What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
I missed the first minute or so. Because I had extra time. Why that always happens, I have no clue.
Michael tells Nelle, he had the same condition as Wiley when he was a baby, and the same surgery. Nelle says the last time she checked, he wasn’t Wiley. Doesn’t elective mean he doesn’t need it? Monica says, it doesn’t mean it’s frivolous, and Michael says, Wiley will have a better quality of life. How can Nelle possibly object?
Laura visits Sonny, who asks if she wants coffee, while we’re totally distracted by the moss centerpiece. She says she wishes it was only a social visit, and he asks if he’s talking to the mayor, or is his friend in there? She thinks she can be both. As mayor, she’s there to ask for help; as a friend, she hopes he says yes. He asks what he can do for her, and she says, a new wave of drugs has hit the streets. He says she knows that’s not his business. He has nothing to do with that. She says, but he knows how it happened, doesn’t he?
At Rice Plaza, Chase tells Willow that he forgot his skates in the car. She says, it’s lucky Sasha, Michael, and Wiley aren’t there yet, and he leaves to get them. Willow leaves a message for Sasha, saying she hopes they’re still coming, and to call her back. Jason approaches her, and says he’s glad he ran into her. She says she is too. She wasn’t sure if she should call him. She had breakfast with her mom, and Harmony seemed nervous. And the way she was talking, Willow is worried. Jason says, she should be. Harmony is mixed up in something serious.
Sam asks Delores what she’s doing with Spinelli’s phone. Is he all right? Delores says, he’s in custody, and Sam asks, why? Delores says, before she sends him to lockup, she wants Sam to meet her in Queen’s Point, at a bar on the corner of Third and Main.
After running into Neil at the hospital, Alexis says their situation has been on her mind. Maybe she should find another meeting. Neil says she told him that she felt at home there, but she says, there are meetings all over town, and Neil’s office is there. He says his primary focus is on addiction recovery, which is why she was referred to him. She says, and look at where they are. He says they can handle it, and she says, like they handled meeting at the opera? He says they have to come up with a different strategy. As much as he knew about her, he never pegged her for a opera lover. She says she’s more of an enthusiast. She won’t buy a ticket, but she’ll go if she’s invited. He’s not sure if he believes that, and she says, keep calling her a liar, so it will dampen her regard for him. He says, it makes sense she would like opera, since she has operatic emotions. She asks if he’s calling her a drama queen, and her phone rings. He says, saved by the bell. It’s Sam, who says she needs Alexis’s help. Spinelli has been arrested. Alexis tells Sam to text her the address; she’s on her way. She tells Neil, it looks like she’s going to have to miss her meeting. She leaves, and Doc comes by. He asks Neil if everything is okay.
Sonny says Laura wanted him to clean up the waterfront; he thought they were on the same page. She says, a lot has happened since the shootout, and he says he’s done everything he can to make sure the situation didn’t escalate. She recalls a warehouse explosion, and he says, it housed an operation run by Cyrus. She says she can’t prove that, and Sonny says he’s just as concerned as she is about the drug problem. She says she knows he’s got guys out there, and that he’s reluctant to tell her what he knows. She knows about the code, and understands, but she needs him to understand that it’s not a battle if it becomes a war. If he can’t bring an end to this, she’ll have to step in, and come down hard on crime, and it might include him.
Jason tells Willow, Harmony is involved with some dangerous people. Willow asks, how? but he tells her, just be careful; keep her distance until this is over. She says, until what’s over? and he wonders if her mom has asked her for anything. Willow says it was all she could do to talk Harmony into meeting her for breakfast. Jason says, that’s good; it means Harmony is trying to protect her. She asks, from what? Is she involved in organized crime? He says he’s told her what he can. She says, sorry, but since he obviously knows what’s going on, can he look out for her mom? He says he’ll try.
Nelle says she researched Wiley’s condition on the internet. Sasha wonders if that makes Nelle an expert after five minutes, and Nelle says, Monica is a cardiologist, and can tell her if it’s right or wrong. It’s an elective surgery, which means it’s not necessary, right? Monica says, it means, at this moment, it isn’t an emergency. Michael says it’s a preventative measure to prevent Wiley from suffering more heart damage that could threaten his life. Nelle asks if that’s a fact or theory. It’s a risk she doesn’t think she wants to take.
