tonight. When they’re gone, Kristina tells Sam that Harmony was one of Shiloh’s first students. Sam says Kristina seems to be a fan, and Kristina says Harmony runs the DOD branch in Beechers Corners.

Jason tells Sonny there might be an investigation or arrests, but they’d have no way to prove anything if Shiloh is gone. Sonny says they need to think about another option before they do something they can’t take back. Why make more trouble for the DA if they don’t have to? Jason says it’s nice having officials in your back pocket, and wonders how long Shiloh’s been pulling her strings. In every town, it’s the same pattern. They’ve influenced the cops, local businesses, and the city council. Sonny says, it’s like taking over a territory. You position everyone to owe you favors. That way, you can run the towns.

Daisy shows Harmony the attic, which looks like a teenager’s room from the 60s. Harmony says, let’s get started.

Alexis says, kidnap is a strong word. Grabbing? Neil says it’s a bad idea, no matter well-intended. Nothing can break the hold on believers. There’s nothing she can do, but there are ways to talk to Kristina; help open her eyes. Alexis tells him, elaborate. She has a lousy track record when it comes to communication with Kristina. He says, don’t disagree. There are subtle ways to get Kristina to see it from the outside. Remind her of the life she had before this. Memories, photos of past events with loved ones. They can talk about the rest in their next session. She thanks him for hearing her out; she appreciates it. He writes on a napkin, and slides it over. She asks, what’s that? and he says, his bill.

Daisy lights candles. Harmony unpacks her bag, and says all they need is Shiloh.

Sam says, so Harmony runs the Beechers Corners branch of DOD, but Kristina says run is the wrong word. It’s more like she represents them. She oversees the classes and outreach. It makes sense, since she had to be in tune with Shiloh to reach that level. Harmony and Daisy come back, and Harmony asks if Kristina will join them in the kitchen. She says she’d like to get to know Sam better, and Sam says she feels the same way. Kristina hopes Sam doesn’t mind, but she has this thing to do. Sam says she loves Kristina. Kristina is glad Sam has an open mind, and loves her too. Sam leaves, and they go into the kitchen. Sam sneaks back in.

Willow says she doesn’t want anything from Shiloh. He says she doesn’t know what he has, and asks Chase for privacy, but Chase says not unless Willow wants him to leave. She wants him to stay, and Shiloh says, very well. He says he was cleaning the attic, and came across this picture of them. He points out how Willow is smiling. She says, pictures can be misleading, but he says, not this one. Look at how happy she was being in the family, and with all the things she trusted him with.

Sonny asks if Jason thinks Shiloh believes his own garbage. Jason says, no; he’s a con. He’s charging for enlightenment, and the higher up you go, the more money he asks for. He’s not getting rich on tuition though, so something else is going on that they’re not seeing; a way to exploit followers and their families.

Sam sneaks up to the attic.

Willow says the place Shiloh is referring to was never her home. He says that’s not what the people she left behind believe. She’s sorely missed. She tells him, please leave, and tries to hand him the photo. He tells her, keep it. Het hopes it inspires her true aptitude. There will always be a place for her at DOD. Perhaps for her students as well. He leaves, and she rips it up. Chase makes sure he’s gone. He asks if she’s okay, and she says she escaped, but he’ll never stop harassing her, now that he knows where she is. He just put on a master class in coercion. What he did when she was part of DOD. There was always free will, or the illusion of it. Shiloh is a master manipulator, who gets people to do whatever he wants, and think it’s their idea.

Peter sees Robert and keeps walking. Robert tells Finn, great. What a joke, forming a relationship with Faison’s son. Finn says they don’t talk about it much. Robert says it’s tough when the past comes back to haunt you. As a civilian, it’s hard to understand. Finn asks if Robert doesn’t have a flight to catch. Robert says if he didn’t trust that Finn has Anna’s best interest at heart, he’d think Finn was trying to get rid of him.

Anna asks if Peter admitted he has feelings for Maxie. He asks her not to say she told him so. She’s just happy that he’s happy, but she thinks she saw it coming when she told him to tell Maxie.

