Tag Archives: Dancing Queen

June 7, 2024 – Jake Sees Finn At the Brown Dog Bar, Everything Emmy, Shahs Now, Bad Timing, Sandy On Deck, More Last, Dragons Plus One, Black Barbie, Don’t Worry, Stanley’s Pups (!), Quote Octet & Queen

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Hey, whatever happened to Roxie, Finn’s bearded dragon? Just curious.

Willow is with Wiley in the pool, when Drew comes in. Wiley hollers to him, and she says, Wiley is excited to see him. So is she, but she’s not as exuberant about it. He says he’s excited to see them too. He didn’t know the Navy SEALs were training here today. Wiley says he wishes there were SEALS in the pool (although it’s questionable as to which kind he means), and Willow says she’s glad they’re not. It will be hard enough getting him out of the water today. Drew says he hears that, and she says, of course (🍷) he does. He and Wiley are kindred spirits. It’s good to see him. He says, it’s good to see her too, but he’s surprised to see them bobbing around in here. Willow says, Wiley thinks the hotel pool is more fun than the one at the Quartermaines. She can’t say he’s wrong and it’s a gorgeous day. Drew says he had a similar thought process himself, and she says, great minds. Amelia is loving her swimming lessons. She’s a proud mini fish. Drew says, amazing. So if Amelia is a mini fish, what does that make Wiley? Wiley says, a shark, and dives under the water.

Nina walks into the pool area on the phone. She says she needs them to hear her on this. Crimson is an elite publication and they’re not giving a discounted ad rate to a gym equipment company… She doesn’t care what Mr. Cain said. It’s still not happening. She watches as Drew gets in the pool.

Dex sees Gio at the towel bar and says he didn’t expect to see Gio here. When did he start working at the MetroCourt? Gio says, this morning. Can he interest Dex? He holds out a towel and says, fresh from the dryer. Dex says, Gio read his mind. So did Olivia put him to work? Gio says, good guess. He’s living at the Quartermaines and said he was looking for a part-time job, and here he is. Dex says, Olivia did him a favor. There are definitely worse places to work. Gio says he’s with Dex there. Aunt Olivia promised that he could be off duty early enough to watch the NBA finals, even if it goes to seven games. Dex says, here’s hoping, and Gio says he’s been following all season. He can’t wait for game two on Sunday night. (I assume it’s on ABC.) Dex says, be warned, and looks at Josslyn. The lifeguard is a big sports fan. She’s fierce and a terrible loser, so if Gio is rooting against her team and his team wins, don’t gloat. Josslyn and Dex smile at each other.

Going into Chase’s apartment, Chase tells Brook that he doesn’t know if he’s being strategic or just avoiding the thing he dreads. Maybe they should have gone to Finn’s first like they planned. She says, they still could. What would he say to Finn? Chase says, you son of a bitch, how could you use our dad’s death as an excuse to dive into a bottle? She looks at him, and he says, not the best approach, huh? She says, certainly justified, but no. She doesn’t think Finn would have a good response to that. Chase says, he’s sick. It isn’t his fault. Addiction is a disease. He knows this. He has training for this, and he’s still so angry and frustrated and disappointed that Finn would do this to Violet. And his dad. She says, and him, and he says, frustrated and angry will get them exactly nowhere. They need to come up with a plan. A way to confront Finn, get him into recovery, and most of all, protect Violet.

At the Brown Dog Bar (remember that place?), Jake and his friends Gordo and Dale take a seat in a booth. Jake asks what they do now. Does somebody take their order or what? Gordo tries to get the bartender’s attention, but he says, the bartender’s not even looking this way. He guesses if they want a drink, they have to go to the bar. Jake says, if they do that, they’ll be carded. Gordo will be fine, he has a fake ID, but Jake has nothing. He’ll just be out here twisting. Gordo tells him, relax. Nobody ever gets carded here. Jake asks how he knows, and Gordo says he just knows. He asks Dale if he’s got this, and Dale says, no problem. They give their money to Dale, who says, three of their best cheap beers coming up, and goes to the bar. Jake looks over and sees Finn at the bar, sitting next to a woman.

The woman says, here’s to ignoring first impressions, and Finn says, okay, clinking glasses with her. He holds up two fingers, and she says she wasn’t sure she was going to come over here. She was afraid he was going to be one of those dark, brooding types, but she figured, what the heck, and came on over. She’s glad she did because he is all kinds of fun. (I doubt Finn has ever been called all kinds of fun before.) Finn says, really? Huh. They clink glasses again as Jake watches Finn down the shot.

Wiley pops out of the water, and says, how about this time? Nina watches them, and Drew says, that was like, fifteen seconds. He’s going to have to hold his breath a little bit longer to be a Navy SEAL, but he has a lot of time to figure that out. Willow says, ever since she mentioned to Wiley that Drew was in the Navy, all he’s talked about is how he wants to be a Navy SEAL. He’s less certain, though, about what that is. Drew says, he’s got a lot of time to figure that out. The Navy will be lucky to have him. Willow says, and Wiley will be lucky to have Drew as his mentor, and Wiley asks if he’ll get a uniform. Nina smiles and walks toward the pool, but she literally runs into Gio, who drops the towels he’s holding. She says she’s so sorry, and helps him pick them up. She doesn’t know where her mind was at just now. He says, somewhere good, he hopes, and Wiley yells, Grandma Nina! He gets out of the pool, and she wraps him in a towel. She says, look how big he’s gotten, and hugs him.

Chase says he doesn’t know where to start with Finn or with Violet. The day his dad died, and Brook took Violet to Bobbie’s, Finn completely broke down. He knew he’d screwed up and told Chase to pour the rest of the bourbon down the sink. He made a bad choice, but it was like Finn was getting back on track, and he bought it. Brook says she would have thought the same thing, but he says, no, she wouldn’t. She says, they have very different experiences with substance abuse. The Quartermaines have a lot of history with it and there was this couple down in Bensonhurst… Anyway, she knows how to recognize it for exactly what it is. He says, what kind of detective is he if he’s this naïve? and she says, believing in his brother says nothing about his work as a detective. He says he bought Finn’s whole act. The remorse, the resolve to do better, and Finn lied to him. She says, he didn’t do it on purpose. It’s part of the disease. He says, reading about it is one thing. Experiencing it firsthand is another. He keeps thinking about when Finn was at their dad’s memorial. He was shaking hands and wiping away tears, putting on this whole devoted son act. Then he’d sneak away to the bar and have a few tequila shots. And for the record, he bought the whole devoted son act too. She says, it’s not necessarily acting. He could be a devoted son in mourning and an addict who just had a relapse. Chase says he defended Finn to Elizabeth. She was worried about Finn, and he said everything was okay. She says, he has to give himself a break. Finn isn’t the only one who just lost his dad. Chase is in mourning too, and he’s way too close to Finn and the entire situation to see it clearly. If this was a case, he’d take himself off of it. He says, but it’s not a case. He can’t hand Finn off to someone and say, good luck to the both of you. She says, even if he could, he wouldn’t do it. Finn is his brother. He says, she’s right. He loves Finn and wants to help him through this, even though he’s madder at Finn than he’s ever been. She says, no one can disappoint you like the people you love the most. That’s why they call addiction a disease. He says he knows. And when he’s less angry, he’ll remember that Finn is suffering too. She says, they both love Finn and want to treat his situation compassionately, but their main priority has to be protecting Violet. He asks, so how do they shield Violet when her father is falling apart?

