Tag Archives: Fight the Power

February 24, 2021 – Nina Has Two Surprise Visits, New Jersey In Lake George, Mystery Blonde, the Reunion Ends, Today’s Fact & Fight

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the bistro, Carly tells Jason, since there was no evidence, the special agent determined there was no reason to charge her. Nelle’s death was officially declared an accident. He says, because it was, and she says, but Nina isn’t remotely ready to accept that.

Michael tells Nina that he knows it’s late, but Wiley was wide awake. Willow says they thought Nina would like a visit from her grandson. Nina approaches Wiley, and says, hi, Wiley. She tells him, it’s been a while since they met. She’s sure he doesn’t remember her, but she remembers him. She’s his gr… She’s Nina.  

Olivia tells Robert that Dante is on the mend; no thanks to Alexis. Robert says, Alexis has been arrested and charged. She’s not going to get away with sticking a syringe in Olivia’s son. He asks, what about Nedski? Has anyone seen him since Robert stupidly invited him to the hospital to join her? She says she’d rather talk about Robert and his life. He says his life is kind of boring, and she says, really? Has he made peace with Maxie and her choice of husband? He says she’s kind of got him there. If he gives his blessing to the wedding, that means lying. On the other hand, if he sets out to stop it, he risks making a martyr out of Peter and alienating his niece for good. She says it’s not like Robert Scorpio to be indecisive and sit around doing nothing, and he says, Livvy, have you ever known me to sit around and do nothing?    

Obrecht shines a flashlight around, and says, if she were Peter, where would she hide incriminating evidence? She checks the couch cushions.

Britt tells Maxie, she never had a sister, and never thought she wanted one, but now that she’s linked to Maxie and Nina, it’s a surprisingly good feeling. Maxie says they have each other’s backs, but Britt says, what if having each other’s backs means saying something the other doesn’t want to hear? Maxie says, please, no more advice on how she should marry someone other than Peter. How many times does she have to tell Britt and the rest of the world that she loves Peter and she’s going to spend the rest of her life with him? Britt says, methinks when you stop protesting so much. She tells Maxie, okay, she’s going to make a graceful exit, so Maxie can enjoy her date without her unwanted advice. Maxie thanks Britt, and says, speaking of her date, he’s late. She wonders if he’s stuck at the office, and thinks she’ll call him to see if he’d like a relaxing night at home. Britt tells her, don’t do that, and Maxie says, why not?

Obrecht checks the shelves, and sees a laptop. She sits at the desk, and opens it. When she moves it forward, the pile of mail falls to the floor. We see the envelope from D. Marick.

Peter arrives at Anna’s and says he got there as fast as he could. He asks if everything is okay; she sounded serious. She says she thinks it’s time they faced the truth… together.

Carly tells Jason, at the very least, Nina thinks she could have saved Nelle, but chose not to, and she doesn’t see that changing. He asks what more Nina can do. There’s no evidence; the Feds closed the case. Carly says she knows, but Nina refuses to see Nelle for who she really was, and only sees the daughter she didn’t get the chance to raise and love. But there’s one more person connected to Nina through Nelle. He says, Wiley, and she says, her grandson happens to be Nina’s grandson too.   

Nina says Wiley is very much daddy’s boy, but she sees he also takes after his mommy. Michael says, Willow is Wiley’s mom, and Nina thanks them for bringing Wiley to see her. Willow says they thought Nina might need some cheering up tonight, and Nina apologizes to Michael for her meltdown at his father’s service. She should have taken her problems with Carly and Jax to a private area. Michael says his mom had an interview with the FBI tonight.  There was no evidence that she had anything to do with Nelle’s fall, and the case was closed. Obviously, it’s a relief for him and his family, but he hopes Nina finds a way to move past her issues with his mom, for Wiley’s sake.

Olivia says she knows that smile. What does Robert have planned to keep Maxie away from Peter, and how can she help? He asks what she has against Peter, and she says, besides the fact that he fired her son? Robert says, Peter thinks he can get away without a head of security? and Olivia says, he’ll need one when she gets through with him. Peter felt Dante wasn’t a good fit for Aurora. Honestly, she’s happy Dante isn’t working for him, after he published Franco’s private medical records. That’s what led to Dante getting stabbed by Alexis to save Franco. Please, don’t tell her how drunk Alexis was; she nearly killed Dante. He says, it’s an ongoing investigation, and he can’t discuss the case, and she suggests they stick to him and his plan of how to save Maxie from that termite Peter. She has a spectacular bottle of wine that she and Ned were saving for a special occasion, and tells him, don’t even think of saying no. Robert stammers as she leaves to get it. The doorbell rings, and he says he’ll answer. It’s Alexis.  

Britt says it’s Maxie’s last chance for a night out with Peter before they’re married. She should make the most of the time, because her due date is fast approaching. Once her little girl comes kicking and screaming into the world, all her nights will be at home. She can’t change a diaper at the club. Maxie supposes she’s right, but doesn’t understand what’s keeping Peter. He usually calls if he’s going to be late. Britt asks what’s really bothering her; that Peter is late, or that he’s late because he’s up to no good? If Maxie can’t trust him before the wedding, how is she going to trust him once they say I do? Maxie says, it’s not about trust; it’s concern. She wants to make sure he wasn’t in a car accident, or took a fall in the shower. It’s what people do when they’re in a committed relationship. They worry, and want to make sure the other person is okay.  

Obrecht wonders where Peter has hidden the proof of his wrongdoing. It’s not in the office; she already searched it. I’s not there. Is there a storage locker he has under another name? An office or an apartment no one knows about? No matter. She’ll find it, and his secrets. She picks up the mail, and puts it on the desk. She starts to leave, stops, comes back, and looks at the mail again. She sees the envelope.

Anna tells Peter, what they decide tonight will directly affect the wedding, but more important, Maxie’s future happiness. He says she’s scaring him, and she says, good. She wants to scare him. She wants him to take it seriously. He’s about to pledge his life and love to her goddaughter. Before he says I do, she wants to know he’s being completely honest with her; no secrets, lies, no evasions. If he has something to tell her, now’s the time to do it.

Carly tells Jason, Wiley is her grandson too, and she owes it to Wiley to make sure Nina’s is emotionally okay to be part of his life. He asks what that means, and she says she doesn’t want Nina projecting her fantasies about Nelle, and how she could have been onto Wiley. He’s way too young to carry all of Nina’s grief.  

Nina tells Michael, the FBI called her to tell her that her accusations had no merit. The only thing that matters is making sure Wiley is loved and cared for. She tells Wiley that she’s so sorry this place is so boring. There are no lollipops or toys. She asks how he feels about polar bears, and Willow says he loves polar bears, especially after a documentary they saw. Michael adds that a few weeks ago he wanted to be an astronaut, but now they’re sure Wiley wants to be an artic explorer. Nina says, then they should get started. It just so happens that she loves polar bears too. She helps him into her chair, and says she got a cool app that she’s been too busy to use. So she was wondering if he could help her. What does he say? First stop, the arctic circle? She shows him the screen.    

Alexis asks if Olivia is in, and Robert says she shouldn’t be there. She says she didn’t come to make things worse; that’s not her intention. He says she shouldn’t be around Dante’s mother; Alexis almost killed her son. She says she was drunk, and afraid Franco was going to hurt her family, and he thanks her for the window into her defense. Olivia walks in with the wine, and stops short.

Britt tells Maxie, they agreed to support one another, so allow Britt to support her as she begins her married life with Britt’s brother. Maxie says she doesn’t need support. Everything is awesome. Britt asks, then why does Maxie care so much what other people think, including her? Why does she need validation for her choice of husband? Unless she has cold feet.

Obrecht looks at the envelope, and says, Marick; curious. Anna’s sister is dead, and Alex’s husband is sending an envelope from beyond the grave. She wonders why, and opens it.

