Tag Archives: Dorinda Medley

July 8, 2022 – Victor’s Plan Fails, NYC Sale, Awful Humans, Charm News, Disgusting Weasel, Where They Are, About Plath, Spicey, What a Doll, Good Deed, 8 Of Quotes & Under

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Chase calls Brook just as she’s walking into the pool area. He says, don’t hang up. He thinks they need to talk. She says, no time like the present, and he realizes she’s right there. She comes over to where he’s sitting, and he wonders why it feels like déjà vu. She says, maybe because they apologize to each other two or three times a day. You’d think they’d be used to it by now. He says, maybe that’s it, and she says, since they’ve played this scene before, could they just fast forward to the part where they’re friends again? He says, they could, but he doesn’t know if they should.

Alexis says, Gregory’s op ed is less of an opinion and more of a hit piece. The Invader’s interjection of opinion into the reporting of facts is not only lamentable, but an ethical slippery slope? He says, she issued a challenge; he accepted. Now the question is, can she set her ego aside and accept his? She says, his ego? and he says, his challenge.

Finn says, what does Doc mean, Elizabeth is gone? and Doc says, Finn just missed her; she checked herself out. Finn asks if that’s a good idea, but Doc says, she came of her own volition. She had the power to leave any time. Finn asks if Doc is saying Elizabeth left against his recommendation. Then Doc knows as well as he does that’s a mistake.

Terry asks if Britt can look at this, holding out her tablet, and Britt asks if it’s boring. Terry says, yes, and Britt says, then she lives for it. She takes the tablet, and Terry says, Epiphany made some last minute changes to the nurse’s rotation. Also, she wanted ask Britt about that Society Set-Ups mixer. Britt says, oh God, what now? A new GIF from another angle? Terry says, nothing like that. She was so impressed with the clientele, she signed up. Britt hopes Terry has better luck than she did, and asks if they have enough coverage for tonight. Elizabeth joins them, and says, problem solved. She’s back and reporting for duty. Where do they need her?

Olivia comes into the stables, and Cody says, Mama Falconari. She says, it’s Quartermaine now, and he says he knows, but he’s thought of her as Mama Falconari for all these years, so he hates to break tradition. She says, then don’t; she answers to both. He asks, what can he do for her? and she says, he already has. He’s made a forever friend in her son Leo. He says, Leo’s a great kid, and she says, he can’t stop raving about Cowboy Cody, and how he can answer any question about horses. He says, it’s nice to have an appreciative audience, and she says, it’s funny. He grew up making trouble with her one son, now he’s showing the ropes to her other one. He says, handling horses is a lot like getting to know people… Sometimes it’s a lot easier. She says, in regard to her son Leo, horses are a lot smarter than the men in her life, and Ned walks in.

Valentin comes into the MetroCourt Garden, and sees Laura texting. He says he’s glad he found her. Does she mind if he joins her? She says, not at all, and he sits. She asks if Charlotte is all right, and he says he believes so; why wouldn’t she be? She asks why else he’d be seeking her out, and he says, Charlotte is healthy and safe, and he promises there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to make sure she remains so.

On the phone, Anna says, C-A-S-S-A-D-I-N-E, first name Valentin, as Victor lurks around behind her. She says, he was recuperating at their clinic several weeks ago. She knows they wouldn’t normally release that kind of patient information, but this is an ongoing official investigation with the WSB… Yeah, she can send over her credentials immediately. Could they please have the director call her back at this number… She thanks them, saying, she appreciates it. Victor says, good morning, Agent Devane, and she asks if he’s stalking or lurking. He says, out for a morning constitutional is all, and she says, an agenda-free stroll. Why doesn’t she believe him? He says he would have announced himself, but he saw she was preoccupied investigating his son.

Brook says, Chase doesn’t want to be friends? but he says, of course (🍷) he does, and they are. She says, okay, then what? and he says he just thinks they don’t bring out the best in each other; that maybe their friendship, as much as it means to both of them, isn’t healthy. She says, he may have a point. The pattern they’ve fallen into with all the fighting and apologizing. Not to mention it made him punch someone. You could say it’s… He says, childish? Co-dependent? She tells him, she was going to say tricky. Forget about being a cop; he could work for Webster’s. He asks how she’d benefit from that, and she says, ouch. He says he’s sorry, but she says, don’t be; she deserves it.

Gregory says he realizes Alexis hasn’t had time to do more than skim the op ed, and she says she can’t wait to sit down and take it all in. He says, the gist of it is, The Invader coverage blurs the lines between objecting reporting and editorializing. He challenged her staff to commit to objectivity at all costs. She says, first of all, The Invader is a newspaper, not a wire service, and he asks if she’s saying only wire services can be objective. She says, secondly, the newspaper has to have a point of view, and he says, still, The Invader is miles ahead of where it was when Peter August was at the helm. She asks if he’s damning her with faint praise, but he says, not at all. The Invader can become a journal not unworthy of respect, and she says, as an editor, she needs to point out the double negative, but he says he used it for effect. She says, sure he did, and he says, still, as far as The Invader has come, there’s still room for improvement – for both of them. She says, he’s just chock full of suggestions – she points to her phone – thousands of words of them, most of them scathing. He says, listening to her now, he’s reminded of a criticism he omitted, and she says, there’s more? He says, her penchant for hyperbole, and she says, you know what she thinks? He says he’s eager to hear, and she says she thinks the good professor is so accustomed to dusty dry tomes, and just isn’t used to contemporary journalism. He says, and if he may? and she says, by all means. He says he concludes, the humble – that’s irony, by the way… She says she recognizes it, and he says, the humble editrix is unused to being challenged.

Doc says, Finn knows he can’t discuss specifics of Elizabeth’s treatment, and Finn says, he doesn’t need to explain doctor/patient confidentiality to him. He doesn’t want the details; he just wants Doc’s honest determination. Did Elizabeth discharge herself prematurely? Doc tells him, look, all he can say is, if a patient no longer wants intensive therapy, it’s their call. As for Elizabeth, he takes heart in knowing she has a good support system at home. Finn says, as long as she doesn’t push everyone away, and Doc says, then he’s afraid it’s going to take time and patience. Finn says, he’ll hang back. He’ll give her time. It seems like that’s all he’s doing these days, but how does he know if he’s giving her the space to heal or the room to relapse? Doc says, he doesn’t.

Terry says, Elizabeth didn’t tell her that she was coming in today, and Elizabeth says, it’s time; she’s ready. Britt says, it’s good to see her, and Elizabeth thanks her, saying, it’s good to be seen. So how about it? Put me in, coach. Britt says she’d be happy too, as soon as she hears from HR that Elizabeth is cleared, and Elizabeth suggests they skip the red tape. It sounds like they’re shorthanded. Britt says, while she loves the enthusiasm, the hospital has policies, protocol where… Elizabeth says she knows what protocol is. She’s worked here longer than Britt. Terry says, hang on, Biz, and Elizabeth says, Britt was probably hoping she got rid of her for good. Britt says, actually she was hoping Elizabeth had a speedy recovery and returned to work soon. She’s an excellent nurse, and yes, they are short-staffed. Elizabeth says, then what’s the problem? and Britt asks if she needs flash cards. If Elizabeth wants to come back, then she needs to be cleared by HR. So go to HR and get cleared. Elizabeth says, this is so like Britt. She’s sure Britt has convinced everyone else that she’s turned over a new leaf, but she can see pretty clearly, the Britch is back, and bitchier than ever.

Victor asks what possible reason Anna could have for looking into Valentin’s private medical records, and Anna asks if he’s ever heard the quote, we don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are. He asks her point? and she says, given his villainy, it makes sense he would ascribe nefarious intent to others. He says, cynicism is an ugly look on such an attractive woman, and she says, so is misogyny on such a dapper man. Yet here we are. He laughs, and says, she’s such a joy, and she says she tries. He says, always a quick rebut, and the appropriate literary reference. The question, however, remains, does Valentin know she’s a spy, in and out of the bedroom? She says, yes; why? He says he’s asking as a concerned parent. What exactly is the nature of her relationship with his son? She asks, what exactly is his?

Laura tells Valentin, she doesn’t say this often enough, but she’s actually grateful that Charlotte has him to watch out for her. He says, that’s nothing he’d expect to hear her say, and she says, they’ve had their difficulties in the past, but she can’t deny he’s an excellent parent. He thanks her, and says, coming from her, that means more to him than he can express. She says, if this little visit isn’t about Charlotte, to what does she owe the pleasure? and he says, just a drink between friends. He tells the waiter that he’ll have a bloody Mary, and Laura says she’ll have an iced tea. The waiter says, coming right up, and Valentin says, just an iced tea? She says, day drinking is not a good look for the mayor, especially after an attempted recall, and he says he’s glad that ridiculous attempt to oust her failed. She was a wonderful mayor, and Port Charles thrived under her leadership. She asks, why does he talk about her tenure in the past tense?

Brook says, when she offered to manage Chase’s singing career, she really did it to help him, and he asks, what percentage was to help him? She says, 90, and he looks at her. She says, 85, hand to heart, and he says he believes her. She says she hates that he’s out a paycheck, for defending her honor – again. He says, his actions were his own, and she says, but she put him in the middle of her mistakes… and two guys anyone would want to punch. He says, that is true, and she says, so even though it wasn’t her main goal when she was pitching the idea to him, the revenge part kind of slipped in. He says, so it wasn’t always there in the back of her mind? and she says, of course (🍷) it was. He says, then why not come out and say it; tell him the plan from the get-go. She says, because she didn’t want him to think she was using him, and he says, was she? She says she’s a Quartermaine. Self-interest is kind of in her DNA. She puts her hand on his knee, and says, on her word, nothing is more important than helping him.

Ned says, Olivia? and Olivia tells Cody, and here’s one of those men right now. Ned says he’s been looking for her. Can he speak to her about something? Cody says he’ll leave them alone, but Olivia says, they wouldn’t dream of interrupting his work, and tells Ned, she was just thanking Cody for being such a good friend to Leo. Ned says, Leo seems to think Cowboy Cody stepped straight out of a John Ford Western, and Cody says he’s lived a lot of places. Home is wherever you hang your hat. Ned says, about that. Since Cody will be interacting with his son, he took the liberty of going over Cody’s employment history. Seems like he doesn’t stay in one place for long. Should they already be looking for a replacement? Olivia says, Ned… and Cody says, no worries, Mama Q. He has been bouncing around for a while, that’s true, but their kind employment has gotten him doing exactly what he wants to do, exactly where he wants to do it. Don’t worry. He’s not going anywhere.

Britt tells Elizabeth, that’s enough, Nurse Baldwin. Clearly she’s still under duress. So leave now, while she still has a job. Elizabeth says, Britt can’t fire her; she’s union. Britt says she doubts Elizabeth’s union rep will come running to her defense, and as Chief of Staff… Elizabeth says, Co-Chief, and asks Terry if she’s going to let Britt threaten her like this. Terry says she’s sorry, but she has to agree with Britt. Elizabeth’s out of line.

Victor says, if Anna is curious about the deepening bond he has with his son, why ask him? Ask Valentin. Anna says she knows what Valentin’s intentions are when it comes to Victor; now she wants to know Victor’s. What does he want with Valentin? He says, what any parent wants. To see their child excel; to uplift and exalt the family. Most of all, to make him proud. Anna says, okay, and he says, she seems confused. She says, the relationship Victor is describing doesn’t sound reciprocal. It sounds like he’s using Valentin. And knowing what Victor is capable of, compels her to ask, to what end?

Valentin tells Laura that he’s sorry; he misspoke. He meant say, she is a great mayor, and Port Charles continues to thrive…  With all the machinations of ELQ, he’s not sleeping. She says, she’s not going anywhere, and he says he hears the all-stars gathered at Charlie’s to celebrate her. She’s much loved and very respected. Her phone rings, and she says she has to take this. She steps away, the waiter brings the drinks, and Valentin puts something powdered in her iced tea that’s probably not Splenda. After he’s done, with convenient timing, she comes back, telling him, it was Doc. A patient canceled, so he’s on his way over. Valentin says, he certainly won’t be a third wheel, so until Doc arrives, they should make the most of their time. They clink glasses, and as Laura is about to take a sip, her phone dings. She says, what a coincidence; it’s Charlotte. He asks if everything is all right, and she says, everything’s fine. Charlotte was just thanking her for the care package she sent. He says, he wasn’t aware Charlotte needed anything, and she says, it was hardly disaster relief. It was just the new book by her favorite author, and a couple little other fun things she thought Charlotte might enjoy. He says she’s sure she appreciates it, and Laura says, Charlotte’s mother is still not able to be present, so she tries to fill the void when she can. He says, Charlotte’s lucky to have her, and she says, and him. And Charlotte’s not the only lady in his life that feels that way. Anna seems to have grown very fond of him.

Victor says he’ll tell Anna what his plans are for Valentin, provided she tells him why the furtive call to check up on him. She says she’ll never explain herself to him. They can remain mysteries wrapped in riddles inside enigmas forever. He says, it’s obvious to him that she and Valentin don’t know each other nearly as well as they claim to. Nor do they trust each other, which is a pity. Because without trust, she’s nothing more to Valentin than a comely diversion.

Gregory says, for someone who takes issue with his subjective opinion, Alexis certainly prints a lot of them, and calls it hard news. She says, her paper takes stances on vital issues alongside fact-based articles, like the fact-based articles they did on city hall. He says, so will The Invader next be printing an interview with the exculpated mayor? and she says, she doesn’t see why not; they printed the petition against her. He says, she’s still relatively new to journalism. It’s a subject he teaches at university level. She says she’s sure it’s easy for him to sit on his high horse behind ivy walls, but while he’s talking about journalism theory, some of them are out in the field doing actual reporting.

Brook says she’d hoped Chase would see that his intentions were sincere, and when he didn’t… He says, she thought he was overreacting, and she says she did, until she talked with her dad. He helped her see that she probably should have run the whole plan by him, including the revenge plot. He says he also talked to his father. His father and brother urged him to give her the benefit of the doubt. She says, they did? and he says, they saw she was just trying to help him, and… She says, and what? and he says, they don’t seem to think her proposition is as crazy as he does. She gets up, and says, great. Then it’s settled. They move forward with her plan. He says, whoa. Pump the brakes, Quartermaine.

Elizabeth says she can’t believe Terry is taking Britt’s side, and Terry says, Elizabeth knows if she’s on anyone’s side, it’s hers. Elizabeth says, then let her come back to work, but Terry says, no; she’s not ready. Elizabeth says she’s fine. She just can’t stand the way Britt acts like she’s queen of this place. She’s Co-Chief of Staff, not God. Terry says, she is, and Britt asked Elizabeth to go to HR, the same as she would have. Elizabeth says, she was at that clinic voluntary. Why does she need to go to HR? Terry says, for liability purposes, she still needs medical clearance. Did her doctor at Shadybrook sign off? Elizabeth says, she signed herself out, which is her right, and Terry says, it is her right, but was it right for her? Elizabeth says she appreciates Terry’s concern caring for her doesn’t give Terry the right to question her decisions. She shouldn’t have to justify herself to anyone. She turns around and sees Finn.

Chase says he hasn’t agreed to Brook’s pop star scheme, and she says, but he will. It’s inevitable, so why waste time? He says, it’s doubtful it’s going to do either of the things she wants; get him paid or give Linc what he deserves. She says, maybe not, but they don’t know until they’ve tried, and he says, he’s not the pop star she’s envisioning. She says she’s not suggesting they put him in a Spandex onesie and throw glitter all over him, and he says, he doesn’t think the PCPD will value a singing detective as much as she does. She says, if after his suspension, he wants to go back to being a detective, she’ll totally support that. But while he’s in limbo, why not take the road not traveled? Maybe this setback will lead to a new passion. He says, a new passion can be a risky proposition, and she says, but the rewards could be greater than they ever dreamed.

Gregory says he didn’t write the op ed to insult Alexis. In fact, he admires what she’s done in such a short time. She thanks him for that, and says, she’s sure he understands that in the era where news is a click away, she has to distinguish the paper. He says, when she reads what he wrote, she’ll see he doesn’t fault her for that. He merely offers constructive ideas to help maintain integrity in reporting. She says she’ll read the whole op ed piece, put her wrath aside, and let him know if there’s a place for it. She starts to leave, and he says, if she stands by her vision for The Invader, she won’t have a problem printing every word.

Olivia says she’s glad Cody is sticking around. She’d hate for Leo to lose him. Cody says he’d hate to leave behind a brand new friend. Leo is stuck with him. Ned says, that’s good to hear. They’ll let him get back to work. Cody goes in the back, and Olivia asks if Ned is planning on alienating every single person in this house this week. He says he guesses he could have been a little more tactful, and she says, he couldn’t have been less. He says he was just looking out for Leo, and she says she knows that. He says, it looks like he’s been inconsiderate and self-centered all around, and she says, if that’s the road he wants to go down, she’s not going to stop him. He says, and because she deserves to hear this as often as possible, he should have looped her in on his decision making process about his ELQ vote. She says, yes he should have. It’s not like she’s asking for veto power over all his business decisions, but she does expect communication in the marriage. And she’s just going to pray for peace in this family. He says he let her down and he know that; he’s sorry. Now he needs to know they’re okay. She puts her arms around his neck, and says, they’re a team. If they stick with that, they’ll be fine. She kisses him, and he asks if there’s something else bothering her. She says, he picked up on that, and he asks if it’s anything he should know about. She says, things may be fine at home, but at work… it’s all falling apart.

Britt thanks Terry for the back-up, and says she knows Elizabeth is Terry’s friend. Terry says, Elizabeth is her best friend, and Britt says, great. Maybe Terry can tell her what the hell is going on with her BFF.  

Elizabeth walks with Finn, and he says, she looks good. She thanks him, and says she feels good. The pills are out of her system, so no more sleepwalking. He says, that’s a great start, and she says, start? She was at that clinic for weeks. She did the work, and she’s better. Believe her, if she felt like she was a danger to herself, her boys or her patients, she’d still be at Shadybrook. He says, he knows how committed she is to the people in her life. He thinks they’d just like to return the favor. She says she knows, and he asks, then why didn’t she tell anyone when she discharged herself? Or was he the only one who didn’t know?

Anna says, Victor doesn’t know the first thing about her and Valentin. They go back decades, and unlike Victor, his concerned father, she’s been there for him. He says, this isn’t a competition, and she says, if it were, he’d lose. He says, the difference is, unlike her, he trusts Valentin. He relies on Valentin to do what’s expected of him. She says she trusts Valentin too. She just doesn’t trust the people around him. He says, that makes two of us.

Valentin says, Anna spoke to Laura about him? and Laura says, she did. He says, anything she can repeat? and she says, it seems Anna has found a kindred spirit in him. He asks if that’s what she said, and Laura says, it’s not so much what she said, but how she said it, or how she didn’t say it, as the case may be. She does seem to have found the good in him. He says he told Laura it was there, and she says, he did. He seems to get Anna in a way most people don’t; kindred spirits. She just hopes Anna’s faith in him isn’t misplaced. She’s about to take a sip of her tea, and Valentin reaches for the pepper mill, practically shoving it in her face, so she spills her drink. She gets up, brushing herself off, as Doc comes in.

Alexis says, as she told Gregory, The Invader welcomes all viewpoints, even his. She’s sure after it’s proof read, it will be submitted into the next issue. He says, good to hear. Print and digital? She asks, exactly how many platforms does he need? and he says, it’s easier to read the commentary online; he likes the readers chiming in. She says, so he’s pretty sure the feedback will all be in his favor? and he says he suspects many will agree, with tweaks, The Invader is on its way to being a great source of information. She says she suspects the readers will already attest to what they’re doing right, and he says he looks forward to reading their reactions… providing the feedback is uncensored. She asks, what the hell is that supposed to mean?  

Anna’s phone rings, and she says she has to take this. She steps away, and Director Gibson says they received her credentials, and he can confirm Valentin Cassadine was a patient there. Anna thanks him, and says, that’s what she needed to know, but he says, however, his convalescence didn’t occur on the dates she provided. According to their records, he discharged himself after a week. The end date she provided… She says, exceeds that by a lot, and he says, exactly. He’s sure she can’t divulge the nature of the investigation, and that’s fine, but his priority is that the clinic not be held liable for any health implications caused by his early departure. She says, that won’t be a n issue, and he says, great, and asks if there’s anything else he can help her with. She says, no. He’s helped her more than he knows. Victor approaches her, and says, problem? but she just walks away.

Valentin says he’s so sorry, and tells Laura to send him her dry cleaning bill. She says she will, and Doc asks, what happened here? Valentin says he’s afraid Doc arrived to witness a rather inelegant lunch with the pepper. He tells the passing waiter, another iced tea, and says, as he was telling Doc’s wife, he hasn’t been sleeping well, and it’s made him clumsy. Doc says he’s never known Valentin to be clumsy before, but Valentin says, it happens. He apologizes. He looks at Laura, and says he’s so very sorry, and she says, just when things were going so well. Valentin jets, and Doc asks, what’s all this about? She says she wishes she knew. She’s just as confused as he is. Valentin asked to join her, and they had a surprisingly civil conversation. Doc says, he’s about as social as he is clumsy, and she says, today he was both. Doc asks why he doesn’t believe any of it, and she says, because he’s keenly perceptive and smart. He thanks her and kisses her hello, and she asks how things are with him. He says, today could have gone better, and she says, it’s not even lunchtime yet. (I know the feeling.) Is it Elizabeth? He says, she left Shadybrook, and Laura asks if she was his patient cancelation. He says, yeah, and she asks if she should be worried. He says he wishes he could say no.

Terry tells Britt that she’s sorry; Elizabeth’s not like that. Britt says, Elizabeth has been downright hostile to her since they met, and Terry says she knows they never liked each other. Britt says she was terrible to Elizabeth; to everybody. She earned all of her lovely nicknames, but now…? Today, this? Terry says, she’s been going through a lot, and Britt says, she understands, but her time away didn’t seem to have helped at all. Elizabeth seems to be the same… Terry says, again, best friend, and Britt says, challenging personality she always was. Whatever Elizabeth has going on, she can’t bring it to work like that. Terry says, agreed. She just hopes Elizabeth is okay. Britt says, oh, she’s in fine form.

Elizabeth says she’s sorry she didn’t tell Finn, but he says, it’s okay. He was just trying to figure out why she left him out of the loop. He knows he had a little trouble giving her the space she needed to heal, and for that he’s sorry, but he thinks he’s gotten better with that. She says, he has, and he asks if this is the way she wants things going forward; she doesn’t need him around? She says, no. She asked for distance when she was at Shadybrook because she had a lot to work through. She knows he wanted to be there for her and help her, and he did, by allowing her to have the space she needed to take this journey and figure things out on her own. He asks, how’d that go? and she says she learned a lot. The most important thing she realized is, her life is just better with him in it.

Brook and Chase almost kiss, and Brook says, so for what it’s worth (🍷), she thinks he’s the It Factor, and she knows Linc agrees. He says, two people; that’s quite the niche fan base. She asks him to give her his phone, and he does. She says, check this out, and she shows him the video of him singing. She says, whether or not he wants to be a recognized performer, he’s well on his way.

Ned says, if he’d known Carly had invested so heavily in Aurora… and Olivia says she didn’t even know until the morning of the vote. He says, anyway, it’s not going to be a problem, but she says she might end up owning he hotel with some oligarch who’s laundering his money; it’s a problem. He says, not if they buy Carly’s half of the hotel and give it to her, but she says she already floated that idea; it’s not going to happen. Carly said, no dice. He says, not even if they sell it to her at the same price she purchased it? and Olivia says, the history between Carly and the Quartermaines is too much; forget about it. He says, it’s going to be okay. The best partnerships cannot be torn apart. They’re proof of that. He kisses her, and they leave.

Elizabeth says she knows she kept Finn at arm’s length, but it was never meant to hurt him. He says he knows. He can be thick sometimes, and wanted to help. It took time for him to realize she needed some distance, and that’s on him. She asks, what if she told him what she really needs is him? and he says he’d probably tell her that he’s the luckiest guy on the face of the earth. Is she sure? Because everything that was wrong with him before is still there. He’s working on himself, but he has a long way to go. Is she sure she wants all that? She says, all of it, and they kiss. She says she’s sorry about everything she put him through. She promises it’s all behind them, and he holds her.

Cody puts away a saddle, and his phone chirps. A message from Society Set-Ups says they’ve found a match for him.

Britt looks at Elizabeth and Finn, and tells Terry, apparently, there is a lid for every pot, even the cracked ones. Terry says, if that’s true, maybe there’s hope for Britt yet (BA-DUM-CHH!) and walks away. Britt’s phone dings, she looks at it, and says, okay Society Set-Ups. Let’s see what unpromising loser you insist is my perfect match. She sees Cody’s name and photo, and sighs.

Alexis says, first Gregory maligns her leadership of the paper, and now he’s questioning her integrity? He says, he’s merely pointing out how tempting it is to confirm our own biases, and she says, she’s convinced the readers will reject his narrow suppositions. He says, care to make it interesting? and she says, like a bet? He says, unless she’s not as confident as she’s pretending to be, and she says, now his strategy is to call her chicken? She didn’t know they had playgrounds at universities, because that’s clearly where he picked up his tactics. He asks if his tactics are working, and she says, no, but she’ll take his idiotic wager. She’s in. He says, great. What are the stakes? She says, besides the massive hit to his ego? If the readers support him, then she’ll entertain his archaic notions. He says, is that all? and she says, he’s got her time and attention; take it or leave it. He says, done. And on the off-chance the readers side with her? She says, he’ll promise to pipe down, and stick to enlightening young minds. He says, it’s a bet, holding out his hand, and they shake.

Chase looks at the video and says, he can’t believe this. She says, they have to credit Leo. He’s the first one who liked the performance, and it sort of blew up from there. Chase asks how it has so many views, and she says she has an intern at Deception watching it on repeat, and he says, she does? She says, no. The numbers are all him. Face it. There’s an audience who wants him. All they have to do is cultivate it, and monetize it of course (🍷). He asks where they start, and she says, is that a yes? He says, it’s not a no, it’s a how. She says, don’t stress the details. By the time she’s finished these numbers will look quant in comparison. Leave it to her. She’s going to make him a household name.

Anna walks into the MetroCourt Garden, and Laura asks if she forgot something. Anna says she was looking for Valentin. He’s not in his room, so she thought she’d try here. Doc says, her instincts are good, but she just missed him. Laura says she doesn’t know where he went, and Anna says she was going to ask him something, but now that she’s here, she’s changed her mind. Laura asks if everything is okay, and Anna says she’s not sure, but she intends to find out.

Back in the park, Victor asks Valentin, is it done? but Valentin says, no. Laura remains in perfect health. Victor asks, why, pray tell, is that? and Valentin says, because he failed. Victor says, that’s a pity. He’s sure by now Valentin is aware, failure is not an option.

On Monday, Cody asks Britt why he’d leave, now that he’s met his match; Maxie asks why Spinelli would say something like that; and Carly says, it’s her only option.

🗽 Moving It Nice…

I’m not sure what her selling the apartment has to do with RHUGT. Doing it for an extra tag?

💎 Those Horrible, Horrible Women…

This episode turned my stomach. I’m not sure which incident pissed me off more. Kyle accusing Sutton of lying about her miscarriages…

https://screenrant.com/rhobh-kyle-richards-apologizes-sutton-stracke-miscarriage-accusation/

Or Erika cursing out Garcelle’s son – after she hit on Garcelle’s other son. At least Oliver was of age, but still.

🍹 Bring On the Charm…

This doesn’t sound much different from what we saw.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1337327/why-southern-charms-kathryn-dennis-and-chleb-ravenell-really-split

I was stressed too. I even said, no one makes/receives calls while they’re not driving?

🍸 As the Stomach Turns…

Whenever I see his name, all I can think is, that little troll. How dare he have done this to her and that cute little baby?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10996103/Scheana-Shay-blasts-Lala-Kents-ex-Randall-Emmett-reacts-allegations-against-him.html

While Surfing…

Actually, I was watching reruns of the first seasons, and thinking about what an a-hole Adrienne was. Then I stumbled on this.

🏞 Meanwhile, In the Middle Of Nowhere…

All about Plathville, and a little speculation.

https://www.thelist.com/176645/the-untold-truth-of-tlcs-welcome-to-plathville/

https://screenrant.com/why-welcome-plathville-fans-suspect-kim-plath-unfaithful/

👠 Still Posh…

I love her. Can you imagine a woman being intimidated into getting on a scale in public today? Me neither. But she did end up winning at life.

https://people.com/health/victoria-beckham-recalls-being-forced-to-weigh-herself-on-live-tv-after-giving-birth/

https://people.com/health/victoria-beckham-says-being-thin-is-old-fashioned-talks-new-health-and-fitness-journey/

https://people.com/sports/david-and-victoria-beckham-mark-their-23rd-wedding-anniversary/

🩰 Outside the Dreamhouse…

All about the Barbie movie. I can’t wait.

https://people.com/movies/margot-robbie-celebrates-32nd-birthday-pink-barbie-cake-on-set-greta-gerwig-movie/

https://people.com/movies/barbie-movie-set-pictures/

https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/a23638293/margot-robbie-barbie-doll-film/

👍 Ending On a Good Note…

I’m not a Hallmark kind of person, but I still appreciate kindness.

👄 Quotes of the Week

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. – Martin Luther King Jr.

Never stop just because you feel defeated. The journey to the other side is attainable only after great suffering. – Santosh Kalwar

Time changes everything except something within us which is always surprised by change. – Thomas Hardy

The four hardest tasks on earth are neither physical nor intellectual feats, but spiritual ones: To return love for hate; to include the excluded; to forgive without apology, and to be able to say, ‘I was wrong.’Unknown

Faith is daring to put your dream to the test. It is better to try to do something and fail than to try to do nothing and succeed. – Robert H. Schuller

Judge a man by the reputation of his enemies, and the character of his friends.K@$H

Above all else, go with a sense of humor. It is needed armor. Joy in one’s heart and some laughter on one’s lip is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life.Hugh Sidey

You can roll manure in powder sugar, but that still doesn’t make it a jelly donut. – Berta (Conchata Ferrell), Two and a Half Men

👡 Shuffling Off This Internet Coil…

Enjoy formerly known as the weekend, but come back for soap and some Deck when it’s over. Until then, stay safe, stay giving without expecting a return, and stay keeping in mind, we don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.

June 24, 2022 – The Shareholders Vote, Stopping By, Ultimate Ex, Grand Slam, Confirmation, Sorry Diana, Kim Spills, Shah Spin, Who’s That Lady, New West, Confirmation, Nearly Nine Quotes & Radio

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the hospital, Brad holds out a bag to Britt, saying, croissants from Eckerd’s. She says, almond or chocolate? and he says, one of each. Whichever one she doesn’t want, he’ll take. She snatches the bag from him, and he says, or she can have them both. So is he forgiven… even a little bit? She says she knows he didn’t intentionally set out to make an ass of her, and he says, never. She says, fine. She forgives him. He says, and he promises to never, ever… wait a second. That was way too easy. She says she has ulterior motives, and he says, great. By all means, use him. What does he have to do? She says, all he has to do is listen. She has a little mystery she’s dying to talk to someone about. He says he’s dying; spill. She says, the parachute guy? and he says, Cody. She says, whatever. She found him in an alley the other night; someone had beat the spit out of him. Brad asks if he said who, but she says, no. She’s been going through possible scenarios, and… He says, she can stop. He knows exactly what happened.

Cody sees Dante having breakfast at Kelly’s, and asks why Dante didn’t invite him. Dante asks why Cody is talking about. Cody spent the day on the couch, barely forming any words. Why would Dante think today would be any different? Cody says, it would be nice to be invited, and Dante asks if Cody is sure he should be up and about. Cody says, it’s hard to leave town if he’s just going to be laying on Dante’s couch the whole time, and Dante says, so he’s feeling better? Cody says, stellar, and Dante says, excellent. Maybe now Cody can answer some questions he’s been avoiding.

Linc sits in Jordan’s office, and says he’s honored the Commissioner herself wants to speak with him. She says, any incident involving a civilian and one of her officers warrants her attention. She understands he’s pressing charges against Detective Chase. Linc says, he’s got a mean right hook, that one. He was under the impression Chase is already on suspension for punching a guy, just like Chase did to him. Jordan says, that’s correct, and he says, obviously, the detective hasn’t learned his lesson.

Outside Kelly’s, Brook asks when Chase is meeting with the Commissioner, and he says he’s just waiting for a call. Just like he was five minutes ago. She says she’s sorry, and he says, that’s okay. She says, he’s going to be okay, right? Especially since he’s still on suspension, it’s not like the Commissioner can punish him, right? He says, it doesn’t work that way, and she says, so he’s had two strikes, so to speak? He says, yeah, and she asks if he gets a third strike. Or is he already out?