Jake tells Gordo that he had to go – now, and Gordo says, why? What’s wrong? Jake says, his mom’s boyfriend is here and if her boyfriend sees him, he’s dead. Gordo asks, what’s he doing here? He thought Jake said he’s a good guy. Jake says he doesn’t know. He’d thought he was.

Finn tells the woman that he signed up for Doctors Without Borders right out of med school, right after he graduated, and she says, so she’s having drinks with a fun doctor? Lucky her. Did he go anywhere good? he says, no. The good places don’t usually need them. He was in Rota, the Mariana Islands. She asks if people were shooting at him, but he says, no, not really. A lot of people needed help and didn’t have anywhere else to get it. Their operating room was a tent. She says, he’s lived quite the life, and probably save quite a few along the way. He says, not enough, and she asks if that’s why he’s here in Port Charles. Dr…? He suggests they leave the names out of it, and she says she doesn’t see why not. They’ve been doing just fine without them so far. He says, just think of him as in town to visit family, and she asks, how bad is it going? She’s only asking because he’s sitting in this place with her instead of doing whatever families do when they visit. He says, just taking in the local sights, and she says, he sure is. And she hopes he feels welcome. She’s also hoping there’s something she can do to make his trip memorable. He downs another shot. (I’m getting drunk just watching.)

Willow goes over to Wiley and Nina, and Nina says she’s sorry. He was just coming out. Wiley says, Grandma Nina is here, and Willow says she can see that, and says hi to Nina. Nina says, nice to see her, and Wiley asks if she’s going swimming, but Nina says she doesn’t think she’s dressed for swimming. Actually, she came here to look for his Uncle Drew, but maybe some other time, okay? Wiley says, sure. Swimming’s always good. Nina says she thinks so too, and Wiley says, the Quartermaines have a big pool too, and they have a big blow-up thing that looks like a duck. He thinks she’d like swimming there. He does. Willow says, they’ll see about that, and sits down with Wiley. Drew gets out of the pool and says he heard Nina was looking for him. What does she need? Willow says, Wiley smells like chlorine, and Drew says, there’s a pre-swim lotion you can put on your skin that prevents the chlorine from getting through. Willow asks if that’s something he learned from the Navy, but he says, no. He actually read it in Crimson. They had a few ads for it, or is he just imagining things? Nina smiles at him.

Dex says, here’s to Josslyn’s first day of lifeguarding, and she thanks him. She says, here’s to no running, fighting, or cannonballs, and he says he bets she can get two out of three. Trina says that’s not what she wants to hear, and Josslyn thanks him for remembering it’s her first day. He says, she knows how much he loves swimming, and she says, it’s a good thing he got those stitches out. Otherwise, she’d have to stop him from getting in the pool. He says, that might be easier said than done, and Trina says she heard about what happened to him at Brook’s wedding reception. That’s insane. He says, it was a little, but it’s over and he’s okay. Thanks to Joss. She’s the one who took him to the ER and made him wait to get stitches. He would have gone home, put some ice on it, and probably wound up with a scar. Trina tells him, some people say a scar makes you look a little daring, and he says, but then people as how you got it and he’d have to explain it. Some things are best left forgotten. He looks at Josslyn, and so does Trina.

Brook brings Chase something to eat, but he says he’s not hungry. She says she knows, but he has to keep his strength up. Wow. She thought she’d have more time before she’d see her mother. He says, there are worse things, like sitting around feeling helpless. He just lost his dad. He can’t risk losing his brother too, and he can’t let Violet get caught up in Finn’s mess. He thought Violet would be reason enough for Finn to get back on the wagon. Brook says, she hasn’t been so far, and he says, she’s right. A person can’t be an addict’s only incentive to get sober. She says, they have to do more than just cross their fingers and pray that things don’t go from bad to worse. If Finn is in denial about his drinking, he’s certainly not going to think there are any problems when it comes to Violet. Chase wonders how Violet is going to feel about whatever they decide to do. How does this end without one or both of them hating us? She says, Finn is going to hate whoever makes him confront his drinking, and there’s absolutely nothing they can do about that. And yeah, Violet might think she hates them for a little while. He says, it’s better than leaving her with her father… He can’t believe he just said that. She says, if he hadn’t, she would have.

Dale comes back with the beers, and Gordo says, see? Told you we wouldn’t get carded. Good job. He takes a long sip, and says, the best money can buy. Their money anyway. Jake continues to watch Finn, and Gordo says, chill out. Drink his beer. Jake says, the last thing he needs is for Finn to see him drinking, and Gordo says, yeah. He’s really taking in the beauty of this place. Come on. That guy hasn’t looked at anything but that woman in half an hour. He’s not sure that guy knows there is anything else in this bar. Jake says, shut up. His dad just died. Gordo says, he looks real sad, but Jake says, he doesn’t know. This doesn’t mean anything. He would never do this to Jake’s mom.

The woman puts her hand on Finn’s leg and says, there must be other things he’s dying to see besides the inside of this bar. She can think of a few things that might be of interest. Finn motions for the bartender to come over and asks if there are any liquor stores around this establishment, but the bartender says, not really. Finn says, how about that bottle there? and points. That’s a nice bottle. Would he be willing to part with it? The bartender says, they’re not supposed to, and Finn says he knows that, and puts a fifty on the bar. How does he feel about that bottle now? The bartender scoops up the bill and puts the bottle on the bar. The woman says she loves the sight of a man taking care of business, and Finn picks up his drink. He says, here’s to taking care of business, and they clink glasses.

Trina says she’s going to grab herself an iced tea while Josslyn and Dex catch up. Does anybody want one? They say, no thanks, and Trina leaves. She bumps into Gio, who maybe needs glasses, and he says he’s so sorry. She says, that’s okay, and he says, for some reason, he’s like a human bumper car today, but she says, he’s okay. It’s fine. He says, it’s not, but he promises he’s not always such a klutz. He was just going to check in with Josslyn. Trina says she would probably hold off if she were him. Those two used to be together and now they’re not, but it looks like they’re patching things up. He says, they obviously still like each other, and she says, that’s what she keeps trying to tell them. She loves them, but they’re exhausting. He says he comes from a long line of nosy Italians, so he has to ask. Why did they break up in the first place? She says she doesn’t know all of the details, but it had something to do with Josslyn’s stepfather. Technically, ex-stepfather, which is bonus points for Josslyn. Sonny Corinthos is basically awful.

Dex asks if Trina knows everything that went down between him and Sonny, and Josslyn says she told Trina that Sonny assaulted him. She didn’t get into the details and probably won’t. He says, Sonny tracked him down in the park the other day, and she says she doesn’t see any fresh wounds or bullet holes, so she guesses that’s progress. He says, Sonny told him the bad blood between them was done, and he could live his life however he wants. Even become a cop. She says, wow. Dex doesn’t need his permission, but she’s a little surprised. He says he’s surprised too, and she asks if Dex believes him. It’s the least he could do after trying to kill Dex, but it’s Sonny, so… He says he believes Sonny hates him, but he also believes Sonny has taken the target off his back. She says she can finally breathe, and he says, him too. She says she guesses it’s a fair trade. Dex doesn’t press charges and Sonny leaves him alone. He says he’s just ready to put Sonny and whatever he does or doesn’t do behind him, and just focus on what’s in front of him. That’s all that matters.

