What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

🥢 Weekday Bites…                                                                           

Monday:

Alexis wondered when Portia could have gotten access to Edward Quartermaine’s gun, and Felicia said, she visited Monica frequently and could have taken it at any time prior to the shooting. Alexis said that meant she had means and opportunity, but what reason would she have to shoot Drew?

In her office. Portia looked at her sonogram, when Curtis knocked at the door. He said he’d heard she had a check-up and asked how it went.

Kai met Trina at the gallery, and she said her parents deserved to know the truth. She was going to tell them that she and Kai were at Drew’s the night he got shot.

Dante came into the hospital and Brook asked how it went at the courthouse. He said he watched his son get taken off to juvie in handcuffs.

Laura went to vote, and Elizabeth asked how the arraignment went. Laura said, horribly wrong.

Gio and Emma went to the hospital, when Britt grabbed Emma. Emma said, get off me, but Britt said, not until they got a few things straight.

Lulu found Carly at Bobbie’s and told her that Rocco had been taken into custody, and he may go to prison unless she did something drastic to stop it.

Ric told Sonny that he had a deal. Six months community service, no felony charges, and no incarceration. Sonny asked, what went wrong? and Ric looked at Turner. Sonny asked why she double-crossed his grandson.

Felicia told Alexis that Drew’s enemy list was long and everyone had a good motive. Why wasn’t Portia on the list? Alexis said Curtis and Drew had public issues, but Portia had no direct conflict with Drew that would put her on the PCPD’s radar. Felicia said, based on the information they knew, and Alexis said that’s why she needed Felicia.

Portia said so far everything was great and on track, but Curtis needed to remember it was considered an older pregnancy. It didn’t mean they should worry, but she wanted to make sure it was safe before telling anyone. Curtis said he thought she should know that someone already figured it out.

Turner said her duty was to prosecute the case based on evidence and the law, but Sonny said she ambushed Ric with so-called evidence and worse, she ambushed a child. He thought she was better than that. Turner said she couldn’t ignore the evidence Dalton provided, and Sonny said he wanted his grandson released. She said the prosecution wouldn’t oppose bail, and Ric said, she was telling them that now, but she’d proved to be unethical and unreliable. Who was to say she wouldn’t pull the same stunt at the bail hearing?

Lulu told Carly about the charges, and Carly said they were all felonies. Lulu said Rocco swore there was no damage, and everyone believed him except the judge. She wasn’t going to let one mistake destroy her son’s life. Carly told her to do what she could. Prison would change her son forever.

Britt said, right now, she and Emma needed to have some girl talk, and Emma told Gio that she’d be fine. She’d meet him upstairs. He left, and Britt said she knew Emma got Rocco to steal the key fob and now he was headed to prison.

Elizabeth wondered how the case had escalated, when Nathan came in and told Laura that he made sure Rocco was relatively insulated. Laura asked how he was, since he’d seemed terrified, and Nathan said he thought Rocco had calmed down. Laura said this happened because of Dalton.

Dante told Brook that all he could do was stand and watch. As he was taken out, Rocco was yelling to them that he hadn’t done anything wrong. He was terrified. Gio came out of the elevator, and heard Brook saying, Rocco was a good kid and she wondered how he’d gotten involved. Gio said he was the reason Rocco broke into the lab.

Britt said Emma had been in the office when Dalton gave her the key fob. She’d told Emma to stay away from Dalton and the lab, and she set Rocco up. Emma said she thought Dalton was doing animal testing, but it turned out she was wrong. Britt said Emma didn’t break into the lab. Rocco did and was suffering the consequences. That was on Emma.  

Alexis said she couldn’t rest Willow’s case on Michael alone, and Felicia said other suspects helped shift the focus. Alexis said the PCPD rushed to judgment. She needed to present other viable suspects to create reasonable doubt in the hopes the jury wouldn’t convict Willow.

Portia asked who knew, and Curtis said, Aunt Stella. She worked with Portia every day and figured it out. She was less shocked about Portia’s pregnancy and more concerned about their divorce.

Kai asked what had Trina so upset that she changed her mind, and Trina said, not what, who. Jordan had been circling her dad like a shark. Jordan knew the strain her parents’ marriage was under, but it hadn’t stopped her going after a married man. If she told her parents that Drew’s blackmail material was gone, the strain would disappear, they’d stay together, and Jordan would be left out in the cold where she belonged.

Ric said Turner wanted to publicly persecute the grandson of Sonny Corinthos and Mayor Collins. He thought she would do what it took to secure her position. He left, saying, it wasn’t over, and Sonny told Turner that Rocco said he hadn’t trashed the lab. Dalton had set up his grandson, and she was falling for it.

Laura told Nathan that when she’d questioned Dalton, at no point did he mention the lab was vandalized. It didn’t happen. Rocco was someplace he shouldn’t have been, but she knew he didn’t lie. Elizabeth said she was sure Laura wouldn’t stop until Rocco’s name was cleared, and Laura said she hoped it was enough to get him out of the situation. She stepped away to vote.

Gio told Dante that he’d joined Students Against Animal Testing, and they’d thought Professor Dalton was doing testing at the university. They needed to create a diversion in order to break into the lab, and he recruited Danny, Rocco, and Charlotte to help.

Felicia told Alexis that she’d keep looking. Portia lying about her whereabouts begged the question, what was she hiding? Ric came in and said he needed to speak to Alexis about Rocco Falconari. Felicia said she’d be in touch, and left. Alexis said she heard Ric was representing Rocco, but assumed it was a rumor, since Sonny hated him. Ric said they were making peace for their daughter’s sake. Maybe he and Alexis should do the same.

Sonny said Turner didn’t strike him as a bully who would go after a child, and she said she was just doing her job. Any chance he just didn’t want to believe Rocco was guilty? Sonny told her, if Rocco said he didn’t do it, he didn’t do it, but she said kids lied all the time. Did he think Rocco never had? How sure was he that Rocco was telling the truth?

Emma said she brought Rocco in, but he had his own ideals and backbone, and Britt said, not only was he capable of making his own decisions, he could manipulate with the best of them. He’d shown interest in her since she’d been working with Dalton and had been playing her the whole time.

Lulu told Carly that it was Dalton’s word against Rocco’s, but Rocco said he didn’t damage anything. She could prove Dalton’s evidence was fake if a witness came forward and she had two – Danny and Charlotte.

Laura thanked Nathan and was about to leave for lunch with Elizabeth, when Dalton came in. He told Laura that it would be tough for her to protect her grandson when she’d lost the election, but she suggested they wait to see what the voters said. He was also kidding himself if he thought she needed to be mayor to protect her grandson.

Dante said Gio recruited three kids to criminally trespass? but Gio said they were just supposed to create a diversion, distract security while he broke in. Dante said, but that didn’t happen. Gio wasn’t in the lab. His brother was.

Dalton said it would be harder for Laura’s grandson to skate if she lost the election, but the upside was that he and his grandfather could now swap prison stories. Laura said he was enjoying what he’d done, and Dalton said he was the victim. Her grandson was the one who broke in. Laura said Dalton was a liar.

Sonny told Turner that he knew Rocco didn’t trash the lab because he knew who Rocco was. He was honest and kind, and anybody who knew him would say the same. Turner said Dalton was adamant the lab was trashed and produced photographic evidence as proof, but Sonny said, the police didn’t investigate the lab themselves. Dalton would know what to break that didn’t affect his research. Turner asked, why? and he said Dalton was hiding something and framing his grandson. She said those were arguments that could be presented at trial. She wasn’t happy about it, but didn’t have the luxury of choosing what cases to prosecute based on her feelings. Her job was to see that people paid for breaking the law.

Emma said Britt had it wrong. She asked Rocco to steal the key fob, then realized he was the worst person to do it. He was honest to a fault and for reasons she didn’t understand, liked Britt – for real. He wasn’t a user or a liar and said he wanted to get to know Britt, who, despite evidence to the contrary, he believed was a good person. Britt said she was sure Emma provided her unbiased take, but Emma said she’d suggested Rocco get to know Britt for himself. Maybe she’d changed from The Britch who threw her doll on the barbecue. The jury was out though.

Alexis said a lot had happened since she and Ric came to a truce. Forgive her for not accepting his olive branch. Ric said he was willing to let bygones be bygones. Maybe she should get on board. He’d heard from multiple sources that Charlotte and Danny were with Rocco when he broke in the lab. They needed to come forward.

Gio told Dante that they no longer needed a distraction. The debate was happening and everyone’s attention was on that. Then Ned had a heart attack, and they called it off. Dante said, but Rocco went anyway. So Gio was there at the hospital, and his little brother went in his place.  

Kai asked if Trina thought once her parents realized the blackmail was gone, they’d figure things out, and she said it had driven a wedge between them. She thought they’d have room to breathe if they weren’t waiting for Drew’s other shoe to drop. Kai said, maybe the strain had nothing to do with the blackmail.  

Portia said Curtis told Stella about the divorce? and he said, she’d inevitably find out. She didn’t take it well and thought they should stay together and raise the baby with two loving parents. Portia asked if he was going to suggest they stay together for the baby’s sake. He should know she saw him and Jordan kissing.

Laura said her grandson didn’t vandalize Dalton’s lab and Dalton was unfairly targeting him, and Dalton said she was going to use her position, so he didn’t face the consequences. He wondered if her constituents would appreciate it, but she said she didn’t give a damn about the election. He was trying to railroad an innocent teenager and he’d be sorry. He asked if she was threatening him. It was a blatant misuse of her power. She said any use of her power against him would be warranted.

Dante said Gio hadn’t learned anything. Rocco had almost died from the alcohol poisoning. Gio said he felt terrible, but Dante said Gio only cared about himself. Rocco had been arraigned and there were charges against him when it should be Gio. Gio said he was sorry, and Dante said Rocco would do anything Gio wanted. Even if Gio didn’t want to be a part of Rocco’s family, all Rocco cared about was being part of his.

Carly said Danny and Charlotte could corroborate Rocco’s account and clear him, and Lulu said, or be charged alongside him. She knew they could help Rocco, but couldn’t let them come forward unless she knew they were protected. Carly asked how she’d know, and Lulu said she wasn’t sure. She’d believed her son had a deal in place and now he was in the juvenile detention center.