Monica understands Nelle is scared. No parent welcomes their child having surgery. She says, Michael seems to. He’s ready to let them work on Wiley like a frog in a biology class. Sasha says, it could give Wiley a better quality of life, for the rest of his life. What’s wrong with her? How can she say no? Nelle says, why willingly expose Wiley to the danger of surgery, when he doesn’t need it? Michael says, what if he continues to have trouble breathing? What’s Nelle’s plan then?
Chase comes back, and tells Willow, it got hairy. There was a mother in a van with squabbling kids, who was parked dangerously close to him. He realizes she’s not listening, and asks, what’s going on? She says, Jason was just there. He told her that her mom is into something dangerous, and she should do everything possible to keep her distance. That shouldn’t be too hard, since Harmony has been pushing her away. Jason thinks Harmony is trying to protect her. Chase asks, from what? and she says, Jason knows, but won’t say. It’s freaking her out even more because he’s a mobster, or whatever the legal term is. Chase says, racketeering, and she says Jason has been kind to her, and he’s the one who got through to her mom. Now it sounds like her mom is into something more dangerous than Dawn of Day. He says he knows Willow is trying to see the best in her mom, since she turned her back on Shiloh, but he can see how she fell for Shiloh in the first place. Harmony seems fierce and strong… Willow says, but it’s not the first time she’s been taken in by something dangerous. She doesn’t think it’s about Harmony this time though. She thinks this time, it’s about her.
Sonny tells Laura, the situation is shifting, and Laura asks if he’s set something in motion. He tells her, all he can say is, steps have been taken to end this. His phone rings, and he steps away for a moment, but says, sorry. He thought it was Turning Woods. She asks how Mike is doing, and he says his dad doesn’t remember him half the time, but what he doesn’t let go of is bullets whizzing by his head, and hiding under the table in a pub in Bensonhurst, screaming that he wants it to stop. It’s haunting him. She says she’s sorry, and he says, that’s why this thing with Cyrus is going to end. Jason comes in, and asks if it’s official business. He can come back. Laura says Sonny was just reassuring her about the problem. She asks if Jason has anything to add, and he says he’s sure what Sonny told her is all she needs to know. She says, good answer. She’s surprised Sonny told her as much as he did. She tells Jason, don’t worry; Sonny wasn’t specific.
Neil shows Doc his new office, and Doc says, not bad at all. It’s good to have Neil there. Neil says he’s glad to be on staff, especially after that business with the board. Doc says he heard something was going on, yet here Neil is. It clearly worked out. Neil says, yeah, and Doc says, or not. Neil says Doc doesn’t know why he was under review? Doc says, Neil caught him. He understands Neil was accused of inappropriate behavior with a former patient. Neil says he’s sure Doc knows who it is; the rumor mill travels. Doc has a sneaking suspicion it’s Alexis.
Sam introduces Alexis and Delores, and Delores says, Sam brought her mother? Alexis says she’s not there in a parental capacity, but as Sam and Spinelli’s attorney. She’d like to confer with her client. Delores says, before she does, she wants to make sure Alexis is aware of their attempt to neutralize her. Alexis asks, how? and Delores says Sam sent her friend – Alexis’s client – to spy on her; to dig up dirt to leverage against her. Alexis says, since they have Spinelli in custody, she can only guess it didn’t go well. Delores says, clearly his forte isn’t physical surveillance. Sam asks Spinelli if he’s okay, and he says only his pride is wounded. Alexis asks if Delores is suggesting Sam violated her parole, and Spinelli says he must speak. Sam had nothing to do with it. It was his idea, and she’s an innocent woman. Delores says, right. Whether Sam returns to Pentenville to finish her sentence is entirely up to her
Monica tells Nelle, it’s a simple procedure, but Nelle says, all she sees is Wiley under anesthesia with a tube in his mouth, and that in itself can have complications. Monica says, they have the best pediatric anesthetist in the state, and Nelle says, people can and have died under anesthesia. Monica says, mostly the elderly and the most vulnerable, and Nelle says, Wiley is a baby; he’s vulnerable. Michael says, with the exception of Wiley’s heart condition, he’s strong as an ox. Nelle says, what about contagion? and Monica says, they’ll do their best to keep Wiley safe. Nelle tells her, she’s read about doctors on the internet, who feel they have to prove something to get kickbacks. Monica says, the good news is, no one there has to prove a damn thing. It’s been proven just by them being there. If Nelle wants a second opinion, she has colleagues worldwide who will be glad to take a look, but Nelle says, they’ll just agree with her. Michael says, there’s a reason for that, and Monica says she’ll get Nelle the information anyway, and leaves. Sasha asks if Michael wants her to go, and Nelle says, that would be great, since Wiley is her and Michale’s son, not Sasha’s. Sasha says, she was asking Michael, and walks away. Michael ask Nelle, what the hell is wrong with her? She’s risking Wiley’s health; why? My suggestion: get Nelle off the internet.