Olivia and Carly sit by the pool, and Carly looks through a binder, saying, they have a full house. Between wedding receptions, seminars, and conventions, they’re booked through the fall. Business is good. Olivia says, meanwhile, her hair is falling out by the fistful, and Carly asks what she’s talking about. She’s handled busy seasons before; what makes this time any different? Olivia tells her, let’s just say, the energy at the crazy house is up to eleven this morning. With the ELQ shareholder meeting this morning, everyone is just wired. She’ll be so happy when this whole thing is over. Drew and Michael have bent over backwards to get Valentin out of ELQ finally, once and for all. Carly says she thinks it’s exciting, and Olivia says, she must be so proud of Michael for pulling this off. Carly says, she is, but she has a personal stake in this as well. They see a casually dressed Valentin come in and set up a chaise lounge. Martin walks in, and asks Valentin if they’re here for a morning business meeting or some poolside R & R? Valentin says, maybe a little bit of both. How’s the day going? Martin says his day is going just fine so far; how about Valentin’s? Is he ready for his day of reckoning?

Michael asks if Willow wants coffee, but she says, no thanks. Is he sure he needs one? He’s literally bouncing. He says, it seems like he’s been waiting for the shareholder’s meeting forever. He can’t wait to see Valentin ousted as CEO. She yawns, and he says, not everybody is as excited about the family business. She says, sorry. Wiley had her up early this morning. Michael says he didn’t hear Wiley, and Willow says, that’s because their son knows she’s a light touch, and she’ll get up to make him pancakes, even if it’s at the crack of dawn. Drew comes in, saying, good morning. It’s a beautiful day. Michael says, it certainly is, and gives Drew a cup of coffee. He says, to today, and Drew says, the day everything changes.

Britt leads Brad into her office, and says, is this better? He says he doesn’t mean to seem paranoid, but she says, that’s fine. You never know what judgy eavesdropper is lurking in the halls. Now tell her, how does he know what happened to parachute boy? He says, Cody, and she says, whatever. Who beat him up, and why? Brad says, he really only knows some of it, and she says, and that would be…? He says, Cody was at his Aunt Selina’s poker game, and she says, of course (🍷) he was. Let her guess. He made bets he couldn’t cover, and now… Brad says, Cody won big, and his aunt was furious. She asks if he’s saying his aunt ordered Cody’s beating.

Cody says he’s an open book. If Dante has questions, fire away. Dante says, how about if they start with how Cody ended up on his doorstep, beat up, with Britt Westbourne? Cody says he saw a way to make some fast cash, and it didn’t exactly work out. Dante says, so Cody still plays cards, and Cody says he’s better than he was when they were in summer camp. He had an off night. Dante asks if Cody knows who did this to him, and Cody says, they didn’t exactly introduce themselves. Dante asks if Cody can identify them, and Cody says he’d love to. Dante suggests Cody come down to the station, and they’ll get some photos out, but Cody says, it was really dark. Dante wonders how he knew Cody was going to say that, and Cody says, Dante is an excellent detective, clearly. Dante asks if Cody thinks they’re still after him, and Cody says, maybe. He’s not going to stick around and find out. Dante asks if they let Cody keep any of his winnings, and Cody says, they did. Dante asks, how much? and Cody says, fifty dollars. Dante takes out his wallet, and says he’ll spot Cody some cash until he gets back on his feet, but Cody asks if they didn’t already have this conversation. He’s not letting Dante pay his way. Dante asks if Cody wants to get his ass kicked again, and Cody says, yes, he would, taking a piece of bacon from Dante’s plate. Dante says, stubborn idiot, and Cody suggests that’s why they get along so well. He laughs, then grabs his side, and Dante says, they worked him over pretty good. Cody says, Doc Westbourne said he should be fine, and Dante says he still can’t believe Britt stopped to help Cody. Cody asks if that isn’t what doctors do, and Dante says, typically, yes, but Britt usually does whatever’s best for Britt. Cody says, it sounds like there’s some history there, and Dante says, there is, and none of it good.

Drew says, the market has already reacted to the potential merger; Aurora’s stock just keeps going up. Their first priority should be to talk to the VPs, and confirm the merger. Just get everybody up to speed. Ned walks in, and Willow tells him, good morning. He says, good morning, all. He sees the two of them are already making plans, and Michael says, they are. In fact, now is a perfect time to loop Ned in. Lucy joins them, and says, Quartermaines; what a sight to behold. Michael says, it’s good to see her too, and Drew thanks her for coming. She says, it’s her pleasure. She always loves revisiting the Quartermaine manse; she loved living here. And it’s so lovely to see all the heads of the family together. Look at them. My how times have changed.

Valentin tells Martin, they’ll be a reckoning all right. He just doesn’t think it will take all day. Martin sits down, and says, Valentin looks really calm. Does this mean he’s heard from Ned?

Olivia asks Carly, what’s Valentin doing? The meeting is in less than an hour, and he’s lounging by the pool. Carly says, he’s bluffing, to give the impression he knows the vote is going his way. Olivia says, he looks pretty convincing; like he knows something they don’t.

Chase tells Brook, cops don’t usually get a third strike when it comes to altercations with civilians, and she says, he could be fired? He says, maybe. He’d probably fire him. She say, absolutely not. How can a good guy like Chase get in trouble for slugging a sleaze like… She gets up, and says, maybe not. He says he knows that face; that is her plotting face. she says, this is the face that’s going to fix everything. Problem solved. She knows exactly what to do. She starts to leave, but he grabs her arm, and says, whoa. What? She says she can’t tell him because he’ll try to stop her. He says, only if it’s a bad plan, and she says, just trust her this time, but he says, tell him. And then he can poke holes in it. She says, another reason she can’t tell him, and he says, but if he pokes holes in it, she’ll know where the flaws are, and she can cover them up, and exonerate him in the process. She says, all right; here it is. She goes to the PCPD and amends her original statement. She’ll make sure all of his colleagues know he saved her from a violent criminal. He says he can’t let her lie to the police for him, but she says she’s not lying. It’s just that now that the initial shock is wearing off, she realized that her original statement didn’t covey how terrified she really was when Linc attacked her. He says, terrified? Really? She says, if she’s lying, she’s dying, and he says, but to him, and presumably Rory, she just seemed mad. She says, which is how she copes with extreme fear. She puts on a façade of extreme rage. The bottom line is, if Chase hadn’t stepped in to save her, she could have been abducted by Linc. He says, Brook Lynn… and she says, okay, abducted is a strong word, but the point is, it was Chase’s civic duty to defend her from a predator. Case closed.

Jordan says, throwing a punch in a club doesn’t usually rate criminal prosecution, and Linc says, it’s still battery though, isn’t it? She says, it is, and he says, and shouldn’t police be held to a higher standard? She says, of course (🍷). She doesn’t condone what Detective Chase did, but she’s also not convinced it’s worth pressing charges. He says, why not, may he ask? and she says, judges are cracking down on nuisance lawsuits. He won’t be doing himself any favors if the court feels he’s wasting its time. He says he only wants to see justice be served. So if he drops the charges, what are his options?

Cody says, how is this even possible? and Dante says, Britt is a fertility expert, and her mother is a scientist. So they stole his and Lulu’s embryo, and implanted it. Cody says, then she carried the baby, Dante’s baby – Dante says, Rocco – to term. Then tried to pass the kid off as her own child. Dante says, mm-hmm, and Cody says, how is she still a doctor? Dante says he doesn’t know, but she had her license taken away when she went to prison, and when she got out, they gave it back to her. Cody says, prison? He thought Britt was this morally upstanding outraged citizen. Dante laughs, and says, the only person who would probably think that’s funnier than him is Britt. Britt’s been involved with some shady stuff, and that’s not even talking about her being on the run with her father. Cody says, back it up. On the run like a fugitive from justice? Okay, who’s her father? Dante asks if Cesar Faison rings a bell, and Cody says, Britt’s father is Cesar Faison? Dante says, was. He died about four years ago. Cody says, it’s a lot to take in; the whole embryo stealing thing, and to top it off, she’s Faison’s daughter. Dante says, it kind of explains things, doesn’t it? He tells Cody that he has to go, and Cody says he’ll come with Dante. He starts to get up, and sits back down, saying, that hurt. Dante asks if he’s sure he’s all right, and Cody says, Britt told him these are just ribs that are bruised, but he’s wondering. Dante says, they’re going to GH, but Cody says, Dante knows he doesn’t like hospitals. On second thought, yeah. The hospital sounds like a great idea.

Britt says, if Aunt Selina had Cody beaten up over a poker game, what will she do to Brad if he screws up? Brad says, the beating wasn’t her doing, and Britt says, she didn’t think Selina did it herself. Then again, what does she know? He says, she just had Cody thrown out of the game, but he’s totally fine. She says, right, and he says, now that he’s solved the Cody mystery, maybe she can answer a question for him. What was that look between Britt and her mother? The look that passed between them right before Obrecht kicked him out of Britt’s room. Clearly he said something that upset her, but he has no idea what. Does it have anything to do with what’s been bothering her? Britt says, yes.

Valentin says he hasn’t spoken to Ned, and Martin asks how Valentin can be sure Ned will throw over his family, and vote with him. Valentin says, because if he remains CEO, Ned maintains a shot at keeping some influence, so Ned will vote to keep him. Martin says, far be it from him to question a sure thing, but as long as they’re on the subject of family, he has an important update on Valentin’s. Valentin says, the Cassadines? and Martin says, as far as he knows, that’s the only family Valentin has.

Carly tells Olivia to stop staring, but Olivia says, don’t interrupt her; she’s in the middle of a curse. Carly tells her not to let Valentin get in her head. Drew, Michael, and Ned know what’s at stake. They’re all going to come together and oppose Valentin. Everyone’s doing their part, including her. Olivia asks, what’s going on? This is the second time Carly mentioned herself. Carly says, she didn’t have a chance to tell Olivia. The merger isn’t just going to be good for ELQ; it’s going to be good for her. She’s now a major shareholder in Aurora.

Ned gives Lucy some coffee, and she thanks him. She says she takes this to mean that Valentin is on his way out, and Ned says, yes. If they all vote against him, there’s absolutely nothing he can do. She says, from her perspective, she thinks the Quartermaines owe Valentin a great big huge thank you, and Ned chokes on his coffee.

Drew tells Michael, he knows this family loves him as much as he loves them, but he and Sam created Aurora to have something of their own. The merger between ELQ and Aurora kind of feels like two separate parts of himself coming together. Michael says he gets it. It’s like a union of sorts, between Drew’s past and the present he fought to get back to. And now there is no escape. Settle in, because he’s not going anywhere.

Brad says he’s been waiting for Britt to open up about this, whatever it is, and she says she knows. She just hasn’t been ready to talk about it; not a lot of people know. He says, not a lot of people know, and one of them isn’t him. It must be pretty heavy. What’s going on? Britt’s phone rings, and she tells them, she’ll be right there. She tells Brad that she has to go, and he says, come on, but she says, she has a patient, and this isn’t a conversation she wants to rush, and she leaves.

Valentin sits up, and says, what does Martin know about the Cassadines? Martin tells him, relax; it’s a good thing. Valentin says, let him be the judge of that, and Martin says, Valentine’s Victor problem will soon be over. His sister thought of a brilliant, but simple way of getting rid of him. She’s pulling strings to have Victor deported. Valentin asks if that isn’t a little outside of her reach, but Martin says, not at all. Laura is both well-connected and determined, and it makes perfect sense. Victor has a criminal record that goes back decades, which is ample reason to deport him for – wait for it – moral turpitude. Valentin’s phone beeps, and he says he has to go. The Quartermaines await. He jets, going past Carly and Olivia’s table. Olivia says, Aurora’s stock price is climbing, and Carly says, on the rumors of a merger. Once the merger is officially announced, they’re going to skyrocket. Olivia says, and the Q’s will once again be in charge of ELQ. She has to say, Drew’s idea to merge companies was brilliant. Carly says, which is why she sold her half of the MetroCourt to raise the capital to help Michael and Drew, and Olivia says, I’m sorry. You did what now?

Lucy asks if Ned is okay, and he says, he’s fine, but what in God’s name would this family possibly have to thank Valentin for? She says, ELQ has thrived under Valentin’s… tenure. Not to mention the fact, he’s united them together against a common foe. Ned says, yes, and that unity deserves to be fought for and protected. She says, the Quartermaines are nothing if not excellent fighters. Just think what they could do if they all worked together for once.

Willow tells Michael that she’s going to check on Wiley, and she’ll be right back. She starts to go upstairs, but has to stop and sit down.

Britt comes out of the elevator, and Cody says, Dr. Westbourne. She says, oh God, you? and he says, there’s that bedside manner she must be famous for. She says, all the doctors in this hospital, and he asks for her? and he says, she’s the one most familiar with his case. She says, he has bruised ribs. It’s not like he’s a case study the medical world is going to marvel at. He says, turns out he might be more banged up than she thought, and she says, the ER is right down the hall. She’ll call an orderly to wheel him over. He says, come on. Can’t she just check him out? She says, she’s an OB/GYN, and he says he’s heard. She says she’s sure he has, and looks at Dante. He says, here’s the problem. As he told her the other night when she was kindly taking him to her car, a trip to the ER isn’t in the budget right now. She says, right, and he doesn’t have insurance, and whoever beat him up, took his money. She can’t treat him off the books. Dante says he’ll cover Cody’s bill. They can’t put him on a bus out of here if he’s got broken ribs, right? She says, he’s leaving town? and he says, that’s the plan. She says, right this way, and leads him to an exam room, as Brad watches.

Chase says he can’t let Brook lie to the police, and she says, it’s a valid interpretation of the events of that night, but he says, it’s not. She asks, who’s going to contradict her? and he says, a club full of witnesses? She says, please. A bunch of hipsters who were three sheets to the wind? She’s not worried; it will totally work. He takes her hands, and thanks her. It means the world that she would do this for him. She says, he pretended to be Bailey’s dad; it’s the least she can do. He says, the bottom line is, he got himself into this mess, and he’s ready to face whatever happens next. His phone rings, and he says, he’ll be right there. He tells Brook, it was Jordan’s assistant. The Commissioner is ready to see him.

Lucy tells Ned, the Quartermaines united to run ELQ. That would be so incredibly formidable. That’s never going to happen though. He asks what she means, and she says, when Valentin leaves, all that infighting that Edward so successfully cultivated, is going to resurface, which is really a shame. Her phone rings, and she tells Ned that she has to take it. He says, of course (🍷), and she steps away. She pauses, seeing Willow on the stairs, but Willow continues on up. Lucy says, okay; she’s alone. Martin says, now she knows how he feels. He missed waking up to her this morning. She says she misses him too, so much, but with this slot coming up on the Home and Heart Shopping Channel, she has so much work to do for Deception, and she had to come to the shareholders meeting, which is going to be a total waste of time. Martin says, you never know, but she says, Michael, Drew, and Ned are all united on this crazy Valentin front. She doesn’t get to vote unless there’s a tie, which there’s not going to be, which means she’ll just sit around, twiddling her thumbs. She’s going to feel totally superfluous. He says, that is nonsense. She’s definitely the center of his world. She thanks him, and tells him that he says the sweetest things. He says, she’s more important than she knows. Far more.  

Carly tells Olivia that she sold her half of the MetroCourt to Stillwater Venture Group to get the money to help Michael and Drew. Olivia says, so now she’s partners with Stillwater Venture Group? but Carly says, no. She would never do that to Olivia. She has 30 days to buy back her half of the hotel. The price has already been set, and she’s going to have more than enough money. Aurora’s stock is gaining value by the hour. Olivia says, sounds risky, but Carly says, no way. She has faith in Drew, and she’ll always bet on Michael.

Brook goes into Kelly’s to get a refill on her coffee, when Linc walks in. She wonders if they don’t make an ointment to get rid him, and he says he doesn’t like the tension between them. She says, this isn’t tension; this is hatred. He says he sold another one of her songs, and she asks, which one? He says, Morning Rain, and she says she wrote that when her cousin died. He says, that’s very touching. Sof-T paper towels thinks it’s perfect for their new commercial. She says, her song is going to be used in a paper towel commercial? and he says, a national paper towel commercial. So when anyone in the entire country hears it, they’ll think absorbent. He’ll be making a nice chunk of change from it too. He bets if she tried, she could come up with some catchy jingles. Then they could make money together. She says, she’d rather never write another song… Does he really want to work with her again? He says, he does. Why? She says, fine. She’ll do it, if he recants his accusation against Chase.

Chase goes to Jordan’s office, and she tells him to close the door and have a seat. She hopes he realizes how disappointed she is to find him in this position again, and so close to the end of his suspension. He says he’s sorry; he acted in haste. He was provoked, but it’s still no excuse. She says, if there’s no excuse, why say he was provoked? and he says, accuracy. Of course (🍷) now that he’s facing assault charges, she can’t bring him back to the force. She says she spoke with Linc, and he’s agreed to drop the criminal charges. Chase won’t be facing prison time. He thanks her for going to bat for him, but she tells him, he can save his thanks. Linc still wants him to lose his job.

Dante says he hears Brad is working for his Aunt Selina now. What is he doing for her? Brad says, this and that; entry level stuff. Errands and whatnot. It’s super boring. Dante says, Brad has no idea what he’s getting himself into, does he?

Britt walks into the exam room, and sees a shirtless, bruised Cody. She says, colorful, and he asks if it’s okay that it hurts to breathe. She says, that would be a sign a rib punctured his lung, and he says, it doesn’t hurt that bad. She puts on gloves, and says, we shall see. She puts the stethoscope on his back, and tells him to breathe. She listens, and he says, it hurts. She says she should send him for an x-ray, but he says, if she just wraps him up, he’ll be fine. She says, a moment ago, it hurt to breathe, and now he’s fine? He says, she must have the healing touch.

Drew says, they’re all set. The proxies are here; they’re good to go. Willow comes in, and Michael asks if everything is all right. She says, Wiley is fine, and he says, what about her? Is she okay? Before she can answer, Ned walks in with another man, and says he thinks they all know Pascal. Pascal shakes Drew’s hand, saying, they spoke several times on the phone; it’s a pleasure to meet him in person. Drew says, it’s good to be seen, and Pascal says hello to Michael. Michael says, they’re just waiting for… There he is. Valentin walks in, and tells them, what say they begin? He doesn’t think it will take too long. Michael says, it certainly will not.

Britt finishes wrapping Cody, and he says, he and Dante were talking about her earlier. She says she’s sure Dante had a lot to say, and he says, Dante’s definitely not a fan. To him, it sounds like she got a raw deal. She asks how he figures that, and he says, her mom and dad weren’t the easiest role models to live up to. She says he can get dressed, and he says, he just meant, it must be hard to live up to her dad’s legacy. She says, meaning what?

Linc says, let him get this straight. He drops the assault charges, and Brook will write songs for him again. Brook says, no charges, no civil suit, no complaints or demand for an apology. No comment to any reporter that Chase attacked him. This never happened. He goes to the DA and the Commissioner, and tells them that he lied. He makes this go away forever, and she’s all his. He says, it’s a tempting offer, but no deal. All he cares about is that her detective friend loses his job for good. But look on the bright side of things. He’s come around to her way of thinking. Some things truly are priceless. He gets his takeout order, and leaves.

Cody tells Britt, he just means, it must be tough to live down Faison’s reputation. He was one of the WSB’s most wanted, wasn’t he? She says, continue with the ice packs. If the pain persists for more than two days, see a doctor. Have a nice trip. He asks, what just happened here? and she tells him, Dante said he was getting on a bus. Bon voyage. She walks out.

Jordan tells Chase that Linc is filing a complaint with the Civilian Review Board. As he knows, the outcome of the Board’s investigation could be censure, or even dismissal. He says he knows he was in the wrong. In the heat of the moment… She says, this wasn’t a life threatening situation. No one was in eminent danger, except Mr. Brown. Once again Chase has proved he can’t keep his head in a situation, especially when Brook is involved. So answer her this. Why shouldn’t she fire him right now?

Carly tells Olivia that she’s planning a deluxe family vacation in a few months. She feels like they deserve it. So, should they go to the beach or some foreign city? Olivia says, that depends on who all is going, and Carly says, her and Donna of course (🍷). She’s hoping Michael, Willow, and Wiley, and she was going to ask Ava if she could take Avery. Olivia says she wouldn’t hold her breath on a yes for that question, and Carly says, she and Ava… Olivia says, hate each other, and Carly says, but they will move heaven and earth for Avery, so maybe there’s a possibility. Olivia says, listen to the optimist, and Carly says, after the year she’s had, things are finally going her way.

Valentin says, as CEO, he’s calling this meeting to order. Everyone sits down, and he says, any new business? Drew makes a motion to remove Valentin as CEO of ELQ, and Michael seconds it. Valentin asks if anyone wants to make a statement supporting his removal, but Michael says, he thinks they should just get this over with. Valentin says he’ll take that as a no, but he wants to make a statement on his own behalf. ELQ has grown significantly during his time as CEO. It’s no secret, the rumored merger between Aurora and ELQ, but it’s also no secret it has nothing to do with the strength of their company, and everything to do with making Drew a majority shareholder. And that’s a dangerous reason to make this decision. Anyone else want to say something? No one does, and Valentin says, then he’ll entertain a motion to put this to a vote. Ned says, so moved, and Drew says, seconded. Valentin says, then they’ll vote on the motion, and turns the procedure over to their chief counsel Pascal. Pascal says, a motion to remove Valentin as Chair. Before they get to those present, are there shareholders represented by proxy? Drew says, there are, and hands the proxies to Pascal, saying, these are the family members who couldn’t attend in person, authorizing him to vote on their behalf. Pascal asks how they vote, and Drew says, they all vote yes on the motion. Pascal says, very well. Then to those present. Chairman Cassadine? Valentin votes no, and Pascal says, Mr. Drew Cain. Drew says, yes, and Pascal says, Mr. Michael Corinthos III. Michael says, yes, and Pascal says, Mr. Ned Quartermaine.

Britt comes out, and says, Brad is still here? Brad says, they weren’t done, and she says, about that… He says, it’s okay. He knows now is not the right time for whatever this conversation is, and she thanks him. He says he does want her to know he’s here for her. Whatever’s going on, she can count on him. They hug, and she says she knows, but she had a chance to think about it, and she’s fine. If anything changes, she’ll let him know, but for now, he should focus on his fabulous new job. Brad looks like he’s not really buying this.

Brook waits for Chase outside of Jordan’s office. He comes out looking grim.  

Cody comes out and tells Dante, bad news. Dante says, broken ribs? and Cody says, just badly bruised, but the doc ordered him to take it easy, so no hours on a bus right now. Dante says, so he’s sticking around? and Cody says, if that’s okay. Dante gives him a key, and says, he’s got to go, but he’ll call Cody a Ride Share. Cody says, he’ll take the bus. It’s just a ten minute ride to Dante’s; he thinks he can gut it out. Dante says he’s in awe of Cody’s courage. Seriously, he’s happy Cody is sticking around. he leaves, and Cody thanks Britt for the TLC. She says, he’d better hurry. She doesn’t want him to miss his bus again. He says he is taking a bus, but it’s local, to Dante’s. She says she doesn’t care where he’s going, as long as he leaves her hospital. He says he found a reason to stick around Port Charles, so see her around, and leaves.

Olivia says, Carly is going to be sitting pretty when this merger goes through. Her whole life is going to be a vacation. Carly says she’d be bored in a month, maybe two, and Olivia says, maybe a business trip. World domination. Carly says, Olivia is right. She’s going to build a hotel empire. The MetroCourt will become an international brand. They clink mimosa glasses.

Pascal reminds Ned that the motion on the floor is to remove Valentin as CEO of ELQ. Does he vote yes or no? They wait, and Ned finally says he votes no. Pascal says, very well. Between Mr. Corinthos, Mr. Cain, and the proxy votes voting yay, and Mr. Cassadine and Mr. Quartermaine voting nay, we have a 50/50 split. Michael tells Ned, what the hell? It was his idea. He’s the one who started this. He wanted to force Valentin out. Valentin says, the meeting will come to order. They have not finished voting. Pascal says, Miss Coe, as bequeathed by your late ex-husband, Alan Quartermaine, you have the tie-breaking vote. Lucy laughs, and says, would you look at that. The last time she had a vote, she felt a wee bit of pressure, but this time, she gets to vote her conscience. She votes a no-no. Pascal says, the motion fails. Valentin Cassadine remains the Chief Executive Officer of ELQ. Valentin says, excellent, and thanks Pascal for his time and service. Pascal says, always a pleasure,  and leaves. Valentin says, on to the next order of business, namely the rumored merger between Aurora Media and ElQ. It is not happening.

On Monday, Brook says she’ll do whatever it takes to get Chase out of it; Valentin asks for a show of hands; Carly says, her family’s future is brighter than ever; and Brando asks Sonny if he’s sure someone got the message.

🏥 Touching Down…

Soon to be visiting Port Charles. I love Morgan Fairchild.

And I actually remember Susan Batten from OLTL.

🏰 Ultimately Nice…

Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether Dorinda actually works for Bravo, or she just works for Bravo in her mind.

https://ew.com/tv/dorinda-medley-the-real-housewives-ultimate-girls-trip-ex-wives-club/

💎 Yet Another Apology…

All of them should just have I’m Sorry tattooed on their foreheads. On another topic, I can totally see the resemblance in Diana’s photos. I don’t think she’s had any serious work done.

🐇 Let’s Talk About the Husband…

If I spring for that book, there had better be something.

The Beard speaks.

🥼 Thirsty As Ever…

What is up with Kyle? Even the stuff she makes up is boring.

💰 News On Sunset…

Yes! I would love a spin-off with these three.

I see they’re on Trevor Noah’s page of counsel not cancel.

🕶 Excuse Me, Miss…

How funny.

https://ew.com/tv/leslie-jordan-thought-lady-gaga-extra-american-horror-story-roanoke/

In other Gaga news, I love how they have room for everyone. They just make it another universe.

https://ew.com/movies/lady-gaga-harley-quinn-joker-2-joaquin-phoenix/

🐎 Difference In the West…

Returning on June 26th.

https://ew.com/tv/evan-rachel-wood-playing-different-character-westworld-season-4/

🐉 Write Faster, George…

I love that he’s involved with the spin-offs, but I wish he’d speed it up finishing that last GoT book.

https://ew.com/tv/george-rr-martin-confirms-game-of-thrones-sequel-jon-snow-kit-harington/

👄 Quotes of the Week

Each of us must decide whether it is more important to be proved right or to provoke righteousness. – Bernice King

Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. – Ovid

No matter how wonderful things used to be, we cannot live in the past. The joy and excitement we feel here and now are more important. – Marie Kondo

You can’t get rich in politics unless you’re a crook. – Harry Truman

Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them… well, I have others. – Groucho Marx

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

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

It takes two to tango, and he doesn’t want to dance. – Dr. Phil

👠 Don’t Be a Drag, Just Be a Queen…

Give your all to the next two days, and when you’re done, come by for some soap and a Deck Reunion. I almost wrote D*ck, which might actually be more accurate. Until then, stay safe, stay expanding your vocabulary, and stay knowing, no matter how well you plan, the motion still might fail.

June 16, 2022 – GH Preemptus, Dorinda’s World, He’s an Idiot, Bad Fit, Keeping It Real, Cryptically Salty, Pets (!) & Forgive

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Thanks to the not-so-patriotic heathens who attacked the Capitol, there was no GH today across the board.

🗽 Oh Yeah, John…

Dorinda gives an update on how she’s making it nice these days.

And ignoring the not-so-nice. One might even say stalkerish.

Unfortunately, there are no pie charts or graphs.

https://screenrant.com/rhugt-dorinda-medley-vicki-gunvalsons-feud-explained/

🖥 Men…

Apparently, he’s the picture of good parenting. I’m totally in agreement with how Denise is handling this. She’s right. Her daughter is 18, and she’ll do what she wants, with or without her parents’ approval. If Denise had come down on her, she’d only distance herself.

👠 You Can’t Fire Me…

When was she a good fit? When she accused the Richards sisters of smoking meth? When she slapped LVP? When she weaseled her way onto the show by attacking Denise? When?

💎 Taking Sides…

I hate that cryptic post stuff. This is what happens when they hire a twelve year old to be on the show. At best, Crystal belongs in middle school.

On the other hand, I think these two should have their own spin-off. Poor Sutton. Awkward for sure, and perhaps at times inappropriate, but not malicious.

https://okmagazine.com/p/garcelle-beauvais-rhobh-sutton-stracke-reality/

🧂 Speaking of Cryptic…

We haven’t heard too much from the Salt Lakers lately. It took them a while to hate each other. The Dubai group came in swinging.

🦥 Ending On a High Note…

I’m partial to the kinkajou.

https://collider.com/celebrity-pets-too-cute/

🦘 Bouncing On Out…

Hopefully, all will be well in the world of soap tomorrow, so stop by for some, along with tea, weekly quotes, and a piece of music from the vast catalog in my brain. Until then, stay safe, stay not making snap judgements, and stay not posting cryptic things on social media. It’s just annoying, and screams, desperate need for attention.

June 15, 2022 – Carly Says Sonny Is a Stranger, Pioneer Wyatt, Lunch Leads, In Memory, Battling Blondes, Dead Release, New Squid, All About Tony & Kiki

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Finn, the kids, and Gregory get to the camping site, and Finn says, the hike was a little longer than anticipated, steeper. Gregory says, they all did great, and Violet says she wants to tell Rachel about the guinea pig they saw (in the woods?), and Finn tells her not to forget about the gopher; and they bite! She runs off, and Aiden joins them. Gregory says, if it isn’t Aiden, PC Pioneer, and Finn asks if he’s on a break. Aiden says, until dinner, and Jake says, look at him in his uniform. Aiden says, Jake used to wear one too, and Cameron says, but who wore it better? Jake says, him, definitely, but Aiden says, no way. Cameron walks past Finn, who asks where he’s going, and Cameron says, he just needs a break from all this pretending. He’s grabbing his phone; it should be fully charged by now. Finn tells Gregory, nothing like getting away from it all.

At The Savoy, Britt joins Nina, who says, there she is. She took the liberty of ordering Britt’s usual, but Britt says she’s sticking to water tonight. Nina says she thought Britt subscribed to the hair of the dog for a hangover, and Britt says, that’s before she became a GIF. Nina says, don’t worry, it’ll blow over, and Britt says, so she’s seen it? Nina says, has anyone not seen it? and Britt says, that’s great. Thank you. Nina suggests they switch topics, and Britt says, please. She hasn’t talked to Nina since their girls night out; what’s new? Nina says, what’s new… Well, here’s something. She almost left Port Charles.

Carly brings Sonny to her office and thanks him for meeting her. He says, she told him it was about the kids, and she says, it is. This is a difficult situation for them. In some ways, it’s easier for Donna and Avery because they’re too young to fully understand what’s going on, and they just want to know their family still loves them. They’re doing everything they can to reassure them of that. Josslyn’s been terrific; she’s spending lots of time with them, but she’s got a lot going on. He says he loves Josslyn; she’s like a daughter to him, despite what Michael said. She asks what Michael said, and he tells her, he said that after the divorce, and everything that happened with Nina, he basically threw away his relationship with his kids. Can she believe that? She says she can believe it, and she agrees. He says, she didn’t call him here to fight, did she? and she says she didn’t. She just wants to talk about what they still have in common, mainly their kids, and she wanted to talk about Michael and what this rift is doing to him. Sonny says he doesn’t like it either, but Michael’s made it clear he doesn’t want Sonny anywhere near his life. No matter what Sonny says or does, nothing is going to change that.

At the pool, Zelda asks Cody if there’s a problem, and he says he’s sure it’s just an accounting error, but his paycheck was off by $500. She says, there was no mistake, and he knows it, and he says, it wastes both of their time to argue over such a small amount. She says she agrees, and he says, just pay him what he’s owed, and that’ll be it. She says, she’s fulfilled Society Set-Ups’ part of the contract, and he asks if that contract included a drunk woman wandering into his landing zone. Someone could have been hurt. She says, but they weren’t, and he says, an act of gross negligence is bad for business. What’s $500 to protect her image? She asks if he’s threatening her, and he says, she’s a smart woman; you tell me. Sam and Dante walk in, and Dante asks, what’s going on?

As Trina and Josslyn are going into Kelly’s, Josslyn’s phone rings. She says, finally. Where have you been? Cameron says, sorry. His phone was dead; he had to wait for it to charge. PCU decided against Trina? He can’t believe it. She says, her neither, but it’s going to be okay. They have a plan.

In the woods, Austin sees Wyatt piling some wood, and Wyatt asks, how was the kayak? Austin says, great. Sorry he missed it. Kim’s sick and they’re down a counselor, so that leaves Wyatt. Wyatt says, not for long. It looks like reinforcements have arrived. Austin says, good. He wonders who they sent, when Maxie says, Maxie Jones, reporting for duty.

Zelda tells Dante, this man is trying to extort her, and Cody says, if extort means getting what he’s owed. He takes out an envelope, and says, the deal was for $2000. He holds the check out to Sam, and asks, what’s that say? She says, $1500, and Zelda says, two thousand, minus the charges to his room. Cody says, the hotel room was part of the deal, but Zelda says, not including incidentals. He says, he misunderstood, and Zelda says, and it cost him. Sam says, he charged $500 worth of stuff to his room? and Cody says, yes, but he didn’t know… Dante says, okay. If they get this guy out of Zelda’s hair, can they consider the matter closed? Zelda says she supposes so, and Dante says, let’s go. He, Sam, and Cody leave.