Lulu asks Maxie if she and Peter are officially a thing. Maxie guesses they are, and Lulu says, the kiss looked definite. Maxie says, it’s all new at the moment. She can’t believe Lulu is leaving. Lulu thinks it’s best, and Maxie asks when she’s coming back. Lulu says, soon. If this has shown her anything, it’s that she’s a complete mess if Maxie isn’t in her life. Maxie feels the same way, and they toast to best friends.

Peter tells Anna that he saw her talking to Maxie. Did she tell Maxie the same thing she told him. It’s a very mom thing to do. Anna smiles. He goes back to Maxie and Lulu, and asks if it’s too soon. Lulu says she has to pack. Rocco wants to bring his whole room, and she thinks the negotiations will be noisy. She tells Peter to keep an eye on Maxie or he’ll answer to her. She and Maxie hug.

Anna trusts Robert and Finn are being civil, and Robert says, of course. He’s sorry he couldn’t wrap it up for her, but something significant did come out of it. The memory that was implanted, must be significant enough to Alex that she freed up the file on Boris. Anna says something that carries emotional weight; something Alex doesn’t want to acknowledge to the rest of the world. However it affects Alex’s life, now affects hers.

Willow tells Chase, members are free to leave, but Shiloh convinces them to stay. The entire group bombards them, and most aren’t strong enough. Chase says, most. She got free of him. She tells Chase that she doesn’t think she’ll ever be free of Shiloh or DOD until she rids herself of this, and shows him the tattoo. He asks if it’s from Shiloh, and she says, Shiloh called it a gift, only bestowed those deemed worthy part of special ceremony.

Sonny tells Jason, blackmail his followers. Jason says, think about it. If Sonny offered him $100K to let Kristina go… Sonny says Shiloh would keep charging him. Extortion. Jason says if Sam can get evidence, they might have a chance. Sonny says the DA is a follower, but Jason says the commissioner and the mayor aren’t. There might be a way to get Shiloh legally. The phone rings, and Sonny says, send him in. He says they’ll figure out a different way to help Kristina. There’s a knock at the door, and Sonny thanks him for coming. It’s Neil.

Alexis hopes it’s not too late.

Sam looks in Harmony’s bag, and takes out a tool roll (similar to a jewelry roll), and looks at the instruments. Shiloh comes in downstairs. Sam says, somebody’s getting a tattoo.

Tomorrow, Jordan says that Margaux has closed Ryan’s case, Willow tells Michael that his sister is in more trouble than he knows, and Sonny asks Neil for help in getting his daughter back.

Vanderpump Rules

In Mexico, Scheana and Lala have reserved rooftop time. It’s just them, the pool, and someone to serve them drinks. Lala asks where Kristen was last night. we see clip dancing right now taking selfies. Lala wonders what triggered her on the bus going home, but Scheana doesn’t know. There are times she just hits a breaking In Lala’s interview, she says she’s been anxious her entire life, and sometimes she just gets to a breaking point. Since her dad died, she goes through a list of things her dad won’t be there for, and gets anxious. She tells Scheana that she’s blessed to have them as friends, and Scheana says they’re blessed to have her. They put their heads together as they sit in the pool.

Sitting on their terrace, Stassi says Beau looks sad. He says he’s taking a moment. She says after she has a freakout, she’s always remorseful, but this time, she feels really sad. She doesn’t trust that she won’t get hurt in the long run, or left. Beau says he cried his eyes out. She knows how awful he feels and hates it, but it freaks her the eff out. He shows her the stress hives he’s getting, and says he’s exploding from the stress. In his interview, Beau says Stassi’s freakouts are awful, but 99.9% of the time, they’re good and in love. It’s not ruining their future. He tells her, it’s a process. They’re growing, and he wants to take the steps. He’s being patient because he loves her. He kisses her, and she says she loves him too.