Britt said Rocco was facing felony charges because of Emma. The next time Emma wanted to come after her, have the guts to do it herself and don’t use a child. Emma said she was wrong to involve Rocco. For what it was worth (🍷), she was sorry. Britt said something she may learn from someone who’d been sorry and made mistakes was that not everything could be cleaned up with an apology. Some mistakes you have to live with. She walked away.

Kai said Drew knew there was no longer leverage and Trina’s parents were smart people and noticed. Trina said, then what was keeping her parents from finding their way back besides Jordan? and he said they didn’t see who else was at Drew’s, but they knew both of her parents had reason to want him dead. Her dad had an alibi – Trina said, Jordan – but her mom… She said, doesn’t.  

Alexis told Ric, if Danny came forward, it would help Rocco, but it might hurt Danny. She was representing Danny and had to say no. Ric said he understood her worry, but he’d make sure Danny got out from under Drew Cain. She said she wasn’t putting her grandson in his hands. It wasn’t like him to turn the other cheek and what better way to hurt her than putting Danny in jeopardy? He said, she’d realize it was a great legal strategy if she’d just hear him out, but she said, pass. He said, what if he offered her something else?

Portia said she’d wanted to speak to Jordan and saw her and Curtis kissing in the hallway, and Curtis said, sorry. (Why?) She said it was okay. They’d made their decision to go their own ways and she knew his way would lead to Jordan. He said they’d given it a shot and didn’t work as husband and wife, but they worked as parents. They were a great team for Trina, and he knew they’d be the same for the baby. She said she thought he was a great father. They needed to be a strong united front to get past Stella’s matchmaking. He said, Stella was a force, and saw the sonogram. He asked if it was hers.

Portia said it was from today’s check-up, and Curtis looked at it. She said it was too early to tell if it was a boy or girl, and he said, whoever they were, they were perfect. Could he keep it? She said, of course (🍷).

Trina asked if Kai thought her mother shot Drew, and he said it was hard to imagine. She said, secrets could destroy a marriage, especially with her father, but her mother knew life was sacred and spent every day saving lives. He said it was hypothetical, and she said she thought she knew what both of her parents were capable of, but it was pretty obvious she didn’t know them, maybe at all. He said she did know her parents. It was just another theory. They didn’t know anything for sure, except that Trina’s parents loved her and their instinct was to protect her. So if she told them about being at Drew’s… She said maybe it would force them to tell her the truth, and he asked if it was a truth she really wanted to know.

Ric said he was prepared to sweeten the deal, and Alexis said, how so? He said she was representing Willow who’d allegedly shot Drew. What if he could insure she’d win the case? She asked if he was going to confess, and he said, no, but he had another viable suspect other than Willow and Michael. She asked, who? and he said, Portia Robinson. She asked, what possible reason would Portia have? and he said he could give her several.

Sonny told Turner that he wanted people to be accountable for their actions too, but they both knew the law wasn’t black and white. Turner said, generally speaking, it was, but the law wasn’t always applied the way it should be, and he said, sometimes, the justice system just failed. She said, yes. Innocent people went to jail for crimes they didn’t commit and the guilty went free. Maybe Dalton’s evidence would hold up, maybe not, but Rocco was a sympathetic defendant and Dalton was… Sonny said, a liar? and she said, not as sympathetic. Sonny asked if she was telling him that it would come down to Dalton’s word against Rocco’s, but she said it was too early to tell. If it did, the jury might be more inclined to believe Rocco. Sonny asked if she’d at least go easy on Rocco, and she said she was going to do her job, nothing more. But this part was black and white. Dalton was the victim of record and as long as he pushed the case, she’d pursue justice on his behalf. He asked if she was sure she was pursuing justice or was she trying to help herself professionally by putting his grandson’s future on the line? and she says, the former. He said, make sure the justice system didn’t fail his grandson.

Lulu wondered if she should risk her daughter to save her son and told Carly that there were no guarantees that if Danny and Charlotte came forward, Rocco would go free. What if she put something in motion that, instead of saving one, condemned all three? Carly said there was no easy answer, and Lulu said, when that happened to Michael, she and Dante were sure they were doing the right thing. They thought Michael would be okay and they were wrong. So wrong. They hugged, and Lulu said she couldn’t afford to be wrong again. Rocco had too much to lose.  

Emma approached the group, and Dante said Gio was making excuses for being stupid and selfish again. He’d thought Gio would learn from Rocco’s alcohol poisoning, but he got Rocco involved in something reckless and dangerous. Emma asked what was going on, and Dante said Gio’s brother had been arrested. Whatever happened to him was on Gio. Emma said it wasn’t Gio’s fault. She talked Rocco into helping and roped the kids into it. It was on her. Dante said he got it now. Gio screwed over his little brother and potentially ruined his life to impress a girl. Get out of his face before he said or did something he regretted. Gio walked away and Emma followed.  

Laura said, every word in Dalton’s statement was a lie. Rocco went into the lab, but any vandalism was done by him. Dalton said he’d pay good money to see her prove that, and she said he thought he’d get away with it why? Because Rocco was a kid and he was a professor with the power of the university behind him? She’ll fight him with every resource she had, as well as every member of her family, and the Quartermaine family.  When she saw Dalton wasn’t listening, she smacked him in the face and said he was trying to frame her grandson for a crime he didn’t commit. She promised it wouldn’t end well for him. She looked around to see all the people filming with their phones.

Tuesday:

Carly went to see Jack at the hotel bearing wine. She said she’d found it in the MetroCourt wine cellar and remembered he’d ordered it once upon a time. She remembered everything about him.

In Laura’s office, she told Sonny that her political career might be over. She’d lashed out at Dalton in public. Sonny said he saw it. It was beautiful.

Dante told Lulu that Nathan got Rocco settled in, but Rocco wouldn’t be there if he hadn’t been following his brother’s lead. It was all Gio’s doing.

Alexis asked why Portia would shoot Drew, but Ric wanted assurance that Danny would go on record on Rocco’s behalf. She said, absolutely not, and he said his strategy would keep Rocco and Danny out of trouble. He’d had a come to Jesus moment and evolved. She told him, Portia’s motive or the door.

Jason went to see Britt and she said she needed his help. Danny had to come forward and corroborate Rocco’s story. Jason said he was sorry. He’d do anything, but not that. (Meat Loaf played in my head.)

Danny and Charlotte went to the station to see Nathan and said they were there to turn themselves in.

At Windymere, Marco told Sidwell that it appeared Dalton had jeopardized their entire operation.

Carly and Jack drank the wine, and Jack said Carly showing up was the best gift. It had felt like there was distance between them and she’d made the first move. Or was he wrong?

Marco said Dalton had produced photographic evidence of the damage Rocco Falconari had done in his lab, and Sidwell said, obviously, Dalton trashed the lab himself to stick it to the kid, but Rocco’s fingerprints wouldn’t be found. Marco said Dalton had claimed there were hazardous materials in the lab and told ADA Turner that injuries and fatalities could have resulted. Now Rocco was charged with several felonies. Sidwell said, now unwanted attention would be focused on the lab. He’d take it from there. Marco said maybe it was time for Sidwell to request assistance from the guy he was running the operation with.

Britt said of course (🍷) Jason wouldn’t help her. She wasn’t Carly. But then again, since it was Danny, he probably would have told Carly no too. He said he would have, and she said, Rocco was so scared. He said, no way Rocco vandalized the lab, and she said Dalton was lying and Danny could prove it, but Jason said it would just make things worse.

Nathan asked, what for? and Danny said they were with Rocco when he broke into the PCU lab. Nathan asked if they were sure they wanted to do this, and Charlotte said, absolutely. He was their brother. Nathan left, and Charlotte asked if Danny was sure. Danny said it was the only way to save Rocco, and she said Rocco couldn’t be the only one to take the blame. Danny said his dad would be so mad, and Charlotte said her wouldn’t be thrilled either, but they had to do what they had to do.

Dante said Gio roped Danny, Rocco, and Charlotte into breaking in, and Lulu asked, why? He said, Emma admitted she was in on it. She thought Dalton was doing illegal animal testing and their son was paying the price because Gio wanted to impress a girl. When he came down on Gio after Rocco got alcohol poisoning, everyone told him that he was wrong. But if he’d kept Gio at arm’s length, he wouldn’t have gotten close enough to Rocco to potentially ruin his life.

Laura said, if he saw it, Sonny knew what a disaster it was. She attacked and threatened Dalton and no way it would go well with the voting public. He asked if she’d read the comments. They were saying she was a badass. They loved her fire and how relatable she was, how real. She stood up for her grandson and went to bat for him, and they felt she’d do the same for the city. Laura thanked him, but still felt she’d tanked her own campaign. He said they’d hope for the best and prepare for the worst, and she said she thought what might cost her the election was her own bad temper.

Ric said Alexis won and told her about Heather’s cobalt tests. One had been done at GH and one done at an independent lab. The independent lab showed Heather’s levels as normal, which proved she was no longer dangerous, but the GH test showed the levels were still toxic, implying she was still violent and dangerous, unfit to be released. Had he relied on the GH test, Heather would still be in prison. He imagined whoever altered them had access to the test and a vested interest in Heather staying in prison. Alexis said, like the mother of Heather’s would be victim. Like Portia Robinson.

Sonny told Laura to stop being hard on herself, and she said she didn’t regret standing up for Rocco, but she may be handing over the city to Boyle. He said the voters and the people of the city valued her protecting her family. It wasn’t her first rodeo, and the people of Port Charles knew what kind of person she was. She said losing the election not only meant handing over the city to Boyle. She’d be handing it over to Sidwell too.

Sidwell told Marco that he considered his partner’s identity to be on a need-to-know basis. He needed to focus on making the necessary changes to their operation. He’d put Britt in charge of the lab, the research, and Dalton, and Britt had suggested she could run everything herself. In light of recent events, maybe she was right. Britt came with her own set of complications, but unlike Dalton, she wasn’t stupid. Marco said, but Dalton knew where the bodies were buried… figuratively.

Britt told Jason that Danny was guilty, but so was Charlotte. Why should Rocco face the consequences alone? Jason asked if she’d talked to Lulu and Dante, but she said, no. They hated her. He said if Danny admitted to the crime, Drew would use all his resources to keep Danny from his sister and put him behind bars. He told Britt about Danny giving Scout a ride home and Drew saying Danny tried to kidnap her, and Britt said that was a bad kidnapping. It was the opposite of kidnapping. Jason said, after that, Drew filed a restraining order against Danny to prevent him from seeing Scout, and she said, so if Danny came forward… He said Drew would do what he could to put Danny in prison and he couldn’t let that happen. And it wasn’t just that. A long time ago, Michael went to Pentenville and he followed Michael inside to protect him, but it was too late. Michael was scarred in ways that never healed. That couldn’t happen to Danny. She said she didn’t want that to happen to Rocco either, and he said neither did he. They had to come up with a way to save him.

