Tag Archives: For Real: The Story of Reality TV

May8

May 7, 2021 – Cameron Admits He’s Wrong, Real Competition, Quarantine Strikes Again, a Split, Summer Schooling, Stay Quiet, Too Much Corn, Derby Girl, Unbelief, Worst Performances, Septteen Quotes & Home

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Josslyn tells Cameron, they’re alone. Is he going to tell her what’s going on? He says, Jason escaped from GH, and she says she knows. Dante was there earlier looking for her mom, and he told them. Cameron says, trust him. She doesn’t know everything.

Valentin sees Anna at the hospital, and asks if she’s there for her phlebotomy, but she says, no. She heard there was a lockdown, and wanted to make sure everyone was okay. Him? He says he has to meet with Charlotte’s pediatrician. He needs a hard copy of her vaccination records. How are Finn and Chase? She says she doesn’t know, and he says, she hasn’t seen them? Chase is on seven. She says she knows. She just doesn’t want to get in Finn’s way. He says, lockdown is over. As he sees it, she’s going to do one of two things. She’s going to go up to seven, and get in Finn’s way, or she’s going home because she’s too scared to run into him.

Chase tells Finn, that’s great, when Willow walks in. She says, good news? and Chase says he seems to be getting feeling back in one of his hands. She says, that’s great. She should leave to get coffee more often. Finn says he’ll check in on Chase later, and Chase suggests he go home; it’s late. Finn says he thinks he has a few more hours in him, and leaves. Chase says, he’s working too hard, but Willow says, Finn is just trying to find a cure for him. Chase says he knows, but lack of sleep isn’t going to help Finn find it any faster. Michael pops in, and asks if Chase is up for some company. He sees Willow, and says he didn’t mean to interrupt. Chase tells him, don’t be ridiculous. You know what they say. Michael says, three’s a crowd? but Chase says, he was thinking of, the more the merrier.

Maxie lets Brook into the apartment, and says, she wasn’t followed? Brook says she ditched her bodyguard, and Maxie says, and she parked far away from the building? Brook says, on the next block. Why is Maxie so paranoid? Maxie says, any time she pretends her baby is dead to get them away from her ex, she embraces paranoia. Brook says, she knows how serious this is, but Maxie has to chill out. Her blood pressure is going to go through the roof. Peter will move in quicker than she can say, I’m giving Brook Lynn my baby. Maxie says she’ll calm down when they have a plan set, and Brook says, then let’s get started, but Maxie says, not until Britt is here. They can’t do this without her.

In the hallway at the safe house, Sam says, Dante followed her, and he says she’s damn right. This was a test, and she failed it. Back off. She says, no; she’s going in with him. Dante tries the door, but it’s locked, so he says, police! and kicks it in. The room is empty, and Dante tells Sam, stay here. He searches the other room, and she sees an empty bag of plasma. She looks in the garbage, and sees other spent medical supplies. Dante says, they’re gone, and Sam shows him the trash. He says, looks like the bullet did some damage. Jason’s in trouble.

On the phone, Carly asks why Jason let Britt pick. Why does she get to decide?… She gets it. Britt saved his life tonight; she gets to take him wherever she wants… They’ll talk about that tomorrow, but right now, he needs to rest. She’s hanging up so he can do that. Stay safe. She loves him. She pours herself a scotch, and says, I did it, Sonny. I did it. Sonny appears, and says, he knows she did.

Valentin says, Anna doesn’t want to go home. She wants to see Finn. She insists she doesn’t. Finn is working overtime to find a cure for Chase, and that’s enormous pressure. She’s sure the lockdown didn’t help. He says he heard there was a shooting; what has she heard? She says, Jason was transferred there from Pentenville for a stab wound. He got away, and took Britt with him, allegedly as a hostage. Valentin imagines she went willingly, and Anna says, she certainly wasn’t a hostage. Whoever helped him is beside the point, because he’s probably going to go after Peter now. Valentin thinks Jason has probably decided that Peter needs to be eliminated entirely now, and Anna says, that’s not good news for them. They need Peter alive, so he can produce the antidote for Chase. He says, at least until Finn can come up with a cure. How’s that going to work, since Finn can’t even diagnose the nature of Chase’s illness? She says, he knows. She told Finn the truth.