Ariana and the Toms order drinks. Tom tells Ariana about the text from Lisa about the line. He loves she’s never done the velvet rope thing. Ariana says they have one at SUR, but they don’t use it. Schwartz asks if they go through lulls. He makes Katie initiate sex. Ariana says they probably weren’t connecting because he and Tom were involved with the bar. She and Tom have had to make an effort. In his interview, Schwartz says, Katie isn’t needy, but she needs be loved. All that stuff went by the wayside. Schwartz says, every time, once they’re doing it, they say why don’t they do it more often? In his interview, he says he’s going to be Tom Juan, and initiate tonight. He makes a pinky promise with Ariana. She says if he doesn’t follow through, she can cut it off.  And she doesn’t mean his pinky.

Pup on the street in a skirt! The staff readies SUR for the evening. Lisa is glad to see Adam there, since so many of them went to Mexico. She asks why he didn’t go, and he says he has bills to pay. She asks if he’s heard from Scheana, and he says, not really. He hasn’t responded or commented on any of her pictures. Lisa says, they’re an item, but Adam tells her not to say that, especially in front of Scheana. He asks if Lisa wants to see a picture Scheana sent, and she says, probably not, but he shows her anyway. It’s the picture of Scheana half-naked with the knife strapped to her leg. He didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t respond. Lisa says, most men would know what to say to that. In Lisa’s interview, she says she would never… well, maybe. She looks down her blouse, and says, it’s there. She wouldn’t let Ken see though. She tells Adam, Scheana hopes for a magical life, and it hasn’t worked out. Welcome to most of our worlds. She says, be kind to her.

Everyone gets ready to go out to eat. The restaurant is beautiful, and they sit at an outside table with an ocean view. Lala starts breathing heavily, and says, here comes the anxiety again. In her interview, she says, anxiety sucks. You don’t know when it’s coming, or what brought it on. You just feel helpless. Brittany holds her hand, and she says, tighter. Stassi asks if she’s okay. Ariana offers to eat everyone’s pickled onions. Ariana points out Kristen is having a nip slip, but she says it’s a bruise; Carter bit her. Tom says, one make-out session, and Ariana and Kristen are friends. Scheana touches Lala’s face. In his interview, Jax says he’s never had friends pat him down. Stassi tells Lala that they’ve done a lot of partying, and she hadn’t been doing that. Lala wants to know if she looks like she’s in a fog. She needs Stassi to judge her. In Stassi’s interview, she says this is borderline uncomfortable, over the top, and dramatic. She tells Lala that she’s fine.

Katie and Schwartz go to the bar, along with Jax and Brittany. Jax asks for the finest ice water they have. In Brittany’s interview, she says she’s lucky to have a fiancé who wants her to be healthy and happy. Ariana, Scheana, and Kristen hang out by the pool. In bed with Beau, Stassi tells him that she loves him more than ranch dressing. Ariana says Lala is in their room.

On the phone with her mother, Lala says her emotions not being managed is torture.

Tom asks Ariana, what happened? and Ariana tells him that Lala had anxiety attack. In Tom’s interview, he says, Lala wanted everybody’s hands on her, like she was being healed at some Baptist church. He’s sure Randal gives her a lot of attention, but he’s not there, so she wants it from everyone else.

Scheana says Lala was very vocal, and complains that everyone has always treated Lala like she can do no wrong. Scheana says she wasn’t the one Lala was making out with last night, but when Lala needs her, she’s there. Kristen says she’s hypersensitive to everyone (referring to herself). If she knows someone is upset, she’ll be up their ass. Scheana thinks Lala is selfish.

Lala takes to the bed and baby bottle.

Katie comes into the room, following a path of rose petals and candy, finding bags of snack foods, more rose petals, and Schwartz on the bed. She asks, what is this? and he says, romance. It’s the ultimate romantic heist. We see a clip of him on the phone, ordering Doritos and beef jerky. In his interview, Schwartz says there are more conventional methods of setting the mood – Viagra, Spanish Fly – but he did something more mature. We see him telling a violinist, the cue will be meow, and stashing her in the shower. He tells us two of Katie’s favorite things are music and junk food. He’s going to steal Katie’s heart. He meows, and the violinist begins to play. In Katie’s interview, she says, it took a minute to understand wtf was going on. She’s touched by Schwartz’s beautiful, sweet, romantic gesture. They thank the musician, and she leaves. In Schwartz’s interview, he says his name is Tom Juan, and he is the world’s greatest lover. He asks if Katie wants to make a baby.