Cameron says, what plan? and Josslyn says, they’re at Kelly’s. She thought he was working today. He says he decided to go on that trip; he’s in Pautuck. She says, for real? He’s out of town? He says he thought he should be here, and she says she gets it. She’s sure Jake and Aiden are super psyched he’s there. Maybe this trip is what everyone needs. He says, that’s what Jake keeps saying, and she says, he doesn’t agree? He says he just hates pretending like everything’s fine when his mom is in Shadybrook.

Wyatt drops off Maxie’s luggage, and she thanks him for the assist. He says, no problem, and she tells Austin, he seems surprised. He says he is, and she says, and maybe a tad befuddled? He says he’s always befuddled. It’s nice to see her. What is she doing here? She says, Georgie is a Junior PC Pioneer, and as such, she’s on the Parents in a Pinch list. He says, it needs a better name, and she says, parents volunteer to help out when they’re understaffed, even if their child isn’t participating. So while Georgie is at a sleepover at her friend Lena’s house, here she is. He says, in beautiful Pautuck. She said she wasn’t ready to come back here quite yet, and she says she’s not, but let’s be real. When will she ever be? She thought there would be plenty of people and enough distractions, she’d be able to hack it. She’s also communing with nature. He says, sure she is, and points to her suitcases, asking, what’s she going to do with all of that? She asks if he’s never heard of glamping, and he says he’s heard of it, but that’s not what this is. She says, speak for yourself. Mac says, camping is good for the soul, but she believes an air mattress is key. So where can they set up her tent?

Josslyn says she’s not upset, and Trina asks who she’s talking to right now. Josslyn says, she’s actually glad Cam is spending time with his brothers, and Trina says, but? Josslyn says, but this is just another example that she and Cam are out of sync. But they don’t need Cam. They have all the help they need. Spinelli walks in, and waves.

Finn asks if Cameron came back yet, but Jake says, he’s still on the phone. Violet says, with his girlfriend? and Finn says he’s pretty sure she’s not dating until she’s 30. Violet tells Gregory, grandpa, talk some sense into him, but Gregory says he’s not touching this. Jake thanks Finn, and Finn says, for what? Jake says, coming here was a good idea, especially since Aiden won’t be around them most of the time. Aiden says, take that back, and Jake says, make me. He runs, and Aiden takes off after him. Cameron comes back, and Finn asks if everything is okay. Cameron says, coming here was a huge mistake.

Britt says, sorry about the hearing. She knows how much Nina wanted to be in Wiley’s life. Nina says she even begged Willow and Michael to reconsider, and Britt asks how that went. Nina says, about as poorly as you’d think, and Britt says she gets the impulse to get out of town. She’s just glad Nina didn’t act on it. She has family here. Nina thanks her, and Britt says she means it. If Nina were to jump ship, it would just be her, Maxie, and her mother. Nina rounds out their little motley crew. Nina says she would miss Britt too. Obviously, she wasn’t thinking clearly. Britt says, but she was on her way to the airport, and Nina says, her bags were packed and everything. Britt asks what convinced her to stay.

Carly tells Sonny, Michael is a grown man and makes his own decisions, but that doesn’t stop her from worrying about him. He asks if Michael is in danger, and she says, you tell me. If Sonny’s rivals know they’re on the outs, they could assume Michael is no longer under his protection. Sonny says, that would be wrong. He’s not going to let anybody hurt his son. She says, okay, sure, and he asks what that means. She says, he doesn’t think it hurt Michael when he testified against him? He says he didn’t testify against Michael, but she says, he testified for Nina; it’s the same thing. How does he not see that? She doesn’t get him. She gets that he and Michael are fighting, but Sonny has been Michael’s father since Michael was two years old. Sonny raised him. Sonny says he loves Michael, and Carly says, then how he could sit there when Michael was being attacked?

Sam, Dante, and Cody go to The Savoy, and Cody says, the woman owns a company, for God’s sake. What does she care about 500 bucks? Dante suggests Cody relax, and they’ll get a drink, but Cody says, no thanks. Dante says, he’s buying, and Cody says, in that case, he’ll have a bourbon. Dante says, that’s what he thought, and Sam goes to the bar while he and Cody grab a table.

Britt says, now she gets why Nina is here and not on a plane to Tahiti. Nina says she was actually headed to Europe, but she’s not here just because of Sonny. She has family here. Not just their motley crew… Britt says, Wiley, and Nina says, Sonny helped her remember that she can’t abandon that little boy. Even though she can’t spend time with him, she has to stay here to prove to Michael and Willow that she deserves a place in that little man’s life. Britt says she hopes it works out for Nina, and Nina says she doesn’t sound very optimistic. Britt says she just thinks if she has unrealistic expectations, Nina is going to set herself up. Nina says, for what? and Britt says, at best, to get hurt, at worst, to do something that reinforces Michael and Willow’s decision to keep Wiley away from her. Nina says, thank you for the encouragement, and Britt says she wants Nina to have Wiley in her life, but realistically, Nina was the one who chose to go to court, she lost, and now she has to give Michael and Willow time and distance to come around. On the bright side, she still has James. Nina says, yeah, she can watch James grow up. She knows she’s suffered a great loss, but she’s also realized she still has a lot left. Britt says, including Sonny? and Nina says, she doesn’t think she has Sonny. Britt asks what she calls it, but Nina says she doesn’t know. They just have something between them. Britt says, ya think? and sees Cody looking at her.

Cody says, great, and Dante says, what now? Cody says, that Britt woman is here. She acts like he ruined her life when it’s obvious her life is already a disaster. Dante says, she’s not lacking in the complication department, but they were talking about Cody. Cody says, can they not? and Dante asks, what’s going on with him? Why is he hard up for cash? Is he in trouble?

Finn says, he and Cameron talked about this. Jake and Aiden needed a break, and it seems like they’re having fun. Cameron says, it’s not that. Yes, it’s hard being away from his mom right now, but the reason he wishes he was home is that the school made their decision in Trina’s Title IX case. They ruled against her. Finn asks what that means, and Cameron says he doesn’t know, but it is not good. Finn asks if he wants to talk about it, but Cameron says, not unless Finn can tell him what’s about to happen with his friend.

Josslyn says, they still think the phone is their best bet, and Spinelli says, to prove Esme was the one who recorded her and Cam. Trina says, Scotty asked him to examine it right, as an expert for the defense? and Spinelli says, he did, and the PCPD examined it as well. Josslyn says, the PCPD’s got nothing on The Jackal, and Trina says, The Jackal? He says, one of his many pseudonyms, and Josslyn asks if he thinks he can work his magic, and find something the police missed. He says, as honored as he is by their faith in him, he’s looked at it from every angle, and there’s nothing to connect the phone to the evil doer, or anyone else for that matter. It only exists to Trina as its possessor. Trina asks if he can’t find out where the phone was purchased, and Josslyn says, or when. Trina says, maybe someone remembers Esme from the store, and Josslyn says, she’s hard to forget. He says, alas, the phone has very little data on it. It was only used twice; once on the night in question, and once to send the email blast. Neither of which offer much information. Trina says, what about the serial number? That’s unique to the phone, right? He says, it is, but according to the serial number, this phone doesn’t even exist.

While helping her with the tent, Austin asks if Maxie did a lot of camping as a kid. She says, not a lot a lot, but enough. One time, Mac, her, and Georgie… He says, her sister Georgie? The original Georgie?  Maxie says, yeah, she was an original, and he says, the OGG. She says, anyway, the trip was a disaster. It rained the entire time, and their tent had seen better days. Water was leaking in on the sides, and Georgie of course (🍷) insisted she sleep in the middle. He says, that’s love, and she says, or Georgie would rather get soaked than listen to her complain. She thinks Georgie was right. Austin says, he thinks you have to work at NASA to figure out these instructions, and Maxie puts up the tent in two seconds, saying, voila. Stick with her, and he’ll be fine. He says he’s starting to see that.

Carly says, Scotty said Michael was violent against women in open court, and Sonny just sat there, and Sonny says, they were in court. Did she want him to get up, grab Scotty, and throw him against the wall? She says, it’s what happened after. There was a recess, and he didn’t even check on Michael; he went to Nina. She watched him touch Nina’s face. He says, come on, but she says, his son weathered a vicious attack, and he consoled the woman who initiated it. She doesn’t know him anymore. The man she loved, that she fought for, that she married five times would have never done that. He’s gone. The man who came back from Nixon Falls is a stranger.

Trina tells Spinelli that she’s confused. So there’s no phone? He says, the phone exists physically, as she well knows. It’s just, according to the serial number, it never made it to the store. Josslyn says, so it was stolen, and he says, or lost in transit, but she says, let’s go with stolen. Trina says, they should have known Esme was too smart to leave a paper trail, and Spinelli says he’s sorry he couldn’t offer more help. Trina says she appreciates him trying, and Josslyn says, this is insane. They were there that night. There needs to be something they’re forgetting. Something Esme did that can now be seen as suspicious. Trina says she’s not giving up on the phone angle yet, and asks Spinelli, where would you go to buy a hot phone? He says, The Highsider, and Josslyn asks, what’s that? He says, it’s a bar… somewhere that two underage amateur sleuths should not be. So feel free to share their theories with Scotty, but please do nothing else. Understood?

Gregory says, Cameron is doing a great job, covering for the kids’ sake, but something is obviously up, and Finn says, he got some bad news about a friend. He asked if Cameron wanted to talk, but he wasn’t interested. Gregory says, Cameron strikes him as an open, personable guy; not the sullen teen type. Finn says, he’s not. If Elizabeth was here, he’d talk to her. Gregory says, Elizabeth’s not here, and Finn says, of that, he’s acutely aware. Gregory says, he means, Finn is the only option; try again. If at first you don’t succeed… Finn says he might have a better idea.

Cody tells Dante, there’s no trouble. It’s just how he lives his life; gig to gig, paycheck to paycheck. Sometimes, there’s a fair amount of  time between each one. Dante asks why he doesn’t just get a steady job, and Cody says, the demand for a full-time skydiver isn’t as robust as one might think. He’s gotta go where the money is. Dante says, if Cody needs 500 bucks, he’ll loan him 500 bucks. Cody says, Dante can buy him a drink, and let him sleep on his couch. Dante can even bail him out of jail in a pinch. But Dante’s not going to pay his way. He doesn’t want to owe Dante like that. Never did; never will.

Maxie asks what gear Austin brought, and he says, he brought this, indicating his bag, and a bedroll. She says, he doesn’t even have a tent? but he says, the forecast was for clear weather, and he likes to sleep under the stars. She says, okay. What does he have in there anyway? Please tell her that he brought toothpaste. He says, all of the essential items, and he brought a change of clothes, and this. He hands her a small book, and she says, it’s a guidebook for the state park. She thought he knew every inch of these woods. He says, he does; it’s his dad’s. It has all his notes and his comments on every trail and every campsite. He knew every inch of this place. Maxie says, amazing, handing it back to him, and he says, when he’s here, it’s like his dad is with him. She says, it’s great he has a special reminder of Jimmy Lee, and he says, his father loved this place, and tried to teach him the same appreciation. She says, like father, like son, and he says, pretty much. She says she’s glad she’s here, and he says, to pitch in, in a pinch, for the win. She laughs, and he holds out his hand. She takes it, and he says he’s glad she’s here.

Carly says, that gesture of support Sonny showed Nina stripped away any illusion. He had a family that adored him, and he threw it away. He says, she gave up on them, but she says she didn’t. She walked away after she found him in bed with Nina. He says, he begged her for weeks, and she pushed him away; she said she wanted to move out. But let’s be honest, she was punishing him. The night she didn’t show up, he was a wreck. He slept with Nina – absolutely wrong – and he’s so, so sorry he hurt her, but she wanted a divorce. She wanted them to end, and she gave up on them. She says she never gave up. She asked for time and he wouldn’t give it to her. He was lying to her for months. He says, and she doesn’t know anything about lying?

Maxie paws through her stuff, and says, this is a disaster. Wyatt asks if he can be of assistance, and hands a small bag to her. She says, he’s an angel. Where did he find it? He says, near her car. He was only following PC Pioneer guidelines. When breaking camp, always recheck the area. She asks if that always includes parked cars, and he says, they moved her gear. He thought it was a little like breaking camp, and he should check to be safe. She says she’s glad he did. This is her toiletry bag; it has her toothbrush. He says, it’s important to maintain dental hygiene while camping, and she says, it says so on page 15 of the PC Pioneer’s Handbook. He says, she memorized the handbook? and she says, not yet, but she and her daughter Georgie are working on it. He says, it takes a while, but it’s worth it. She says, that lesson is true for most worthwhile things in life. If he’s learned that already, he’s way ahead of the game.

Sam brings the drinks to Cody and Dante, and asks if she interrupted something. Cody says, Dante kindly offered to help him out, but he let Dante know he’ll get the money on his own. She says she doesn’t mean to pry, but is everything okay? Is Cody in trouble? Cody says, obviously, Sam and Dante are made for each other. For the last time, there’s no trouble. He has plans. Dante says, what kind of plans? and Cody says, for the future. He’s not going to live like this for the rest of his life. He’s saving up for his dream. Sam says, which is?

Britt’s phone dings a few times, but she ignores it. Nina asks if she wants to answer that, but Britt says, no. It’s just Brad. He’s checking on her. He thinks she’s clinically depressed. Nina asks if Britt shouldn’t reassure him, but Britt says she wants to make him sweat a little. He’s the one who took the video of her at the MetroCourt pool. Nina says, Brad is the reason she’s a meme? and Britt says, a GIF. Nina says, yeah, let’s make him suffer, and they clink glasses.

Dante says, a working ranch of his own, that’s cool, and Cody says he’ll raise cattle, break horses; livin’ the dream. That’s why he’s trying to save every penny he can. Dante says, which is why he’s going to take a 4 hour bus ride to Watkin’s Glen instead of renting a car? Cody says, bingo, and Sam says, buying a ranch is quite a goal. Cody says he’ll make it happen, and she says she thought he couldn’t stay in the same place for too long, but he says, just needs to be the right place.

Gregory says he heard Cameron was worried about his friend, and Cameron asks if Finn told him. Gregory says, no specifics, and Cameron says, it’s not really a secret. One of his best friends is involved in a PCU Title IX investigation. They found her guilty. Gregory says, they found her responsible, and Cameron says, to be honest, the whole process is confusing. Gregory says, as a college professor, he’s pretty familiar with the Title IX guidelines. He can answer questions if Cameron wants. Cameron says, that would be great, and thanks him.

Spinelli says he has to depart; duty calls. Trina thanks him for meeting them, and Josslyn says, he’s the best. He says, now he’s also nervous that he’s said too much, and Trina says, they’ll tell Scotty their theory. He says, and not take matters into their own hands? and Josslyn says, they won’t do anything stupid. He says, Josslyn… She says, they won’t, and he says he’s trusting them to use their common sense here. Josslyn says she’s her mother’s daughter, and he says, that’s precisely what he’s worried about. He leaves, and Trina puts The Highsider in her phone. She says, 483 Water Street, and Josslyn asks what they’re waiting for.

Sonny tells Carly, let’s not forget when he came home, his wife was married to his best friend. She says, they thought he was dead, and he says, that’s one way to mourn. She says, it’s not like she and Jason fell into each other’s arms the next day. It took a year for those feelings to develop, and why is that? He says, let’s not bring Nina into this, but she says, that’s impossible when all roads lead to her every single time. She and Jason would have never gone there if they thought there was a chance he was still alive. He says he would have never been with Nina if he hadn’t lost his memory, and she says, why is that? His refusal to hold Nina accountable is astounding. He says, what Nina did was wrong. He hates the pain she caused Carly and the kids, but he was furious with her. Carly says, for maybe five minutes, and he says, the feelings he had for Nina in Nixon Falls happened when he didn’t know who he was. He came home and still had those feelings. He didn’t want to have those feelings, but he couldn’t shake them. The lie Nina told was wrong, but the connection they had was real. She says, and he chose that connection over his family, but he says he didn’t; she and Michael did when they shut him out. Michael’s trying to tear him down. Michael wants him forgotten; those were his words, and she’s cheerleading for him. She says, Michael’s a grown man. So if he wants to cut Sonny out of his life, that’s his decision. Just like it was her decision as an adult to file for divorce, but Donna’s a little girl. And as her mother, it’s on Carly to look out for her. He says, she’s not keeping Donna from him, is she?

Cody sees Britt at the bar, and says, last chance. She says, for what? and he says, to buy him a drink. She says, tempting… She’ll pass. Does this mean he’s leaving town? He says, tonight, and she says, it’s still a no. He says, she doesn’t give an inch. It makes it that much more unbelievable she’s letting Society Set-Ups off the hook. He thought she’d stand up for herself. He guesses he was wrong. She says, that was one weak attempt at reverse psychology, but he says he thought it was pretty good. She says, she grew up surrounded by master manipulators, and he says, sounds interesting. Her drink comes, and she says, it wasn’t. Good luck. She starts to leave, and he says he just hates to see someone leave the game with money on the table. She says, something he would obviously never do, and he says he’s not that dumb. She tells him that if he has a problem with Society Set-Ups, handle it himself, and walks away.

Wyatt says hi to Finn, who asks, what’s going on? Wyatt says he’s a junior counselor for the PC Pioneers now, and Finn says, moving up in the world. How’s school? Wyatt says, it’s great. He’s decided he wants to study music. Finn says, he plays the cello, right? and Wyatt says, sometimes, but he’s really into the guitar. He’s leading the singalong at the campfire tonight. Finn should come. Finn says, singing, huh?

Gregory tells Cameron that he knows it’s a lot of information, but Cameron says he thinks he understands it a bit better now. He thanks Gregory, but Gregory says, thank Finn. He’s the one who suggested they talk.  

Finn says, singing, huh? and Wyatt says, it’s going to be great. He walks off, and Finn looks at Cameron.

Nina suggests she and Britt go to the PC Grill for dinner, but Britt asks for a raincheck. All she wants is her sweet, sweet bed right now. She feels like she could sleep for a week. Nina says, maybe Brad’s not totally off base. Britt sounds a little down. Britt says she just needs to recover from last night… and this morning.

Cody tells Sam and Dante that he should get going. It was good to see Dante. Congratulations on the job, and the girl. Cody is really happy for him. Dante says, thanks, but he thought Cody’s bus didn’t leave for an hour. Cody says he has one loose end he needs to tie up before he leaves town, and tells Sam that it was good to meet her. She says, him too, and he and Dante shake hands. Dante says, see him around, and Cody leaves. Sam says, Dante has a really interesting friend there, and he says, she has no idea.

Austin says he thought Maxie was coming over to the Pioneer’s campground, and she says she was looking for something. He says, among her many bags? and she says, her many useful bags, with her many, many necessary items. Anyway, she found what she was looking for, and she’s ready for what’s next. Violet, Aiden, and Jake come by, and Violet says, goody! She’s not the only girl. She runs to Maxie, who says, I’ve got your back, sister. Violet says, boys are okay, but some things they just don’t understand, and Maxie says, totally. Violet is so wise. Austin suggests Aiden and Jake help Wyatt get firewood, and Aiden says, they’re on it. Violet says, let’s get this party started, and they follow.

Carly says she would never keep Donna from Sonny. For Donna’s sake, not his. He says, this is how she sees him now, and she says, yeah. He says he guesses they’ve just got nothing else to say, and she says, Donna is their only connection. He’ll live his life, and she’ll live hers. He says, all right, and leaves.

Zelda gets up, leaving the pool area, and Cody follows.

Britt asks if Dante’s little friend is gone, and he says, Cody is on his way out of town. Britt says, hallelujah. How did Mr. Law and Order end up being friends with a second-rate con artist anyway? She leaves, and Sam says she was actually wondering same thing.

Zelda knocks on a hotel room door as Cody watches from around the corner. The door opens, and he ducks back, but Zelda goes inside. Spinelli wheels a room service tray out, takes a bite of something, and dashes back in.

Carly’s phone rings, and Josslyn says she wanted to let Carly know that she and Trina are going out dancing with some friends tonight. Carly says, oh fun. She’ll be there… She’s just kidding, but it does sound like fun. (That sounds like something my father would do to me.) Josslyn says she hopes so. She might be out late, and didn’t want Carly to worry. Carly says she loves her considerate daughter. Have fun and no drinking. Josslyn says she promises. Love you. Carly says, love you, and Josslyn asks Trina, ready? Trina says, let’s do this, and they go into the bar.  

Sonny comes into The Savoy, and Britt tells Nina, goodnight. He says he took a chance that Nina might be here, and she says, he was looking for her? He asks what she’s doing tonight, and she says she was just headed home. He asks if there’s any way she’ll reconsider, and stay with him tonight.

Wyatt shows Violet a rock, and says, check this out; isn’t it cool? She asks where he found it, and he says, by the lake. She wonders if there’s more like it, and he says, they can check in the morning. Finn asks Gregory, what’s the verdict? Did he overstep, asking Gregory to talk to Cam? Gregory says, not at all. He thinks Cameron appreciated the gesture. Finn says, the kid’s got a weight on his shoulder, but Gregory says he thinks Cameron is strong enough to handle it. If he isn’t, he has Finn to help him. Finn says he doesn’t think Cam wants his help, but Gregory says, give him time. He bets Cam comes around.

Maxie runs up to Austin, and says she found sticks for roasting marshmallows. She shows him, and he laughs, saying, he doesn’t think her sticks are s’more sufficient. She asks if he’s saying her sticks are deficient, and he says he’s heard size doesn’t matter, but they do need to be sturdy enough – that’s right, he’s saying it – to stick them in the marshmallow. She says, okay. She didn’t know she’d taken up with the s’mores police. He says, stick with him, and she’ll be fine, and she says she’s starting to see that. They laugh, and we see that someone is watching.  

Tomorrow, Selena tells Curtis, their businesses are dependent on one another; Cody says he thinks he and Spinelli can help each other; Trina asks if the bartender remembers Esme; and Sonny asks, what if he makes it worth someone’s while?

🏕 Coming Up In the World…

I honestly didn’t recognize him. Five minutes from now, he’ll be in college.

🍽 Ladies Who Lunch…

The yearly tradition continues.

👨🏽‍🎓 Fitting Tribute…

It was good of them to think of doing this during what must be an overwhelmingly tragic time.

👩🏼‍🏫 Not Having It…

Dorinda does a Vicki takedown.

And Vicki says, back atcha. I don’t think she knows as many words as Dorinda does though.

⚰️ Releasing the Dead…

When Walking Dead will be coming to a close. Although there will be 47 spinoffs coming. The franchise is never going to lie down either.

https://www.gamesradar.com/the-walking-dead-season-11-release-schedule-amc-disney-plus/

🐙 Playing Games…

The latest on Season 2 of Squid Game. I can’t wait!

https://comicbook.com/anime/news/squid-game-season-2/

🎭 Tony, Tony, Tony…

Everything you need to know about the Tony Awards. First, and most important always, the fashions.

https://people.com/theater/2022-tony-awards-red-carpet-arrivals-photos/

The best moments.

https://people.com/theater/2022-tony-awards-best-moments/

And oh yeah, the winners.

https://people.com/theater/tony-awards-2022-complete-winners-list/

🚪 Checkin’ the Gate…

Click in tomorrow for some soap and what’s going on in Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay ready to stand up for what you believe, and stay knowing most worthwhile things in life take a while, but it’s worth it.

May 12, 2022 – Esme Visits Ryan, Celebration, Reunion, Harmonizing, Time Off, Trip Clip, It Hurts, Insensitive, Social Pets & West

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer goes to Britt’s office, and says, my hero. She tells him, hold on a moment. What’s this going to cost her? He says, only a minute of her time and expertise. He promises he’ll make it worth her while. She says she doesn’t need his money, and he says, then his sparkling wit and companionship. She says she’d love that, but won’t his little Esme be jealous?

An orderly puts Ryan on his cot, but he falls over sideways. Esme comes running in like she’s a helpful person.

On the phone at Maxie’s apartment, Felicia says, Mac was giving her clear and present baby vibes… Yes, she took biology in high school. She didn’t really know what to tell him. She was completely taken aback and surprised. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, she doesn’t really know if it’s an issue; it hasn’t come up since. If she and Mac wanted to make their family bigger back in the day, they lost their shot… For some – she opens the door – it’s just not in the cards. She sees Nina standing there.

Carly sneaks back downstairs with Willow’s toothbrush in a plastic bag. Far be it for me to tell Carly how to be sneaky, but won’t Willow miss her toothbrush? Is there something about her hygiene I don’t know? As they’re about to leave, Michael and Willow walk in. Michael asks what they’re doing here, and Carly slips the bag into her purse. Willow wonders if they forgot to lock the door, but Michael says, it was locked. Drew says, sorry to break barge in. He’d like to say it was his fault, but it’s all on Carly.

On the phone at the hospital, Finn says, just because Elizabeth never spoke to Nikolas, doesn’t mean she’s not staying there. It’s a big place. Isn’t there a west wing where no one would even see her… Okay. No… They’re right. He’ll let them know when he finds her. Laura comes in and asks if he’s seen Elizabeth, but he says, he was about to ask her the same thing.

Chelsea tells Elizabeth, this presence is very clear. They don’t want this new family to be formed in this house. Elizabeth refuses to believe that. The Franco she knew and loved would want to see her happy. Is he here now? Can he hear her? Tell him that she believes he’s here. Tell him she’s ready to listen. She sees there’s a call from Finn, but ignores it, and Chelsea gets up, saying, there’s so much turbulence. Elizabeth says, she’s here, and Chelsea tells her to be careful. Elizabeth says she didn’t believe it before, but she’s listening now. Send her a sign. The door blows open, and the wind blows out the candles.

Carly says she’s pretty sure they came in together, and Drew says, if she’s not going to come clean, he will. He was walking up the driveway, and saw Carly messing with the door. If he didn’t know any better, he’d have thought she was a burglar, but it turns out she wanted what can’t be stolen. She just wanted face time with them. She knows there going through it and wanted to help. Carly says, she couldn’t get through, and just wanted to be here. Drew says, he had the key, so he thought she’d be more comfortable waiting there than in the main house. Willow says, that’s sweet of her, and thanks her. Carly says, of course (🍷), and Willow says, they were just at the cemetery, visiting Jonah’s grave. Carly says she hopes it brought Willow some solace, and Michael says, it would have if they hadn’t run into dad and Nina.

Felicia says she’ll call them later, and Nina says she was on her way home from work, and thought she’d pop by to see Maxie and the kids. Felicia says, Maxie is burning the midnight oil at Deception and the kids are asleep, and Nina says, as they should be at this hour. She didn’t realize how late it was; she’ll come back at a more appropriate time. She’s sorry; kiss the kids for her. She starts to leave, but Felicia asks if she likes popcorn. Nina says, who doesn’t like popcorn? and Felicia says, with real butter, not the fake kind. Nina says, like the only kind? and Felicia invites her in.

Spencer says, Esme has no issue with their friendship, but even still… Britt says, just don’t tell her about this conversation. Secrets and lies, the hallmark of a healthy relationship. Spencer says, come on, and she says, you come on. It’s just so Cassadine. She supposes he comes by it naturally. He asks if she’s finished, but she says she doesn’t think so. This is the most fun she’s had all day. He says, he needs her help, and she says, she’ll help him, but only if… He groans and says, oh my God, and she says he has to ask her nicely. Three words, and the voice. She takes out her phone and holds it out, and he says, pwiddy pwease, Bwitt? She laughs hysterically, and says, he was so darn cute, and almost as bratty. He says, she’s wicked, and she asks if he wants to hear it. He says, no, but she plays it anyway. He says, awesome, great, and she says, perfect. Her new ringtone. So what does he need? He takes out the pill he swiped from Esme, and asks if she can tell him what this is.

The orderly says, Esme wasn’t on the schedule tonight, but she says she had an hour. He says he has it from here, and she asks what the mess is in the hall. Is one of the inmates sick? She hopes the supervisor isn’t making rounds. He says he’ll be right back, and leaves. She closes the door, and says, not with that mess he won’t. Ryan sits up and laughs, saying, well played, my sweet child.

Finn tells Laura, Elizabeth gave him the impression she’d spoken to Nikolas about staying at Windymere, but when he talked to Nikolas, Nikolas said he hadn’t spoken to her. Ordinarily, he wouldn’t be concerned… Laura says, under these circumstances, he’s right to wonder. She just spoke to her brother Martin, and he said, Elizabeth has been looking for answers from an unlikely source. Apparently, Lucy gave Elizabeth the name of her medium. He says, and that’s where Elizabeth is. She says, shall we? and he says, we shall, and they leave.

Chelsea seems to have the chills, and Elizabeth tells her, say something. Chelsea says, so cold, and Elizabeth closes the door. She asks if Chelsea is all right, and Chelsea says, she’s not Chelsea. Elizabeth says, Franco?

Britt asks what Spencer is doing, walking around with loose meds, and he says he found it. She says, just lying on the ground? He asks if it really matters, and she says, it could, depending on what it is. He says, that’s where she comes in, and she says, give it to her. He asks if she can tell him what it is, and she says, yes, you just research the code. He says, no way. It’s really that simple. She asks what they taught him in that fancy French boarding school, and he says, Latin, Greek, table manners, conversation. She says, he has so much to learn, and scrolls on her tablet. She stops, and he says, what is it? She says, no more messing around. Whose is this?

Esme says, she thought she could finagle seeing Ryan more often, but his brother is like a human roadblock. Ryan says, Kevin is a wart. The good news is, warts can be treated. Besides, they have other priorities. How are things proceeding? She says, they’re definitely coming along. Ava and Nikolas are on the rocks, and she brought Spencer back into the fold, as promised. He says, then why is she here? and she says, she just wanted to keep him abreast. He says, rule number one, and she says, she knows the rules. He says, prove it, and she says, no unplanned, no uncontrolled communication.  He says, no unplanned communication because it increases the risk of him being found out. No one can know he’s in fighting form. So he’s asking her again, why is she here? How badly did she screw things up for him?

Felicia brings out the popcorn, and sprinkles something on it. Nina asks what it is, and Felicia says, parmesan garlic. Nina approves, and says she didn’t learn much about cooking growing up, but at take-out, she’s a master. Not so much in the kitchen. Felicia says, first of all, she should know this is snacking, not cooking, but she’s happy to share her tips. She doesn’t get it when people have secret recipes and they don’t want to share. If it’s so delicious, why not share it with the world? People are funny. Nina thanks her, and Felicia says, it’s just popcorn, but Nina says, thank you for inviting me in. The Invader is set to run a huge story on her soon. Felicia says, she heard, and Felicia says, Bobbie Spencer is one of her best friends. Nina says, Carly’s mother, and Felicia nods. Nina says, and Michael’s grandmother, and Wiley’s… Felicia says, two more times. That’s who she was talking to when Nina got here. Nina wonders why Felicia didn’t slam the door in her face.

Carly says, Jonah’s grave? Is anyplace sacred to Nina? Willow says, Nina was at the cemetery to visit her daughter, and Michael says, Nina’s still clinging to this fantasy that she would have had a beautiful relationship with Nelle if she’d just been there in time to save her. Carly says, as if Nelle could have been saved, and Michael says, that ends the whole nature versus nurture debate, because Nelle clearly inherited her crazy from Nina. This conversation is creepily gossipy in tone, and it’s making me uncomfortable. Drew seems like he’s not comfortable either, and says, that’s one way to look at it. He’s just saying, if Michael is right, and it doesn’t matter by whom you’re raised, then Wiley would have inherited the crazy gene too, and he knows Michael doesn’t believe that. Michael says, no, he doesn’t.

Elizabeth says, Franco, and Chelsea touches her face, saying, as beautiful as the day I laid eyes on you. Elizabeth asks if it’s really him, and Chelsea/Franco says, no matter how many times he puts the brush to the canvas, he could never capture all of her. He could never show the world what she meant to him. Elizabeth says, she’s missed him so much, and Chelsea touches her face again, saying, don’t cry. She needs to be strong. Elizabeth says, for what? Why is he doing these things? Chelsea/Franco says, Elizabeth can’t move on until she’s at peace, and Elizabeth asks how she can be at peace without him. He says he’s always with her. Believe in herself. No matter how hard she tries, don’t look away. Elizabeth says, don’t look away from what? What does that even mean? Talk to her. Finn and Laura walk in, and Chelsea sits down on the couch, asking, what happened? Elizabeth says, Franco, come back, and Finn asks, what’s going on? Laura says, Chelsea? and Chelsea says, Mayor Collins; it’s been a long time. Elizabeth asks why they’re here, and Finn says, she never showed up at Windymere, and he got concerned. Laura mentioned she’d hooked up with this… person, so they came here looking for her. Elizabeth says, they came at the worst possible time. She was just communicating with.. Finn says, Franco’s spirit? and Elizabeth says, he was here.