Drew tells his future frogman to come along and let Willow and Nina talk lotions. He goes back into the pool with Wiley, and Willow says, Nina and Drew seem to be working well together. Nina says, it’s amazing how perspectives can change. They respect each other as professionals and that’s been nice. Willow says, however they managed it, they seem to be in a more peaceful place, and they both look happier. Nina says she’s certainly on board for more peace, and Willow says, he’s so good with Wiley and Amelia, and of course (🍷) his own daughter. Nina says, he really is. She’s never seen Drew Cain like this.

The woman whispers something to Finn, and Jake says, you’ve got to be kidding me. That’s it. He gets up, but Gordo says, hang on. Not here. Jake says, he doesn’t need to do this to his mom, but Gordo says, if Jake gets in his face here, they’re all going to get busted, right? Jake says, right.

Finn says he needs to go. He needs to get out. He needs some fresh air. He picks up the bottle and tells the woman, let’s go, and she says, that‘s an excellent idea. She follows Finn out, and Dale tells Jake that he’s really sorry. Jake thanks him and says he’s sorry, but he has to get out of here. He leaves, and we see the two empty shot glasses on the bar.

Brook says, Violet doesn’t have a passport, does she? and Chase says he’s not sure. She says, if they need one, they’ll get one, and he asks why exactly Violet needs a passport. She says, because they’re going to take Violet with them to Italy while Finn is at rehab. What’s that saying about seeing the world through a child’s eyes? He says he doesn’t know, but he knows the saying about abducting a minor and taking them across state and international lines. It’s a felony. She says, they’re not kidnapping Violet, but he says he’s pretty sure Finn’s going to say they did in court. He loves that she’s willing to bring Violet on their honeymoon, but Finn’s never going to go for it, and Violet’s not going to want to go if Finn’s not 100% behind it. And if he’s being honest, he doesn’t think child abduction is the answer to all of their problems. She says, what if they keep it local? and he says, like a scavenger hunt? Where Finn goes around town looking for his own child? (Ha-ha-ha!) She says she can tell by the tone of his voice that he’s not completely on board, and he says, it’s a terrible plan. It’s actually one of her most troubling. Her family would be proud. She tells him that he always knows exactly what to say, and he says he knows she came up with that plan just to take the edge off. She asks if it worked, and he says, no, but he loves her for it anyway, and they kiss.

Gio says, Sonny Corinthos is Josslyn’s ex-stepfather? and Trina says, yes, to her eternal regret. He says his family thinks Uncle Sonny is second only to the Pope in terms of greatness, and she says, Uncle Sonny? He says, Sonny’s not really his uncle, more like his benefactor. Sonny’s been really good to him. She says, okay. She’s happy for him, but pretty much everyone in Port Charles has an opinion about Sonny. Some good, some bad. She just knows there’s some bad history when it comes to Joss. He says he’s sorry to hear about that, but now that they’ve gotten that settled, tell him. Why did she have such a weird look on her face when they first met? Did he do something, or have they run into each other before?

Finn brings the woman to his apartment, and he looks at all the boxes. He flashes back to packing up Gregory’s stuff and picking up the shoes Gregory wore at the wedding. The woman asks if those are the things from his border work. These boxes, are they his Doctors Without Borders stuff? He nods and says, it’s hard to believe he lived that life. It feels like it happened to somebody else. She says she sure likes the doctor guy who’s living this life, but he says he doesn’t. He doesn’t like anything about him. She smooths his hair back and says, hey. Come on, sugar. This is not the time to be sad. Anything he’s feeling, she can take it away. He asks how she’s going to do that, and she says, how about this? and kisses him. Doesn’t that feel better? He nods and she says, and this, kissing him some more. (I’ve been basically yelling, no, no, no! at the TV since they left the bar.)

Jake goes into the hospital and finds Elizabeth at the reception desk. She says she didn’t expect to see him until later. She thought he was going to the movies with Gordo. He says, they were, but… She asks, what happened? and he says he met up with Gordo and Dale, and they were on their way to the movies, and they passed this dive bar. He’s talking super sketchy, and they saw Finn coming out. She asks if he’s sure it was Finn, and he says, positive. And he wasn’t alone. She says, great. He’s found himself a drinking buddy. Jake says, sort of. He was with this lady, like with her with her, and it was pretty obvious he’d been drinking with her.

Elizabeth turns away, and Jake says he’s sorry, but she says, he has nothing to apologize for. He says he didn’t want to tell her, but he had to, right? and she says, he absolutely had to. She’s glad he did. Thank you. He says, sure, and she says she’ll handle this when she’s done here, but he says he doesn’t know. That might not be the greatest idea right now. She says, don’t worry. She’s got this. She’ll see him at home, okay? He says, okay, and she leaves. He takes out his phone and makes a call. He says, it’s Jake. My mom’s got a situation. She needs you.

Chase tells Brook that there’s got to be something they can do that doesn’t mean them spending their honeymoon in separate prison cells fighting assorted felony charges. Brook says, okay. What if they make something happen at the Q’s house that Violet just won’t want to miss? He says he’s listening, and she says, they tell her that all the kids are out of school, that there’s tennis and swimming and horseback riding and barbecues every night. He says, like summer camp, and she says, exactly. He says, that sounds promising. Are they just talking about this or doing it? She says, we are doing it, baby. And all the Quartermaine adults will take turns on supervising shifts, work schedules permitting. He says, because of his dad, he has some time off he could use, and she says, and she can work from anywhere. So they’ll just say they’re spending a few weeks at the Quartermaines. He says, and there will be a bunch of cousins and pseudo cousins and assorted rugrats running around playing with Violet. She says, not bad, huh? and he says, yeah. He’ll talk to Finn tomorrow, assuming that he’s sober. She says, and with Violet staying with the Qs, they can do some sort of intervention. Get him to see what kind of trouble he’s in. Chase asks if she’s sure her family is going to be okay with this. He can’t imagine Tracy will be. It’s a lot. (One more kid? And Violet no less? Hardly.) She says, then they’ll tell her the truth, privately. Tracy and Finn are friends. She should know anyway that her friend is in trouble. Then she can help them get the rest of the family on board. He says, that might be a leap, and she says, maybe. But at the end of the day, every last Quartermaine is going to be doing this, no matter what it takes.

Nina and Willow sit by the pool, and Nina says, the lotion. It’s called DermaPool and it’s fantastic. It contains shea butter and green leaf extract in it. It leaves a moisturizing coating on the skin and vitamin C neutralizes the chlorine. Olympic swimmers swear by it. They had medalists that were actually part of the ad campaign at Crimson, and they were great. It also helps with pool rash and swim hair… Willow says, swim hair? and Nina says, you know how chlorine can change some hair green? Willow says she didn’t know it had an official name, and Nina says, Crimson has boxes of DermaPool in storage. Why doesn’t she send Willow a couple of boxes?… She can really overdo it sometimes. The last thing Willow needs is a truckload of product showing up on her doorstep. Willow says, that’s okay, and Nina and Drew exchange glances.