Peter says, Anna spoke with Valentin, and she says, yes. Valentin wants Peter to be happy; he feels a great responsibility for him, and wants him to do the right thing. He doesn’t want Peter going down the path of his father. Peter says, it’s true. Valentin has been the one constant in his life, even before he met her and fell in love with Maxie. He wonders why the sudden talk about secrets and lies, and Anna goes to her desk and picks up a folder, saying, because of this. It’s a paper trail, showing he worked with the assassin, and proof that he hired him to kill Andre and Franco. Peter asks why she kept the document, and she says, to protect him. When she took the file from the WSB, she committed obstruction of justice and tampered with evidence because he convinced her that was innocent. He says, because he is, and Anna says, please. She’s bringing it up again because he’s going to marry Maxie, and his choices will become Maxie’s choices. Peter says Anna knows he loves Maxie, and Maxie does too. She says, if the documents are accurate; if there’s a paper trail linking him to the assassin. If it’s real, then he needs to say so. She’s giving him a chance to clear his conscience.

Peter looks through the folder, and says, one bank statement. He reads, David Black, and says, the man who tried to kill Andre and Franco, the man he stopped from killing them. Anna says, proof of payment made to the assassin from the same company they both worked for, Eurotech. He says, and this payment can be connected to him? He could have hired an assassin to kill Andre and Franco, then tampered with the plane that went down carrying Drew? She says if he did that, and he says, let him ask her something. Are there more documents other than the original? Does he have some noose around his neck that he doesn’t know about? She says, if there is, doesn’t he think he should tell her so she can help him? He says, whatever file links him to the assassin is a lie of Obrecht’s. She says, so the information in the file isn’t true? He says, they’ve been over this before, and it’s true he once worked with David Black, and maybe came in contact with him, but he’s certain this is Obrecht’s doing. She says, so Obrecht doctored the documents? and he says, it looks like it. Obviously, Obrecht got her hands on some innocuous records, and twisted them to appear damning to him. There’s only one thing to do with a lie like that. She says, what? and he says, destroy the evidence

Maxie tells Britt that her feet are very warm, that’s because Peter… Britt say she doesn’t want to hear about foot rubs, back rubs, or emotional support. Maxie says she’s happy so many people doubt Peter’s intentions. It will make it that much sweeter when they’re proved wrong. Britt says, and she’s confident they will, and Maxie says, look at how much Peter has had to overcome already. He moved to Port Charles as a stranger, shook the curse of being Faison’s child, and helped her recover from the loss of Nathan, his own brother. Not to mention he helped her deliver James. Even with all the doubters and haters, Peter revamped The Invader and made it a success. In Maxie’s apartment, Obrecht finds a letter and flashdrive in the envelope. She reads, dear Peter. In the event of my death, you should hear the truth in my own words. Maxie says, along the way, Peter discovered that Anna was his mother, the antidote to whatever poison he inherited from his father. That is how she knows there’s good inside Peter. It’s been there all along. He gets it from Anna. Obrecht puts the flashdrive into the computer. Alex is on the screen, and she says, hello, Peter. If you’re seeing this, I’m probably dead. It’s unfortunate, but I didn’t want the truth to die with me.

Alexis says she knows she has no business being there, but it’s never stopped her before. Robert suggests she try now, but Olivia says she’d like to hear what Alexis has to say. Robert doesn’t think it’s a good idea, and Olivia says she appreciates his concern, but doesn’t need his protection. She’ll be fine. Robert says, okay. He’s just a phone call away. He’ll take a raincheck on Nedski’s bottle. Olivia says she wouldn’t miss it for the world, and he leaves. Olivia says, after you, and they go into the living room. She says Alexis has five minutes. Start talking.

Nina shows Wiley the laptop, and says, the polar bears are ice skating; how fun. Now they’re dancing. See that? Michael says she’s a natural, and Nina says, it’s true what they say; grandparents have all the fun, and none of the responsibility. Willow says she might not agree when they ask her to babysit, but Nina says she can’t wait. Carly arrives, and listens outside. Willow warns Nina that Wiley is a master negotiator. If you don’t get a firm commitment to a limit of three stories, he’ll manipulate you into reading all night. Carly peeks in, and shakes her head.

Nina tells Wiley, see the baby? and Carly comes in. Michael says, mom. They decided to bring Wiley to surprise Nina. Carly says they surprised her too. It sounds like they’re having fun, but it’s past Wiley’s bedtime. Michael says, Grandma Carly is right. They’ll save some polar bears for next time. Nina tells Wiley that she had a wonderful time, and hopes he comes back soon. Willow says, he will, and Nina  thanks them again for bringing him. Willow says, it’s their pleasure, and they leave. Carly isn’t smiling anymore, and closes the door. She says she hopes Nina enjoyed the time with her grandson. If she doesn’t play her cards right, it will be her last.

Alexis tells Olivia that she’s deeply, terribly sorry for what she did to Dante, She was drunk and out of control. Olivia says, ya think? She’s surprised Alexis had the guts to come and apologize. She thought Alexis would be out drowning her sorrows in whatever dive bar was still willing to serve her. Alexis says, that’s always very tempting, but she wants Olivia to know she takes full responsibility for what she did. Olivia says, so what step is this? and Alexis says she doesn’t think she’s in a position to explain any of the steps. It’s her first day of sobriety, yet again. What’s more important is that Olivia has been a good friend. She even went out of her way to prove Alexis didn’t drive drunk. Olivia says, more proof that no good deed goes unpunished. Alexis says she’d like the opportunity to make it up if she can. She wants to be the kind of friend Olivia has been to her, and hopes Olivia gives her the chance. How is she doing for time? Olivia says she’s off the clock. Keep talking.

Robert meets Jason at the bistro, and thanks Jason for seeing him. Jason asks, what’s on his mind? and Robert says, Sonny is gone, so he guesses Jason is running the Corinthos businesses. He wouldn’t answer that. Jason says, then why bring it up? and Robert says, he’s concerned Jason’s new responsibility will cause him to take his eyes off what he thinks is the bigger prize. Jason says, Peter August?

Britt tells Maxie, bravo. That was an impassioned defense of her fiancé. Maxie says she noticed Britt didn’t say convincing, and Britt says she knows more of Peter’s history and family tree than Maxie, and has her own reasons to doubt his so-called goodness. Maxie asks if this is how she plans on keeping her pact to have Maxie’s back, and Britt says, absolutely. By being honest even if it hurts. Maxie says, maybe she’s right, and Britt says, she is? Who is she, and where’s the Maxie who just defended her fiancé to the death? Maxie says, clearly something is going on with Peter. He hasn’t returned her calls or texts, and she has a bad feeling. She thinks she’ll just go home. Britt tells her, wait. There’s a million reasons why Peter might be missing out on date night. His phone died, he can’t find his phone, he’s out of gas. He had a wedding emergency with Finn, and lost track of time. Maxie says he’d still find a way to reach her, and Britt says, okay. She’s going with Maxie. If something awful did happen, Maxie will need her. Maxie leaves, and Britt follows her.

Obrecht says she does believe she struck the motherlode. She kisses the flashdrive, says, and she does mean mother, and laughs.  

Peter tells Anna, destroying the documents is the only way to keep Obrecht from using them again. He has reason to believe Obrecht deceived her handlers, and she’s free from Steinmaur. And she’s not retiring to some Swiss chalet. She’s going to come after him. If Obrecht gets her hands on those, she’ll turn them over as proof of his guilt. He doesn’t think the authorities would believe her, but they both know how Obrecht could twist Maxie against him. More lies and doctored evidence; is that what Anna wants? She says she just wants the Peter she believed him to be, and he says, here he is. He holds out his hand. She puts her hand in his, and he takes the folder from her. He puts it in the fireplace, and it burns.

Nina tells Carly that Wiley is also her grandson. Willow and Michael get to decide who Wiley sees, not Carly. Carly says she knows Willow and Michael are Wiley’s parents, unlike Nelle, who gave him away. Nina asks if that gives Carly justification to watch her daughter die; let her fall to her death. Carly says, that’s not what happened. Ask the Feds. She and Jax were grilled for two hours, and she’s not under suspicion. Does Nina know why? Nina says, because Carly lied through her teeth? but Carly says, because Nina’s claims had no basis in fact. She was just trying to get back at them for not telling her that Nelle was her daughter. Nina says, that’s right, they didn’t tell her. How long were they going to be silent? Were they going to let Wiley grow up, never knowing she was his grandmother? Were they just going to go on, letting her live in the same city as her only grandson? The hell with that. She’s Wiley’s grandma also, and Carly isn’t taking away her grandson like she did her daughter. Carly says she didn’t take Nina’s daughter away. And if Nina spirals out of control like she did in the cemetery, she’ll lose everything, and only have herself to blame.