Willow asks if Michael has heard any news about Jason, but he says, not yet. His mom isn’t returning his calls. He can only imagine what she’s going through right now. Chase says he’s sorry; he wasn’t thinking. Being stuck in a bed, it’s like nothing happening outside the room is real. Michael says Chase doesn’t have to apologize. He has his own issues he’s dealing with. Jason can take care of himself. Willow says, but Jason’s hurt, and Michael asks what she’s talking about. She says she thought he knew. She heard the nurses talking. The police think Jason was shot during the escape.

Dante says, Jason has lost a lot of blood. He’s going to need more help than Britt can give him. This got completely out of control, and it’s all because Sam didn’t trust him. She says, no, she didn’t.

At the PCPD, Olivia tells Robert, she just got a text from her son, saying he’s on a case. Does Robert know anything about this? He says, when Jason escaped from General Hospital, Mac asked Dante to step in and lend a hand, so to speak. She asks if Mac really thinks Dante is ready for this, but Robert says, it’s just this case. Dante understands that Jason knows how Sonny’s organization works, and he agreed to be part of it. She says her son is a total professional, but if someone asks him for help, he’s going to give it, no matter what the cost to his personal well-being. She’s got to talk to Mac about this. He says, Mac is conducting a search for Jason. The Commissioner, on the other hand, is looking into a case at the harbor; a ship sank. No loss of life, but a complete loss of cargo. She says he doesn’t seem upset about it, and he says, something about the cargo stinks. She says, is this it? Did Cyrus make a move tonight? Robert says, he tried to. They ascertained the ship’s cargo, and someone wants to take Cyrus out.

Sonny says, Carly is drinking scotch, and she says she wanted to feel closer to him. He says she had a big night, attending one of the meetings of the Five Families pasta primavera, and sinking one of Renault’s drug shipments. She says she had to protect the family; protect their interests. Cyrus won’t underestimate her again. Sonny says that’s what he’s afraid of.

On the phone with Jax, Elizabeth says she’s been trying to reach Josslyn, but she’s not answering her phone. Is she with him? Jax says, she is. What’s wrong? She says she can’t find Cameron. Is he with her? Jax says, he is, and she says, thank God. Is he okay? Jax says, he seemed a little upset, but he’s not hurt. What’s going on? She says she’ll explain later. Just don’t let him leave before she gets there.

Cameron tells Josslyn, Jason didn’t kill Franco, and she says, finally. She’s glad, but what made him change his mind? He says, Jason got shot; he saw it happen. She asks, how? and he says, after he left her and Trina, he stayed at the hospital. He was going to confront Jason. He was an ass; a complete ass. Beyond. He went and accused Jason of killing Franco. He dared Jason to confess to his face that he killed Franco. Josslyn says, now she’s confused. He just said he knew Jason didn’t kill Franco. He says, he does now, but he didn’t then. He yelled at Jason, then he left. When he felt like he needed to yell at Jason more, he went back to Jason’s room, and he was gone. The guard was lying on the floor, and he figured Jason escaped. That’s when he went to the garage, because that’s where Jason would be, right? When he got there, there were these people shooting. The guy next to him got shot, and dropped his gun. He went to pick it up, and… he could have shot Jason.

Michael says, Jason was shot? He didn’t hear about this. Willow says, the nurses were gossiping; it’s possible they heard wrong. Chase says Michael should go check on his family, and Michael says he’ll swing back another time. Chase says Michael won’t find him there; he’s hoping to be released.

Valentin says, she told Finn that Chase was poisoned? and Anna says, by Peter, yeah. She told him there’s a treatment, but no cure. Valentin says, she knows when Peter realizes they broke the deal, he’s going to let Chase die, but she says, Peter isn’t going to find out. He says, Finn will go to the police, but she says, he won’t. He understands the need for secrecy, and she trusts him. He’s going to focus on keeping Chase alive, and it’s up to them to deal with Peter. He asks what they’re going to do now, and she says she has an idea that might be of some help.

Brook asks if Maxie called Britt, and Maxie says, of course (🍷). She also texted Britt, but she’s not answering. Brook says, rude, but Maxie says, maybe there was an emergency at the hospital. Brook says, then call the hospital, and Maxie is about to call, when there’s a knock at the door. Maxie says, finally, and looks through the peephole. She backs up, and asks, who is it? Peter says, it’s him. Is she okay?

Dante says he thought he and Sam were becoming friends, and she says, they were, until he decided to become a cop again. He asks what she has against cops, and she says, they take orders, and they’re part of a system that punishes innocent people before they protect them. He says, no one considers Jason innocent, but she says, Jason didn’t kill Franco, and Dante knows it. He says, Jason escaped police custody, and took a hostage. She asks him to please take his cop hat off for a second, and talk to her, but he says, can’t do it. The hat stays on until they find Jason and Britt. It’s also the reason he has to take her in right now for questioning.