Drew says he’s not defending Nina, and Michael says he knows. Drew says, but Nina is Wiley’s grandmother, and of course (🍷) they can keep him from her right now – that’s their right – but when Wiley gets older, he might want to know Nina. Michael says, when that happens, if that happens, Wiley will be armed with the knowledge of Nina’s history; what she’s done, and what she’s capable of doing. And here’s another fact, Nina is a horrible person and no amount of PR can change that. Carly says, that’s right, and suggests Michael and Willow can use some time to decompress. Michael says, that’s a good idea, and Carly says, sorry for just showing up. She promises to be in touch next time. Willow says she has an idea. Why don’t they make this easier? She gives Carly a key, and says, Carly can let herself in next time. Michael says, but still call, and Carly says, she will. She hugs them, and she and Drew leave.

Britt asks, whose is it? and Spencer says, what is it? She says, she asked him a question, and he says, he asked a question first. Answer his and he’ll answer hers. She says, it’s an opioid analgesic, and he says, so it’s like heroin? She says, not quite, El Chapo. It’s a controlled substance and it definitely can become habit forming. It shouldn’t be rolling around on the ground for a teenager to find or swipe from someone’s medicine cabinet. He asks if it’s for pain, and she says, severe pain management. Now it’s his turn. He says, it’s Esme’s, and Britt asks if she gets headaches. Does she complain about indigestion or a dry mouth, because those are some of the side effects. She hands it back to him, and he says, are there others? She says, yes. It can make you tired, nervous… He asks, what happens when you mix it with alcohol?

Keeping her wrist being her back, Esme says, everything’s fine. She hasn’t failed Ryan, she swears. He says, she could never fail him. She’s his one and only. But something’s clearly amiss. Come on. Tell daddy what it is. She says, Spencer has been behaving strangely, and he asks, in what way? She says, he’s been reluctant to be with her, and Ryan asks how long it’s been. She says, they haven’t been intimate since Spencer got out of Spring Ridge. Spencer says, it’s because they’re learning to trust each other again, and he wants it to be special. Ryan says, and it’s unusual for Spencer to be distant? and she says, yes. He says, it’s unusual for any man of his age and appetites, especially with such a willing partner. He supposes it’s possible Spencer has a romantic streak. What else? She says, it’s probably nothing, but he says, spit it out. She says she went to find Spencer at Kelly’s today, but he wasn’t there. Cameron said he was running an errand for work, but she found him at Windymere, and he was going through her things. Ryan asks if Spencer found anything, and she says, the meds she used to drug Trina were in there, and her nanny Maggie’s letters. He gets up, and says, you fool. Spencer is on to her.

Chelsea says, Franco was here? Was she his vessel? That would explain why she lost time. Elizabeth says, it’s true. She reached out to him and he came. Finn says, that’s wonderful, and Elizabeth says, she spoke with him through Chelsea. He told her to be strong and believe in herself, and not look away. Finn says, and that means something to her, and she says, it just happened. Doesn’t he see? All the strange things that were happening; it was Franco sending them a message. He was here. He’s been here all along.

Britt wonders why Spencer is asking about mixing the pill with alcohol, and he asks if that would be a problem. She says, a very big problem. Just one of those on top of booze would make a person very sloppy. He says, sloppy how? and she says, they’d stagger. They’d fall behind in conversation. They’d just not be themselves. Think of it like this. Take normal drunken behavior and amplify it two or three times. It could even give you a seizure. He asks if it could make you forget things, and she says, it can cause short term memory loss, like blacking out after drinking. She asks if he’s seen this in Esme, and he says, no, not in Esme. Britt says, enough of this – she closes the door – pharma consult he has her doing. This is serious. What’s going on?

Esme doesn’t see how Spencer could know anything, and Ryan says, he’s sleeping alone. He’s drawn to another girl; he’s looking through her things. She says, there was nothing to find. She got rid of the prescription label, and Maggie’s letters don’t refer to him. He says, it doesn’t matter what Spencer did or didn’t find; he looked. He’s as false as she is – worse. He shared his suspicions with Elizabeth Baldwin’s whelp. She says, they don’t know that, but he says, of course (🍷) they do. Otherwise, Cameron wouldn’t have lied about where Spencer was. It was right in front of her, but she was too arrogant to see it. He warned her about that boy. He told her to remain on task, but she just couldn’t give up her little toy. Now here they are, and everything they’ve built is in danger of crashing down. She says, wrong. Everything he’s built. There’s still time for her.

Nina says, as Bobbie’s best friend, she’s surprised Felicia didn’t sic the police on her, or at the very least, her husband. Felicia says, Mac has bigger fish to fry, and as James’s grandmother, she has a responsibility to uphold. Maxie loved Nathan, and Nathan loved Nina. Nathan was Nina’s brother, and James is Nina’s nephew. That makes them family. Nina says, that acknowledgement could cost her, and Felicia says, with Bobbie? She thinks they’ve gotten past that. They have their differences, and they’ve gotten down in the mud now and then, but there’s a bond there. The sacrifice Bobbie and Tony made is always just under the surface. Some ties just can’t be cut. Nina says, including the tie with her? and Felicia says, she knows the pain of motherhood when it’s staring her in the face, and she’d be a liar if she didn’t say that in looking Nina in the eye, she doesn’t see a bit of herself.  

Michael asks Willow, what’s wrong, besides the obvious of course (🍷)? She says she was glad to see he and Drew could have a civil conversation about Nina. He says, he and Drew have a solid relationship. They respect and trust each other, and Willow says she can tell. He says, even though Drew has more grace where Nina is concerned, he knows Drew is just looking out for Wiley. She says she got nervous when the subject came up, and he asks, why? She says, after what happened with his father, she didn’t want the same thing to go down with him and Drew.

At the hospital, Drew asks if Carly wants to tell him why she didn’t talk to him the whole way home. She says, because that was some stunt he pulled back there, and he says, here he thought he came to her rescue – twice. She says, if she has some explaining to do, let her explain, and he says, she was like a deer in the headlights; he had to come up with something. She asks if he had to sing Grandma Nina’s praises, but he says he didn’t. She says, he knows what she means. What was the point of that? He says he believes it’s in her purse right now; DNA from a stolen brush and a glass, that together might prove Nina is Willow’s mother. If that’s the case – she says, it’s a big ifisn’t it better that Michael and Nina aren’t in a battle right now?  

Elizabeth says, she’s telling Finn, Franco was here. He doesn’t believe her. He says, that’s not it. He gets that she wants to believe it. She says, he thinks she’s losing it, and Laura tells her, no one said that. Finn says he thinks she’s frustrated and angry after months of searching for answers and coming up empty. Laura says, she thinks Elizabeth is considering some solutions that are… Elizabeth says, crazy, but Finn says, unorthodox; that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Laura tells Elizabeth to come home with her, but Elizabeth says, there’s nothing to be afraid here of anymore. It was Franco all along.

Britt says, if Esme is in any way misusing these drugs, Spencer needs to help her put a stop to it. He says he doesn’t know anything for sure, and she says, even if he suspects it… He says, he’ll take care of it, okay? She asks, how? and he says, he’ll take care of it. He starts to leave, but she grabs his arm, saying, they’re not done. She can’t stand by in good conscience and not do anything. He says, it’s a little late in life for her to grow a conscience, and she says, ouch. He says he’s sorry, but he came to her for information, not a lecture. Now that he knows what’s what, he’s good. She says, enabling Esme does no good. If he wants his girlfriend to be healthy and be in a healthy relationship, he can’t let this go on. He wonders what the hell she would know about a healthy relationship.

Ryan asks if Esme is threatening him, but she says she’s just exploring her options. She’s sure the authorities would rather learn about his status update than come after her. He says, she’d sacrifice him just like that? and she says, if that meant saving herself, in a heartbeat. He says she reminds him of her mother, and she says, how so? He says, he learned early never to turn his back on her. He’s glad see she inherited her mother’s instinct for self-preservation. Now let’s start over, shall we? They’re all each other has; they have to stick together. He pats the spot on the bed next to him, and she sits. She says, she can’t believe Spencer would do this to her. It hurts so much. He says he knows the feeling. You give yourself so much to someone. You lay yourself at the mercy of another person and they just exploit it. She says, manipulate it, and he says, crush it between their forefinger and thumb. He flashes back to a physical fight with a woman (presumably Esme’s mother), who’s about to stab him with a kitchen knife. He says, pure agony. There’s only one thing to do in return; make them all pay.

Nina asks what Felicia sees of herself in her, and Felicia says, a gorgeous, badass woman with feet made for kicking butt. She sees a woman who’s made a lot of mistakes; the kind not easily lived down. Nina says, Felicia did, and Felicia says she didn’t have a choice. Nina says, there’s always a choice, and Felicia says, not a good one. It was either spending the rest of her days in the shadow of her mistakes, and watch her daughter walk away, or facing her and fixing things. The only real shame is in giving up. Nina wonders what she’s going to say to James if he comes to her with a fist full of Invader newspapers, demands answers. Felicia jokes, they’ll be dead then, and Nina asks what she tells him. Felicia says she imagines Nina will tell him the same thing she’ll tell Wiley when he asks the same questions. That day is coming too.

Michael says he thought Willow was on the same page about his dad. She said she was behind him 100%. She says she meant it. She completely supports his decision, even if she’s not sure it’s the right one. He loves his father. Can he honestly say it doesn’t hurt? He says, of course (🍷) it hurts, and she says, when he hurts, she hurts too, and so does Wiley. Their son is sensitive; he knows when something is wrong. They can’t shield him from every bad feeling, every loss – they wouldn’t want to – but they can shield him from some of them. It takes sacrifice and compromise on their part, but isn’t Wiley worth it? He asks who she wants him to compromise with – his dad, Nina, or both?

Drew asks Carly to think about it one second. If Michael goes too far with Nina, and she turns out to be Willow’s mother, it will change things for Willow, whether she wants it to or not. He’s just trying to turn down the temperature. She says she appreciates that, and appreciates his help, but his services are no longer needed. He says, so he’s dismissed now? and she says, it doesn’t involve him, but he says he begs to differ. He can’t unknow what he knows. They’re in this together. She asks what that means. Is he going to blow this whole thing wide open? He says, no; is she? She tells him, she’s certainly not going to say anything right now. If Nina turns out to be Willow’s mother, it’s going to be a huge problem for Michael and Willow. What if the whole thing turns out not to be true? She’ll have set a hideous chain of events in motion for no reason. He asks, what if it is true? What if what Harmony said turns out to be legit? What is she going to do?

Laura tells Elizabeth that she and Doc have been trying to keep Jake and Aiden well entertained, but she thinks it would help if they saw their mother tonight. Elizabeth says it would help her to see them too, and Laura says she’ll get Elizabeth’s purse. Elizabeth says she’ll call Chelsea; they’ll do this again. Chelsea says she’s sure Elizabeth has a lot of questions. The answers are there for the taking. Elizabeth asks if she’ll see Finn later, and he says, absolutely. He’ll make sure everything is locked up. She thanks him, and leaves with Laura, and I wonder why they’re leaving two people who don’t live there to lock the door. And why is Laura treating Elizabeth like a psychiatric patient? Chelsea gets her purse, and Finn says, leaving so soon? She says she’s parched, and he says, I’ll bet. Channeling spirits must drain you. She says, it does actually, and he says, what about lying to a vulnerable woman. What does that do to you? She says she wouldn’t know, but he would.

Esme asks, is that even possible, if Spencer is on to her? and Ryan says, he is, but he hasn’t found anything useful yet, or he would have used it. She got rid of the evidence that would implicate her in the video scheme, yeah? She says she did, and he says, then the best Spencer can hope for is to exonerate Trina. That doesn’t mean Esme can rest on her laurels. Time’s running out; she needs to recommit herself to the task. She says, destroying Ava and Nikolas, and he says he knows she’s disinclined, but sacrifices have to be made. The only way to truly break their bond is to seduce the prince. She can do that, can’t she? For him? She says, if only to see the look on Spencer’s face when he finds out, and Ryan says, good. She says, and when that’s done? He says, then they turn their attention to the rest of their enemies. Each and every one.

Spencer says, he and Esme have been together a long time, and Britt says, so? He says, so what about her? What’s the longest relationship she’s had? She asks what he’s doing, and he says, just pointing out facts. She had that weird obsession with Emma’s dad, and the blink-and-you-miss-it engagement to his father. She says, wow. So much for Spencer wishing Nikolas realized what he had in her. Spencer says, he was trying to be nice, and she says, noted. He says, has she ever been in love, and had that love returned? She doesn’t say anything, and he says he didn’t think so. She says, he’s right. She knows nothing about love, and at this rate, she never will. He asks what that’s supposed to mean, and she says, good luck with his girlfriend. And when it explodes in his face, don’t come crying to her.

Finn says, Madame Nutjob, or whatever her name is, he’s not the one lying to Elizabeth. Chelsea says, really? Elizabeth asked if he thought she was crazy, and he did everything in his power to dodge the question. He says, she can’t flip this around; she’s not smart enough to do that. She’s preying on a very fragile human being. She says, she gave comfort and support to someone who asked for it. Can he say the same? He tells her, don’t ever contact Elizabeth again, and opens the door. Chelsea says, Elizabeth said she’d call, and when she does, she’ll save him a seat. Who knows? Maybe this time he can come with an open mind and actually help the woman he claims to care about find the answers she so desperately craves. She walks out.

Willow says she’s nowhere near entertaining a truce with Nina, but she won’t give up on him and Sonny, and hopes he doesn’t either. He says, his father put someone who actively hurt his wife and children ahead of his family. He can’t act like that didn’t happen or ignore that. He’s Sonny’s son, but first and foremost, he’s Wiley’s father. She and Wiley will always be his priority. And he’ll never let anything come between them.

Nina says, if Wiley asks about the things she’s done, she’ll own them, and Felicia says she sees no reason to treat James any differently. Just make sure she sticks around to answer those questions. Nina takes Felicia’s hand, and says, don’t worry. She’s not going anywhere.

Drew asks if Carly is going to tell Willow and Nina what she knows, but she says she doesn’t know anything. He says, when she does know, and she says, if the unthinkable happens, if Nina turns out to be Willow’s mother, she’ll do the right thing. She sees Britt, and runs over to her. She asks who she sees about a DNA test, and Britt looks at Drew.

Tomorrow, Ned tells Brook, they’re planning for a future with no place for him; Martin tells Valentin, if the family remains a united front, he doesn’t stand a chance; Jordan asks if TJ has something to report; and Sonny says he’s got to put a stop to that.

👩‍👧‍👧 Soap Moms Day…

Mother’s Day in Soapworld.

🧼 On the Edge Again…

I have vague memories of my mother watching this. It was never one of my staples, but gets my respect for being a classic.  

🙋🏻 Her Truth…

Inga Cadranel talks about Harmony’s end, both on and off the screen.

https://daytimeconfidential.com/2022/05/09/inga-cadranel-discusses-general-hospital-departure-and-harmonys-death

🎄 Break Time…

After the Greek prison, off-season Christmas should be a breeze.

✈️ Not Making It Nice…

Dorinda tells us who she would have liked to clip from the Girls Trip.

👗 I Get Her…

Sutton defends her fashion choices. I love her outfits. It’s like the wacky things we wore in the 80s.

🧱 Apology Tour…

While I am Team Sutton, her insensitivity was pretty shocking.

🔦 Missing Housewife…

It still doesn’t exactly explain things, but it sounds like she’s in a lose-lose situation. Will she go the way of Carlton, and be a one season Housewife?

https://screenrant.com/rhonj-why-fans-dont-resonate-traci-johnson/

https://meaww.com/where-traci-lynn-johnson-rhonj-real-housewives-new-jersey-reunion-s-12-trailer-axed-fans-say

🐕 More Famous Than You…

I’d be willing to bet these pets have more followers than all of us put together. Times one hundred.

🚚 Movin’ Out…

Whether winding up a work week or enjoying your part in the Great Resignation, stop by tomorrow for some soap, tea, words to take note of, and a musical selection. Until then, stay safe, stay taking in your local culture, and stay remembering the only real shame is in giving up.

March 25, 2022 – Jordan Follows Up On a Tip, Their Song, Hold Up, New Start, a Fight, a Spin-Off, a Crossover, Two Firsts, Teresa Tales, Nasty, Apology, On the Range, Legacy, New Award, The 12 Of Quotes & Spice

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny asks what kind of favor Curtis is talking about, and Curtis says he knows Sonny has access to certain kinds of information. Sonny asks if he can be more specific, and Curtis says he has to get his hands on a certain police file.

Nikolas says, perhaps it’s time Victor told them exactly what he’s been planning since before he got back in town, and Victor says, maybe Nikolas is right. Nikolas says, he’s got their attention; what’s the big plan? Victor says he’s afraid the information is for family only, and Nikolas says, they are family. Victor says, some more so than others, and looks at Ava.

At the MetroCourt, Taggert tells Portia, stop worrying; Trina is only ten minutes late. And frankly, it’s giving him some time to wrap his head around this Joss and Cam sex tape. Whaat? Portia says she doesn’t think you can actually call it a sex tape when the people involved don’t know they’re being taped, and he says, that would be considered revenge porn, and that is against the law in the state of New York. She says she just thinks it’s disgusting that anyone would target Trina’s friends in that way. To her, too much of their kids’ lives are already on the internet for everyone to see, but to exploit someone’s private moments like that, that’s disgusting. He asks, what about Spencer Cassadine’s girlfriend? Really? Accusing Trina of posting this video? Portia just hopes this makes Trina realize that Esme and Spencer are bad news all around for her. He says, look who it is, and nuTrina walks over. They hug her, and Taggert says he’s so glad she could make it. He’ll tell the hostess they’re ready. Trina says she can’t stay; she has class in thirty minutes. Unless they want her to blow off class. Portia says, perish the thought, and Taggert says he’s amazed at Trina’s schedule; full time student at PCU, along with her new job at the gallery. Trina says she knows what they’re doing, and Portia says, trying to spend time with their precious girl? but Trina says, they’re trying to see if she’s surviving all this craziness. Taggert says, since she brought it up, how is she handling this Joss and Cam thing? Trina says, it’s horrible, but it’s made her realize she needs to be more careful about who she spends her time with.

Stating the obvious, Spencer says, this is a pregnancy test, and Esme snatches it out of his hand. She says, what it is, is none of his business. He wants her out of here? Fine. She’ll go. He says, wait, and she asks what else he can say, because he’s already broken her heart.

At the station, Dante asks if he can talk to Jordan, and she asks, what’s up? He says he was talking to ADA Rodriguez about possible charges against whoever put that video of Joss and Cameron out on the internet… and she says she’s stopping him there.

Cameron and Josslyn walk into an empty classroom, and Cameron asks if they’re really that late. Josslyn says, that’s weird. She thought Professor Kahn would still be there, so at least they could explain the situation. He asks if she thinks they’re the first to use still talking to the police as an excuse for missing class, but she says she thinks Professor Kahn has heard every excuse in the book. He says, Josslyn was quiet on the ride over, and she says she was thinking about her interview with Detective Lopez, going over her statement in her head, making sure she covered everything. Why don’t they check and see if the professor is in her office? He says, they don’t have to leave just yet; they can spend a few more minutes here. She asks, why? What’s wrong? He says he just thinks things are a little chaotic out there. They can spend a sec in here, while everyone is getting situated in their classes. She says, so there’s fewer people watching them walk down the hall? and he says she’s got him. She asks if he really cares what random people think, and he says he doesn’t want to care, but it’s their first day back since the video came out. It’s obvious people are talking about us. She says, about us? It’s mostly about her.

Sonny says he knows Curtis had a big part in taking down Cyrus Renault when he was living in Nixon Falls, and he kind behaved badly at The Savoy a couple months ago… Curtis says, don’t even worry about it. He knows Sonny was going through a lot. He was trying to save his marriage. Curtis’s marriage with Jordan blew up over a year ago, and he knows exactly how difficult that is. Sonny says he appreciates that. So Curtis wants him to get a sealed arrest record? Before he goes any further, who’s it for? Curtis says, it’s for his presumed dead, but very much alive, father.

Portia says, tell her more about who Trina is going to allow in her life, and most important, who she’s not. Trina says she visited Spencer at Spring Ridge, and made it very clear she can’t be friends with him as long as he’s involved with Esme. And Spencer stayed with Esme, which definitely clarifies things, and frees her from any impulse to worry about him. Portia says she’s proud of Trina, and Taggert says, good for her for standing up for herself. Trina says, but it’s hard, because she still thinks he’s a good person deep down. Taggert says he doesn’t know about that. He remembers way back when, when Nikolas was a few years older than Spencer. He was dating Taggert’s sister Gia, and he doesn’t think the Cassadines strike him as particularly deep. Portia asks what class Trina is off to, and Trina says, Social History Through Art. Portia asks if Joss and Cam are in that class too, and Trina says, no, but even if Joss was, she wouldn’t be there. She hasn’t been in any of her classes since… Taggert says he knows about the video. Her mother told him all about it. So how is Joss handling all this? Trina says she’s not sure. She’s been staying at her mom’s rather than the dorm. It’s like Joss needs to hide out for a while, which she totally understands, so she’s trying to give Joss her space. Portia says, if she were in Josslyn’s position she wouldn’t want space; she’d want her best friend. Trina says, Joss hasn’t texted her in a while. She figures if Joss wants to hear from her, Joss will let her know.

Cameron says, us, you, it’s doesn’t matter; we’re in this together. Josslyn says, they’re both in the video together, and both had a private moment stolen from them, but the fallout is different. It shouldn’t be, but it is, because she’s being slut-shamed all over the place. People are making fun of her, they’re critiquing her body, they’re judging her for even having sex at all, and Cameron tapped that. She’s just some tramp who gave it away. He says he’s sorry, and she says, it’s nothing that he did. It’s just the way things are. She knows the only way out is through, and she just has to face it down, and keep moving forward. Trust her, that’s what she’s going to do, but she hates that she has to deal with something that’s so ugly, sexist, and blatantly unfair. He says he’s sorry, and he knows it’s unfair. He saw the way she reacted when they thought people were whispering, and she says she thought she handled it pretty well. He says, no one else would have noticed, but he knows her. He knows when she’s confident, and when she’s only pretending to be. She says she loves how he knows her, and kisses him, but then pulls away, saying, she hates how this bothers her so much because it shouldn’t. They didn’t do anything wrong. He says, this is why he didn’t want to do the Invader article, but she says, they needed to go on record. They needed to state they didn’t record that or post it themselves. And it’s also important for people to know how invasive this entire experience was, and they can help other victims of revenge porn. He says he agrees with everything she’s saying. He just can’t bear to see her get hurt. She says, he doesn’t have to protect her; it’s not his job. She didn’t ask for any of this, but here they are, and she’s not going to hide. He tells her, he didn’t say they have to hide, but they don’t have to be in the spotlight either. She asks why he didn’t say this before, and he says he did. She asks him, then what is he saying? This is her fault now?

Nikolas says, as far as he’s concerned, Ava is more his family than Victor. Anything Victor has to say, he can say to both of them. Victor says he’s sorry, but no, and Ava says, that’s okay, and gets up. It’s sort of a compliment really. Nikolas can tell her later; she’ll be at the bar.

Spencer says, Esme knows he’d never intentionally hurt her, and she says, like he knows she’s not the one responsible for that disgusting video. He says, they’re not talking about the video. Why does she have a pregnancy test? She asks why he thinks? They made love that night before he went to Spring Ridge. He says, she’s pregnant?

Dante says, revenge porn is a crime in the state of New York; what’s the problem? Jordan says she’s aware of that. An investigation into the video of Josslyn and Cameron has been opened. He can provide back-up support as needed, but that’s it. Josslyn is his stepsister. She can’t risk the defense casting doubt on any information he receives. He says, who his father married shouldn’t disqualify him as an investigator, and she says, he needs to take a step back from this one. And any evidence he does uncover, he needs to take to Detective Lopez immediately. He says, by the book; got it. She says she understands his frustration, but take it from her, nothing good comes from breaking the rules. Been there, done that, and it didn’t end well.

Curtis tells Sonny, his dad who he thought was dead, suddenly shows up in Port Charles a few months ago. You would think he’d be ready to answer some questions, but instead, he’s been extra cagey about where and when he’s been. He says he wants to start over. Curtis had Drew do a deep dive into his background, which prompted Marshall to admit to Curtis that he has a criminal record, and it’s been sealed. Sonny says, with all due respect, why is it Curtis’s business? and Curtis says, normally, it isn’t. They all have a past they’re not proud of, including him. Sonny says, but Curtis wants him to get sealed information on his father, and Curtis says he has reason. Marshall’s been lying to him.

Victor says, he’s spent too many years preparing for this to have it all fall apart now, and Nikolas says he still has no idea what Victor is talking about. Victor says, Time was, the Cassadines were among the most powerful families on this planet, and Nikolas asks if that’s not a little exaggerated, but Victor disagrees. Heads of state would routinely line up to do business with them. They were true power players on the international stage, and it’s high time they reclaimed that influence.

Ava goes over to Portia and Taggert’s table, and says, good evening. She asks if Trina will be joining them, but Portia says, she’s already come and gone; she had to get to class. Taggert says, they were lucky to get ten minutes with her. It amazes him how that girl races through life. Ava says, ah, the energy of youth, when Taggert’s phone rings. He steps away to take the call, and Portia invites Ava to join her. Ava says, just for a minute. She’s actually here for a family celebration. She sits down, and Portia asks, what’s the celebration? Ava says, Spencer’s release from Spring Ridge, and Portia says, forgive her if she doesn’t find that a reason to celebrate. Ava says she agrees with Portia, but for Nikolas’s sake, she’s playing nice. Portia says, better Ava than her, and Ava says, make no mistake though, it’s going to be difficult, especially when Spencer starts work at the gallery for restitution. It helps that he won’t be answering to her directly; Trina will be supervising him. Portia says, that’s not going to happen.

Spencer says, Esme is pregnant? Why didn’t she say anything? She asks when she was supposed to tell him, before or after he called her a monster? For the record, she hasn’t taken the test yet, but she is late. She kept waiting to get her period, but after ten days, she finally chalked up the nerve to get the test. He says, she thought she might be pregnant for over a week, and didn’t say anything? and she says, it was his last week in prison. She thought he had enough to worry about without the possibility of being a father. He says, well, let’s find out. She needs to take that test – right now.

Cameron says he doesn’t want to fight, and Josslyn says, neither does she. He says they have to remember they’re in this together, and she says, yes, they are, and there’s no reason to hide in here, so let’s go. Trina walks in, and says, hi. It’s been a few days since they’ve seen each other. Cameron says, which is pretty weird, right? and Trina says, right. How are they doing? Josslyn says, hanging in there, and Cameron says, class is over. Why is Trina here? Trina says she was looking for Professor Kahn, but Cameron says, she already left. Trina says she’s got to get to her next class, but Josslyn says, wait. This is crazy. Trina says, it is. She missed them so much. Josslyn says, they missed her too, and they have a three-way hug.

Sonny asks how Curtis knows his father was lying, and Curtis says he had Drew go along with the background check. He found some information that made Curtis question Marshall’s account of where he’s been all these years. He’s all for a person’s right to privacy, but when they start lying to him, he needs to know why. Sonny flashes back to picking Marshall’s prescription bottle off the floor and giving it back to him, and says he can’t help Curtis.

Portia says she thinks Spencer’s a bad influence on Trina, and she knows Ava cares about Trina, which is why she’s asking Ava to reconsider making Trina Spencer’s supervisor. Can’t someone else do it? Ava says, when she spoke to Trina about it, she seemed fine working with Spencer, but Portia says, things change. She suggests Ava check in with Trina, and see how she’s currently feeling about Spencer.

Jordan tells Dante, don’t get her wrong. She’s done questionable things in the past when her family was involved. She learned her lesson the hard way, and it’s because of that experience that she refuses to bend the rules again. It’s a very slippery slope. He says he knows, and he doesn’t want to compromise the case, but he’s concerned about Joss and Cameron and what they’re going through, and wants to help. She says she feels the same, but Josslyn and Cameron are doing okey. Detective Lopez said their statements were clear and very helpful. He says he doesn’t want it slipping through the cracks, and she says, it won’t. Josslyn and Cameron are victims of a crime, and the perpetrator’s not getting away with it.

Trina says, it was good of Cameron to leave them alone, and Josslyn says, Trina knows Cam. He’s super considerate, and she’s in desperate need of some girl time. Trina says, her too. Did Josslyn get her text? Josslyn says, no. When did she send it? Trina says, when the video came out. She wanted Josslyn to know she was thinking about her. Josslyn says, she got so many pervy messages that day, she started deleting them without looking. She must have accidently deleted Trina’s too. Did Trina get her text? Trina says, she did, but all it said was that Josslyn was staying at her mom’s house, and then she didn’t hear anything else. Josslyn says she didn’t hear anything else from Trina either. Why didn’t she text again? Trina says, when Josslyn didn’t respond to her first text, she figured Josslyn needed space. Josslyn says, space from the world, absolutely, but space from Trina, never. Trina should know that. Trina says, how? Josslyn didn’t come to the dorms; she didn’t respond back to Trina’s text. Josslyn says, she explained that, and Trina says she gets that now, but then, she thought Josslyn didn’t want to hear from her. Josslyn asks why she wouldn’t want to hear from Trina, and Trina says, Josslyn knows how her brain works. When she doesn’t get information, her brain makes up crazy scenarios, and the longer the silence was, the crazier they got. Josslyn says, like what? and Trina says she thought Esme got to Josslyn, and she believed Trina was behind the video.

Esme says she’s not taking this test now, and Spencer asks, why not? She says, because she needs to get out of here. She can’t stand to look at him one more minute. If Laura hadn’t kept her here, she would have been long gone. He says, without telling him that she might be pregnant, and she tells him, stop making this about him. It’s her body. He agrees it is, but if she’s pregnant, it’s his baby too. She asks if he’s going to grow out of his clothes. Is he going to have morning sickness? Is he going to grow a person inside of him for nine months? He says, they’re getting way ahead of themselves. They don’t even know if she’s pregnant. They used protection. She says, which isn’t 100% effective; no one likes to talk about that, but it’s the truth. What is she going to do with a baby? She can’t even take care of a dog. He says, they don’t know there is a baby, which is why she needs to take the test. There’s a knock at the door, and he tells her to ignore it, but she opens it. Cameron says, he’s sorry. Is this a bad time? Esme says, no. She was just leaving. Spencer says, no, they need to talk, but she says, her body, her choice, and leaves. Cameron asks, did just say… and Spencer says, there’s a chance Esme could be pregnant. Outside, Esme leans on the door a moment. It’s hard to tell what she’s feeling, since she makes a bunch of faces, then she leaves.

Curtis asks if Sonny can’t help him or won’t, and Sonny says, Curtis should know the truth, and he could help, but he chooses not to. To him, it’s a family matter between Curtis and his father. He doesn’t want to get involved. Curtis says he needs to know the truth, and Sonny agrees. Curtis should know the truth, but he should get it through Marshall himself. Hear him out. Marshall’s not a fan of his, and if he gets involved, it’s going to make it worse.

Nikolas says, that’s it? All of these mentions of a momentous plan, and Victor has just been referring to a business merger? Victor says, this is no simple business merger. He can assure Nikolas, the resources they’ll gain from Bronze Hills Holdings (I think – sounds like) will be a significant step in this family regaining its former power. Nikolas tells Victor, he’s not saying it won’t be a financial benefit, because he knows it will be. He just expected more. Victor says, like what? and Nikolas says, Victor made it sound like something… Victor says, sinister? Like world domination? He’s not quite as out there as Nikolas’s grandfather Mikkos was. Nikolas tells him, he was going to say criminal. They’ve both crossed that line in the past. Victor says, true. He’s not one to arcane laws and petty bureaucracy get in his way. However, right now he’s focused on building a power base. The question is, does he have Nikolas’s support?

Cameron tells Spencer, hold on. Can they back up? Esme had her bags packed and they were obviously fighting. Does he want to know what it was about? Spencer says he accused Esme of recording Cam and Josslyn and posting it. Cameron asks what she said, and Spencer says, she denied it of course (🍷). Then she tried to blame Trina, which is absurd. Cameron says, completely, and Spencer says, he defended Trina, which made Esme furious, and they broke up. They just had the same argument at Spring Ridge, and she stormed out, but he didn’t know it was over. Esme decided they were, and she was almost out the door before he saw she had a home pregnancy test. Can Cameron believe she wasn’t even going to tell him? Cameron says, that’s a lot, and Spencer says, if Esme is pregnant, he’s going to be a father. Cameron asks what Spencer is going to do, but Spencer says he honestly has no idea, and goes upstairs with his bag.