Willow tells Michael, it was hard for Wiley to fall asleep. He was excited about the visit to Nina. Michael says Willow was right. Nina needs Wiley in her life, and their son needs her. Willow says, as much as she loves being right – and she loves it a little too much – Michael was willing make first move and reach out to Nina for Wiley’s sake. Good job, dad. He says, thanks, mom, which is just a little creepy.

Alexis thanks Olivia, and says she hopes Olivia knows her forgiveness means everything. Olivia tells her, who said she forgave Alexis? She wonders why Alexis wasn’t at Sonny’s funeral. Was she out getting drunk? Alexis says she didn’t want to embarrass her children with the charges against her, and didn’t want it to end up being about her instead of Sonny. Olivia doesn’t think Alexis needed to worry about that, and Alexis says she’s trying to do better. Olivia asks, if Alexis had been sober, would she still have picked up the syringe and stabbed Dante? Alexis says she never meant to hurt Dante, and Olivia says she meant to kill Franco. What if it had been Elizabeth or Sam that got in the way? Alexis says, she never would… and Olivia says, she did, and she’s going to keep hurting people until she gets help.

Obrecht is about to leave, and hears Britt, talking loudly. Britt says, if Peter is out galivanting tonight, what can Maxie expect after the wedding? Maxie asks if Britt can be any louder. She doesn’t think Mrs Getz in apartment 66 heard her. Peter isn’t a gallivanter; he’s the last of the romantics. If he missed their date night, he has a good reason. They go inside, and Maxie asks if Peter is there. She goes into the bedroom, and Britt looks around. Maxie comes back, and says, no sign of him, and Britt says, at least he didn’t fall in the shower. Maxie says, but if he’s not there, where is he?   

Peter tells Anna, no more moving backward. All the things they did wrong, and things they should have done differently, It’s all in the past now, and they have to think about the future. She’s marrying Finn, and he’s marrying Maxie. Anna says, that’s all that matters now, yes? and he says, the next time he sees her will be on her wedding day; his too. He kisses her cheek, tells her, be well, and leaves. He lingers on the porch, looking grim, and Anna pokes around in the fireplace, but there’s nothing left of the folder.    

Carly tells Nina, she’s made mistakes, but so has Nina. Concentrate on what she has, not what she lost. Let go of her bitterness, work it out with Jax, and focus on being happy. Nina says she doesn’t remember asking for Carly’s advice, but Carly says she should take it. Wiley needs stability, security, and a loving nurturing home. Nina asks what part of that Carly thinks she doesn’t understand, and Carly says, given her performance at Sonny’s grave, she’d say, all of it. If Nina pulls something like that again, Nina will never have a place in her grandson’s life. Carly stomps out, and Nina sits.

Willow tells Michael that she should go; she has class in the morning. If Wiley needs her, she’s just a gatehouse away. Michael says, before she goes, he apologizes. He hopes he didn’t ruin her Valentine’s Day by making her watch the movie. She says he didn’t make her watch it; she’s glad he asked. She hopes she and Chase didn’t ruin his when they walked in on him and Sasha. He says, it’s fine, and she asks if he’s going to see Sasha again. He says, of course (🍷), and asks what about Chase? She says, of course (🍷), and he says the whole reason they did the annulment was so they could be with Chase and Sasha. She says, absolutely. She’ll see him and Wiley tomorrow. He says, goodnight, and closes the door. He heads for the stairs, and turns to look again at the door.   

Olivia says she believes Alexis wants to make amends, but intentions are meaningless without actions to back them up. She doesn’t mean showing up at a meeting here and there, but choosing to make changes, and not taking any shortcuts. Alexis says she’s willing to try. Does Olivia have any suggestions? Olivia says she doesn’t have those answers, but she thinks Alexis took the first step in coming there tonight, and Alexis leaves.

Maxie tells Britt, maybe she should call the police, but Britt says Maxie is overreacting. If Peter isn’t home by midnight, she’ll be the first one to organize a search party. In the meantime, this worrying isn’t good for the baby, and Maxie should lie down and rest. Maxie says she will, for the baby’s sake, and Britt says, good; she’ll keep trying Peter. Maxie thanks Britt for bringing her home. She’s so distracted, she wouldn’t have been a good driver. Britt says, anytime, and Maxie goes into the bedroom. Britt waits a beat, and says, all clear. Obrecht comes out, and Britt hustles her to the door. She asks if Obrecht found something, and Obrecht says, Henrik is as good as dead. Britt says, congratulations. She doesn’t want Maxie to hear. Obrecht has to go. She literally shoves Obrecht out the door, and lets out a sigh of relief.   

Jason tells Robert, he hasn’t forgotten about Peter. Peter went to a lot of trouble to target Franco and Andre. He got Franco. Robert says, when he published the article about the return of Franco’s tumor? Peter would call that journalism. Jason says, it was about more than driving traffic to The Invader. He doesn’t think it had anything to do with Franco’s tumor or what Franco did in the past. Is it possible that Franco knows something about Peter, and Peter is trying to shut him up? Jason’s phone dings, and Robert says, trouble? Jason says, yeah, but not with Peter. Robert is on his own until Jason gets back. He asks where Jason is going, and Jason says, on a quick trip out of town.

Britt says the things she does for her mother, and sinks onto the couch. Maxie comes out, and says Britt is still there? Britt says she promised to look out for Maxie, and that means staying the night. Maxie thanks her, saying she could use the company. Peter comes in, and says he’s sorry she was worried. He just got her messages. She asks where he was. Is he okay? He promises he’s just fine, and he’ll never worry her like that again.  

Anna calls Valentin, crying, and says she gave Peter a chance, but he was right. His redemption was just a lie. They turned a blind eye for too long. She honestly thinks it’s up to them now to stop him… Okay… She gets up, and walks past a photo of her and Peter, toward the door.

Tomorrow, Sam asks what Curtis wants to do, Martin asks what the plan is if they get caught, Ava visits Ryan, and Elizabeth asks if Franco’s tumor is shrinking.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

And there we were, back at the analogy heard round New Jersey. In her interview, Marge said Jackie clearly didn’t know her audience. There were two rules, never use an analogy – no one understands them – and never bring up kids in an argument. Jackie delivered a two for one special. Jackie called Marge, saying she wasn’t going on the Lake George trip. She never wanted to be around that woman again. Marge insisted it would be made right. Teresa immediately called Melissa, insisting she heard what she heard, and any strong woman would want to know. She guessed Jackie was a weak woman. In Melissa’s interview, she said Jackie would have never accused Gia of doing cocaine. She knows Teresa twisted it, or it was said wrong. Teresa said she was going to demolish Jackie. Melissa wasted no time in calling Jackie, and letting her know she’d poured gas on the fire.

Jennifer went to see mom Josephine with Olivia. In her interview, Jennifer said her brother Michael had married Melda in Turkey, and decided to stay there until Melda got her visa to come to the US. They had a honeymoon baby, and named it in honor of their father John. Josephine refused to call the baby John, instead using his middle name Bryan. She told Jennifer it was because her husband was mean, but Jennifer thought she was being unreasonable. In Jennifer’s interview, she said it had been an arranged marriage, and in their culture, they don’t do divorce. She never saw her father do anything bad to her mother, but she never saw any love either.

Dolores went to see her mother Valerie, and they sat socially distant in the yard. In Delores’s interview, she said, for fifteen years, her mother had done nothing but take care of her grandchildren, so she was feeling lonely, even though the grandkids visited at the gate. Dolores told Valerie that David could handle anything except talking about relationships. In her interview, Delores said when her dad became Chief of Police in another town, he wanted to live there, but her mother wanted to stay put, so they’ve had a marriage in every sense of the word, except they don’t live together. Delores told Frank about the trip to Lake George, and he said he was sure there was a big guidette population there. He wanted to shake David down for a commitment while Delores was away, and Delores said she thought the trip was going to be a bloodbath  I kept thinking, no one can be this stupid, but then I remembered Teresa went to prison for signing something without understanding what it was. I actually do believe Joe #1 told her to just sign the papers, and she did. Just in case you have any doubt about things like that, always read something before you sign it. Always. I can’t stress it enough.