Sonny says he doesn’t want Carly going up against Cyrus. That’s his world, not hers. She says, he’s not there. And it’s her world too. It has been, since the first time she married him. He says he did everything he could to protect her and the kids, and she says, he did protect them. Now it’s on her. At least until Jason can clear his name and come home. He says he’s sorry. He never wanted her to face his world alone. She says, neither did she. She’d give anything to have him back. To be able to truly talk to him. She did not want to go to that meeting tonight. She didn’t want any of this, but she got it, and she’s going to do what it takes to protect their family.

Josslyn says, is Cameron saying… He says, he didn’t, and she asks why he scared her like that. He says he owes her the truth. He screwed up, big time. He was wrong about everything, just like she said, because he wouldn’t listen… to the point where he picked up that gun. And for two hours tonight, everyone thought he could have been the shooter, to the point where he started believing it himself. She says, but he didn’t; he’s sure. He says, the police have evidence from the security footage that the shot came from someone standing behind him. She says she’s glad – not that Jason was shot, obviously – but that it wasn’t him. Because if he had shot Jason, she could never forgive him.

Brook wonders what Peter is doing there, but Maxie doesn’t know. Peter asks, what’s going on? and Maxie says, it’s late; she was sleeping. He says, now that she’s up, could she open the door? He brought her a present. Maxie tells Brook that she has to hide. Peter thinks they’re enemies, and she’s running out of excuses. Brook messes up Maxie’s hair, and Maxie asks what she’s doing. Brook tells her, she said she was sleeping. She’s just giving Maxie bedhead. Brook throws a blanket on the couch, and hustles to the bedroom. Maxie lets Peter in, and he looks around. He asks, who’s there with her?

Anna reminds Valentin that Peter’s plan was a variation on something Faison did to control Sean Donnelly. She wants to find the creator of the original toxin. He asks if she thinks Peter used the same scientist, but she doesn’t know. It’s a long shot, but it’s the only lead they have right now. He says he’s been doing some checking of his own. he can’t find a lab that’s had anything to do with Peter since he’s been back in Port Charles. She says, maybe the toxin was something he already had on hand. If she finds the creator, they might also have a cure that could save Chase.

Chase says he knows Willow is worried about Michael, and she says, and his family. Carly, Josslyn, the Quartermaines. Poor Monica. He says, this is why she should go home and hold her son. And she can keep Michael company.

Robert comes into the squad room and says, Olivia is still there? She says she’s not leaving until she sees her son, and he asks if she doesn’t have something better to do, like repair her marriage? She says, since when did he get his therapist license? She tells him, sorry. She doesn’t know if there’s anything left for repairing in her marriage. When she and Robert were in Monte Carlo, it was so exciting. It was liberating even, to be more than just Ned’s wife, or Dante and Leo’s mom. She was a secret agent, saving him and Ethan from the bad guys. When she told Ned, she could see how much he resented her for it. If Ned knew she was talking to him, he wouldn’t be very happy about it. Robert says, it’s not his fault Nedki’s jealous, and she tells him to take the smirk off his face. Something between her and him? That’s crazy… right? Dante comes in, and Olivia asks if he’s back on the force. He says he can’t explain right now; he’s questioning a suspect. Olivia asks, who? and Sam says, me.

Elizabeth arrives at Jax’s house, and asks, where’s Cameron? Jax says he’s out on the deck with Josslyn, but before she goes, can she explain a few things first? She says, Cameron almost threw away his entire future tonight.

Josslyn says she knows Cameron was angry at Jason. She knew he blamed Jason – he’s only told her that a thousand times – but even when they were fighting and he was being totally unreasonable, she still thought somewhere deep down, he was the Cameron she’s always known. And when it came down to it, if he was face to face with Jason, or in a parking garage when Jason was trying to escape, he’d see the truth. That Jason was a man who’d saved his life. But she guesses not. He was able to pick up the gun, and could have shot Jason. He says, but he didn’t, and she says she knows, and that’s good, but she can’t believe it’s gone this far.