Kristen tries to figure out the hammock. She texts Ariana that she’s effing tired. Still in bed, Tom says Ariana must have left a lasting impression. In her interview, Ariana says the friendship slowly developed over time. It was like a plant. You plant a seed, water it sometimes, you’re not really paying attention, and then you have zucchini.

Scheana asks if Lala is feeling anxious today, but she’s ready to be home. Scheana wonders if she’ll be okay to go to the airport.

Schwartz feels like he has Dorito cologne on. Ariana has a bottle of Tabasco in her purse. In her interview, Kristen says the trip shows how much she’s grown. Sayonara to crazy Kristen, and hello mariposa. Brittany asks about Jax friends list for the engagement party. She reads what she has, and Jax blanks out. In his interview, he says, the engagement party is going to cost more than the wedding. He wants Brittany to be happy, but doesn’t want to be poor. She says she has to ask again; is he calling his mom and inviting her? He says, no; not for this. In his interview, Jax says he feels empty about his mom. They’ve barely spoken since his dad passed. Brittany doesn’t want him to regret any decisions, and says, this is where it gets tricky. James is out, so Raquel is too, but she doesn’t know what to do about Billie. Jax says he doesn’t like some of the things she pulled with some of his friends, so no. Brittany doesn’t want any hiccups.

Everyone heads to LAX.

James and Raquel meet Billie at Vanderpump Dogs. They’re bringing Graham to get cleaned up before his puppy shower. In his interview, James says, we’re having a pawty – get it? They’re having it catered, and even get a tasting for the puppy hors d’oeuvres. James can’t do it, but Raquel says the icing is good; peanut butter. In his interview, James is hoping they can rekindle some friendships. Everyone in the group can agree on their love for puppies. Billie tells them she’s having a white party at SUR, and is going to ask Lisa if James can DJ. She was okay with the brunch, although there was craziness. James says, Lala was the craziness. Billie says Lala almost hit her, and Raquel says she thought Lala was going to poke her in the eye. Billie says they want to get James pissed off, so he’ll be fired forever. Raquel agrees, and Billie asks who Lala thinks she is; she’s literally a bully. Billie uses literally as a filler word, and doesn’t realize it makes her sound illiterate. James says Lala will screw over anyone in her path, but she’s going to push it too far. Billie says, she’s the ultimate mean girl.

Back at work, Jax says he hasn’t pooped in four days. Thank you for sharing. Katie says they all have the major sh*ts. An even better picture. Thanks again. Jax wonders why Tom is there. In Tom’s interview, he says he and Lisa never talked about the transition. If he’s on the schedule, he shows up for his shift. He tells Jax that TomTom doesn’t feel the same way. He likes working at SUR.

Schwartz goes to TomTom, and talks with manager Leo. In his interview, Schwartz says he has a new zest and excitement about his career. It’s like he’s having an out of body experience, watching himself work the crowd. He tells Leo that Tom is over at SUR, working.

Raquel sees Brittany at SUR, and invites her and Jax to the puppy shower. She explains she and James want to celebrate Graham joining their family. In Jax’s interview, he says, nothing is going on up there. She knows Jax might not want to come, but hopes he will, or at least Brittany. Jax says everyone in the group is in a great mood, and they’re all getting along. If it was just her, he’d come. Brittany says she’s not comfortable what happened. We flash back to James rapping about Jax screwing Faith. Raquel says, not her too; she’s shocked. She thought at least Brittany would want to go. Jax tells her congratulations on her new dog though. She looks so eager and desperate, it really is sad.

