Tag Archives: Eli Roth Thanksgiving

Dec2

December 1, 2023 – Ava Spills To Nina, Posing, Side Gig, Shade On, VanderUpdate, Parade Pics, Windows, Finale Of Fear, More Turkey, Holiday Pets (!), Just Over 8 Quotes & Philly

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brook walks into the nook where Lois is chopping vegetables. Lois says, there’s her girl, and Brook says, okay, but Lios says she can do better than that. Where’s her main squeeze? Brook asks if she means Chase, and Lois says, no, her other main squeeze. Yes, Chase. Brook says, he’s probably halfway to Canada by now after grandma’s tirade on marriage.

Kristina shows Molly into her apartment and tells her to stay there while she secures the necessary provisions. She leaves and comes back with two glasses and a bottle of wine. Molly is still standing by the door, and Kristina says she didn’t expect her to still be in the same position. She leads Molly to the sofa and says, talk to her. What happened? Molly says she realized she’s never been here before.

Elizabeth and Finn are having dinner at the PC Grill (the restaurant of the moment), and Elizabeth wonders if they’re celebrating a special occasion. He says, that depends, and she says, on? He says, whether you deem the calm before the storm special.

A tall, impeccably groomed, well-dressed man walks up to the counter at Kelly’s and Carly welcomes him. She asks if she can get him something, and speaking with a British accent, he says he certainly hopes so.

Sonny and Dex walk into Pozzulo’s, and Dex says, Hume would have been waiting for Sonny if they’d have let him. Sonny asks if he was alone, and Dex says, just him and his briefcase, which he can only assume was full of cash like last time. Sonny says, okay, let’s hear what Pikeman has to say, and takes out his phone.

At Windymere, va opens the door to Nina, who says she’s completely freaked out. Ava sounded frantic. What’s going on? Ava says, this arrived in the mail today, handing her the note with the picture of dead Austin.

Elizabeth says she takes it that it didn’t go well with the hospital lawyer. What’s her name again? Finn says, Dede Clark. It went fine on the surface. She talked a lot about cooperation and implied they’re all in this together on the malpractice suit, and that he could do his part just by answering some questions. She says, but underneath? and he says, the more questions she asked, the more clear it became that GH’s plan is to sacrifice him and save themselves.

Kristina says, that can’t be true, but Molly says, it is. Think about it. Whenever they hang out, Kristina comes to her place, or they meet up at mom’s or Sam’s or a restaurant somewhere. Never here. Kristina says, Molly’s never been to her apartment (neither have we), and Molly says, no. Kristina says, that is weird. Well, welcome. Molly thanks her, and Kristina says, for the record, it’s not like she’s throwing parties or entertaining. Her kitchen is essentially a barren desert. It’s easier to go out. She pours the wine, and Molly says, Kristina doesn’t have to defend herself, but Kristina says, doesn’t she? Molly is her sister and hasn’t even seen her apartment. She hopes Molly knows it’s not intentional. She now has an open invitation, any time she wants to come here, day or night. Molly says, be careful. She just might take her up on that. Kristina says, she better, and they clink glasses.

Lois tells Brook, tirade is a bit of a stretch, and Canada is not that far away. Doesn’t she think she’s being a little overdramatic? Brook says, no. After some of the things grandma said to Chase, she can’t even go there. It was mortifying. Lois says, it’s a good thing to know, nobody ever died from embarrassment, and it didn’t seem to bother Chase all that much. Brook says, he was being polite, but Brook says, or maybe he was seeing Gloria for who she is, a meddling Italian grandmother whose views on modern relationships are stuck in the 1800s. Lois says, exactly, and Brook says, she and Chase have never even discussed marriage. They just moved in together. Lois says, indicating that marriage is probably the next step, but Brook says, they’re nowhere near that step and that’s okay by her. Lois says, good to know, and Brook says, it is good. Lois tells Brook that she just said that, and Brook says, she and Chase are perfectly happy the way things are. Chase walks in with a bottle of wine, and Lois says, he made it.  

The man tells Carly that he’s in Port Charles on business, and he has a craving for a burger. The concierge at his hotel recommended this place. Carly says, he must be staying at the MetroCourt, and he says, she knows it. She says she knows it well, and he says, if he were staying somewhere else, would they also recommend Kelly’s? She says, absolutely. Kelly’s is a Port Charles institution, and they have the best burgers in town, if she does say so herself. He says, wild guess. She works here. She says she owns the place, third generation. So how does he like his burger?

Nina looks at the photo and says, is this real? Ava says, as real as it gets. Austin is dead. Nina asks, how? and Ava says, he was shot to death in Pautuck. Look. She shows Nina the envelope and says, a Port Charles postmark. It could have been sent by anyone. Nina asks if it was just the picture, but Ava says, no. It came with this sweet little note. She gives Nina the paper that says, you’re welcome, and Nina says she doesn’t understand. Ava says, join the club, and Nina says, clearly, the killer wrote this. Oh my God. Would they just assume Ava would be grateful Austin’s dead? Ava says, that’s her guess, and Nina says, she has to take this to the police. Ava snatches them back and says, no. That’s the last thing she’s going to do.

Sonny says, before Hume gets here, how long did Dex tail Austin? Dex says, only when that nanny was working for Sonny. Betty? Sonny asks if anyone called Dex on it, and Dex says, a couple of times at the hospital, he was asked what he was doing there, but he always had a cover. Sonny asks if he roughed Austin up, and Dex says, when Ava disappeared, he questioned Austin. He stonewalled, Dex put him in a headlock and told him if Ava wasn’t back, he’d be back for him. Sonny says, that could be a problem. Austin was murdered and if anyone saw Dex threaten him, they could assume he did it.

Ava says, Dante has already been out here to question her, and Nina asks, why? Because of Austin? Ava pours drinks and says, there’s so much Nina doesn’t know. Nina says, then fill her in, and Ava asks if Nina remembers walking in on her and Sonny having an intense conversation a few months ago, and Nina says, yeah. She asked what was going on, and neither of them would tell her. Ava says she was being blackmailed, and Nina asks, for what? Ava says, when Nikolas went missing, she had every reason to believe he was dead, and Nina asks her to define every reason. Ava says she thought she’d killed him, and Nina says, oh my God. Ava says, he came here, and he was in a rage. He was threatening to disappear and take Avery with him. She had to do what she had to do to stop him, and she grabbed a statue and she hit him. She just wanted to stop him, that’s all, but he fell. He stopped moving and she panicked. She thought he was dead. Nina says, thank God she was wrong, and Ava says she was trying to hide his body when Austin found her. He told her that he’d help her cover it up. Then the body disappeared, and Austin’s cousin Mason claimed he had it. He said he would bring it to the police if she didn’t do everything he told her to do. Nina says, so Austin’s cousin Mason was blackmailing Ava because she killed Nikolas, but he wasn’t actually dead? and Ava says, but Mason wasn’t acting alone. It turned out, Austin was working with him.

Dex says, after questioning Austin about Ava, he never went near him again, and Sonny says, if the cops decide Dex is a suspect – and that’s a big if – tell them that he’s not talking to anybody without his attorney present, and that includes his son Dante. Dex says, understood, and Sonny says he takes care of his people. If Dex gets picked up, he has the best representation. Dex says he appreciates that, and Sonny says, let’s hope that doesn’t happen. The less attention the cops pay to Dex, the more valuable Dex is to him.

Carly presents the man with his burger and says, tell her what he thinks. Don’t spare her feelings. He takes a bite, and she says she wants to know the real deal. He makes happy food noises and says, talk about the real deal. She says, really? and he says, it’s delicious. It’s full of flavor, perfectly cooked. She tells him to enjoy his dinner. She looks at the door and says, not again, and they turn to see a homeless man hanging around the doorway. She goes outside.

Carly tells the man that he can’t be out here, and he asks her not to call the cops, but she says, that’s not what she means. It’s too cold. He needs to come inside.

Kristina asks if Molly wants to tell her what happened, and Molly says, shoot. She had a folder at the park. It’s filled with really personal information… Kristina says she’s got it. She picked it up from the ground when they were leaving. Molly thanks her and says, she’s a life saver. Kristina says, of course (🍷), and takes the folder out of her bag, giving it to Molly. What’s in it? She doesn’t have to share that. It’s 100% her right. Molly says, no, it’s fine. Open it. Kristina looks inside and says, surrogacy candidates. She doesn’t understand. Is there something wrong with them? Molly says, there’s something wrong with her, and Kristina says, watch it. That’s my sister you’re talking about. Molly says she has this whole folder of potential new surrogates and TJ has no clue she’s even looking at them.

Lois brings out glasses and thanks Chase for the wine. She says, it’s very thoughtful of him, and he asks if she wants him to open it. She says, is the Pope Catholic? and tells him to pour while she works. She goes back to the cutting board, and Chase asks if they have a corkscrew. Brook gets it for him, and he asks what they were talking about. Lois says, you, and Brook says, you and Blaze. And how you used to sing together and now she sings alone. Speaking of which, what does he think of her new song?… Hello? Chase says he’s sorry. He got distracted. It’s amazing how Lois can do all that with those nails. Lois says, there’s nothing she can’t do with these nails.

Elizabeth says, Finn has to separate the hospital from the hospital’s lawyers. Sure, it may be a good legal strategy to use him as a scapegoat, but Portia and Terry would never, and she’s sure the Board would follow suit. He says he doesn’t know anymore. If the Muldoons can prove that the hospital somehow knew he was negligent and turned a blind eye, it’s possible they’d be liable for damages. Martin thinks GH’s best plan is to say that he was negligent, but he acted without the knowledge of the hospital. She says, but he wasn’t negligent and he’s going to explain that to a jury when he testifies. They’ll have to be sympathetic to him. He says, really? Has she met him?

Finn says, his testimony alone could tank the case, and Elizabeth tells him, says who? He tells her, says his lawyer; he said it a bunch of times. She says, that’s ridiculous, and he says, really? She says, if Martin Grey doesn’t believe in Finn, fire him, and Finn says, Martin does believe in him, but he’s also a lawyer. Good lawyers point out the landmines. This case at the core is about a grieving family who are looking for answers, and really, can you blame them? She says, of course (🍷) not, and he says, then it’s possible a jury might feel that way too. She says, and it’s possible to have empathy for the family, and realize their loss wasn’t his fault. He says he doesn’t know. He just feels that when he gets on the stand, the jury’s sympathies are going to be with the Muldoons, and the only way he can win them over is to get them to… like him. She says, he did it with her and she’s a way tougher sell. A bunch of strangers? Cakewalk. He says he doesn’t know whether to take that as a pep talk, but all he heard was, she likes him. She says, very much so.

Chase asks if Lois is sure she doesn’t need any help, but she tells him, just sit back and relax and enjoy the wine, which is very good by the way. Brook says, it’s delicious, and Chase says he’s got a guy. Lois says, he’s got a wine guy? and Brook says, it’s true. His recommendations are always on point. Lois says, good to know, and she’s very glad the two of them can join her for dinner. Chase thanks her for the invite, and she says, it gives her a chance to get to know him better. And to apologize for all things Gloria. He says, get out of here, and she says, not really apologize, because God knows she loves her mother, but she does know she could be a bit much. Brook says, a bit? and Lois says, but she means well. Her mother is a romantic. She’s in love with love, and for a woman from her generation, if you’re in love, you put a ring on it. Brook chokes on her wine.

Molly tells Kristina that she was contacted by the matching professional about looking for a new surrogate, and she was excited about getting things going again. Kristina asks if TJ felt differently, and Molly says, when she told him, he said it was too soon. Kristina says, too soon for whom? and Molly says, for him. For them, she guesses. He’s not ready to get back on that roller coaster again. Kristina asks how Molly feels about that, and Molly says, deflated… frustrated. This whole thing is bad enough, but to not be on the same page as your partner. Anyway, she ran into Dr. Navarro when she was leaving the hospital, and she says so kind and steady, and she really put things in perspective. Kristina asks what the doctor said, and Molly tells her, basically, the risk of miscarriage is the chance that you take, no matter who’s carrying the child. But when you weigh that against the chance of actually having a baby, so many people have had success through surrogacy. She wants to be one of those people. Kristina takes her hand, and Molly says, she took the meeting alone. Kristina asks if it was productive, and Molly says, it was, until mom showed up.

The homeless man tells Carly that he’d rather stay outside. He doesn’t like being around too many people. She says, at least let her bring him something to eat, and he says, really? Carly says, of course (🍷), and he says, that’d be great. Thanks. She says she’ll be right back, and if he changes his mind, the door’s open. She runs inside and goes directly to the kitchen, as the man at the counter watches.

Nina says, she didn’t know Austin well, obviously, but he seemed to really care about Ava. Ava says she thought so too. She thought Austin was someone she could trust. When he tried to convince her that he was being coerced, that he didn’t want to help his cousin, that he was trying to get her out from under the blackmail, she believed him. But Nikolas wasn’t dead, and she’s convinced Austin knew all along. Nina says she just doesn’t get it. What was his endgame? Ava says, per usual, in this underworld at least, all roads lead back to Sonny.

Dex shows Hume into Sonny’s office, and Sonny says, well? Hume says, Pikeman needs him to facilitate another shipment, and Sonny says he thought he made himself clear. He doesn’t do anything for Pikeman unless they tell him who the shooter was at the MetroCourt. Hume says, they’re not the police or the WSB. Pikeman is a manufacturer. Sonny says, that exports merchandise through his channels, and Hume says, and they’re willing – he puts his briefcase on the table and opens it – to pay double this time. We see the briefcase is crammed with stacks of bills.

Kristina asks if Alexis is trying to discourage Kristina from trying again, but Molly says, no. It was just typical mom. She wants what Molly wants. But when Molly told her about taking the meeting without tell TJ… Kristina says, technically, she did consult TJ, but Molly says, Kristina knows what she means. Mom said whatever she and TJ choose to do, they have to make the decision together, but she just has this sinking feeling that TJ might never be ready. So she went to the park to clear her head and ran into Willow and Amelia. It was nice. Willow was really sweet, and she got to hold the baby. Kristina asks if it wasn’t hard for her, and Molly says, at first, but it was so amazing to hold this tiny little human in her arms. Once she left them, she couldn’t stop thinking about how she might never have the child of her own. She wants to be a mom so badly. She starts to cry, and Kristina says she knows Molly does.