Trina is on her laptop at a table, and Gio says, sorry. The way people go through towels, you’d think they never saw one before. Trina says, people go wild when they’re not the ones doing the fluffing and the folding, and he says, that makes sense. At the risk of trying her patience, is she sure they never met before? He’s positive he’d remember someone like her. She says she promises they haven’t, but she will admit that if she looks at him just the right way out of the corner of her eye, he does look like someone she used to be close to. He says, why used to be? Why aren’t they close anymore? She says, he died, and Gio says he’s sorry. He’s an idiot. She says, no. You know what? I’ll just… She dashes out, and Josslyn looks at Gio.

Willow tells Wiley that they have to get home. Mommy has a date. He says he doesn’t like that idea, and she says, it’s with daddy. He’s taking her to dinner. Wiley says, okay then, and she says she’s glad he approves. Nina asks if they’re going anywhere fun, but Willow says she has no idea. It’s a new place Michael wants to try. Nina says, nice. She’s sure wherever they go, it’s going to be lovely. She should get back to Crimson before they send out a search party. They still have some things to iron out before they launch the next issue. She tells Wiley that it was really, really great spending some time with him, and he says he knows. Let’s do it again. She says she hopes this is the start of an incredible summer for him and Amelia. She hopes they have lots of adventures and lots of fun and lots of swimming. He says he already told his mom that he’s going to swim every day this summer, and Willow says, he’s not lying. He started telling her about his swim plan in February. Nina says, that sounds like a great plan. It was really good to see Willow. Willow says, it was nice seeing Nina too. Wiley loved it. Nina says, and if she ever needs DermaPool… Willow says she knows who to call. Nina leaves as Drew watches.

Josslyn catches up with Trina and asks if she’s okay. Trina says, yeah. She just went to the ladies’ room. Josslyn says she saw Trina take off. Did Gio say something? She’ll beat him up if he did. Trina says, Gio didn’t say anything wrong. It’s just that sometimes some things will just hit her a certain way, and memories of Spencer will flood in and just knock the wind out of her. Josslyn says she’s so sorry, and Trina thanks her. She thinks it’s best if she just goes home. Josslyn says she’s going to be off soon, and they could go somewhere. They could talk or go see a movie. Whatever she wants. Trina thanks her, but thinks it’s best if she just has some alone time tonight. Josslyn says, of course (🍷), and hugs Trina. She says, but she’s here, and Trina says she knows. She leaves, and Dex comes back. He asks if Trina is all right, and Josslyn says, not at the moment, but she will be. He asks if something happened, and she says, not really. She thinks that grief just snuck up on her. He says, it’s going to take her a while to get over Spencer, and Josslyn says, it is. She really loved him. She feels so bad for Trina. He says, there’s been some big losses lately. What he keeps trying to say and keeps screwing up is, every moment is precious. They both know that life is short, so have dinner with him.

Chase says he wishes there was something they could do to fix Finn right now, and Brook says, her too, but they can’t lock him in a cage for his own good. He says he desperately wants Finn to stop drinking before he hits rock bottom, and she says she knows. They just need to remind him that the stakes are different for him than they are for other people. On top of everything else, Finn is a doctor at GH. People know him from there. If he keeps this up, word is going to get out. He says, if Finn does something he truly regrets and can’t take back, he’ll never recover. There will be nothing left of the Finn they knew and loved.

Elizabeth approaches Finn’s apartment and almost knocks, but then lets herself in with her key. She sees Finn and the woman sitting on the sofa, the woman’s legs on Finn’s lap, and the nearly empty bottle on the table with two glasses. Elizabeth is stone-faced and Finn just looks drunk.

On Monday, Curtis tells Drew, this is just the right time to do this; Willow tells Michael, if Drew can start fresh with Nina, maybe she can too; Nina tells Maxie, this is the price they pay for dancing with the devil; and Finn wants a chance to explain.

🏆 Winning Daytime…

The winners.

https://people.com/daytime-emmys-2024-winners-list-8653423

The important winners.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/daytime-emmys/the-2024-daytime-emmy-award-winners

Red carpet gallery.

https://parade.com/tv/daytime-emmy-awards-red-carpet-fashion-outfits-2024

History maker.

https://people.com/daytime-emmys-2024-dick-van-dyke-becomes-oldest-winner-guest-performer-in-drama-8652791

🌍 Where In the World Is Reza Farahan…

This was another reality show I actually liked. Yeah, there was fighting and fussing, and Mike… Well, let’s not talk about him. But it had tons of heart, and it was the real deal. I need someone to root for and this group was worthy of cheering on.

📹 Nice Try…

Doubtful I’d have watched this before the whole Rust tragedy anyway. He just doesn’t seem like a good guy.

https://people.com/alec-baldwin-reality-show-not-ideal-timing-rust-trial-source-exclusive-8659398

👩‍❤️‍👩 There Went the Brides…

After the wedding and other hookups.

https://extratv.com/2024/06/04/captain-sandy-on-married-life-and-below-deck-hookup-shockers-exclusive/

Who was in attendance.

Supposedly, there was no shade intended on excluding Captain Lee.

🌁 Are We There Yet…

The latest news on The Last of Us. Sounds great if we ever get to see it.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-last-of-us-season-2-will-expand-on-unseen-stories-from-game/

https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/the-last-of-us-season-2-episode-count-seasons-3-and-4/

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/the-last-of-us-four-seasons

🐉 Caution – Dragons Ahead…

This makes me want to give it another try.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-review

A spinoff of a spinoff.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/game-of-thrones-sea-snake-spinoff-steve-toussaint

💃🏾 Evolution Revolution…

This is definitely on my must-see list.

https://ew.com/shonda-rhimes-black-barbie-documentary-trailer-8658080

🕸 Not So Itsy Bitsy…

Everybody, calm down. It’s not going to bite you or your pets, and it doesn’t have wings. Actually, my first thought was, I hope I get to see one.

https://people.com/joro-spiders-2024-everything-to-know-8659303

🐶 Move Over Montreal…

The pups are taking over the ice. More on the Stanley Pup.

https://people.com/stanley-pup-adorable-rescue-dogs-take-nhl-ice-8659802

https://www.nhl.com/fans/2024-stanley-pup

📠 Quotes of the Week

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.Albert Einstein

A mathematical formula for happiness: Reality divided by Expectations. There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations. – Jodi Picoult

The border to eternity is never ahead of us. It runs parallel to life and can be crossed over at any moment by old and young. – Reinhard Bonnke

As I get older, I am becoming more selective of who I consider a friend. I find that I would rather have 4 quarters than 100 pennies. – Steve Maraboli

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. – John Powell

I believe the most important single thing, beyond discipline and creativity, is daring to dare.Dr. Maya Angelou

I am under no obligation to make sense to you. – Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Be yourself, but not too much.  – Jasmine Pineda, 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?