Willow tells Chase, her mother said it herself; everything she does is for Willow, and how happy she was that Willow is with someone who can keep her safe. Chase says, he remembers, and she says, the only thing that makes sense is, someone is using her for leverage to make Harmony do things she doesn’t want to. Sasha calls, and Willow says she’s going to tell Sasha that they’re not in the mood for skating anymore. Sasha says she’s sorry; they forgot about the skating. Willow asks if something is wrong, and Sasha is afraid so. Wiley is in the hospital.
Doc says he saw Neil and Alexis earlier, and it looked intense. Neil says, it was; it always is. Doc says Neil had told him that he was having conflicting feelings for a patient. Neil says, and Doc told him not to cross the line, and he didn’t. Alexis stopped being his patient, but they’d run into each other, like at drag Bingo. Doc laughs, and Neil says, there was an impulsive kiss. They didn’t mean for it to go further, but the board got wind of it. Doc says, the two-year rule is for a reason. Neil says, it’s over, but Doc says, it didn’t look over.
Alexis asks what Spinelli was arrested for, and Delores says, unlawful surveillance in the second degree. She cites the code, adding that the victim’s image is taken when in a private moment. Alexis says, the peeping Tom law? and Delores says, it’s six-months in jail, and a fine of $1000. Alexis says, someone can only be arrested for that, if the video or photo catches the victim in the act of disrobing or having sex. So Delores can imagine what her next question is going to be.
Laura says Sonny isn’t going to give her any details, is he? and he says, no. He just wants her to know he’s concerned. She says, it’s not just a public safety concern for him, and he says, all she needs to know is that he’s keeping it under control. She says, okay. She has no choice but to take his word. He walks her to the door, and she leaves. Sonny senses Jason’s disapproval, and says Jason doesn’t think he should have said anything. Jason says he doesn’t understand why Sonny would give even a hint about what’s going on with Cyrus and Jordan.
Delores tells the cops holding Spinelli to go. Alexis says she’s sorry to have to ask, but when Spinelli photographed her, was she in the act of disrobing or sexual activity? Spinelli says it was an extracurricular activity, and they were in the back seat. Alexis says, one more word, and she’ll let him rot. Don’t speak; don’t breathe. She asks Delores, where were they? and Delores says she and the councilman were there to discuss a sensitive legal matter, and didn’t want reporters following them. Spinelli tells Sam that Delores was half-naked. Sam asks if he got a photo, but he says the car was rocking so much, any image was blurred. That’s when Delores and her lover apprehended him. Delores tells Alexis, her client as much as admitted his guilt. She can have him held until his sentencing, and he’ll be separated from his partner and daughter. Sam asks if Delores and Donald aren’t married to other people. If it goes to trial, that will come out, and be pretty embarrassing. Delores tells Alexis, as she sees it, Sam is clearly trying to blackmail her. She thinks if she threatens Delores, Delores will ease up on her parole, and allow her to see Jason. The terms of parole clearly state she can’t associate with a known felon. Alexis asks if there’s any way Delores will consider dropping the charges.