Lisa arrives at Sur, looking fabulous in black and white. Hostess Lala tells her, hello, queen. Lala is wearing a top that’s like a tube top with straps, and Lisa says, it’s not a strip club; it’s a restaurant. She tells Lala to put on a SUR T-Shirt. Lala says this bums her out, but Lisa says it’s not appropriate attire. I could understand this more if they hadn’t had uniform dresses during the first season that barely covered their asses.

Lisa asks Billie how it’s going; she looks like the cat who swallowed the canary. Billie says she’s doing a white party on Saturday, and would like James to DJ. Lisa says she doesn’t know if that’s a good idea, and Billie says Lala acted crazy, and attacked James at the brunch. Lisa says she’s made so many allowances for James already. In her interview, Lisa says she made it clear that if James wanted to work there, he had to be 100% sober, and he’s not. She tells Billie that she’d prefer another DJ. Billie whines that James brings amazing energy. Lala comes out wearing a SUR T-shirt, albeit still showing her midriff. She asks if it’s better, and Lisa says, better. Lala returns to hostessing, and Billie says Lala gets to run around half-naked, and be a bitch, while she’s gone through a lot of sh*t. Lisa tells her to tone it down. Billie says she needs to breathe because she’s effing pissed off. Lisa again tells her to shush. Billie stomps off, and Lisa follows her. She tells Billie not to talk to her like that, using the F-bomb. She’s the decision-maker, not Billie. She can’t swear, storm off, and have a temper tantrum. She’s done nothing but support Billie. Billie tries dragging Lala into it again, but Lisa say she’s dealing with what she’s seeing right now. Billie asks if Lisa wants her to just smile and say yes, and Lisa says, exactly. These people tend to forget they’re at work, and also in front of customers. Lisa tells her, especially when she has this in her hand, indicating the menu. She tells Billie to have manners and close her mouth. She asks if they understand each other. Billie nods her head, and goes back to work

Brittany asks Scheana about Adam. Scheana says he was at the apartment when she got home. He gave her the biggest and longest hug. He got a leg cramp (it wasn’t clear if this was related to the hug), and he had to use her foam roller, so of course she took a video. Brittany tells her that they invited Adam to the engagement party. Scheana asks about Billie, and Brittany says, Jax said no. Scheana says they want people there who make them happy. They don’t want what happened at hers. Brittany asks, what happened? and Scheana says Tom punched Jax. We flash back to that. Scheana hopes that’s the only engagement party Brittany will have, but hopefully she’ll get another.

Beau and Stassi meet Ariana at TomTom.

Billie tells Scheana about Lisa about James not being allowed to DJ. Scheana says she likes James, but she had to learn to separate that from her relationships with these people, if she wanted to be part of the group. She doesn’t want Billie to be excluded, like she is from Brittany and Jax’s engagement party. Jax said she reminded them of James (what? that’s not what I heard). Billie says that’s like high school. So is the entire show, but we’ll let that pass. She did nothing wrong to them. She hopes Scheana stood up for her, since she’s stood up non-stop for Scheana when she was disrespected. Scheana says she’s trying to help Billie. She doesn’t want her to feel like this. Billie wonders who wouldn’t invite someone just because of their association with another person. He’s not her child or brother. He’s a co-worker who she loves and supports. I’m just going to say it. Billie isn’t the brightest bulb in the box, although part of her constant indignation might be to get screen time. Oh never mind. That pretty much covers a lot of the cast.

Billie wants to talk to Brittany. Of course she does. Because you always confront someone about personal stuff when you’re both in the middle of a work day. She tells Brittany that Scheana said they didn’t want to invite her to the engagement party because she was connected with James. Brittany says, it’s not that they don’t want her to come for that reason. When she talked to Jax, he didn’t think she was trustworthy. He didn’t think it was a good idea. In her interview, Brittany says, when it comes to a $75 a plate event, they have to go by who they like. Jax put the ax on it, and he’s her fiancé. She tells Billie that they don’t want fighting. Billie says she and James aren’t a couple, but Brittany says that’s not how it was. Billie says she has love for Brittany, and Brittany says she does for her too. Still not getting it, Billie asks, then why isn’t she included. Brittany says there’s so much tension there already, and there are some people Billie doesn’t get along with. Brittany doesn’t want that with her family coming in. All teary, Billie hugs her. In Brittany’s interview, she says she had to tell Raquel no to her face about not going to her puppy party. Then she had Billie asking why she wasn’t invited to the engagement party. This is the absolute [sic] worst day ever.