Chase asks if Brook is okay, and Brook says she will be once her mom changes the subject. Lois says, in a sec. The biggest thing Chase can take away from all of this is that Gloria obviously likes him. That’s not an easy feat because that’s not a woman you can win over very easily. And for what it’s worth (🍷), Lois likes and approves of him too. Chase says, it’s worth more than she knows, and Lois says, he makes her daughter happy. She can see it in her face. She can hear it in her voice and in the way she moves. As a mother, that’s all she could ask for. Chase says, for the record, her daughter makes him very happy too, when Lois’s phone rings. She says she has to take this and asks Brook to finish up for her. She leaves and Brook asks if Chase brought his shovel for the hole he’s going to dig, where she’s going to hide for the remainder of her days. He asks if she doesn’t think she’s being a little dramatic, and she asks why everyone keeps saying that to her… Do not answer that. She’s so, so sorry. He says, why? He’s not.

Finn says, it’s too bad they can’t clone her and have a whole jury box full of Elizabeths. She says, that’s a terrifying thought, and I laugh at the mental picture. He says, not to him, and she says, truth? He says, sure, and she says, sometimes he can be a little… He says, abrasive… guarded… socially awkward, and she tells him that she was going to say standoffish. But once people get to know him, they see what she sees. He says, and what’s that? and she says, a man of the utmost integrity; a brilliant researcher; a dedicated physician; a loving, sometimes neurotic, father. He says, sometimes? and she says, a person who really cares and a doctor who never quits on his patients… and someone who needs a little work on their maple tapping skills. He says, a lot of work, and she says, he’s saved hundreds of lives, and he has the potential to save so many more. He says, not if he loses this malpractice suit.

Carly takes a to-go bag out the homeless man and says she hopes he likes goat cheese. There are fries in there, she threw in a piece of pie, and here’s a coffee. She hands him a cup, and he thanks her. He asks if it’s okay if he sits out here and eats, and she tells him, of course (🍷), and stay as long as he likes.

She goes back inside to the counter and asks the not-homeless man if he’d like anything else. He says he thought she was going to run that guy off. Instead, she fed him. How come?

Nina asks what Sonny has to do with any of this, and Ava says, Austin and Mason were working for Cyrus Renault. Nina asks if Sonny knows, and Ava says, he’s the one who told her. Nina wonders why he didn’t say something, and Ava says, he doesn’t want Nina involved. God knows she wishes she wasn’t involved. Nina says, so Cyrus is the one who had her kidnapped? and Ava says, yes. He wanted Austin to testify for him at that hearing in Pentenville. Nina says, his hardship release. So he had Mason take Ava hostage to guarantee Austin’s testimony. Ava says, helluva guy, huh? and Nina says, Austin did what Cyrus wanted and testified to save Ava. That means Ava did mean something to him. Ava says, something maybe, but not enough.

Sonny closes the briefcase and tells Hume to take it back to his superiors along with this message – he’s out. He’s not moving anything else for Pikeman for any price. Find another harbor. Hume says he’ll relay the message, and Sonny says, you do that. Hume leaves and Dex closes the office door. Sonny says, Dex is going to have an opinion on what he just did. So what does he think? Dex says he thinks Sonny made a mistake.

Finn tells Elizabeth that he thinks the biggest question is going to be why he didn’t screen Muldoon for more tests that would have indicated the presence of cancer. She says, Finn told her that he wanted to, and Muldoon didn’t want to have any more tests. Finn says, he knows, but they might say something like he didn’t explain it to him fully, or maybe he was open to the tests and Finn just didn’t bother. She says, and what? Finn told him he was fine and pushed him out of his office? Finn tells her that they might say he got busy with his research or other patients. She says, he would never do that, and he says he knows that, and she knows that, but what if the jury doesn’t know that?

Brook says, all this marriage talk has got to be wigging Chase out, and he says he’s not wigged out. And he’s pretty certain no one says that anymore. She says her family just really loves weddings, in an unhealthy co-dependent kind of way, and he asks if she’s been to a lot of them. She says, weddings? Oh yeah. Between the Cerullos and the Falconaris, there are too many to count. He asks what they’re like, and she says, big, loud, enough food to feed an army… and the people there fighting. And the dancing. Nobody dances the tarantella like her grandma. He says he’d love to see that someday, and she says, he will. Not at their wedding… She didn’t mean that. She meant at a wedding, probably one of her gajillion family members. Is it hot in here? She fans herself and he says, she needs to relax, but she says she feels terrible. Everyone’s all up in his grill. He says, nobody’s up in his anything, and she says her grandma has probably already reserved a church for them, but they can’t blame her. It’s all she knows. The moment you turn 18, every nona keeps asking when it’s going to be your turn. So she understands it from her grandma. Or at least she’s trying to. But from her mother? That’s a completely different story.

Counter man says, not to sound callous, but he can’t imagine it’s good for business to have a homeless man hanging around outside, and Carly says, probably not. She did tell him to come inside, but he didn’t want to, so she just brought him some food. He says, that was kind of her, and she says, they wrap up all the unused food and send it to the homeless shelters, so she would have been feeding him anyway. At least this time he’s getting a hot meal. The man says he’ll pay the check when she gets a chance, and can she give this to her friend outside. He hands her some cash, and she says, thanks.

Ava tells Nina that Austin came to see her at the gallery the night he died. When she found out he’d known she was held hostage… He could have gone to Sonny. He could have gone to the cops, but he did nothing. He was silent. She was furious. They fought about it. She told him to leave and he left. Nina says, and that was the last time she saw him? and Ava says, yeah. She just doesn’t have any way to prove it. Nina asks if there aren’t cameras at the gallery. Can’t they prove Ava was there at the time Austin was shot? Ava says, the cameras in the back aren’t working, and that’s where she was most of the night, and Nina says, well, that is going to be an issue. Ava says, even if the cameras were working, she doesn’t think it would help her. That’s why she can’t bring the note and picture to the cops. They’re just going to think she hired somebody to get rid of Austin. Even dead, that man is still making trouble for her.

Sonny says, Dex thinks he should have taken the deal? and Dex says he thinks it’s better to play along than make himself an obstacle that needs to be removed. When he was in Afghanistan, there were a lot of these private security groups there. Sonny says, including Pikeman, and Dex says, these are powerful people. They have connections to all the major security ops, the CIA, the WSB. If they come at Sonny, it may be at a level he hasn’t seen before. Sonny says he appreciates Dex’s insight. He’s already considered all that, and he realizes his best move right now is to get out. He doesn’t want Pikeman investing any more in him. He’s betting that they think he’s more trouble than he’s worth and move on.

Molly says, it’s like she’s lost all self-control, but Kristina says she thinks that’s a good thing. Molly says, that she’s a human walking waterworks? and Kristina says, yes actually. For the first time, Molly’s allowing herself to feel what she feels, without trying to edit it or control it. Being a mom is hugely important to her. Molly says, it’s like she won’t be her if she doesn’t, and Kristina says, that’s really beautiful. Molly says, not if TJ won’t consider these surrogates. And she won’t have a child without him. She won’t do that to him. Kristina takes her hands, and they sit down. She says, TJ will come around. She knows he will, and when he does, let Kristina help her. Let her carry a baby for them.

Chase says he doesn’t want Brook to be mad at her on his account. He thinks she’s awesome. She says, he does? and he says, Brook obviously comes by her beauty and her spark naturally. Brook thanks him for the compliment and for just being overall amazing. How’d she get so lucky? He says he asks himself that every day… about how he got lucky, not her. (Ha-ha!) She suggests they agree they’re both lucky, and he asks what she say were the three most important moments of her life. She says, when she scored Jonas Brothers tickets in 2010, and he says he’s being serious. Humor him. She says, all right. The last time she ever saw her great-grandfather Edward; that’s a big one. The first time she ever wrote a song, and when she gained a little brother in Leo. He says he wants this moment right now to be on that list, and she asks what he’s talking about. He says, Brook Lynn Quartermaine – he gets down on one knee, taking her hands – will you marry me?

Finn pulls his chair closer to Elizabeth and says, she called him caring. She says, because he is, and he says he thinks he knows that somewhere deep down. He also doesn’t like being questioned or doubted, and when he gets defensive, he gets awkward. These jurors aren’t medical professionals, and this medical jargon thing will go right over their heads, and the only thing that’s going to resonate with them is that this man is dead, and his family is grieving. And there’s this doctor on the stand saying he did everything right. She tries to interrupt, but he says, no. What if he would have pushed harder for Muldoon to get those tests? Made him. Demanded he get that colonoscopy. Would Muldoon still be alive? She says, no one can answer that question. But what she can tell him is, all they can do as medical professionals is their best, and he did that. She knows that. So they need to teach him how to project that inward kindness outward, so the jury will believe him and maybe even like him. He asks if that’s even possible and she says she thinks… Yeah. They’ve got their work cut out for him. They kiss.

Kristina takes Molly’s hand and says she knows Molly was originally against it when she offered to be their surrogate. And admittedly, she hadn’t really thought it through, not fully. Maybe there was a part of her that wanted to swoop in and be the hero. Molly tells her, when she said that before, that was her pain talking. She was disappointed and bitter that Kristina could carry a child and she couldn’t. But that was unfair and she’s sorry. Kristina says she’s sorry Molly is going through this at all, and she’s sorry Molly lost her first baby. Molly says, it’s not Kristina’s job to fix it for them, and Kristina says she doesn’t think it is. Not at all. That’s not the way she sees it. Bringing Molly’s child into this world is something she can and truly wants to give her. Not just for Molly, but for this baby who’s going to be in this family with the most incredible parents. Molly says, she’s absolutely positive? and Kristina says, 100%, no backsies. Molly says, now she knows Kristina means business, and Kristina says she does. Molly says she has to talk to TJ about it; they have to be together on this. Kristina says, of course (🍷), and Molly says, no matter what they decide it means everything that Kristina has offered. Molly thanks her, and Kristina says she loves Molly. They hug, and Molly says she loves Kristina too.

Ava looks at the photo of dead Austin, then picks up the note and puts them both in the fireplace. She watches them burn.

Dex says, so Sonny will end his association with Pikeman and hope they cut their losses, when there’s a knock at the door. Nina comes in and says, Frank told her that she could come in. Sonny asks, what’s wrong? and Nina says she just came from Ava’s. She knows about Austin and Ava said he was working with Cyrus. More importantly, she said Cyrus still may be after Sonny. Sonny says, damn. Ava has no business telling her that. Nina says, no, she doesn’t really. The person she should hear it from is him.

Carly thanks the man for coming by, calling him Mr. Brennan (I guess he used a credit card). She hopes they see him again at Kelly’s soon, and he says he can practically guarantee it. He gathers up his things and heads for the door, when Hume comes in. He tells Brennan, we have a problem. Corinthos refuses to move any more of our shipments.

On Monday, Brook says, let’s take the topic off the table and forget it ever came up; Ned says, if he doesn’t figure out how to stop him, Michael will push him out; Molly wants TJ to hear her out first; Blaze asks if Kristina wants to celebrate; and Nina tells Sonny that she’ll do whatever she can to make sure someone comes home.

📸 Meant For More…

I never knew this. That photo doesn’t even look like him.

Maurice Benard Shares an Amazing Pic From His Failed Modeling Career

💣 Happier Villainy…

I still haven’t seen this, but it looks like a fun show.

James Patrick Stuart Gets Into The Holiday Spirit on His Other Show!

💎 Shades Of Mess…

While I don’t normally side with Erika, I thought this was weird too. Denise seemed drunk. Maybe she was. Maybe there’s something we don’t know. First world problems.

Erika Jayne’s Shade for Denise Richards After ‘Hot Mess’ RHOBH Feud

🍸 Take Two…

If anyone still cares.

Tom Schwartz Gives an Update on Schwartz & Sandy’s After Scandoval

🍂 Goodbye Autumn…

In case you didn’t see the parade.

https://nypost.com/2023/11/23/photos/all-the-balloons-and-floats-of-the-97th-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-photos-2/

🎁 Switching Gears…

Another thing better seen online. You would not believe how crowded this stuff gets. The tree lighting looked insane.

https://nypost.com/2023/11/24/lifestyle/nycs-best-holiday-windows-and-christmas-light-displays/
Here’s All The Beautiful Christmas Window Displays In NYC This Year

⚰️ Rehashing the Dead…

All about the Fear finale. The best part – if you haven’t seen it, major spoiler – Skidmark made it! Even better, when he showed up, secretly thanks to Alicia, Daniel just asked, where have you been? No, how the hell did you appear out of thin air after disappearing for years? Or even, what are the odds? It was a great moment. It was a great finale. Nothing left unsaid.

https://ew.com/fear-the-walking-dead-series-finale-kim-dickens-interview-8402455

https://ew.com/fear-the-walking-dead-colman-domingo-reacts-to-victor-strand-finale-ending-8403734

https://ew.com/fear-the-walking-dead-showrunners-explain-alycia-debnam-carey-finale-return-8404001

🦃 Twice the Thanks…

I saw Thanksgiving for my birthday. They were giving out swag and I got a poster.

