Tag Archives: Dance Moms Reunion

May 17, 2024 – Sonny Decks Dex, Say Fromaggio, Price Hike, Rinna Shade, Hot Mic In NYC, VanderNews, No Invite, Dragons Coming, Oops, They’re Off, All Along, AKA Peggy, Ogdoad Of Quotes & Almost

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brook says, they’ll have to excuse her. She’s got some rounds to make. Chase tells her to wait, then kisses her. Dante says, he’s a lucky man, and Chase says he sure is. Anna asks Sam, how’s the P.I. business? Any interesting new cases? Sam says, same old, same old.

Brook says she’s so glad Monica got Jason to come, and he says, she wanted to come herself. And he knows she’d want him to tell Brook, congratulations. She thanks him and says, it’s good to see him. She moves on.

Gloria says, they don’t see enough of Sonny. He doesn’t come around the neighborhood as much as he should. Carmine says, they have a big 4th of July party every year, and he wants to see Sonny there this year. Sonny says he’ll try, but Gloria says, no trying. Brook runs up to Sonny and hugs him. She says she’s so glad he came, and he says he wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Lois tells Drew and Jordan, say fromaggio, but Jordan says, that’s okay. Drew says, they’re not… and Lois says, they’re not the mother of the bride. She is, and she’s walking around taking pictures of everyone, so pick their favorite cheese and say, fromaggio. Drew puts his arm around Jordan, and they say, fromaggio. Lois says, beautiful, and takes their photo.

Gloria tells Blaze that their great grandkids love her music, and Blaze thanks her. Carmine says, don’t be embarrassed. Tell her. Blaze says, tell her what? and Carmine says, she loves it too. When the kids are dancing, she’s out there with them like she’s going to break something. Gloria says she’s going to break him and asks if Blaze is going to perform today. They’d love it so much. Kristina says, Blaze is a guest, and Gloria says she knows, but she’s here and she’s got that amazing voice. Natalia joins them and says, she really wanted to perform, but think about it. If Brook had her most important client perform at her wedding… Carmine says, exploitation, and Natalia says, right.

Violet asks how Michael, Willow, and Josslyn liked her song, and Michael says, they loved her song. Josslyn says, and she wrote that all by herself? and Violet says, yes, she did. Gregory watches them and smiles.

Maxie throws her arms around Jason and says, it’s so good to see him. (I hope that poor guy has recovered from his gunshot wound. Everyone is manhandling him.) At this wedding, obviously, but just in general. Spinelli joins them, and she says, Spinelli really missed him, and so did she. Jason says, it’s always good to see her, and Spinelli asks if she’s free to enjoy herself, or does she still have responsibilities? Maxie says, this is Olivia’s show now. Her responsibilities ended at the church. Spinelli says, the violinist was superlative, and she says she thought so too, but she can’t take any credit for that. He’s a cousin of the Cerullos or something. Usually when a family says they have someone they want to play at the ceremony, it’s a total mess, but she thinks he was really good.

Lois hugs Gio and tells him that his performance was perfection. He could not have given Brook a greater gift. He says he’s glad she liked it, but Brook was a little busy. He doesn’t think she noticed. She says, is he kidding her? Everybody noticed his talent. All the family is so proud of him. She hugs him again.

Finn stares at the champagne glass he took a sip from, when Violet comes up to him with Elizabeth. Violet says she needs to ask him a question and he needs to be honest with her. He says, ask away, and she says, what did he think about her song? He says, honestly? That she’s amazing. She hugs him, and Elizabeth says, it’s almost dinnertime. Why doesn’t Violet find their place cards? Violet runs off, and Elizabeth says, Finn seems upset. Did something happen? He looks at the glass again.

Cody is sweeping the stables, when Sasha comes in with a picnic basket. He says, what’s this? and she says, it’s samples. She just finished up wrapping up all the after-party prep. He says, catering for two families. What was she thinking, volunteering for such a mission? She says she honestly feels so bad that she couldn’t make it to the wedding. She wanted to go, she was planning on going, but she had no idea how much Lois and Olivia were expecting from her for this after-party. They gave her this long list of food to prepare, and being so new at the job, she couldn’t say no. He says he gets it, and she says, well, Yuri and Leo are splitting some take-out and playing video games. Monica wanted a late dinner, and being as everyone else is still at the reception – she opens the basket and takes out a bottle of wine – it seems that we have the Quartermaine manse all to ourselves.

Sonny tells Natalia, sorry. He didn’t mean to leave her stranded, but she says, not at all. Actually, it’s been really nice to see him hanging out with his really loving family and friends.

Anna goes up to Jason and jokes, for the love of God, I know this is a party, but you’re causing a scene. Can you just rein it in?… Everything okay? He says, why wouldn’t it be? and she says, three names, Cates, Brennan, Pikeman. Why doesn’t he just forget about all that for the evening? He says he will if she will.

In a Pentenville shower room, Jack washes his hands, while another inmate finishes his shower. The inmate leaves, and Jack unwraps a knife from a nearby towel. He checks the sharpness against the metal sink.

Brook thanks Gio so much for playing, and kisses him on both cheeks. Didn’t she tell Chase he was brilliant? Chase says, she did, and she did not exaggerate.

Anna says she knows it’s not in Jason’s nature, but it wouldn’t kill him to mingle. He says, she’s right… It’s not in his nature. She laughs and says, it’s not like she’s asking him to go up to total strangers and start discussing the trends in coffee… fashion… gadgetry. There’s a lot of people here who really missed him.

Dante tells Sam, no matter what his cousins say or do, they are not going to this after-party. They’re going to try to get to him through her. They’re going to get her to go and get her to drag him along. They’ve got to present a united front. She says, this is new for him, and he says, what is? She says, cowardice, and he says, wow. She kisses him.

Jack sharpens the knife against the front of the sink, when another inmate walks in and says, too slow. Jack asks what he means, and the man says he saw it. A homemade shank. Jack tells him that he’s not saying he has such an item, but if he did, what could he offer the man to pretend he never saw it? The man says, how about he just takes the item? Jack won’t want the guards finding something like that on him. Jack says, no deal. He needs it. The man says, make a new one, and Jack punches him, then karate chops him on the back of the neck, the man falling to the floor. (This is impressive, since he’s twice Jack’s size.)

Cody says he knows jack (ha-ha!) about wine, but judging from this year, he’s guessing these grapes weren’t growing in Napa last summer. Sasha says, they were not, and he says, and she didn’t just get this bottle from a local wine and spirit outlet. She says, Ned uncorked it last night and only had one glass. He says he’s wondering, are the Q’s going to be okay with them absconding with this bottle? and she says, he didn’t abscond with anything, she did, and she’s the chef. He says, even so… and she says, please. She’s had their wine before and it never bothered them, so why would it now? He says, maybe because this bottle is expensive, even for them (he knows this how if he doesn’t know jack?), she says, it probably was when it was corked, but he can be sure of one thing, that wine is good tonight, and it definitely won’t be tomorrow. He says, well then, as a budding wine connoisseur, he cannot in good conscience allow today’s good wine go to waste tomorrow.

Chase asks how Gio and Brook are related again, and Brook says, they’re cousins once removed. Or is that twice? She always gets that mixed up or confused. (Same, and the grand or great uncle/aunt thing.) Anyway, he’s a Cerullo on his mom’s side. He gets his musical talent from his mom. Chase says, so his dad’s not musical, and Gio says he doesn’t really know. He was in the military. He died before Gio was born. Chase says he’s so sorry, but Gio says, it’s fine. He’s very proud of him. Chase says, as he should be. Actually, that guy in the blue suit there (Dex), he served in Afghanistan. He’s now at the police academy. Gio asks if he likes it, but Chase says, Gio will have to ask him. Brook says, no, no, no. Do not try to recruit Gio to be a cop. Her grandmother would have a heart attack, not to mention the rest of the family. Gio is going to be a concert violinist. Isn’t that right? Gio says, that’s the plan.

Elizabeth says she knows it wasn’t easy for Finn, seeing his dad struggle. Look. He’s fine. Finn says, he seems to have recovered thanks to Tracy. She’s really good with him. Elizabeth says, she is. Who would have thought? The point is, they shouldn’t think about what happened because his dad is having a wonderful time right now. He says, she’s absolutely right. The bartender removes the glass.

Anna turns around and Sonny is there. He asks how Dex is doing at the academy, but she says she’s not about to discuss that with him. And he should know better than to ask. She walks away, and Sonny laughs. Natalia walks up and takes his hand. She asks if they should go find their seats, and he says, yes.

Maxie takes the floor and says she thinks one of the most important lessons she’s learned from Brook is that, just because you can’t stand somebody – for a very good reason, she might add – doesn’t mean your lifelong enemy can’t become one of your very best friends. A friend that is there for you when you need someone the most. She congratulates Brook, and Brook hugs her, saying, love you. Maxie says, love you… Oh yeah, and Chase. You sweet, handsome, honorable man, just do your best not to arrest her again. Good luck with that. She raises her glass and says, congratulations to the happy couple. Everyone clinks glasses and says, to the happy couple.

Brook thanks Olivia for being the best wicked stepmother ever, and Olivia says she does what she can. They hug, and Lois tells Ned, he’s done good. He says, she didn’t do too bad herself, and she puts her hand on his.

Gio introduces himself to Dex, and says, Chase was telling him that Dex served in Afghanistan. His dad did too. Dex asks if he knows where, and Gio says, no. His dad was killed in action before he was born. He doesn’t have a lot of details about his service. Dex says he’s sorry for Gio’s loss, and Gio thanks him. He says he didn’t mean to put Dex on the spot, but he thinks what Dex did was very important. Thank you. Dex says, so does he. Gio’s dad must have gone over there pretty early. 2001? 2002? Gio says, it was 2002. Did Dex like serving in the military? Dex says he did. It’s hard when you’re deployed. You spend a lot of time thinking about home. He bets Gio’s dad spent a lot of time thinking about his mom and wondering who Gio would turn out to be. Gio says, a violinist? and Dex says he bets Gio’s dad would have really liked that. When you’re surrounded by destruction, you have a lot of respect for the people who create things that are beautiful. Like music.

Sonny asks if Lois can stop Gio from talking to that guy, and she says, why? He says, he used to work for me and he’s not trustworthy. She says, it’s a wedding reception. They’re probably talking about sports scores. He says he doesn’t care. He doesn’t want Gio talking to him. She says, the bigger deal he makes of this, the bigger deal it’s going to be. So just let it go, okay? She walks away, but it looks doubtful that Sonny is going to let it go.

Spinelli asks if he’s told Maxie how beautiful she looks, and she asks if he means in the last 15 minutes. He says, that’s far too long. It’s unforgivable. He’s about to kiss her, when Sam appears. She says, got a minute? and steers him away.