Margaret must have had a bout of amnesia, since she thought she could talk sense into Teresa, and actually get her to apologize to Jackie. The women met at Marge’s under construction house, and Teresa was late, so Marge explained to the others that Jackie wasn’t coming. She griped that now she had to explain how you don’t go to a birthday party and spread rumors about the person whose birthday it is. Delores thought it was a smart move on Jackie’s part not to come, and said all Teresa heard is that Jackie said something about her daughter. In Marge’s interview, she said Teresa wasn’t the inured party, Jackie was, and the analogy wouldn’t have been made if Teresa hadn’t spread the rumor. On the way to the lake, Marge told the group that her kids went to camp near there, and she would vacation with her husband there. It was a nice town with a beautiful lake, and good memories. Teresa tried to justify her idiot self for what she’d said, and declared she wasn’t sorry for saying it. I wondered who the extra blonde was who resembled a younger Marge. After the show, I googled it. See below.

Jackie did buzzcuts on her kids, and Evan was pretty angry about the whole analogy thing. In Jackie’s interview, she said she hadn’t taken an easy breath since it happened. When the kids wondered why she didn’t go to Lake George, she told them that they didn’t have to be friends with someone who didn’t treat them right when you did nothing wrong. In her interview, she said Teresa got to cause trouble, and she stayed there to pick up the pieces while Teresa got to go on vacation with all her friends. She hoped they had her back.

While the women were at Lake George, at home, the guys went bowling. In his interview, Frank talked about a bad accident he’d had falling down some stairs. Both of his quads detached, and his knees blew out. I felt pain just hearing about it, and he said he was essentially paralyzed, and David took him in. He told David that he was on his side about Delores having surgery, and said they should work things out. He accused David of procrastinating on the relationship front, and said he was a great doctor, but a mediocre boyfriend. The two of them seem like genuinely nice guys.  

The women went to a modern designed lake house, and chose rooms. No surprise, they were all gorgeous, and Marge had amazing goodie bags for everyone. How come I’ve never gotten a goodie bag at a party or get-together? Not since I was twelve anyway. Marge said she should have brought gummies, and I wondered, did she mean…? The rumor/analogy thing was brought up off and on, mostly by Teresa, who moved on to blaming Jennifer next for giving her tequila.

Melissa tried using logic, but Teresa didn’t listen, and in Melissa’s interview, she said if Teresa and Jackie didn’t make amends, there would never stop being tension in group. It would be over. We saw a clip of Teresa telling Gia about it on the phone, and Gia saying if Teresa had upset Jackie, she should apologize. Out of the mouths of babes, but contrary to what the tabloids claim she said. Still, video doesn’t lie. Teresa told everyone that Joe #1 was selling sex toys, and had sent her one. Jennifer wanted to start fresh with Melissa, and apologized. Teresa jumped back on the bashing Jackie train, and said Jackie should STFU, and quit crying like a baby. In her interview, Marge said, with Teresa, information had to go through the cogs, the cobwebs, and hair extensions, then came out in an effed up way, which was actually scary. The episode ended with some guys buying their table a round.

Next time, Teresa can’t get on the phone fast enough to call Joe #2, and tell him Melissa is flirting with the owner of the restaurant.

👱🏼‍♀️ That Blonde…

Across from them was Margaret Josephs, and seated next to her was her assistant, Lexi Barbuto. The blond has frequently been on the show in the past, although never held a housewife or friend title.

https://www.inquisitr.com/6223626/rhonj-new-cast-member-speculation/

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City – The Reunion – Part 3

Lisa came back, and said she was good; let’s go. The husbands came out, Seth and Robert remotely. Seth said he was in the land of opportunity in Canton, Ohio, and Robert was keeping traveling to a minimum because of covid. Whitney’s pole dancing was brought up, and she deferred to Justin’s talents on the pole, saying he was better at spinning. We saw a bunch of clips from the season, and Andy said viewer Melissa from Wilmington, Delaware was upset that Lisa had thrown John’s Rolex out the car window. Lisa said he’d forgotten her birthday, and she’d given him the Rolex as a gift for his. He told her that she could have her gift back, and she said he had ten seconds to put it back on, or out it went. She tossed it toward a Taco Bell, but he stopped the car and retrieved it. John showed proof on his wrist, and I’m sure Melissa from Wilmington was thrilled. Andy asked about Sharrieff missing Jen’s father’s funeral, and if coaching was more important than family. Coach Shah said it was not, and he thought the problem was that Jen’s father only seemed responsive to him. Because of that, Jen had it in her head that he could have made her father rally, and resented him not being there; however, there was nothing that could have been done. Andy asked if Jen could let it go, and she said Sharrieff had done what he could. They talked Mormonism, and Justin said he’d gotten a letter from the church saying he was no longer a member after he married Whitney. He said if there had been tithing rebate, it would have been easier, and I literally LOL’d. Still stuck a little in that mindset, Heather got weepy.

Andy asked what Robert wanted people to know or what he thought people misunderstood about his relationship with Mary, and Robert said the grandfather stuff pissed him off. Andy asked if Robert could let bygones be bygones, and Robert told him that the gossip was that Mary had married for money, and the grandaddy stuff. He was 22 when he married Mary’s grandmother, so he was nobody’s grandpa. He was used to it, but he didn’t like people messing with his wife. Mary was a great mother and wife, his co paster, and his equal. Mary got emotional, and said no one knew her better than he did. His words validated who she is, and touched her. Coach Shah said he made it clear to Jen at the beginning that he wasn’t there to engage in any fight she had with the women. He told her what she’d said to Mary was unacceptable, as was commenting on any marriages or what people did therein. Jen apologized to Robert. We found out Whitney’s dad had dropped off the face of the earth, and wasn’t speaking to her. She said his disappearance was brutal on her heart. Andy asked how Seth and Meredith’s reconciliation was going, and Meredith asked why she’d want to share anything with the group. After she got a little pissy, she said he show actually helped save their marriage – no doubt a first. I told you these Wives were different from the others. She said they couldn’t sweep anything under the rug. Jen apologized to Robert again, and Robert said, don’t you worry about it, sister, which I thought was sweet. Then the guys left the magic circle.

The next topic was the Las Vegas trip, and we flashed back to that. Andy remarked that Meredith’s mask was ahead of its time, and Heather said it was a prophecy. We found out they’d wrapped week before the pandemic hit. Heather talked about Jen being insulting on social media, and Jen raising her hand when the hypnotist asked who didn’t trust Heather. Andy asked Mary’s opinion. Mary had her eyes closed, and he asked if she’d fallen asleep. She insisted she hadn’t, and knew the question, so I guess not. She said Jen felt hurt, and had raised her hand as a dig. Jen started to get agitated, and said when terms like aggressive were being used, it was dangerous to a POC; there was a double-standard. Meredith said no one denied white privilege, but to make that accusation was a huge statement. Jen said she didn’t want to get into this sh*t, because it was painful, and they didn’t understand. She ran off to find her husband, and Whitney called Justin to alert Coach Shah. Sharrieff came out, and Jen collapsed into his arms.

Jen hopped up and down, talking about discrimination, and did a bit of exaggeration, even making up a few things. True to form, Sharrieff calmed her down, and walked her back. I think Jen’s disconnect with the group is because she wants to give the reasons why she did something, rather than just taking responsibility. After she sat down, she said that the good thing was, people were willing to listen more than before. Andy said the one great success of the Reunion was seeing Mary and Jen find common ground, along with Robert Sr. and Sharrieff. He wondered if there was a double-date in the cards.

He asked the women to name one thing they’d learned watching themselves, and Lisa said she had to work on listening more. She noticed she talked a lot. Mary said she needed to work on the way she said things, and how they could come across offensive or wrong. Jen said she had to work on communication, and making sure her friends felt they could trust her, and didn’t feel threatened. Whitney wanted to focus on her timing and delivery, and how to speak clearly and confidently with her own voice. Meredith said she’d treated everyone with kindness and respect, but didn’t feel she’d been treated the same, and was disappointed. She said Whitney and Heather had called her to apologize, and she thought Jen’s apology was genuine for the first time. But an apology didn’t make things go away. She would forgive for herself, but to move forward, trust needed to be earned. Heather said she hoped she’d be able to speak up, embrace people where they were, and not hold back.

Instead of the usual alcoholic adult beverage, meatballs on sticks – or meat lollipops, if you prefer – were distributed to everyone. Mary’s eyes lit up, and I thought she must be hungry. Andy said Jen was the CEO of fun, and asked her to give a toast. She said, to a great reunion, understanding each other, and meeting in the middle. Heather toasted to how many licks it took, and Andy made it snow. No, really. Snow fell inside the studio. It was pretty cool, both literally and figuratively.