While it was a good time, and Eli Roth is a great director, this news surprised me.

https://people.com/thanksgiving-slasher-film-getting-sequel-2025-director-eli-roth-8409658

🫏 Practice Run…

Warming up for pets dressed as Santa, Santa’s elves, the Grinch, and whatever other humiliating holiday costume their pet parent can find.

https://finance.yahoo.com/photos/12-celebrity-pets-totally-bringing-191259687/-photo-191409806.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKqWp-hqtoIAZ3W5MWd1yoVRZjQMXiAfHaihvdBphfgmOQE5UyyvIooIgsuFKXrowgKnUI1k0tzWMueGXi8qE085I77y6JSr5LrxysinZnCmgzy0Trawhg0ipOV30Go6lGaeLUdm-xgD4aLbuNePFiaZ7bGJza6JfVhgyMrUsPLA

I have no clue who these people are, but their celebrities somewhere and they have cute pets.

https://push.abs-cbn.com/2022/12/24/celebrities-flex-their-pets-on-christmas-day-1413

🐳 Quotes of the Week

My songs will pass and be forgotten. What counts, however, is that I sang them. – Father Andrew Greeley

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

Compassion is the ultimate and most meaningful embodiment of emotional maturity. It is through compassion that a person achieves the highest peak and deepest reach in his or her search for self-fulfillment. – Arthur Jersild

No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has. – Henry Ward Beecher

No matter who you are, we’re creatures of habit. The better your habits are, the better they will be in pressure situations. – Wayne Gretzky

The world needs a-holes. Otherwise, where would the sh*t go out? – Dusan Mirkovic (Christoph Waltz), Downsizing

If you’re going to be able to look back on something and laugh about it, you might as well laugh about it now. – Marie Osmond (Who knew she was such a philosopher?)

Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it. – Ann Landers

Tomorrow I’m going to feel the pounds. – Andrei Castravet, 90 Day Fiancé, The Other Way: Pillow Talk

🐹 On the Holiday Hamster Wheel…

Take some time to stop and smell the pine needles this weekend, and join me on Monday really Tuesday for soap and that mess in the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping realistic expectations of yourself and others, and stay allowing yourself to feel what you feel, without trying to edit it or control it.

Oct19

October 18, 2023 – Ava’s Kidnapping Aftermath, Island Wedding, Stay Put, Early Exit, Charitable, Lake #2, Fear’s End, Final Daryl, Ranking Dragons, Modern Remake, Halloween Show-Offs & Scary

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis hoists himself into bed, when Portia asks if he wants some company.

Tracy says, blackmail is a harsh word, and Lois says, but that’s exactly what Tracy did to get Lois’s daughter to do what she wanted. Tracy says she prefers strongly suggested, but clearly that’s a moral shortcoming. Lois says she doesn’t think moral shortcoming even begins to cover it. How about epic fail as a grandmother? Is this how Tracy treats her granddaughter? Tracy says, Brook came to her for help, and she gave it to her, but Lois says, Tracy didn’t help Brook; she took advantage of her. And now Tracy has to answer to her.

In bed with Sonny, Nina says she likes them wearing their wedding bands. It makes it more official. He says he doesn’t think a big wedding would have been as special, and she agrees. She loved their intimate wedding. No stress, just love. She thanks him, not just for the wedding, but for everything. He made her perfectly happy. He says, yes, she’s perfect, and kisses her.

Kristina says she still can’t believe Blaze is in Puerto Rico, and Blaze says, well, believe it. Kristina can thank her abuela. Kristina says, thank you, abuela. She’d love to meet her. Blaze says, Kristina would love her. She’s a force of nature. Kristina says, that’s where Blaze gets it from, and Blaze says, her abuela is five feet tall and a hundred pounds, but that lady is a fireball. Kristina suggests they raise a glass to her and asks, how about a frozen margarita? Blaze says she’d love one.

As they walk down the hall, Deanna tells Austin, white male, 41, two GSWs to the back. The paramedics think the shots might have missed his spine. He’s been in and out of consciousness. They go into a room, and Austin sees that it’s Mason.

Carly walks in the door and calls for Josslyn. She says she got here as soon as she could, and asks Josslyn, what’s wrong? Before Josslyn can answer, there’s a knock at the door, and Carly opens it to a disheveled Ava with Dex and Dante. Carly asks if she’s okay and Ava says she will be once she sees her daughter. Is Avery all right?

Sam goes into Drew’s room and asks if he’s up for a visitor. He says, of course (🍷) he is. He’s always glad to see her. He knows he told her that he didn’t want Scout to see him in the hospital, but is there any chance she ignored that and brought that beautiful girl here with her? She says, Scout is at a sleepover, and he says, let him guess; she’s at the Qs getting in some dog time. Sam says, he guessed right. She can’t get enough of Annabelle II, but – Sam puts a gift bag on the tray – Scout sent her here with a little gift. She takes out a plaque and says, check that out. He says, will you look at that, and we see it’s an award to Scout for Outstanding Swimmer.

Josslyn tells Ava that Avery is perfectly fine. She’s asleep in her room upstairs and Pilar is with her. Ava says, thank God, and Josslyn says she figured it was better that Avery slept here than the police station. Ava thanks Josslyn and goes upstairs to see Avery. Carly asks Josslyn, what the hell is going on? and Dante says, they just came from the police station where Ava made her statement. Carly says, statement for what? and Dante says, it’s a long story, but Ava was abducted a couple nights ago and tonight, Joss and Dex rescued her. Dex says, they can’t take all the credit; there was a major assist from Dante. Carly asks if Josslyn is okay, and Josslyn says she’s perfectly fine. She was just at the police station with Avery and Pilar. Dex and Dante were the ones actually doing the rescuing. Carly says, this is crazy. Ava was abducted? Dante says, by Mason Gatlin.

Austin asks Deanna to get Dr. Larson for him. This patient is his cousin; he can’t take the lead. She says, right away, and leaves. Austin closes the door and asks if Mason can hear him. He’s in the hospital and Austin needs him to wake up. Mason’s eyes flutter open, and Austin says, where’s Ava?

Nina tells Sonny, it’s so peaceful here, so quiet. It’s like an oasis of tranquility. You’d never guess there was a casino on this island. He says, that’s because of the ocean. You can hear the waves and breeze going through the palm trees. The only thing better than that is sharing it with her. She says, he has such a handsome face and he’s so relaxed. She hasn’t seen him this relaxed since Nixon Falls. It’s nice to see him unwind. He’s been very stressed lately. He says, there was a situation he let go way too long, but when he gets back, he’s going to handle it.

As Kristina pours the drinks, she tells Blaze that the secret is using tequila aged in oak barrels. Blaze says, Kristina knows her stuff. She’s impressed. Kristina says, her mother wasn’t. She was less than thrilled with Kristina’s decision to become a bartender. Blaze says, first of all, there’s nothing wrong with bartending, and secondly, Kristina is doing so much more. She not only manages Charlie’s, she’s getting that youth center off the ground. Kristina says, her mother has finally made peace with her choices and come to respect her position at Charlie’s and the youth center. Why are they talking about her mother? What do they toast to? Blaze says, to her, the new Face of Deception, and they clink glasses.

Tracy tells Lois to get off her high horse. Brook is an adult, she got herself into trouble, and Brook came to her for a favor to get her out of it. Lois says, and Tracy thought blackmail was the way to do it? How could she? Tracy says she made it perfectly clear that favors come at a cost. Brook agreed to the deal and went into it with her eyes open. Lois says, Tracy forced her daughter to commit intellectual property fraud. She stole design information from Deception, a company her friends owned. She betrayed them. That’s not Tracy calling in a favor; that’s called extortion. Tracy says, potato, potahto. Brook got what she wanted. It’s only fair that Tracy should get what she wanted. End of story.

Curtis says, sure, and Portia gets into bed next to him. She says, dinner was nice, right? It was so lovely of Stella to take them out to celebrate. He says, Portia was promoted to Co-Chief of Staff. That’s definitely something worth celebrating. Portia says, hopefully, there will be many more happy occasions to come. One she can see right now, where they’ll have a big party – at The Savoy, of course (🍷) – is Trina’s graduation. He suggests they not get ahead of themselves. That’s still two years away. (I’m glad he said that. I thought I lost time or something.) She says, but time is going to fly by. He knows how things go, and he knows what a planner she is. It’s never too early to start thinking about the details. They’ll have N’neka come up with a specialty drink, something really cute, like the Trina Twist. They laugh, and she says, and they’ll have a DJ, not a band, because Trina’s going to want to dance all night long. Curtis says, yeah, and he won’t be able to dance with his daughter.🍼He’ll just be watching from the sidelines, so he guesses he’s got to get used to that view.

Tracy tells Lois, Brook brought this on herself. Chase had an opportunity to get his job back, and Brook dragged her feet. Lois asks what she’s talking about, and Tracy says, Brook was asked to write a testimonial about Chase’s sterling character, but she kept putting it off. Why? Because she was so busy managing his fledgling music career, but really, she just wanted him by her side. She acted out of pure selfishness. Lois says, and that she got from Tracy.

Portia says she knows how difficult this must be for Curtis, but he says he doesn’t think she does. She says, but she’s here for him. She puts her hand on his shoulder, and says, please don’t shut her out. He says, just stop, and she says she misses him. She misses their closeness. He says he just can’t. He told her the other day that he can’t show her love the way he used to. She says, yes, and she told him that she’d be there for him, and that’s what she’s trying to do. She’s trying to show him that, yes, their love might look different than the way it used to, but they can still connect with one another. They can connect physically. He says, she’s not hearing him. Even if he could do… this, he’s just not ready.

Kristina says, Blaze is really going to be the new Face of Deception? That’s huge. Maybe they should be switching to champagne. Blaze says, don’t pop the cork yet. She hasn’t even accepted the offer. She’s got to think about it. She doesn’t love the idea of giving up what’s left of her privacy, and she’s not sure she should split her focus. Kristina says, Blaze seems like a woman who’s capable of anything, and Blaze says, she’s at a point where she finally has control of her career, and she refuses to be obligated to anyone ever again.

Sam says, that is from the swim team awards banquet, and Drew says, that sounds pretty cool, but she says, it wasn’t actually. It was held in a gym, and they served corndogs and cupcakes. He laughs and says, it sounds pretty perfect for him right now. He wishes he could have been there. He’s so proud of Scout. He misses being at her meets and cheering her on from the bleachers. She asks what he’s talking about. He’d be the one running alongside her, saying, go, Scout. He says he’s probably embarrassed her a little bit, but Sam says, no. She loves her daddy. She was able to be there for Scout, and he was there in spirit. Scout did say she won this specifically for him. So when she dropped Scout off at the Qs, she wanted to bring it right over. He thanks her, and says, tell Scout that she’s got to take really good care of it; keep it safe. For him, for when he gets out. Because what he’s going to do is hang it up on his wall at the office and brag about her to everybody that comes in. And tell her that he loves her. Sam says she will.

Dex says, Spinelli was able to get the license plate of the car Mason was driving, and Carly says, Spinelli was involved in this too? Dante says, he was a big help actually, and Dex says, he tracked the car turning on County Road 21; said there was nothing out there except cliffs overlooking the river. Dante says, it’s a desolate area. It’s not where you want to be with a maniac like Gatlin. Dex says he saw Mason’s car on the side of the road, and just as he pulled up, Mason dragged Ava out of the car and was pulling her toward the cliff. Carly says, she could have been killed, and Dex says, then he pulled a gun and started shooting. He was able to tackle Mason, but they struggled, and Mason was about to push him off the cliff, but Dante showed up. Josslyn says, thank God. He could have died tonight. She puts her arms around him, and he holds her.

Kristina asks if Blaze always wanted to be on stage, and Blaze says, absolutely. She dreamed of being a megastar. Fill up stadiums like Beyonce and make headlines every time a new song dropped. Kristina says, wow. It kind of seems like she’s on her way. Blaze says, but she still wants to live her life and have privacy and be able to date who she wants without it being a tabloid headline, but the more popular she gets, the more impossible it becomes.

Nina asks if Sonny will do her a favor, and he says he already gave her what she wanted. What’s the problem? She says, yes, he did, but she can be really greedy when it comes to her handsome husband. He asks if she wants him to buy her a sailboat for the island and call it the Nina Star, and she says she’s not opposed to that idea, but no. Not anything material. She wants him. He says, you already have me, Mrs. Corinthos, but she says, no. She means she wants him to forget about all the problems and stresses he has and wants him to forget all his issues and keep them in Port Charles. Can he just be here in the moment with her while they’re on their honeymoon? Can he just love her? He says, yeah, and they get busy.

Ava comes downstairs in a robe and asks if Dante is still here, but Carly says, he had to get back to the station. Dex says, Dante told him to remind her about her clothes. Someone’s going to come by and collect them for DNA evidence. She says she left them in the guestroom. Dante probably wanted to find out about Mason’s status. With any luck, his bullets killed Mason. Carly says she knows Ava had a really rough time tonight. She’s sure seeing Avery made her feel better. Ava says, yeah. She was asleep of course (🍷). She didn’t wake her. She just sat by her and pet her beautiful face. Josslyn says, she didn’t know anything was going on, and Ava thanks her for that. Her biggest fear was that they would come after Avery, and she’s all Ava could think about when Mason was holding her in that basement. Carly says, they’d do anything to keep her safe. Sonny has posted more guards outside; the grounds are completely secure. Ava says she appreciates that, and Carly says she needs to get back to the hospital to be with Drew, but she doesn’t want to leave Josslyn. Dex says he’ll take care of her, and Josslyn says she’s fine. Go. She and Carly hug, and Carly says, Ava is welcome to stay the night here. She thinks it would make Avery really happy to wake up and see her. Ava says, that’s so nice, and thanks her. Carly says, of course (🍷), and leaves. Josslyn says she almost forgot, but she has something of Ava’s that she found at Windymere and thinks Ava is going to need it.

Dr. Larson says, Mr. Gatlin seems stable enough for surgery, and tells Deanna to get him prepped and ready for the OR. He tells Mason that he’s a lucky man. X-rays show the bullets didn’t pierce the spine. Austin asks if he can have a moment with his cousin before he goes to surgery, and the doctor says, no problem. He leaves, and Mason says, wish him luck, but Austin says, where’s Ava? Mason says he has no idea.

Dante approaches the door to Mason’s room, but as he’s about to go in, Jordan tells him, don’t go into that room and stay away from the patient.

Tracy tells Lois that she’s beginning to think maybe Brook hasn’t been exactly forthcoming about her departure from Deception. She wonders if Brook is concerned about not living up to Lois’s high standards of honesty and integrity. Lois says she would never judge her daughter. Love makes you do crazy things, and Brook learned from her mistakes, but that still doesn’t excuse what Tracy did. She used Lois’s daughter to get what she wanted. And for what? A cosmetics company? What did she want? Free night cream? She went after Deception to satisfy her own greed. Tracy says, she couldn’t be more wrong. She got that company for Brook.