Sasha says she really wonders how the wedding is going, and Cody says, it’s a wedding. It’s either great or godawful. There’s no in between. She says, if those are the options, she thinks it’s going great, and he says, you can wish all you want, but there’s about a billion things that can go wrong. They could forget the rings, someone could object, there could be food poisoning, a runaway bride, a runaway groom… She says, wow. Okay. Until she hears otherwise, she chooses to believe this wedding day is everything Brook and Chase would want, and she can’t wait to see pictures. He asks if she wants more wine. He could use some. He picks up the bottle, but she says, hey, whoa. What is with him? He says, she’s with him, and she asks if he has something against weddings. He says, not weddings per se. He just hoped it was a cliché that all women dreamed of a formal church wedding. She asks why it matters, and he says, because even if a guy like him could convince a woman to marry him, he doubts he could afford the big, fancy wedding of her dreams. (I guess no one has told him that’s not how this works.)

Sam takes Spinelli near the entrance where there are no other people, and he says he thought she didn’t want to discuss this tonight. She says she changed her mind, and he says he would love to help her, but he also values his freedom far too much to investigate – he looks around – the FBI. What’s the goal here, besides getting locked up in federal prison? She says, full disclosure? and he says, by all means. Redact nothing. She says she’s not sure, and he says, a fishing expedition is one thing, but the data stores of federal law enforcement are vast beyond comprehension. How do they even know how to start? She says she doesn’t know. Maybe he can help her. All she does know is that Jason has been working for the FBI as an informant. He says, working for the FBI? and she says she knows it sounds crazy, but Jason actually told her so himself. And the only reason he would work as an informant would be… He says, if the FBI held damning evidence against him, and she says, yeah. And they have to find it.

Olivia says, it is that time, folks, when we welcome our beautiful newlyweds to the dance floor. The guests applaud and cheer as the music begins. Brook and Chase come out and have their first dance together.

Lois dances with Chase, while Ned dances with Brook (and hey, why isn’t Chase’s mom here?). Lois whispers something to Chase, who leaves the dance floor and goes over to Gloria. He asks, may I have this dance? and she says, yes, you may. She tells Carmine, don’t be jealous, and Carmine says, of what? She says, think of a reason, and she and Chase go out to dance. Brook whispers to Ned that she wants to dance with Gregory and kisses him on the cheek. She asks Gregory, may I have this dance? and he says, um… looking at his cane. She says, he doesn’t need that, and she gives it to Tracy. He says, it would be his honor, and they go out on the floor. Olivia and Ned are dancing. Kristina tells Lois that it seems like Sonny is having a good time, and Lois says, he’s surrounded by Cerullos. How could he not be? Kristina is lucky to have a dad like him, but she thinks Kristina already knows that. Kristina says, she does, and Lois tells her, although she’s got to say, if Kristina only knew him back in the day – oh. Kristina asks if she even wants to know, and Lois says, her dad is a stand-up guy. Always has been and he always will be.

Spinelli says, and Sam is certain this would help Jason? and she says, honestly, she doesn’t know, but she thinks they have to at least try. Because Jason would do the exact same thing for them. Spinelli says he’s in, and she hugs him and says, thank you.

More contemporary music starts, and Dex asks if Josslyn thinks she can keep up with his sick moves. She says she can try (I’m surprised she didn’t burst out laughing like I did), and they join everyone dancing. Brook goes over to Sonny and says, the bride gets to pick who she dances with on her wedding day. She holds out her hand, and he says, it would be his honor. Chase asks Violet, may I have this dance? and holds out his hand. She takes it and says she thought he’d never ask. Everyone is having the best time, so you just know something is going to go sideways.

As Cody pours the wine, Sasha says, first of all, she doesn’t think all women dream of getting married in the first place. Let alone, have a big wedding that takes over a year to plan. Cody says, and at least a year’s salary to pay for, and she says, traditionally, the groom’s family doesn’t even pay for the wedding; the bride’s family does. He says, is that a part of the dowry, or is that in addition to, since they’re talking about tradition? Sasha says, and traditionally, sure, every fairytale ends with a wedding, and he says, she clearly wasn’t raised by Germans. The Grimm brothers… She says, and popular culture tells little girls that their wedding day is the one day they get to be a princess, but she thinks it’s just one way to celebrate love. He says, if she has a better way, he’s all ears, and she says, take her and Brando for example. They got married in a garage, and yeah, it wasn’t really what they imagined, but they were just so excited to get to the happily ever after part. And when that didn’t happen, yeah, she felt cheated. Because a wedding day is just one day of your life, but the marriage, a chance to grow old with the person you love, that lasts a lifetime. Or it’s supposed to anyway.

Brook says, all the single ladies, come, and the women come to the dance floor. Gloria says, ladies, keep your head in the game, and Lois says, all right. Get ready. Brook throws her bouquet and Jordan catches it, but slides it into Violet’s hands like, oops. Violet jumps up and down, and everyone applauds. Olivia is running somewhere, when Ned grabs her and says he wanted to dance with his beautiful bride. She says she loves him. She wants to dance with him, but she’s got to check the Viennese table. He says, does she really? and she says, fine, and goes with him.

Jordan sees Drew getting ready to leave, and she says, going so soon? He says he’s got a big day ahead. Can he give her a ride? She says she’s going to stay a little longer, and he says, that’s too bad. He’s been meaning to tell her about his last conversation with McConkey. She says, please don’t tell her that he wants an entire pier to go with the esplanade, but Drew says, no. Let’s just say the congressman has given me a lot to think about. They’ll talk. He leaves, and she says, you tease.

Dex asks Gloria if she’d like a water, and hands her a glass. She says, thank you, young man. With all the excitement and the dancing and everything, her head was beginning to spin a little bit. What’s his name? He says he’s Dex Heller, and she asks how he knows her granddaughter and her new husband. He says he’s a cadet with the PCPD, and she says, he’s a policeman. His family must be so proud of him. They’re so pleased and thrilled to have Chase in their family. Sonny sees them and glowers, and Dex says, Chase is an exceptional officer. She says, then of course (🍷) he knows Dante, and he says, yes, ma’am. Gloria says, he’s the fifth cop in his generation on the Falconari side of the family, when Lois joins them. Gloria says, she knows Dex, and Lois says, mm-hmm. Gloria says, he saw that she was parched, and he brought a glass of water over to her, and Lois says, that was very thoughtful of him. She thanks Dex, and he says, no problem. Gloria says, and you know what else? Dex is at the police academy. Lois should introduce him to her cousin Lucia. If they were to marry, then there would be four cops on the Cerullo side. Lois says, Gloria just met the guy and she’s already marrying him. She tells Dex that she’s so sorry about her mother, but he says, not at all. Lois tells him, although she will say, he should meet Lucia. She’s a beautiful girl and also very smart. She has a degree in computer science, but no pressure though. No pressure at all. Dex laughs and Sonny stares daggers at him.

Jack takes the knife out of the towel again and takes a few deep breaths. He plunges the knife into his own side and falls to the floor. He pulls it out, puts it in the other inmate’s hand, and passes out.  

Cody says he’s never really pondered the whole ever after thing. He makes sure the horses are healthy and cleans out their stalls. He lives day to day. Where he’s from, the whole long-term thing didn’t seem like a great option. Sasha says she gets that. When you marry someone you love, thinking long term is the default setting. Then when it’s cut short, you realize making big plans and relying on them happening sets you up for disappointment. He says, don’t get him wrong. Hoping for a future with the person you love doesn’t seem like a bad thing. It’s just in his personal experience, if you don’t plan too far ahead, it leaves you open for surprises. She says, like parachuting into the swimming pool, and he says, yeah, and like quitting your spokesmodel job because someone calls you too wholesome. She says, or finding your family even though you can’t tell them you’re a part of it, and he says, or this. Great wine, great food, great company… Hold that thought. He goes in the back and returns with a radio. He puts on some music, and says, may I have this dance? He holds out his hand and she takes it.

Sam says she remembers how much trouble Brook used to be, and Brook says, that’s why she married a cop. Needed an inside man. They laugh, and Sam says, that was good thinking. Brook says, she should try it sometime, and Maxie says, ooh. Sam jets, and they laugh. Spinelli tells Brook, congratulations, and leaves Brook and Maxie alone. Maxie says, believe it or not, she thinks she’s said all she has to say, and Brook says, and she heard it. Maxie says, she’s going to have the best life, and Brook says she just wishes she deserved it. Maxie asks what she’s talking about. Of course (🍷) she deserves it. That’s why it’s hers. They hug.

Willow and Michael join Josslyn and Dex, and Willow says, they saw the two of them on the dance floor. Nice moves. Michael says, it’s like Dex forgot Josslyn is his little sister and he’d do anything to protect her, and Josslyn says, that’s enough, thank you. Michael says, Dex knows he’s kidding. It’s a shame he’s not kidding. Dex picks something up off the floor and says he found someone’s hearing aid. Willow says, it’s probably Carmine’s, and Dex says he’s going to go find him then. Dex leaves, and Sonny follows him. Jason watches.

Patty tells Dante that he’s coming to the after-party. She won’t take no for an answer. Dante says he would love to go, but he has kids to tuck in, and… Sam says she thinks he should go, when Jordan joins them. Patty says, Deputy Mayor, are you coming? and Jordan says she’d love to, but she can’t. She has a city to… deputy run. Maxie says, don’t worry. She and Spinelli can drive Dante and Jordan to the after-party. Dante says he doesn’t want to go, and Jordan says she really can’t. Spinelli tells Dante, yes, you do, and Maxie tells Jordan, yeah, you can. Dante says, all right. They’ll meet Patty there. How’s that? Patty says she can’t wait, and leaves. Dante and Spinelli fist bump.

Chase says he can’t stop thanking Gregory, and Gregory says he’d do it again in a heartbeat. Chase tells Tracy, and thank you for… She says she certainly hopes he regrets arresting her, and he says he would do it again in a heartbeat. They all laugh, and Tracy says, good answer. She, Violet, Chase, and Gregory leave, and Finn thanks Elizabeth. She says, for what? and he says, everything. Always. They walk off hand in hand.

Dex looks around near the entrance, and Sonny pops out. He says, the Cerullos are his people. Is Dex enjoying himself, with Sonny’s people? Dex says he’s having a good time, a great time, and Sonny laughs. Sonny says, that’s the wrong answer. They’re like family to him. Stay away from his family. Dex says he was invited the same as Sonny, and Sonny says, he’s a snitch, a spy. He’s lucky to be breathing. Stay away from him and his, or Dex may not be breathing much longer. Sonny starts to walk away, and Dex puts his hand on Sonny’s arm, saying, he’s not Sonny’s enemy. Sonny punches him in the face, knocking him down.

Chase and Brook go to their room, where the fireplace is lit, and there’s a rose petal path from the door to the bed and rose petals on the bed. They close the door and lie down on the bed, fully clothed. Brook says, they did it. They tied the knot. They crossed the finish line. And he is her husband. He says, and she is his wife, and she says, wife, and kisses him. She says, now what? and he says, now, they have a great wedding night, followed by a great honeymoon in Florence. Then they spend the rest of their lives together. How does that sound? She says she’s so glad she hit him with that bottle, and he says he thought it was an accident. She says, that was no accident. That was luck. They kiss.