Carly tells Sonny, she’s not going to stand by and let Cyrus come after her family. He says he loves it when she gets on fire, and laughs. She tells him, put those dimples away. She’s trying to make a point. He says she doesn’t have to convince him. He knows how strong she is, and he loves it. She says she doesn’t feel strong. She just misses him. He says he’s there; she’s not alone. She hears Michael come in, and Sonny disappears. Michael asks if she’s home, and she comes out. She asks if he heard about Jason, and he asks if it’s true Jason got shot. She says, Jason is okay. She’s sorry, but that’s all she can tell him. He says she doesn’t have to lie to him; just tell him everything that’s been going on.

Willow tells Chase to call if he needs anything, and leaves. Finn comes in, and asks if Willow is going for more coffee. Chase says, she’s going home for some well-deserved rest, just like Finn should be doing. Unless he’s come to tell Chase that he’s being released. Finn says, maybe it wasn’t clear the first thousand times he explained it, but the treatment is to alleviate Chase’s symptoms; it’s not a cure. Chase says he understands that, but he’s feeling better. Why can’t he go home? Finn says, it’s not safe. Chase can’t leave the hospital.

Valentin says, while Anna is looking into Faison’s scientist, they need to find out where Peter is keeping the antidote. They need to keep Chase alive long enough for Finn to find a cure. She says she’s been thinking about that, and she’s convinced Peter is keeping it nearby. He didn’t hesitate to crack a vial of medicine right in front of her face to make a point, which tells her, he’s confident he can get more, and fast. Valentin says, of course (🍷) it’s nearby. It’s his only leverage, but it’s not going to be easy to find.

Maxie asks what Peter is talking about. There’s no one there with her, except for James. He says he heard voices, and she says she fell asleep listening to a podcast. It took her forever to figure out how to turn it off. She asks if this is her surprise, and he hands her a milkshake and a paper bag. He says he was going by, and he saw the lights on. He thought she might have a craving. It’s a butter pecan milkshake from the diner on the corner. He remembers her telling him that she craved butter pecan when she was pregnant with James and Georgie. She thanks him, and says she really should get some sleep. She needs her beauty rest. He says he doesn’t like that she’s falling asleep with all the lights on. That tells him that she’s too tired to turn them off. She’s not taking care of herself. Maxie indicates a pile of papers on the coffee table, and says she was looking at resumés for the live-in nurse. She found someone she wants to interview tomorrow, on the top of the pile. He says, she found the one? and she says, she seems pretty perfect on paper, so as long as she doesn’t have a belly chain, she’s in. She tells him that she’ll put the food in the kitchen, and share it with James tomorrow. When she’s gone, Peter snaps a picture of the resumé. Maxie comes back, and he says he’s glad she found a live-in nurse. He only wants what’s best for her and the baby. He wants them to be safe and happy. She says she knows, but she really should get some sleep. He says he knows when he’s not wanted. Kiss James goodnight for him. She says, of course (🍷), and Peter leaves. In the hallway, he looks at the resumé grimly. Maxie tells Brook, she doesn’t think Peter suspected Brook was there, but this is why they need Britt; she can be a go-between. Brook is still going to need an OB/GYN. It makes sense she’d go to Britt. Brook asks if Maxie trusts Britt to keep her non-pregnancy a secret, and Maxie says, Britt wants her baby away from Peter as much as she does. She’ll go along with their plan to pretend Brook gave birth to Louise. Brook says, while Maxie pretends her baby died. Okay. Britt works. Maxie says, there’s just one problem. Britt’s not here.

Michael asks Carly to tell him everything, from the beginning. She says he’s never been a part of Sonny’s business. That has been the deal since the beginning. That doesn’t change just because he’s gone. He says, Jason is family. He needs to know more than just, he’s going to be okay. She says, Jason is safe, and she’s going to keep him that way. He says, what about Britt? Does that mean she’s not a hostage? Carly says, no. Britt going with Jason was an unanticipated wrinkle, but she’s glad things turned out that way because Jason needs to be under a doctor’s care. He asks what he can do to help, and she says, please just keep things normal for Josslyn and Donna. Be their beloved big brother. Be a great dad to Wiley, and be her amazing son. Can he do that please? He says he can, and they hug.

Jax asks Elizabeth, what was Cameron thinking? Why would he pick up a gun? She says, he was traumatized. She doesn’t think he actually understood what he was doing. Thank God he didn’t pull the trigger. Jax says he can’t help thinking that none of this would have happened if it hadn’t been for Sonny still ruining everybody’s lives. It’s never going to stop, is it?