Curtis says, when Portia came to visit him at the hospital, he couldn’t handle it. He lashed out and said the most awful things to her, and he never wants to push her away like that again. This is not that. This is different. She says, yes, he pushed her away before. She was upset, but she understood, and she understands now. She’s trying. She knows this is new. This is so raw. But he’s home and they’re going to have to find a way back to each other. But he’s going to have to let her in; he’s going to have to let her love him. He says, but he can’t love her that way. The truth is, psychologically, he doesn’t know if he ever will again. She says she doesn’t know what he’s talking about. She doesn’t even know how he can say something like that. She came on too strong tonight; she gets it. She’s sorry she did that. He says, she wanted to love her husband, and shouldn’t apologize for it, but she says, it’s too soon. They just need to take things slowly. They’ll take things slowly and eventually they’ll get there. He says, they’ll get there? When his wife knocks on his door for something he can’t give her, it makes him feel like less of a man.

Kristina says, it sounds like a lot to navigate, and Blaze says she’s sorry. She’s finally getting everything she ever wanted, and now she’s whining about it. Kristina says she doesn’t think Blaze is whining about it at all. To her, it just seems like Blaze is a woman who’s trying to figure out how much she wants to sacrifice to reach her goals. She should be able to live her dream without giving up her life. Blaze says she already knows one upside to being in the public eye, and Kristina says, go on. Blaze says, they never would have even met if Kristina hadn’t recognized her. So that’s definitely an argument in favor of fame.

Mason asks why Austin cares. Ava was with him when he got shot. Austin says, so she got away safely? and Mason says, last thing he remembers is Ava screaming when he got shot. Dr. Larson comes in and says, the surgeon’s ready, and asks Deanna to give him an IV.

Dante asks, what’s going on? and Jordan says, he needs to go home. He asks why he would go home. This is his suspect. He needs to question him. It’s his case. She says, not anymore, and he says he doesn’t mean any disrespect, but she’s not the Commissioner anymore; she’s Deputy Mayor. She says, the Police Commissioner was the one who called her. Mac has been keeping busy trying to keep the Pautuck PD off his back. They’re not too happy with Dante showing up in their jurisdiction and taking matters into his own hands. He asks what she wanted him to do. This guy kidnapped Ava Jerome. He was going to kill her and Dex Heller. What was he supposed to do? Show up and say, sorry, guys, you’re out of my jurisdiction? She says she gets it, but they’re making a lot of noise. Hopefully this will blow over when the investigation exonerates him. He says, investigation? That is ridiculous. She says, he shot a civilian. This is standard procedure, and he knows it, so calm down. Until the investigation is over, he’s on administrative leave and he can’t be here. So go home. She walks away.

Josslyn gives Ava her phone, and says she’s sure it’s dead right now, but there’s a charger on the desk. Ava says she wasn’t able to grab it before Mason forced her out of the house, and thanks Josslyn, plugging it in. Not just for the phone. She’s very grateful for both of them. If it wasn’t for Dex, Mason would have thrown her over that cliff. She fought as hard as she could, but she couldn’t stop him. Dex says he knows it’s hard to talk about, but did Ava ever overhear Mason talking to his boss? Does she know who he was working for? She says, no. He just drove out there and he pulled over and said he was waiting for instructions. A couple of minutes later, his phone rang. Maybe his boss wasn’t happy with him. She doesn’t know, but Mason got angry. He started the engine and she thought, okay, this is it. He’s going to bring her home and let her go. Dex asks, what changed his mind? and she says she has no idea, but all of a sudden, he just snapped. He shut the car off and dragged her out of the backseat, and Dex knows the rest. Josslyn says, it looks like she needs this, handing Ava a drink. Ava thanks her and takes a sip. She thanks them both for everything.

Carly looks at Drew through the door window, and calls Sonny. He asks if everything is okay, and she says, no. She’s really sorry to bother him on his honeymoon. He asks, what’s going on? and she says, that dirtbag Mason Gatlin… He says, Austin’s cousin? and she says, he kidnapped Ava. Sonny sits up and says, what the hell? Carly says, she’s fine. Dex and Dante found her, but she’s shaken. She had Ava spend the night at her house so she could be with Avery. He asks if Avery is okay, and Carly says, she’s fine. She doesn’t know about anything that was going on, but Ava’s kidnapping isn’t the worst of it. He asks, what could be worse than that? and she says, Cyrus Renault. He’s out of prison.

Tracy says she tried to buy Deception legally. Lucy Coe wouldn’t budge, so it became a challenge, and she had to resort to drastic measures to get the company. Now she’s giving it to Brook, lock, stock, and barrel. Lois laughs and says, so Tracy is the hero of this story. She’s doing all this out of what? The goodness of her non-existent heart? No. She doesn’t buy it. Tracy doesn’t have an altruistic bone in her entire body. Tracy says she doesn’t care whether Lois buys it or not. She’s Brook’s grandmother and she’s going to provide for her. Because she doesn’t want Brook to waste her life on music, then have nothing to show for it, like Lois did. Lois says, Tracy doesn’t get to make those choices for Brook, but Tracy says, Brook will thank her. If she hadn’t stepped in, Lucy Coe would have left her as a glorified assistant. She has a future at that company and now she owns 51% of it. Lois says, so all this is done so Tracy gets that warm fuzzy feeling for helping others? and Tracy says, yes… and she gets her 1% of ELQ back. Lois says, oh-ho! That old story again? Really? Keep her 51%, because Brook isn’t going to want any part of it. Tracy says, we’ll see.

Portia says she knows how difficult this has to be for Curtis. And not to get clinical here, but the doctor said he should be able to function in that way. He says, this is not about medicine. This is not about a diagnosis. Every doctor in the world can tell him that he can still have sex, but he knows he can’t make love, and there’s a difference here. Just because he’s capable physically doesn’t mean he’s ready psychologically. His body may be working in that way, but his mind is nowhere near ready. She says he’s not ready yet, but he will be, and he says, who knows? She says she knows. She’s not giving up on him. This is the hardest thing he’s ever had to face in his entire life, and they’re going to get through it together. He says he doesn’t know if she can help him get past this. So much of who he is, is tied to his physical ability. He’s always been athletic. He’s always pushed himself to run a little faster, to hit the bag a little harder, to add more weights to the bar. So just knowing he’d be struggling to love his beautiful wife the way she deserves to be loved? It’s humiliating. It’s infuriating. And it’s tearing him apart on the inside. She says she’s not going to give up on him. She loves him. And he’s right. She doesn’t know what this means for him. Even if they never get to a place where they share a bed in the same sense that they used to, she’s not going anywhere. She loves him. So take his time and she’s going to be there.

Austin tells Jordan that he’s looking for some information. Mason Gatlin is his cousin and Austin’s very close with Ava Jerome. He’s hoping… Could she just tell him what happened tonight? She says she shouldn’t be giving him any information. This is an ongoing investigation, and they’re still trying to put the pieces together. He says, yeah, but he’s asking. Please? She says, Mr. Gatlin was charged with kidnapping Miss Jerome and two counts of attempted murder. He was shot by an officer while attempting to murder someone. Austin asks if Ava was hurt, and she says, from what she understands, Ava was badly shaken, but unharmed. He thanks her, and walks away. He makes a call and says, come on, Ava. Pick up.

Ava’s phone rings and she sees it’s Austin, but ignores the call.

Josslyn says, Dex is a real hero, but he says he can’t take all the credit. Dante was the one who took down Mason. She says, yes, and Dex is actually the one who stopped Ava from going over a cliff. Which makes her wonder, how close did he come to going over himself?

Sam is asleep when Dante comes into the bedroom. He takes her magazine out of her hands and takes her glasses off. She opens her eyes, and he says, sorry. She says, don’t be sorry. She tried to stay up, but she fell asleep. She was so exhausted. He says, that’s okay. He kind of wants to put this day behind him. She asks if something happened, and he says, it’s kind of a long story. He’s been placed on administrative leave. He shot someone tonight and they might not make it. He gets in bed, and they cuddle.

Sonny says, son of a bitch, and Carly asks what he thinks happened. He says he doesn’t know, but he’s going to fly back home first thing in the morning. He’s got to go. He’s got to make some calls. She says, let her know what he finds out, and he says, will do. Nina asks, what’s going on? and Sonny says, of course (🍷). It was him all along. He jumps out of bed, and she says, who?

Curtis says he’s just not sure how long it will take him to get there or if he’ll get there, and Portia asks if he remembers when she told him that he didn’t know the kind of woman he married. This woman right here, she’s stubborn. But she’s also very patient. He sighs and says, it’s a lot to put up with, but she says she’s not putting up with anything. She loves him and knows how hard it must have been to be that vulnerable with her. But him opening up, sharing his insecurities, that made her feel that much closer to him. Maybe she did come in here for some physical lovin’, but she thinks they shared something just as deep. He’s letting her in and that’s a start. She kisses him and gets out of bed, but he takes her hand and says, wait. He loves her too. She says she knows he does, and leaves.

Jordan says, maybe Austin can help her. Can he think of any reason Mason would want to abduct Ava Jerome? Austin says, is she kidding? No. His cousin has always been a wild card. He has no idea why Mason does the things that he does, and Austin couldn’t speak to any of his motivations, ever. Excuse him. He has a patient he should probably check on. He jets, and Jordan says, goodnight, doctor.

Ava has one missed call and one message from Austin. She looks at the phone, but does nothing.

Dex says, Mason was tough to take down, and Josslyn says, he could have killed Dex. He says he was fighting with everything he had. At some point, when they were wrestling on the ground, he hit his head and he was dazed, so Mason had an advantage. He was losing ground a few feet from the cliff. If Dante hadn’t shown up, Mason would have pushed him over. She says, thank God for Dante, and he says, thank God for her. She’s the one who found Dante at the police station after Spinelli gave her his last known location. The fact that he’s still alive is totally on her. They kiss.

Sam says, besides Ava, what did he want? and Dante says he doesn’t know. That’s what they’re trying to figure out. She asks if Avery is okay, and he says, she’s fine. She wasn’t involved and doesn’t know what went down. She asks if he told Sonny, and he says, Carly’s doing that, which he’s glad about, because Sonny’s not going to be too happy. Sam snuggles against him.

Carly goes in to see Drew, and he says, she’s back. But it’s so late. She says she knows. She just wanted to watch him sleep. He says he thinks they can do better than that and pats the bed. She gets in with him and there’s more cuddling and snuggling.

Sonny comes to the lobby, where Kristina and Blaze are drinking, and Kristina gives him a hug. She says, this is her good friend Blaze, and he says, yeah. She’s a singer. Blaze says, he actually knows her music? and he says, no. He can’t lie, but his grandson Rocco watches her videos and listens to her music. Blaze says, Dante mentioned that. She’s flattered. And she hears congratulations are in order. Kristina says he just got married. He says, yeah. It was very fantastic, intimate, with the family, just the way he likes it. Kristina asks if he wants a drink, but he says, no. Something came up. She asks, what’s going on? Is everyone okay? He says, yeah, but they’re going to have to fly home first thing in the morning. There’s some important business he has to take care of.

Lois tells Tracy that she knows her daughter. And she’s not going to want anything to do with a company built on lies and betrayal. Tracy says, Brook may surprise Lois. She does have Quartermaine genes after all. Lois says, no. She’s not going to give up her integrity over a company. Tracys says, news flash. She already has. Maybe she’s a little more like her grandmother than Lois cares to admit, and guess what? Lois has to live with it. Tracy walks out.

Tomorrow, Anna says, if he makes another move, she’ll be ready; Finn suggests he and Elizabeth spend the weekend together; TJ tells Portia that someone was here last night, and she has a right to know; and Trina tells Spencer that the fantasy he and Esme have has gone too far.

👰🏼‍♀️ Just the Way He Likes It…

Sonny and Nina’s wedding. Just like you were there. Except for being on a tranquil island and eating fabulous food.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/general-hospital/sonny-and-ninas-gh-wedding-album

🚗 If She Doesn’t Want To Take That Ride…

Gladys had best stay in whatever port she’s from.

Will Gladys Return to GENERAL HOSPITAL? — Bonnie Burroughs Speaks Out!

🌡 Missed the Punchline…

It’s a little sad, but the new guy is still so much better.

Marcus Coloma Opens up About Being Recast on GH

🫶 For the Cause…

This sounds like it was a good time.

Soap Stars Reunite for a Great Cause — See the Pics!

🚣‍♀️ Wives On the Water…

This was actually an excellent show. None of that screeching at each other.

Luann de Lesseps Teases Possible Welcome to Crappie Lake Season 2

⚰️ Final Storm…

Here’s hoping the ending is worth the wait. Beginning this Sunday, October 22nd.

https://ew.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-series-finale-ending-storming-a-castle/

🏍 Explaining Daryl…

I don’t think the end needed an explanation, but I don’t mind a rehash. Great show, but sneeze and you miss the seasons now.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-daryl-dixon-final-carol-scene-explained/

🐉 Nothing Better To Do…

Because everyone is waiting for the strike to be over.

https://bamsmackpow.com/2023/10/17/targaryens-game-of-thrones-house-of-the-dragon-ranked/

🦃 The Forgotten Holiday…

More on Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/eli-roths-thanksgiving-is-a-modern-remake-of-a-lost-horror-movie-that-never-existed/ar-AA1iiEhf

🐕 Pups On Parade…

At least someone stepped in and saved the tradition.

https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/the-2023-tompkins-square-park-halloween-dog-parade-has-been-saved-100423

This Saturday, October 21st, if you’re in the neighborhood and so inclined.

https://www.tompkinssquaredogrun.com/

🧟 Mashing Some Monsters…

Stop in again tomorrow for soap and the fringes of Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay donating leftover candy rather than eating it, and stay not using extortion to call in a favor. It’s not a good look.