Natalia says she seems to have misplaced Kristina’s father, and Kristina says, sorry about that. Natalia says, uh-oh. What did she do to him? They laugh, and Kristina says she didn’t. He hasn’t seen his family in a long time, so he probably got caught up in telling stories from back in the day. Natalia says, that makes sense. She’s just ready to go up. Does Blaze want to ride up with her? Blaze says she’s not tired just yet, and Natalia asks if Kristina would tell her dad that she had a great time, thanks again, and have a really great evening. Kristina says, sure, and Natalia leaves. Kristina says, don’t judge her, but she kind of wants to get another piece of cake, and Blaze says, grab two and meet her in her room. Kristina says, done.

Cody and Sasha slow dance, looking into each other’s eyes, and she says she should probably go. The reception should be over, and Olivia and Tracy will be home soon. He says, she can’t keep them waiting, and she says she’s got an after-party to throw, so… she’s got to go. He says, okay. One more song.

Jack is wheeled into the hospital, and a doctor asks what they’ve got. The paramedic says, stab wound in the abdomen, BP 70 over 40, heart rate 130. He’s lost a lot of blood. The doctor says, let’s get him to trauma one.

Olivia is walking with Ned, when Anna runs out, calling her name. Olivia asks, what’s wrong? Who’s under arrest? They were so close. Anna says, no one’s under arrest. She just wanted to say it was a great party. Olivia blesses herself and say, thank God. It’s always good when a wedding is over and no one’s incarcerated. Ned says he’s just glad when a wedding happens at all, and Anna says, it was lovely. Congratulations. Thank you. They all say, goodnight, and Ned and Olivia continue on. Anna’s phone rings, and she says, Devane… Where’s Brennan now?… Okay. She’s on her way.

Michael asks if they can give Josslyn a lift, but she says, no. She thinks she’s okay actually. Thank you though. Michael says, is she sure… Willow says she’s sure Joss can make her own arrangements, and Josslyn smiles. Michael says, why should she… and Willow says, okay. They’re leaving. Have a fun rest of her night. Josslyn thanks her and says, them too, and they leave.

Sonny throws Dex up against the wall and punches him again, Dex’s face already bloody. Dex doesn’t fight back, but puts his hands up defensively, and Sonny throws him to the floor. Sonny says, you know what I do to traitors? and kicks Dex in the stomach as he’s trying to get up. Come on. Jason races in and grabs Sonny from behind. Sonny says, let go of him, but Jason says, no and tells Dex, get out of here. Sonny says he’s going to kill them both. They’re both dead to him. He’s going to put a gun to their heads. Kristina comes in and drops the plates of cake she’s holding. She and Sonny lock eyes.

On Monday, Chase says, whatever his beautiful wife wants; Gregory wants to clear the air about something with Finn; Anna says, Brennan is never more dangerous than when he appears harmless; and Blaze asks if Kristina wants to go to the hospital. She’d better not lose this baby because of Sonny. I’ll never forgive him.

📜 You Are Cordially Invited…

Photos from the wedding.

https://soaps.sheknows.com/gallery/brook-lynn-chase-wedding-general-hospital-photos/

🦚 More For Days…

Peacock’s prices are going up.

💎 Let’s Talk About the Husband…

What is wrong with this woman? I think the only reason they’re still together is because Harry goes on solo camping trips a lot and seems to be on a camping trip in his head when he’s home.

🗽 Shady Apple…

I went to an online business seminar where Rebecca Minkoff was a speaker and I thought she was plenty interesting. She also offered great advice.

🍸 Life In VanderLand…

They’re just waiting for Ariana to cool down.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1401659/lisa-vanderpump-addresses-rumors-vanderpump-rules-is-canceled-amid-hiatus

The cast just wants a Reunion so they can snipe at each other about what they now know happened during the season. I watched a few episodes, then some shiny new shows caught my attention, but I’ll be back.

🩰 Short Answer: They Don’t Like You…

Probably no one would do it if she came. I understand about dance teachers being kind of mean, but they scream at you about things like your form. This woman got weirdly personal with everyone, like she was a teenager with issues.

🐉 Flying Dragon Airlines…

What’s up with House of the Dragon, Season 2.

https://ew.com/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-emma-darcy-olivia-cooke-cover-story-8646032

https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/fantasy-shows/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-producers-reduced-episode-count-game-of-thrones-prequel/

More spinoffs of spinoffs.

https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/fantasy-shows/game-of-thrones-prequels-positive-updates-aegon-hedge-knight/

🩸 That’s What He Gets…

I saw this on Watch What Happens Live and it was too funny. That’ll teach him to lie.

https://ew.com/joe-manganiello-reveals-graphic-sex-filled-true-blood-fan-fiction-8644633

🔮 Defying Gravity…

This looks amazing.

https://ew.com/wicked-trailer-cynthia-erivo-ariana-grande-8648594

🧙🏻‍♀️ Which Witch Title…

WandaVision was great and I can’t wait to see this. Kathryn Hahn is so much fun. I’ve loved her since the Bad Moms films. Beginning September 18th.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/agatha-trailer-actual-title-wandavision-all-along

🐶 The Real Superhero…

I can’t with this dog. Now I love the Deadpool franchise even more.

https://extratv.com/2024/05/13/ryan-reynolds-on-being-inspired-by-his-kids-and-casting-dogpool-exclusive/

https://ew.com/movies/deadpool-3-dogpool-ryan-reynolds/

Dogpool AKA Peggy

🥠 Quotes of the Week

Roadie. Sounds like a BJ behind a gas station in a minivan. – Danielle Cabral, Real Housewives of New Jersey

I measure success by the difference I make in the lives of others and the positive changes I can bring to my community. – Catherine Montgomery

We’re flawed because we want so much more; we’re ruined, because when we get these things, we wish for what we had. – Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Mad Men

Dogs are a really amazing eye opener for us humans because their lives are compressed into such a short period, so we can see them go from puppyhood to adolescence to strong adulthood and then into their sunset years in 10 to 12 years. It really drives home the point of how finite all our lives are.  – John Grogan

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. – Albert Einstein

If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. – Milton Berle (Or kick one out.)

The difference between a dream and a goal is a timeline and an action plan. – Dr. Phil McGraw

That is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. And I’m Dennis Quaid and I’ve seen a lot of crazy sh*t.Dennis Quaid as himself, Strays

🎰 Can’t Hustle Me…

Come see me on Monday really Tuesday for soap and stupidity on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay welcoming newcomers (be it a job, a neighborhood, or your family), and stay not thinking about what happened when a wonderful time is being had right now.

April 26, 2024 – Sasha Gets Two Job Offers, Extra Soap, Melrose Fix, Salty Talk, Charming Cast, JoJo’s Take, Extra Fallout, World News, More Messi, A Joke, V Quotes, A Joke & 2031

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the MetroCourt, Carly hugs Sasha, saying, she hasn’t seen Sasha in forever. She asks if Sasha is alone or waiting for someone, and Sasha says she’s waiting for Nina, but Nina seems to have gotten hung up. Carly says she knows how busy Crimson can get. She hopes Sasha isn’t waiting too long. Sasha says, no worries. The longer Nina takes, the longer she has to look for a new place. Carly asks if she’s moving, and Sasha says her rent is too high. She really needs to downsize. Carly says she heard Sasha left Deception. She’s sorry she didn’t text Sasha about it. Not such a good friend, huh? Sasha says, it’s fine. She’s doing great. She sits at the bar, and Carly says, really? She knows how much Sasha put into that company. Sasha says, with all the changes that were happening, it was time to go. She’s really glad she did. Carly says, the appearance on Home & Heart? and Sasha says, a one-time thing. She doesn’t miss the job at all. She just still hasn’t figured out what to do next. Carly says, since she’s looking, would she be interested in working here at the MetroCourt?

Tracy walks into the nook where Leo is snacking and asks Leo why he’s putting that processed garbage into his body. He says he likes it and he’s hungry. He didn’t eat lunch. She says, why not? It’s not like him to forget his lunch. It’s not like him to forget anything. He says he gave it away, and she asks, why? He says, it was a peanut butter sandwich, and she says she thought he liked those. He says he did, but it’s all Yuri ever makes. He’s tired of them. Olivia comes in and asks Leo if he’s ready to go. She has to pick up his friend Teddy and take them to the aquarium pronto. He says he’ll get his backpack, and runs off. Olivia grabs a piece of whatever Leo was eating and says she’s so starving. She didn’t get a chance to eat. Tracy says, do tell, and Olivia says she realizes that dinners have been a little hit or miss lately, but if she makes a couple of lasagnas today, it should last for the next couple of dinners. Tracy says, no, and Olivia says, Tracy doesn’t like her lasagna? Tracy says she loves Olivia’s lasagna. Everybody here loves her lasagna, but this situation is madness. Olivia is running herself ragged at the hotel and she’s condemning everyone in this house to life in leftover manor. Clearly, it is time to hire a cook. Olivia says, bite your tongue.

Walking into the apartment, Gregory says he told Finn that he was fine, and Finn tells him that he keeps saying that. Gregory says his doctor agrees. Last night’s little episode… Finn says, a temporary paralysis? And Gregory says, temporary, yes. He’s made a full recovery. Is Violet here? He doesn’t want to argue in front of her. Finn says, no. She’s still at school. They’re not arguing. He’s just looking out for Gregory. Does he want to lie down? Gregory says, the couch is fine, and don’t worry. He’ll take it easy for the rest of the day. Isn’t Finn needed at the hospital? Finn sits next to him and says he thinks they’ve come to a point where Gregory shouldn’t be left alone for long periods of time. Gregory asks, what exactly is he saying? and Finn says he thinks they should get Gregory an in-home caregiver. Just in case anything like last night ever happens again. (I’d like one of those and I’m not even sick.)

Molly goes to Alexis’s office and asks if she’s got a minute. Alexis says, for her, always. Isn’t she supposed to be in court? Molly says, court’s in recess for lunch, and holds up a to-go bag, asking if Alexis is interested. Alexis says she doesn’t know. It depends. What’s she got? Molly says, turkey club with avocado, and Alexis says, yes, taking the bag. Not that Molly needs an ulterior motive to see her mommy… Molly says she needs Alexis’s help. Alexis says she knew it. Legal advice? Molly says, Kristina, and Alexis says, ugh.

On her phone at the gallery, Laura says she’ll be in soon, and tells Ava, sorry about that. City business. Ava says, of course (🍷). She certainly doesn’t want to keep Laura from her mayor duties. Laura says, so she gathered, because Ava never answered her question, and Ava says, which was? Laura asks, how does she like living with Sonny? when Sonny walks in. He asks if he heard his name, and Laura says, yes. Ava asks, what’s up? and he says he needs their help, both of them. Laura says, with what? and Sonny says he wants to commission one of Ava’s artists to create a piece so he can donate it – he asks Laura if she’s ready for this – to the city. Laura says, what makes him think the city would be interested in that?