📌 That’s a Fact…

From the end of the Civil War until the last vestiges of the Jim Crow era were finally deemed illegal, Black Americans sought to obtain their sliver of the American Dream while facing violence and discrimination—a journey that continues today.

Here are 9 places you can visit today that provided Black Americans with some of what America had been denying them, on the ongoing journey to equality and freedom. – from AtlasObscura.com

https://www.atlasobscura.com/lists/9-forgotten-black-enclaves

🚶🏽‍♀️ Heading On Out…

It’s been a long day. So long, it’s the next day. Whatever day you’re in, stay safe, stay learning from your mistakes, and stay understanding each other and meeting in the middle.

February 4, 2021 – Nina Proposes a Pact, the Reunion Concludes With a Beer, Covid Or Hangover, Kathryn’s New Beau, Kristin Picks a Side, Award Time, Today’s Fact & Fight

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sam comes into Dante’s room, and finds him getting dressed. She asks if he said anything about checking himself out, and he says he has a job to do. Sam says, he means to tell her that Peter can’t live without him for a couple of days, Franco or not? Suddenly, Dante keels over. Sam catches him, and calls for help. Franco and Elizabeth run in.

Walking into the MetroCourt, Jason tells Carly, they have to figure out a way to tell Martin about Florence, without them losing their leverage on Cyrus. She says, then she can concentrate on the other million and one things that need her attention. He asks if she’s sure Nina isn’t going to be a problem, and she says, Nina isn’t going to be a problem. She just wants to get this Martin thing taken care of, so she has one less fire to put out today. Scotty comes in, and says, trust him. Today’s not the day. Jason heaves a sigh.

On the phone at the bistro, Jax leaves a message for Nina, saying he knows she’s upset. They should have let her know they minute they realized Nelle was her daughter. Can they talk about this in person? If not, send him a text to let him know she’s okay. He’s worried about her.

Nina walks into the cemetery, and sees Maxie. She says she knew she wouldn’t have this place all to herself, and Maxie says, where else would she be? Nina puts her arm around Maxie.

In the ring at the gym, Chase tosses Gregory a headguard, but Gregory says, it won’t be necessary. They’re doing a little light sparring; emphasis on the light. Chase says Gregory has to protect that face. He doesn’t want to give his mom any reason not to get back together with him.

Finn tells Anna, he doesn’t know if he can do this. She says he can. As operations go, it’s pretty simple. All he has to do is get a DNA sample, and they’ll have the means to determine whether Chase is his brother or his son. She thinks he can pull it off. He says, if he even wants to, and she says he doesn’t have to run the test; nothing has to change. He can go on living like before. He says, never knowing whether Chase is his son? and she says, he has to ask himself, can he live without knowing?

Maxie says she wasn’t sure she was going to see Nina for a little while, and Nina asks, why not? Maxie isn’t the one who lied, and she’s the fool who shunned the only child she’ll probably have. Maxie tells her, don’t say that. Nina had no idea Nelle was her daughter. Nina says she didn’t come there to talk about her issues. What kind of sister would she be if she let her problems get in the way of honoring her brother? Britt arrives, and says, what kind indeed? Room for one more?

Finn says, if someone had told him a couple of years ago that he and Chase would be on speaking terms, let alone Chase would be his best man… Anna says, he would have laughed out loud. He says, he and Chase have nothing in common. Chase likes ice fishing. She says, don’t knock it until he’s tried it. Watching him and Chase interact is moving; the respect and trust. He wonders why he’s risking that. What does he have to gain by knowing? She asks what he has to lose, but he says, what does his dad what have to lose? Gregory loves being Chase’s father, and Chase is excited to reunite the family. What does Chase have to lose? Anna says he’s asking all the right questions, and Finn says, the problem is, there are no answers that lead to a good decision. She says, it’s his choice. It’s not so much about getting to the truth, as what he does with the information when he has it. No one is saying he should upend his life. Just because he knows the truth, no one else has to. He says, if Chase is his brother, he doesn’t need to know. If it turns out he’s Chase’s father, is it worse to know and say nothing?

Chase instructs Gregory on boxing, and Gregory asks if Chase thinks it’s his first time in the ring. He got tips from the greatest. Chase says, from Mohammad Ali? Please. Gregory asks if he’s read his mother’s interviews, and Chase asks if Gregory tagged along. Gregory says, being Mr. Jackie Templeton has it’s privileges. Chase says, last he heard, they haven’t signed the divorce papers. This means there’s hope for them, right? There’s marriage counseling; maybe Gregory can fix it. Gregory says he’s not sure there’s anything left to fix.

Sam tells Elizabeth that Dante is planning on checking himself out, but Elizabeth says a doctor has to sign off on it. Dante asks if it’s a hard and fast rule, and Elizabeth says, he can leave, but she can’t just let him walk out. Did he call Olivia? Dante says, she has a lot on her plate. Can’t Elizabeth bend the rules? Elizabeth asks if he wants her to get fired, and Dante says he wouldn’t be there if not for Franco, and suggests Franco do it, but Elizabeth says, Franco is busy. He can’t take responsibility. Sam says she’ll do it.  

Carly tells Scotty that she has no patience for him today. Scotty says, he does want to give her his condolences, and tells her that he’s sorry for her loss. Sonny lived by the sword, and died in a river in New Jersey. Carly says she’ll talk to Jason later, and walks away, and Jason asks why Scotty talks so much. Scotty will probably forget what said, but Jason won’t. Scotty tells him, funny he should say that to the guy who holds his miserable, stinking, wasted, thug life in his hands.

Scotty tells Jason that he had a conversation with his son about a cockamamie plan to have himself killed if the tumor makes him nuts. Does that ring a bell? Jason asks why he’d care about what Scotty and Franco talk about, and Scotty says if something happens to Franco, he’ll make sure Jason spends his life in a hamster cage. Jason says then he better watch his step. Jackie comes in, and says, Scotty Baldwin, as she lives and breathes.

Dante says he doesn’t want Elizabeth to get fired. He won’t take off without an escort. Franco doesn’t have to babysit. Franco says, Dante saved his life. What thanks would it be to let him die today; maybe fall down and crack his head open? He asks why Dante did it? Old body reflex from being a cop? He’s just compulsively heroic? He really wants to know. Dante doesn’t say anything, and Franco asks if his gratitude is boring Dante. Dante says, he doesn’t know. It’s just something he had to do. Sam comes back, and he says, ready? She says, Elizabeth filed his release form, and they leave. Franco watches them, frowning.

Valentin thanks Anna for meeting with him. It was good of her to agree, even though her fiancé finds him despicable. She tells him not to needle her; she has no patience for it. He asks if she’s found any answers about Dante, and she says she has, but the answers have given rise to more questions. 

Carly meets Jax at the bistro, and he says he took the liberty of ordering her a vanilla latte. She asks how he’s holding up after last night, and he says he’s a bit of a mess. She says he hides it well, but she can see how it’s affecting him. He says he and Nina were just starting to build something. They were turning a corner, and Nina had finally let go of her dream of finding her child. Now she knows the truth, and he can justify it a million different ways, but the bottom line is, he betrayed Nina’s trust, and broke her heart. Carly says, it seemed like the right thing to do, and he says, not anymore. She asks where Nina is and if they’ve talked, and he says, no, but he knows exactly where she is.

Britt says she hopes Maxie and Nina can stand one more, and Maxie says, Nathan loved Britt. Of course (🍷) she can stay. Britt looks at Nina, and says she can come back later, but Nina says, no. Of course (🍷) stay. Britt was gone from Port Charles so long, she forgets Britt and Nathan were close. Britt says, so close, they almost slept together before they realized they were siblings. Another branch on their twisted family tree. Nina says, it’s only getting nuttier, and Britt asks if she missed something. Nina says she just learned about another addition to their sweet family, and Britt says, congratulations. Are Nina and Jax adopting? Nina says, no, but does Britt remember the daughter she was looking for? She just learned it was Nelle Benson. Britt says, baby switching Nelle Benson? Just when she thought their family couldn’t get messier.