Josslyn says, she and Trina both know it was Esme who posted that video, after she found a way to record her and Cam without their knowledge. It was her. It was all her from the jump. How could Trina think Josslyn could blame her for this? Trina says, it’s just that things got so weird that night at the cabin. The hot toddy hit her so hard, she still can’t remember everything that happened, and since that was the night the video was made… Josslyn says, please. It was Esme. Esme has hated Josslyn from the second Esme laid eyes on her. Why? Because Josslyn could tell she was psycho. It was Nelle 2.0 waiting to happen. And that’s why Josslyn got so frustrated when Esme presented Trina that phony apology at Kelly’s, and Trina went along with it. Trina takes Josslyn’s hands, and says she owes Josslyn a major apology. Esme was all upset because Spencer gave her that art book, and Trina didn’t want Esme to feel like she was taking her boyfriend. Not because of Esme, but Trina didn’t want to feel like that kind of person. She also didn’t know how she felt about Spencer. But Josslyn’s right about all of it. Esme is a whack job, and Spencer’s just… blind. She should be thanking Josslyn for calling Esme out, instead of being offended. Josslyn says, it’s okay, but Trina says, don’t tell her it’s okay. Josslyn is going through hell, and Esme is trying to blame Trina for it. She’s hateful and horrible, and Trina should have never tried to compromise with her. Josslyn says, they came to it from two very different experiences. Trina believes in compromise, and most of the time, compromise is a good thing, but not when it comes to Esme. She sees that, and takes it as a sign of weakness, and that gives her an opportunity, an opening. That’s why Josslyn shouldn’t have even gone on the ski trip in the first place, because Esme pushed so hard for it. She should have realized Esme had an agenda. Trina asks if Josslyn thinks Esme always meant to tape her and Cam, and Josslyn says she thinks Esme always meant to hurt them. Not her and Cam, but her and Trina.

Officer Perez hands Jordan an envelope, saying, this file was just delivered. Detective Lopez sent it over. It’s information on that PCU sex video from the anonymous tip line. She thanks him, and since Dante has nothing better to do than lurk around, he appears at Jordan’s shoulder and asks, what kind of information? She looks at it, and says, the damning kind. An eyewitness account, naming the perp.

Sonny says Curtis’s father has some kind of problem with him because he saw Sonny at the hospital with TJ, and he didn’t like it one bit. Curtis says, so his long lost dad doesn’t like Sonny; that’s why Sonny is protecting him? Sonny tell Curtis, he’s not saying no for Marshall’s sake. He’s saying no for Curtis. He knows what it’s like to be in a difficult relationship with a father. He didn’t speak to his dad for years. Everybody tried to intervene; everybody tried to fix it. But there was only going to be two people who could salvage the relationship – him and his dad. So if Curtis wants to know what’s in that sealed criminal record, he has to go to Marshall. Marshall walks in, sees them, and does not look happy.

Taggert says he’s so glad he and Portia decided to stay for dinner. It’s nice. What is this Trina is telling him about her and Curtis shacking up? She says, shacking up? Really? They’re buying a home together. It’s out by Queen’s Point, it’s right on the water; it’s so beautiful. He asks if they’ve moved yet, and she says, they’re in the process. He says he’s happy things are so going so well with her and Curtis, and she thanks him, adding, it means a lot, considering their history. He says, the past is long gone. The only thing is to move forward. She says, and now that Spencer’s in the rearview, things are looking up everywhere. He says, Trina and Josslyn still need to get beyond that speedbump in their relationship, and she says she thinks they will. They’ve been friends forever. It’s almost like they’re sisters. He says, he and his sister had some vicious fights back in the day, and she says, but at the end of the day, he and Gia always loved each other. The same goes for Trina and Joss.

Josslyn says, Cam’s a guy. He tried to accept Esme for Spencer’s sake, but Esme always saw both of them as a threat for different reasons. She was always going to try and take them down. Trina says, it’s so good to hear her say this. To see through that hateful… Josslyn says, bitch? Trina says she loves the way Josslyn hates, and Josslyn says, it’s a true talent. Trina says she just wishes she’d known what Josslyn was thinking, but Josslyn says she should have reached out. Trina asks why she didn’t, and Josslyn says, this whole situation was completely overwhelming. It’s total public humiliation. Everyone on social media has an opinion on it. She can’t tell Trina how many people she doesn’t even know called her some variation of a slut or a whore. But it gets even grosser. She’ll also see messages and posts calling her hot, and asking if she and Cam are exclusive. Trina says, that’s so inappropriate, and Josslyn says, yeah, but they’re of legal age now. Does Trina remember how excited and happy they were when they were turning 18 and got to vote? Trina says, yeah, it felt so grown up, and Josslyn wonders, is this the other side of adulthood? What happened to common decency? It feels like it’s been open season on her. Trina says, it’s beyond awful, and Josslyn says, it’s horrible, and when she didn’t hear from Trina, she thought Trina was embarrassed to be her friend. Trina hugs her, and says, never in a million years.

Spencer says, the more he thinks of it, Cameron had the right idea. Cameron asks what he means, and Spencer says, staying a virgin for life. Cameron says, Spencer and the whole world know he’s not a virgin, but Spencer says he seriously doubts that Cameron’s little video has been seen by the whole world. Cameron says Spencer is a poor excuse for a friend, and Spencer says, possible father here. That’s way bigger than a temporary embarrassment. Cameron says, maybe for him, but for Joss, it’s so much worse. They’re being absolutely savage to her online. He’s getting virtual high-fives, while they’re calling her a slut. It’s not fair. Spencer says, it’s awful. He’s really sorry Josslyn is going through that. Cameron says, now Spencer believes Esme is behind the video? but Spencer says he doesn’t want to believe it. Esme’s been so good to him. Cameron says, that works out nice for Spencer, but what about the rest of the planet? Spencer says he knows, just because Esme is good to him doesn’t mean she’s necessarily good to everyone else. Cameron says, Spencer has to face it. She’s sneaky and vindictive. Spencer says, and possibly the mother of his child.

On the phone, Ava asks Avery how her arm is. It hurts? She’s on her way; she’s coming right home. She tells Nikolas and Victor, sorry fellas. She hopes they had a nice chat. Avery needs her, so she’s going home. Victor says, seeing as Spencer is a no show, he’ll leave with her. Nikolas says he’s going to wait for his mother, and Ava says she’ll see him at home. Victor says, no hard feelings, and Ava says, of course (🍷) not. Nikolas sits back down, and Esme sees him from the doorway. She watches Ava and Victor get in the elevator, and goes over to the table. She asks if Nikolas will help her.

Dante says, she wouldn’t do something like that, let alone to Cam and Joss, and Jordan says, that’s what she thought too, but every possible tip needs to be checked out. He says he’ll take care of it, but she says she’ll handle this one personally, and leaves the station.

Sonny tells Curtis that he’s got to go. Think about what he said. Good luck. He leaves, and Marshall asks why Curtis was talking to Sonny Corinthos. Curtis says, Sonny was telling him about a run-in he and Marshall had. Care to explain? I’m honestly surprised Curtis didn’t ask Marshall where he got off telling him who to talk to. Especially since he’s been so cranky lately.

Cameron says, he and Josslyn gave separate statements to a detective, and Spencer says he’s glad the cops are taking this seriously. Cameron says, so is he. Detective Lopez says, whoever did this is looking at up to a year in prison. Spencer asks if Cameron knows what that means. That means his baby could be born in prison. Cameron says, way to keep it real, and Spencer says, it could happen. Cameron says, maybe Spencer should find out if Esme is actually pregnant before he starts shopping for jail baby clothes. Spencer says, Cameron is right, but he doesn’t even know where Esme went. He really hopes Esme’s not pregnant, because if she is, and she wants to have the baby, he’ll be tied to her for life.

Esme sits down, and tells Nikolas, she was going to stay at the MetroCourt for the night, so she had a place to get her thoughts together. She thought she had enough money to cover it, but her credit card was declined. He asks if she’s sure she and Spencer can’t work things out, but she says, Spencer said horrible things to her. If that’s really what he thinks of her, she can never be with him again. But what is she going to do? He’s the only guy she’s ever loved, and what if it turns out she’s… Nikolas says he remembers being her age. Every argument felt like the end of the world, but he’s sure with a good night’s sleep, things will be clear in the morning. She says she has nowhere else to go. Is there any way she can stay with him? I have an idea. Pay for her hotel room, but for Pete’s sake, don’t take her home.

Taggert asks Portia if that’s the notorious Esme Prince who Trina keeps talking about, and she glances behind her. She says, oh, he’s never seen Esme before, and he says, no, first time. She seems pretty upset. He wonders what the drama is this time, and Portia says, just be glad they’re not involved. They both look over at Esme, and Portia says she’ll bet him anything Esme is the one behind the video of Joss and Cam. She’s so relieved Trina is finally out of Esme’s orbit.

Josslyn says, it feels so good for things to be back to normal, and Trina agrees. She says she knows Josslyn wants distance from the video, but don’t tune her out. Josslyn can talk to her about anything. Josslyn says she knows and she will. It’s so nice to hear that. They’re a team, and always will be. Trina says, count on it, when Jordan walks in. Josslyn asks if there’s a lead in her case, but Jordan says she’s actually here to see Trina. Trina says she’s sorry, but she’s already late for her next class, but Jordan says, this can’t wait. She needs Trina to come down to the station, and answer some questions.

On Monday, Harmony says, it’s under consideration; Jordan asks if Trina minds answering some questions; Josslyn says, the person Dante should be talking to is Spencer’s psycho girlfriend; and Scotty asks why Nina doesn’t want to go down the legal road.

📻 Not An Oldie…

All about the song that Sonny and Nina danced to yesterday. Normally, I try to look that stuff up, but was pressed for time. Apparently, inquiring minds wanted to know.

👗 Reunion Runway Fail…

Apparently, Shannon had to get something off-the-rack. Oh, horrors. I do wonder what the blip was up with Bones though.

https://people.com/style/project-runway-bones-jones-talks-shannon-beadors-reunion-dress-outfit-botched/

https://www.distractify.com/p/shannon-beador-rhoc-reunion-dress-drama

You decide what held things up.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-orange-county/style-living/andy-cohen-reveals-what-held-up-filming-during

🍊 Freshly Squeezed Start…

The only question for me would be, is there enough room for Mr. Puppers to live his best life?

🥊 In This Corner…

Another showdown between the east and west coast. Maybe they can have a rap battle.

https://screenrant.com/rhugt-dorinda-medley-vicki-gunvalson-covid-vaccine-fight/

🗽 NYC Spin…

Twice the Housewives fun.

🍹 Conover Crossover Continues…

So will Paige be showing up on Southern Charm? Speaking of which, will Southern Charm be showing up?

https://people.com/tv/craig-conover-talked-about-kids-spending-life-with-girlfriend-paige-desorbo/

🎂 Never Too Early…

Oh why not?

🍍 In Teresa News…

The latest on Luis.

I wonder what procedure she had. Then I think it’s pretty sad that I’m wondering about that.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1324490/teresa-giudice-thanks-fans-for-prayers-and-well-wishes-after-hospitalization

👇 Bar Set Even Lower…

I think Kelly might have outdone herself this time. Not only does she sh*t all over people who can’t afford as much as she can, she thinks material goods reflect good parenting. What they reflect is a future on a shrink’s couch.

🙏 New Apologizer…

Pretty soon, Ramona is going to have some competition. And she was thisclose to saying the old, I’m a work in progress. Ugh.

🐎 Josh On the Outs…

This looks good, and I love me some Josh Brolin. I think he’s one of our most underrated actors.

https://ew.com/tv/outer-range-trailer-josh-brolin-amazon-prime-video/

📽 Hurts So Good…

No Kiss of the Spiderwoman? No Eyewitness?? No Altered States??? I thought those were pretty memorable.

https://ew.com/movies/william-hurt-most-memorable-roles/

He will be missed.

https://ew.com/movies/william-hurt-death-reactions/

🏆 The People’s Oscar…

Looks like the Academy Awards are sliding into the MTV Movie Awards territory. Fine with me. That’s the only interesting awards show.

🌬 Quotes of the Week

We don’t have a choice in the matter. We must go where history takes us. – Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon), The Gilded Age

A person’s life purpose is nothing more than to rediscover, through the detours of art or love or passionate work, those one or two images in the presence of which [their] heart first opened. – Albert Camus

I’d bet on rabbits if you could get them organized. – Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen), Two and a Half Men

To rule a country of a thousand chariots, there must be reverent attention to business, and sincerity; economy in expenditure, and love for men; and the employment of the people at the proper seasons. – Confucius

The history of the past is but one long struggle upward to equality. – Elizabeth Cady Stanton

You can’t cry on a first date. – Veronica Rodriguez, Pillow Talk: The Single Life

For those who fight for it, life has a flavor the sheltered will never know. – The Wiseman (Scott Glenn), Sucker Punch

When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself. – Wayne Dyer

Everything in moderation, including moderation. – Oscar Wilde

Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world. – Desmond Tutu

The great Western disease is, ‘I’ll be happy when… When I get the money. When I get a BMW. When I get this job.’ Well, the reality is, you never get to when. The only way to find happiness is to understand that happiness is not out there. It’s in here. And happiness is not next week. It’s now.Marshall Goldsmith, American author (And adding my personal favorite, when I lose weight…)

What a day. What a goddam day. – Warlord Ian (Michael Biehn), The Walking Dead

🙂 Don’t Worry, Be Happy…

It’s time again for us to part company until the Dead Walk. In the meantime, stay safe, stay fighting against double standards, and stay knowing the only way out is through. You have to face it down and keep moving forward.

March 24, 2022 – It’s Like Old Times At Charlie’s, Return Tease, They Do, Old Rumors, Return Before Reboot, VanderDone, New Role & Glass

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jordan tells the desk sergeant that Michael was just released on bail and they’re waiting for the paperwork. Michael sits, and she tells him, do everyone a favor. If that reporter gets in his face again, walk the other way. She sees Curtis, and asks if everything is okay. He says, that’s just what he’s trying to find out. He really needs her help. Willow comes in and hugs Michael.

Harmony shows up at Alexis’s office, and Alexis says, this is a surprise. Harmony says she just got off work, and wondered if she could pick Alexis’s brain about something. Only if she has a minute, and it isn’t an interruption. Alexis says she just put the last edition to bed. What’s this about? Is it about Willow? Harmony says, kind of. It’s more about Nina Reeves.

Nina walks into an empty Charlie’s and Sonny says, hey. She says she doesn’t know why she’s always surprised to see him here. He owns the bar after all. He says, that’s true. Phyllis had to see a distributor. Instead of closing down during the dead zone, which is between twelve and happy hour, he said he’d cover. She says, that’s sweet of him. Nostalgic for running a bar? He says, it’s better than sitting in his office all by himself; too many ghosts, especially with Jason gone. She says she hears him, and he asks if she’s there to see Phyllis. Does she want a drink? She says, actually, she was following up on something important. He asks if it’s anything he can help her with.

Laura hugs Spencer, and he says, it almost seems like she missed him. She says she did. A month in Spring Ridge didn’t hurt him at all. He says, except label him a convicted felon. He guesses he’ll be serving soft drinks and sandwiches at Kelly’s for the rest of his life, but Nikolas suggests Spencer worry about his future later, and they take a moment to celebrate his homecoming. Nikolas has dinner reservations at the MetroCourt, and hopes Laura and Doc can join them. Laura says she doesn’t know about Doc, but she’ll certainly try to make it. She asks Spencer if everything is okay, and Esme says she’s sure he’s wondering why she’s still here. Don’t worry. She was just leaving.

At the MetroCourt, Victor tells Yohan, if they want people to believe they’ve done nothing wrong, they must act as if they’ve done nothing wrong, and they haven’t. He showed Drew a tarot card, for heaven’s sake. If a crime was committed, it’s when Drew attacked Yohan. Yohan says, on Victor’s orders, and Victor says, which was a test… which he passed until the Corinthos woman showed up, and Drew was forced to reveal he was just playing along and the whole thing was a set-up from the start. That warning Victor was given about Laura being on to him seems like it must have some merit.

Sam opens the door to Anna, and says, welcome back. Drew says, long trip, and Anna says she got a cab from the airport. Felicia is filling Maxie in. Sam says, they were worried when they didn’t hear from her in Austria, but Anna says she didn’t want to call from an unsecure line. Drew asks if they found something out, and Anna says, yeah, proof that Luke’s death wasn’t an accident. He was murdered.

Esme says she won’t be joining them for dinner. Spence has made it clear he no longer wants her to be a part of his life. She’s leaving. Laura asks if she and Spencer would like a little time to talk this through. They don’t have to rush on their account. Nikolas apologizes for making dinner plans without checking with Spencer first, but he’s sure Spencer wouldn’t mind if Esme joined them. They all shared in Spencer’s ordeal at Spring Ridge, her especially. Esme says she’s not sure, but Laura says, please, come along. Nikolas says, the whole family will be there; Ava and Victor. Laura says, Victor, and Nikolas asks if that’s a problem.

Yohan says, the plan Victor put together relies on taking everyone by surprise, but Victor says he’s not overly concerned. The only possibly damning thing Drew mentioned is Operation Demeter, and if Drew has no memory of that op, he and Laura are going to hit a dead end. Yohan says, but Victor is concerned about something, and Victor says, Anna and Felicia’s investigation into the cable car accident that killed Luke. Yohan says, Victor had to kill Luke Spencer; he was getting too close to the truth about what Victor is planning. Victor says, nothing can be traced back to him, which is why he needs to find someone else to take the fall for Luke’s death. Yohan says he’ll do a lot for the cause, but he hopes Victor’s not expecting him to be his fall guy, and Victor says, don’t worry. He has someone else in mind. Ava approaches, and asks if she’s late for the big family dinner, or is Victor early? Is his friend going to be joining them?

Anna says, this employee at the Transportation Bureau did admit to sabotaging Luke’s cable car. There’s no indication as to whether he was acting alone, but her gut says he wasn’t. Unfortunately, before they could get anymore information out of him, the man took his own life in front of them. Sam says, okay, so technically they have one man’s confession, but no evidence to back it up, and Anna says, and so far all of their efforts to keep this quiet have failed. Now the Bureau is officially involved. Drew asks if the Bureau won’t have a better chance of finding a connection between Victor and Luke’s death, and Anna says, just because the WSB is investigating, doesn’t mean she’ll be privy to their intel. She’s been deemed to close to the situation because of her involvement with Luke. Sam says, basically, she’s iced out, and Anna says, yeah, but they do have to keep in mind the fact that Victor was director of the WSB for a time. That is something they don’t want to revisit; they don’t want his name to come up. They don’t want to draw any scrutiny, so she thinks it’s possible they’ll steer this investigation down a path that isn’t embarrassing to them. What she’s saying is, if they want to expose Victor, Drew is their best chance. Drew says, about that. They hit a little bit of a snag.

Curtis asks what TJ has told Jordan about their situation with Marshall, and she says, not much. She thinks TJ has been avoiding the subject, given her history with Tommy. Curtis says, okay. What did Tommy tell her about their father?

Willow says, one night in jail isn’t terrible, and Michael says he had a cell to himself, so no complaints. She says he doesn’t have to be a hero for her, and he says he always wants to be a hero for her, and it was worth it. That reporter got what he deserved for trash talking his sister. She says, at least Michael didn’t break his jaw, and Michael says he can’t be sorry he hit the guy, but he’s sorry Nina is probably going to use this against him when she petitions the court for visitation with Wiley. She says, let’s not worry about that right now. She’s sorry she wasn’t there when he was booked. He says he appreciates that, but there’s nothing she could have done. Diane handled everything, and Willow is here now. He heard from his mom that she was held up at work. She says that’s what she told Carly when she texted, but she wasn’t being honest with Carly, or with him.

Harmony tells Alexis that Nina is trying to enlist her help with Wiley without going to court. Alexis asks, how? and Harmony says, Nina wants her to influence Willow; she says Wiley’s grandfather is on her side. Alexis says, but Harmony doesn’t want to get involved, and Harmony says she thinks it will cause so much tension between her and her daughter. Alexis says she doesn’t want to get involved either because Wiley is Kristina’s nephew, so she wants to stay out of any potential conflict between Nina and Willow. She suggests Harmony do the same thing, and Harmony says she wishes it was that simple.

Nina says she’ll have a club soda, and Sonny laughs, putting some in a glass. She says, perfect, and he says, now that that’s taken care of, how about the help? She says, it’s not that she doesn’t want his help, but she doesn’t think he should offer it. He asks if it’s about Wiley. Is she going to file a petition? She says she hasn’t talked to the lawyer yet. Has he tried to talk to Michael again? Sonny flashes back to Michael saying he’s prioritizing Nina, and that a family man wouldn’t sabotage his family by putting the woman who blew their lives apart ahead of them. Sonny tells Nina that he couldn’t get anywhere with Michael because he’s very stubborn, and she says she wishes she could walk away for his sake. He says, she’s allowed to see her grandson. He’d do the same if he was in her shoes. She says she’ll try not to get him involved, but he says he’s already involved. The choices she makes and her pain matters to him, but she has to know, if she goes to court on this, lines are going to be drawn and sides are going to be taken. If he doesn’t take a side, that means he’s taking her side. She says she’d never ask him to choose her over his son, so if he has to go against her in court and support Michael’s attempt to block her petition, she’ll understand. He asks if they can just hope it doesn’t get to that, and she says, they can hope, but he needs to know that she’ll do whatever’s necessary to ensure she has a role in her grandson’s life.

Anna says, let her get this straight. In trying to save Drew… Sam says, Carly blew the scam wide open. Drew says, but they did get one piece of intel before Carly arrived, and Sam says, Victor mentioned Operation Demeter. Anna says she doesn’t know what that is. What is Demeter? The goddess of harvest? She presides over the cycles of life and death? Sam asks if it’s not familiar to Anna, and Anna says, no, but she can access the WSB file. Drew says, all the ops he did as a SEAL are classified, and Anna asks if he reached out to Kim, but he says she doesn’t remember him ever mentioning it. Anna looks at her phone, and says she doesn’t see an Operation Demeter here; there’s nothing. Sam says, so the operation probably initiated with U.S. Intelligence, and Anna says, or the operation is above her clearance, which is entirely possible. Or the operation went so horribly wrong, they’ve deleted all records.

Victor tells Ava that he and Yohan were catching up on some business while he was waiting for the rest of the family. He tells Yohan, that about covers it, thanks him, and says he’ll be in touch. Yohan pulls out Ava’s chair for her, and leaves. Ava says, Victor must have had some super pressing business to have a meeting at the MetroCourt before their family dinner. He says, pressing, yes, but before family, never. She completely agrees, and says she can’t recall what he said he was doing for work these days. He says, perhaps that’s because he never told her. Why does he get the feeling she’s playing him because she wants something? She says, because she always wants something, and usually she gets it.

Laura says she thinks Spencer and Nikolas both know Victor’s not her favorite person, and Nikolas says he hopes she’ll still join them. It wouldn’t be a family celebration without her. Laura’s phone dings, and she says she completely forgot. It’s the chairperson from the Traffic Commission. They have a meeting in ten minutes. It’s been rescheduled so many times, she doesn’t feel she can cancel. She’ll meet them over at the MetroCourt. She tells Spencer, welcome back, hugs him, and leaves. Nikolas asks if they should head out, but Spencer says, he and Esme have some things they need to say to each other first. Nikolas says, of course (🍷), and Spencer says, in private. Nikolas says, Spencer will still join them for dinner? and Spencer shrugs. Nikolas says he’ll hope for the best, and leaves. Esme says she was hoping to be gone before Spencer returned, but his grandmother convinced her they could talk things out. He says, really, and she says he saw her earlier. Apparently, Laura is warming up to her. Spencer asks when that happened, and she says, Laura thinks she might actually be a good influence on him. Unlike what his friends think.

Jordan says, Tommy is just a couple of years older than Curtis. His memories of their father were vague; he rarely mentioned them. Curtis says, maybe Tommy remembered something he didn’t think was important at the time, and she says, if he did, he never shared it with her. Besides, Tommy was way too young for Marshall to confide in him about entering Witness Protection. He says, if that’s what really happened, and she asks what he’s saying. He tells her, Marshall didn’t outright say he was in the Witness Protection Program. (Thank you.) Curtis inferred, and Marshall didn’t deny it. She asks if he learned something that contradicts that, and he says, possibly. That’s why he needs her help to shed some light on it. She asks, how? and he says, Marshall applied for a job, and confided in him that he had an arrest record; a sealed arrest record, which might explain why he disappeared and let them think he was dead. Jordan has access to that record. She can unseal it, and let him know anything important Marshall might be keeping from him. She says she’s sorry, but there is no way.

Nina tells Sonny, how about this? They stop talking about Wiley, they stop talking about competitions, they stop talking about family feuds. He says he seconds that motion, and they clink glasses, saying, cheers. He asks if she wants more club soda, but she says, no, she’s got to drive later. She asks if he refilled the decanters at his penthouse, but he says, no. She says, he’s not tempted by the display of all the bottles here? He says, baby steps, and she says, his baby steps are pretty big. She’s proud of him. He says, it’s not going to be easy, but the plan was to let Phyllis have the bar. She says, right, but life gets complicated. Does he still want to follow through on that plan? He says he has to convince Phyllis that it’s her bar, but Nina says she doesn’t think it’s going to take a lot of persuasion. Think about it. Phyllis owning the local watering hole? It’ll feel like old times… well, almost. He asks if she means when they were back in Nixon Falls; that was their home. She says, that life seemed real, but it wasn’t, because didn’t know the truth about himself. Now everyone knows the truth, and it’s up to them to decide what’s real.

Willow tells Michael, it was nothing serious, but she fainted in an empty patient room. He asks why she fainted; is she sick? Why didn’t she tell him sooner? She says she told him, it wasn’t serious. She hadn’t eaten all day and she was dehydrated. Between parenting Wiley and studying for nursing exams, she was running herself thin, but Epiphany took good care of her. He says he’ll have to thank her, but he wishes Willow had told him sooner. She says, he was spending the night in a cell. She didn’t want him worrying about her. It’s not like he could do anything about it. She didn’t go to Carly because she was dealing with Josslyn, and didn’t need to worry about her too. He says he hates that she was alone. Epiphany’s great, but she was on duty and couldn’t stay with Willow. Willow says she wasn’t alone. Her mom showed up for her.

Alexis asks, what’s so complicated about Harmony staying out of Willow and Michael’s business? and Harmony says, things are always complicated when it comes to her grandson. She thanks Alexis for the advice about Nina, and says she’s going to get out of Alexis’s hair.  Alexis asks if there’s anything else Harmony would like to talk about, but Harmony says, no, and asks if Shawn is around. She’s like to avoid him. Alexis says, she doesn’t think that’s going to be a problem because Shawn went to San Francisco, and she doesn’t know when he’s going to be back. Harmony asks if Alexis okay about that, and Alexis says, things got a little tense before he left.

Curtis says Jordan isn’t going to help him? and she says, hunting down sealed records and unsealing them without a court order is illegal. He was in law enforcement and knows that as well as she does. He says, the man is lying to him and TJ. He has questions and needs answers, and she has the ability to get them. She says, unethically, and he asks when that’s ever stopped her. She didn’t think twice about getting Laura’s sealed arrest record for Cyrus Renault. She says, that’s not the same. She was being blackmailed; TJ’s life was at stake. She had no choice. He says, because TJ is family, and they’re not that to each other anymore. Is that how it is? Curtis is pissing me off. He wanted the divorce, and so, no, they’re not family anymore. Way to pressure her when she just got back from a long stay at a hospital.

Nina looks down the bar, and asks if those are 45s. What are they doing here? She goes over to look at the stack of records, and he says, Phyllis wanted to add a vintage jukebox to the place, but then she figured out it would block the customer’s path to the tables and bar. Nina says, that’s too bad. She loved it when they played music at the Tan-O. He laughs, and she picks up one of the 45s, saying, she remembers when they danced to this song. She picks up another one, and says. she can’t believe Phyllis has a copy of this; this is a great song. She forgot about it. She says she knows how it goes, and starts to sing,  I woke up in the morning… Sonny says, she’s doing good, but that’s not quite it. He brings out his phone, and puts on the song. She says she loves this one, and he goes around the bar. He holds out his hand, and they dance.

Jordan says, he’s not being fair, and Curtis whines, what’s not fair is that she’s doing this to him after all she put him through. She says she knows he’s going through a lot right now, and knows they have a lot of unresolved issues from their marriage, but do not equate the two. And do not, under any circumstances, come in here and tell her how to do her job, or what code she can or cannot live by. She thought they were in a good place, but he’s come too close to destroying all that good will they built up. She’s not the bad guy here. He says, so she really won’t get the records for him, and she asks if he’s heard a single word she said. She can’t, but she’s willing to help him in any way she can. He tells her, don’t bother, and slams out like the big baby he’s being.

Laura sits down with Sam, Anna, and Drew. She says she’s due to have dinner with Victor and the family. Is it too much to hope they found something to put Victor behind bars? Anna says, she and Felicia were able to access the files at the Transportation Bureau in Innsbruck, and a certain Kurt Markovich, and employee there, became suspicious of them. But eventually, he did admit to sabotaging Luke’s cable car. Laura says, it was not an accident; he was murdered. Sam says she’s so sorry Laura found out this way. She wishes it could have been different. Anna says she’s sorry. The crash was deliberate, but this Kurt didn’t admit to targeting Luke, and unfortunately, they couldn’t get anything else out of him because he took his own life there. Laura says, but they know it was Luke, don’t they? and Anna says, unless the Bureau finds evidence to the contrary, they’ll proceed as if Luke was just another victim that day. Laura says, collateral damage? and Anna says, yes, to Kurt’s fanatical cause. Drew says, whatever that was, and Anna says, unfortunately, they weren’t able to connect this crash and Luke to Victor. Laura says, maybe not yet, but knowledge is power, and they’re off to a good start.

Ava says, she suspects when Victor finally reveals his big plan for the family, it’ll behoove her to remain in his good graces. He says, so her friendliness toward him has a more selfish motivation, and she says, he knows better than anybody they all have selfish motivations. She’s just up front about hers. Besides she and Nikolas are married; she and Victor are family now. They’ll be in each other’s lives from now on. Shouldn’t that make them allies, able to enjoy each other’s company? He lifts his glass, when Nikolas arrives. He says he hopes they didn’t order without him, and she says, of course (🍷) not. She was beginning to think he’d stood them up. Where’s Spencer? Nikolas says, things were a little tense between him and Esme. Spencer wanted some time to talk to her. Victor hopes they’re coming; this celebration is for Spencer. Nikolas says, Spencer woudn’t make any promises, and Ava says she’s sorry. She knows how anxious Nikolas has been to make almonds amends to him. Nikolas says, the reality is, he and Spencer have a long way to go before any healing takes place, but Victor says, no. That is absolutely unacceptable.

Spencer says he’s glad Esme didn’t leave before he returned home. They left a lot unsaid. In fairness, it’s not like he could have chased after her with twelve hours left on his sentence. She says she didn’t like how they ended things either. She tossed and turned all night, wondering if he meant all the horrible things he said to her; that he actually believed she was the one responsible for filming Joss and Cameron doing the dirty. Thank you for realizing that wasn’t true. She moves closer to him, but he backs up and tells her, he never said that. She says she’s a little confused. If he doesn’t believe her, then what’s been left unsaid? He says he wants to believe her. He wants to believe in her, but right now she’s blaming Trina for something he knows she couldn’t possibly… Esme says, but she could, and he says he doesn’t know. What he does know is, she was at the cabin, and she has a side to her that is capable of going to extremes. She says, he means like what she did to Ava: setting her car on fire, planting her dead daughter’s hospital ID badge beneath the car. She’d never even heard of Ava Jerome until Spencer decided to frighten her away from his father. How does she know he’s not the one capable of filming his friends without their consent? He was at the cabin too, but he doesn’t see her going around accusing him. How do they know it isn’t all his doing?

Nikolas says he knows Victor is invested in healing the rift between him and Spencer, but it’s going to take time. Victor says, Nikolas doesn’t understand. He gave Nikolas room to take this process as slowly as he needed to bring the family together, but he trusted the wrong people, and now they’re running out of time. Valentin and Alexis will most likely never want to have anything to do with him again, but the rest of the family might come together while they still can. Nikolas says, while they still can? What’s that supposed to mean?

Harmony tells Alexis not to pressure herself. She’ll know when it’s time to move on. Alexis says, what she wants to move on from is this office. And since she’s the boss, she can declare the work day over. So she declares the work day’s over. Molly and TJ are making her a feast tonight to thank her for letting them stay with her. Harmony says, are they moving out? and Alexis says, they are. They found another place. She’s sad and she’ll miss them, but it’s good they have their own space. Harmony says, it must be nice to have a home cooked meal. Her motel room doesn’t have a kitchen. Alexis asks if she said motel room. She’s staying in a motel? Since she left prison? That’s a year ago. Harmony says, yeah. It’s tough to save up for a deposit on what she makes at Spring Ridge. Alexis says she’s sorry. Would it help if someone co-signed a lease for her? Harmony says, someone like Alexis?

The desk sergeant tells Michael that they need Commissioner Ashford to sign off on the paperwork before he leaves, and goes in the back. Michael says, while they wait, Willow can tell him about Harmony. Willow says, her condition wasn’t serious, but when Harmony heard she was in the hospital, she couldn’t get there fast enough. Michael says, that’s what parents do; they move heaven and earth for their kids. She says, easy for him to say. He knows her history. Her mom is a seeker, and her love for Willow always came second place to enlightenment. Michael says, and last night was different, and Willow says, yeah. It was like the mom she’d always hoped for showed up. She was so loving and concerned. He says, it must have been nice for her, and she says, it was the first time her mom put her needs ahead of her own, or some spiritual leader’s. She’s grateful, even if she doesn’t know what inspired this new Harmony.