Sep16

September 15, 2023 – Tracy Meets Ex-Wife #3, An Idea, A Tease, Blairversary, A Return, InstaRoger, Friends, The Problem, Spiraling, VanderAwful, Kick-Off, The Other Holiday, Canine Takedown, Quotes Of 10 & Love

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

A woman walks into the MetroCourt, and goes to Tracy’s table. Tracy says, Blair Cramer from OLTL, what a pleasure to meet you. They shake hands, and Tracy thanks Blair for joining her. She so much prefers doing business in person. Blair says, as do I. And this evening’s business is claiming what’s hers. Coming in with Lucy, Martin sees Blair and says, God, not her.

Esme tells Alexis that she has a call scheduled with the board at 5:30 and after that, she’s free. Alexis thanks her, and Esme says she just sent Alexis the cutest picture of Ace. She leaves, and Alexis looks at a photo of Spencer and Ace in the pool on her phone. She leaves a message for Gregory,  telling him that she’s going to be in the office for another hour, so stop by or call if he needs her. Spencer walks in and says he needs her. Does she have time for a fellow Cassadine?

Trina walks into an unorganized dorm room and says, Josslyn has made so much progress with moving in. Josslyn apologizes and says she had every intention of unpacking. It’s just that Dex came over, and they got a little distracted. Trina asks, how distracted?

Carly walks in to find Ava in her living room and asks what she’s doing here. Ava says she dropped Avery off; she’s upstairs with Donna and Pilar. Carly says, Avery’s welcome any time, but she didn’t have her on the schedule for tonight. Ava says she hopes it’s okay for her to stay. She has a late dinner with clients, collectors. She couldn’t say no. Carly says she has a hard time believing Ava, of all people, has a hard time saying no. So give it up. What has she done this time?

Austin goes into the unfamiliar house, and Nikolas says he’s just in time. Austin says, just in time for what? and Nikolas tells him, to say goodbye.

Anna and Valentin are seated on the MetroCourt terrace, and Trish gives them menus. She hands Anna an envelope and says, Detective Falconari left this for her. Anna opens it and sees a passenger manifest for flight 15303 with Pikeman’s heading. Valentin’s name is circled.

Tracy says, what Blair means is, what was hers is now Tracy’s, because she paid dearly for it. Blair says, yes, Tracy did, but she’s still due her final deal point, and Tracy says, it will come soon enough. Blair says, it better, because her ex is bleeding her dry, and the sooner he remarries, the better. Tracy says, as soon as Deception is hers, Lucy Coe will be flat broke. She’ll be hounding Blair’s ex relentlessly until he makes her Mrs. Martin Grey. Blair says, that works for her.

Martin tries to dash out, but Lucy says, they have to eat something. He says, there’s a swell table with their names on it over at the PC Grill, but she says, no. Is it because of Tracy? She is not afraid of Tracy Quartermaine. Never have been; never will be.

Alexis says she always has time for Spencer, kissing him on the cheek. What’s he got there? He says, this is his future, handing her some papers. It’s been over six months since his father disappeared, and as expected, the Cassadine attorneys have been in touch. She says, and full control of the Cassadine estate goes to the heir, and that would be him. He says, that’s right. They want to get the ball rolling. They want to give him full control. Quite frankly, he doesn’t understand what any of this legalese means, but he was hoping she’d be able to translate. She says she can translate. Come with her; they’ll see what’s what. She goes to her desk, and Spencer sits down.

Trina says, Josslyn and Dex are too much. Josslyn was never like this with Cam. Josslyn says, that was a different relationship, and Trina says, it seems they can’t keep their hands off one another. Josslyn says she knows, and Trina asks if they were always like this, but Josslyn says, not always. She thinks she was attracted to him from the beginning, even though she didn’t want to admit it. Now they’re together, and the more time they spend together, the better everything else is. Trina says she has to ask. Was Josslyn nervous the first time she was with Dex? Josslyn wonders why she’s asking.

Ava says she doesn’t know what Carly is talking about. She’s done nothing. Carly says, she did something that handed Austin and his cousin leverage over her, and Ava says, Carly thinks just because she’s asking her to watch Avery, there’s some nefarious connection to Austin and the creep? Carly says, this is the second time Ava has dropped Avery off unexpectedly, and Ava asks if Carly would prefer she took Avery and left. Carly says, this has nothing to do with Avery, and Ava knows it. Whatever’s going on, Ava’s in it up to her neck, and it’s something only Sonny can get her out of, so what is it? Carly just came back from Pentenville, visiting Drew. She and Sonny went there to ask for his help. Sonny wants him to find out who Ava’s friend Austin visited while he was there. Ava says, Austin did what?

Austin says, Ava is going to be so happy to find out Nikolas is alive when he gets back to Port Charles, but Nikolas says he’s not going to Port Charles. Austin asks what he means, and Nikolas says he can’t go back to Port Charles or let anyone know he’s alive before he ties up some loose ends. Austin asks, where are his loose ends if they’re not in Port Charles? Nikolas says, in Europe. He leaves in a few hours.

Valentin asks if Anna is getting notes from other men. Should he be jealous? She says, it’s more than a note, and he says he’s intrigued. What does Dante have to say? She tells him, read it for himself, handing him the manifest, and says, is it true?

Blair tells Tracy that she’ll always have a soft spot in her heart for Marty, but having to pay him 50 grand a month in alimony is really putting a crimp in her budget. On top of it, her youngest is in college, and her Jack – Jack is her problem child – Jack’s problems only seem to be solved with money. Tracy says, adorable. Rest assured, she has everything under control. Blair says she’s sure Tracy does. So how did it go in court? Tracy says she was a little concerned at first. Intellectual property theft can be difficult to prove, but luckily Blair gave her enough information for the lawyer, and everything went according to plan. And that tidbit about The Deceptor is exactly what she needed to get the judge to look at the case. Blair says, great. She hopes Tracy knows she’s just doing all this to help right a wrong. It’s not really about the money. An injustice was done here. People can’t just steal people’s ideas and make a profit from it. It’s about the people who get cheated out of their piece of the pie and Deception is one huge pie. Tracy says, so her intentions are completely altruistic. She’s doing this for the little people. Blair says, okay. Her motivation might be a little bit selfish, but that’s because The Deceptor was her idea in the first place. She just never got around to finishing it. Knowing her ex the way she does, she knows he’ll do anything to get what he wants. And in this case, it’s Lucy. Mouthy Marty couldn’t help himself. He had to share her design idea just to win her over. Tracy says she wouldn’t call Lucy a win.

Lucy asks Martin, who is that blond bobbed person with Tracy over there? She thinks she’s seen her before. Martin says, this is all sort of a big so what. Is she sure she wouldn’t change her mind about heading over to the Grill? He would surely love some of their crab cakes. She says, no, but she thinks she knows why he wants to leave. It’s because of that horrible, nasty Tracy. It’s enough to make you lose your appetite. But that’s okay; they’re not budging. They’re going to stick around. They’re staying. He says, in that case, he’s going to need a shot of something. Present company and all, he thinks they should just remain calm and order a couple of drinks.

Alexis goes through the paperwork, and tells Spencer, this is a really complicated document. She’s going to need some time with this, so what she’ll do is square things away. She’ll give him some instruction, and then get it back to him by tomorrow night. Is that going to work for him? He says, yes, and she says, he was smart to bring it to her first. He says he appreciates it, and she says she’s happy to do it actually, because… He says he knows. He’s not just talking about the legal document. She’s family and he’s very grateful for her. She says she’s so grateful for him. And for better or worse – and worse when it comes to the Cassadines – they’re family and they have an unbreakable bond. He says, except not where his father is concerned. He pretended to be dead. All of these years, he thought his father had sunk as far as he could, but then he disappeared and abandoned his brother. How does someone walk out on a baby? (Wow. Spencer is seriously out of touch with the world.) She says, his father had no frame of reference when it came to being a father. His own father was a horrible role model. She’s not making excuses for him, but she has a soft spot for him because he’s damaged, and it wasn’t his fault. There is no justification for a parent walking out on their child – never – but she can say with certainty that he loved Spencer. Spencer says, he has an odd way of showing it, but he is glad he has her. She says she’s always here for him, and he says, on that note, he has one more favor he’d like to ask her. She says, okay, as Esme approaches the door, and Spencer says, this one’s about Ace. Esme ducks back.

Austin asks what the hell Nikolas is talking about. He can’t go to Europe. He needs a passport. He needs money. Where did he get these clothes? Nikolas says he has multiple accounts and aliases, and Austin says, of course (🍷) he does. How could he not know that? Nikolas says, it’s just a simple matter of accessing them, and Austin asks, what’s in Europe? Nikolas says, many glorious things, but most important, his mother. She’s there trying to track him down. Austin says, so he’s going to meet his mother, but Nikolas says he has no intention of seeing her. He just needs her to know he’s alive. (So… he doesn’t have a phone?)

Valentin says he’s not going to lie. He hasn’t been totally transparent with Anna. She says she thinks that’s putting it mildly. After he left for Russia, it’s just been one truth after the other surfacing. She finds out he used to work for Pikeman… He says he never worked for them directly. He was an independent contractor. She says, semantics. She just feels that each new layer that gets peeled back, she gets to see who he really is. Like maybe she never knew him. He says he loves her. That’s all she ever needs to know. She says, is it? He’s not answering her question. Is that true? She points to the manifest, and he says, yes. Unfortunately, it is true. The night of the fire, Pikeman summoned him to a meeting in New York; they flew him to Manhattan. She says, that’s not much of a confession; that’s what it says in Dante’s note. He asks what more she wants, and she asks, what the hell was so urgent that he had to fly to New York City in the middle of the night? He says, Pikeman was concerned about Sonny; they still are. They wanted to consult with him. She asks why he lies to her.

Blair says, obviously her motivation in all of this is to stop funding Marty’s lavish lifestyle, and Tracy says, she’s made that abundantly clear. Blair says, 50 grand a month in alimony buys a lot of hummingbird cake, and Tracy says, yes, and she can only imagine what he spends wooing the floozy. Blair says, the gravy train has left the station. Is Tracy sure the judge can keep The Deceptor sales frozen? Tracy says, absolutely, and while they are frozen, Deception’s stock price is plummeting. The company will be essentially worthless by the time Lucy Coe and company see their day in court. Blair says, speaking of court, tell her how it went with Jackson, and Tracy says, great recommendation. Thank you. He did an impeccable job. Blair says, not only is he a very talented lawyer, he’s pretty irresistibly handsome to look at, doesn’t she think? Tracy says she hadn’t noticed, and Blair says she has to be incredibly focused on bringing Lucy Coe down not to notice that. Tracy is out for blood. Tracy says she doesn’t need blood. It’s the piece of her family’s company that she wants from Lucy. She has been using it to ruin her family’s lives for years. And Tracy won’t stop until she gets it.

Martin asks if Lucy doesn’t think the GH softball team is doing suspiciously well. Far be it for him to cast aspersions on the medical profession, but could they be cheating? Lucy says, maybe. Maybe that wouldn’t surprise her at all, because those Quartermaines have their grubby little paws in every aspect of the hospital, and the biggest cheaters are Tracy and her spy granddaughter Brook Lynn. She really did steal confidential and privileged information about The Deceptor. Shame on her. Martin looks so guilty, I laugh.

Josslyn asks if everything is okay with Trina and Spencer, and Trina says, they’re better than ever. It’s just with Curtis and school and the gallery, they hardly see one another. They’re never alone. The last time was the Haunted Star. Trina flashes back to kissing Spencer on the boat and saying, this could be their only chance to be this close again. She tells Josslyn, since then, it’s just been one thing after another. She just wants it to be about her and Spencer, but ever since Greenland, it just hasn’t been right. Josslyn says she’s sure it doesn’t help he’s living with Esme, and Trina says, no, it doesn’t, but she thinks Spencer found a way around that.

As Esme listens outside the door, Alexis asks what Spencer needs for Ace, and he says he and Trina are going to go to New York for a little weekend getaway. Alexis says, that sounds fun, and he says, it will be. He hopes she wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on Esme, and Ace.

Austin says he doesn’t understand this. Why would Nikolas insist on playing dead? Wait a second. He wants his mother to know he’s alive, but he doesn’t want to see her, and in the meantime, Ava is losing her mind thinking she killed him. Nikolas asks why he’s so worried about Ava, and Austin says he has a problem with people feeling guilty for killing people who clearly aren’t really dead. Nikolas says, Ava’s not someone who’s prone to guilt. Austin doesn’t know Ava like he does.

Carly tells Ava, when she was visiting Drew in Pentenville, Austin came in carrying his doctor bag, and she just assumed he was there for a medical reason. Ava asks, what makes her think he wasn’t? and Carly says, because he was actually there to deliver information to his boss, the same information that he stole from Sonny. Ava says, that’s a lot of speculation, even for Carly, but Carly says, they’re way past that. Sonny came to her and Drew for help. Her helping Sonny means she’s helping Ava.

Anna asks why Valentin had to go to New York City. He has a Pikeman contact here in Port Charles. Why didn’t he take a meeting here? Or use the phone? He says, Pikeman didn’t want to risk him being seen with a contact. It was safer to take the meeting outside of the city. Plus, Pikeman and the Sonny deal are fraught subjects for them, so he chose to lie about it. She says, fraught subjects? That’s a little clinical, isn’t it? She’s talking about them, their relationship. She thought maybe they were being honest with each other. He says he’s being honest with her now, and she says, because she’s making him. Would he have ever told her about the Pikeman connection on his own? What else is he keeping from her? He says he loves her. Please don’t do this. She says, he can’t keep saying that because it’s not actually an explanation. Just because he says he loves her, she’s supposed to accept everything that’s going on? That’s not how she felt when Dante told her that he just blatantly lied. She gets up, and he follows, saying, he lied to her because he wanted to keep the relationship with Pikeman separate from her. She asks how that’s working out. She was actually delivering a message from him to Sonny here at the pool when somebody decided to take a shot at her. Or Sonny, or both of them. He says he should never have involved her. He should never have asked her to deliver that message. He’s sorry. That was a mistake. She says, how many more lies and mistakes does he have to tell her about? Has he lied about anything else?