Dante told Lulu that he’d come down hard on Gio. He thought Gio knowing he was his father made the words cut deeper. Lulu said she wasn’t happy with Gio either, but even though he might be responsible for drawing the kids into that mess, she didn’t think he deserved all the blame for all of them. Gio and Emma roped them in, but Danny, Charlotte, and Rocco chose to get involved. Dante asked if she was saying Rocco did this to himself, and she said she did, and so did Charlotte and Danny.

Nathan began to record, and Danny said, Rocco didn’t break in by himself. They were with him from the beginning. Charlotte said, Dalton showed up unexpectedly, so they hid, and Danny said, Dalton was about to find them, so Rocco made a noise. Charlotte said, he did it to save them, and Nathan asked why they broke in. Charlotte said they’d heard Dalton was doing illegal experiments on animals, and Nathan asked where they got that idea. Danny said, did it matter?

Alexis told Ric, the only reason Portia would alter the tests would be to keep her in jail. Heather tried to kill her daughter, so it was reasonable to think Heather would hurt her again, but what was the connection to Drew? How did Portia’s grudge against Heather put a gun in her hand pointed at Drew? Ric said, hypothetically, imagine an ex had her daughter dead to rights for trying to kill someone. Even worse, the louse gets involved. She said, he’d hold it over her head and blackmail her, and he said, what would she do, hypothetically? She said, chain him up in a basement and put a ball gag in his mouth, and he said, failing that? She said she might have to shoot him dead.

Carly told Jack that she’d needed time to process. She got it in her head why he didn’t tell her about Vaughn being an agent, but it hurt. When she was hurt, she pulled back. He said he was so sorry. He’d done a lot of midnight runs and cold showers trying to figure out how to fix it. She said she’d spent a few sleepless nights herself, but she missed him. She missed talking to him and confiding in him and the ease of being together. He said it was on him, but she said, no. It was on her. She knew she’d been sending him mixed signals. Understanding, but not forgiving. She thought it came down to acceptance. Could she accept who he was? He asked if she could and she said she was there, wasn’t she?

Nathan asked if they’d found anything before they got caught, but Charlotte said, no. There were no animals or evidence of anything. Danny said he picked up some notes, but put them back, and Nathan asked if they broke or overturned anything. Charlotte said they didn’t damage anything in any way, and Nathan said he knew it was hard, but thanked them for the information. Rocco was lucky to have them. He said he’d be right back, and in the squad room, he asked an officer for Jason’s contact information.  

Sonny said Laura’s reputation spoke for itself. Meanwhile, everybody saw Dalton manhandle a teenager. He didn’t just act like a bully, but he was slimy. It rolled off him. Sometimes you had to trust that voters knew the truth. They weren’t fools. Laura said she’d feel better if she’d had the chance to debate Boyle, and he said she had the chance, but chose her grandson. It was the right thing. They both knew Rocco would never destroy the lab. She said, he wouldn’t, but he did break in, and Sonny said, but he didn’t destroy it. No way. That meant that bastard framed their grandson.

Nathan called Jason and asked him to come to the PCPD. It was about his son.

Lulu told Dante not to think she’d forgotten her daughter. Charlotte and Rocco knew better, or they should, and neither one of them gave consideration to Dante being Police Commissioner or that their grandmother was mayor. Dante said, they did. They used the debate as a diversion. She said she thought what was troubling her was there being a pattern. Rocco had lied to them before about keeping in touch with Charlotte, who protected him. Dante said, and he met with Obrecht, and she said, and now Britt. And Charlotte was there every step of the way. He said they’d address that later on. Right now, they had to get Rocco out, which may involve Danny and Charlotte. Nathan came in, and Lulu asked if Rocco was okay, but Nathan said it was about Charlotte.

Sonny said he was able to get the information from Turner that Dalton came to her privately with pictures of the damage, and Laura said, Dalton never once mentioned it when he was trying to get Danny arrested. Did he know if the PCPD had looked into it? He said, not yet, and she asked how charges were filed if the police hadn’t verified everything. He said, Turner told him that she had to come forward fast because things were rolling really good. Ignoring it would mean she favored Rocco. Laura said, whose grandmother was the mayor and father was the Police Commissioner, and he said, it was a bad look. Turner felt like she had to pursue it despite the plea deal. Laura asked if he trusted Ric, and he said, most of the time, no, but he did with the Rocco situation. Ric was hellbent on making peace with him and right now nothing was more important than getting Rocco home safe.

Alexis said, finding out Drew was holding the test results over Portia’s head explained the fallout between Curtis and Drew, and Ric said it would be one helluva bomb shell in court. It would cast doubt on Willow’s guilt and blow the case out of the water. She was welcome. Now it was her turn. Was she ready to talk to Danny about Rocco?

Marco told Sidwell that Dalton proved he’d take matters into his own hands when he felt wronged. All the more reason not to anger him more by taking him away from the research. He’d seen too much. Sidwell said Dalton may be privy to their intel, but if he went away, so did their problems. They heard the door and Britt came in. She asked to speak to Sidwell alone, and Marco said, of course (🍷). He left, and Sidwell wondered what he was accused of this time. She said she’d been the backbone of the operation. She came to Sidwell when Dalton wanted to double-cross him and given him everything. And her reward had been watching Sidwell help Dalton railroad an innocent kid.

Charlotte told Danny that it was one thing to talk about it, but being in an interrogation room made it all too real. The possibility of going to juvie was hitting her. Danny said it was worth it. It was only fair to sacrifice for Rocco doing the same. Nathan came back with Jason, Dante, and Lulu.

Jack asked how Carly knew he was there. Was her staff spying on him? Since they were being honest, did she really come across the wine by accident? Carly said, the wine wasn’t in the MetroCourt wine cellar. She had her sommelier hunt it down in case she needed an excuse. He said, not ever, and she said she did, because she didn’t have the guts to come and tell him that she was ready to put everything behind them. He took her glass out of her hand, set it aside, and knelt down in front of her. He said, good. Was she sure? She kissed him.

Nathan said, unfortunately, he was a little rusty on procedure. Danny and Charlotte were minors and needed a parent or guardian present to make a statement. Danny asked if their confessions meant nothing, and Charlotte said they couldn’t trust the police even when they were doing the right thing. Lulu said, at least it was over now, but Danny said now they could confess for real. Jason said, absolutely not, and Lulu said they’d been given a second chance. Dante said, and they weren’t going to let them blow it.  

Alexis told Ric that it was a great strategy, but the witnesses hinged on parental consent. It wouldn’t be easy. Jason called her and told her to come to the PCPD. He was with Danny. She asked what was going on, and he said Danny was determined to go down with Rocco breaking into the lab. Alexis suggested Ric come with her to the PCPD. It looked like they didn’t have to convince Danny to do anything. She thought he was going to confess.

Jack and Carly got busy, when his phone rang. He told the caller that they needed to have the conversation on a secure line. He’d call from the office. Carly said, duty calls? and he said, unfortunately so. She said, okay. Nothing was more important than the WSB. Jack asked if there was any chance she’d be there when he got back, but she said she didn’t think so, but she might come back later tonight. She left.

Laura said the election results were starting to roll in, and Sonny said she had this. She said she appreciated his optimism, and he said he believed in her. So why didn’t they get her reelected, and with any luck, Measure C would burn down in flames. She said it was out of their hands now. That’s how she felt about Rocco. She couldn’t do anything about the election, but she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Sonny said, Rocco might not be there for too long. Dalton could change his story, or somebody could change it for him.

An officer told Dante that Ric was in his office and said it was important. Dante and Lulu left, and Laura came in with Alexis. Jason said he’d called Alexis because Danny refused to let it go, and Alexis said she’d been hoping not to have this conversation with Danny. Never speak to the police without an attorney present. And by attorney, she meant either her or Diane. She asked to speak to Danny in private, but Danny said he had to do this. He got that they were trying to protect him, but Rocco was in trouble. He wanted to take full responsibility for his part. Alexis said that was admirable, and Danny said Rocco would do the same for him.  He knew it was what his mom would want. Jason said it was his choice. (I like Jason more as time goes on.)

Sidwell said he’d just learned the extent of Dalton’s actions, and Britt said he was just behind in the backstabbing. Sidwell said he’d never sanction such recklessness. It would bring attention to their work from the authorities. He was becoming more unruly. Britt said she guessed she wasn’t surprised that Dalton was doing stupid things, and Sidwell said Dalton was doing it on his own. She said she was relieved he had nothing to do with it and Sidwell said he was as unpleasantly surprised as she was, but for a different reason. Rocco could have ruined their project and uncovered evidence of what they were hiding. She said he wouldn’t have understood it even if he found it, and Sidwell asked if she thought Rocco would connect anything, but she said she didn’t think Rocco even knew she worked there. She’d never breathe a word to anyone, but Dalton made it personal. Even though Rocco wasn’t technically her son, he meant more to her than any of this. He said, meaning? and she said he had to put Dalton on a leash and get him to drop the charges today or she’d torch the entire operation.  

Ric told Lulu and Dante, as far as he knew, Rocco was okay, and he had a way to save him.

Alexis told Danny, when it was a misdemeanor, it made sense, and Danny said, quit protecting him. Charlotte asked if it was better that one fall than all three.

Ric said Dalton escalated this using manufactured evidence. Now Rocco was facing felony charges that could land him in a juvenile facility and give him a record that could follow him for the rest of his life.

Alexis said, if Danny and Charlotte both came forward and corroborated Rocco’s story, they’d prove Dalton’s was a fabrication.

Ric said they’d establish Dalton’s story was false and force him to be prosecuted for a false report and obstruction of justice.

Alexis said, they’d turn the tables and make Dalton the defendant.

Wednesday:

Just the Meat🥩and Potatoes🥔because, see Wicked: For Good Below.

Josslyn met Vaughn at the Brown Dog and told her to shake a tipsy Dalton down for information.

Sidwell told Britt that he was her savior. Without the medicine, what kind of life would she have?

Alexis told Danny and Charlotte to tell the truth.