⛺️ Oh Those Summer Nights…

Join me on Monday for a little soap and a little Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay respecting others’ boundaries at the beach or pool (also, please don’t leave litter behind), and stay remembering addiction is a disease, and give grace, but don’t excuse it.

March 18, 2022 – Alexis Answers the Question, Goodbyes, Staying, RSVNot, Eboni’s Why, It’s a No, Booted, Injured, It’s Him, Reactions, Where They Are, Merging, Choices, One Worthy Quote & Dance

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone in her office, Alexis says everything looks in order, so it should be good for an early morning release. Shawn comes to the door, and says, got time? She says, for him, always, and he says, good, because they have a lot to talk about. She asks, what is it? and he says, her friend Harmony, and the company she keeps.

Phyllis sees Nina at Charlie’s, and gives her a hug. She says she wishes Nina would have given her a heads up; she would have cancelled her plans. Nina says, Phyllis is a busy lady, and asks what kind of plans she has. Phyllis says she’s going to meet up with a friend of Lenny’s, and Nina asks if they live in Port Charles. Phyllis says, just passing through. Raincheck? Nina says, definitely. The truth is, she has a meeting herself, and no, not with Sonny. Phyllis says, see her soon, and leaves. Harmony walks in, and says, she hopes she didn’t keep Nina waiting.

Michael sneaks up behind Willow at the hospital, and she asks what he’s doing here. Did she forget date night? He says, she’s fine, and asks if she’s finished with her rotation. She says, yes. Can’t he tell by the circles under her eyes? If being a nurse is as exhausting as becoming one, she’s going to have to up her concealer game. He says, A, her eyes are perfect, and B, all she needs is a week in Paris and, viola. She says, he learned a new French word, and he says, oui, oui. She says she’s cleared the trip with her supervisor, and he suggests they get her home and start packing.

Jordan tells reporter Smalt (I didn’t realize it was the UFO guy from The Invader), if he wants an interview, contact her office. He says she must be aware there’s a video out there of Josslyn Jax and Cameron Webber doing the dirty. (Is everyone twelve?) She says, out there as in… He says, going viral, and he heard from unnamed sources that PCU has launched its own investigation. What does she think? With the Corinthos family involved, are they looking at a prank, or something more criminal?

Esme sees Spencer bear hugging the book, and asks if that’s the gift he gave Trina. He says, it was. Apparently, Trina doesn’t want anything from him. She says, not even friendship? Does that mean Trina’s out of his life? He says, if she is, will Esme be happy? She finally got what she wanted. She asks how he can say that. If he’s hurt, she’s hurting for him, but given the pain Trina’s inflicted on his two closest friends, maybe it’s better this way. He says, better for who? and Esme says, she finally did it, didn’t she? Trina has him believing she’s the one who made that awful video. He says, isn’t she?

At the Bistro, Sam says she can’t believe Carly just showed up like that, and Dante says, she didn’t just show up. She detonated their entire plan. Sam says, a plan that was actually working, and Dante agrees, but what can they do? She says she doesn’t know. What now? He says, now they figure out another way to find out what Victor is up to.

On the footbridge, Carly tells Drew, she’s so, so sorry that she completely and utterly ruined his plan. If she’d had any idea… He says, why? and she says, why is she sorry? He says, no. Most people who would have come up and figured out what was going on would have made an anonymous call to the cops, but she just stormed up to confront it head on. She says she thought he was about to pitch that guy over the bridge, and commit murder. That’s why she didn’t start filming right away; she didn’t want to capture that. Can he imagine trying to explain to a jury that he was conditioned, it wasn’t his fault? He says, the tarot card made me do it isn’t a good defense? He doesn’t get it. She says she couldn’t stand the thought of sitting in the gallery watching that, and he says, she’d be at his trial? She says, of course (🍷) she would.

Willow says, Michael wants to leave for Paris now? and he says, as soon as humanly possible. She says, there’s so much to do; so much to plan. He says, all she needs is her passport, and thanks to her mom, she has one of those, right? They’ll just throw some necessities in a suitcase, and as for the rest, the Parisian shops are calling their names. She says, that sounds… He says, incredible? and she says, yes, but what about Wiley? He says, who’s Wiley? Monica offered to watch him; she insisted actually. She says, that was before she had her hands full planning Jason’s memorial, and he says, he’d ask his mom, but her life’s kind of crazy right now. She says, there’s always her mom. She’d jump at the chance. And let’s face it, so would Nina.

Nina says she figured it was about time she and Harmony met. They do have someone in common. Harmony says, they do? and Nina says, their grandson. Who else does Harmony think she meant?

Jordan says, if and when the PCPD has something to say about this matter, Smalt can read the press release. TJ comes along and asks if everything is cool, and Jordan says, occupational hazard. Smalt says, if someone has targeted Sonny Corinthos’s stepdaughter, he’s damn well going to find out who, with or without Jordan’s cooperation.

Esme says she can’t believe Spencer is buying into Trina’s pathetic attempt to deflect suspicion. This is ridiculous. When she left a little while ago, everything was fine. Trina pays him one visit, and he throws this baseless accusation… He says, Cameron doesn’t think it’s baseless, and she says, who cares what Cameron thinks? He says, he does. Cameron told him to trust his gut. She says, and not trust her? Open his eyes. Cam’s always had it out for her. He says, not always. In fact, Cameron was on her side until she… She says, until she somehow taped him and his girlfriend having sex when she was miles away with Spencer? Does he hear himself? He says, she managed to torch Ava’s car without being there, and she says, she did that for him. He asks if she did this for him too, and she says, they succeeded. His friends set out to turn him against her, and they finally did. He says, they didn’t do anything. They didn’t have to. Not if she did it all for them.

Dante says, so Drew was part of this Operation Demeter at some point, and Sam says, and their chances of uncovering it are basically zero. He says, right, because Drew was a SEAL, and it was probably some black op. She says, Spinelli could get near it. Dante knows he has his ways, but she knows. She’s not allowed to ask him for help anymore. He tells her that she’s a real piece of work, and she says she knows that, but she also knows she’s right. She thinks it’s a mistake not to utilize Spinelli just because Dante’s ego can’t take it. He makes a pained expression, and says, can’t take it? and she says, yeah. He says she’s right, and she says, excuse me? He tells her that he said she’s right, and she smiles.

Carly asks if Drew thinks she would let him go to trial for a murder he committed against his will with no one in his corner. No way. The next call she would make would be to Diane, which by the way, if he wakes up one day and finds he’s committed a crime he doesn’t remember… He says, call Diane? but she says, call her; she’ll call Diane. He’s a nice guy and all… He says, but he’s not on the list? and she says, if it makes him feel better, it’s a very short list. There were only three people in the world who could call Diane, and no matter what she was doing or where she was, she would pick up the phone. Now there are only two. He says, her and Sonny, and she says, yeah. He says he still can’t believe her first impulse wasn’t to run, but instead, she just jumps right in to the mix. She says, it’s pretty on brand for her, and he says, none of the other stuff even crossed her mind? She says, like what? and he says, like her kids, her work, her life; all the stuff she told him not to jeopardize. For all she knew, he could have thrown her over the side next. She says, oh. She didn’t really think about that, but if she had… No. She doesn’t believe he would have thrown her over the bridge, conditioned or not. He says he’d really like to believe that, but that’s what’s so disorienting. When it is the right tarot card, there is no choice, there’s no conscious decision to do or don’t. He just wakes up and it’s done; he doesn’t remember anything. She says, that’s so scary, and he says, it’s terrifying.