Olivia says she appreciates Tracy’s perspective. She realizes she’s been a little overbooked lately. Tracy says, a little? and Olivia says she can feed her family. Tracy says, Olivia needs to face facts. She is spreading herself too thin. She’s reduced her son to eating Snackaroos and peanut butter a la Yuri. Olivia says, Carly’s back at the MetroCourt… and Tracy says she’s missing the point. The Quartermaine family has always had a cook. They need one. Olivia says, Tracy is trying to kick her out of her own kitchen, and Tracy says, it’s Monica’s kitchen. Alan gave it to her, and Olivia is not staff. She’s a Quartermaine. She lives here; she doesn’t work here. And while Tracy admires her concerted effort, she can’t be responsible for feeding this family. Tracy is calling an agency and getting referrals. Olivia says, no! She’ll agree to a cook, but only if she hires the cook.

Carly says she’s co-owner of the MetroCourt again, and Sasha asks, how’d that happen? Carly says, Nina sold her half, and Sasha says, congratulations. Carly thanks her, and Sasha says she’s really happy for Carly. She’s just caught off-guard. Nina never said anything about selling. Carly says she thinks it happened pretty quickly. So does that mean Sasha will consider working for her? Sasha says, of course (🍷) she’ll consider it. She really appreciates the offer. Carly says, but it’s not what she’s looking for, is it? and Sasha says she doesn’t know. She’s trying to look around and see what feels right. Carly says she’s been there, and Sasha says, but you know what does feel right? Carly back here at the MetroCourt. Carly laughs and says, yes, and Sasha says, and Nina back at Crimson. Carly says, better there than here, yes. She’s going to take menus to a customer. If Sasha needs anything, let her know. She’s happy to help. Sasha thanks her and says she will. And she will definitely keep this place in mind. Carly leaves and Sasha sends a text to Nina: Where are you?

Molly tells Alexis, Josslyn and Krissy had another blow up. And this time Josslyn had some very specific things to say about Sonny. Alexis says, Kristina has great big feelings about her father. He’s her hero. Nobody knows that better than she does. Molly says she thinks that’s really why Kristina was upset. Because deep down she knows the things Josslyn was saying were true. They talked, and she was calmer by the time she left, but when TJ found out she’d come over so late and how wound up she’d gotten, now he’s worried that all this stress is going to hurt their baby. Alexis asks what Molly said, and Molly tells her that she tried to defend Kristina’s feelings. It is upsetting – she can’t even imagine – but there are other things to consider. The stress can’t be good for Kristina or the baby. It certainly isn’t good for TJ. Alexis says, or Molly, and Molly says, it’s gotten to the point where prosecuting criminals is how she relaxes. Alexis says, been there, and Molly says, so she was hoping Alexis would talk to Kristina.

Finn says, there are caregivers out there who can keep a low profile, but Gregory says, there should be a babysitter when he’s alone with Violet. For Violet, not for him. Finn says, what if Violet hadn’t been here last night? What if she hadn’t getting him his ventilator? Gregory says he knew something was wrong and asked Violet to get the ventilator for him. If he’d been alone, he would have called 911. Finn says, what if paralysis had hit and he was unable to dial? and Gregory says, fortunately, he’s not quite there yet. Finn says, not this time. What about the next time? Because they both know it will happen again. And the time after that, and the time after that. Gregory says, they don’t need to think about the time after that yet. He just needs to be ready for the next time and he will be. He promises. He starts to leave, but Finn says, that’s not good enough.

Laura says she knows they’re in Ava’s gallery, but can she have a moment alone with Sonny? Ava says, by all means, and leaves, but she listens from around the corner. Sonny says, it’s just you and me. What’s on your mind?

Finn says, Gregory can’t see his point of view, but maybe he can see Violet’s. He’s never seen her more scared than what she was last night. Think about that. Put himself in her shoes. Watching her grandfather collapse, running to get his ventilator, watching him lie on the sofa unable to move. What does he think that did to her? Gregory asks if Violet is afraid to be alone with him now, but Finn says, no. She probably never will be. She loves Gregory and wants to spend all the time with him that she possibly can. What if things had been worse? Gregory says, they weren’t, and Finn says, not this time. But what about next time? What happens if he starts to aspirate or collapse or convulse or pass out completely? Knowing Violet, she’d probably try to save him, and if she couldn’t, she’d probably blame herself. Gregory says he would never allow that to happen, and Finn says, at the risk of being devil’s advocate, how would he stop it? They have a responsibility to make Violet feel safe in her own home, right? Gregory says, that’s emotional blackmail, and Finn says he knows. It’s also reality. It’s the reality they have to accept. The bottom line is, Gregory needs help, and when he’s not here, Gregory needs a caregiver. Period. Gregory says, or what? and Finn leaves the apartment.

Sasha reads a text from Nina: Sorry! Be right there. Olivia sees Sasha and asks if she’s got a second. Sasha says she does. What’s up? Olivia says, first of all, she wants to thank Sasha for saving her neck the other night with the shepherd’s pie. It was absolutely delicious. Dante won’t stop talking about it, and frankly, she’s a little bit jealous. Sasha says she’s happy to give Olivia the recipe. It’s one of those dishes that, once you make it a couple of times, you can start to play around with it and add your own touches. Olivia says she does want the recipe. She can’t wait to make it. And that leads her to what she actually wants to talk to Sasha about. Ever since the last cook left at the Quartermaines, she’s been doing all the cooking. And when she gets very busy, which does happen sometimes, the family is left to fend for themselves. So she’s come to accept… It’s been pointed out to her that it’s time for the Quartermaines to hire a new chef. Fend for themselves means different things to different people. For Leo and Monica, it means Yuri makes eggs for breakfast and peanut butter sandwiches for lunch.

Nina walks into the restaurant and asks Carly if she can have a moment. Carly says, that depends. What’s it about?

Olivia says she’s got to find someone she can work with. She won’t go back… She cannot go back to the days when the Quartermaines were banned from the kitchen. Before Cook 3 left, she doesn’t think Tracy knew where the kitchen was. Sasha laughs and says, that tracks. Olivia says she loves cooking for her family. She actually finds it very therapeutic almost. Sasha says she feels the same way, and Olivia says, there are people who find joy in life because of the labor intensity of her lasagna. Sasha says, cooking to her has always been peaceful, grounding. Maybe it’s because she cooked with her grandmother. The times she spent in the kitchen with her is definitely what she missed the most about her. Olivia says, Sasha really loved her, and Sasha says she still does. Olivia says, and Sasha loves cooking through her, huh? and Sasha says she guesses she does. Olivia says, and she’s good at it. So what does she say?

Alexis tells Molly, women have earthquake hormones during pregnancy. They live through it. Babies ride through it. Molly says she knows that intellectually, it’s just… Alexis says she knows Molly is worried. She knows Molly is terrified. Molly says, very much, and Alexis says, on the bright side, she knows how thrilled her sister is to do this for her, and Kristina is oddly thrilled about the ups and downs of the pregnancy. Molly says she’s so grateful to Kristina for doing this, and she loves how excited Kristina is about it. Alexis says, but there’s something more, so what is it? Besides Josslyn. Molly says she just wishes TJ could relax a little. Kristina’s emotions go to 11 over Sonny, then TJ’s go to 11 over Kristina. Alexis says she can imagine TJ’s 11 is a lot different than her sister’s, and Molly says, oh yeah. Because he’s always been so even keeled… whatever that means. Alexis says she thinks it has something to do with boats… Never mind. Go on. Molly says, so when he’s this upset, it doesn’t look like a lot, but if you know him… Alexis says, it’s sizeable, and Molly says, and when he’s upset, she gets upset. Then she starts to think maybe this is all her fault, because TJ has spent years and years listening to her side of her disagreements and arguments wit her sister. So maybe because of that TJ doesn’t trust Kristina.

Laura asks, what’s behind this latest burst of philanthropy? and Sonny says, his kids. Port Charles has always been their home. If they visit city hall and they see something beautiful he donated, then they can feel as proud of the city as he does. Laura says, and proud of him? What if one day his little girls find out he nearly beat a man to death with his bare hands? Does he think it’s all going to be okay because he donated art? He wonders why she’d ask him that. They’ve been friends for how many years? Is she going to turn on him?

Molly says she doesn’t think TJ thinks Kristina is a bad person, not that she would ever do anything to intentionally harm the baby, and Alexis says, of course (🍷) not. Molly says, but she is who she is, and he is who he is, and the two of them are emotional opposites. Alexis says, that they are, and Moly says she and TJ are just so excited and nervous to be parents, and they’re treating every bump in the road like it’s this huge mountain to overcome, but there are bound to be bumps. Alexis says, oh, there are and there will be, and Molly says, and Kristina has every right to be worried about her father, but she doesn’t know how Kristina is going to handle it if things get worse for Sonny. Alexis asks what he did now, and Molly makes a zipping motion across her lips. She asks if Alexis will just check in with Kristina, and Alexis asks if she has to. Molly says, please, and Alexis says, okay. Molly thanks her and says she has to get back to work. She tells Alexis that she loves her, Alexis says she loves Molly too, and they hug.

Gregory opens the door to Tracy and says he sees Finn called in reinforcements. She says, not this time. Should he have? Gregory asks if he’s expected to believe Tracy isn’t here to check on him, and Tracy says, that’s a ridiculous question. Of course (🍷) she’s here to check on him. That’s what friends do. Is he trying to pick a fight with her? He says, no. He’s sorry. He saw his doctor today. She asks what he said, and Gregory tells her that the doctor said he’s back to what passes for normal for him these days. She says she’s no expert, but that sounds like good news. He says, it is, but it’s not good enough for his son. Finn is insisting that he hires an in-home caregiver to monitor him. She says, that sounds sensible to her, but he says, it’s not sensible; it’s overreacting. And it’s not going to happen.

Sasha asks if Olivia wants her to help interview potential cooks, but Olivia says, no. She wants Sasha to be the new cook. Sasha says, her? and Olivia says, yes. Sasha says, that’s her second job offer today. Olivia says, what? and Sasha says, never mind. Olivia says, here’s what she needs. She needs someone to do breakfast, lunches, including school lunches for the endless parade of kids going through that house, and dinners on weeknights. She’ll do dinners on weekends and any other time she wants, but she promises to give Sasha a proper heads up. She knows cooking for the Quartermaines isn’t the same as cooking for herself, but she promises everyone will be very patient with Sasha while she gets used to the job. So what does she think? She knows it’s a lot to take in. Sasha says, it is. She never thought she would end up in a kitchen again. Olivia says, again?

Nina says, there’s an electrical problem in her office, and Carly says, really? They can’t have that. What kind of an electrical problem? Nina says, they’ve been experiencing random surges, and Carly says, has she? That’s terrible. Nina says, and it’s been happening more and more frequently, and Carly says, funny. That never used to happen since the emergency maintenance crew was ordered for no apparent reason. (So much for Carly saying she didn’t want to hurt Nina anymore.) Nina says, the reason was flooding, and Carly says, yet nothing was wet. But Nina is having an electrical issue, so she’s going to hire the contractors Nina used since she liked their workmanship so much. Nina says, great. As long as the problem is addressed. And one more thing. Jason may have bought the MetroCourt back for Carly, but the person she should really be thanking is Ava.