Sonny joined Dante and Lulu, and Ric told Sonny his strategy. Dante didn’t want to sacrifice Danny and Charlotte.

Laura told Jordan that if protecting Rocco cost her the election, she’d spend her last few hours doing as much as she could for him. Boyle had taken an early lead.

Gio wondered if Rocco felt the same way Dante did, but Emma told him to stop blaming himself.

Josslyn provided a sympathetic ear to Dalton, who said, animals were a tool. (I said he was a tool.) He didn’t do any testing on campus after what had happened in California. He did all of his important work in a lab that PCU knew nothing about.

Britt said, one minute she was dying in her mother’s arms, and the next she woke up at the Five Poppies. Sidwell said she’d been saved and all he asked in return was that she finish her father’s work. He asked how much she’d told Jason.

Alexis asked Nathan what he thought about Danny and Charlotte’s confession, and he said they’d be good witnesses if their parents allowed it.

Ric said Alexis agreed with him. If it went to trial, odds were the jury would believe Danny and Charlotte. Sonny asked Dante and Lulu to hear Ric out.

Josslyn urged Dalton to talk more, saying he could win a Nobel prize. He told her there were no neighbors near his secret lab, so they couldn’t hear the dogs barking, but he wasn’t a monster. Josslyn said she never thought he was. Gio and Emma came in and saw them.

Alexis talked to Jason, who agreed that Danny’s mom would want him to do what was right.

Charlotte told Danny that she wanted to go over the story, since what they’d told Nathan couldn’t be used. She wanted to make sure Rocco walked and Dalton paid.

Emma thought Josslyn was trying to get her research position back, and Josslyn suggested she and Dalton leave. He asked if she wanted to try out the comfy couch in his lab, when Gio asked if Josslyn wanted to have a drink with them, and she told Dalton that she’d be right back. Emma told Josslyn about Rocco and told Dalton that he should be locked up instead of Rocco.

Laura apologized to Jordan for not touching base, but Jordan said she’d failed to find anything illegal Sidwell was doing. Drew came by and told Laura it was obvious a new mayor had been chosen by the voters. Jordan said he was premature and wondered what had happened to Drew. Most people took stock after a near-death experience, and she hoped he took a hard look at himself. Drew was dismissive of her, and Laura said she wanted a word alone with the congressman.

Emma wondered why she never got in the lab. She knew Dalton was doing something wrong like he did at the old university. She told him that she was behind both break-ins and when he threatened her, she threw her drink on him.

Britt said she’d told Jason nothing, and Sidwell said Jason couldn’t save her from the bomb in her DNA. Only he could.

Charlotte wanted to destroy Dalton and suggested they say Dalton hit Rocco. Danny agreed, and Charlotte practiced a convincing argument. He said her parents had no idea how much trouble she was.

Sonny said he thought the only way to set Rocco free was for Danny and Charlotte to confess, and Alexis said Jason was on board. Lulu said she couldn’t sacrifice one of her children for another, and Dante said he’d follow her lead. Alexis said they could see what happened with Danny, and Lulu went to talk to Charlotte.

Laura said if she lost the office, it would be up to Drew to protect the people of Port Charles. He wanted her to endorse Ezra, but she said he was in Sidwell’s pocket. Drew flashed back to Sidwell saying Drew would do his bidding. From now on Drew worked for him. Step out of line and his life would go down. Drew told Laura that Sidwell’s record was spotless and she turned a blind eye to Sonny’s. Laura said she believed Drew was motivated by pure spite against Sonny Jason and Michael.

Vaughn wanted to speak with Dalton alone and suggested he come to the station and straighten things out. Dalton agreed, and Vaughn said if he was even late, an armed agent would be sent to get him. Dalton left and Vaughn followed. Emma asked if the WSB had been investigating Dalton the whole time.

Jason thanked Nathan for protecting the kids. Jason said he respected Danny’s decision, but Charlotte couldn’t do anything without her mom’s okay. Lulu fretted to Nathan about the possibility of things going wrong.

Sonny said Turner would claim the kids were lying, and Alexis said, that’s where forensics came in. Dante said they had a great legal team, and Ric said all they needed was reasonable doubt. He wanted to make Dalton lose it on the stand.

Lulu told Charlotte that Rocco was fine and Danny’s word might be enough, but Charlotte said she had to do this for Rocco. Trust her.

Britt said she’d felt trapped, but wouldn’t let Dalton ruin Rocco’s life. Dalton ran in and said the WSB was after him now.

Josslyn said Vaughn had lied to her too, and Emma said none of this had to happen because he was already on the WSB radar. Rocco getting locked up was for nothing. Josslyn said it wasn’t.

Laura said she’d been thrilled when Drew was elected, but she hadn’t expected him to abuse his power by going after people he didn’t like. He said she’d appointed her ex-son-in-law as acting Police Commissioner, but she said Dante was the next best senor detective on the force after Mac. He said she constantly supported Sonny, when accusing him of promoting his personal interests. She was no better than him.

Jordan said the race was about to be called and showed Laura her phone. Jordan said, congratulations. Four more years.

Josslyn told Emma and Gio that Dalton had another lab. She had respect for Emma. She left and Gio said the WSB would find Dalton’s hidden lab. Outside, Josslyn met Vaughn, who said, good job with Dalton, and kissed her.

Lulu agreed to Charlotte turning herself in, and Jason said he was proud of both of them. Nathan said they were free to go, but how did they get the key fob? Danny said they took it from Britt’s purse.

Sonny didn’t like the odds, but Ric told him not to give in to the temptation to help out. Sonny said, no Dalton, no case, but Ric said their strategy would work.

Britt said Sidwell needed to cut Dalton loose, and Sidwell said Dalton had become a liability. Britt said Dalton was a useless tool. He was sloppy and lied. Who needed that? Sidwell agreed and shot him.

Thursday:

At Windymere, Dalton harangued Sidwell about getting the WSB to back off him, and Britt said he’d lied to the PCPD, trashed his lab to frame a teenage kid, and put their operation at risk to throw a tantrum. Sidwell said he was a liability, but Dalton argued that he was an asset. Britt said he was a useless tool and she could do his work and her own. He was sloppy and lied. Who needed him? Sidwell said he had to agree and shot Dalton. Britt asked why he did that, and Sidwell said he took her advice and cut him loose.

Lulu congratulated Laura, and Laura asked how Rocco was. Lulu said he hated being in juvenile detention. She hated it more, but Alexis and Ric had a strategy that could make this go away. It was risky and involved… Boyle walked in and said Laura thought she’d won, but he wasn’t going down without a fight.

Willow went to see Alexis and said she wanted to take a more active role in her defense.

Nina met Chase at the Brown Dog, and he said he wanted to learn more about her new assistant.

At the MetroCourt, Michael gave Jacinda a picture of a spider that Wiley drew for her. Sonny came over to the table and asked if Michael was going to introduce him to his friend.

At a table nearby, Ava and Marco waited for Lucas. Ava said if Marco ever broke Lucas’s heart, they’d have a serious problem.

Carly got in the elevator with Lucas, and he said he was dining there with Marco, but if it was an issue, they’d leave.

Britt tried CPR, but Sidwell said she was wasting her time. Dalton was dead before he hit the ground.

Laura said the voters had spoken and Boyle lost. Try to be gracious about it. Boyle said the voters were idiots. She’d said her grandson was more important than they were, and the fools voted for her anyway. She said she stood up for her grandson, and he said her grandson broke into the lab and she’d pressured Dalton to drop the incident. She reminded him about due process, and he said Rocco would get what he deserved. She asked if he didn’t have a concession speech to write, and he said Sonny bought Laura the election.

Michael introduced Jacinda to Sonny, and Sonny said Michael spoke highly of her. He told Michael that the voters of Port Charles had done the right thing, and Michael asked if he had an update on Measure C. Sonny said it was too close to call, but it would be nice if they got two miracles in one night.

Alexis suggested it was better that Willow do nothing, but Willow said it was hard to sit back. Alexis said it was best for her to stay out of trouble and away from the spotlight. Stay away from Michael and the kids. Willow said she’d already screwed up that last part. She’d found out Nina was at the MetroCourt Gardens with Wiley, but saw Michael, her son, and Michael’s alibi acting like the perfect little family.

Ava said she and Lucas had connected during his stay with her, and Marco said he understood, but Lucas might be the best thing that ever happened to him. He’d never do anything to hurt Lucas and would do everything in his power to make Lucas happy.

On the phone Sidwell asked someone to come upstairs. He seemed to have made a mess. Britt said he murdered Dalton just like that, and he said, you’re welcome. She said she wasn’t thanking him. She’d wanted him to pay Dalton off and let him leave. He said she must have known she’d sealed Dalton’s fate when she ratted him out. This is what happened when you betrayed him. It’s what happened when you became more trouble than you were worth.

Chase said Jacinda was an odd choice for assistant, and Nina said she wasn’t talking without a lawyer. Chase said he wasn’t there as a cop, but as Willow’s friend. It was off the record. He wanted to help her daughter and clear her name. She said, one way was to invalidate Michael’s alibi. The only reason she’d hired Jacinda was because Michael forced her to.

Jacinda said she’d met Michael’s son and dad, and Michael said she’d been great with both. She said, it was so easy, sometimes she forgot it was pretend. Was their fake relationship feeling like it was getting pretty serious?

Laura said Boyle tried to use her connection to Sonny, but the voters saw through it. It was time to give it up. Lulu said, speaking of that, could she get a preview of his concession speech and reaction to the election results? He said, go to hell, and she asked if she could quote him. He said it wasn’t over, but Laura said the voters had rejected him and his toxic politics. A tantrum wouldn’t change that. She steered him out the door, telling him to go tantrum all he wanted, but not there. She slammed the door behind him.

Carly said Lucas and Marco didn’t have to leave, and apologized for what she’d said earlier. Lucas said he’d meant what he said. If she couldn’t accept Marco as a part of his life, he’d have to cut her out. The elevator door opened.

Carly sat down with Sonny, and he asked if she’d seen their son with Jacinda. Carly said she was distracted. It was weird in the elevator with Lucas and if she didn’t keep her big mouth shut, she may lose her brother.

Marco asked Lucas if everything was okay, and Ava said, it was his sister, wasn’t it? Carly had a lot of nerve, having a problem with them moving in together. Lucas said he hoped that Carly would see they were happy and they’d figure out a way to repair their relationship. Right now, he had no bandwidth to fight. He thought he was going to enjoy living in Windymere again.