Chase and Gregory leave the ring, and Chase says he regretted letting Willow go for months. Gregory can avoid it before the divorce. Pull out all the stops; weddings bring out the best in people. Gregory says he doesn’t think Finn’s wedding is the proper place for him to resuscitate his marriage. Chase says, ask mom to dance. See what comes of it. If he wants to save his marriage, he has to put in the effort. That’s what he wants, right? Gregory says what he wants doesn’t matter if Jackie doesn’t want it too. Chase asks him to explain how he and Jackie got there in the first place. Finn stands by the ring, listening.

Gregory tells Chase, he doesn’t have an easy answer. Over time, couples settle into a routine and take each other for granted. You lose curiosity about the other person. It’s no one’s fault; you drift apart. Chase asks if paddling back is out of the question. Is he even going to try? Gregory sees Finn, and says, right on time, a referee. Finn asks if boxing is over, and Gregory says Chase was coaching him in the art of romance. Chase says he was telling their dad to get off his ass, and pull out all the stops to win his wife back while he still has a marriage. Finn says, it’s none of his business, and Chase says, excuse him for wanting to help. Finn says, did their dad ask Chase for help, or did Chase just push it on him? Chase says, that’s funny, because he doesn’t remember asking for Finn’s help in regard to Willow, but he offered it. Finn says, as he recalls, Chase shut him down pretty good, and Chase asks if he means like father like son.

Scotty says, Jackie Templeton, and Jackie says, in the flesh. Why don’t they get a drink, and catch up? Scotty says give him two minutes, and Jackie tells him that her sister was asking about him. She’d wondered if anyone had snapped him up. Scotty says, many have tried. Her sister was asking…? Jason starts to wander off, and Scotty says, they’re not through. Jackie steers him toward the bar, and says he’ll thank her for saving his ass. Jason sees Dante come in with Sam.

Jax tells Carly, he’s sure Nina is visiting her brother’s grave; it’s the anniversary of his death. Carly says she didn’t realize, and asks if Jax shouldn’t be with her. He says he tried to reach out, but he’s not going to impose on Nina mourning her brother’s death. She says, it’s not an imposition. Nina could use the support, coming off of finding out Nelle was her daughter. He says he knew, and didn’t tell Nina, but Carly says he was sparing her the grief. He says that’s one of his thousand justifications, but the bottom line is, he had no right to play God with what Nina could handle. Carly says, it’s not certain. There was no DNA test. He says, a DNA test would have confirmed it, but it’s a foregone conclusion. Nina went through Nelle’s things, and found a photo of a little girl wearing the necklace. There was no mistaking it. She says, then there’s nothing left for them to do, except make sure Nina doesn’t push it further.

Nina wonders what Jay would think of their family right now, and Britt says, about the same as he did when he left them; pain and disfunction wherever you look. Nina says she can’t argue with that. Madeline died in prison, and Obrecht is there too. Britt is connected to a reputed drug trafficker. Britt says, a philanthropist, slash, reputed drug trafficker. Nina says, and her boyfriend lied to keep her from finding out the truth about her daughter, but she did anyway. Britt says, sounds bleak, but Nina says they have Maxie’s wedding to look forward to. Maxie is going to start a new life with Peter. They love and adore each other and the kids, and have another little one coming. Nothing but blue skies, right? Britt says, or is paradise not what it’s cracked up to be?

Valentin says, all he wants to know, is if Dante can be trusted around Charlotte, but Anna says she has no answer for that. Dante was housed in a WSB psychiatric facility in Geneva, and under the care of a Dr. Kirk, who was allegedly treating him for PTSD. He asks, why allegedly? and she says, Kirk worked for a specialized unit. It would be rare for him to treat someone for that. Valentin suggests they reach out to Kirk, but Anna says, they can’t; he’s dead, murdered. He asks if it was before or after Dante was released, and she says, after. The WSB chalked it up to a mugging, but no perpetrator has been apprehended. He says, too much of a coincidence, and she says, especially given Obrecht was also his patient. He says, she’s in Steinmaur, but Anna says, Kirk had her transferred. He says, now Kirk is dead, and Anna says, now Obrecht’s file is classified to where it’s above her clearance level. Valentin says he hadn’t realized clearance went that high. She says, Franco had a preliminary consultation with Kirk, then Dante saved his life. Why would he do that? He has no use for Franco. Why go out of his way to save his life? Valentin says, Kirk was treating Obrecht, Franco, and Dante. Other than that, what’s the connection? Anna says, it’s got to be Peter.

Gregory asks if Chase is worried he’s going to turn out like his old man. Chase says he doesn’t mean that, and Gregory knows it. Gregory says he realized early on that he fathered polar opposites. His first born was aloof, particular, and preferred books to people. Which didn’t prepare him for the second, who’s a motor-mouth morning, noon, and night, like the world’s friendliest puppy. He never met anyone he didn’t like, and always wanted to play. Chase asks if that’s how Gregory sees him; he’s a cop. Gregory says, everyone loves puppies. It’s a compliment; and he got it from his mom. He recognizes his standoffish qualities in Finn. Chase guesses he’s his mother’s son, and Gregory says he’s lucky to have both of them. He hopes they won’t repeat his mistakes, and trusts they won’t end up like their old man.

Elizabeth asks Franco if he talked to Dante. Franco says he got no answers, and no explanation as to why Dante would risk his life. She says, he’s looking for a complicated answer, when simple makes more sense. Dante is a good guy, and did a good thing for another good guy.

Jason asks how Dante is feeling, and Dante says, ready for his next life-threatening injury. Sam says Dante was told to take his time before going back to protecting Peter. Dante says, that job falls to whoever is next. Peter fired him.

Jackie asks why Scotty was provoking Jason, and Scotty says Jason doesn’t intimidate him. Jackie says from what she learned in her research, he should, and Scotty asks what she thinks she knows about Jason. She says he was Alan and Monica’s golden boy until AJ caused an accident. Afterwards, Jason worked for Sonny, and was considered the best enforcer in the business; he flourished at it. Sound correct? He says, yeah, but she left out before the accident. Jason had a closet full of sweaters and tennis rackets. She says, Scotty left out the part about how, currently, Jason has serious beef with Scotty’s son. What’s that about?

Carly tells Jax that Nina would just rewrite history. She already thought Nelle could be redeemed before she found out. Nina could push the investigation, and they know how eager that cop was to build a case against her. He says, there is no case to build; she didn’t kill Nelle. She says, she knows, but could she have done more to save her? Nina would think so, and she doesn’t need extra scrutiny. She has to focus on her family, and keeping Cyrus at bay. Jax says, not to mention she has a hostage situation.

Maxie says she’s madly in love with Peter. They have a beautiful family, and a baby on the way. She’s sure Nathan would be happy that she fell in love again. Britt says, no offense, but she’s not exactly radiating joy. Be honest. Is it Peter? Maxie says, Peter isn’t the issue, and Nina says, but there is one; what is it? Maxie says, Dante, and Spinelli, and Robert, and Jason, who’s rarely wrong, but he’s wrong about this. She’s told them over and over that Peter is a good person, and she loves him. Here she is, on the verge of her wedding, and all she’s doing is looking for warnings or worried looks about her fiancé. What does she have to do to get acceptance? Britt says, marry someone else?

Gregory steps away to refill his water bottle, and Finn tells Chase to let their dad fix things on his own. Chase wonders if Gregory is capable of it, and Finn says, the point is, it should be his choice. If he decides confide in Chase, it’s up to him. Chase says, he’ll regret giving up without trying. Look at what Finn and Anna went through to come together, and he’s doing his damnedest to fight for Willow. Gregory needs to face it, and fight. Finn says, maybe it’s not in him, and Chase asks who they got it from then. Finn says, maybe each other.

Scotty says Jackie is trying to get him to say something about his son to use in a story, but she assures him that she’s not pumping him for information. She’s sorry it took this long to get in touch. They should do it again; get the 80s gang back together. Who else is around? He says he prefers one on one, and she says they’ll make a plan. She’ll give Robert a call, and Scotty can invite his ex. She’d love to know what Bobbie is up to.   

Carly says she doesn’t know what Jax is talking about, and he says, Jason had Cyrus’s mother abducted from a healthcare facility in Vermont. It doesn’t ring a bell? Even if she didn’t help, she knew about it. She wonders why he’s asking, and he says, Valentin brought it up at Sasha’s TV shoot. Valentin was trying to make trouble between him and Nina. She tells him not to let Valentin bait him, and he tells her, that’s what Nina said. She said he should let Carly do things her way. She’s not only the woman he loves and lied to, she’s also Carly’s ally. Carly says, is, or was?