Laura says she doesn’t see how trying to tell Sonny the truth means she’s turned against him, and he says, okay, fine. She wants the truth? She tells him that she’s just saying that’s the least he owes his kids, and he asks if she tells her kids the truth about everything. She says, the important things, she really tries, and he tells her, let’s say Donna and Avery come to him one day and they say, dad, why’d you beat that guy up? He’s going to say that he lost his temper. He had his reasons, but he regrets his actions. Is that okay? She says, it’s just that she hasn’t seen any evidence of that regret, and he says, they both know Cyrus is not a victim. Laura says she knows what Cyrus is capable of, and Sonny says, that’s the thing. He doesn’t think she does. Cyrus belongs in prison until he meets his Maker. She asks if he really thinks he’s in a position to judge who deserves to be behind bars and who doesn’t, and he asks, since when does she care about Cyrus? He’s been her brother for what, five minutes? She says, it’s because of what Sonny did to him, and Sonny says he and Laura are family. They’re blood. They’re connected through Spencer and Rocco. She says she knows that’s true, but that has nothing to do with this. He says he doesn’t even know what they’re talking about, and she says, what they’re talking about is a lifetime of crime and violence that she’s looked past time and time again. And she can’t do it anymore. She just can’t. Okay? And she can’t turn a blind eye anymore to his business, the things that he’s done, the crime, the people he’s hurt… the people he’s killed. Ava continues to listen, and Laura says, putting a wing on the hospital and donating art to the city doesn’t just make all of that go away. They still happened. They’re still there. They matter. It doesn’t just disappear because he did his daily good deed. (What’s bothering me about this storyline is, aside from nearly everyone turning on Sonny without even giving him a heads up, he’s not behaving normally. Even his physical movements aren’t the usual. How come no one is noticing?)

Carly asks what Ava has to do with Jason buying the MetroCourt, and Nina says she didn’t accept the offer right away. She talked it over with Ava first. Ava led her to believe Sonny would like it if she sold the MetroCourt to his best friend. Carly says, Ava sandbagged Nina. Ava was standing right there when Sonny called Jason a traitor and threw them both out of the penthouse. Nina says she figured it out. After the deal was done. Too late to change her mind. Carly says, it’s a pattern with Ava. She uses people until they’re no longer useful. That’s what she did with Carly’s son. In the end, all Ava cares about is getting what she wants. Nina says, in Ava’s defense, not everyone has a Jason to get her what she wants (I wish I did <heaving Jason sigh>), like losing a hotel fair and square. So much for Carly earning the MetroCourt back on her own.

Finn stops by Alexis’s office and asks if it’s a bad time. She says she hopes so. If not, she’ll have nothing to report. He says he’s sorry to bother her at work. He was on his way to a meeting and he just… She asks, what’s going on? and he says his father had a seizure last night. She says, no, and he says, it resulted in temporary paralysis. He’s okay. Alexis tells him to sit, and he says, when he walked in and saw him lying there, unable to move, and Violet beside him, terrified, not knowing what was going on… Alexis asks if she’s okay, and he says he thinks seeing her grandfather collapse… and after lying there, she had to run and get his ventilator. He thinks it’s something she’ll never forget, but right now she’s as good as can be expected. She says, how is Gregory? and he says, his ALS is progressing rapidly, but his dad… He gets it. His dad wants to be independent. He wants to make up for all those risks he never got to take in life. Jumping out of airplanes and whatever it is that makes him feel alive, but… He talked to Gregory today, and he told Gregory that he thinks they need to get some sort of in-home help for when he’s not there, and his dad flat-out refused and they had this big argument. Alexis says she’s sorry. She’s not shocked, but she is sorry. He says him too. He gets it and he’s trying to do everything he can to support him, but this time he’s going to have to put his daughter first.

Gregory tells Tracy, the day is coming when he’ll be completely helpless, and he’ll need people taking care of his every need and every bodily function, watching over him all the time, every single moment, but he’s not there yet. She says, he’s not far from it, and he says, thank you. Why is it such a sin for him to hold on to what little autonomy he can for as long as he can? She says, it‘s not, and he says, she’s being very agreeable, and he finds it suspect. She laughs and says, he has every right to hold on to his autonomy for as long as he possibly can. He says, thank you? and she says, just as Finn has every right to have a safe emotional environment for his daughter. He can’t risk Violet finding Gregory if he’s unable to move. Or worse. He says, she’s not telling him anything Finn hasn’t already told him already, and she says, then she assumes Finn’s already asked him the obvious question. He says, what question is that? and she says, what is more important to him, his pride or his granddaughter’s well-being?

Sonny asks Laura what he’s supposed to do. Confess to everything he’s been accused of? She says, that depends. How many of the things he’s accused of are true? He says he’s done far less than Cyrus, and she says, but Cyrus’s crimes don’t absolve his. Sonny says, Cyrus held her at gunpoint and he’s the bad guy? and she says she’s sorry. She thinks there are two bad guys. He says he does everything he can to protect his business, his family, and everybody he cares about, and that includes her. Does she know why? She says, why? and he says, so the bad guys don’t come after her. (He doesn’t even look good. He has giant circles under his eyes.) She says, being a good man when you’re not committing a crime, doesn’t absolve him from the times he does commit a crime. And being really good at covering up his tracks doesn’t make him less guilty. He rubs his forehead, and she says, at some point he has to be held accountable. He says, by who? and she says, think of his children, okay? His little girls, Donna and Avery. What’s going to happen when they’re old enough to figure out what their father does for a living? And they will. He’s not going to be able to keep that from them. What is he going to say? He says he’s going to do what he always does. He’s going to do everything in his power to protect them. She says she knows he will, but who’s going to protect them from him?

Sasha says she worked as a line cook and a part-time chef for a few summers in the Hamptons, and Olivia says, it was meant to be. Sasha says she was never the head chef. She was the substitute sous chef when the real chef was out. Olivia says, she worked in a busy restaurant. Cooking for the Quartermaines is going to be a piece of cake. An overly ornate five-tier pain in the butt piece of cake, but still, it’s a piece of cake. Sasha says, this is really flattering, but is Olivia sure she wants to offer her a job based on one shepherd’s pie? Olivia says, she loves to cook. She’s a great cook. They need a cook. Oliva says, it’s a match made in heaven. Or an opening in the universe, depending on your spiritual beliefs. Not to mention the fact that Cody shows up for dinner several nights a week. She’s sure he wouldn’t mind having Sasha around.

Finn asks Alexis to tell him if he’s wrong. Tell him that he shouldn’t just give into his father and give him everything he wants. She says she can’t tell him that, and he says he wants to give him everything he wants. Go parasailing. Go get shot out of a cannon. Go out in space and see the earth from orbit. Do all the things. He’ll do them with his dad, but he doesn’t think his dad can do those things right now, so shouldn’t he give in and give him this one thing? Alexis says, maybe. It’s certainly worth trying to talk to him again, but she doesn’t know that he’s going to end up with different results. He says, she’s right. He’s going to go back and talk to him. She says she thought he was going to a meeting, but he says he can do that later. She says, when the oxygen mask drops from a plane, what do you do? and he says, you put your mask on first, but this… She says, this is the same thing. This is as challenging as it gets. And in order for him to navigate through this, he’s going to have to take care of himself, which means taking care of his sobriety. He says he knows what she’s saying. He gets it. But in this moment, he just feels so selfish. She says, then be selfish. Can his dad wait for an hour for him to go to a meeting? He says he’s not sure, and she says, what do the doctors think? He says, probably. He doesn’t know. She says she understands that his father needs to hold on to his autonomy for as long as he can, but she also knows there’s nothing more important to him than Violet.

Gregory tells Tracy that he never wants Violet to be afraid the way she was last night. He was scared too. When something like that happens, you never know when it’s going to end, if ever. But when he was trying to stay calm, the worst part was knowing he couldn’t comfort his granddaughter. She asks how he thinks Violet felt, not being able to comfort him, and he says he understands what she’s saying, but she and Finn need to understand what he’s saying. She says, okay. There is another solution. He says, great. He’s all ears. She says, first, he has to decide what’s most important to him. If it is in fact spending the time he has left with Finn and Violet here in their home, then he has to abide by Finn’s wishes. But if his independence is his top priority, then he simply moved in to an assisted living facility – Turning Woods is supposed to be really nice – and he can have Violet visit him there.

Laura says she didn’t intend for them to have this conversation here today, and she mean for it to go like this either. She hopes Sonny will take some of this to heart. Please. Just think about it. Just think about doing the right thing. He doesn’t say anything, and she says, at any rate, the City of Port Charles will not be accepting his donation of art. Not while she’s the mayor. She walks out, and Ava walks in, since she didn’t have far to go. She asks, what happened to Laura?

Alexis tells Finn to take the time and go to his meeting to give his dad some time to think things through. When Finn talks to him again, tell him that he and Chase and Violet are worried about him and want someone to take care of him when Finn can’t be there. And she thinks sooner rather than later, he will see Finn’s wisdom. Finn says, here’s hoping, and she says, and whether he does or not, he can’t take care of his family until he takes care of himself first. He says, that’s good advice, and she says she’s good. in fact, she’s so good, she’s going to follow her own advice. Would he like company at his meeting? He says he’d love it.

Gregory says, she’s good, and Tracy says he’s going to have to narrow that down a little bit. He says, the art of persuasion, and she says, oh, that. He says, obviously if he has to choose between Turning Woods and here, even with a caregiver, of course (🍷) he chooses here. She says, that’s not persuasion, that’s just common sense. And by the way, if she were in his shoes, she’d be handling this much, much worse. She wouldn’t sit for it. She wouldn’t stay. She’d run away to the far corners of the earth where her family couldn’t find her to help her, to care for her. And no matter how miserable and lonely she got, she’d still have her dignity and her freedom, and have no one to share it with. But luckily, you my friend, are so much smarter than I am. He says, she’s the smartest woman he knows.

Sasha tells Olivia that she can’t say it isn’t tempting. She left Deception because she wasn’t satisfied there anymore. She wanted something completely different from what she was doing, and working as a chef at the Quartermaines would definitely be different. Olivia says she doesn’t want to pressure Sasha, and Sasha says, of course (🍷) not. Olivia says, but she would be remiss in not telling Sasha that it’s a live-in position, which means she’d get free room and board in a beautiful mansion with all meals included. Sasha says, so she’d get to eat what she makes, but Olivia says, better. Sasha gets to eat what she makes. And get paid for it. Come on. What does she say? Sasha tells her, she says, that’s exactly what she needs right now.

Carly says, other than fixing the electrical issues Nina brought on herself, is there anything else she can do for Nina? (I’m all about their outfits today. Kudos to wardrobe.) Nina says she might as well just tell Carly. She signed the divorce papers. She and Sonny are no longer married. But Ava is closer to him than ever. From one ex-wife to another, she doesn’t think Ava is good for Sonny. In fact, she thinks Ava could be toxic for him. Carly says she doesn’t agree with Nina on much, but she does agree with her there.