Sonny and Nina slow dance, and flash back to slow dancing at the Tan-O. He spins her, and they get closer. He says, she has to admit, he’s pretty good, and she says she gives him an A for effort. He says, what about execution? and she says he’s a little rusty, but she can whip him back into shape. They have all the time in the world… except… that’s the one they thing don’t have. I can tell you this, what they do have is Sonny’s dimples.

Alexis says she’s not necessarily saying it should be her, and Harmony says she has the feeling they’d be crossing a line. Alexis says, what if she helps Harmony with a security deposit; a loan. Harmony says she wouldn’t want to jeopardize their friendship by owing Alexis money, and Alexis says she has an empty house, and Harmony needs a home. So why doesn’t Harmony take the next few weeks, save some money, and stay with her?

Jordon tells Michael, he’s good to go. Make sure he makes his court date. He says, understood. Jordan’s phone rings, and she steps away. Michael asks if Willow is ready, and she says, let’s go. He takes her hand, and says he owes her a second apology. In addition to decking that reporter, he delayed their vacation. She says, turnabout’s fair play. She delayed it first with the search for her birth certificate. Now he’s out on bail, and has to stay in town. He asks if she’ll settle for a candlelit dinner, and she says, with coq au vin, mousse au chocolat, and a lovely Bordeaux? See? She already speaks the language. He tells her, you know what they say, we’ll always have Paris, and they kiss.

On the phone with Robert, Jordan says, the judge set a date for the trial. Diane Miller is gearing up for a fight. There’s been no additional pressure from the Quartermaines or Sonny Corinthos. No special requests… Right. She’ll keep him posted.

Sonny says he’s got to go, and Nina says, her too. Curtis walks in, and says, Sonny’s office said he could find Sonny here. He asks if he came at a bad time, but Nina says, no. She came to see Phyllis, but she’s not here, so she was just leaving. She grabs her bag, and Curtis asks if she’s sure. She says, she and Curtis will catch up soon, and she leaves. Sonny asks what he can do for Curtis, and Curtis says he needs to ask Sonny a favor.

Spencer tells Esme, knock it off. She knows he was in Spring Ridge and couldn’t have posted the video. She says, he told her that he was able to sneak in and out of Spring Ridge thanks to Uncle Victor, and she knows he and Cam were enemies when they were kids. Maybe that sex tape was payback. He says, that is not at all… and she says, calm down. She doesn’t actually believe he did it; she was just making a point. He had motive and opportunity, but he doesn’t see her accusing him, because she has faith in her partner’s character. She has faith in them, or at least she used to. But he can’t seem to extend that same grace to her, can he? He doesn’t answer, and she says she guesses there’s nothing more they can say to one another. She drops her purse going out the door, and quickly moves to retrieve it, but not before Spencer picks up a pregnancy test that’s fallen out.  

Anna says, Tracy and Bobbie will be informed that the crash was deliberate, but Sam wonders if they should tell them the truth. Laura says, she’d rather not. Bobbie already suspects Luke was targeted, but she doesn’t know Victor might be a part of it. Tracy’s in the Netherlands. Drew says, the less they know the safer they’ll be, and Laura says, exactly. Drew says, especially after that scam on the bridge. Victor now knows Drew is coming for him. Anna says, he’ll realize the walls are closing in on him, and Laura says, anyone he suspects is working to expose him will be in grave danger now.

Victor apologizes to Ava and Nikolas for his outburst. He says he supposes he was just airing his frustration with Valentin. Nikolas says, because Valentin doesn’t want Victor in his life? and Victor says not to let an old fool project his problems on Nikolas’s relationship with his son. Nikolas says, it’s not the first time Victor has alluded that something is eating him up, and Ava says, obviously something important, even dangerous, is happening. Nikolas says, Victor made it clear that he couldn’t or wouldn’t discuss it with them, but they are family. Ava says, they can’t help ease his burden, they can’t help him if he doesn’t share it with them. Nikolas says, perhaps it’s time Victor told them exactly what he’s been planning since before he was back in town. Victor rubs his signet ring, and says, maybe they’re right.

Tomorrow, Josslyn asks if Cameron is saying it’s her fault; Esme says Spencer has broken her heart; Victor asks if he has Nikolas and Ava’s support; and Sonny says, with all due respect, how is it Curtis’s business?

🥏 Spinning Back…

It’s not like Spinelli ever really leaves.

🤵🏻 Just Married…

I don’t remember him from AMC, but I love Halloween Wars

🍍 Clueless In Jersey…

Wrong answer. True friends do ask questions.

🗽 Reboot In 3… 2… 1…

How could she not be back? Someone needs to make it nice.

🍸 Pumping the Breaks…

The latest on the impending divorce.

https://people.com/tv/katie-maloney-files-for-divorce-from-tom-schwartz-a-week-after-announcing-split/

VanderSplits over the years.

🧛🏻‍♀️ Playing Normal…

Not Elvira this time.

https://comicbook.com/horror/news/the-munsters-reboot-movie-cassandra-peterson-elvira-role-rob-zombie/

🍜 Hasta Lasagna…

See you tomorrow for the wild card that is Friday, where you’ll find soap, tea, sage statements, and something to tickle your musical bone. Until then, stay safe, stay not changing lanes without signaling, and stay remembering knowledge is power.

February 1, 2022 – Vow Renewal At the Quartermaines, New Jersey Pool Party, Who’s Who, New Nose, Abandonment, Housewife Tease, Called Out, Sad News & Brighter

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Chase finds Brook getting coffee in the nook, and tells her that Bailey is conked out. She says she wishes Bailey slept this much at the beach house, but Chase says, she’ll get used to the new digs; just give her a minute. She says, they’ll probably be out of there by the time that happens, and Chase says, then Peter will be locked up, and Bailey can go home. She says, and they can officially stop pretending. They hear Bailey cry on the monitor, and touch hands as they’re both reaching for it. Chase says, he’ll go, and leaves.

Michael says, Wiley is excited to see his cousin Bailey today, and Willow says, he misses her. Michael asks if she’s ready to go to the house, but she says, she’s actually waiting for her mom to drop by. She still can’t find any record of her birth certificate, and needs to get her passport application in. He says, oui, oui, and she asks if that’s the only French word he knows. He says, oui, and she laughs, saying, she really hopes her mom has a copy. He says they can’t go to Paris without one, and kisses her.

Kristina shows up at Alexis’s office with coffee, and says, stop the presses. Local editor’s down, unharmed, coaxed from behind the desk with caffeine. Alexis reaches for the cup, and says, bless you. She takes a sip, and says, hello, my daughter. Kristina says, hello, mother. She came to observe Alexis in her natural habitat. She picks up a placard from Alexis’s desk, and reads, truth never damages a cause that is just. She says she likes it, and Alexis says, Harmony gave it to her. Kristina says, just the person she wanted to talk about.

Britt meets Austin in Kelly’s, and he says he wants to get a female perspective. What does it mean when a woman kisses a man?

Maxie adjusts the chairs for the vow renewal at the Quartermaines, and flashes back to kissing Austin. Brook asks if she’s ready. Guests are arriving; it’s time to open the doors. Maxie says, first, she has to tell Brook something, and Brook says, uh-oh. Unless it’s not an uh-oh. Maxie says, it’s definitely an uh-oh. Austin remembered something. Brook says, something as in… and Maxie says, he remembered hearing them talking the night Louise was born.

Dante tells Leo that he’s looking sharp (we’re back to the usual Leo), and Leo says, it’s not itchy. Ned says, Leo is wearing a T-shirt under his shirt instead of a button-down. Dante says, button-downs can be itchy; what’s with that? Leo shrugs, and Dante says, it doesn’t matter. Once Leo’s mother walks in the room, no one is going to notice them anyway. Ned tells him, you can say that again, and Olivia walks down the stairs, smiling at Ned.

Drew sees Carly alone in one of the rooms, and asks what she’s doing there. She says she’s hiding, and he says he hates to break it to her, but she’s not going to be very successful looking like that. She says, still the charmer, and he says, it’s the truth. He tells her, hiding isn’t usually her style, and she says she doesn’t feel like herself these days. She’s nervous to see Sonny. How ridiculous is that? He asks what exactly she’s nervous about, and she says she doesn’t want their issues to cast a shadow over Olivia and Ned. He says, she doesn’t think Sonny gets that? and she says, here’s hoping.

Sonny comes in as Ned is thanking Laura for officiating today. She says, it’s an honor. She wouldn’t have missed it for the world. She’s so sorry Doc couldn’t be here, but there was another patient emergency. Olivia says they’re sorry too, and excuses herself. She goes over to hug Sonny, and he tells her that she looks good. She thanks him, and asks how he’s doing. He says he’s good, and asks if Carly’s there, and Olivia says, Carly came early to help her get ready. She would have understood if he couldn’t make it today. It’s hard to celebrate someone else’s happiness when you’re not exactly in the best place yourself. He says, he and Carly will be back together before she knows it. Just you bet on it.

Britt says, Austin was a doctor last she checked, and he says he still is. She says she’s pretty sure human sexuality was covered in his studies, and he says, it was, but he’s a grown man and she’s a grown woman, so he’s asking her. If you kiss a man who’s your friend, why would you apologize? She says she assumes they’re talking about… He says, Maxie, and she says, was it good? He says he thought so, and she says, why didn’t he ask Maxie what she meant? He says, her mom kind of interrupted them, and she says, so this happened in high school? He says, she’s hilarious. What happened was, he and Maxie went to Pawtuck with Anna and Felicia to try and jog their memories about what happened the night Louise was born. She says, oh wow. And? Did either of them remember what happened? He says he doesn’t know. That part’s even more confusing than the kissing.

Maxie tells Brook, she tried to convince Austin that he was misremembering – if that’s even a word (FYI, it is according to spellcheck) – but she doesn’t think it worked. Brook says she has to try harder, and Maxie says, she did everything she could think of. She even kissed him. Brook says, that is an interesting and creative strategy. They’ll revisit that later. Maxie says, it wasn’t a strategy. Austin’s gone above and beyond to help her out. The problem is, what he thinks is helping could probably ruin everything. Brook says they shouldn’t panic. They just need to come up with a plan. Maxie says, ya think? when Tracy comes in, and asks, what’s going on in here? The two of them having their heads together doesn’t look suspicious at all, while the guests are milling around outside. Brook says, they have everything under control, and Tracy says her confidence knows no bounds. Maxie thanks her for keeping all of this under wraps, and Tracy says, Peter August is a despicable human being, who doesn’t deserve to be a father, and she’s very sorry Maxie has to be separated from Louise. Maxie says she knows Louise is in good hands, but she can’t wait to have her daughter back in her arms.

Harmony arrives at the gatehouse, and says, she was so happy to get Willow’s call. What did she want to talk about? Willow says she needs a copy of her birth certificate, and Harmony asks, how come? Willow says she can’t find hers. It must have gotten lost in all the moving around. Normally, it wouldn’t be anything urgent, but she needs to get a passport. Harmony asks where she’s headed, and Willow says, Michael is taking her to Paris. Michael comes in, and Harmony says, how wonderful. Are they taking Wiley with them? Michael says, not this time, and tells Willow that he’s heading to the house; he wants to see how his mom and dad are doing. Willow says she’ll be right behind him with Wiley, and he says it was nice seeing Harmony. (Since when?) She says, him too, and he leaves. Willow tells Harmony, the first step to her getting a passport is getting a copy of her birth certificate, and she can’t find any record of it online. How can that be?

Alexis says, just so Kristina knows, Harmony is a non-issue. They won’t be spending time together anymore. Kristina says, because of her, and Alexis says, she and Harmony both think it’s best. Kristina says, so that’s the end, but she really wants Alexis to hear her out on this. Sam way overstepped when she told Harmony to stay away from Alexis. Sam just assumed the friendship would make her uncomfortable. Alexis says, it doesn’t? and Kristina says, whatever she feels, it wasn’t Sam’s place to speak for her. Alexis says, Sam was just protecting her, and Kristina says she’s sure there was a sincere desire to protect her, but Sam was also avoiding focusing on her own mess of a life.

Ned says, Olivia takes his breath away, and she says, stop. Dante says, it’s true; she looks beautiful. Right, Leo? Leo says he loves her sparkly dress, and Olivia says, that’s why she wore a sparkly dress. She’s so grateful to have all her guys here with her today. Ned says, they’re a lucky crew, and she says, they sure are. Tracy comes in with Brook and Maxie, and Maxie says they can come in. Tracy says, hopefully, they’ll deem it worth the wait. Olivia tells Maxie, it’s just gorgeous, and Ned says she captured the mood perfectly. Brook asks, what mood would that be? and he says, you know, bliss, gratitude – he takes Olivia’s hand – love. Brook hugs him, and says she’s so glad this day came. She’s so sorry… Olivia says, they’re not doing any of that today. Today, they’re all looking forward; they’re not looking back. Ned says, it means everything to them that they’re all here together, and Brook says, it means everything to her too.

Sonny asks Laura if there’s any word on Cyrus, but she says, all’s quiet on that front. She asks how he is, and he says, things were a little bumpy for a little bit, but things are back on track. She says, good, and he says, things are definitely looking up. She says, with him and Carly? and he says, he just has to prove they belong together. He sees Carly standing in the doorway.

Britt tells Austin, feelings can be tricky, and aren’t always accurate. Maxie suffered severe emotional trauma that night, and Austin was knocked unconscious. She’s not shocked the recall is a little fuzzy. He says he guesses, and she says, back to that kiss. He says, what about it? and she says, only Maxie can tell him what it meant. So he has to put on those big boy pants and talk to her. He asks if there’s a B option, and she says, call her. He says he can’t; she’s coordinating at the Quartermaines. She’s in charge of Ned and Olivia’s vow renewal. She says, to which he was invited, and he says, to which he declined. She says, he might want to revisit that decision, and he says, just to see Maxie? She says, there isn’t even the tiniest part of him that wants to get to know his family? and he says, he already knows them. She says, get to know them better. Maybe even get close. He says, maybe she’s right. Maybe he did decline that invitation a little too quickly. She laughs, and Brad walks in. He says he’s fifteen minutes late, so technically, he’s on time. Britt says, that’s not what technically means, and he says, for him, it’s still on time. He and Austin say, hello, and Austin starts to get up. Britt says he doesn’t have to leave, but Austin says he has somewhere to be, right? She says, he does. Good luck. He leaves, and Brad sits down. Brad says, he seems nice, and Britt says, he’s straight. And she just sent him off into the arms of another woman.

Maxie says, according to Britt, Peter’s getting transferred to Pentenville tonight, and Brook says, couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Once Peter is finally locked away, this whole thing is going to be over. Once that happens and this nightmare is behind them, what is Maxie going to do about Austin? Maxie asks what she means, and Brook says, it’s pretty obvious Austin is into her. Maxie says, obvious to who? and Brook says, everyone. The question is, is Maxie into him? Maxie says she thinks so, but it’s hard to tell when all she’s doing is lying to his face. Brook says she can see that being an obstacle, and Maxie says she can’t think about Austin right now. Brook doesn’t think he’s going to show up there, does she? Brook says, with her family? It’s the last place he wants to be.

Willow gives Harmony a cup of coffee, and Harmony says she’s sure she has a copy of Willow’s birth certificate with her important documents. She’ll look for it right away. Willow thanks her, and says, it was so strange she couldn’t find it online. Harmony says, maybe not every piece of information is on the internet, and Willow says, not to rush her, but time is of the essence if she wants to get a passport. Harmony promises to look for it right away, and Willow asks if she wants to see Wiley. She says she’d love that, and Willow leaves to get him.

On the phone in the nook, Dante says, keep him posted. Chase comes in and asks if something is up, but Dante says, it can wait. His mother will kill him if he misses the ceremony. Chase asks if it’s sad that just hearing the words keep me posted makes him nostalgic. He hands Dante a cup of coffee, and Dante says, kinda. Is he missing the job? Chase says, big time. He hates being in limbo. Dante says he hears that, and Chase asks if Sam is coming. Dante tells him, she said she was, and Chase wonders why he’s saying it like that. Dante says, never mind, but Chase says, come on; tell him. Dante says, ever since Drew came back… Chase asks if they’re having problems, but Dante says, no. That’s the problem. It’s nothing as tangible as that. They had some good momentum going for a while, then Drew came back, and it stopped. They were full steam ahead for a while there. Chase says, but now they’re stuck in neutral.

Alexis asks what mess Sam’s in now, and Kristina says, maybe mess is too harsh. Let’s say, Sam seems conflicted. Who can blame her, torn between two men? Alexis says, Kristina… and Kristina says, if she were Sam and had to choose between Dante and Drew, it would be tough. Both are charming, both are handsome, and both are sincerely good guys. Drew is Scout’s father, so he has that in his favor, but Dante’s been with Sam for months, helping her rebuild her life when she and Jason split. Alexis hopes she didn’t share any of this with Sam, and Kristina says, of course (🍷) not. None of this is really any of her business, but Alexis is their mom, so… Alexis says, that’s true. She is Kristina’s mom, and as such, she gets the feeling Kristina is talking about Sam in order not to talk about what she came there to talk about, and she thinks for once, they need to talk about it. She wants Kristina to tell her how she feels about her friendship with Harmony.

Carly walks over to Sonny, and he says she looks gorgeous. She says he cleans up pretty well himself. Tracy asks if she can borrow Laura for a moment, and as they walk away, Laura asks if something is wrong, but Tracy says she just wanted to get Laura out of the line of fire. Laura says, good job. Sonny says he misses Carly, and she says she just saw him this morning for breakfast. He says she knows what he means. He’s not trying to pressure her, or tell her how to feel, but they can still be honest with each other, right? She says she hopes so, and he says, they’re still seeing each other tonight, right? She says she told him that she could give him an hour or so to talk. She’s not going to back down. Michael comes in, and Carly hugs him. She asks, where’s Wiley? and he says, he and Willow should be coming. Carly says she’s going to check if Olivia needs anything, and leaves. Michael asks if everything is okay, and Sonny says, it’s not like they’re a bomb ready to go off. Michael asks if he’s sure, and Sonny says, yes. He just wants to work things out. He’s got everything under control.

Ned offers Sonny some champagne, and promises it will be pathogen free. Sonny says, Leo is a trip, and Ned agrees. Sonny says he has to decline. He has to stay sharp tonight. Ned says, right. The bold move he was talking about with Carly, and Sonny says, that’s the one.

Willow walks in, and Michael says, no Wiley? but she says, he was intercepted by Monica; they’re in the playroom. She sees his parents are here; have they crossed paths? He says, yeah, and she says, and? He says, it was painfully polite, which is the best thing they can expect right now. He asks how it went with Harmony, and if she was able to help Willow with her birth certificate, and Willow says, she thinks she has a copy, so Paris, here we come. Michael says, oui, oui, and she kisses him.

Kristina says, Alexis doesn’t need her permission to be friends with someone, but Alexis says, it’s not just someone, and Kristina knows it. It’s Harmony. Kristina is her daughter, and Alexis loves her. Hurting her is clearly not an option, but she needs to know how Kristina actually feels about this, so let her give an example. If Kristina came home, and Harmony were there for dinner, would that make her uncomfortable? Kristina says, maybe give her a heads up until she gets used to it? and Alexis says, so yes, she’d be uncomfortable. Kristian says she doesn’t know what Alexis wants her to say, and Alexis tells her to say what she really feels. Kristina says, seeing Harmony brings up a lot for her, like everything that happened at Dawn of Day, how utterly stupid she was… Alexis says she wasn’t stupid; she was trusting. That’s different. Kristina says, Shiloh was a master manipulator, and intellectually, she knows Harmony was just another one of his victims. Alexis says, but Kristina can’t forget what she did.

Laura asks when Tracy is going back to Amsterdam, and Tracy says, later today. Laura says, and after the next memorial, then what? and Tracy says she has some ideas, and was actually able to remove a piece of the Ice Princess that she’s going to use to fund her future endeavors. Laura says, Tracy knows how she feels about that diamond, but she wishes Tracy the best, and Tracy thanks her.

Austin comes in, and thanks Ned for his kind invitation. He hopes it still stands. Ned says, of course (🍷), and Olivia says they’re glad he’s here. He shakes hands with them, and Leo runs up, saying, he knows Austin. Austin says Leo has the best memory; he’s Dr. Austin. Leo brings out his fidget spinner, and Austin says, oh wow. He still has it; that’s great. He’s good at looking after his things. Ned says, the things he cares about, and Leo asks if it’s time yet. Olivia says she guesses it is, and suggests he round everybody up. Leo yells, we’re starting, and Ned says, that’s one way to do it. Austin waves to Maxie, who waves back, and Ned says, they heard the man. It’s time for him to marry the woman of his dreams – again.

Kristina tells Alexis, she wants to get to the point where seeing Harmony doesn’t bother her, but she doesn’t think she’s there yet. Alexis says, fair enough, and Kristina says, Sam told her that Harmony stopped Alexis from drinking on New Year’s Eve. Alexis says, when she was in prison, Harmony was there for her when she needed someone to be there for her, and Kristina says, sounds like a good friend. Alexis says, she is, and Kristina says, then Alexis should hang out with her. Alexis says she wants Kristina to be sure; is she sure? Kristina says, Shiloh preyed on Harmony like the rest of them, and let’s be real. She wouldn’t want someone holding her past against her, so permission granted. Alexis deserves a great friend. Alexis says she has a really great daughter, and they hug.

Brad says, so Austin was the new wing man Britt was telling him about. First clubbing, now a coffee date; is there something he should know? Britt says, no. He has eyes for another woman. Brad asks, more important, does he have BFF competition? She says, never, and he says, good answer. She says she’s surprised he wanted to meet here. Isn’t this a little public? He says, Kelly’s? His aunt would never come to a place like this. She says, so she’s a snob and controlling? and he laughs, and says, dare he ask about Peter? He hasn’t relapsed or anything, right? She lowers her voice, and says, does he mean did he end up killing Peter with that poison? No, Peter’s fine. Enough to be heading back to Pentenville tonight anyway. He wonders if his Aunt Selena will let Peter get there alive.

Laura says, they’re here to celebrate something really wonderful – the persistence of love. Every couple gets tested. Every couple has problems. It’s how we come through them that matters. Ned and Olivia have come through theirs stronger, and more committed, and more in love than ever. Olivia says, they have, and Laura says she has the sneaking suspicion they have some things they want to say to each other. Ned says, ladies first, and Olivia says, Ned, Ned, Ned. He says, oh boy, and she says, it’s all good, she promises. She also promises to love him, cherish him, and honor and keep him for the rest of their lives. They will celebrate together, commiserate together. They’ll watch movies and eat Chinese food together. They’ll raise their son together. He says he likes the sound of that, and she says she looks into the future and sees him; the three of them. All of them. She can’t believe how blessed she is. He asks if it’s okay if he makes some promises, and she says, copycat. He says, his beautiful, extraordinary, animal loving wife. He too, vows to love, cherish, honor and keep her the rest of their lives. He’ll fight the good fight with her, and celebrate with her. He’ll sing duets with her. She says, slightly off key, and he says, hey, that’s his wife she’s talking about. And he will raise their son with her. He loves her endlessly. She says she loves him too, and he says, how he got this lucky he’ll never comprehend, but he’s holding onto her, and he’ll be damned if he ever lets go again. He puts a wedding ring on her finger, above the set she’d wearing, and she says, they weren’t doing new rings. He says, he couldn’t resist, but it’s not a replacement ring; it’s a companion ring. She says, it’s perfect, and Laura says, by this renewal of vows in front of family and friends, they’ve once again proclaimed their commitment to their life together. Olivia says, Ned better kiss her if he knows what’s good for him. He asks Laura, may I? and she says, she thinks he better. They kiss and everyone applauds, all happy for a hot minute.

Maxie says she never expected Austin to be here, and he says, Ned invited him. She says, that she expected, but she didn’t expect he’d come. He tells her, he said no at first, but then realized he wanted to know his family… most of them anyway. Plus, he knew she’d be here. She says, an added draw? and he says, maybe. Who is he kidding? Definitely.

Monica congratulates Ned, and hugs him. She says she knew he and Olivia would find their way back, and he thanks her for believing that, even when he had his doubts. She says, some couples are just built for the long haul. They bend, but never break. Ed and Lila were like that; so were she and Alan actually. She thinks he and Olivia fit that pattern, and he says, then they’re in good company, and they hug again.

Dante says he’d ask how Olivia is doing, but she’s absolutely glowing. Sam says she looks beautiful, and she thanks them. She says she had no idea how official the whole thing would feel. She really feels like a new bride all over again. Dante says, Ned better treat her right, or Ned’s going to have to answer to him, and Olivia says she couldn’t love Dante any more than she does. He says he loves her too, and they hug.

Carly looks out the window, and Drew says, they meet again. Is she okay? She says she needed a breather. They were perfectly civil, and that’s what makes it so awful. He says, she means her and Sonny? and she says, there was no screaming; there was no yelling. Clearly, they can be in the same room together. That should make her happy, right? He says, that’s a pretty low bar for happiness, and she says, that’s where she is these days, just trying to keep the peace for their family. He says he’s going to do his part and steer clear of Sonny, just to be safe. She asks, why? Did something happen between him and Sonny?

In the nook, Brook tells Chase, her dad was practically levitating, he’s so happy. She’s so glad everything worked out for them. He says, Ned and Olivia seem like the real deal, and she says, they definitely are. He says he forgot to tell her, she looks great today, and she thanks him, and says, he looks pretty good too. They hear Bailey cry on the monitor, and he says, someone is awake. Why don’t they both go? She says, deal, and they go upstairs.  

Drew tells Carly, he walked in on Sonny and Curtis having… let’s call it a heated discussion. She says, at The Savoy? and he says, yeah. He tried to intervene, but he just made everything worse. He flashes back to Sonny saying, Drew is just a poor shadow of his brother, and tells her, Sonny was acting pretty erratic. She says, in what way? And what was he doing there? Drew says, he was determined to buy out the club for the night, and she says, she told Sonny that she needed time, not some big, romantic gesture, and he says, Curtis shot him down; it’s not going to happen. But she says, he knows Sonny. Once Sonny sets his mind on something, it’s really hard to talk him out of it.

Kristina says, Alexis has hardly talked about her time in Spring Ridge, and Alexis says, it was prison. Lightyears better than Pentenville, but still prison. When she was paying her debt to society, it was hard, and lonely sometimes. Kristina says, and Harmony helped, and Alexis says, she did. Because Harmony had also done time in prison, she could meet Alexis where she was, as an equal. There’s tremendous relief in that kind of shorthand. She didn’t have to explain anything to Harmony. Harmony knew where she was coming from, and knew what she’d be going through when she got out. She thinks the most interesting realization for her was that, like Kristina, Harmony was Shiloh’s victim. Like Kristina, she was desperate for some enlightenment, and he weaponized it against both of them. She gives Harmony a lot of credit for recognizing her mistakes. She testified against him, and didn’t do it in exchange for anything. She got no deal. She went to prison and took her lumps. She did it because she knew it was the right thing to do. Kristina says, kind of like Alexis pleading guilty, and Alexis says, kind of like that. She knows they thought she was out of her mind for doing that, but Harmony understood why, and it’s nice to be able to be that honest with someone, and have someone get you. Isn’t that the essence of a good friendship, to be honest with somebody? Kristina says, sounds right to her.

Britt asks if Brad thinks his aunt is going to try and kill Peter again, but he says he doesn’t know her plans, and doesn’t want to. She says, good, because he needs to be the perfect parolee. He asks if she cares, and she says, if he went back to prison? He says, no, if Peter died, and she says, the world would be a far better place, but she will say this. If Peter meets with an accident of some kind, she doesn’t want GH involved in any way. Get that guy out of her hospital. Brad says, amen.

Sonny says, sorry to interrupt, and congratulates Olivia and Ned again. He says, he wishes he could stay, but he has to get going. Olivia says, he has something more important than them? and he says he’s got some details he needs to take care of. He leaves, and Ned laughs, and Olivia says, okay. When did Ned and Sonny start sharing secrets? He says he’s not quite sure, and she asks, what’s the secret? He says he doesn’t know much, but evidently Sonny is planning a big surprise for Carly. She says, oh no. What is he doing? Carly thinks they’re just getting together to talk. He says he told Sonny it was a bad idea, but he wouldn’t hear it. Olivia says she’s got to warn Carly, but Ned says, maybe they should stay out of this. Olivia says, ha! and goes over to Carly. She says she just heard something she thinks Carly should know about, and Carly says, Sonny is planning something really big, isn’t he? Olivia says, apparently Carly already heard it, and Carly says, she’s on it, and leaves.

Carly asks if she can talk to Sonny a minute in private, and Michael says, no one is at the gatehouse; they could go there. They leave, and Willow asks what he thinks that’s about. Michael says, based on his mom’s tone, nothing good.

Austin says, Maxie disappeared, and she says, she’s in charge, and she needed to take a break. He says, she’s not avoiding him? He’s not a creeper. She says she knows, and he says, she kissed him. She says, she did, and he says, then her mom interrupted, and they couldn’t talk about it. Think they can talk about it now? She says, sure, and he says he knows how he feels. Does she want to tell him what that kiss meant to her?

Harmony knocks at Alexis’s office door, and Alexis says, good. Harmony has impeccable timing; Alexis was just about to call her. She looks at Harmony, and says, what’s wrong? Harmony says she needs Alexis’s help. It’s Willow.

At the gatehouse, Sonny tells Carly, don’t try to get anything out of him, because he’s not talking. She says she already knows he has something planned, and he asks, who ruined the surprise? She says, the surprise was realizing he’s still not listening to her, and that stops now.

Ned and Tracy are alone in the living room, and Tracy closes the doors. Ned says, worried about witnesses? and she says, no. She just wanted a little privacy. They’ve barely had a chance to talk today. He says, it has been a hectic day, and she says, that was not a criticism. Everybody wanted to wish him well because they love him. She just wanted him to know that she loves him too. He says, mother, are we having a moment? She says, they could have, but he ruined it. The doors open, and Michael and Brook come in with some official looking guys. Ned asks, what’s going on? and Michael says, they asked for Tracy. Tracy asks the head official guy if she can help him, and he says she’s under arrest. She says, for what? and he says, felony fraud; trafficking in counterfeit goods. She says she did no such thing. What did she counterfeit? He says, the Ice Princess. By now, everyone else has come in, and Laura looks horrified.

Tomorrow, Maxie tells Austin, not yet; Harmony says, Alexis might not want to be her friend after she hears this; Anna thinks she knows all she needs to know; and Carly says, as far as grand gestures go, it’s pretty perfect.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

We get a preview of the season, and it looks to be a lively one, full of yelling, screaming shrews.

Teresa talked with her daughters about blending families with Luis, who has two sons. She’d always wanted sons, although only one would be living with them; the other was twenty and on his own. She was having a summer kick-off party, and told the girls that she’d invited Melissa and Joe #2. The girls were pissed at Joe #2 for talking smack about Joe #1, and in her interview, Teresa said she and Joe #2 had made peace, but her daughters wanted him to take it back.

Frankie was working for Luis, and said Luis was a good worker and had a good heart. The house was still being renovated, so Dolores had rented a townhouse, but then Frankie graduated from college and Gabby from vet school. In Delores’s interview, she said, Frank’s priorities were off since he had a new young girlfriend, so she hassled him until he said he’d get some things finished.

Some video came out with Luis in it, and we saw tweets that said everything from, it was horrifying, to what the hell is this? Marge said Teresa was going to loose her mind, and I felt out of the loop, since I had no idea what this video was all about. Jackie came over to Marge’s to discuss the video, and described it as, Luis being in the middle of a pack of men, and they were all naked. It looked like Luis had been dragged through the river, and was begging for forgiveness. He was apologizing for something, and obviously had done something wrong. They showed it, but I’m guessing a lot was cut out. It actually looked like someone being artistic and not doing the best job. Like maybe it was the first video they made. Joe #4 said Theresa had to get a clue, but Marge said he forgot they were talking about Teresa. Marge told Jackie that it looked like Luis was on an apology tour in the video, and there were allegations out there. We flashed back to Watch What Happens Live where it was mentioned that Kim D said Luis had been abusive to past girlfriends. Marge said, Jennifer was an unhappy liar who was all smoke and mirrors, and had talked all kinds of smack about her.

Melissa and Joe #2 were glad to get out after quarantine. They met with new Housewife Traci and her husband Tiki Barber. In Melissa’s interview, she said they’d met through a mutual friend, and Joe had been excited about meeting Tiki because of his Giants background and being a sports commentator. Traci asked if Joe and Melissa had gotten a house, but Melissa said they were temporarily living in a rental until their new house was ready. Teresa had just bought a house nearby, and it seemed like Melissa had mixed feelings about that. She said, Luis was like a knight in shining armor to Teresa, but Joe wasn’t so sure. They’d seen Joe #1 make her happy too, and there were a lot of rumors about Luis. In Traci’s interview, she said she didn’t put much stock in rumors. She and Tiki had been married nine years, and he was already separated from his wife when they met. His wife had been eight months pregnant, and it was a media circus with rumors swirling. In Joe #2’s interview, he said, Luis told him about the camp depicted in the video, but when the video came out, he said he wasn’t into that kind of camp. That’s when the lightbulb came on for me. The video was from some kind of men’s retreat, where no doubt they did drum circles and such. In other words, all these horrified, freaked out people were making something out of nothing. On top of it, it had been privately sent to his girlfriend at the time.