Sidwell told Britt that he’d hired Pascal as his new butler, and she said Pascal strapped a bomb to her ankle and threatened her. Pascal said, it was nothing personal, and she said, it was annoying. Sidwell said Pascal had his uses. He wanted Pascal to escort her home. She was shaken up and he’d hate for her to do anything unwise.

Willow told Alexis that she couldn’t believe Michael exposed her son to a sex worker. She had to help prove her innocence. Alexis said if she wanted to help, it was simple. Tell her where she was when Drew was shot.

Chase suggested Michael and Jacinda had a quid pro quo arrangement and asked how Nina and Jacinda met. Nina said, when she was co-owner of the hotel, she saw Jacinda on dates, and he asked if she checked into a room. Nina said, often enough. She had to kick Jacinda out lest the hotel get a reputation. He said she knew Jacinda would be open to being paid for unconventional services, and she said she saw Jacinda with Boyle and knew she was the type of girl Drew would go for.

Jacinda told Michael that she loved working at Crimson. Nina resented her, but there was nothing she could do about it, so she was learning what she could until Nina got rid of her. He said Nina wouldn’t get rid of her, and she said she thought she was slowly earning Nina’s respect on the job. He said maybe it was her true calling, and she said it hadn’t happened because she hadn’t been given the opportunity. Boyle came by and asked why she hadn’t returned his calls.

Carly said she couldn’t stand by and watch Lucas get hurt, but Sonny said Lucas was crazy about the guy. Nothing she could say would change his mind. She said he knew Sidwell was dangerous, and he said they were still close. Her association with him came with a certain amount of risk. It almost cost Laura the election. Thank God she won.

Laura asked about the plan to free Rocco, and Lulu said, Alexis and Ric wanted Charlotte and Danny to come forward. They were hoping the corroboration of Rocco’s story along with the trace DNA would prove Dalton trashed his own lab and framed Rocco. She was proud that the kids wanted to help, but worried about the risk, and Laura said cover-ups rarely worked out and usually did more damage when the truth came out.  

Britt said she wasn’t going anywhere with Pascal and could get home fine on her own, but Sidwell said he insisted. She said, fine, and gave her keys to Pascal. She asked what Sidwell was going to do with the professor, and he said he believed Dalton still had some use.

Lulu told Laura that the decision had been made already and the kids were turning themselves in tomorrow. She prayed it made this nightmare go away. Laura said prison was too good for Dalton, and Lulu said she saw the video of Laura going off on him. Laura said it wasn’t one of her prouder moments, but he’d crossed the line and she couldn’t stand by and let it happen.

Michael said it was a private conversation, and Boyle said he’d pay triple what Michael was. Jacinda said Michael wasn’t paying her, and Boyle said the agency told him she wasn’t working there anymore, but a girl like her didn’t do anything for free. Michael got up and said he didn’t want to make a scene. Boyle needed to walk away, or he’d throw him out himself. Jacinda said it was okay. Boyle was an old friend. She told Boyle, sorry, but she’d found a new line of work. No hard feelings. Boyle said, fine, but don’t delete his number. Michael would drop her as quick as he picked her up. He left.

Carly said Lulu was worried about Rocco, and Sonny said him too, but Ric had a solid legal strategy. Carly wondered why Sonny hired Ric, and he said, Ric came to make peace and he gave Ric a chance to prove himself. She said she thought it was the worst mistake ever, but he said his eyes were wide open, but people could change – some for the better, some for the worse. He looked at Michael, and she asked if he was talking about their son. He said Michael had been through hell and back and it changed a person. He wasn’t exactly sure Michael didn’t shoot Drew and frame Willow.  

Chase asked Nina to call if she thought of something helpful, and she thanked him. She asked if he was sure he wouldn’t get in trouble with the department for going against him, but he said it was his job to insure justice was served and he believed Willow was innocent. She said she wasn’t so confident. A huge part of her wanted to shoot Drew too. He said quite a few people felt the same way, but she said, no one else fabricated an alibi for their daughter and made it worse. He promised to do his best to prove Willow innocent.

Willow told Alexis that Nina hurt her with the false alibi, but when she was questioned, she was afraid to contradict Nina. She’d thought it was Nina’s alibi. Alexis asked where she was, and Willow said, the hospital, working. Chase had just told her that the judge charged with her custody case had been murdered. She’d been led to believe the judge was sympathetic to her and she was devastated. So she went for a walk to clear her head, but it started to rain, so she sat in her car looking at pictures of her kids on her phone and crying. Alexis asked if she drove anywhere, and Willow said she’d been too much of a mess to go inside, so she drove, but didn’t go anywhere. Alexis asked if she stopped anywhere, but Willow said, no. She pulled herself together and drove back. She got soaked in the rain, but went back to work. Alexis asked if she drove by Drew’s house, but Willow swore she didn’t go anywhere near it.  

In her room above Bobbie’s, Britt said she was home. Pascal could go now. Pascal said she hadn’t changed. She still thought she was calling the shots. She’d proven she was unreliable and uncooperative. If she’d been more of a team player, he wouldn’t have had to flee the Five Poppies. She said, that wasn’t her fault, and he said she’d been given a second chance and wouldn’t be given a third.  

Laura said she had to finish some work, but Lulu suggested she give herself a night off and enjoy her victory. Laura said she thought Lulu and Charlotte should have some one-on-one time, and Lulu said she was so proud of Laura. They hugged and Lulu left.

Alexis said, the next thing would be Willow being deposed and her testimony being entered. Her whereabouts were the first step to proving her innocence.

Carly asked if Sonny believed Willow over their son, and he said Michael had a lot of reasons to shoot Drew. If he did it, it wasn’t a problem. Carly asked if he had sympathy for Willow, and he said, she made mistakes, but he didn’t think she should hang for something she didn’t do.

Jacinda said, sorry, and Michael said, that guy is a jerk. She said Michael couldn’t afford a public fight when there was a chance Willow could walk free, but he said Boyle had no right to speak to her like that, like she was bought and sold. She asked if that wasn’t what their deal was, when his phone chimed. He said, oh my God.

At the Brown Dog, Boyle ordered a whiskey.

Ava said, her treat, and Lucas said he was grateful she was supportive. She said she was happy for them, but confessed she’d miss their evenings of wine and watching trashy reality. Lucas said that was still happening. This one – he nodded toward Marco – thought he was too good for it. Ava’s phone signaled and she said Nina was on her way, so she was staying there. Marco asked if they should head home, and Lucas agreed.

Britt told Pascal that she’d do her work and keep her head down. She asked him to reiterate that she hadn’t spoken to anyone about their project, and he said, what about Jason Morgan and her mother? She said she knew her medicine would go away if she didn’t pull this off, and he said, what about the incident? She said, as far as she was concerned, she was there all night washing her hair, and he suggested she take an actual shower. There was still blood on her. He knew she was impulsive, but if she got the impulse to confide to anyone, remember they were watching her. He left and she screamed into a pillow.

While she was driving, Laura called Doc. She thanked him for his message and apologized for not getting back to him. It had been one helluva day. She knew it was midnight in Dublin, but wanted him to know his wife was still mayor. She wished he was there. She wanted to thank him for his patience, love, and support. She loved him so much. Call her. It didn’t matter what time. She’d be up. Her car began to wobble, and she said, no, not tonight, and pulled over.

Chase told Boyle, for what it was worth (🍷), he voted for him. Mayor Collins let organized crime run rampant and it was a slap in the face to law abiding citizens. Boyle thanked him and said he had nothing but the utmost respect for law abiding citizens. Would Chase like to join him in a drink? Chase said, yeah.

Willow thanked Alexis and they hugged. Willow said, it wasn’t a good alibi, was it? and Alexis said it wasn’t the best, but it was more believable than Michael’s fabricated alibi. Believability would work in her favor.

Nina joined Ava, and Ava said she didn’t know if they were drowning their sorrows or celebrating good news, but martinis were good for both. (Agreed.) Nina said she did something to help clear Willow, but she had to throw somebody under the bus. She had no choice, but she felt guilty. Jacinda may be the way to obliterate Michael’s alibi.

Sonny asked if Carly wanted to meet Michael’s new friend, but she said there was something she had to take care of first. She looked at a text from Jack asking if he was seeing her tonight.

Sonny went over to Michael’s table, and Michael said he had great news. It wasn’t public yet, but his sources at Aurora told him that Measure C didn’t pass. Sonny could keep his piers.

Marco said, welcome home, and he and Lucas went into the living room where Sidwell was reading. Marco said he thought Sidwell would be glued to the TV about Measure C., but Sidwell said he was trying not to stress about it. Pascal was working hard to put his mind at ease.

Britt took out her medicine and prepared a shot. As she was about to plunge in the syringe, her hand started to shake and she flashed back to Sidwell shooting Dalton. She sat on the floor and cried.

Laura got out of the car and discovered a screw had punctured a tire. She remembered she had flares in the trunk and opened it. She moved a tarp and revealed a dead Dalton. She backed away and screamed.

🫔 Friday’s Enchilada…

Laura opened her trunk and wondered, what on earth is this mess? She moved a tarp, uncovering Dalton’s dead body, and gasped.

There was a knock at Britt’s door, and she opened it to Jason He asked if it was too late, but she told him, come in. She asked if he’d believe her if she said she was glad to see him… What’s wrong? He said he had news about Rocco.

At the Brown Dog, Molly said she couldn’t believe Kristina had convinced her to come out again, and Kristina said, it only took a gazillion phone calls and messages. What case was so important she couldn’t steal away for an hour and have a drink with her sister? Molly said, first of all, it was never going be just an hour, and Kristina said, fair. Molly said, secondly, it wasn’t a case. Kristina assumed work was her whole life and that wasn’t true. She had plenty of other things going on. Kristina said, really? Like what? Oh wait. Hobbies? Molly said she had creative outlets and passions that Kristina didn’t even know about, when Cody walked in. Kristina asked him to come have a drink with them.

Sonny told Gio to have a seat and asked why he looked upset. What was going on? Gio said, Dante didn’t want him as his son, but Sonny said, that’s not true. Gio said it was, and it wasn’t going to change.

At the hospital on the phone with Tracy, Brook said everything was fine. She was fine; Chase was fine. Just enjoy her trip and know that they love her. They’ll talk soon. She leaned on a door and Michael put his hand on her shoulder.