Shawn tells Alexis, it’s been a while since he’s seen the guy, but when you’re as notorious as Bucky was, you’re not easily forgotten… and this isn’t news to her, is it? She says, no. Harmony told her about the forger. He says, so Harmony made her an accessory after the fact, and she says she advised Harmony not to do it, but at the end of the day, Harmony did what she was going to do, and she did it for her daughter. Is there anything he wouldn’t do for TJ? He says, now she’s just playing dirty, and she says, is there? He tells her to ask herself this. Is she sure Harmony was thinking about Willow, or was she just thinking about herself?

Harmony says, she and Nina are virtual strangers. She’s learned the hard way to guard against people who want to involve her in their own personal problems. Nina says, fair enough, and she doesn’t blame Harmony for being cautious, but in this particular case, Nina’s problem could also be Harmony’s problem. Harmony says, Nina wants something, and Nina says she only wants what Harmony wants she would imagine; to spend time with her precious grandchild? Or do Michael and Willow make her feel welcome when she’s around Wiley? Harmony says she gets to see him from time to time, when it’s convenient for them. Nina says, what if she told Harmony that she could change that? What if she never had to beg or grovel to see Wiley? What if they got Wiley’s parents to put him first, and give them what’s rightfully theirs?

Michael says, he and Willow agreed Nina gets nowhere near their son. Has that changed? Willow says, no. Nina forfeited her right to be in Wiley’s life as far as they’re concerned. The courts may have a different opinion. He says, Nina has the right to file a petition. Let her take her best shot, because they know they’re doing what’s best for Wiley. She says, and they agree that’s being surrounded by people who love him with no ulterior motive. He says, of course (🍷), and she says, could that list maybe include her mom? She knows her mom’s had her issues – no one knows that better than her – but she’s trying so hard to make up for her mistakes, which is more than they can say for Nina, right?

Jordan tells Smalt, careful now. It sounds like he’s more interested in selling a story than protecting two innocent kids. Smalt tells her, who says they’re innocent? and TJ asks, what’s going on? Jordan says, that’s what she’s trying to figure out. If what Mr. Smalt here says is true… Smalt says, gospel. His sources always check out. Jordan says she’s sure, and he says, if she refuses to give him the answers he needs, he’ll just find them somewhere else, and walks off.

Michael says, despite Willow’s mom’s sincere remorse, it’s hard for him to leave what she did to Willow in the past. Smalt sees Michael, and says, paydirt.

Spencer tells Esme to look him in the eye, and tell him that she had nothing to do with that video. She says, would it even matter? After all this time together, after everything they’ve been through, she can’t believe their history isn’t enough. He says he wants to trust her, and she urges him to sit with her. She asks if he remembers the first time they met in boarding school, and he says, of course (🍷) he does. She says, where were his friends then? He didn’t have any. The poor little rich kid was all alone until she came along. Then when he returned to Port Charles, and threw that big welcome home party, who wrote up the guest list? Who made sure every single person on it would fly in? Does he think they came all this way because they liked him? Please. They used him because his last name is Cassadine. All of them, except for her, because she saw the real him; his heart, his mind, his potential. True, he was just a boy, but she fell for him, knowing one day he’d be a man. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she was fooling herself this entire time.

Carly says, let’s be practical about this. He knows what tarot cards work on him, right? and he says, The Chariot puts him under; The Tower brings him out. She says, and he knows what words need to be used? and he says, you’re active, and stand down. She says, besides the two of them, who knows the whole sequence at this point? and he says he thinks a lot of people know it involves tarot cards, but only Jason and Britt knew the actual sequence. She says she’s had her mixed feelings about Britt in the past, but Britt would never use it against him, and she almost certainly wouldn’t. He says, almost certainly? and she says, now that she thinks about it, she should invest in a tarot deck just in case. You never know when it could come in handy. Like when Nina’s really driving her crazy… He says, oh my God, and she says she doesn’t want to wipe Nina off the map or anything, but maybe there’s a fire at the Crimson printing facility. No one’s hurt or anything like that, but the magazine fails, and Nina has to leave town… She doesn’t want him to make the mistake that she’s above that, because she’s not. He says, she is. She might despise Nina, but not for one second does he think she would take away his free will just to mess with her. She says, no, she woudn’t.

Dante tells Sam, he was wrong. They should have called Spinelli instead of letting his… She says, ego, and he cringes, and says, ego get in the way, and maybe they wouldn’t be in this position. She says, as much as she likes to be right, he’s wrong. He says, that’s what he was telling her, but she says she’s talking about being in this position. It has nothing to do with him or who put the microphone on Drew, and everything to do with Carly. The plan went sideways, but it wasn’t his fault. He’s actually doing a really great job. He asks her to say it again, she does, and they kiss.

Carly says, when Drew talked about taking away his free will, it made her think. He asks, what about? and she says, the worst mistakes she’s made in her entire life was when she went along with someone else’s choice, not her own. She loved Jason for a million reasons, but one that stands out to her is, Jason never did anything he didn’t choose to do. He did a ton of things he didn’t want to do, but Jason was the ultimate proponent of free will. She guesses that makes it easier sometimes when she’s so angry she wants to scream at the universe. No one made Jason go to that island. He chose it, just like he chose everything else. He says, that’s why she and Jason were so close. They were the same that way. In the end, she just does what she wants, and everyone else be damned. Jason apparently didn’t have a problem with it. She laughs, and says, sometimes he did… a lot of times. That’s why, as much as it hurt, she had to end things with Sonny. It got to the point where she was making herself small every day. She was lying every day; not just to the kids, but to him, the world, herself. She was swallowing so much resentment and anger, she was choking on it. He says, she made a choice, and she broke free, and she says, it’s going to take a while before she feels okay. She misses Avery so much it hurts, but she didn’t have a choice. Not one she could live with.

Esme says, this is what she gets for staying by Spencer’s side, when everyone, including his own father, was against him. She won’t be making that mistake again. She gets up, and he follows, saying, she knows what she means to him. He hasn’t forgotten all that she’s done for him. She says, it seems like it. It seems like he’s willing to believe everyone except her. He says he just wants to understand what happened. Someone made that video and sent it out to the entire school. Esme blames Trina – Esme squeals, because she did it – and everyone else blames Esme. They’re getting so loud, I’m surprised a guard hasn’t run in, and shouldn’t there be a guard in the room??? He says, so either everyone’s wrong and she’s right… who is he supposed to believe? She says, he’s supposed to believe her. Because that’s what love is, putting one person before everyone else. Either he can do that or he can’t.