Delores says she might be willing to make this ugly incident disappear, and Alexis asks, in exchange for what? Delores says, Sam and Spinelli keeping silent about her relationship with Councilman Raskin. Sam says, and if she refuses? and Alexis tells her to quit while she’s ahead. Delores says, the councilman will face scandal, but Sam will be in Pentenville, along with Spinelli. Alexis asks Sam if she can do that. Then Delores will forget she was complicit in blackmail and extortion as well. San says, this is extortion, and Alexis tells her not to make it worse. Shut up and take the deal.
Michael says, Nelle just wants to make him suffer; that’s why she’s refusing to sign. She’s hurting his son to hurt him. She says, not everything she does is about him, and he says she tried to talk Chase into having him killed. She left him do die, and put someone else’s dead baby in his arms, claiming it was his son. Should he keep going? She says, this has nothing to do with him. She’s protecting her son. He’s not going to die any time soon. Give her time. He says she’s not a doctor, and she won’t have a say when she’s excluded in the custody arrangement.
Jason says, when Cyrus is released, Laura is going to realize it’s part of their plan, and when he turns up dead, she’ll suspect their involvement. Sonny says, so will everybody. Even if somebody else gets to him before they do, they’ll be the prime suspects, but no one will be able to prove it’s them.
Sam says, fine. She won’t breath a word. Delores asks if Alexis can guarantee Sam and Spinelli will abide by the agreement, and Alexis says, if they don’t, she’ll personally drop them off at the Queen’s Point PD. Delores says they both know where they stand, and she won’t be intimidated. She’s going to be even more vigilant. Sam says, it’s harassment, and Delores says, it’s law enforcement. Delores leaves, and Spinelli tells Sam that he’s sorry. She says it was her one shot to get out from under Delores’s thumb; now what? Alexis says that’s not the question Sam should asking. Sam should be asking, what the hell was she thinking?
Nelle tells Michael, the law is on her side. Even without full custody, she’s still Wiley’s mother, and has a say. She’s going to visit her son. She stomps off, and Monica asks if Michael made any headway. He says, not even close, and Sasha asks what he’s going to do. He asks what options he has. How much danger is Wiley in? Willow and Chase join them, and Willow asks, what’s going on? How’s Wiley? Michael says, okay at the moment, and Monica says she’s going to check on him. Chase asks, what’s the problem? and Sasha says, like usual – Nelle.
Alexis tells Sam, of all the insanely stupid things she could have done, it was a terrible choice to blackmail her parole officer. Sam says she was thinking she wanted her family together. Alexis says, she made a decision that almost got Spinelli arrested, and her sent back to Pentenville. Delores is going to be watching now, and will send her back if she so much as drives a car without a seatbelt, and it’s her right to do it. Sam asks if Alexis is agreeing with Delores, and Alexis says Delores is doing her job. When Sam was granted parole, the agreement said she wasn’t to associate with a known felon. Instead of following the rules, she did what she wanted. Did she think of Scout and Danny? Sam says, Jason is Danny’s father, and the closest thing Scout has to one. All she wants is her family put back together. Alexis says, that’s what will happen if she holds out for two years, but Sam says, two years is a long time. Alexis says she knows exactly how long it is, but it’s Sam’s job as a parent to stick it out and suck it up. Do what she needs to get through it. Sam says, of course (🍷) Alexis would say that, and Alexis asks what Sam means.
Michael tells Willow, even though he’s Wiley’s guardian at the moment, both parents need to consent to the surgery because it’s elective. Willow says, if it gets worse, how bad can things get? Michael says, in the worst case, Wiley’s heart will deteriorate, and he’ll need an operation to save his life. Willow says they can’t risk it. Wiley needs to have the surgery now. Sasha says, it’s more important than ever that Michael win sole custody. Nelle is suddenly there, and asks, who says Michael is going to win?
Doc asks Neil, concerning him and Alexis, what did they decide? They can make the conversation confidential by Doc treating Neil as a patient. There’s a knock at the door, and Neil says, hold that thought. Laura comes in, and Neil says if the mayor was looking for her husband, Doc is helping him break in his new office. Laura says, it’s a nice surprise, but she actually came to see him. He asks to what he owes the pleasure, and she says, Port Charles is facing a crisis, and she needs his help.