Maxie says, now Britt has a problem with her marrying Peter? Britt tells her, she didn’t say that, but Maxie says, she kind of did. Nina says Peter is Britt’s brother, and Britt says she knows exactly who Peter is. So does Nina, and so does Maxie. He’s the son of a Eurotrash murdering monster, and people will always see his father when they look at him. Maxie says Faison is Britt’s father too, and Britt says, exactly. She sees the way the world looks at her. If Maxie thinks after marrying Peter, people are going to forget where he came from, and line up to like him, she’s bound to be disappointed. Nina asks if Maxie really needs the world to bless her marriage, and Maxie says, of course (🍷) not, but it would be nice to have a smidge less grief about it. Nina says they can do something about that.

Anna tells Valentin, Dante works for Peter as head of security. Peter saved Franco’s life from an assassin who tried to kill him in the OR. The connection between Obrecht and Peter is obvious; she hates him. She blamed Peter for Nathan’s death, and framed him for her crimes. Valentin asks why Franco met with Dr. Kirk, and Anna says, Doc referred him because he was hearing Peter’s voice in his head. Kirk thought Peter’s voice had something to do with Franco being imprinted with Drew’s memories.

Franco tells Elizabeth, it still doesn’t add up. Why would Dante have the instinct to save his life? There was a time Dante would be gunning for him, not helping him out. She says, those days are over, and they’re not coming back. They need to make sure of that today. Franco says he can’t it put off any longer. Terry texted that she’s waiting in oncology. He asks if Elizabeth will still want to make out with him if he loses his hair from radiation, and she says he’s saying that like it’s his best quality. They get in the elevator, and he says he knows it’s his body. The only reason she loves him is his bod.

Chase’s phone rings, and he says, it’s the station; he has to take it. He steps away, and Gregory says he’s glad he and Finn have a moment alone. He hasn’t been completely honest when he says he wasn’t worried about them turning out like him. Finn always sees the world the way it is, good and bad. Chase is trusting, which is a strange thing to say about a cop, but he was relieved when he heard Chase was moving to Port Charles. He’s happy Finn decided to step up and kept an eye on him. Finn says, despite the time and distance he put between them, and Gregory says, what’s a little time and distance between brothers? Chase says he has to get to work, and Gregory leaves with him. Finn looks in the garbage can, and takes Chase’s water bottle out. 

Scotty tells Jackie that Bobbie’s in – kind of. She says, good. As fallings out go, it’s kind of impressive. He says he inspires that in people, but as soon as he mentioned her name, Bobbie stopped yelling, and said she’d love to see Jackie as soon as she’s back in town. Jackie asks if she’s traveling, but Scotty says it sounds like a job. Jackie says she thought Bobbie worked at GH, and he says she did, until Cyrus became Chairman and took over. He fired her. She’s out now taking private nursing jobs God knows where. There should be a law about that.

Valentin says, so it has to do with memory mapping? and Anna says, Kirk’s theory was that they were left over memories from Drew. Jackie calls Valentin, and says she has a potential lead on Florence. He says, good luck finding her, but she’s going to do it without him. He has a pressing matter that needs his full attention. He hangs up, and tells Anna that Drew would have known Peter’s voice from working at Aurora, but she says, no. They were memories of Drew’s life before he came to Port Charles. He says, if Kirk was right, and Franco is hearing Peter’s voice from the memory transfer, that means Drew and Peter met years ago when Drew was still in the military. Anna says, if that’s true, why has Peter never said anything?

Sam says, Peter fired Dante? He kept saying he needed to get back to work. Dante says he must have meant to look for a job. Jason asks if there was a security breach, and Dante says Peter told him that it complicated things. Jason asks, how? and Dante says he got the idea Peter thought he didn’t want him to marry Maxie. It’s just a hunch. Sam says she’ll buy him lunch, and they go to eat.

Nina says, no one has the right to judge Maxie, and she shouldn’t have to face it alone. She proposes a pact; the three of them, in honor of Jay and each other. They stand together, united, no matter who, no matter what. Attack one – she takes Maxie’s hand – attack all. Maxie holds out her hand to Britt, who takes it. Maxie says, ladies, officially have chills. Britt says she never had female friends before, and Nina says, not just friends. They’re family.

Carly says it started when she lied to the cops about being at the cliff. She had no idea Nina was involved, and Nina could blow up everything with the truth. Jax suggests Carly call Diane and get ahead, just in case there are any changes. She asks if he’s going to work things out with Nina, and he says he’s going to try.   

Maxie says she never thought she’d come to Nathan’s grave, and leave feeling better. Britt asks Nina where the rally-the-troops speech came from, and Nina says, them; her family. When she woke up today, she felt more lonely than when she woke up in the hospital after losing years and her child. Then they reminded her, they’re all connected; they’re family through Jay. She’s connected to someone else too – her grandson. Maxie says, Wiley, and Nina says, with all the drama, that fact went over her head. They gave her clarity. Nelle is gone, but Wiley isn’t. She missed her chance to know her daughter. She’s not going to make the same mistake with her grandson.   

Tomorrow, Jackie says she’s scared of where this is going, Valentin says someone is obviously lying, Britt asks why Peter was at Nathan’s grave, Sonny has conditions, and Carly asks Jax if he thinks it’s going to work.

Southern Charm – The Reunion – Part Two

Andy said, hide your girlfriends and lock your liquor cabinets, the newest cast member is single and ready to mingle. He introduced John Pringle, and asked Madison what her impression had been of him. She said, overall, he was a gentleman, and wasn’t too inappropriate with her. Pringle talked about how he landed in Charleston, and said he’d tried San Diego, but came back to where he had the support of family and friends. Craig brought up how Pringle was always saying how much he missed his kids, and asked, why he left, since he trades off the computer. Pringle said something about taking an opportunity across the country, and making his kids’ lives better, which didn’t exactly answer the question regarding him doing business online. He said it was the hardest decision he’d ever made, and had a lot of guilt, but come at him about his kids and he’ll wake TF up. I wasn’t sure if that was directed at Craig, who’d made it clear it was an honest question, or just a general comment. Pringle said his ex was supportive, which everyone found impressive, and we flashed back to her visit. Leva wondered if they’d ever get back together, and he said she was amazing, but it wasn’t in the cards. Andy asked Austen about Patricia trying to get Madison to trade up, even when they were still together, which obviously didn’t sit well with him. Austen said when they weren’t filming, Patricia liked them together, but once they started filming, Patricia pawned Madison off on the first drunk that came along. Ouch for Pringle. Madison said Patricia had never done her wrong, but Austen on the other hand… Austen said Patricia paid her, but Madison said Austen was just mad because her income from Patricia was more than he made in a year. Pringle said Patricia knew it would be incendiary. (Hey, she’s bored in that house with Michael and the dogs.)

Madison announced she’d had a complete mommy makeover six weeks before, and said Austen hadn’t seen it, but Austen begged to differ, and Craig confirmed that. Craig said Austen and Madison had slept together since then, Madison dated multiple people, and she was a horrible person. I can’t attest to the first two, but we’re definitely in agreement on the third. Madison told him to keep it up; she had some things on him. I rest my case. Craig said she weaponized everything, and she told him to fix his hair. The Kirstin Cavallari/Jay Cutler thing came up, and Madison scrolled through her phone like an MF’er. Danni just kept saying, oh my God. Andy read a DM from Jay Cutler, asking if Madison recommended any good restaurants in Charleston, and Leva wanted to know if Madison had recommended hers. Points to her being business minded among the dreck. Craig said Madison was a terrible person and trashy, which triggered Kathryn, who told him not to use those words. She was called trash for years; why he was being a douche? We found out that Madison had split from her ex because she was trying to build an empire, while he wanted to live life day by day. No surprise there. I suddenly missed Chelsea, who was a real human being. Austen said he’d opened up a new world for Madison, since she’d complained that all she did was go to work and go home, but Madison said their relationship had been nothing but fun. When it stopped being fun, she wanted out. Okay… Craig said, then let Austen go, and Madison said she’d taken Craig’s advice. Shep said she was manipulative, and Madison said she’d been nothing but nice to Shep, and would hate for that to change. Shep asked if that was a threat, and there was a bunch of loud back and forth.