Sonny tells Ava that Laura didn’t want his gift to the city, and she says she was surprised by Laura’s reaction at first, but she thought he could talk her into it. Public art benefits everybody. He says he guesses not when it comes from the wrong person, and she asks, since when is he the wrong person? He’s been unfailingly generous to the City of Port Charles. There are wings in the hospital and playgrounds in the park because of him. He says, it doesn’t matter to Laura. She can’t get past what he did to Cyrus. She asks if Laura knows that Cyrus provoked him. That he orchestrated his own beating? It wasn’t Sonny’s fault. He says, Laura thinks it was. He owned up to it, and now she wants to punish him. He’s been good to Laura for so many years, and he thought she was loyal to him, but he guesses not.

On Monday, Michael asks, what’s with this mystery meeting; Nikolas asks if Ava is in love with Sonny; Valentin says, Anna is not going to be a problem; and Anna tells Jason that he’s putting this entire investigation at risk.

🧴 No Suds Left Behind…

IMO, the best of the Nikolases.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/adam-huss-returns-to-general-hospital-2

A confirmation of yesterday’s news from a different source. Mostly the same info, but I thought it was weird how he looks like Jim Parsons in the photo.

https://ew.com/nicholas-alexander-chavez-not-returning-to-general-hospital-8639347

He’s got the all-clear on his health report card.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-cameron-mathison-shares-a-cancer-update

I’d rather see him back on GH, but I’ll take it. It’s good to see him back in the game.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/jack-wagner-on-joining-the-new-melrose-place

🏄 Speaking Of That Place…

Rebooting her rep.

🧂 Needs More Salt…

It is kind of disappointing. On all fronts.

Cringe, but what do they expect from this one?

It’s all good. Until next time.

I actually thought they made a pretty good couple.

🍹 Bless Their Hearts…

This was a little short on info, but where Craig will land is anybody’s guess.

🩰 Dance Like Everyone’s Watching…

The Reunion scuttlebutt as seen through JoJo’s eyes.

https://www.etonline.com/dance-moms-the-reunion-jojo-siwa-defends-abby-lee-millers-behavior-to-co-stars-223989

https://www.etonline.com/dance-moms-the-reunion-jojo-siwa-defends-abby-lee-millers-behavior-to-co-stars-223989

🌁 Falling Further…

I’m obsessed with this show. The attention to detail was just amazing.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/fallout-worldbuilding-production-designer-costume-designer-interview

The soundtrack was impressive as well.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/ramin-djawadi-interview-fallout-house-of-the-dragon-iron-man

This makes me want to play the game. So far, I’ve been strong.

https://www.inverse.com/gaming/fallout-amazon-characters-stupd

🐎 You Too Can Dress Like Delores…

Looks like the future of Westworld is up in the air, but you can own a piece of it.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/westworld-auction-season-5-canceled

🐕 Milking His 15 Minutes…

This good boy is not giving up his seat that easy.

https://people.com/all-about-messi-oscars-dog-anatomy-of-a-fall-8607453

🦉 Quotes of the Week

The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof. – Richard David Bach

Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts. – Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Winners do things losers don’t want to do.Dr. Phil McGraw

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

To be really great in little things, to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonization. – Harriet Beecher Stowe

I won’t undertake war until I have tried all the arts and means of peace. – François Rabelais

If you just go with the flow, no matter what weird things happen along the way, you always end up exactly where you belong. – Tom Upton

She is the apple that goes in the pig’s mouth. – Marie Calvet (Julia Ormond), Mad Men

A lifetime isn’t forever, so take the first chance, don’t wait for the second one! Because sometimes, there aren’t second chances! And if it turns out to be a mistake? So what! This is life! A whole bunch of mistakes! But if you never get a second chance at something you didn’t take a first chance at? That’s true failure. – C. JoyBell C.

Golden rule, motherf***er. – Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell), Fallout

🐼 Leaving Them Laughing

A panda walked into a café and ordered a sandwich. He ate it and then pulled a gun out and shot the waiter. The panda then plunked a badly punctuated wildlife manual onto the table. Look me up, he growled as he walked out the door. The wounded waiter opened the book to the entry for panda. It read, Panda: Large, black and white bear-like mammal native to China. Eats, shoots & leaves.

🌸 Shine On Pink Moon…

In the next two days, do one thing you’ve never done before. Then join me on Monday really Tuesday for soap and a new chef on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay never reaching past someone without saying excuse me, and stay putting on your own oxygen mask first.

March 21, 2024 – Cody Quits the Modeling Biz, True Story, Star Studded, Excuses, Nope, That Awful House, Back Again, More Waiting, Tiny Hippo & Fine

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Nina says, Alexis isn’t in. It’s their other boss, and she needs help. Every time she tries to use this computer, she just gets an error message, 3331. What does that even mean? There’s a knock at the door, and she says, finally. She tells the person on the phone, never mind, and thanks them. She says, come in, and Drew walks in. She says, this was unexpected. Does she need to call security? He says, they both know there’s no such thing as security, don’t they?

At the photo shoot for Bellpo magazine, the photographer tells Sasha that he wants big energy from her. Not so accessible. They want a little bit of distance. She’s strong and nobody can touch her. Sasha says, got it, and he starts to take photos. The Bellpo rep says he has some notes for the model, and the photographer tells Sasha that they just have to make a little adjustment. Everybody take five. Lucy goes over to Sasha and Sasha asks if there’s something wrong. Lucy says, no. It’s going great. They just need the photographs to be a teeny, little bit different. Why doesn’t she pretend like she doesn’t really want to be here. Like she’s kind of doing them a favor. Get it? Try that.

Spinelli gives a handout to Tracy, Brook, and Maxie, saying, lovely ladies of Deception. Follow along as they go through… Cody comes in and says, sorry. He didn’t mean to interrupt. He thought he could swing by any time. Maxie says, it’s totally all right. They’re just about to go through their new security protocols. He should stay because he does work for Deception. He says he does, and Tracy tells him, pull up a chair. Why should they be the only ones to suffer? Maxie says she thought he’d be at Sasha’s photo shoot, and Cody asks, why? It’s a solo photo shoot. He doesn’t need to be Sasha’s keeper. Maxie says, that’s true. Sasha does have Lucy there to smooth out any problems. Tracy laughs and says, doesn’t she mean create problems? Does anyone know Lucy Coe?

TJ says he’ll be observing Dr. Enoch during Heather’s surgery. While prepping, he observed there were some gaps in her chart, and he needs more information from her before the surgery. Heather says, fire away, doc, and he asks if she has any allergies. She says, only to other people, and he says, great. No allergies. Has she had any adverse reactions to anesthesia? She says, is being forced to wake up from it count? and he says he’ll take that as a no. (Ha! Sounds like me. I had it once and it was the best sleep I ever had.) His phone dings, and he says he’ll be back. Heather says she’ll be here, showing him her handcuffs. He leaves, and Willow starts to follow, but Heather asks if Willow’s not going to shave her head. Willow says she’s sorry, what? and Heather says, shave her head for the surgery, but Willow says, that won’t be necessary. The surgery is on her hip. Heather says, but she thought heads were shaved for every surgery. If not, finally things are looking up. Willow says, if she needs anything, use her call button, and leaves. Heather tells Laura that she still looks such a fright with her hair all in knots. Oh well. She used to have such pretty hair, didn’t she? Laura says, yeah, and Heather says, it’s been so long. Remember? She used to set it all the time. Laura says, it was beautiful, and Heather says, a long time ago. Another life.

TJ says he’s sure Elizabeth knows Heather Webber’s surgery is this morning, and Elizabeth says, the metalosis diagnosis is kind of crazy, but she doesn’t know a lot about that condition. He says, cobalt poisoning from the breakdown of an artificial hip can be extremely painful and it can disrupt normal organ function in the body. He asks her to excuse him and steps away. Deanna tells Elizabeth that there’s a discrepancy in the med storage area, and Elizabeth says, which is? Deanna says, simply put, the inventory doesn’t match. It’s short. Willow overhears. (Geez, it’s not like it’s opiates.)

Looking at the computer, Elizabeth says, this is the first she’s hearing about a discrepancy. Oh yeah. She sees what Deanna is talking about. Deanna asks if this is something they need to worry about, but Elizabeth says, not yet. It could be a mistake. Sometimes the pharmacy is slow with an update. That could be the issue. Willow texts Michael, and Elizabeth says, when people are selling drugs, it’s the painkillers they’re taking, not the antibiotics. (Thank you.) Willow asks if it’s okay if she takes her break a little early, and Elizabeth says, she can go. It’s actually pretty quiet right now. Willow says she’ll be back, and heads for the elevator.

The photographer tells Sasha, more defiant. Can’t be bothered… A little more edge… more danger. The rep tells Lucy, this isn’t working. There’s no risk, no aloofness. She’s too accessible, too sweet. He tells the photographer, let’s do some motion, and the photographer tells Sasha, let’s do this. Turn her body to the left and look over her shoulder. She hears Lucy talking and asks if they can just stop for a minute. They’re clearly not happy with what they’re seeing, so just tell her exactly what they want, and she can do it. The rep says, it’s not that. She’s doing a great job. Lucy says, the best, and he says, unfortunately, he just doesn’t think the shoot is going to work, for reasons that are beyond their control. Sasha says, oh wow. Okay. That’s too bad. The rep steps away, and Sasha tells Lucy that she guesses they have a free morning. Lucy says, great.

Spinelli says, the improvements he’s made to Deception’s cybersecurity have made it virtually impenetrable. Maxie will not only be the queen of Deception, but also queen of the passcodes. So to access any company file, each of them will need a new code from Maxie every day, while Maxie herself will be getting a new code every morning. Brook says, sounds super secure, and Tracy says, sounds super annoying. Spinelli says, this much security does require extra steps, but it should provide security to the companies, and it should prevent intrusion to the companies indebted and proprietary holdings, such as the ones that threatened The Deceptor not long ago. Tracy asks if he means the one that was created to find intellectual property theft, and Brook says, grandmother… Tracy says, it’s what they’re all thinking, when Maxie’s phone rings. Maxie says, it’s the rep for Bellpo. She has to take this. Excuse her. She leaves, and Spinelli tells them, as he was saying…

On the phone, Maxie asks how the photo shoot is going… It’s canceled? What do they mean?… That’s ridiculous.

Nina says, as Drew can see, she’s extremely busy. He says he sees her staring at the computer screen, but she’s not actually doing anything. She says she can’t log on and the tech is taking forever to get here, and he says, allow him. She says, why? and he says, because he wants her to finish whatever it is she’s doing so she can focus. She asks how he thinks he’s going to log her on. Telepathically? He doesn’t work here. He knows nothing about The Invader’s system. He says, since she’s sitting at Alexis’s desk, he would consider using her password, but she says, they’re not contacting Alexis. They don’t exactly see eye to eye on this writer she hired. She’s trying to post his column before he gets here to derail it. He says, lucky for her, Alexis’s password is on a little sticky note right there. She might want to try that. Nina says she’ll eventually have to talk to Alexis about that potential security risk, after she uses it this one time. She puts in the password and says, yes! What she needs to do is drag the file underneath the header and then just hit post it and done. She laughs and Drew looks like he wants to. She says she’s leaving and she’s going to lock the office, so he’ll have to wait for Alexis outside. He says he’s not actually here to see Alexis. He’s here to see her. She asks, why is that? and he says he’s just wondering how she’s enjoying running The Invader. She says, he wants to know how she likes the job she took after he fired her, and he says, just humor him. She says, okay. It’s not exactly the job she was born to do, and Alexis hates her and all her ideas for making the paper more successful. Then again, she’s getting used to being Port Charles’s favorite punching bag. Why does he ask? He says he’s just wondering, does she miss Crimson?