Chase went to Alexis’s office and said he was driving by and took s chance that she’d be here. She said she was on her way out. Could it wait until tomorrow? He said, not really, but he promised to make it quick and worth her time, and she said, it sounds intriguing. What did he have? He said, Michael gave the police a false alibi and he could prove it.

Laura freaked out, saying, oh God… Professor Dalton… Oh my God. She touched the pulse point on Dalton’s neck and said, oh God. No, no, no.

Kristina asked how Outback was doing, and Cody said she was doing great. She’s grooved in. She was now friends with Hades and they were plotting something. Thanks for asking. Molly asked if he’d gone on any hikes lately and found any dads fleeing Ayahuasca cults, and he said, no. So far, just hers. She said she honestly couldn’t believe he rescued her father. She just couldn’t imagine what would have happened if he hadn’t been in the woods. He asked, how’s Ric? and she said, amazing. He’s been so positive and emotionally available since he’s been back. She was seeing him now more than ever, all thanks to Cody. Cody said, it was nothing, but Molly said, it was everything. He said, seriously, he was just in the right place at the right time, and she asked why he refused to take credit for the wonderful things he did.

Chase said, Jacinda Bracken was still working as an escort the night of Drew’s shooting, and Alexis said, relevance? He said, just that it’s possible she could have taken a job that night and Ezra hired her before. Alexis asked how he knew, and he said, Nina Reeves told him that she’d seen them together a couple times at the MetroCourt. Alexis said she was going to stop him there, because Nina would do anything to exonerate her daughter. She’d already given Willow a false alibi and made everything worse. He said, but he got confirmation, and she said, that Jacinda and Ezra were together the night that Drew was shot? From whom? He said, Ezra himself.

Britt asked if Rocco was okay, and Jason said, he was fine. Ric came up with a new legal strategy. They were going to turn the tables on Dalton. She flashed back to Sidwell shooting Dalton and asked how they were going to do that. He said, Danny and Charlotte were coming forward tomorrow morning, and she said, they’re going to turn themselves in? He said, yeah. They were going to say they broke into the lab with Rocco, but they didn’t destroy the lab. It was in perfect condition when they left. She said it sounded straightforward enough. Alexis was in agreement? He said, yeah. She believed this was Rocco’s best chance. Britt said, okay then. That’s what they should do. She thanked him for coming back to fill her in, and he said he knew how much she cared about Rocco, and she said, he might be the only one. Was there something else? He said Danny and Charlotte stole the key fob from her purse. Why did she have the key to Dalton’s lab?

Michael said, it’s not Ned, is it? and Brook said, no. Her dad was doing great. He said, thank God for that, and she said she was just talking to her grandmother… actually lying to her. Mostly by omission, but still, it was Tracy’s son and she would not be happy to find out. He said, with any luck, Ned would be out of the hospital by the time Tracy got home. She had to understand that even if she was here, there was nothing she could do about it. Brook said he made it sound so reasonable, but it was Tracy… He said, so be prepared for anything, and she said she loved Tracy and knew she had the best of intentions, but she would just stress Olivia out and try to take over her dad’s care. He said, and give the doctors a hard time, and she said, Olivia doesn’t need that, not after everything she’d been through. He said, Brook had been through a lot too, and she said she’d been terrified for her father, but he was okay. He made it and could only improve his health from here. Michael said she still seemed so upset. Why? She said she couldn’t stand it. Her heart was breaking over Dante and Gio.  

Sonny said it was amazing how Gio came clean with Dante. That must not have been easy. Gio said, Dante was Rocco’s father and deserved to know what happened and he did rope Rocco into the whole thing. Sonny said he assumed Dante wasn’t happy, and Gio said, he’s furious.  Sonny said, especially after what happened last spring, and Gio said, Dante was back to his old opinion of him, except now it was worse because this time he wasn’t looking out for his brother. Back then, he was just a random kid. Sonny said, he wasn’t just some random kid and things were a little more complicated than that. There were moving pieces he wasn’t considering. Gio said, those moving pieces didn’t matter because Dante wasn’t wrong. He let Rocco down, and Dante had every right to be angry. Sonny said, once Rocco was out of the detention center and time passed, Dante would be fine, but Gio said he didn’t think so. Sonny said, he was with the alcohol poisoning, but Gio said this felt different though. Sonny hadn’t seen him. Dante wasn’t mad at what he did. It was like Dante was more mad with who he was. Sonny told him, things were said because things got heated in the moment. That’s what parents did with children when they worried and the worry came off as anger. Gio said there was nothing between him and Dante. Dante was his biological father, but that’s where it ended. Sonny said Dante knew Gio was his son and loved him with all his heart, but Gio said he just felt bad. He didn’t want to put Sonny in the middle or make him choose sides. Sonny said he wasn’t choosing sides, and he was glad Gio came and talked to him. He wanted Gio to know that, no matter what, he could love his son and his grandson at the same time.

Laura said, oh my God, and flashed back to saying Dalton was trying to frame her grandson for a crime he didn’t commit and it wouldn’t end well for him. She closed the trunk and hyperventilated. She took out her phone and scrolled through the numbers. She said, Doc couldn’t help her. He was in Dublin… Okay. She made a call and Alexis’s outgoing message said, sorry, I can’t come to the phone. Laura said, dammit… Ugh… She looked at her car, then made another call. She said, hi. I’m in trouble… I’m out on Route 23… I don’t know what marker… Yes, mile It’s mile 8… Okay. She ended to call and said, oh my God. She got back into the car, cried, and banged on the steering wheel, saying, no, no, no, no, no.

Chase said he was at the Brown Dog, when who walked in but the one and only Ezra Boyle, and Alexis said, thank God there was only one of them. Was that tonight? He said, yeah. After Boyle lost the election, he was drowning his sorrows. She said she was really glad Laura won because she was worried when Boyle was ahead in the polls for that hot second, and Chase told her it was fair to say Boyle did not take the news well. He thought it was an opportunity to learn something and sat next to him and they got to chatting. Alexis asked if Boyle opened up to him, and Chase said, he did. He told Boyle that he voted for him and bought him a drink. Boyle trusted him, so he bought him a few more and Boyle told him his tale of woe. She said, and Jacinda was part of the tale? and he said, she was. After losing what Boyle said was a rigged election, he needed some TLC from his old girlfriend as consolation. She said, Jacinda is his old girlfriend? and Chase said, she’s something. When Boyle ran into her, he was run off by Michael Corinthos. Alexis said that was all well and good, but didn’t refute Michael’s alibi, and he said, it did if the last time they hooked up was the night Drew Cain got shot.

Brook told Michael that she wasn’t saying Gio shouldn’t take responsibility for his part in getting Danny, Rocco, and Charlotte in trouble, but he had. It was obvious he’d never meant for them to break into the lab. Michael said he got it. Sometimes parents were so worried about their kid, the other person’s intentions didn’t matter. She said, Dante was entitled to his anger. She would never say anything different, but when he got angry, Michael should have seen the way he went after Gio. He didn’t have a shred of empathy or attempt to understand. Gio tried to explain himself, but Dante wouldn’t hear it. At the end, he ended up saying some pretty awful things. Michael said he was sorry. It must have been hard to watch. She said she didn’t think she’d ever be able to forget it. All she wanted to do is wrap her arms around Gio and tell him everything was okay, but she couldn’t. There was absolutely nothing she could do.

Britt asked if Jason pretended to care about her just to get what he wanted, and he said, believe him or not, he did care about her. She said, when it suited him, but when he was needed elsewhere, bye. This was her room and she needed him to leave. He said, okay. He would after she told him what she knew about Dalton. He had something to do with her work at the Five Poppies and now she was here in Port Charles with the key fob to the guy’s lab. Obviously, she and Dalton were working together.

Nathan pulled up behind Laura, who noticed blood on her wrist. She said, dammit, and looked for something to wipe it off with. Nathan came up to the window and asked if she was okay, and she said, yes.

Michael tells Brook, not all fathers and sons have effortless relationships. In fact, he’d venture to say most probably don’t. It took work, the constant drawing and redrawing of the boundaries all the time. Look at him and his dad. She says she knows he and Sonny had… could they call it challenging times? and he says, let’s call them that, but the thing that made the biggest difference for him was his mom. Brook says, how so? and he says, the thing between him and his dad, even at their worst, he always knew they’d wind up being okay because of his mom’s support. Before she said he sounded hypocritical, keeping Willow away from Wiley and Amelia, Willow isn’t the kind of mother the kids could count on the way he counted on his. He wished things were different, but that was just the reality of his situation. But it didn’t have to be with her. She asks if he thinks she can do for Gio what Carly did for him, and he says, just do it. Reach out to Gio. She says, in person, on the phone, text? She doesn’t know what to say that would mean anything. He says he thinks she’ll be fine, but she says she’s paralyzed. He knows her and this has never been her. But when it comes to Gio, she’s terrified of doing something wrong that will push him further away than he already is. He says, she’s right. He does know her. That’s why he has faith she’ll figure it all out. She says she’s glad one of them does, and he says he’s thirsty. He’s going to the cafeteria to get a smoothie. She says, that would be great, and he says he’ll be right back. She thanks him for listening and talking her off the ledge. Or trying to. He says he’s been leaning on family a lot lately and it feels good to do something for someone else, especially her, and he leaves.

Alexis says she sees Chase had given a lot of effort here, and he says he wants to help Willow. She says she just wishes it would do the trick, but he knows she can’t put him on the stand, and he says, hearsay. She says, yeah. She’d have to depose Ezra, who will say Chase is making up the story. Even if by some miracle, he said Chase was telling the truth, she’d have to depose Jacinda, who wouldn’t confirm it. He says she doesn’t have to depose anyone. He’s a detective. He’ll get proof.

Kristina says, there’s Jacinda, who she’s going to go talk to now. She leaves, and Cody says, not the master of subtlety, is she? Molly says, never quite has been, but that doesn’t stop her from trying though.

Kristina approaches Jacinda and says, hey. She tells Jacinda that it’s great to see her and she’s been meaning to reach out. How is she doing? Jacinda says, busy, but good busy. How is it going with the Charlie’s restoration? Kristina says, actually, really bad. They uncovered some pretty bad structural damage after the fire, so the whole building has to be razed. Jacinda says, so she won’t be reopening ever? and Kristina says, nope. Jacinda says she’s so sorry, and Kristina says her too. She’s trying to be positive. Looking at it as one door closing and another opening. Some days she’s better at it than others. Jacinda says, of course (🍷) she is, but that’s a smart way to look at it. Kristina says, yeah. Do her a favor. Speaking of opening doors, could Jacinda laugh like she just said something really funny? Jacinda laughs, then asks why she’s doing this. Kristina says she’s trying to give those dummies a moment. She looks toward Kristina and Cody and says, they’re totally crushing on each other and they have no idea. Not yet anyway.