Blair asks why Tracy hates Lucy Coe so much, and Tracy says, because she’s a cockroach that her family has been unable to get rid of since she sunk her claws into Tracy’s brother. Lucy has a crucial 1% of voting rights of her family company. But all of that is about to come to an end, because once she has control of Deception, Lucy Coe will no longer be an issue. Blair says, Tracy has such a distaste for business. She remembers Tracy saying she hoped she never had to utter the letter ELQ again. Tracy says, the things some people remember. Well, it’s not all about her. Don’t get her wrong, she does so enjoy putting the screws to Lucy Coe for all of the chaos Lucy wreaked upon her family. Blair says, now she’s really curious. What did she do besides marry Tracy’s brother? Tracy says, she helped install Valentin Cassadine as CEO of ELQ, but there are other family dynamics at play now, and Blair says, such as?

Martin tells Lucy, maybe it’s much ado about nothing. Maybe the lawsuit won’t hold up in court. She says she wishes that were true, but she really thinks it will. She really thinks this lawsuit has traction, and the person she’s blaming the most is Brook. How could she do it to them? How could Brook steal all the ideas she had to come up with The Deceptor? It’s so galling that they’re making it sound like it wasn’t her idea, when it was, and yes, with a few helpful hints from him. He says, no, no, stop. He’s told her once. He’s told her a thousand times. He had nothing to do with The Deceptor. She says she told him a thousand times, he has to stop. He was right there. They both came up with the idea. He says, they’ll have to agree to disagree. That’s not how he remembers it. Things are complicated enough as they are. There’s no reason to drag him into it. She says, so he’s forgetting their pillow talk. Okay. She came up with the product, but because he suggested it. She never would have come up with the idea for The Deceptor if it wasn’t for him.

Josslyn asks if Spencer is moving out of Laura’s condo and getting his own place, and Trina says she wishes, but Spencer can’t get his own apartment yet. Josslyn asks if they’ve talked about it, and Trina says, it’s come up before, but Spencer can’t leave because of Ace and she totally gets that. He still doesn’t trust Esme. Josslyn says, can she blame him? and Trina says, no, not at all. She gets it. He needs to be there for his brother. That actually makes her like him even more. She loves that he’s there for Ace and puts him first. Josslyn says, it doesn’t bother Trina that the baby’s getting more attention than her? and Trina says she’ll be getting plenty of attention this weekend on their trip. Josslyn says, trip? Explain. Trina says, it’s only a few days. He’s taking her to Manhattan. Josslyn says, traveling together is a huge step, and Trina says she knows. It’ll be their first time alone together, completely away from everybody. Josslyn asks if she’s ready for that, but Trina says, it’s not like she’s rushing into it. They’re both adults, and they’re committed to each other. Josslyn says, of course (🍷), totally. It’s just that sex takes things to a new level. She just wants to make sure Trina’s thought about it. Trina says she’s done nothing but think about it.

While Esme continues to listen, Alexis tells Spencer that she has been keeping an eye on Esme and Ace. She seems to be doing well with him, and reasonably well as a receptionist. Aside from the obvious, why does he think she needs to be supervised? He says, they all know the new and improved Esme, the one who surfaced after claiming she had no memory of anything that happened before she washed up on the Haunted Star. But let’s not forget all of the awful things she did before that. (I’m not saying Esme wasn’t awful, but typical that the man carries zero blame. No offense, but truth.) Alexis says she won’t, but whether she’s faking her memory loss or not, he has to admit, Esme’s good with Ace. He says, she is, but she’s attempted to run away before, and with his grandmother and Doc out of the country looking for his father, he would just feel a lot better knowing Ace was safe. Esme drops the papers she’s holding, and says, uh-oh, acting like she just got there. She tells Alexis, sorry, she forgot to give her this payroll.

Austin says, if anyone is unknown to him, it’s Nikolas. He treated Nikolas as a patient for month. He nursed Nikolas back to health, and he had this agenda. He never even mentioned it. Nikolas says, Austin didn’t save him out of the goodness of his heart; they both know that. Austin says, eh, and Nikolas says, as for his agenda, it’s simple. The Cassadine estate is controlled by a trust. If the current owner of the estate, which happens to be him, disappears for six months, they’re presumed dead and control of the estate automatically passes to the heir. Austin says, who happens to be his son, and Nikolas says, Spencer. Austin says, Nikolas doesn’t like the way the Cassadines arranged things, and Nikolas says he wants to stop it. Austin says he doesn’t blame him, and Nikolas says, the only way to keep Spencer from controlling all of his money and resources is if proof comes to light that he’s still alive.

Valentin says he knows he’s given Anna reason to doubt him, but no, he’s not keeping any secrets from her. She says she’s curious. What pulled him into working for Pikeman in the first place? He says, greed, and he was younger then. He had nothing to lose, but not now. Now he has far too much to lose. Pikeman is very powerful, and they have a lot of memory. It’s just easier to cooperate and keep them as an ally. He doesn’t want to have them as an enemy. She asks if there’s any differentiation between those two things in a business like that, and he says, this is his problem. He wants her as far away from them as possible. She says, how can she be? She’s right here. She sigh/groans, and he asks if she’s okay. She asks if they can’t go up to the suite again, and he says, she doesn’t want dinner? She says, they’ll get room service, and goes to the table, picking up the itinerary.

Carly asks if Ava isn’t curious why the FBI arrested Sonny, but Ava says she was just relieved when the charges were dropped. Carly says, she never asked him the reason why? and Ava says, nope. Carly says, it’s because he left false information for Betty to find. Then Betty took it to Austin, who took it to his boss in Pentenville, whoever that is. Which means Austin and Mason’s boss has ties to the FBI. Ava says she doesn’t know why Carly is telling her all this. It’s got nothing to do with her. Carly says, that’s bull and Ava knows it, and Ava says, why doesn’t she let it rest? Carly says she thinks Ava did something, and Mason and Austin found out about it. And they’re threatening to take it to their boss, who could take it to the FBI.

Austin asks why Nikolas doesn’t go to Port Charles after. When he cleans up all of his loose ends and takes care of his money, why doesn’t he go then? Nikolas says, because his son Spencer hates him, and Austin says, his son has a pretty good reason to from what he understands. The way Ava’s explained it to him, this isn’t the first time Nikolas has pretended to be dead, which is like a weird habit with him. Who does that? How could he do that to his own son? Nikolas says, Austin doesn’t know what’s gone on in his family, and he doesn’t need to justify his actions to him. He knows for a fact that once Spencer gets control of the money and the Cassadine estate, he isn’t likely to ever give it back to him. Austin says, can you blame him? It’s an awful lot of money. Nikolas says, more than Austin realizes. The last thing he wants to do is open this up to a long, ugly court battle, because that’s exactly where it will end up. It’s better to stop the process before it starts. Austin says, Nikolas doesn’t think much of his son, does he?

Tracy says, Blair didn’t come all this way to hear about the dysfunctional Quartermaines, did she? and Blair says, they couldn’t be any worse than her family. Tracy says, could be. Does she use the words greedy, unscrupulous, and vindictive to describe her family? Blair says, that and more. She wouldn’t even know where to begin with their saga. Let’s just say, the Borgias have nothing on us. Tracy says, okay, then they’ll call it a draw. They both have dysfunctional families. Can they just get back to the business at hand? Blair says, so there’s more to it than Tracy getting her ELQ voting rights back.

Alexis thanks Esme, and says, the payroll wouldn’t have gone out in time, and she’d have a lot of staff members breathing down her neck. Esme says, sorry she forgot about it earlier, but if she gets it to accounting now, it’ll make it before the deadline. Alexis thanks her, and says she appreciates it – she signs the papers and hands them to Esme – and so will the staff when their direct deposits get in at the end of the week. Esme says, better get it to accounting, and leaves. Spencer looks at Alexis, no doubt wondering if Esme heard them.

Josslyn says she has to ask. Trina’s not feeling any pressure from Spencer about this, correct? Trina says, no. She’s not feeling any pressure from Spencer. Josslyn says, good, and she shouldn’t ever, and Trina says she’s just so happy and excited to be planning a weekend away, just the two of them. Josslyn says, a whole weekend in New York? It’s going to be perfect. Trina says, at first, he wanted to go to Turks and Caicos, and Josslyn says, the Caribbean? Isn’t it hurricane season or something? Trina says, that’s what she told him, and Josslyn asks how they settled on New York. Trina says, first, they were going to stop in New York, then go on to Turks and Caicos, but with school starting and her working at the gallery, she just didn’t want to be away for that long. So Manhattan was a compromise. Josslyn says, it was a good compromise, and Trina says, he wants to take her to a Broadway show, and then they’re going to have dinner at this hot, new restaurant. Josslyn asks if they’re going to have time for any other activities, and Trina says, oh yeah. They’re staying at this hotel that has a heated pool on the rooftop. Josslyn says she bets Trina’s more excited to see the hotel room than the heated pool, and Trina says, it is going to be their first time together.

Lucy says, Martin is right. They should have gone to the Grill. She’s not staying in the same room with Tracy Quartermaine, who is trying to take everything she’s worked so hard for. She’s going to freshen up, and she’ll meet him in the lobby. She leaves, and he takes out his wallet, looking around nervously.

Tracy says, actually, she never does anything for just one reason (a multitasker!), and Blair says she doesn’t see Tracy as a checkers kind of gal. She’s more of a strategic 3D chess player. Tracy says, actually, backgammon is her game, and Blair says, noted. Tracy says, but this is not a game. This is business. She learned a lot from her father, and maybe the most important lesson he taught her is that opportunities are not given, they’re made. And once they’re made, you have to take full advantage of it. She gets up, shakes hands with Blair, and says, a pleasure. She leaves, and Blair sees Martin. She walks over to his table, and puts her hand on his shoulder from behind, startling him. She bends down and whispers, hello, sweetheart, kissing his cheek.

Ava tells Carly, let her be clear about something. What Sonny is doing right now, he’s doing for Avery’s sake. Carly says she knows that. Sonny would do anything for his family. Ava says, because the situation is fraught (WOTD), she would like Avery to stay here with Carly and Donna for a while. Carly says, for how long? and Ava says, a week maybe? She doesn’t know exactly. Is that acceptable to Carly? Carly says, of course (🍷). Avery can stay here as long as she needs. Ava thanks her, and says she appreciates that. She heads for the door, and Carly says, this is also for Avery’s sake. Whatever she has going on with Austin, he’s keeping information from her. Do not trust him. Ava says nothing, and walks out, taking a pause when she gets outside.

Nikolas says, his son is a Cassadine, and Austin says, meaning? Nikolas says, he expects Spencer wouldn’t act any differently toward him than he would toward someone standing in his way. That’s enough to make sure Spencer never has power over him. Austin says, that’s an interesting family dynamic, when Nikolas’s phone dings. Nikolas says his car has just arrived, and Austin says, so he can’t talk Nikolas into changing his mind? Nikolas says, no, and thanks Austin again for all of his help. Austin asks where he’s going, and Nikolas says, it’s time for a family reunion, and leaves.

Spencer thanks Alexis again, not only for her legal advice, but for her support in checking on Esme when he and Trina are away. She says, they’re family. That’s what they do for each other. Just a thought, but Esme is family too, so if he could trust her first, maybe she could be more trustworthy. Spencer says, that would be difficult, and Alexis says, he has to admit, she cares about that little boy. He says he feels the same way about Ace that Esme does (highly doubtful, but okay), and she says, good. They have that in common. Let love for that little boy be the thing that brings them together, rather than the thing that tears them apart. Just a thought again. Let’s go. They walk out of the office, and Esme dashes into it. What happened to Alexis’s 5:30 call?

Josslyn says, Trina and Spencer have had their ups and downs. Trina trusts him. Trina says she does trust him, and she believes this is right. It feels like the right thing to be doing. Josslyn hugs Trina and says she’s so happy for her. She’s so happy for Spencer too. Trina says, that means a lot to her. She knows Josslyn and Spencer have had their differences. When Josslyn broke up with Cam… Josslyn says she forgives him. She gives him grief, but she knows he’s a good guy. Trina says she thinks so too, and Josslyn says, and Trina is the best thing that’s ever happened to him. Don’t you forget it. Trina hugs Josslyn.

Valentin says, Anna isn’t feeling well. Let him get her something. She says, it’s okay. She’s just feeling a little pain. Maybe if she lies down… She opens the door, and they see the room has been tossed. There are streaks of red on various white things to make it look like blood, and they draw their guns. Anna goes in the back, and Valentin picks up a red streaked white shirt and says, ink. What the hell? Anna turns on the light in the bathroom and checks the shower stall. It’s empty, and she turns around. In red on the mirror, it says: You think you got away with it. You didn’t. You think you’re safe. You’re not.

On Monday, Chase tells Brook, it’s too late for that; Valentin tells Anna, it’s not a coincidence and he’s not taking any chances; Lucy wants to replace Brook as soon as possible; Blair says, it’s going to cost Martin big time; and Stella tells Marshall, it will be the death of him.

💭 It would be beyond awesome if somehow Austin hooked up with Blair. Good times…

🩺 Ditched After Saving the Day…

Obrecht was the hero of the day for saving Willow and Drew a hero for saving her, but then nothing. Not even in the background. Some thanks.

Kathleen Gati Teases Her Return to GENERAL HOSPITAL!

🎉 Fanning Blair…

Hopefully, she sticks around Port Charles.

Fans Celebrate Kassie DePaiva’s Blair-aversary!

☎️ Old Home Week…

Brook could use her mother right about now.

Rena Sofer Returns to GENERAL HOSPITAL!

https://people.com/rena-sofer-returning-to-general-hospital-as-lois-cerullo-exclusive-7969604

🥁 Joining the Social Bandwagon…

His first post is a pic of him and Jeff Kober. He’s definitely got my follow.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/roger-howarth-joins-instagram

⛓ Not a Surprise…

Why wouldn’t two grifters come together?

https://ew.com/celebrity/elizabeth-holmes-jen-shah-prison-friends/

🤼‍♀️ Not Part Of the Solution…

I think it’s just Teresa ruining RHONJ. And they shouldn’t bother rebooting it. We already have The Jersey Shore.