Jennifer gotten her nose and chin done when she was in Turkey for her nephew’s christening. In her interview, she said, when she’d gotten her tummy tuck, Bill said she was the worst patient ever, and he was never doing surgery on her again. During the past year, Jennifer had been in a bad place with her mom, because Jennifer’s ailing father had moved in with Jennifer and Bill. Her mom was in Turkey, so Jennifer approached her when she was there, and they hugged it out, her mom crying, and saying, let’s be done with this. Bill said, some issues were better off not being fully addressed, and Jennifer said she wished it was as easy with girls. Marge had a Pride party, and hadn’t invited her.  

Joe #2 had been part of a comedy show in Atlantic City, and when asked about Luis, he hadn’t wanted to talk about it, so he just said something funny. Now Luis was upset with him. Melissa said he did Luis a favor, but Joe said he thought it best if he stayed away, and wasn’t going to Teresa’s pool party. Marge told Joe #3, the last time Teresa had a party, Jennifer was a drunken mess. We flashed back to that, and Joe told Marge that Bill had to pay two grand to get the vomit out of his car. Marge said, some behavior wasn’t forgivable, and Jennifer was getting there.

Dolores said she didn’t know how Luis couldn’t be nervous, but if everyone knew what was good for them, they’d keep their mouths shut. It was the pink elephant in the room. Just for the record. A pink elephant is what you see when you have the DTs; an obvious thing that everyone refuses to talk about is the elephant in the room. In Melissa’s interview, she said they weren’t going to come, but Teresa called Joe #2 the night before. Melissa thought if they didn’t go, it would create more tension. She felt for Joe. He and Teresa put things under the rug, but sh*t never went away. In Jackie’s interview, she said it was better to be friends than enemies with Teresa, because that woman would come for you. Oh yeah, that’s another thing. I hate watching adults behave like middle schoolers.

Dolores told Teresa, when Joe #2 had done the show in Atlantic City, someone asked how he felt about Luis. He’d told them that he was missing Joe #1. Teresa threw Dolores a curveball, and said it was nice of him. In Teresa’s interview, she said, nobody should be getting in Luis’s business. Jackie told Marge that you couldn’t have all this sh*t out there and not expect people to talk about it. When you addressed things, they went away. Joe #3 said, the video was creepy. In Joe #2’s interview, he said, Luis was acting like they were a big happy family, and it was all bullsh*t. In Marge’s interview, she said when someone pretended not to care, and lied about it, that made it seem like they did care. Yeah, she lost me too. She thought Luis needed to address the video, but Teresa said he didn’t owe anybody any explanations. It was part of his past. She said it was her party, and asked that they both be given respect. Okay, I’m definitely down with that. What I hate about all of the Housewives shows are how these women bring up issues at inappropriate times, like someone else’s party. And it’s never just an argument. It’s always a rip-roarer with lots of screaming and yelling and throwing things. Other people’s things. Not acceptable. I had a family member once create a scene at a party I was hosting. Albeit, she was drunk, but her boyfriend (now husband – good luck with that) steered her out and took her home.

Marge told Teresa that everyone loved her and was concerned, but she said she was a big girl. Wow. When Teresa is the voice of reason, I don’t know whether to take notes, or run before there’s an explosion. Jennifer and Bill arrived, and Marge the last time Jennifer was there, her face was on the pavement. Bill told Jennifer, just water. Jackie told Marge that Jennifer had tried to destroy her friendships, and called Melissa and Joe #2 crooked. Marge said Jennifer hadn’t supported her about being sexually harassed. Jennifer had been wearing a bandage, and her party entrance was also her nose reveal, but I wasn’t so sure I liked it. Apparently, I had company because both Dolores and Marge agreed with me; she’d looked better before. Jackie walked past Jennifer, but barely said hello, and no one else talked to her, so Jennifer whined to Teresa. She said she knew Marge was still mad at her because she hadn’t invited Jennifer to her party, but she’d thought she and Jackie had let bygones be bygones. Teresa wasn’t having it, and dragged Jackie over. Jennifer asked if Jackie was mad at her, and said she thought they’d ended on a good note. Jackie said Jennifer had tried to drive s wedge between her and Marge, and Jennifer said she regretted what she said, but it was like all three of them – Jackie, Marge, and Melissa – were against her. Jackie said Jennifer did it to herself, and Jennifer said that she was friends with Teresa and Dolores, but they didn’t stick by her like the other three. She got all weepy, and Jackie said she was a forgiver, but thought Jennifer needed to talk to the others. Marge had already headed over to them, and said Jennifer had called her a snake on social media. Jennifer said, it was tit for tat, but Marge said Jennifer didn’t know when to stop. She thought Jennifer was unhappy. Jennifer insisted she felt blessed, and said Marge was jealous. Marge said Jennifer wasn’t being honest. Jennifer had attacked her from beginning, and called her mother a slut. She made like she was better than everyone. We flashed back to all that, and Marge said, Bill left his job because he’d had an affair with the office manager. Jennifer told her to get it right, it was a pharmacy representative.   

Quote of the night: The chances of her going nuts are pretty high. – Dolores referring to Teresa

There was no preview for next week, because it was a rerun/encore performance/second showing.

👠 Refresher Course…

Prep for this season of RHONJ.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/the-real-housewives-of-new-jersey-season-12-cast-updates-spoilers

👃 You Decide…

Check out the new nose for yourself.

⚖️ Not So Sweet…

I dunno. Any ambulance chaser attorney who calls himself Sweet James is suspect to me.

https://people.com/tv/rhoc-noella-bergener-says-estranged-husband-abandoned-autistic-son-he-denies-claims/

🗺 Foot Back In the Door…

I’m sure she’ll make it nice.

💎 On the Warpath…

Garcelle is not letting Erika off the hook.

https://radaronline.com/p/garcelle-beauvais-calls-out-erika-jayne-refusing-to-return-1-million-diamond-earrings-tom-girardi-victims/

🥀 Gone Too Soon…

A member of The Walking Dead family has walked his last, and was way too young.

https://ew.com/tv/moses-j-moseley-dies-walking-dead-actor/

🍕 Midnight Snacking…

Hope to see you tomorrow for some soap and OC doings. Until then, stay safe, stay distinctive, and stay remembering that the essence of a good friendship is to be honest with someone.

August 12, 2021 – Jason Wants To Talk To Jax, Bluestone BNB & No No No

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the Tan-O, Sonny says he hopes they don’t regret it, and Nina says, leaving the hospital? It’s Lenny’s decision, and Phyllis is a nurse and backed him up. Sonny tells her, the doctor said it was Lenny’s choice whether he wanted to wait for the biopsy or come home. He doesn’t blame Lenny for wanting to come to the Tan-O, rather than staying at the cancer ward. Nina takes his hand, and says, they don’t know anything yet. They could still get that happy ending. Phyllis brings Lenny in, and he says he missed this old place. He tells Phyllis, he’s home, and he’s never leaving again.

Carly says she hopes Jason doesn’t feel like she’s pressuring him, and he says, about what? She says, Donna won’t remember a time he wasn’t her stepfather. They’ve been friends a long time, best friends. Now they’re getting married and that changes things, doesn’t it? Josslyn comes in with a file box, and asks if she’s interrupting.

Jax is waiting for Britt outside her office, and she says, it’s all his fault, pointing to her new Co-Chief of Staff nameplate. He asks, how’s that his fault? She says she took his advice and agreed to share her job with Dr. Randolph. Of course (🍷), if it all blows up in her face, she’ll know who to blame. It’s a joke. What’s with the long face? He asks how much time she’s got.

Curtis asks Portia if there isn’t something he can do to help her out with Trina, and she says she’ll let him know if she thinks of anything. Hell, she probably would have stormed over to Josslyn’s house, and dragged Trina home herself if Jordan hadn’t convinced her not to. Curtis takes her hands, and they turn to see Trina. Portia drops Curtis’s hands like a hot potato, and says, it’s good to see her. She was wondering if they could talk, but Trina says she came to see Stella.

Cameron sees Spencer reading by the pool (🍷), and says War and Peace? Spoiler alert. Andre dies and Natasha marries Pierre. Spencer says, he already finished the book? but Cameron says, he has a job. That’s what Wikipedia is for, but since he saved Spencer about 1000 pages of reading, Spencer can thank him by telling him a little more about this party he’s having on Spoon Island.

Ava tells Nikolas that he can’t be at the gallery, but he says, actually, he can. She says, no, he can’t. If the stalker finds out, it can get worse for them. He says, they won’t, because he knows who the stalker is, and she tells him, then go to the police, and talk to them… He says, so far, the stalker’s been in the shadows, but now he has a name and he has a face. It’s a face Nikolas knows as well as his own, because their stalker is his son.

Sonny asks why Lenny doesn’t have a seat and take a load off, and Nina suggests Lenny let them pamper him. Lenny walks over to the bar, and Nina asks what he’s doing. He says, reminding himself how good this bar feels, and it’s still here. And he’s still here. Nina thinks maybe it’s a good sign they’re taking their time analyzing Lenny’s biopsy,, and Lenny says, he’s been married to Nurse Caulfield long enough to know a test like the one he took is like shooting craps. Sometimes the lab comes up sevens, and sometimes it comes up snake eyes, but until they get that call, please don’t treat him like he’s fragile. Nina says, they’ll try not to, but Phyllis says she’s sorry. She just can’t do that.

Carly says Josslyn could never be interrupting. They were just having a sweet moment with her baby sister. Josslyn says, Donna has a way of bringing people together, and Carly asks, what’s in the box? Josslyn says she was just going through her stuff, deciding what she wanted to bring to her dorm, and what she wants to donate. Carly takes out a doll, and says she’s not going to donate Mrs. Trizzle; she was Josslyn’s favorite. Josslyn says, she still is, but she’s not going to take a doll to her dorm. She wants Donna to have her. Carly says, that’s so sweet. She tells Jason, when Josslyn was Donna’s age, she took Mrs. Trizzle everywhere. Josslyn says she was under the belief that the doll could make all the monsters in her closet go away. If only it was that easy in real life. Jason asks what that means; is Joey Novak bothering her again? Josslyn says, no, she hasn’t seen him. Moss bowl! Jason asks if Devon is staying close, and Josslyn says, he’s an excellent bodyguard, so she’s fine, but she did get a message from her dad. Carly says, about what? and Josslyn says, that’s just it. All it said was, are you okay? So what does she think he meant by that?

Jax says, it’s about his daughter, and Britt asks if Josslyn is okay. He says, no thanks to Carly’s new living arrangements, and Britt says she thought he made peace with Carly and Jason. He says, that was before he learned, despite Carly’s assurances, her marriage to Jason might not actually make his daughter safer. It might do the exact opposite.

Portia says she’s glad to see Trina is okay, and Trina says she’s fine. Joss and her mom made her feel very welcome staying at their house. Portia says, it won’t be long before Trina moves into her dorm, and she’d like to enjoy spending time with Trina before she leaves. Trina says, tonight, she’s hanging out with Joss, Cam, and Spencer, so she’ll probably crash at Joss’s one more night. Can she see Miss Henry? Portia says, actually, Miss Henry has been cleared to go home, but she’ll see if she’s up for a visit before she leaves. She goes to Stella’s room, and Trina says she knows what Curtis is going to say; that she was wrong to make her mom worry. He says, actually, he was going to say he was worried about her too.

Portia goes into Stella’s room, and Stella says she doesn’t know Portia well, but she seems concerned. Has there been some complication? Some reason to keep her there longer? Portia says she’s still cleared to go home, but as far as a complication – Stella says, just tell her – her daughter is outside and would like to see her.

Ava says, Nikolas thinks Spencer is the stalker? and he says, yes. She says, that’s impossible, but he says he thinks they both know, when it comes to his son, nothing is impossible. She says she had a recent conversation with Spencer, and they seemed to reach a kind of detente. He asks if she doesn’t think Spencer is capable of faking a breakthrough, and she says, that doesn’t explain how he could terrorize her long distance. The incidents began long before Spencer came back to Port Charles. Nikolas says, that’s what they were led to believe, and she says she doesn’t understand. He says, the postmark on the letter would suggest otherwise, and she says, what letter? He takes it out, and says, special delivery to Spencer from an old friend of hers. Ryan Chamberlain. She takes the letter from him.

Spencer says he invited some old friends, and Cameron says, like who? Spencer says, Britt Westbourne, and Cameron says, he invited the GH Chief of Staff? Spencer says, she turned him down, but he’s hoping she’ll change her mind. And some friends from school are flying up from the city. Cameron says, flying up? Impressive. Tell him more about the party. Is Spencer flying in a DJ from the city? Maybe London? Spencer says, California, actually. The DJ works some of the hottest clubs in Los Angeles. His friends from school are really looking forward to it. He’s hoping he can broaden the horizons of some of his Port Charles friends. The way he sees it, a good party isn’t just a collection of people; they all have to blend together just so. Cameron asks how they’re supposed to blend with European kids they’ve never met?

Trina says, there’s no reason for Curtis to worry about her. She’s eighteen, she voted, she’s moving into a dorm soon. He says he’s not questioning her independence. He’s simply pointing out she’s been avoiding her mom by staying at Josslyn’s, since she overheard his aunt talking about her mother and him, back when she was still married to Trina’s dad. She says, it wasn’t easy, finding out her mom wasn’t perfect, and sure, there’s a part of her that wishes she’d never found out, but the bigger part of her needed to know. So in a way, Stella did her a favor.

Stella says she’s sure Portia’s daughter isn’t there to bring her flowers. More likely, she’s there to dress her down for telling tales about Portia and Curtis. Honestly, she wouldn’t blame Trina. Portia says her daughter wouldn’t be there unless she cared about Stella. That’s why Trina wants to see her. Stella asks, what about Portia? Does she want Trina to see her, or does she feel Stella has caused enough harm as it is?

Jax tells Britt, he made the choice of giving Carly the benefit of the doubt. Whatever else her marriage to Jason means, he accepted the premise that they’d be stronger together, which would hopefully mean more protection for Josslyn. But instead… Britt says, a random mobster approached his daughter. He says, that’s right. Is he supposed to be okay with that, because it was completely inappropriate. Britt says, his daughter is going to college soon. Does he think inappropriate is going to end when she walks through the ivy-covered gates of PCU? That’s what Title 9 is for. He says, but Title 9 isn’t going to protect her from guys like Joey Novak. Carly invites this kind of threat purely by the nature of her business. She knows that he’s right, and it doesn’t just apply to Carly; it applies to Jason too. She says he has every right to be concerned, but she thinks if he takes a step back, he might see Jason isn’t the problem. In fact, he could be the solution.

Moss bowl! Carly says Josslyn’s father knows about her run-in with Joey Novak, and Josslyn asks why Carly would tell him. Carly says she didn’t; he overheard them talking. Josslyn asks if Carly couldn’t reassure him, and Carly says she tried, but to be fair, he has every right to be concerned. Jason says, he’s not the only one. He ran into Cameron at the boxing gym, and he was hitting the heavy bag like it was Joey Novak. Josslyn says, great, just what she needs. Her father, and now her… friend getting hurt on her account. Jason says, nobody’s going to get hurt. He’s going to make sure of that. Josslyn says, this is what dad doesn’t seem to understand. The two of them getting married is the answer to everything. They trust each other, they can handle any problem that comes up, and bonus, they actually love each other. So her only question is, when is this wedding actually going to happen?

Sonny suggests he and Nina go for a walk, but Phyllis says, no. She wants everyone to hear this. Lenny’s not the only one who came home from the hospital with a different perspective. All along, she insisted Lenny do everything he can, try every treatment, go the extra mile. Nina says, of course (🍷). She’s a nurse. Phyllis says she’s also the woman who loves her husband, but love also means living, not simply existing. There has to be a quality of life. So whatever that biopsy says, whatever lies ahead, she wants Lenny, and the both of them, to know she’s all in. She wants Lenny to savor the time he has and enjoy it. Or as a certain former marine would say, better to die of living than to die of dying. He says, when she puts it that way – he kisses her hand – he may just live forever. They hug, and Sonny and Nina smile at one another.

Lenny goes over to Nina, and says, no tears. The Tan-O is all about good times. It reminds him of an old Cajun buddy he knew back in basic training. He used to say, laissez les bon temps rouler! It means… Sonny says he knows what it means. Let the good times roll! Lenny says, you really do remember the things that count, Mike. That’s pretty special.

Josslyn asks why they haven’t picked a wedding date, or started making plans? Jason gets a free pass because everyone knows he hates social events. He says he doesn’t hate them… Yeah, he pretty much hates them. Josslyn says, he hates party planning, but Carly owns a hotel and can plan big events in her sleep. So what’s stopping her? Carly asks if Josslyn isn’t supposed to meet her friends. She’s going to be starting college soon. She might as well enjoy the summer while she still has it. Josslyn says Carly is right; she should meet Cam and Trina. She asks if it’s okay to leave the box for Carly to drop off. Also, don’t worry, but she may be back late tonight. Carly says, how late? and Josslyn asks if Carly didn’t just tell her to go off with her friends and enjoy her summer. A couple of them are getting together one last time before they part ways for college. Carly says, that’s vague. Who all is going to be there? Josslyn says, Trina, Cameron, Spencer, the usual crew. Does she need to be more specific? Carly is pretty sure that’s the best she’s going to get, and Jason says he’s going to have Tony drive Josslyn. Josslyn asks, why? Tony is great, but Devon gets the job done. Jason says, Tony has more experience. There’s going to be a lot of kids, a lot going on, a possible distractions. He’d feel better if Tony was with her. She says, okay, and Carly says, Tony knows how to be unobtrusive. He’ll stay out of the way and respect her privacy… to an extent. Josslyn says, oh joy, and Jason says he’s sorry. Josslyn says, it is what it is, and he asks if she’s heading to the pool (🍷) now. She says she is, and he says he’ll have Tony meet her there. Moss bowl! Josslyn says, not tonight, but sometime in the near future, they really should talk about her getting her own car. That way, Tony, or whoever it might be, can follow her. Like a discreet tail. Like a Secret Service Agent. Carly says they’ll definitely think about that, and Josslyn leaves. Carly thanks Jason, and he says, for what? She says, making sure that wasn’t a mother/daughter issue, and he says she’s welcome. But his work is only beginning. She asks what that’s supposed to mean, and he says he has to talk to Jax.

Jax can’t believe Britt is defending Jason. The guy’s a magnet for violence. She says she’s not denying violence is a part of Jason’s life, but from her experience, Jason can also be the best defense against it. Case in point, the time he escaped from GH. Jax says, the time he almost got her killed, but she says, no. Jax couldn’t be more wrong. Cyrus figured out that she was on to the illegal drugs he was manufacturing, so he sent his goons to her office. They were five seconds away from injecting her with a lethal overdose, when Jason jeopardized his own escape to save her. She’s alive because of him. He says, what is it with Jason Morgan? No matter how much damage he causes, he has otherwise intelligent people lining up to forgive him for almost anything.

Curtis says the last thing he wanted was for Trina to get hurt. Like he always tells TJ, actions have consequences, so if she wants to blame someone, blame him. Stella needs to recover, and all Trina’s mom has been doing for the last few days is worrying about Trina. Portia comes back, and asks if everything is okay. Curtis says, yeah; they were just talking. Trina asks if she can see Stella now, and Portia says Stella is expecting her. Trina goes to Stella’s room, and Curtis says, she’s a helluva kid. Portia says, which only makes it more painful to know she’s disappointed Trina so much.

Trina tells Stella that Cameron told her what happened at Kelly’s, and Stella says she’s so grateful. If Cameron hadn’t acted so quickly… Trina says she’s so sorry, but Stella says, please. Let her talk first. She’s really glad Trina came, because it gives her a chance to say how sorry she is; how very, very sorry.

Cameron says, if Spencer is afraid that Joss, Trina, and him are going to embarrass him in front of his Euro friends, screw him and his party. He gets up, and Spencer says, wait. It’s not like that. He follows Cameron over to the bar, and says, it’s the other way around. Cameron asks what he means, and Spencer says, it’s not like he didn’t meet tons of people overseas, but they’re more like acquaintances, not actual friends. They can talk for days about fashion or fusion cuisine or who’s hooked up with who, but it’s all surface. Superficial. No one asked him once if he missed his dad. They all just wanted to know what kind of care he drove. Tonight, he wants them to see what real friends are like. That’s one of the big reasons he came home, because he wanted things to be more… Cameron says, dull? Pedestrian? Spencer says, authentic. Why does Cameron think he likes Trina so much? She doesn’t BS; she tells it like it is. Cameron says he’s right about that. Maybe if Trina can put up with Spencer, he and Joss can try to put up with his Euro friends. Spencer was hoping he’d say that, and asks if Cameron won’t mind hopping on the phone and inviting some more people like himself. Cameron asks if he means more townies, and Spencer laughs.

Ava reads, my apologies for the disappointment called your father. Don’t let his and Ava’s selfishness stymy your progress. Looking forward to more tales of your exploits. Ryan. She tells Nikolas, so this is Ryan’s sick idea of a fan letter, but how does it make Spencer the stalker? He says, Spencer lied about when he received the letter from Ryan, and before that, he caught Spencer in another lie. He admitted he knew about the cockroach. He talked his way out of that one, but it all adds up, because Ryan couldn’t have possibly done all those things to threaten him, but Spencer could have. She says, but all those things happened weeks before Spencer came to town, and he says they only have Spencer’s word that he was on the Amalfi Coast. What if Spencer returned to Port Charles weeks before he walked through the front door of Windymere? He’s got the money and the resources to hide, and he’s crafty enough to make all the various incidents look like they were planned by a madman obsessed with her, except nothing about it was crazy. Everything was calculated to drive them apart, and it almost succeeded. She says she understands Spencer has reason to resent her, hate her even, but why would he do this to Nikolas? He loves Nikolas. Nikolas says, the father that let him believe he died. The father that abandoned him, and wasn’t there for him. Whatever Spencer’s done, whatever the reasons, it’s as much his fault as it is Spencer’s. That’s why he has to put a stop to Spencer’s plans, and give him a taste of his own medicine – tonight. Ava tells him, stop. That is the last thing he should do.

Lenny puts on some Cajun music, and tells Phyllis, he won’t take no for an answer. She says he’s incorrigible, and he says that’s why she loves him. He and Phyllis dance, and it looks like loads of fun. Nina and Sonny bop to the music.

Ava tells Nikolas, she knows Ryan’s letter seems incriminating, but it’s hardly a smoking gun. Why doesn’t he give Spencer a chance to explain himself? He says he already tried. He showed Spencer the letter, suggested its implications, and Spencer never even broke a sweat. She asks if that didn’t tell him anything, and he says, yes. It tells him that Spencer is his father’s son. And even when he wasn’t there in person, he was still teaching Spencer the Cassadine way. Maybe it’s in his DNA, or maybe those three years Nikolas was away taught Spencer all the lesson he needed. Regardless, he knows Spencer is the stalker, and it’s up to him to help Spencer, even if it makes Spencer hate him.

Cameron says, let him get this straight; Spencer wants him to invite more authentic people. Spencer says, he’s been away so long, he’s practically a stranger. Doesn’t Cameron know anyone that’s cool? The more the merrier. Josslyn joins them, and asks what Spencer is doing there. Spencer says, not happy to see him? and she says, just a little suspicious. Ragers on islands don’t throw themselves; they require planning. Is he there planning the party, or is there still a party?

Trina says Stella doesn’t owe her an apology. All she did was tell Trina the truth. Stella says she can hear the hurt in Trina’s voice. A multitude of sins can hide behind the truth. Since her stroke, her short term memory has been hazy, but Curtis helped her fill in some of the blanks, and it leaves her ashamed and embarrassed. Not only was she way out of line when she sat in judgement of Trina’s mother, but she made things so much worse by confronting her in public where Trina could overhear. Does Trina think she can find a way to forgive her? Trina says she still thinks there’s nothing to forgive. Stella says that’s very generous of her. She doesn’t think Trina’s mother feels the same way.

Curtis says, Trina is disappointed, but that’s only because Portia has always been a hero to her. Portia says, exactly, and now she’s failed Trina. He says, Portia didn’t fail her; she turned out to be perfectly human and capable of making mistakes. Sooner or later, shouldn’t every kid find that out about their parents? She says, some lessons are just too hard and painful, especially with Trina going off to college soon. What if they don’t get past this?

Phyllis and Lenny finish their dance, and take a bow, while Sonny and Nina applaud. Lenny is winded though, and Sonny asks if he’s okay. Lenny says he’s just a little out of practice, but Phyllis says he’s out of breath. She wants to take him home and put him to bed. He says, what did she just tell him; love means living. Nina says they can all drink to that, and Phyllis says, then let her take him outside while the sun’s still shining. He can put his feet up, she’ll pour him a nice glass of ice tea, and they can plan that trip they’ve been meaning to take. Lenny says, to the islands? and she says, no time like the present. They leave, arm-in-arm, and Sonny says, it might sound strange, but he envies those two. Nina says she gets it. Some people live a lifetime, and never find a love like that.

Carly asks if it’s a good idea to talk to Jax, and Jason says, if Jax has concerns, he wants Jax to deal with him, not her or Josslyn. She says, Jax was never a fan of Sonny’s. To him, Jason was the lesser of two evils. Jason says, not anymore. Moss bowl! Carly says, it was one thing when she and Jason were friends. Jax didn’t love it, but he tolerated it. Now everything’s changed. He thinks she’s picking Jason over her kids, and she’s putting her kids in danger for a chance to be with him. Jason says, that’s not true. It’s the exact opposite. They’re getting married because it’s the safest option. She says, right, and he says, it only works because of what they are to each other. She says she’s scared of how this is going to change things between them, and he says, it’s as new for him as it is for her. He takes her hand, and says, they’re just going to have to figure this out… together, okay? She says, yeah, and asks him to drop the box off at the community center for her, starting a honey-do list for him already. He takes the box, walks past the hallowed moss bowl, and Carly hugs Mrs. Trizzle to her chest.

Sonny asks why Nina is smiling, and she says she’s grateful that he reached out to her when he did when she was in Port Charles. Not just to help Phyllis and Lenny with the treatment costs, but she feels so blessed to be with them at this time. And him. No matter how much time they have left. He asks if she’s talking about Lenny and Phyllis, or her and him, and she says, why don’t they take a page out of Lenny’s book, and live every moment they’re given as if it were their last. He says, yeah, and kisses her.

Trina tells Curtis that his aunt would like to see him, and he goes into Stella’s room. Portia asks Trina how it went with Stella, and she says, no offense, but she thinks that’s between her and Miss Henry. Portia says she’s right. She almost has a college student on her hands. She’s sorry she keeps treating Trina like a little kid. And she’s sorry she hurt Trina by the choices she’s made in the past, her time with Curtis while she was still married to Trina’s father. Honestly, those are things she never wanted Trina to know, but now she does. Does Trina think she can find it in her heart to forgive her?

Spencer tells Josslyn, yes, there’s an actual party, as they will soon see for themselves. They sit, and Josslyn asks if it’s just going to magically appear on Spoon Island. What about his father? Spencer says, he’s off to Dubai on business. Is that gentleman with her? Josslyn says, that’s Devon. He’s there until Tony takes over. Spencer says, Tony? and she says, he’s an excellent bodyguard. Spencer asks if it doesn’t bother her having constant supervision, but she says, you get used to it. He says, tell him about it. His dad keeps a close eye on him too. He guesses it shows how much he cares.

Ava says Nikolas has lost so much time with his son. They’ve just begun to repair that relationship. Does he really want to jeopardize that based on one letter from Ryan and a questionable timeline? What if he’s wrong? He says he’s not. This is their shot, maybe their last shot, at unmasking the stalker, and finally putting their family back together. She says, but Spencer is part of that family, and he says he knows that, but Spencer’s no longer a child. His antics aren’t cute anymore. For his own sake, as well as theirs, Spencer needs to be stopped. She tells him, don’t take Spencer’s love for granted. Nikolas almost lost him once, and it nearly broke his heart. Don’t risk losing him again. He says, when this night is over, he won’t lose his son. He’ll have him back. The son he knows and loves, and he and Ava will finally be back together again.

Josslyn asks if Cameron is up for a party, and he says, try and stop him. Spencer says he’s in too. Let’s make tonight a night to remember.

Trina tells Portia, she had a talk with Ava. She thinks she should try and patch things up with Portia. Portia asks what Trina thinks about that advice, and Trina says, honestly, she’s not sure why she’s angry or who she’s mad at. She spent her whole life thinking one thing, and now she finds out there’s something she knew nothing about. It’s just a lot to process. Portia says she understands that, and Trina says, all she knows is, she missed Portia these past two days. Portia says she missed Trina too, and Trina says, tonight she’s hanging out with Spencer, Joss, and Cam, so she needs to get ready, but maybe they can talk later when she comes home. Portia says she’d like that, and Trina leaves.

Stella tells Curtis, she’s very impressed with Portia’s daughter. It seems she was raised right. She should have given Trina’s mother more credit. If Portia’s daughter is any indication, Portia must be a fine person. Curtis says, on that, they agree, and puts his hand on hers.

Jax tells Britt, he hated Sonny from the day he met him, but Jason was more difficult. In the beginning, he was misguided. He alienated himself from his family, and Sonny took Jason under his wing. But over the years, he watched Jason choose this life. He had plenty of opportunities to get out, but he didn’t, so the violence that follows him, even if it’s not of his own making, Jason is responsible for. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking he’s some kind of hero. He’s just not. She says, Jason is no longer a part of her life, but that doesn’t stop her from thinking he’s a good guy. He says, good guys don’t put his daughter at risk, and she says, don’t tell her that, tell him. Jax turns to see Jason in the doorway.

Nina says, there’s Lenny, playing Cupid with the playlist, and Sonny says, better not disappoint him. She says, okay, and they slow dance.

Carly tells Mrs. Trizzle that she doesn’t know what to do. Sonny was her life. Sonny’s gone, and she doesn’t know what the future holds with Jason. She just knows she can’t live in the past. She has to let go. Sonny appears, and says, that’s easier said than done. Carly smiles.

Tomorrow, Spencer asks who’s ready for some epic misbehavior, Sonny suggests he and Nina make long term plans, and Jax tells Jason to do the right thing, and end this before someone gets hurt.

🕍 A Night To Remember…

Now you too, can sleep in the fish room.

https://nypost.com/2021/08/10/rhonys-dorinda-medley-lists-blue-stone-manor-on-airbnb/

💰 Million On the Morrow…

Join me tomorrow for some Friday soap and expensive real estate. Until then, stay safe, stay thriving, and stay letting the good times roll.

July 15, 2021 – Who Knew the MetroCourt Had a Pool, Moving In To Sell, For Only $15 Million & Cool

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis and Portia run into each other, making a move for the same lounge chair at the MetroCourt pool. (New set!)

New York City. Valentin brings coffee over to the table where he and Anna are sitting in a bar/restaurant. He tells her that he managed to locate the source of the singalong in the back room. Apparently there’s a woman leading them in a chorus of Danny Boy; she’s the owner. Anna is messing with her phone, but says, if there were any other circumstances, she’d join in. He says, no she wouldn’t, and she says he’s right. He asks if she’s heard from her aviation contact, and she says, she just got off the phone with her. Anna thinks David Hopkins is their key to finding Peter, and if the flight route is correct, he’s on his way to New York Methodist. Valentin points across the street, and says, that New York Methodist? That’s convenient.

In the New York Methodist emergency room, Phyllis says, this is ridiculous, but Lenny says his chest pains didn’t warrant a visit to the ER. (Good luck with that in NYC. Maybe they’ll see him in a month.) Sonny says Lenny has come a long way. He might as well see the doctor. The doctor comes out, and says they must be the Caulfields, but Sonny says he’s just a family friend. Phyllis thanks the doctor for seeing them, and says her husband is in a great deal of pain. The doctor says they’ll run some tests, and Lenny goes with her. Phyllis and Sonny hug.

Spinelli plays with the umbrella from his drink at the MetroCourt bar, when Jason approaches. Spinelli tells him, gracious greetings, and Jason asks if everything is okay. Spinelli says, the answer depends on which lens you’re looking through. He and Ellie are over.

Gladys and Brando go to the pool, and as Gladys sits in a lounge chair, she says she has to give it to the Widow Corinthos; she knows how to put on a scene. This place is hopping. It’s the perfect spot to show off her new look.  She takes her sun hat off, shaking her hair out, and we see she’s got highlights now. She says, risking her life to see that justice is served has given her a whole new perspective. He says, is that so? and she says she almost died. She has to embrace life after such a harrowing ordeal. Brighten things up a little; invest in herself. He says her hair does look good, and she says, Silas said it took ten years off her looks. She says fifteen, easy. He laughs and says, as long as she likes it. She sees a waiter, and asks how Brando thinks the bloody Mary’s work. On the house, like at the casino? He asks if this looks like a casino. If you want a drink, you pay for it. She says, too bad. She hopes she’s not cramping his style, and he asks what she means. She says he’s a young, good-looking guy. There are plenty of eligible young ladies here. He says he’s not trying to pick anyone up, and she says, so he and Sasha are a thing. It sounded like Sasha wasn’t too clear on where he stood with her, or his baby.