Sonny tells Jason, there can’t be any evidence; nothing that ties it to them. Jason says, there won’t be, and Sonny says he doesn’t think anyone is going to shed tears about Cyrus’s death; they’ll be relieved. Jason says, and Laura? Sonny says, she wants the problem solved, and they’re solving the problem. He’s going to bring peace back to Port Charles.
Sam says she doesn’t know what the hell happened to Alexis. It’s not the drinking, and it’s not Julian, but Alexis became a pushover who plays by the rules and refuses to fight. Alexis says Sam doesn’t know what she’s been fighting, and Sam says Alexis cooperated with the board when she could have questioned the system, so they would question it too. Alexis says, it’s not that simple, and Sam says, what about Neil? Is there a connection? Does he make Alexis feel good? Then why the hell not fight for him? Alexis says, it wasn’t an option, but Sam says, it’s too difficult. Alexis is afraid she’ll get in trouble. She was never scared before. She used to be persistent. She was Sam’s hero, but now she obeys the rules, and sits back. She doesn’t do anything Sam used to admire. Sam wanted to be like her, and now Sam just feels sorry for her.
Nelle tells Michael, it’s rare for the father to get sole custody, and he says, it’s not common, but it’s not rare. Willow adds, unless the mother is unfit. Nelle says she didn’t give her baby up, and Willow says at least she didn’t hand her baby to someone on the side of the road. Nelle says, as of right now, Wiley is healthy and happy, and she promised to protect him from anyone poking around inside him or harming him. Willow suggests, if Nelle wants that, stay away from him. Nelle says she’s going to do everything in her power to keep her promise, and protect her son. She walks away, and Sasha asks if Michael is okay. He says he’s not letting Nelle into Wiley’s life. She’s done enough to jeopardize his health. Willow says, he doesn’t have a choice. He needs to do whatever it takes to get full custody.
Jason tells Sonny, he ran into Willow, and gave her a heads up about Harmony. Sonny says, good. She helped Kristina, and he doesn’t want her in the line of fire. He doesn’t want anyone traumatized like his father is. Jason asks if Mike hasn’t recovered from what happened in Brooklyn, and Sonny says, the opposite. He’s been worse. Jason says he’s sorry to hear that, and asks if there’s anything he can do. Sonny says, when he was at Turning Woods, Mike was there with Brook, and he was having a great time. Brook said, when things are cloudy, the things he remembers mostly are about Sonny’s family. Not recent things, but old memories; ancient history. That’s what comforts him. Sonny’s phone rings, and he tells Jason, it’s Turning Woods.
Sam tells Alexis, she’s so sorry. She didn’t mean what she said. She’s really angry at Delores. Alexis is right; she was selfish, desperate, and stupid. She asks if Alexis accepts her apology, and Alexis says, of course (🍷). She just needs a little time. Spinelli interjects that the jalapeno poppers are on the way. Sam says, talk to her, and Alexis says she will, but not right now. She just needs space. Sam suggests she and Spinelli go home to their kids; they almost didn’t have them. Alexis says she’ll call Sam tomorrow, and Spinelli says, on behalf of Ellie, Georgie, and himself, he thanks her for her help. They leave, and Alexis stands at the bar. The bartender puts a shot in front of her, and says it looks like she’s having a hard night. He thought she could use a drink.
Neil asks what Laura needs him to do, and she says, Port Charles has a new drug lord in town, who’s flooding the streets with his product. She has to find a way to stay ahead. She’s talked with the heads of GH, and they’re going to open a clinic, his area of expertise. Doc says Neil’s reputation precedes him, but they did ask what he thought. Laura says Doc sang Neil’s praises about a seminar he gave, and Neil asks if he’ll be working with Laura’s husband. She says, that’s up to him, and Doc says, it’s not his specialty, but he’d be happy to help. Neil says, great. They can talk as soon as he puts an idea together for the clinic. He and Doc can catch up later. Doc asks if Neil doesn’t want to continue their discussion, and Laura apologizes for interrupting. Neil says they can catch up any time. He likes to give recovering patients the dignity they deserve. Laura says he’s just he guy she was looking for, and Neil leaves to talk to the head of the department.