When things calmed down, Andy asked about Austen’s beer, and Austen said once his beer moved to cans, everything changed. He’d met with Leva’s husband not long ago. Leva said she was the one who’d arranged it, but she was pissed now because Austen had taken issue with something she’d said on Watch What Happens Live. We saw a clip from a game called Charming or Alarming, and Leva said she found Shep’s penchant for dating younger women alarming. Afterwards, Austen had said she was the biggest sh*t talker he knows. She said she wished he could control his emotions, and not pop off like a crazy person. Austen asked if she was saying that she didn’t want to do business with him now. She said she didn’t know, he ended up apologizing, and all was well. Andy asked Madison if she thought Austen had grown as a businessman, and Craig – who just can’t help himself – said Austen’s beer was now in stores, while Madison rented a chair in someone else’s salon. Andy told Craig to stay out of it, and read a question from Robert from Boston, asking if Madison picked guys she had the upper hand with, and she said 1000%. Austen said, in watching the show, he realized Madison didn’t care about him, and never had. His friends had been telling him that for years. He was effing done. She was like a monster, and if she didn’t have a son, her heart would be non-existent.  

Andy said when the show started, Kathryn was living with Thomas, and asked Kathryn what it was about Thomas that kept pulling her back. She said it was hard to shake the thought of them being a family unit. Pringle said when you’re with your ex, the reasons you got together in the first place come back. Kathryn said, the door was closed. Pringle asked Kathryn if she and Thomas had hit their stride co-parenting, but she said, no. Thomas was suing her for custody again. It was unclear why, but she thought it was because he was moving. She hadn’t seen his new baby, and had never talked to his baby mama. She said Kensey had a crush on Chleb, and Andy asked what was different about Kathryn’s relationship with him. Kathryn said he was supportive, and more like a teammate. She better understood how a good relationship was supposed to work. Andy said viewers questioned the timing. They said she was trying to course correct. She said Chleb hadn’t thought the monkey emoji was racist, but explained to her why it might be to other people, then they went through that whole thing again. Leva said she’d tried to help Kathryn, but Kathryn thought Leva tried to isolate her, and make her storyline bigger by riding on her mistake. Leva said she’d gotten death threats, and Kathryn said it was hard for her, and she was doing her best. Leva said she never said Kathryn was racist, but her actions were tone-deaf. Madison looked bored, since it didn’t have anything to do with her. Leva said it started with their voices, not hers.

Kathryn said it had been very difficult, and started to cry, but Leva calmed down, and gently explained why Kathryn had been tone-deaf. Andy asked about Danni and Kathryn’s friendship, and Danni wanted Kathryn to answer. Kathryn said they’d visited, and it was like old times. Danni said she didn’t hold grudges, but if she didn’t agree with something, she’d say so. They discussed the racist actions of their ancestors, and Craig said the extra L was added to Chleb’s last name to separate that branch of the family from the Ravenels who’d owned them. Shep said it was important to raise awareness by protesting, but to change the system, you had to change the people in power who wanted to keep it that way. Pringle said you also had to raise your children right, and Leva said those who were ahead of people who had been oppressed, had the responsibility to help those who lagged behind. Kathryn said she was becoming more cognizant. Watching Leva’s reaction to the Calhoun statue being taken down was cool. It made her more aware, and she genuinely wanted to make it right. Austen admitted he needed to grow and learn, and Leva said she wanted them to understand that they lived in a bubble of freedom; for example, they didn’t have to worry about one of their sons going out while wearing a hoodie. They all had to be sensitive, kind, and empathetic.

During a break, Kathryn approached Leva, and said she wasn’t the best with words, but wanted to articulate that she cared. She wanted Leva to understand that, and Leva told her, just speak from your heart. You can tell Leva is a mom, the way she talks to Kathryn.

Andy said there was still a lot of unfinished business, but one thing they’d learned is that you never stop doing the work. He wanted to know how the year had changed everyone as people, and Danni said she’d become enlightened about white privilege. It was an awakening, in a good way. Pringle said he discovered he was more offensive than he thought, then asked Andy to come back to him. Austen said he regained control of his own happiness and narrative, and Andy asked if he and Madison were going to cut the infinity loop of terror; their co-dependent and toxic cycle. Madison said she got to know her worth, and what she deserved in a relationship moving forward. Andy couldn’t decide if he thought it was totally over. Andy said Kathryn had a big year, and she said she’d learned, when conflicts happened, instead of going on the defense, she needed to accept humility and what she had to learn. Shep said he could sum it up in one word – Taylor. Craig said he was hungry (metaphorically… I think). He wanted more, and was going to keep trying to make as much money as possible. Madison got up and sat next to him, putting her hand on his leg. Just kidding. He said he was still going to stick up for his friends, but he learned you could only give so much of himself before you had to stop caring. Leva said she was grateful. So many lives had been lost, and every day wasn’t guaranteed. Since this had somehow turned into future resolutions, Pringle said he was going to drink less and quit hitting on guys’ girls. At first, Andy thought Pringle was saying that he was going to quit hitting on guys, and frankly, I thought the same thing.  

Glasses of beer were brought out, and Andy asked Leva to give the toast. She toasted to health and happiness, and everything they had. She said they were a lucky bunch, and what made them lucky was their friendships. She said, cheers to sharpening friendships, and being charming while doing it. Shep suggested the next Reunion be at Andy’s apartment.

Until next time, ya’ll.

🏖 This season on Summer House, everyone is still just as awful, but they’re quarantined together for six weeks, working from the Hamptons house as well. This sounds like a true nightmare. Right out of the gate, Carl said when he’d tested positive for covid, he thought he was just hungover. To his credit, he decided to sober up after he met friends for dinner, and was already so wasted, he couldn’t stay conscious. Hannah, one of the few likeable people, thought she had a thing with Luke, until he said he was bringing a female friend with him. Unless she’s his cousin or something, we all know what that means.

🍺 All About That L…

A little bit on tonight’s episode.

https://pagesix.com/2021/02/04/kathryn-dennis-hasnt-met-thomas-ravenels-new-son-amid-their-new-custody-battle/

Some fun facts about Chleb, but in the Ravenel(l) department, all it says is, he’s not related to Thomas.

💟 Team J-Lo…

I tend to agree with Austen about Madison not having a heart. You could see she was having a hard time not blowing her stack at the Reunion.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1234952/kristin-cavallari-proves-shes-team-jennifer-lopez-after-alex-rodriguez-and-madison-lecroy-revelation

🏆 And You Get an Award…

It’s virtually that time of year.

https://extratv.com/2021/02/04/sag-nominations-2021-the-complete-list/

📌 That’s a Fact

Most people think of Rosa Parks as the first person to refuse to give up their seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. There were actually several women who came before her; one of whom was Claudette Colvin.

It was March 2, 1955, when the fifteen-year-old schoolgirl refused to move to the back of the bus, nine months before Rosa Parks’s stand that launched the Montgomery bus boycott. Claudette had been studying Black leaders like Harriet Tubman in her segregated school, those conversations had led to discussions around the current day Jim Crow laws they were all experiencing. When the bus driver ordered Claudette to get up, she refused, It felt like Sojourner Truth was on one side pushing me down, and Harriet Tubman was on the other side of me pushing me down. I couldn’t get up.

Claudette Colvin’s stand didn’t stop there. Arrested and thrown in jail, she was one of four women who challenged the segregation law in court. If Browder v. Gayle became the court case that successfully overturned bus segregation laws in both Montgomery and Alabama, why has Claudette’s story been largely forgotten? At the time, the NAACP and other Black organizations felt Rosa Parks made a better icon for the movement than a teenager. As an adult with the right look, Rosa Parks was also the secretary of the NAACP, and was both well-known and respected – people would associate her with the middle class and that would attract support for the cause. But the struggle to end segregation was often fought by young people, more than half of which were women.

– from www.PBS.org/black-culture

🕰 Closing Time…

As another week comes to a close – or 7 sunrises and sunsets, depending on your perspective of time these days – we pin our hope on sunnier days, both in temperature and temperament. It hasn’t been an easy road, and we’re still on it, but at least we have plenty of company. So stay safe, stay occupied, and stay accepting humility and what you have to learn.