Why Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga’s Feud is Ruining Real Housewives of New Jersey

🍹 She Did Get Loud…

In retrospect, I was pretty surprised when Taylor got a little out of control.

https://people.com/southern-charm-season-9-premiere-recap-taylor-ann-green-confronts-craig-conover-about-shep-rose-cheating-7969777

🍸 Rules of Awful…

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Times When the Women of Vanderpump Rules Were Just Awful

To be fair.

Vanderpump Rules Cast Members Who Have Shown the Most Emotional Growth

🎃 Let the Celebration Begin…

Those who can’t do, watch. I love these shows. It’s absolutely amazing what they create.

https://1428elm.com/2023/09/01/halloween-wars-host/

https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/halloween-wars/meet-the-teams-season-13

https://foodsided.com/2023/09/10/halloween-baking-championship-season-9-preview-welcome-to-the-carnival/

🦃 From Fake To Film…

Eli Roth finally did it. He’s been talking about this forever. I can’t wait.

https://ew.com/movies/thanksgiving-trailer-eli-roth-patrick-dempsey/

Eli Roth’s ‘Thanksgiving’ Teaser Trailer – That’s Definitely Not Cranberry Sauce…

🐕‍🦺 Good Boy…

I was keeping an eye on this story since I have friends in the area. No surprise a dog ultimately brought him down.

https://people.com/police-k9-yoda-played-key-role-in-capturing-danelo-cavalcante-7969658

📢 Quotes of the Week

Short cuts make long delays. – J.R.R. Tolkien

The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do. – B.F. Skinner

You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do. – Carl Jung

Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that’s real power. – Clint Eastwood (This was before he started talking to empty chairs.)

There are no regrets in life. Just lessons. – Jennifer Aniston

Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost. – Robert H. Schuller

How about not assume? How about giving the benefit of the doubt? Nothing is ever as it seems. – Jenna Lyons, The Real Housewives of New York City

I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took an excuse. – Florence Nightingale

I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones. – Albert Einstein

Those aren’t glasses; they’re aquariums with stems. – Molly (Melissa McCarthy), Mike & Molly

🛌🏽 Wake Me Up When…

Come join me on Monday really Tuesday for soap and TV tea. Until then, stay safe, stay aware of how your behavior impacts others, and stay taking full advantage of the opportunities you make.

Jan11

January 10, 2023 – Drew Confronts Carly About the Search, Bye From Britt, Sonja’s Sunset, Get Out, You Too, Traitors Coming, Eli’s Thanksgiving, Special Pups (!) & Family

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Willow stares at the fireplace, when Michael and Wiley come in with a plate of cookies. She says, just what the doctor ordered, and Wiley asks if the doctor told her to have dessert. Michael says, it’s just something people say, and Wiley asks, why? Willow tells him, in this case, it means she can’t think of a better way to spend time; just the three of them. Wiley says, when his little sister is born, it will be four of them. That’s a lot.

Drew walks into Sonny’s ex-kitchen and current home of the great moss bowl🎍, and Carly says, he’s right on time. He takes off his jacket, and she asks if everything is okay. He says he’d feel like an ass if he kissed her, and then ambushed her with a question, and she says, ask her the question. He asks why she doesn’t want to find Willow’s birth mother.

Sonny asks Nina, where did these papers come from? and she says, Aunt Liesl cleaned out Britt’s office, including some papers she shouldn’t have. She was going to sort through it and return the papers that belonged to the hospital… Why? He says, see for herself, handing her a document, and she sees it’s Willow’s chemotherapy report. She says, Willow’s getting chemotherapy.

Josslyn knocks at Dex’s door, and she asks if she can come in. He says, of course (🍷), and she walks inside, saying, she can’t stop thinking about Britt. If Britt hadn’t held off The Hook, she would be dead by now. He tells her, stop, but she says, listen to her. She couldn’t have held The Hook off by herself, and by the time Dex got to the pier, it would have been too late. Britt got cut saving her. The Hook was after her. It all happened because of her. He says, what you’re feeling is survivor’s guilt, and if you’re not careful, it can really mess you up.

Esme wonders if she can ask Elizabeth a question, and Elizabeth says she doesn’t know if she can answer it, but she’ll try. Esme asks if Elizabeth thinks her lawyer is any good. She’s being accused of all these terrible things, and he thinks if they can find out where she’s been hiding out these past few months, she’ll have an alibi.

Spencer asks why Laura is at the hospital, and she says she wanted to see him. He says, maybe she doesn’t approve of him moving in with Uncle Sonny, but he had to get out of Windymere, and she says she’s happy he’s with Sonny. She just wanted to see for herself how he’s doing. He says, truthfully, he’s heartbroken that Britt is dead, and if Esme killed her, if she’s The Hook, then she needs to be held accountable.

Walking to the porch at Windymere, Dante asks Jordan if they’re going to wait for a warrant. She says, unless they can get the judge to sign one in the next ten minutes, they’ll have to hope Nikolas cooperates, and Dante says he wishes her good luck with that one. When he questioned Nikolas this morning, the only thing Nikolas would tell him is that he’s the father of Esme’s baby. She asks if the lab turned up anything from Esme’s personal effects, and he says, the only thing she had was a Christmas ornament. She asks if he’s sure it was on her, and he says, she definitely had it; he asked the doctor. She asks if they can trace it, and he says, it wasn’t mass produced. It’s from Poland, and it’s hand-painted. If they can find out who painted it, maybe they can find out who it was sold to.

Victor tells Nikolas, there was a fire in the north tower; a Christmas tree went up in flames. Who would put a Christmas tree in an unused bedroom? His guess is, the same person who put toiletries in the bathroom, or clothes in the closet. Nothing fancy. Just some sweats, loose-fitting, suitable for a pregnant woman. Nikolas has been keeping Esme prisoner, hasn’t he? Right under Victor’s nose.

Nina says, this is personal medical information. Maybe they shouldn’t be looking at this. But Sonny says, if she thinks it’s a violation of her ethics, look at it this way; he found it, she didn’t. She asks what he’s going to do with it, and he says, Willow is Wiley’s mother. She’s carrying his grandchild. He doesn’t care what’s going on as far as the fighting goes; she’s still family. He’s going to do everything he can to find out about her condition. She says she doesn’t care about right or wrong. She only wants to help Willow.

Wiley asks what his baby sister’s name is, but Michael says, they haven’t chosen one yet. What does he think it should be? Wiley says, Annabelle III, but Michael says, that might be confusing for the baby and the dog to have the same name. Any other ideas? Wiley says, T’chooka. His sister could be a dead-eyed Padawan. Michael says, that’s interesting. They’ll have to think about that one. What does Willow think? Wiping tears from her eyes without them seeing, Willow says she thinks her eyes are bigger than her stomach. She’s going to save the cookie for a late night treat. Michael says, speaking of late night, it’s past Wiley’s bedtime. He suggests Wiley get in his PJs, and he’ll read Wiley a bedtime story. Wiley says goodnight to Willow, and she tells him, sweet dreams. He gives her bump a kiss, telling his little sister to take good care of mommy. Michael brings Wiley upstairs, as they discuss which story to read, and Willow cries.

Drew says, ever since he first told Carly that he was searching for Willow’s birth parents, he felt resistance. She pours them some wine, and he says, when he told her he tracked down a source, she questioned their credibility. When he mentioned he had some great information, she was opposed to telling Willow. She asks if he thinks she was wrong, and he says, at the time, the reason seemed to make sense to him. Once they told Willow her birth mother was dead, why get her hopes up? When they found out that was a lie, why stress her out, telling her that she might have been kidnapped, and stolen from her birth parents? But then he took a step back, and there was a pattern there, and the pattern became very clear. She doesn’t want Willow’s birth parents to be found. She says, no, she doesn’t.

Dex says, of course (🍷) Josslyn is grateful to Britt; he’s grateful too. He doesn’t even want to think about how he’d be feeling if Josslyn had gotten killed. But there’s only one person responsible for Britt’s death, and that is The Hook. He’s sorrier than he can say that he’s not a better shot, and didn’t kill The Hook when he had the chance. She says she’s sorry too. The world would be a much safer and happier place. But even if he’d shot The Hook, there’s no guarantee Britt would have survived. There was poison in her system; she didn’t even know it. Does he think it would have made a difference? They took off and left Britt to cover for them. Does that make them partly responsible for her death?

Esme tells Elizabeth, Mr. Grey seems very competent. He seems like he cares about defending her, but she’s not paying him. He’s defending her for free. How does she know if she can trust him or his strategy? He says if she can get an alibi… but she has no idea where she’s been for the past few months – or her whole life for that matter. She doesn’t know how she got here. She doesn’t know who got her pregnant… Elizabeth says, she’ll remember, but Esme says, what if she doesn’t? Elizabeth says, traumatic memory loss isn’t uncommon. Permanent memory loss does happen, but it’s pretty rare, so the chances she’ll remember are good. But to answer her question, Mr. Grey is a great attorney. She thinks Esme can trust him.

Spencer says, if Esme is The Hook, Britt is dead because of him, because he brought Esme to Port Charles, but Laura says, no. They’ve talked about this. He isn’t responsible for anything Esme does. If Esme is The Hook; that hasn’t been proven yet. She’s in her third trimester of her pregnancy. Laura thinks it’s highly unlikely she’d have the physical strength to attack Britt with a hook. He says, she doesn’t know Esme like he does. She can do a lot of damage when she wants. Laura says, there isn’t just Esme to consider. There’s also a baby.

Victor asks if Nikolas had a plan. Did he have an end game, or was he just winging it; keeping Esme prisoner because he couldn’t think of anything else to do? Nikolas says, Esme turned up alive and pregnant with his child. He had every reason to believe she was The Hook. He couldn’t allow her to harm anyone else, but he couldn’t turn her over to the police, and risk her giving birth to his unborn child while incarcerated. Victor says, so he lured her to Windymere, but Nikolas says, she was already here. She was stealing money from his safe. He took her to a tower bedroom, and locked her in. He enlisted Demetrius to take care of her, and that was his mistake. Esme was able to manipulate Demetrius. Victor says, Esme manipulated Nikolas. She fooled him into putting her somewhere she could easily escape from – which she did. Very successfully, he might add. She’s cunning, creative, and she’s able to keep a cool head. Qualities Nikolas soundly lacks. He’s been protecting Nikolas for the sake of this family, but perhaps the Cassadines would be better off if they cut their losses. The doorbell rings, and Nikolas answers it. It’s Dante and Jordan, who says, they have more questions for him about Esme Prince.

Carly and Drew gravitate to the moss bowl, and Carly says, after Willow learned the truth about Harmony, Willow made the decision not to look for her birth parents, and she was relieved. Drew asks, why? He’s confused. He and Carly both grew up without their biological family, and they both went searching for answers. Unlike him, Carly found her mother right away. He waited years to connect with the Quartermaines. The point is, she and Bobbie have a strong, loving relationship. Why doesn’t she want that for Willow? Carly says, because Willow was afraid her birth mother would turn out to be someone like Nina. And the truth is, all reunions aren’t happy; some of them are awful. And Willow has had so much loss and pain, she wanted to spare Willow any more. Drew says, that wasn’t her call to make.

Nina tells Sonny, the doctor’s notes say, Willow was originally diagnosed with leukemia in late August, but she didn’t start her first round of chemotherapy until later November. Sonny wonders, why the delay? and Nina says, when Willow was first diagnosed, she was in Stage Two. By the time she received treatment, she was in Stage Four. He says, the doctors must have warned her. You don’t get diagnosed with leukemia, and wait three months to get treatment. She says, you do if you’re pregnant.

Michael says, once again, Goodnight Moon does the trick, and Willow says, bedtime’s best friend. He sees she’s been crying, and asks, what happened? She says, chemo isn’t working, and her marrow donor can’t donate. She can barely be a mother to Wiley. She can’t join in the conversation, or ask about his day, or even eat a damn cookie. He says, Wiley will be okay, but she says, he’s not okay. He knows something’s wrong and he’s scared. It’s all her fault. The whole thing is her fault. Michael holds her as she cries.

Dex says, Josslyn was willing to stay and talk to the police. He was the one who asked Britt to cover for them; he didn’t want to explain the gun. It’s on him. She says, he didn’t drag her. She left with him willingly. And yeah, Britt told them she had it covered. There was no reason not to believe her, but she feels like she’s alive at Britt’s expense. He says, maybe there’s another way to look at this. Britt saved her life, so doesn’t she owe it to Britt to live the best life she can?

Nikolas says he already sat through one pointless investigation at the PCPD. If they want to ask him more questions, they can call his lawyer. Victor says, nonsense, and tells them to come in. He asks how they can be of help, and Dante says, Esme Prince showed up on the Haunted Star in the early morning hours of January 1st. She was soaking wet and suffering from hypothermia. Which Nikolas is aware of since he showed up at the hospital with Elizabeth. Nikolas asks if it’s a crime to show concern, and Dante says, the last time Esme was seen was back in November on Pier 55, which is near the Haunted Star, and coincidentally near where the boat to Windymere docks. Since she used to live here, they think maybe she was hiding out on Spoon Island, or even right here in this house.

Laura tells Spencer, whatever Esme has or hasn’t done, that baby is innocent. Britt is gone, and there’s nothing he can do to bring her back, but he can do something to make sure Esme’s baby is born safely. Don’t confront Esme. Don’t interrogate her about Britt or anything else. He says, what if she’s lying about the memory loss? and Laura says, she’s not lying about the pregnancy. The priority right now should be the health and safety of that baby. That means allowing Esme to rest and recover. Elizabeth comes out of Esme’s room, and Spencer asks if Esme is awake. Elizabeth says, awake and alert, and he says he’d like to see her. Laura tells the guard to let Commissioner Ashford know that she okayed the visit, and Spencer thanks her. He knocks at Esme’s door, and she says, yes? He walks in, and she asks if she knows him.