Raquel stops by TomTom to invite them to the puppy shower. Stassi asks what that is, and Raquel says it’s like a baby shower. Stassi says that happens before the baby is born. Stassi wonders if she’s serious, and Raquel hands her a flyer that’s actually kind of cute. She says they’ll be playing games like pin the tail on the puppy. In Stassi’s interview, she says she’d rather light one of her arms on fire. No amount of alcohol could make something like a puppy shower fun. Actually, if everyone brought their dogs, it could be a lot of fun. Certainly more fun than a human shower, baby or wedding, which isn’t much, unless it’s yours. Stassi says she’s not going to James’s puppy shower after what happened. In her interview, Raquel says it sucks that James is affecting her relationship with them. She was hoping they could put things aside, and celebrate Graham. Raquel tells Stassi that she understands why James acts this way. Stassi says she sounds like the woman who wanted to marry Charles Manson. Raquel doesn’t know who that is. Maybe there is nothing upstairs. Obviously, she’s way too young to have been around when that happened, but for the love of all that’s holy, it’s not like he hasn’t been in the news in the past couple of years, and there is that Tarantino movie coming out.

Lisa asks what Tom doing at SUR, and he says he was on the schedule. She says he’s got responsibilities at TomTom. He says he likes working at SUR once in a while. In her interview, Lisa says, he needs to be at TomTom. It’s his new baby; he needs to nurture it. She says she’ll make the decision for him. He’s fired. He asks if she’s serious, and she says, 1000%. In Tom’s interview, he says he literally grew up at SUR. When he started, he was a kid. Flashbacks accompany what he’s saying. Then he began dating Ariana. He’s gotten in fights in the back. There was the ambush. He feels like his DNA is in the walls. He’s worked great Prides. Lisa says, gotta keep moving forward.

Tom and Lisa go to TomTom. Tom tells Schwartz that Lisa just fired him. Lisa says, time to give it up. His name is on the outside. She’s been there running things while they were in Mexico, and she sees success. She says he wants to be a partner; part of it. She asks the Toms, what constitutes a partner? They come up with attitude, commitment, and professionalism, but she asks how it starts – with investment. She tells them the checks both bounced. Tom’s went through, but Schwartz’s bounced. Schwartz says that account isn’t active, and she wishes he’d told her before she cashed the check. He says it was just a technicality, and jokes that he still has a little. Lisa asks how she knows he’s good for it, and he suggests a pinky swear. In Lisa’s interview, she says boyish mannerisms can be cute, but when bouncing a check, cuteness doesn’t work. She says she even told him she was putting it in the company account. We flash back, and yes, she did. She tells him that she’ll be back Tuesday. In his interview, Tom says when you’re partnering, and the money doesn’t come through, it’s a bad look.

James listens to his own music in his car outside TomTom. Raquel gets in, and he asks how it went. She says, not that great. She didn’t expect Jax to come, but Brittany said she’s not coming because of James. Stassi too. He asks if she tried to sell the idea to them, and she says she told them everything. He says flyers aren’t cheap, and she says it’s sucky for her. She’s trying make new friendships with these people, but they want nothing to do with her because of him. He says, whoever wants to come, can come, and whoever doesn’t, screw them. He’s over it. It’s their loss. They are now uninvited.

Next time, Jax finds out in therapy that Brittany still doesn’t totally trust him, James discovers he won’t be DJ at the white party, Stassi contacts a spirit, and Schwartz brings Lisa cash.

⌚ I Still Don’t Know Where It Goes…

Like the Ghost of Christmas Present said, and suddenly you’re not there anymore. Or it’s 4 am. I added that last part.