At the MetroCourt restaurant, Maxie thanks Sasha for doing this for her, especially on such short notice, and on her day off. Sasha says, of course (🍷). She was going to check out the pool anyway. What’s up? Maxie hands her some papers, and says, it’s research and press information that she’ll need to make another pitch to Labella. Sasha says she thought getting their products on the shelves was Maxie’s area of expertise, and Maxie says, it is. She’s taking a step back. Sasha says, from Deception? and Maxie says, from everything, but definitely from work. She talked to Lucy; she knows Maxie is taking a leave of absence. Sasha asks, for how long? and Maxie says, just for a few weeks. The kidnapping has been traumatizing – Sasha says, of course (🍷) it hasand being in Port Charles is making it worse. Sasha says she’s so sorry. She’s sure having a pregnant co-worker isn’t helping, but Maxie says, no. This doesn’t have anything to do with Sasha at all.

Brook comes into Nina’s apartment, wheeling Bailey in the carriage, and says, at ease, Yuri. She tells him that he can wait in the hallway, and Nina asks if he wants a bottle of water or something. Brook says, he’d prefer flat, and Nina goes to get it. Brook tells Yuri that it’s a secure building with vigilant doormen, so he can stand guard, but no accosting anyone. Nina comes back with the water, and he tells her (I assume) thank you in his native language. Nina says she doesn’t know what that was, but she’s got him. She closes the door, and Brook apologizes for the entourage. Nina says, Valentin? and Brook says, how’d she guess? Nina says she got there quickly, and Brook says there was some major drama at the house – what else is new? – so that was incentive to get there, but she also wants to prove herself to Nina and Deception. Nina thanks her for that, but says, this has nothing to do with work. Brook asks what it’s about, and Nina says she knows Brook’s secret.

Portia says she guesses she and Curtis had the same idea, and he says, he and TJ just wanted to get some sun. She says, it’s a perfect day for it, and tells him, enjoy. She starts to pick up her bag, and he asks what she’s doing. She says she thinks she’ll find somewhere else to sit. He says she was there first; they’ll find someplace else. She says, no, she will. TJ joins them and says, hello, and she says, hi, TJ. Wait. Dr. Ashford is what she should say, right? Congratulations. They’re all very proud of him. He thanks her, and says, he gives it a week before she and the senior staff are complaining about him like they do the other interns. She says she highly doubts it, and TJ asks if Curtis wants to swim. Curtis says he’ll be there in a minute, and TJ goes in the pool. Portia asks if it’s going to be awkward between them.

Nina says, Bailey’s not Brook’s, and Brook starts to protest, but Nina says, she belongs to Maxie and Peter. Brook asks how she found out, and Nina says, how does she think? Maxie. She’s losing her mind, understandably so. She needed someone to confide in. Brook says, she gets that, but she and Maxie agreed it was necessary to protect Louise from Peter. She must have told Nina that. Nina says she did, and Brook says, she didn’t believe Maxie? Nina says she did – she does believe her, that she’s trying to protect her daughter. The person she can’t figure out is Brook.

Maxie asks how Sasha’s pregnancy is going, and Sasha says, overwhelming. Maxie says, that’s pregnancy in a nutshell, especially when it’s your first time, and Sasha says, it’s a lot to take on alone. Maxie says, but she’s not alone. She has Brando to help out, right?

Brando tells Gladys, he has no reason to think Sasha doesn’t want him to be a part of her life, or the baby’s. Gladys smiles, and he says he doesn’t know; they haven’t talked about it. She says, exactly. Maybe Sasha is worried about him being a good provider. Brando says, the 1950s called. They want their sexism back. Sasha has her own company, and doesn’t need him to provide for anything. She says, so that’s it? He made his donation, now hit the road? He laughs, and says, my God, and she tells him, she’s just saying. Maybe it’s time for him to worry about his own career. He says, the garage is doing fine, but she says, fine isn’t good enough. Carly walks in, and Gladys says, now the <air quotes> Corinthos Coffee Company <end air quotes>, that’s where the money is. And there’s been a shake-up in management lately, to put it mildly. Brando needs to strike while the iron is hot. With Sonny gone, this is his time.

Spinelli tells Jason, he didn’t realize he and Ellie’s relationship was moving in a direction she’s not comfortable with. She said if she wanted to find a different life, she needed to act now. She’s not wrong. Jason says, no. She’s got to do what’s right for her, and Spinelli has to do what’s right for him. He doesn’t have to choose Jason and the business over Ellie. He can always walk away. Spinelli says, no, he can’t.

Portia says she meant every word she said the other day, and Curtis says, every word? She says, being together with him while he’s on the rebound… He says she’s not a rebound, and she says, it’s not worth the risk of losing him as a friend. She misses the way it used to be, just hanging out and having fun. He says he misses that too, and she suggests they just rewind. Go back to the way things were before she kissed him. He asks if she really thinks it’s that simple, and she says, probably not, but it’s worth a try. Tell TJ that she’ll speak with him later. She leaves, and Curtis watches her.

Spinelli says he misses Ellie, but the bulk of their relationship was during Jason’s absence. The person he was without Jason could fit into Ellie’s world perfectly; he let her take the lead. Jason says Spinelli can still be that person, but Spinelli says he doesn’t want to be. He likes working for Jason. It’s where he’s comfortable. It’s where he thrives. He wants to use his substantial skills, and wants to play for big stakes, take chances. He realized that, and it forced him to face the facts. Ellie’s life and career goals don’t match up with his anymore. Jason asks if Spinelli is okay with that, and Spinelli says he desperately wants her to stay, but that would be selfish. Holding on when he knows it’s wrong would be the wrong thing. Telling her that he’ll change when he knows he won’t. Jason says, to start a new life that he doesn’t believe in, and Spinelli says he knows he’s doing the right thing. Jason says, that doesn’t make it any easier, does it? and Spinelli says, no, it doesn’t. Jason pats him on the shoulder.

Carly tells Brando and Gladys, welcome, and Gladys asks if Carly’s ears were burning, or is she in the habit of sneaking up on all her guests? Carly asks if they’re enjoying themselves, and Gladys says, yes, but not as much as Carly is. She heard about Carly’s engagement to Jason, and Brando tells Carly, congratulations. He’s really happy for them. She thanks him, and Gladys says she’s sure her dearly departed cousin would agree. Carly suggests Brando get his mother a drink, and tell the bartender the tab is on her for the rest of the afternoon. Gladys says, so generous, and Brando leaves. Gladys says, Carly is finally deciding to treat them like family, and Carly says, Gladys is a lot of things, but family isn’t one of them.

Sasha says, Maxie is right; Brando definitely wants to be involved with the baby. Maxie says, but she doesn’t want him to be. Or maybe she doesn’t want to raise the baby at all. Sasha says, she does. It’s not exactly the timetable she envisioned, but she’s always wanted to be a mom. Maxie asks, what’s the problem? and Sasha says, it’s not a problem per se, it’s just that Brando’s such a great guy. He’s so excited about the pregnancy, and them being a family… Maxie says, but? and Sasha says, but he has close ties to Carly and Jason, and that whole life. It makes her a little nervous.

Phyllis tells Sonny, she’s trying so hard not to be one of those people asking constant questions while the doctors are still trying to figure things out. He says, she sees it all the time at the clinic, and she says she does, but she never realized until now how hard it is to just wait. Sonny says he’s glad they got in some sightseeing, and she says, her too. She and Lenny haven’t been to New York in so long, it brought back a lot of memories. She sits, and says, what about him? Does he think he’s ever been there before? He says, it did seem familiar for a second, but he thinks it’s just from TV and the movies. She says, so that’s where his mind was this morning. She noticed he was distracted. She figured he was thinking about his call with Nina the other day.

Brook tells Nina, she admits in the beginning it was all a manipulation. She wanted to redeem herself from the whole ELQ debacle. Nina says, in her father’s eyes, and Brook says, and in her own. When she initially reached out to Maxie with her proposal – Nina says, interesting word choice – Brook wanted to help her, but It was also serendipity. Maxie needed someone to hide a baby at the exact moment Brook needed a baby. It was a win-win, and it was at that time she learned what a psycho Peter really is. So that’s what it became for her, a way to protect this precious little girl, because Peter is way more dangerous than Nina knows. Nina says, Brook doesn’t have to tell her that, and Brook says she got so wrapped up in the Louise aspect, the whole stock thing just fell by the wayside. She had to play it out, since that was the original premise. Nina says, and if she lost interest, Valentin would get suspicious and might figure it out, and Brook says, exactly. Nina says this is where the plan loses her, because Valentin is nothing if not a great father. It’s his Achille’s heel. It’s where he goes from cold and calculating, to a goofy pile of mush. Brook says, true, and Nina says, so she also knows there would be no one in the world more willing to protect that baby from Peter than Valentin. So why not tell Valentin the truth?

Anna tells Valentin that she thinks they should wait for confirmation before they head over to the hospital. The longer they’re hanging out there, the more suspicious they appear. Valentin agrees, and says he can think of worse places to hang out. He asks if she knows what this place reminds him of. That pub in Dublin… She says, Mulligan’s, and he says, they were there celebrating their first field assignment from the Academy. Remember that? She says, vaguely, and he says, this from a women who remembered the name in two seconds flat. She says she doesn’t enjoy thinking about that time in her life, and frankly, neither should he. He asks if it’s their troubled past that’s got her in such a mood, but she says she’s not in a mood. This isn’t a mood. Yes, because what else would it be about? He says, us. Here and now.

Jason says Spinelli probably figured this out already, but he and Carly are… Spinelli says, getting married to present a united front to the outside world? Surprising, but at the same time, not surprising. Jason and Carly are soulmates. Perhaps not romantically, but in every other sense of the word. They support and love each other like no one else can. So it might be for optics, but he for one can imagine a more perfect union. He clinks his glass against Jason’s.

Brando sees TJ getting out of the pool, and says, what’s up? Cool spot, huh? TJ says he envisions himself spending a lot of time there. Brando tells him, have a good one, and starts to walk away, but TJ says, congratulations on the baby. He doesn’t think he said it when Brando told them Sasha was pregnant. Brando says TJ doesn’t have to do that, and TJ says, do what? Brando says, be the bigger person. TJ was the first real friend he had in this town, and he screwed it up by not telling him the truth. TJ says, Brando did, but he’s been thinking a lot lately about lost time, and was reminded that holding grudges doesn’t do them much good. So, seriously, best of luck to him. Brando says, thanks, and they bro shake.

Carly says she appreciates Glady’s assistance in ridding this town of Cyrus, but that is the end of their professional relationship. Gladys says, but it shouldn’t be for her son. Brando deserves a bigger piece of the pie. Carly says, what’s funny is, if there’s one thing that makes Jason not want Brando to be a part of the business, it’s because he’s attached to Gladys. Gladys says, it’s his birthright. He’s the only real Corinthos left. Or at least the only one old enough to want a piece of this. Joey Novak walks in, and Carly says, this conversation’s over. Gladys says, because Carly says so, and Carly says, yeah, pretty much. She walks over to Joey, and asks what he’s doing there.

Sasha tells Maxie, don’t get her wrong. She really likes the Corinthos family. When she was dating Michael, she got to know them pretty well, and she knows they’d put the safety of their loved ones above all else. Maxie says she can vouch for that, and Sasha says, but at the end of the day, there’s only so much they can do. She doesn’t want to raise her child like that. When every time they leave the house, she holds her breath, praying they make it home. Maxie says, FYI, she’s always going to feel that way as a mom. Mob life or no mob life. Sasha says, great, and Maxie says, of course (🍷) she completely understands. Sasha asks what she should do, and Maxie says she thinks Sasha needs to be realistic about Brando’s involvement in all of this. Like, how committed does he seem to this alleged organized crime thing? Sasha says, Brando only went to work for Cyrus as a favor to Sonny and Jason, and Maxie says she figured that. Brando seems like a really nice guy, and Cyrus definitely doesn’t. Sasha says she can’t really complain, since working for Cyrus put Brando in a position to save her life. Maxie says, fortunately, Cyrus was shipped off to federal prison where he belongs, and she knows from experience that Jason would never force someone to work for him who doesn’t want to. Brando’s kind of free to be the man he wants to be.

Sonny tells Phyllis that he talked to Nina, and it was nice, but it was kind of hard keeping this from her. She needs to know what’s going on with Lenny. Phyllis says, and she should, and she’s going to tell Nina once they have more information. Does he want anything from the vending machine? He says he’s good; he doesn’t want anything. She says, her neither, but she wants to get up and walk around. She tells him, don’t let Nina slip through the cracks. He’ll regret it if he does. She leaves.

Nina says, to keep Valentin believing, and loving, this baby as if it was his own child, it’s not fair. Brook says she doesn’t disagree necessarily, but it’s Maxie’s daughter; it’s her call. Nina says she knows, and she wouldn’t go against that. It just makes her sad. Brook says, all she can hope, is that when Valentin finds out, no matter how angry and disappointed he is, that he understands why she and Maxie felt the ends justified the means. Nina says, he will understand. The only thing up for debate is Valentin’s broken heart. He’s not going to stop protecting that baby. He’ll fight for that baby, and he will play his role to the hilt. They both know that. Come on. Brook says, okay, so what about Charlotte?

Valentin says, he and Anna aren’t children. He doesn’t know why they can’t discuss this like adults. She says because she’s way over it. He says he likes her. He has feelings for her, and she has feelings for him. She tells him, if he says so, and he tells her, he does say so, and so would she if she’d stop fighting it. She says, it was a kiss, a fleeting kiss, and he says, which had been building for years. There was nothing fleeting about that kiss. He’s felt this way about her his entire adult life. This is real. He can see it’s scaring her. She asks if she looks scared, and he says, no, but something’s happening here, and he’d like her to admit that. Her phone dings, and she looks at it. She says, Hopkins has returned to the hospital. It’s go time.

TJ joins Curtis on the chairs, and asks where Portia is. Curtis says, she found another spot. She said she’d see TJ around the hospital. TJ says he was hoping to get in good with her, but Curtis thinks he’s in good already. TJ asks if Curtis is ever going to talk to him about this. He knows there’s something going on between them. Curtis says maybe TJ should have spent more time being a P.I. instead of being a doctor. TJ says Curtis raced to Portia’s place when he thought she was in trouble, and Portia didn’t leave his bedside at GH. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon. Curtis says, one day, TJ could be one, and leans back in his chair.

Joey says, Mrs. Corinthos. He holds out his hand, and says, Joey Novak. She ignores his hand, and says, nice to meet him. What is he doing at her hotel? From a distance, Gladys and Brando watch. Joey says he thought Carly should know, her fiancé isn’t as secure as he thinks he is. She says, is that so? and he says, the Novaks are in a position to make things very unpleasant for her family, so please, give Jason this message. Jason got the jump on him once, but he’s not afraid of him. She says, it sounds like he wants to speak to her fiancé himself. Why don’t they call him down there? Brando walks up, and says, Mr. Novak. Brando’s heard a lot about him. It’s good to see him in Port Charles. Joey asks who Brando is, and Brando holds out his hand, saying, Brando Corbin. Sonny Corinthos is his cousin; was his cousin. Joey shakes his hand, and Brando says, if he can ever be of any assistance to Joey, his garage is over on Third Street. Any Novak vehicles in Port Charles, consider them taken care of.

Spinelli sees Maxie, and she says she’s glad she ran into him. She has a favor to ask him. Actually, he probably won’t think of it as a favor; he’ll want to say yes. She and James are going out of town for a few weeks. He asks where she’s going, and she says, to visit her family in Texas. Anna said she’d be as much in the loop there as here. Spinelli says, if anything comes up with Baby Louise, she’ll be the first to know. And the favor? She says she doesn’t want to intrude on their custody arrangement, but would he and Ellie be okay keeping Georgie while she and James are gone? He tells her that he’s not sure that would be the best idea.

Brook tells Nina to really think about it. If they tell Valentin the truth, she doesn’t think he’ll tell Charlotte? There’s no way he would allow her to continue falling in love with her little sister. Nina says, that’s already happening, but Brook says, except he doesn’t know, and Valentin is complicated. Like Nina said, he’s a really great father, and nothing’s more important to him than Charlotte. Nina says, and now Bailey, and Brook says, so why would they put him in that position? He either has to lie to Charlotte – which she’s not sure he would – or tell her the truth. Then they’re burdening this young girl… No, they can carry this. When this all comes crashing down, Valentin loses out big. And Brook hates that. So tell her. If Nina had to pick one person who she knew could handle this devastating loss, that she knew was strong enough to survive this, who would she pick? Nina says, Valentin.

The doctor comes out, and asks Sonny if Phyllis is there, but he says she stepped away. He’ll get her. The doctor says, that’s all right. Lenny has given her permission to bring him in on the conversation. Why doesn’t he follow her? She’ll let the staff know where to tell Phyllis to find them. Sonny goes into the examining room, just as Anna and Valentin walk into the waiting room.

TJ says, if Curtis doesn’t want to talk about this because of his mom, he gets it, but he’s not a kid. Curtis says, no, he’s not a kid, and TJ says, mom is mom. He’ll always want her to be happy, but Curtis is his family too. Curtis says the vibe TJ is picking up on between him and Portia was a slow burn, and it happened after he and TJ’s mother were separated. It doesn’t matter now, because he and Portia have decided to just be friends. TJ says, because it’s what Curtis thinks he should do, or because it’s what he wants to do? Maybe he should clear that up.

Sonny asks Lenny if they shouldn’t wait for Phyllis, but Lenny says, Dr. Kishore doesn’t want him to lose his place in line for a scan. They have to move quickly. Sonny says, sounds serious, but the doctor says, despite Lenny’s chest pains, there’s no immediate danger. She did see something in one of the tests that she wants to follow up on. It could be nothing. Sonny says they’re still going to do a scan, right? and Lenny tells Sonny, explain to Phyllis, so she doesn’t worry too much. Sonny tells Lenny to get checked out, and Dr. Kishore says, that’s the plan. She tells Sonny that he can wait there, but Sonny says he’s going to look for Phyllis. Lenny goes with the doctor, and in the hallway, Sonny sees a cap just like Mike’s smart cap, lying on the floor. He picks it up, and remembers telling Mike that he forgave him a long time ago, and wants him to go in peace and love. He goes back in the examining room, and ponders the cap.

Joey says he likes Brando’s attitude. Carly’s fiancé could learn a thing or two from this guy. Carly tells him, have a nice day, Mr. Novak, and Joey leaves. Gladys says she hopes Carly is properly grateful, and Brando says, mom. Gladys says, look what her boy did for Carly. Imagine the embarrassment if there had been a whole mob kerfuffle in Carly’s fancy pool and spa, which is supposedly separate from all of that.

Spinelli says, they’re separating, and Maxie says, no. He says, unfortunately yes, and she says she’s so sorry. He says it’s just that he doesn’t think it’s the best idea for Georgie to see Ellie right now. If Maxie doesn’t mind taking her to Texas, he’s sure she’d enjoy it. Maxie says, so will she. Ellie’s really leaving? Does Maxie need to talk some sense into her? Is she going crazy? Spinelli says, no, she’s made the right decision. She’s not comfortable sharing her life with someone who has dangerous associates. After Maxie’s experience with Peter, he’s sure she can relate.

Anna tells Valentin, she’s going to throw her badge around, and see if she can get anyone to tell them where David Hopkins is. Why doesn’t Valentin stay there in case he passes through? Valentin says he’s on it. Anna leaves, and Valentin walks over to where Sonny and Phyllis had been sitting. He literally runs into Phyllis, and she drops the sodas she’s carrying.

Curtis goes finds Portia, and asks if he can have a seat. She says, sure, and asks, what’s up? He says, as friends, he thinks they should get everything out in the open. She says, okay, and he says if she wants to explore this between them, he’d really like that, but if she doesn’t feel it’s a good idea for her, he gets that too. He still thinks she’s holding back because of his Aunt Stella and not because of herself. She asks, is that all? and he says, all right. He’s going to head off to the nightclub. She says, that’s right. Tonight is the official opening. He says, yeah. It’s a big night for him, but it could be a big night for them. If she changes her mind, she knows where to find him. Geez, you’d think he’d invite her as a friend.

Gladys says she’s proud of Brando, but he says, it’s no big deal. She says, it is. If he keeps stepping up like that, he’ll be Jason’s righthand man before he knows it. Sasha walks in and overhears. Gladys leaves, and Sasha makes a soap face like, I don’t know about this guy.

At the bar, Carly tells Jason that he just missed Joey Novak at the pool. Good times. He asks if there was a problem, and she says, there almost was. She was ready to go off on the guy, and Brando stepped in. She has to say, as much as she would hate to give Gladys what she wanted, Brando could be a real asset. He says he’ll keep it in mind, but in the meantime, don’t let Joey Novak provoke her. That’s what he wants. She says, that kid is a hothead, and he says, unlike her. Just take a deep breath. She says he’s right. She doesn’t want to escalate things. They’re trying to calm the waters; she gets it. He says that’s what they’re hoping their marriage will do.

Brook says so she and Nina are on the same page, for Maxie’s sake. Nina says, for Maxie’s sake, she won’t tell Valentin what she knows. Brook thanks her, and Brook’s phone rings. Brook says she has to take it, and asks Nina to watch Bailey/Louise for a second, jetting into the next room, and answering, ELQ, what’s up? Nina says hi to the baby, and tells her that she’s awfully cute. Look at her, all loved and cared for. Safe. That’s all that really matters, isn’t it? With all the secrets she’s keeping, who is she to judge?

Valentin hands Phyllis the soda cans, and apologizes, but Phyllis says she wasn’t looking where she was going. He says he hopes she wasn’t planning on opening them anytime soon, and she says, good tip. He asks if she’s waiting on word about someone, and she nods, saying, it’s not her best event. Him? He says, the same. He doesn’t think it’s anybody’s best event. She hands him one of the cans and says, it seems her friend has disappeared. He says he collided with her, the least he can do is keep her company until her friend shows up. They sit, and she thanks him, introducing herself. Phyllis Caulfield.

Sonny looks at the cap some more, while Anna is walking by in the hallway. Sonny turns the handle of the door to leave. Anna hears, and stops, looking at the door.

Tomorrow, Maxie says, this should be interesting; Dante tells Chase, it’s just like old times; Austin says Monica isn’t telling him what to do; and Sonny says, it’s bad, isn’t it?

Million Dollar Listing New York

Fredrik was back in NYC, and danced in the rain, which was the weather throughout the entire episode. In his interview, he said every cell in his body alive. He could hear the rumbling of the subway, and smell the garbage. He was home, and it was amazing. I actually understood this. When I would come back to NYC after visiting my homeland of Ohio, I’d be like, ahh, the smell of the subway stop, a combination of urine and garbage. He also had a lot of business to catch up on. He met developer Cliff at the 10th Street penthouse, which still wasn’t sold, along with the 8th floor apartment. To refresh your memory, the penthouse was nearly 5000 square feet, had a lot of marble, herringbone floors, 10 foot ceilings, 5 bedrooms and 5 baths, more marble, and 8 terraces. All this came at the asking price of $15 million. The 8th floor apartment was 1600 square feet, 3 bedrooms and 3 baths, and a 725 square foot terrace, for the asking price of $6.5 million. Fredrik said these were crazy times, but thought they could get it done if Cliff gave him an extension on the listing. Cliff seemed hesitant, saying Fredrik hadn’t sold it in a year. Fredrik told Cliff to remove 7 months because of the pandemic, which seemed fair. Cliff said Fredrik had been doing well by him until he went to L.A., and Fredrik explained that he wanted to find buyers for NYC in L.A., and vice versa. Cliff said, at this point, he wasn’t looking at how much he was going to make, but how much he was losing. He wondered why he should keep Fredrik, and if he should bring in new blood. Fredrik said he’d build a social media campaign. While Instagram used to be a fun guilty pleasure, now it was a catalyst for real estate sales. In his interview, Fredrik thought it would drum up interest, and took a selfie with Cliff, telling people to swipe up to see the listing. He immediately had 9000 clicks on the listing, and Cliff agreed to the extension, provided Fredrik move in, live there, and promote the hell out of it. I didn’t believe for one second this wasn’t set up ahead of time.

Steve was working on selling Artemis Farm, which was more of undertaking that he’d thought. He had Dorinda Medley on board, telling us that she wasn’t just the Queen of the Berkshires, she’d been a successful realtor. She had a true knowledge of upstate New York, and knew her stuff. He spoke with Dorinda on the phone, and she thought the farm was absolutely incredible, having different components that could be used for different purposes. Steve said he’d thought the buyer he was looking for would want something that hadn’t been listed. That hadn’t worked, so in a pivot move, he’d decided to list it. Dorinda said it was hard to describe, and she thought people really needed to see it. Steve said it was about the experience, and in his interview, he said he couldn’t overstate the value of one celebrity mention when it came to real estate. He promised to find a cool neighbor for Dorinda.

Tyler took his OCD client Andrea to meet agent Talia in a new building in the East Village, where Tyler said developers were investing. It was a 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath ground floor duplex, with Miele appliances, quartz counters, and 18 foot ceilings. In Tyler’s interview, he said the apartment had what Andrea was looking for; nobody had lived in it before, it was private, and had outdoor space. She also worked at NYU, which wasn’t far. Andrea wasn’t thrilled with a humongous window that made her feel like she was on display. I guess no one had told her about those things called shades and curtains. Tyler asked what was up with her not wanting a previously used apartment, and she said she was freaked out knowing there was residue in the corners from humans. They decided to check out the penthouse, also for sale, and Talia pointed out that dealing with the doors was totally touchless, and you used your phone. Of course my mind immediately went to, what if power went out, and there were zombies, and… The penthouse was 1880 square feet, 3 bedrooms and 3 baths, 16 foot ceilings, and views of both the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building. There was also a private roof deck, but the stairs to it were part of the buildings staircase, so therefore public. I didn’t blame Andrea for being concerned people would disregard the roof being private. She told Talia that made it feel less like it was part of the apartment. She also wasn’t sure that she wanted to be that far east.   

Steve wanted to get a celebrity to the farm, and thought his kid was a star, so he took the family there by helicopter. No surprise, Baby Rose was very cute with the animals. He said upstate was hotter than ever, and he called his broker contacts to invite them to an open house. A farmer’s market was set up for the brokers to enjoy, as well as support the local community. As Steve joined them, the helicopter took off, bringing Rose and her mom back home. Noticed by the guests, Steve said that someone had come to see the farm that morning, but he couldn’t say who it was. In Steve’s interview, he told us, nothing said buzz like a high-profile flyover. I had to admit to being impressed by his cleverness. He said I was all about seducing brokers with the local lifestyle, and picked up the tab for their market purchases. KJ arrived, and in her interview, she said her clients were interested in luxury properties. They had places in Manhattan, but wanted a place outside the city as well, and wanted a turnkey property that was move-in ready. They didn’t want to do massive renovations. She admitted to not being a large animal person, and seemed hesitant of the horses. In KJ’s interview, she said her grandfather had horses, and she’d tried riding a couple of times, but fell off. It wasn’t her thing. In Steve’s interview, he said he was about as comfortable on a farm as he was reading Ryan’s blog. He showed the brokers the main house, a 6000 square foot 1900s colonial, with 6 bedrooms and 5 baths, 5 fireplaces, and a closet literally bigger than my first apartment. In KJ’s interview, she said she wasn’t sure she agreed with Steve’s assessment that it was country chic. It was very country, but not so chic. In Steve’s interview, he said it wasn’t about bringing the city to the country. It was about escaping the city. KJ wasn’t getting it. KJ said Steve wasn’t going to get $4.2 million for it.

Fredrik said living in the space he was selling was weird. He didn’t like showing his own bathroom or clothes, but instead of having an open house for 30 brokers, by using social media, he was reaching 30 million people. In doing a private showing, he said everyone saw something different in the pattern of a marble fireplace. He saw a huge commission The broker did point out Fredrik’s unmade bed, which is a big no-no, and I was surprised at him. Even Fredrik thought the asking price was high, but worried that if it was lowered, buyers would come in really low. It was the big question in real estate; to lower or not. Tyler brought Andrea to see the 8th floor apartment, and in Tyler’s interview, he said he thought it was overpriced, and worth $4.5 to $5 million in today’s market. The last time he’d gone to Fredrik’s open house, he hadn’t been the friendliest to Tyler’s buyer. In the grand scheme of things, it was water under the bridge, but he hoped Fredrik was nicer this time. In Fredrik’s interview, he said everyone was a tiny bit of a germaphobe right now, but it wouldn’t be easy avoiding germs. He loved NYC, but germs were kind of a part of it. Tyler said Andrea’s budget was $5 million, and in his interview, Fredrik said, that was like 40% off. There was no covid discount of 40%. Anything below $5 million was a lowball. Fredrik mentioned the amount of sales he was doing to Tyler, and in his interview, Tyler said, the more bragging some did, the more insecure they were, and Fredrik was shining a light on that. I dunno. The numbers are the numbers. They squabbled over what was worth what, while Andrea took a walk around the terrace. In Tyler’s interview, he said he thought Fredrik’s pricing proved he’d spent so much time in L.A., he didn’t understand how affected NYC had been by covid. He’d lost his perspective and his damn mind if he thought he was getting $6.5 million.

Steve told us that his driver Will was more than just a driver and an agent. He had a lot of side hustles, and it was a little known fact that he was in Dorinda’s cooking show on YouTube. Steve wasn’t sure how he ended up there, but thought it was because he was friends with Greg, who was also in the show. We saw a clip of Dorinda cooking, and two guys wearing aprons with no shirts did some test tasting. Broker Rich called Steve while he was in the car. Rich had come to Steve’s open house for the farm, and had given Steve a lot of positive input. We saw a clip, where Rich said it was like a Norman Rockwell painting. Even though the event was a massive success, Steve had yet to receive an offer, and he was getting concerned. Rich said he had clients who were interested, but not completely sold on living in the woods. They wanted to know if the seller would rent. They were offering $12,500 a month, with 6 months upfront. In Steve’s interview, he said it wasn’t what he was hoping for; he’d been hoping Rich would bring him a great offer. It was upsetting since he’d put so much work into it, and wanted to do right by Cornelia. He told Rich that he’d have to present it to his client, but they were on the market to sell. Don’t hold his breath. Rich said they did have something else lined up, and rentals were in demand, so he needed an answer quickly. Steve called Cornelia in Texas, and said she’d be getting $75K upfront. She asked what if someone wanted to buy it, and he said they’d break the lease. He also thought $15K a month was more reasonable. Cornelia liked the idea of having some immediate money, and also being able to show it to people. Maybe the renters would have friends who were interested. Steve said they’d put a clause in the contract to be able to show the house. He called Rich back, and said a little more money would make it work for his client, but the tenants would also have to vacate for a showing. Rich asked if 24-hour notice was cool, and Steve said that was acceptable. In his interview, he said it was risky, but he had zero offers. Cornelia would get $90K up front, and Steve would get a $6750 commission. He’d put money in Cornelia’s pocket, and he was going to get it sold.

Fredrik met with team member Keith about East 10th Street, and flashed back to Kelly Bensimon taking a pass on the property. Keith had a client that was interested in renting with an option to buy at $22 million, and Fredrick said Kelly not coming through was a bummer, but he was optimistic the seller would consider rentals. The asking price for the property was $28 million, which would be breaking a record, but dropping it to $24 million would still do it. Fredrik asked who the decision maker was, and Keith said, the wife. Fredrik asked what she was like, and Keith said she had a strong personality, and liked the arts, gardening, and cooking. In Fredrik’s interview, he said people thought real estate was easy. The listing had been lingering for 18 months, which meant he’d had it pre and post-covid. It was stressful, but he’d gotten into real estate to set records. Taking over the process, Fredrik made the call. The wife argued the price, but Fredrik said it was no financial risk; it was an option. She asked how many options he had, and he reminded her that the owner didn’t want to rent, and this was out of the goodness of his heart. But the option would be in place, even if they decided months from now, when real estate prices were going up. She said she’d talk to her husband, and Fredrik deliberately walked by subway grates, saying, he couldn’t hear, so call him back. He said Keith wasn’t kidding; the woman was on fire. She was a power mama. Keith got a text, and said it was tough to understand, but Fredrik did something right. They’d agreed to an option of $24 million. In his interview, Fredrik said it felt amazing being back in NYC. He’d just finished the biggest deal ever. It felt good. He and Keith went out for Italian food.

Next time, Ryan plays tour guide for international clients, Kelly wants to work with Fredrik. KJ’s clients are insulted about an offer, and Ryan gets fired. Maybe.  

🌆 Living Where You Work…

The $15 million penthouse.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1287846/see-fredrik-eklund-move-into-a-stunning-s15-million-penthouse-on-mdlny

🛣 Hitting the Road…

See you tomorrow for rounding out the week with soap, tea, and whatever wise words I can dig up. Until then, stay safe, stay changing lanes – both literally and figuratively – with caution, and stay investing in yourself. Brighten things up a little.