Laura finishes brushing Heather’s hair and Heather asks if it looks any better. Laura takes out a mirror and says, why doesn’t Heather have a look for herself? What does she think? Heather looks and says, seeing herself in a mirror isn’t something she does much these days. She usually looks better or worse than this? Laura says she thinks Heather looks really good for somebody who’s about to go into surgery, besides, hospital lighting doesn’t do anybody any favors. Heather says, it’s just so strange having this older lady staring back at her. She’s not used to it. She used to be pretty, didn’t she? Laura says she thought so. They all age, and it’s not such a bad thing considering the alternative. Heather says, that’s true, even if they’re not girls anymore. Now they’re co-grandparents. She bets Laura didn’t see that coming. She laughs, and Laura tells her that she can’t say she did. Heather asks how Ace is. Did the antibiotics work on that ear infection of his? Laura says, yes. Worked like a charm. He’s back to his normal, happy self. Heather says, good. One of the disclaimers on the form she filled out said she could die during this operation. Laura tells her not to worry about that. It’s standard procedure for anybody who’s having surgery in the hospital. Besides, her doctor is a very skilled surgeon, one of the best in New York. She’s going to be fine. Heather says, maybe she will, maybe she won’t. It was so nice of Laura to come this morning. She’s the mayor. She has a city to run. She doesn’t have to stay. Laura says, nobody should be alone before surgery. Besides, there aren’t many of us Webbers left, right? Maybe they should stick together. Heather says, it’s nice that Laura remembers her the way she was. She’s glad somebody can.

Willow meets Michael in the stable and says she’s on her break. The meds she took to treat Jason have been flagged in the system as missing. Thank God she didn’t take painkillers, or the police would have already been called, but Elizabeth will have to look into it. He asks if there’s anything that will lead back to her, and she says, no, but Elizabeth is in charge. She’s going to have to answer for the discrepancy. Michael asks if there’s any chance it’s a computer glitch or paperwork error, but she says, no. Everything that goes out of that pharmacy is scanned electronically. This was not. They know it’s missing. He says, they’ll figure this out. Don’t panic. He promises they’ll figure it out. She asks, how? and he says he doesn’t know… yet. She asks if he’s seen Jason this morning, and Michael says, he’s doing okay. He’s moving around better. She says she’s glad Jason is getting better, but she can’t see a way out of this situation for them or him. He says, it’s hard to come up with a plan when they’re still in the dark about so much, and she asks if Jason told him what happened at the warehouse that night, or where he’s been, or why he came back now. He says, what Jason told him, he already told her. Just that he was working as a mercenary for someone who has leverage over him. That’s all he’d say.

Maxie comes back and says, sorry for the interruption. Everything’s fine. Brook says, everything is not fine, and Maxie asks what she means. Brook says, Cody just texted Sasha to let her know how Dante’s doing, and she let him know the photo shoot got canceled. What’s going on? Cody says, sorry, and Brook says, Bellpo is one of the biggest fashion magazines in the world. Sasha being on the cover would have meant huge exposure for Deception. Tracy asks what she wants to bet Lucy messed this up somehow, but Maxie says, it’s not a big deal. She knows how fashion people can be. They run hot, they run cold, they probably just wanted to regroup and find a new direction for the photo shoot. She asks Spinelli what other systems they’re upgrading, and he says he’s glad she asked. He installed the strongest antivirus software available… Lucy comes in with Sasha and says, oh. The gang is all here. Tracy asks what she did to get the photo shoot canceled. Lucy says, I beg your pardon? Tracy says, they know it was called off and they also know she was there, so it must be her fault. Sasha says, it wasn’t Lucy’s fault. She doesn’t know what happened. The shoot just felt off from the start. The Bellpo creative director clearly wasn’t happy, but couldn’t articulate to her why, and the photographer just seemed annoyed that he wasn’t getting the shot. She feels like she did everything she was asked to do and still, it wasn’t working. Brook says she doesn’t get it, and asks Lucy, what happened? Lucy says, a simple problem that can easily be fixed. Sasha is just too wholesome.

Sasha asks, what is too wholesome? and Lucy says, don’t take this the wrong way. It’s just her photographs are too approachable, too radiant. They’re just too darn nice. Maxie asks what Lucy is doing, and Brook tells Sasha not to listen to her. She’s beautiful. Any woman would kill to look like her. Sasha says, let Lucy talk, and Lucy says, it’s intangible. It’s aloofness. It’s edgy. It’s like the model is just out of reach. Kind of like Kate Moss. There was a reason she was on all those covers. Because she had that look. Tracy says, so she wants Sasha to model heroin chic. They think she didn’t do her research before she took over a cosmetics company? Cody says, this is insane. Sasha’s gorgeous and if a photographer can’t capture that, they’re clearly incompetent. Lucy says, obviously she’s gorgeous. No one is saying otherwise. She doesn’t mean to be rude. This isn’t nice or polite to say, but they need exposure. They need Sasha on the covers of those magazines, and they need that kind of exposure now more than ever. So think about it. She is the Face of Deception. Beautiful, yes, but they need mystery, unavailability. They need edginess. Does Sasha think she can do that for them?  

On the phone, Elizabeth says, it’s only a small amount, no street value, only known to medical professionals. She’s going to pull the records of everybody who logged in and out of the pharmacy storage in the past few days, and she’ll get back to them. Deanna asks if she was able to clear up the discrepancy, and Elizabeth says she’s still looking into it. It’s not really enough to affect their standing supply, so it could still be just a reporting error. Deanna asks, what if the meds are really gone? and Elizabeth says, that would mean their system isn’t secure, and that would be a much bigger issue. Deanna asks if someone could lose their job over this, and Elizabeth says, the person in charge. That would be her.

Willow says, what happens if that FBI agent who tried to question Danny questions them? Do they lie? Is that perjury or obstruction of justice? And even if that doesn’t happen, what do they do about the drugs? She can’t let Elizabeth take the fall for the meds she stole. Michael says he doesn’t know. He’s trying to figure this out just like her. What he does know is, he was sent to prison when he was 17 years old. He was just a kid. He was beaten so badly. She knows what happened to him. He couldn’t protect himself. He couldn’t stop the hell he was in, so Jason got himself sent to prison too, to protect him. Jason saved his life. He wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Jason, so whatever he needs right now, however he can help Jason, he’s going to do it. He’s asking her to stand with him and help Jason too.

Nina brings in some coffee and says she thought Drew could use some caffeine and sugar, and he asks if he should have her taste them first. She says, ten people saw her buy these. If she was going to poison him, she’d be more discreet. He says, she’s had time to think about his question, and she says she has. She could lie to save her pride, but what’s the point? She misses Crimson. Crimson is her baby, so she misses her. She has to say, being Editor in Chief of Crimson did not prepare her for the newspaper business. The Invader is like a jigsaw puzzle with the pieces constantly moving. He says, it’s the Peter Principle playing out in action. She’s advanced to her level of incompetence. She asks if he can spare her his psychoanalysis of her abilities, and he says, it’s very simple. She was successful enough at Crimson, and she’s failing at this job because subverting the truth about beauty and fashion is practically why magazines like Crimson exist, but when you lie in a newspaper, that’s not good. You’re going to get cot caught. She says she sees what’s happening here. He’s framing this as if it’s her who’s not able to do her job. She thinks it’s the opposite. Is Carly failing at running Crimson? He says he pushed Carly into taking that job. She was never the right fit. She says, and he’s expecting her to believe at some point in their pillow talk, Carly suggested giving Crimson back to her? She knows she has a youthful glow, but she wasn’t born yesterday. He says, Carly and Crimson have parted ways. He fired her. She says, that can’t have gone over well. Carly was so happy to watch her get fired. She was almost giddy when she was able to tell Nina that she was her replacement. He says, after what she did to Carly, can she blame her? Carly never wanted that job at Crimson anyway. She says, so here they are. He and Carly were so united in humiliating her, but he’s alone, asking her if she misses Crimson. Oh my God. Carly dumped him.

Cody says, Lucy owes Sasha an apology, but Sasha says, it’s fine. Lucy’s right. The beauty industry is very different from the real world. Tracy looks at her phone and says she’s sorry. As much as she would like to stay, she’s just gotten an alert that there’s something at the hospital the board members need to be aware of, so she has to go. She congratulates Lucy on another fabulous meeting, and leaves. Maxie says, might she remind Lucy that Sasha is her hand-picked Face of Deception? She can’t hire Sasha for her look, then ask her to change into something she’s not. Cody thanks her and says, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Sasha. She radiates warmth. Her smile could light up a city block. Lucy says, that’s true, but they desperately need that exposure and magazines do not want wholesome. They want mystery. They want edge. So they need another face, a second face. Spinelli’s phone rings and he says he’s sorry. He has to take this. He dashes out.

In the hallway, Spinelli says, Michael? Michael thanks him for picking up and asks if he’s ever hacked into the GH pharmacy control system. Spinelli says he’s not sure. Perhaps in his wild, misspent youth. Why?

Drew asks if Nina is almost done, but she says, not quite. Not even close. He had his moment of victory, so she’s going to enjoy hers. He says, there’s really nothing uglier than expressing joy at somebody else’s misfortune (maybe Drew needs to be tested for cobalt poisoning), and she says she completely agrees. She’s had extensive experience with that, usually as the target, so this is a nice change. Let her guess. Carly ditched him 30 seconds after Jason reappeared. He says, it wasn’t like that, and she says, after he went to prison for her and everything. He says, Carly wasn’t the one who sent him to Pentenville, it was his own fault she was, and she asks what he wants. Obviously, he’s still angry with her. Is he really going to give her Crimson back? He says, maybe. He hasn’t decided whether he’s going to let it die or whether he’ll give it another chance at success. The magazine is costing him a lot of money right now, which they both know he can afford, but he really doesn’t like his name being associated with failure. She says, if he wants to attach Carly’s name to that failure instead, she’s good with that. (My motto: never go back to a job or a man. There’s a reason you left.)