Michael says, they do need to figure out Willow’s mom’s place in Wiley’s life, but can they do it on their way to the airport, on the plane, or at one of the amazing cafes they’re going to be eating at? He wants her to himself in the City of Lights. She says, they still have to figure out who’s going to watch Wiley, and he says he’ll call his grandmother, give her first choice… in the car. Willow says, let’s get out of here, and they walk to the elevator. Smalt appears, and says, Mr. Corinthos? Michael asks if he knows Smalt, and Smalt introduces himself, saying, Michael must have seen his work in The Invader. Does he have any comment on the video? Michael says they’re in a hurry; Smalt can contact his office. Smalt says, so Michael has no comment on his family’s latest brush with scandal? and Michael says, his family is well-versed in so-called scandals. The elevator doors open, and Michael and Willow get in. Smalt leans on the door, keeping it open, and says, even when it comes to Michael’s sister Josslyn? Michael says, what about Josslyn?

Alexis tells Shawn, sorry. He doesn’t want her to miss a deadline, does he? He says, always a master of deflection, and she says, the website called her. He says, even if they hadn’t, she’d find some other way of explaining why she’s covering for her friend. She says, they both know, this is not about Harmony. The last time they spoke, he said he was flying out to the west coast for some amazing job opportunity. He says, good memory, and she thanks him. He says, then she’d also remember him asking if he had a reason to come back in the next few weeks, and move the offices here. She says, the reason being her, and he says she’s been avoiding him ever since. She says, she hasn’t been avoiding him… Okay, maybe she’s been avoiding him. You want to talk about us. If there even is an us. He says, is there?

Spencer says he’s always put Esme first; ahead of his family, ahead of his friends, ahead of everyone. She says, then why are they fighting? She knows he likes Trina, and wants to believe she’s innocent, but maybe Trina did him a favor. He asks what she means, and she says, Trina returned that gift he got her. She picks up the book, and says, he can make a clean break and move on. She looks inside, and says, he wrote an inscription. We can tell she’s just seething, and he says, it’s nothing. She looks at it, and says, it’s not nothing. To Trina and our shared passion; Spencer. Isn’t that sweet? If she hadn’t come back when she did, would Spencer have kissed Trina to demonstrate all that shared passion?

Drew says, Carly makes a really good point. There is an upside to him coming back, having missed out on a couple years of his life. She says, there is? and he says, he has a completely clear slate. He’s free to set his own priorities, to trust his own instincts. To fill up his life in a way that feels best to him. Of course (🍷) he has obligations; Scout being number one. But it’s not like he’s in a situation where he made a promise he can’t keep, or he’s trapped emotionally and physically. She says, he’s free, and he says he’s grateful for that. He’s grateful to be home, but he’s been focused more on loss instead of freedom. She says she thinks he needs to shift his focus, and he says he thinks she’s right. Just let go of… whatever. The time he’s lost, the dreams he had; just put it down. It will free up so much space to move forward. Carly says, amen to that.

Nina tells Harmony, legally, grandparents are guaranteed access to their grandchildren, in the state of New York at least. Harmony says, even if she wanted to fight for those rights, she wouldn’t be able to afford a lawyer, but Nina says, she wouldn’t have to; Nina already has legal representation. But that’s not her point. They could come out swinging, and probably succeed, but a long contentious legal battle is not in Wiley’s best interest, or theirs. Harmony agrees, and asks, what’s the alternative to going to court? Nina says, separately, they’re in a weak position, but together they can represent a united front. Nina has Michael’s father in her corner, and Harmony has the woman Michael loves in hers. So she could put in a good word for Harmony, and Harmony can do the same for Nina on her end. It could work.

Michael comes back out of the elevator, and asks Smalt, what happened to Josslyn? Has she been admitted to GH? Smalt says, nothing like that, and Michael says, then start talking; his patience is running thin. Willow suggests they go home and figure it out there, but Michael says he’s not going anywhere until he finds out what’s going on. Smalt says, Michael really doesn’t know. Wow. He’d thought it spread like wildfire. Michael says, start talking, and Smalt says, there’s a video going around, and apparently his sister was caught in the act with her boyfriend. And by caught in the act, he means having sex. Michael says, Cameron and Josslyn? and Willow says, they have the general idea; let’s get out of here. Smalt says, and someone sent it to all the students at PCU. Michael asks, who was it? and Smalt says he was hoping Michael could tell him that. The video’s blown up on social media, but so far, no one has taken credit. It makes him wonder, was this their plan? Michael asks if Smalt is insinuating his sister purposely leaked the video, and Smalt says, maybe she wanted the whole world to rate her performance. She is quite the athlete. Michael punches Smalt in the face, and Smalt bounces off the wall and onto the floor. We see Jordan and TJ are standing there.

Alexis says, nothing has changed since Shawn decided to go to San Francisco, She loved when he was staying at the house, she loves working with him, He says, so does he, and she says, so he knows how much he means to her. He says he thinks so, and she says she doesn’t know if she would have survived Pentenville without him. She’s gainfully employed because of him. He says he’s not looking for gratitude, and she says she knows. He says he asked if she’s ready. If she wanted to give them another try, but he never got her answer. She takes his arm, and says, the answer is no. There are a hundred different reasons for that. They’re different people. She’s still mourning Neil, The timing is bad, but the most salient point is that they had their chance, and it didn’t work. To think they can go back, and there will be some magic redo is just… He deserves better than that. They both do

Spencer says Esme is taking what he wrote out of context. He was referring to the passion he and Trina share for art history, but to take it and twist it into something else to justify what she’s done… She says, she’s turning it into something else? That’s what he’s done every time he’s chosen to believe Trina over her, trust Trina over her. He’s had his little stolen moments with Trina when he could have been spending time with her, and by the way, what makes him think he knows Trina so well anyway? He laughs, and she says, don’t tell her they… He says, no, of course (🍷) not. You know why? Because Trina’s not like that. Esme says, and she is, and he tells her, did he say that? Esme says she’s capable of anything, right? Nothing’s too low, but Trina, innocent Trina, can do no wrong. He says she’s overreacting, but she says, no. She’s finally calling him out with the truth. He wants boring and basic? She shoves the book at him, and says, he can have that.

Carly asks if Drew has talked to Monica, but he says, they’ve been ships passing; why? She says, Monica has decided to have Jason legally declared dead, and he says, it makes sense from a legal standpoint. She doesn’t think Monica is going to have a memorial, does she? Jason would absolutely hate that. She says, he would totally hate it. A bunch of people saying nice things about him? But he’d tolerate it because it’s Monica, and he’d want to make her happy. Drew says, she’s right, and she says he has to do her a favor. He says, name it, and she says, they have to make a pact. If there is a memorial, and they’re forced to sit there and listen to people talk about Jason, people who never really knew him, he has to catch her eye. If she’s about to stand up and say something and they’re sitting next to each other, he has to kick her. He says, what if they’re not? and she says, he’ll have to give her a signal of some kind; pull his ear, blink a couple of times, whatever. He just has to stop her. He says, how about this? and breaths in deeply, holding up ten fingers. She says, take a breath and count to ten, and he says, is that good? She says, perfect. He says, four days, and she says, four days what? He says, the amount time he was on Cassadine Island, and got to know Jason as his brother. It came down to four days. Now he’s left grieving all the things they’ll never get a chance to do. She says she’s so sorry, but he says, what is he even talking about? That’s nothing compared to what she’s going through. She says she has this big gaping hole in her life that will never be filled, but she has Jason in her heart. The way he was; the way she knew him. She has to realize, everyone has their own version of Jason, and she has to let them have it. He says, she will. It doesn’t matter what anyone’s version is, she knew who Jason was… for real. She says, what a gift.