Alexis remembers Sam saying she cooperated instead of fighting back, and the meeting with the board at Neil’s review. She thinks about Neil telling her that he doesn’t want to say goodbye to his career, or her, and wondering how they can pretend it never happened. She remembers saying that’s immaterial; he has his practice back. She downs the shot, as I say, nooo.
Tomorrow, Trina talks to Josslyn about Cameron, Carly says she’ll deal with Nelle, and Alexis asks for another drink.
🥙 On Top Chef tonight, there was no quickfire challenge. Instead, the chefs were to explore L.A.’s food scene, using the late food critic Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants of L.A. Less a food critic than food lover, Gold was the only food critic to have won a Pulitzer Prize, and his guide includes unique food trucks, mom and pop cafés, and ethnic cuisine. In the elimination challenge, the chefs were instructed to create a dish from anything that inspired them during their exploration – a dish they loved, a story they heard, or food they tasted. At the Union Square train station, they would be serving 200 guests who knew Jonathan personally, along with guest judge Ruth Reichl, a foodie extraordinaire. Tom said Gold wrote about what he loved, and if you cook what you love, you’ll make great food.
After their exploration, the chefs went shopping at Whole Foods, which was probably the last thing they felt like doing after all that eating. Being a close friend of Gold’s, it was an emotional challenge for Padma. Out of the top three – Kevin, Nini, and Bryan – Kevin was tonight’s winner, with a pork and mushroom terrine, involving his granny’s apple butter, which was a major hit with Ruth. He told the judges that he had a personal connection with the challenge, as he had spent a long time battling an illness, and didn’t know if he’d still be cooking, or even be there at all. He proved to himself that his journey wasn’t over. Ruth thought the bottom three – Angelo, Stephanie, and Eric – had forgotten food was supposed to be delicious. Ouch! Angelo had to pack up his knives, since his tuna crudo was overly sweet, and the components never came together. In Angelo’s interview, he said he thought his dish was balanced, but wasn’t letting his circumstances define him, as he moved on to Last Chance Kitchen.
Next time, the chefs visit a museum, and are challenged to interpret a work of art on a plate.
🍽 No Worries Here…
But I’d be remiss not to include a Top Chef’s passing. Please note, he had not only felt ill after traveling overseas, but went to the hospital, which oddly, can be the worst place for a sick person.
https://ny.eater.com/2020/3/25/21193746/floyd-cardoz-chef-dies-covid-19
🍤 An L.A. Legend…
I’ve only been to Los Angeles once, for a V convention. Unfortunately, it was a first for the people who put the convention together, and we had little time to go to the bathroom, much less explore the city. But while I didn’t get to experience the food that the Top Chef contestants did tonight, one place I did get to eat at was Clifton’s Cafeteria, probably the weirdest restaurant I’ve ever seen. The food was fantastic, and incredibly cheap, so we ate like kings for a couple of bucks. Sadly, it’s since closed, but forever imbedded in my memory, will be the woodland scenes tucked into every nook and cranny possible, like some weird Disney show that ended up on the Food Network.
https://secretlosangeles.com/is-cliftons-forest-themed-cafeteria-closed-for-good/
https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/photos-historic-cliftons-cafeteria-through-the-decades
💰 Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles begins its new season on May 5th.
🧸 Wishing Andy Well…
You can’t keep a good Bravolebrity down.
https://www.eonline.com/news/1133097/andy-cohen-tests-positive-for-coronavirus
🏡 Quarantine Makes Strange Bedfellows…
I can’t wait to see how this plays out.
🐉 Blink and You Missed It…
In last Sunday’s episode, Westworld gave a nod to Game of Thrones.
https://nypost.com/2020/03/22/westworld-just-killed-off-this-surviving-game-of-thrones-character/
🧾 Every Day Is Saturday…
While right now, Friday doesn’t exactly have the same connotation it usually does, you’ve made it through week one. No one likes rules, but hopefully, everyone is behaving like adults. New Jersey was just declared a major disaster area, but I’ve been telling people it was for years now.
And now, and explanation on why instructions have to be compulsory.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 