Nikolas says he thinks he’d know if Esme was living in his house, and Jordan says, it’s a big house. There must be plenty of rooms that go unused. Esme could have taken refuge in any one of them, and Nikolas would never know, which is why they’d like to search the premises. Nikolas says, absolutely not, and Dante says, come on. They search the house, find out Esme was never here, and they can move on with their investigation. Nikolas says, if they want to search his house, get a warrant. And for that, they’ll need to show probable cause, and there isn’t any. Jordan says, DA Scorpio found plenty of evidence and was able to get Judge Winters to sign off on a warrant, but she thought she’d spare them the time and trouble by giving Nikolas the option to voluntarily agree to the search. Nikolas asks what evidence Robert has, and Victor says, they appreciate the courtesy, but they have nothing to hide. So feel free to search the house. Nikolas says, it could take hours, and Victor says, best get started then. He tells Nikolas to accompany the detective and his officers so they don’t get lost.

Dex tells Josslyn, the way he gives thanks for his life is by living it. Maybe she could try it. She says, maybe she could, and they kiss.

Nina tells Sonny, apparently the danger chemotherapy poses to the fetus is higher in the first trimester because the organs are developing. It’s safer for the baby in the second or third trimester. He says, safer for the baby, but not for Willow, and Nina says she has no idea how Willow is getting through this. To find out she’s pregnant, then be diagnosed with a life threatening illness; to have to choose between your health and the health of your unborn baby? Sonny takes her hand.

Willow sits up, and Michael asks, what’s wrong? She says, it’s not fair to lean on him, and he says she agreed to marry him, and that’s what married people do; they lean on each other. She asks why he’s not angry with her. She didn’t share her diagnosis with him, and didn’t include him in her decision making. She didn’t give him a vote. She gambled with her life, with Wiley’s security and future, and with everything they planned together, and now it looks like she lost.

Drew says, Carly fights like hell when someone tries to make choices for her. He’s confused. What made her decide what Willow could or couldn’t know about her own family? Carly says, Willow didn’t want to know, and he says, she reconsidered and decided she wants to track down her family. Not only that, she asked him to help search. Carly says she gets that, but Willow was having a hard pregnancy. The last thing she needs is stress. She thought it was best not to open the door to total strangers with whom Willow shares biology and nothing else. He says, she denied Willow her own family, and Carly says, Willow has family. She has her, and Michael, and Wiley, and Drew, and the Quartermaines. He says, enough excuses. Willow’s biological family can give her things that none of them can.

Nina tells Sonny, after one of her many clashes with Willow, she tracked them down at the hospital. She found them in Terry’s office. She’s an oncologist. Nina didn’t think much about it then, but – she picks up the document – Terry is treating Willow. Sonny says, Willow and Michael probably want to keep it quiet; the family didn’t say anything to him. She says, they probably do. They probably don’t want to upset Wiley. By delaying treatment, Willow is risking leaving Wiley, leaving him without the only mother he’s ever known. It must be so difficult for her. Nina wonders how much influence Michael had in Willow’s decision to delay cancer treatment. They know Michael is very selfish. He’s focused and single-minded in getting what he wants. Sonny says, this family infighting has to stop. They have to pull it together for Willow.

Carly tells Drew, she gets it. Willow is pregnant, and she wants her medical history to be complete for her baby’s sake. She understands that, but felt the emotional consideration outweighed it, so she obstructed his efforts… pretty considerably. He says, describe considerably, and she says, when he tracked down Denise Mackenzie, the firefighter who was on the commune with Harmony, she intercepted Denise before their meeting, and paid her to back Harmony’s original story about getting Willow from some mythical Joan. Then when Denise recanted, she paid Denise off for not giving her up. He says, when she went out after Denise to give her glove back. Carly says, then most recently, she found information on the commune leader Josiah, she took it and hid it, so Drew couldn’t follow up on him. Drew says, so the whole time they were supposed to be working together, she was sabotaging him.

Michael says he understands Willow is disappointed and frustrated; he is too. But they found a bone marrow match, and they’ll find another. There’s still time. She says, there’s a lot less time than when she was first diagnosed. When she made the choice not to tell him about her diagnosis or include him in her decision to wait, which is the opposite of how he’s always treated her. He didn’t have to include her in Wiley’s life, much less let her adopt him. Michael trusted her with his son. He made Wiley their son, and now she may be leaving them both. At the very moment she should have shared with him, she shut him out. Why doesn’t he hate her for that?

Laura asks Elizabeth how Esme seems, and Elizabeth says, if this is Laura’s way of asking if she thinks Esme is faking the memory loss, her answer is, she doesn’t know. Laura says, Doc started to assess her, but her brother threw him out of the room. Doc would never violate patient privacy, so he hasn’t said anything, but she has the feeling he believes Esme. He got to see Esme in all her manipulative glory when she was living with them, so she thinks he’d know if Esme was lying. Elizabeth says, maybe they’ll get lucky and she’ll never remember, and Laura asks why that would be a good thing.

Spencer introduces himself to Esme, and says, he and his friend Trina Robinson brought her to the hospital. Esme thanks him for that, and he asks how she’s feeling. She says she’s see-sawing between numb and total panic. They say she could be charged with everything from revenge porn to attempted murder, which is really scary. She doesn’t suppose he knows where she’s been hiding these past few months. Apparently it’s the only thing that could exonerate her.

Jordan asks how much contact Victor had with Esme, and he says, minimal really. He lived at the MetroCourt until recently. He and Esme never lived at Windymere at the same time. She says, their paths never crossed? and he says, occasionally, when she was dating Spencer. Their interactions were superficial at best. She says, what about Nikolas? How would Victor characterize his actions with Esme?

In front of Esme’s old prison room, Dante asks, what’s in here? and Nikolas says, a bedroom. Dante asks if anyone is using it, and Nikolas says, it’s possible one of the staff could be staying there. Dante says, Nikolas lets the staff stay with him? He thought they’d be out on the grounds. Nikolas says, like the Commissioner pointed out, it’s a big house, and if for whatever reason one of the staff needed to stay the night, he doesn’t see the harm. Dante says he’d like to check the room out, but Nikolas says, it’s locked. Dante tries the door, and it opens.

Carly says she’s so sorry for misleading Drew, and he says, lying to him. She says she made the choice to protect Willow long before they got together, but he says, there’s no contract. There’s no pre-existing condition clause. This is about them trusting each other. He let her in on an investigation, and she took advantage of his trust to undermine it. She says she was protecting Willow. Doesn’t he understand? He says she knew damn well Willow asked him to do the search, and he gets that Willow was initially resistant to finding out her birth mother, but once Carly knew she reconsidered, didn’t that change her calculations? She says she was conflicted, but then she decided Willow was better off not knowing. Drew says, if Carly knew the complete information about Willow’s health situation, she would have reacted differently, and Carly asks what he’s talking about. Is there something wrong with Willow? He says, she has leukemia.

Michael says he could never hate Willow. He wishes she’d shared her diagnosis with him from the start, but he understands why she didn’t. He’ll never forget the pain of losing Jonah, and knows she won’t either. She chose to protect the life she’s carrying the best way she could, and he’s good with that. She says she was selfish, and he says she’s the least selfish person he knows. She says she did what she wanted and if she chose wrong, he and Wiley will be left alone. He says, they’re not going to lose her, but she says, he can’t promise that. He says he can promise this much. He’ll never regret any day he’s spent with her, or making her Wiley’s mother. He’ll never regret the love she’s given Wiley, and the place she has in his life. Even if Wiley has to grow up without her, her love will sustain him. Even if Wiley doesn’t consciously remember it, Michael will remember all of it. And he’ll love her for the rest of his life. He kisses her.

Basking in the afterglow on Dex’s couch, since he apparently doesn’t have a bed, Josslyn says, this was not the plan. He asks if she regrets it, but she says, no. He says, good. Because if he hasn’t made it clear, he doesn’t want this to be a one or two time thing. She says, neither does she. She doesn’t know what she feels for him, but she knows it’s strong. He says, him too, and kisses her. Her phone dings, and she says, sorry. It might be her mom, and she’ll freak out if Josslyn doesn’t answer. She looks at the phone and says, unbelievable. She shows it to Dex, and he reads a text from Sonny: Need to see you. My office. Important. She says, how dare Sonny summon her like that?. She starts getting dressed, and says, he has no right. Who does he think he is? Dex asks where she’s going, and she says, Sonny’s office. She’s going to tell him that she’s going to see who she wants to see, and it’s none of his damn business.

Elizabeth tells Laura, if she was Esme, she’d want to forget everything too; the crimes, the mistakes. She could almost wish that for her own life… Not really of course (🍷). She’d never want to forget her kids or the people she loves, but it would be nice to forget the ways she’s messed up. Laura asks if this would have anything to do with what’s going on between her and Nikolas.

Spencer says, sorry. He has no alibi for Esme, and she says she supposes he never laid eyes on her before he and his friend brought her to the hospital. He says, that’s not true. He knows her better than anyone else in Port Charles. She asks, how? From where? Does he know why she’s in Port Charles? Does he really think she did all this crazy stuff?

Jordan asks Dante if the search is finished, but he says, the officers are still searching. Nikolas was kind enough to show him the north wing. Victor says, don’t keep them in suspense, and Dante says, they checked out the room at the top; no sign of Esme. Nikolas tells them, he said it was a waste of time, but Jordan says, due diligence is never a waste of time. If the officers find anything of interest, she and Dante may have to return and search further. They’ll be sure to bring a warrant. Nikolas says he’ll show them out, and Jordan thanks him for his time. She and Dante leave, and outside, she says, well? Dante says, the tower room has been cleaned and painted. He could smell the cleaning agents, and smell the paint; probably in the last few hours. They’ve definitely been hiding something or someone up there. Inside, Nikolas asks why Victor agreed to the search, and Victor says, because there was nothing to find. He had Demetrius do a thorough cleaning, and put everything in storage. He kept everything; ample evidence of Esme’s imprisonment. He takes the broken ornament out of his pocket, and says, just in case he needs to ensure Nikolas’s future cooperation

Elizabeth tells Laura that Nikolas is her oldest friend. They have a lot of history, and he knows her like nobody else does. She knows him too. She knows he can be selfish and reckless, and makes foolish choices. She also knows him to be generous and loving, and for the most part, he had good intentions. Laura says, Elizabeth has always been loyal to her son. She sees the good in him, and she thanks Elizabeth for that. She treasures Elizabeth, and not just because she’s the mother of her grandchildren. She’s known Elizabeth most of her life, and thinks of Elizabeth as another daughter. Elizabeth says, that means a lot to her, and Laura says, she’s very worried right now. She feels Nikolas has backed himself into a corner, and he’s in a very dark place.

Spencer says, he and Esme went to boarding school in France: Ecole Internationale de Chatel. She says, it doesn’t ring a bell, and he says he has family in Port Charles. When he graduated from boarding school, he came back here, and he brought her with him. She says, as a buddy? but he says, they were dating. She was his girlfriend and they broke up… for many reasons. She asks, how long ago did they break up? Is this his baby? He says, possibly.

On the phone, Dex says, call me. We’ve got a problem.

Josslyn strides into Sonny’s office, and says, before he starts in, she has a few things to say about the way she chooses to live her life, and how it’s none of his damn business.

Michael tucks Willow in, and she thanks him. She tells him not to let her sleep too late. She wants to see Wiley off to school. Maybe they can all have breakfast together in the morning. Michael says, they’ll figure it out. Just get some rest. She tells him that she loves him, and he says he loves her too. There’s a knock at the door, and he goes downstairs. Nina is there, and he says, it’s not a good time. She says she realizes that, and knows he doesn’t want her here, so she’ll make it quick. She needs to talk about her grandson.

Carly says, Willow has leukemia? and Drew says, Stage Four. She says, oh my God. That’s why she’s so pale and… weak. That’s why she fainted, and why Michael has been hovering, and… Why didn’t she see it? He says, Willow has been going out of her way to keep it a secret. Michael didn’t even know until she was in her second trimester. Drew just found out a few weeks ago. She asks how he found out, and he says, at first, Willow was saying the search was for medical history, but he knew there was more to it. Then she admitted she needs a bone marrow transplant. Carly says, and the best chance for a match is with a family member. He says, that’s why he stepped up the search, and she says, he doesn’t need to search. Nina is Willow’s birth mother.

Tomorrow, Chase says, Gladys won’t have to be Sasha’s guardian much longer; Drew asks if Carly was ever going to tell Willow; and Josslyn tells Dex that her life is falling apart, and she doesn’t know what to do about it.

👩🏻‍⚕️ Last Wave…

I’m sad to see her go, but she did get quite an exit.

Kelly Thiebaud Says Goodbye to GENERAL HOSPITAL

🥀 In Memoriam…

A beautiful tribute to one taken too soon.

Kimberly McCullough Shares a Beautiful Memorial for Sonya Eddy

👠 Please Leave Now…

Is he actually watching the show?

https://people.com/tv/harry-hamlin-says-lisa-rinna-made-the-right-decision-to-leave-rhobh-exclusive/

Bless her heart.

Sutton Stracke Reacts To Lisa Rinna’s “Sad” Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Exit

💎 No More Diamond For You…

Another one who shouldn’t let the door hit her on the way out.

Diana Jenkins Confirms Her Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Exit

💣 Reality Turncoats…

I guess Alan Cumming needed to pay his mortgage.

The Traitors Coming To Peacock; Interviews With Host Alan Cumming And Contestants Kyle Cooke, Rachel Reilly, Cody Califiore, And Cirie Fields

🍗 At Long Last…

It’s about time. Machete is ahead by two films and a trailer.

‘Thanksgiving’ – Eli Roth Finally Carving Up His ‘Grindhouse’ Spinoff!

🐶 Something Special In the Bowl…

Ending on an adorable note. I love a dog with special needs.

https://people.com/pets/puppy-bowl-2023-dogs-with-special-needs/

🌃 Yesterday Once More…

Swing by tomorrow for more soap, tea, and a tune. Until then, stay safe, stay ambitious, but not arrogant, and stay giving thanks for your life by living it.