Britt says she doesn’t owe Jason an explanation, but he says, whatever was going on at the Five Poppies almost got her and Josslyn killed. She says, and obviously he’s still mixed up in it , and he says, she works with Dalton and he knows she’s in trouble. He wants to help. She laughs, and he says, but she can’t keep him in the dark like this. He wants to help. She says, if she tells him, she has to know he’ll put her first. She has to know that it’s worth her risking her life.

Laura tells Nathan that she’s fine. She’s tired a bit overwhelmed. He says she’s been underneath a rough campaign, and she says, it’s been a lot. She’s supposed to be congratulating her team right now and got a flat tire and… He says, one thing too many, and she says, yeah. He says she should be out celebrating, not stuck with a flat. She’s got a spare, right? He moves toward the trunk and she jumps out of the car. Sonny says, hello, officer… Mayor Collins. Is she in some kind of trouble?

Gio comes out of the elevator and sees Brook. He starts to avoid her, but she says, hey. He says, hey. Is Michael here? She says, yeah. He’ll be right back. He went to the cafeteria to get something. He asks if everything is okay with Ned, and she says, better than okay. He’s doing great. Gio says, that’s such a relief, and she says, it really is. If he doesn’t want to hang around, she’ll give Michael a message. He says he’ll wait. Sonny asked him to come by. He said Michael needed him, but he wasn’t sure what for. She says she thinks he meant she needed Gio.

Cody asks if Molly’s sister is coming back, but Molly says she doesn’t know. From look of it, she and Michael’s girlfriend get along like gangbusters. He says, she’s quite the looker, and Molly says, ya think? He says he means if you’re into that whole vibe… and Molly says, okay. When she first met Jacinda, she was a little skeptical. He says, how come? and she says she thought Michael had gotten himself an alibi. He says, it would have been one of her easier jobs, and Molly says, that’s what she thought too, but she doesn’t know. She guesses that sometimes you meet people under unusual circumstances, for the wrong reasons sometimes, and it turns out there’s just something about them. He says, they end up seeing the best in you, even if you can’t see it yourself.

Sonny says, when he called Laura, he knew she was upset. She said she had a flat? Give him two minutes and he’ll have it changed. Congratulations. He’s sure the last thing she expected was to be on the side of the road. Isn’t she supposed to be celebrating? Laura tells Nathan that she told Sonny she was in trouble, and Sonny says he has a bunch of tow trucks, but since it’s a flat, he’ll change it himself.  He was in the area and takes pride in changing a tire. Laura laughs unnaturally, and Nathan says, weird, but between the two of them, they’ll have it changed in no time. His phone rings, and he says, Detective West… Yeah. He’s got it… He’s on his way. Sonny says, duty calls? and Nathan says he hates leaving. He can call for back-up… Sonny says he wants to prove he can change a tire in two minutes, and Nathan asks if he’s sure. Laura says, positive, and Nathan says, all right. He’ll be on his way. Congratulations again. He leaves, and Sonny says, what are we dealing with here?

Gio asks what he can do, and Brook says, he could stay and listen. She promises not to take too long. He says, okay, and sits with her. She says, he needs to know that Dante doesn’t speak for her. She believes him. She knows he was just trying to help Emma save those animals. Period. He never meant for Rocco to get into trouble and there’s no way he could have guessed Rocco would. Gio says, no, he wouldn’t have gotten Rocco involved if he’d known, and she says, he was just doing the right thing and it went sideways. He’s not the first person that’s happened to and definitely won’t be the last. She knows he had the best intention. He says, it wasn’t enough though, was it? Someone still got hurt. She says, sometimes, they do… What is it? He says, just her saying that about trying to do good and having things go in a way you never saw coming. It’s kind of like when she gave him up.  

Chase tells Alexis that he’ll bring Ezra in on solicitation. He’ll have cause to question him. He’ll get a statement that proves Michael’s alibi is false. Alexis says, disproving Michael’s alibi does not exonerate Willow, but he says he doesn’t see how it can be anything but good for Willow’s case. She says she just wants to be clear. What he’s doing is risky. He has every right legally to question Ezra, but if he does, he’ll be wading into murky territory, especially given his history with Willow. Boyle is a former mayoral candidate. He asks if that puts him above the law, and she says, of course (🍷) it doesn’t, but he has allies in local, state, and federal government and they can be undercut if he says he was deposed against his will. Chase asks if she’s saying they can’t use it, but she tells him that she’s saying it’s not a slam dunk. And is it worth his career?

Cody asks how Molly’s lariat research is going, and she says she got what she needed and she’s on to the next subject. He says, which is? and she says, country music. She didn’t grow up listening to it and isn’t familiar with the genre. He says, which one? and she says, which one what? He says, there are a lot of different styles of country music. There’s bluegrass, there’s pop and rock, there’s folk… He can go on and on. She asks, which one can you dance to? and he says, why don’t they give this one a try? He gets up and holds out his hand. He bows to her, and she takes his hand. They dance, and she says, it’s not that bad. He says, right. It’s not that bad.

Gio says Brook couldn’t know what her mother and grandmother would do, and she says, the fact that he was down the block the whole time, but right. There’s no way she could have known what her ma and grandmother would do. Just like he couldn’t have known the kids were going to break into the lab. Can she ask him something? He nods, and she says, if Rocco told Gio what he was going to do, what would he have said? He tells her that he would have said, absolutely not. Then he would have gone to PCU and made sure the kids went nowhere near the lab. She says, that’s the thing. Rocco didn’t tell him. He can’t know what he doesn’t know. She puts her hand on his and he covers it with his other hand.

Sonny opens Laura’s trunk, and they look at each other.

Jason says Britt can trust him, and she says, if she tells him the truth, he has to stick around, no matter what. She cries, and his phone rings. He sees it’s Sonny, and she says, now that’s impeccable timing. Go on. He’s got to take that, doesn’t he? He says, what’s up?… Sonny says he needs Jason to handle something for him, and Jason says, right now? Sonny says he wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. He’ll send Jason the location. Jason says, okay. Understood. Britt opens the door and says, go. He knows he has to. He says, sorry, and she closes the door behind him.

Sonny says, Laura did the right thing by calling him. Now they’ve gotta go. Laura says, what about her car? and he says, don’t worry. He needs to think about this. Give him a minute… Listen to him. Getting to her car and putting a body in her trunk is like kicking over the first domino. And now the rest are falling. Does she understand what he’s saying? They’ve gotta go. She says, okay, and they walk off.

Alexis asks if Chase has voiced concerns to the precinct, and he says, yes. She says, great. Then he’s done his duty. He voiced his opinion. Let it be heard and overruled. He says, no, because it’s not right, and she says, he’s taking an enormous risk, but he says, Willow’s freedom is worth it.

Brook tells Gio that she’s all for taking responsibility. It was a hard-fought lesson for her, but she finally learned it. He asks, how? and she says, life, experiences. You don’t stop growing up when you turn 18. She’s still learning. He says he guesses they all are, and she says, which makes her even prouder that he owned up to his part in what happened. That takes guts. He says he messed up and owning it doesn’t change anything, and she says, wouldn’t it be great if it did? He’s allowed to have regrets, but not allowed to blame himself. It was Rocco’s choice that night. Dante was scared and lashed out. He was wrong and she has no problem saying so. He says he bets she won’t. Thanks, mom. They hug, and Michael sees them and smiles.

Cody and Molly dance, and she moves closer to him, putting her head on his shoulder.

Britt gets in bed and pulls up the covers. She flashes back to Sidwell telling her, let this be a lesson. This is what happens when you betray me. This is what happens when you become more trouble than you’re worth. She hugs her pillow and cries.

Jason changes the tire on Laura’s car. He gets in, starts the car, and drives off.

Back home, Laura cries and tells Sonny that she’s supposed to go congratulate her team, but she can’t do that now. He says, she was planning to do that, right? and she says, it didn’t go the way it was supposed to tonight. He says, listen, if somebody wants a hug or a handshake from the mayor, it doesn’t really matter at this point, and she says she knows. It’s just that when she saw Dalton’s body in her trunk, it’s like she got frozen. And she knew she should call the police, but she just stood there. He says, listen to him. Anybody that sees a dead body gets shaken up. Did she handle the body? She says she went to see if he had a pulse. She had to check. There was blood on her. He says, good thing the body is gone. She can’t ever have Dalton tied to her car. She asks what she should do, and he says, her car will be in her driveway tomorrow morning, after it’s been detailed. Dalton is gonna disappear for good, never to be seen again. She says she can’t do this, but he says, yes, she can. Look at him. Somebody is trying to make trouble for her. She says she knows, and he says, somebody who does not like the results. Does she understand what he’s saying? She says, yes. Ezra doesn’t like the results… Drew doesn’t like the results… It’s Sidwell.

On Monday, Jason says he’s going to prove to Britt that she can trust him; Turner asks Nathan to bring someone into custody; Sonny says Laura is opening both of them up to criminal charges; and Jack says this is what happens when someone disobeys his orders.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

Well, he had to go. There was no other way.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-comings-goings-daniel-goddard-exits-as-professor-henry-dalton/

I love that they gave her the opportunity to spread her wings. GH seems very good with that.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/kate-mansi-makes-general-hospital-directorial-debut-reveals-co-star-she-was-intimidated-to-direct/

If didn’t know or need to refresh like I did.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/what-did-general-hospitals-lulu-and-dante-have-to-do-with-michael-going-to-jail/

Highly doubtful he’ll be back on GH, but good to hear.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-alum-michael-easton-teases-comeback-after-work-sabbatical/

No surprise here. She was absolutely adorable!

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospitals-scarlett-spears-shines-alongside-ariana-grande-at-wicked-for-good-premiere/

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Below Deck Mediterranean

Captain Sandy was steaming when she found all the deckhands in the crew mess while they were on charter. In her interview, she said Nathan knew better and as a leader should set an example. Primary Joe selected two women for dates, but they skipped out on him, while Eyebrows Joe wanted to see both Cathy and V. Or was is Kizzy and V? Or Cathy and Kizzy? Who the hell knows and does it really matter? After getting a $25K tip, it was dinner on shore and the hot tub afterward.