Heather tells Laura, it doesn’t matter how good a doctor is, with surgery, there are always risks. She’s just been wondering what would happen if she didn’t wake up. Does Laura ever think about death? Laura says, of course (🍷) she does, and Heather says, and? Laura says, after the last few years she’s had, where she lost Luke and she lost Bobbie and then Spencer, those were people she never thought she’d have to live without. Heather says she knows how that feels. Laura probably hated Esme, but she misses her baby girl too. Laura says she knows, and she didn’t hate Esme. She was Ace’s mother and she treated Esme like part of the family. Heather thanks her, and Laura says she hated some of the things Esme did. She really hates the last thing she did. Heather says she gets it. She never used to care about dying. She just thought, hey, the world was fine before she was born; why wouldn’t a world without her just be fine too? But she can’t stop wondering now. If she’d just made better choices, maybe she could have had a better life. Laura knew her back in the day. Was she always this… wild? Laura says, she always took a lot of risks. She was never happy with the status quo, and she always went after whatever she wanted, whether it was men or money. She doesn’t think she would have gone about things the same way Heather did. Heather says, but was she this crazy? and Laura says, no. Heather starts to cry, and Laura says, no, she wasn’t. This is a more recent development. TJ comes in and tells Heather that they’re ready for her in the OR. They’ll give her anesthesia and then the surgery. Heather says, then what happens? and Laura asks what she means. Heather tells them, say she goes to the surgery and it’s all successful. Now she has no more pain. All that poison is gone from her body, so she’s less crazy and some people hate her less because now there’s an explanation for why she did all those horrible crimes. Then what? Her life gets better just in time for the DA to send her to that prison all the way across the country for the rest of her life? Laura says she doesn’t know how to respond to that. She doesn’t know if Heather has any options. Heather says, all right then. At least she’ll have her shows. She hears in California, everybody’s got cable TV in their cells. So she can watch Jeopardy. Come on. Let’s go. Laura tells her, good luck, and Heather thanks her, Laura taking her hand for a moment as she’s wheeled out. Heather yells, let’s get this show on the road! and Doc walks in. He says he thought it might be time for Heather’s surgery and asks Laura if she’s okay, but Laura says, no.

Laura tells Doc that she’s been so busy hating Heather and being afraid of Heather, she lost sight of how sick she really is. Or maybe was. What if she wakes up after the surgery and she’s different? Doc says, change is possible, but in the case of mental illness, even with cobalt poisoning, it’s unrealistic to think it might reverse itself overnight. Laura says, but in time she could heal, right? Get back to… Get close to the person she used to be. He tells her, look at it like this. The cobalt has been poisoning her mentally and physically for a long time, so Heather’s skewed way of thinking is now imprinted on her brain. It’s like a bad habit and they both know any habit is hard to break, even under the best circumstances. She says, which these are not, and he says, no. Then again, he’s not a neurologist and he’s never studied the effect of toxic metals on the brain, so anything’s possible. She says she just can’t help but have some empathy for Heather. She’s had her own issues with mental health. She had people around her who loved her and made sure she got the help she needed and that she was okay. What if Heather had had the same thing? Would they have noticed the cobalt poisoning earlier, and how much did that influence the crazy things that she did? What if Heather is not really responsible – she means in the most humane definition of that word – for these crimes she committed?

Drew says, there she is. There’s the Nina they all know and love. When presented with the option of getting something she loves or punishing someone she hates, she chooses revenge every time. She says, he’s the one who brought it up, and he says, there’s no scenario here where Carly is the fall guy if Crimson goes under. So she can just stop fantasizing about that. Nina says, fine. He has his pride. What would it look like if people knew he not only lost his heart, but lost his magazine because he was so blinded by love that he couldn’t see the truth about Carly Spencer? He says, there are two things he feels for her that he could never feel for Carly, and those are rage and contempt. (Way to get someone to do what you want.) She says she’s become familiar with him directing both of those things in her direction lately, and he says, but… She says, ooh, there’s a but here, and he says he’s got to admit, there’s a couple of things she’s pretty good at too. One of them is crimes of the heart, and the other is running Crimson. It seems to him that her being reinstated as the Editor in Chief of Crimson could be her ticket to people admiring her, giving her respect. Doesn’t she want that back?

Spinelli works on his laptop in the hallway and says, almost there.

Sasha says, Lucy wants to replace her as the Face of Deception, but Lucy says, no. Not replace, not ever. Just include another face. Think of it as addition, not subtraction. Cody says, this is ridiculous. If she’s suggesting changing Sasha’s position at Deception because she’s somehow too approachable and wholesome, this isn’t the kind of company he wants to be involved with. So they might as well change his face too. Sasha says, no, and Maxie fans herself and says, let’s just take some deep breaths here. Cody doesn’t mean that. He says he doesn’t? and Brook says, Lucy should have run this past her and Maxie first before she just blurted it out. Lucy says, okay, so maybe she blurted it out, but she knows a smart business decision when she makes one. She sorry, but she doesn’t really want to listen to a stable boy who posed for a few pictures. He’s not going to tell her that she’s wrong. If he wants to quit, go ahead. He’s really not a very good model, and they just kind of agreed to keep him around to keep Sasha happy. Maxie says, that is not true… but Cody thanks Lucy for finally being honest with him. Because you know what? He’s never hated a job more than he’s hated this one. Standing around with a fake smile on his face, petting an alpaca, pretending to stare adoringly at any woman, even one that he actually does adore, isn’t for him. He’d rather spend the rest of his life picking up after horses than working for her. She doesn’t have to fire him; he quits. Lucy says, that was so beautiful. That was really a great speech, but he can’t quit. Unfortunately, he does have a contract. He says, so sue him, and walks out, slamming the door.

Maxie says, let’s just give him some time to cool off, and then they’ll have a rational conversation and smooth this over. Sasha says she knows Cody pretty well at this point and can tell he’s made up his mind. He won’t come back. Lucy says, okay. If he wants to quit a great, easy job, then that’s his problem. She’s just being honest. This whole beauty business is tough, it’s brutal, and they all know that. She hopes Sasha isn’t as upset, because her perfect gorgeousness has never been in question. Sasha says she’s not offended. This is not her first rodeo. She’s heard a lot worse. Maxie says she’s glad Sasha’s not mad, and Sasha says she’s not. She promises. But hearing Cody talk about modeling and how he perceives it has made her think. He obviously finds it tiresome and pointless, and hearing his words makes her realize she feels the same way. Maybe it’s time she quits too. Maxie hyperventilates, and Brook tells Sasha not to make any rash decisions, then tells Lucy, look at what you’ve done.

On the phone, Elizabeth says, they can see all the meds have been accounted for, so can they please call off the bloodhounds?… Thank you. She turns around to see Tracy, who says she understands there was some discrepancy that the hospital board was to be made aware of, but Elizabeth says, everything is fine. That message should have never gotten to Tracy until they knew there was an actual problem. But she has to tell Tracy, their reliance on IT security has its drawbacks. The computers are so slow to update, it created an alert that suggested there was a theft in the pharmacy storage. If Tracy wants, she can see everything that’s been accounted for now. She apologizes that Tracy was brought down here for nothing. Tracy says, the timing was perfect. She was actually rescued from something that was even more tedious and more pointless. She thanks Elizabeth and leaves. Willow breathes a sigh of relief.

Doc tells Laura, given the number and gravity of Heather’s crimes, he can’t see her convictions being overturned. She says, he’s probably right, but still, to have a prosthetic implant that’s poisoning you has to carry some weight in court. He says, it seems reasonable to him, but they have to remember that reason and the law don’t always see eye to eye. Why is this weighing on her so much? He thought she’d be happy that Heather’s finally paying for what she did. She says she thought so too, but she’s known Heather most of her life and she just wasn’t this crazy before. She wasn’t. She thinks she also realizes she hasn’t been very sympathetic towards her and all the things she’s been through in her life. Life really hasn’t treated her well. He says, it hasn’t exactly been easy for Laura either, but she didn’t turn to a life of crime, and she says, there but for the grace of God, go I. Maybe it’s that the pain of losing Spencer is so fresh and watching her go through the pain of losing Esme. When she thinks about little Ace and how wonderful it would be for him to grow up without his other grandmother being in prison for a string of murders she committed… He says, she really has a heart of gold. It’s a lot more gold than his. Even with everything Heather has done, she still manages to find compassion for her. He loves her for that. She says she loves him too, and he says, first thing in the morning, he’ll do a search for any psyche diagnoses that have resulted in a conviction being overturned. He’ll let her know what he finds. She thanks him and hugs him. He says, anything for you, Mrs. Collins.

Nina asks why she’d sign up for a daily helping of Drew’s rage and contempt. That’s not exactly appealing. He says his supervision of her work at Crimson in the past was very minimal. He’ll agree to continue with that because he doesn’t have time to dedicate to a monthly scratch and sniff anyway. (Really? I was just thinking he needs a job.) She asks if Carly has even started to put together the new scratch and sniff issue. Or did she just look at a couple pictures, raid the beauty closet, and call it a job well done? He says, that’s very cute. He knows Carly was talking to advertisers and making assignments, so she and Carly can work together on this next issue. She says, that is not happening. Crimson is her baby, her vision. It’s a success because of her. She’s not going to put her name on something full of Carly’s trashy biker chick style. Not even for one month. He says, fine. The decision is made. Hell, Crimson’s sell by date has probably expired by now anyway. Easier to just let it die. He starts to walk out and she says, wait.

Tomorrow, Chase asks Brook if she’s sure it was the right thing to go back to Deception; Cody wonders if he made the right decision; Diane says she’s been expecting this call; and Michael says he’s found a way for Jason to disappear.

🔬 Art Imitates Life…

Unlike many of Heather’s delusions, metal poisoning is a real thing.

🪩 She’s the Host…

This sounds amazing. I wish it was happening closer to me.

🍹 Grief Made Her Do It…

I see she’s taking the LisaR route and blaming the passing of her mother for her poor decisions. I believe there was another car if you do. And haven’t any of these people heard of Uber?

https://people.com/real-housewives-of-potomac-karen-huger-charged-with-dui-dwi-8612507

🍑 Refusal To Film…

I’m guessing there’s more to this story.

https://people.com/nene-leakes-slams-porsha-williams-allegedly-refusing-to-film-show-together-she-is-not-star-8610146

🏊 Not Ready For the Summer…

Because even the reality site recappers need to recover after watching, a capsule of what the most awful people in reality are up to this week. Unfortunately, the only palatable part – Paige looking for a bigger apartment in NYC with Craig at her side – was left out.

🩰 Tiny Dancers…

May 1st on Lifetime

https://ew.com/dance-moms-the-reunion-trailer-maddie-ziegler-absent-8605423

📺 Banner Year Already…

2025 will be here before we know it, right?

https://ew.com/snowpiercer-saved-by-amc-season-4-will-air-2025-8609438

https://ew.com/black-mirror-returns-2025-uss-callister-sequel-8609387

https://www.thewrap.com/yellowjackets-season-3-preview-ashley-lyle

https://comicbook.com/horror/news/yellowjackets-season-3-update-tone-confirmed-tease-first-season

🦛 Hip Hippo Hooray…

Can you imagine this little nugget following you around the house?

https://people.com/rare-pygmy-hippo-birth-at-athens-zoo-has-staff-absolutely-thrilled-8611563

🌈 Following the Color Block Road…

Stop by tomorrow for a dose of soap and Friday shenanigans. Until then, stay safe, stay tasting food before seasoning it, and stay being sympathetic toward those whom life hasn’t treated well.