Harmony says she’d love to be a part of Wiley’s life, and not just on birthdays and holidays. Nina says, Harmony just wants to be involved, and Harmony says, doesn’t Nina? Nina says, more than anything. Harmony is lucky for what she has with Willow. She never got that with her own daughter. Nina never even knew who she was until it was too late. Harmony says, that must have been crushing, and Nina says, it’s the kind of loss you don’t get over, but learn to live with. Harmony wishes there was something she could do, and Nina says, there is. Not that Harmony owes her anything. Just to be close to her daughter’s child would mean the world to her, and she truly believes it will make a difference to Wiley.

Michael tells Smalt, say another word about his sister; he dares him. Willow pushes him away from where Smalt is still on the floor, being tended to by TJ. Jordan says, that was a stupid thing to do, and Smalt wails, that was assault. TJ says, let him take a look, and Smalt says, this guy went all Corinthos on him and broke his face. Michael says, Smalt is lucky it wasn’t worse, and Jordan suggests he stop talking. Willow asks Michael, can they go home now? but Jordan says, Michael isn’t going anywhere. He’s under arrest.

Dante says he thinks what Sam is saying is, he’s got skills, and she asks if he has skills she’s not aware of. Are they current skills? He says, fairly current, and she tells him, if he says so. He says he does, and she says, care to share? He says, not here, and she says, they could see what’s happening at her place. He says, here’s a preview, and they kiss.

Drew asks if he can give Carly a ride back to the MetroCourt, but she says she’s not staying at the MetroCourt. The divorce papers were signed; she got the house. He asks how she feels about hat, and she says, conflicted. Of course (🍷), what else is new? The house is great; it’s a fortress. She doesn’t know if she should keep the guards, although she knows Sonny would be fine with it. She just doesn’t know if it makes them more of a target. She thinks she’ll have Spinelli set up a new state-of-the-art security system, and Drew says he could give her a full assessment if she wants. She says, really? and he says, ex-Navy SEAL over here. She says, that would be great, and he says, back to that ride, but she says she has her car; she’s all set. She’ll see him soon. He says she can count on it, he leaves, and she looks all happy, little hearts popping out of her eyes.

Jordan reads Michael his rights, and cuffs him, and Willow says, he was provoked. Did she hear what this man said about his sister? Michael says, it’s fine, but Willow says, it’s not, and Jordan asks if he understands his rights. He says he does, and Smalt says, this is an attack on the First Amendment. What happened to free speech? Jordan says, he spoke enough, and tells Michael, let’s go, leading him into the elevator. Michael tells Willow, Paris will have to wait, and she asks if he thinks she’s worrying about Paris right now. All that matters is that he and Josslyn are okay. Michael says, he’ll tell her this much, whoever did this to his sister is going to pay. Smalt repeats it into his recorder, and says, now there’s the quote.

Esme starts to storm out, but Spencer says, wait. She never answered his question. She says, he wants an answer, and he says, yes, he does. She says, well, we don’t always get what we what we want.

Alexis says she hopes Shawn’s trip to San Francisco is everything he deserves, and he deserves the best. He says she keeps talking about what he deserves, and she says, because she knows him, and she’s always liked what she’s known. He says, always? and she admits, not always. He laughs, and says he wants nothing but good things for her too. She tells him, good luck, and he says, back atcha, but something tells him she won’t need it. He heads for the door, and she says, hey. He turns back, and they hug/ He tells her, take care, and leaves.  

Harmony says she can’t give Nina her daughter back, and Nina says, unfortunately, no one do that. Harmony says, but maybe they can share Wiley. Nina is right. He can’t have too much love. Nina asks if Harmony is in this, when Phyllis comes over to the table. She says, Lorraine Miller, as I live and breathe.

Hyperventilating, Willow goes into an examining room and calls Carly. But by the time Carly answers, Willow is passed out on the floor. Carly asks if she’s there.

On Monday, Epiphany tells someone that they’re about to reach their limit; Michael asks what Jordan is doing to catch the bastard who ruined his sister’s life: Carly says, if Alexis means that, she won’t publish the story; and Sonny asks what someone wants from him.

🖼 Sweet Sorrow…

From the hospital to the university.

And on a more personal note.

🧍🏻‍♂️ Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere…

No need to panic in the streets. Spencer will be sticking around.

💎 Skipping Out…

 Kim always looks like she’s just a step away from imploding. Or exploding. Or something.

🗽 Necessary Cast…

For all the whining about her being a schoolmarm, I thought she was a breath of fresh air.

👰🏻 Always a Bride…

She’s right about the dress, and I don’t think she was kidding either.

https://people.com/tv/rhonj-melissa-gorga-responds-after-learning-shes-not-bridesmaid-in-teresa-giudice-wedding/

👠 Queen Trumps Countess…

Shaking my head at the irony.

🏍 Norman’s Noggin…

Are you sure he wasn’t bitten?

🍸 Of Course He Is…

Let me count the ways. It started with him giving her a ring on a string, and his bromance with Sandoval always came first. Never mind the concentrated effort at lack of motivation.

💔 Nothing More Than Feelings…

Hint: No one was very original.

🍳 What Came Next…

These kids will probably all have their own restaurants by the time they’re twenty.

https://ew.com/tv/masterchef-junior-champions-where-are-they-now/

🚣‍♂️ Streaming Together…

HBO Max and Discovery Plus join forces. Whether this is a good or bad thing is yet to be determined.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/hbo-max-discovery-plus-streaming-combined-plan-platform-warner-bros/

🏆 Choice Awards…

Critic’s Choice Awards winners.

https://ew.com/awards/2022-critics-choice-super-awards-winners-list/

And the more important fashion.

https://www.eonline.com/photos/34120/2022-critics-choice-awards-red-carpet

🥇 Quote of the Week

I no longer have patience for certain things, not because I’ve become arrogant, but simply because I reached a point in my life where I do not want to waste more time with what displeases me or hurts me. I have no patience for cynicism, excessive criticism and demands of any nature. I lost the will to please those who do not like me, to love those who do not love me and to smile at those who do not want to smile at me.

I no longer spend a single minute on those who lie or want to manipulate. I decided not to coexist anymore with pretense, hypocrisy, dishonesty and cheap praise. I do not tolerate selective erudition nor academic arrogance. I do not adjust either to popular gossiping. I hate conflict and comparisons. I believe in a world of opposites and that’s why I avoid people with rigid and inflexible personalities. In friendship I dislike the lack of loyalty and betrayal. I do not get along with those who do not know how to give a compliment or a word of encouragement. Exaggerations bore me and I have difficulty accepting those who do not like animals. And on top of everything I have no patience for anyone who does not deserve my patience. – José Micard Teixeira, author/life coach

🕶 Pulling Down the Shade…

It’s been a long week. Maybe for you too, so enjoy your time off, if you have it, and if not, know you’re not alone. See you when it’s Deadtime. Until then, stay safe, stay cautiously optimistic, and stay letting go of whatever. It will free up so much space to move forward.