Below Deck Mediterranean Season 10 Episode 8 Recap: The Arrival of Kissing Kizzi

Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City

A celebration of Britani with high body count hair and a teddy bear station. Todd got defensive over getting caught looking at a woman on his phone and Bronwyn showed him the door. Temporarily. Mary opened her church and was rockin’ and rollin’. Britani’s boyfriend accused her of flirting with little cabin boys. Um… did he mean the deckhands? The tip amount for the charter is as yet unknown.

RHOSLC Recap: Bronwyn Removes Her Wedding Ring After Kicking Todd Out of the House, Mary Reveals Robert Jr. Relapsed as the Ladies Attend Her Church, & Britani Cries After Jared Confronts Her for Flirting on the Boat and Calls Her “Unstable”

Southern Charm

Patricia threw Madison a baby shower, and in Madison’s interview, she said girls who claimed to love being pregnant were liars or sociopaths. Craig went blah-blah-blah, Paige betrayed him. Molly inherited some lizards and said she now had three cats and dogs, a gecko, and a corn snake. Good on her. Craig was annoyed with Venita as she’d said he was dragging out the breakup longer than need be, and Venita said Craig was a bitch and a certified a-hole, but not to his face. Salley wanted Venita to deal with Craig at the shower, but Venita didn’t want Craig to start ranting on Madison’s day. However, Craig did make a quilt for Madison that was quite impressive. Salley claimed it would be for the good of the group, which made me wonder if that really meant, for the good of the show.  

Southern Charm Season 11 Episode 1 Recap: Craig is Single and Ready to Mingle

Real Housewives Of Orange County

We revisited the Amsterdam highs and I’ll say it again, these women should just stay high, and the others should get high. They’re much more watchable. There was a lot about Gretchen liking some homophobic post and I actually believed she could be mindlessly scrolling and like something. I know because I’ve caught people liking a post of mine and making a comment that clearly showed they didn’t read it. Apparently, Gretchers had an independent company do an analysis and said the worst post had been a fabrication. Her finger pointed directly at Tamra who tried to overtalk her. Tamra and Emily got into it, Tamra starting things by calling Emily an a-hole. The best part was when Tamra – who goes directly to screeching – wailed that Emily was calling her names. In a moment of collective clarity, the others pointed out that she’d done it first. The aftermath of the Amsterdam dinner was shown and there was a lot about Tamra leaking things and plotting things. Gretchen said Tamra was mad because she got caught, and Tamra said, no you, but was the only one screeching. Even Andy told her, don’t yell at me. I also noticed Tamra’s tears dry up really fast. The teacher in Fancy Pants said, this has to stop, and Emily said it was hard enough to deal with the dynamic as it was; they shouldn’t have to deal with outside people. At the end, Fancy Pants made a toast, saying, in order to move forward, the path has to be clear. Good luck with all that.

Real Housewives of Orange County Season 19 Episode 20 Recap: The Trial of Tamra Judge

RHOC Reunion Part 3 Recap: Tamra Threatens to Sue Gretchen After She Accuses Her of Being Behind Controversial Liked Posts & Feuds With Emily as More Allegations Surface, Plus Jenn Confronts Katie Over Convo With Friend Nicole

https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/rhoc-reunion-explodes-over-maga-politics-and-lies/

Random Reality Items

Sure, sure. For the good of the show group.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1425112/rhonjs-melissa-gorga-on-ending-teresa-giudice-feud

Will the Tres Amigas have a reunion or will Tamra finally be given the boot?

https://deadline.com/2025/11/vicki-gunvalson-returning-real-housewives-of-orange-county-season-20-cast-1236618331/

Because, LVP.

Lisa Vanderpump on Living in Las Vegas: ‘Playground of the World’

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

End Times. Amazon Prime. Filed under zombie apocalypse, a mercenary and an entitled young woman go on a trek to get out of their quarantine zone. No surprise, although the zombies are no picnic (well, sometimes it is for them), the enemy is really us. The story was solid and I enjoyed the characters, Craig Stark’s mercenary being reminiscent of an early Clint Eastwood. Gory AF, the special effects were excellent, although I found the ending to be a wee bit depressing.

Redemption In An Apocalypse: Jim Towns’ Zombie Epic, ‘End Times’ (2023) – Movie Review

Paradise Hills. Amazon Prime. This film was like a futuristic Stepford Wives and I was there for it. Uma is set to marry a member of the elite class, but she’s not happy about it, so she’s sent to a different kind of reform school, where women are reformed into more docile beings. While there, she and three other young women (one of them Awkwafina, a nice surprise for me)

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/paradise-hills-movie-review-2019

Alice Waddington’s “Paradise Hills” uses a fairytale motif to demolish the chains of the patriarchy.

Frankenstein. Netflix. He ain’t yo mama’s Frankenstein. Half from Victor Frankenstein’s viewpoint and half from the creature’s, horror is once again elevated in this version of Mary Shelley’s classic book. Nothing like the original with Boris Karloff, but I wished Karloff was still alive to see it. (Although he’d be like 200 years old, so hypothetical.) The scenery, costumes, effects, everything is just magnificent.

https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/hot-take-i-think-frankenstein-guillermo-del-toro-best-movie

Characters with a difference.

https://www.slashfilm.com/2031238/oscar-isaac-victor-frankenstein-netflix-version-villain/

https://www.cbr.com/frankenstein-creature-jacob-elordi-designer-mike-hill-interview/

Soulmates. Netflix. A six-episode series about a test that finds your perfect soulmate and the results thereof. Needless to say, suddenly finding your surprise match is not always a good thing, especially if you’re already married, and I love a story about technology going bad. It’s nothing new, but still an amusing watch.

https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/amc-soulmates-tv-review

Wicked: For Good. At the cinema. Long story short, I play the game June’s Journey online and at present, they’re doing a crossover story with Wicked: For Good. They decided to have a focus group/movie party in NYC, and I was able to go. The whole thing was a blast – food, beverage, and movie candy and popcorn provided – but being able to see the film ahead of time, incredible. It’s just as magnificent on screen as the first part, perhaps even more, and every question you had about The Wizard of Oz is answered. And Scarlett Spears (Donna on General Hospital) is the sweetest thing ever as young Glinda. The best part for me were the fantastical animals, but the sets, costumes, and effects were mind-blowing, and I doubt you’ll be disappointed. Personally, I liked the story better in this one, although I liked the songs better in the first one. That could be because I know them better though. So hie thee hence to be off to see the Wizard.

https://deadline.com/2025/11/wicked-for-good-review-1236620980/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wicked-for-good-reviews-what-critics-are-saying-1236430079/

https://www.theonlycritic.com/post/wicked-for-good-review-part-two-is-heartfelt-and-heavy-but-also-missing-a-little-magic

Where did they go?

https://ew.com/what-happened-to-the-wizard-of-oz-cast-11854142

Wicked: For Pekes

🤡 But Where’s the Clown…

I’m trying to keep up with this, but I consistently forget it’s on Sunday, and end up watching the previous week’s episode the next weekend. It might be a mental block since I’m spoiled by being able to watch whole seasons of series at once, and I resent episodes being doled out like methadone.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/welcome-to-derry-halloran-the-shining

🔮 Watch Of the Future…

This looks so good. Why are they making us wait so long? Isn’t that insanity with Stranger Things enough?

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/fallout-season-2-trailer-new-vegas

I’m definitely down for this. I missed the Shahs and if a mashup is what brings them back, I’m there for it.

https://deadline.com/gallery/the-valley-persian-style-trailer-premiere-bravo/

Oh look. Renewed before it even starts. <sigh>

https://ew.com/game-of-thrones-renewals-through-2028-house-of-the-dragon-and-a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-11853381

🏃‍♂️ Hoping To Watch…

Originally, I planned to wait for streaming, but after seeing the previews, this might be cinema worthy.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/the-running-man-review

🦃🎄 All the Holiday Movies…

Take your pick of Thanksgiving, Christmas, or both.

https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/best-thanksgiving-movies

https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/thanksgiving-movies-on-netflix

https://ew.com/best-black-christmas-movies-8763576

https://ew.com/greatest-christmas-movies-on-netflix-8761599

https://ew.com/best-christmas-movies-streaming-now-8751814

🏆 All Awards All the Time…

I’m not that into award shows, but if you are, here’s all the big ones.

https://ew.com/2025-2026-awards-season-calendar-when-are-oscars-11840259

🦤 More Strange and Unusual Than Lydia…

🫏 This is amazing. Mad respect for her.

https://ew.com/millie-bobby-brown-owns-62-pets-pregnant-donkey-blind-dog-11697789

🦌 I wonder if these are the same officers who mistook a dog with a weird haircut for a lion. Although, there was the time an abandoned dog was reported on my local Next Door and it turned out to be a decoration.

https://people.com/officers-respond-to-abandoned-dog-calls-find-reindeer-11853188

🐍 Oh… no. Just no. That thing is huge.

https://people.com/massive-python-crashes-through-ceiling-into-bathroom-11851217

🐕 And my last vacation was in 2004.

https://people.com/golden-retrievers-from-subaru-ads-going-on-biggest-adventure-yet-11847127

📜 Quotes of the Week

Living successfully… is a matter of solving the problems which stand between where we now are and the point we wish to reach. – Earl Nightingale

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it. – Pablo Picasso

Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. – Lou Holtz

The way to get things done is not to mind who gets the credit for doing them. – Benjamin Jowett

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. – Melody Beattie

What and how much had I lost by trying to do only what was expected of me instead of what I myself had wished to do? – Ralph Ellison

Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going. – Sam Levenson

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. – William James

Don’t be an a$$hole. If you are not sure if your comment will make you sound like an a$$hole or not, it probably does. Don’t write that. – from rules of conduct for the Clutterbug Facebook group

As I’ve said before, I prefer to handle these situations the way you handle an angry driver who honks and flips you off on the highway. You just ignore them, you know, unless you’re in New Jersey. Then, technically, that’s a marriage proposal. – Seth Meyers

🙏 Thankful For All Things…

Until next week, stay safe; stay focused on being grateful for what you have and not on what you don’t have; and stay remembering that cover-ups rarely work out and usually do more damage when the truth comes out.

Happy Thanksgiving!