Josslyn asks Cameron if Jake knows, but he says Jake is at a friend’s house; a sleepover. He doubts Jake even knows Jason escaped from GH. She asks if he’s going to tell Jake that he almost shot his father, and he says she’s acting like he did. But he didn’t. (Agreed.) He picked up the gun – it was stupid, the stupidest thing he’s ever done in his life – but the didn’t pull the trigger. So why is she acting like he did?

As Brook sips Maxie’s milkshake, Maxie paces on the phone. She says, are you kidding me?… She knows they’re not kidding, but this is horrible. Of course (🍷) she’ll keep Britt in her prayers. She thanks Amy for telling her. Brook asks, what’s wrong? What happened to Britt? Maxie says, Jason escaped from GH tonight, and Brook says, good for him. Maxie says, yeah, except he took Britt hostage.

Robert asks Sam why she was at the safe house tonight; other than to wreck a police investigation. She tells him, she has nothing to say without her lawyer present, and he pushes a notepad toward her. He says, when her lawyer is present, and she has something to say, write it down. Contrary to popular belief, she just might be helping Jason. She says, if he wants to help Jason, drop the charges against him and arrest Peter August. He says, my dear, I would love nothing more than to do that, and leaves.

Olivia asks Dante if he’s sure he’s okay with being back on the force, but he says, it’s just temporary. She says he’s not starting off on the right foot, and he asks what she’s talking about. She asks if he’s forgotten that Sam is still on parole. If she gets arrested, and that parole gets revoked, she gets thrown back in Pentenville with her mother. Danny and Scout always have a place at the Quartermaines’, but haven’t those kids been through enough? Is he going to send their mother to Pentenville for the terrible crime of trying to save their father? She thought she raised him better than that. Robert comes by, and tells Dante, she’s all yours.

Chase asks if something is going to happen to him if he leaves the hospital, and Finn says he needs to be monitored 24/7. What if he has another seizure while he’s driving, and hurts himself or someone else? What if it happened in the shower, and he fell and couldn’t get help? Chase promises he won’t drive, and he’ll keep his phone close at all times, but Finn says, a phone’s not going to do him much good if he’s unconscious. He thinks the best thing for Chase is to just sit tight while he researches a treatment. Chase says Finn knows how he feels about this, and Finn says, if it’s any consolation, he hates it too. Chase says, when the hospital was on lockdown, he was ready to drag himself to the garage, just so he could be part of the investigation. Finn asks what stopped him? and Chase says, Willow. She practically sat on him to keep him there. Finn says, good for her. He promises Chase one thing; the world is still going to be there when he gets cured. So will his job, and so will Willow. Chase says, then that’s all that matters.

Michael lets Willow in, and says he wasn’t expecting her. She says she was worried about him after she blabbed about Jason getting shot. He says he spoke to his mom, and Jason is okay. She didn’t need to come; Chase needs her. She says he needs her too, and right now, that’s more important. They hug.

Sonny tells Carly, that’s some kid they got, and she tells him, she always said that Michael was the best of both of them. He thanks her for protecting Michael and keeping him out of the business, because it’s not his place. She says, no, it’s not. It’s hers.

Josslyn walks across the terrace, and looks out to the yard. She says, Cameron is right. He didn’t shoot Jason. All he did was pick up the gun. It was an unbelievably stupid move, but no one got hurt. It’s over. He asks if she really means that, and she tells him, she said it, didn’t she? He says she warned him all along that he was wrong and he’d be sorry. And all along, he wanted to apologize, but thought it might be too late. Is it too late?

Brook tells Maxie, it makes zero sense. Jason doesn’t take hostages. Why would he make an exception for Britt? Maxie says she knows, but according to Amy, it’s what the police are saying. Brook says, the police are idiots. Chase is an exception, of course (🍷). Maxie asks if Brook can please focus. They have a major problem here. Their OB/GYN is on the run with Jason Morgan. What if she doesn’t come back by the time this baby is due? How can they go on with their plan without Britt to help them? Brook says, time for Plan C, whatever the hell that is.

Peter looks at the picture of the resumé on his phone, and makes a call. He says, Maxie has made her choice. The nurse is Chloe Jennings… It’s happening tomorrow. Now, it all depends on Miss Jennings.

Valentin asks if Anna has had any luck, but she says, no. She traced the scientist to a cemetery in Leipzig. Valentin says he assumes he’s dead, and she says, very. So much for tracing the cure to the source. He says he’s sorry, but she says, it’s okay; she’s not giving up. She has another way to get into Europe’s shady scientific community. He says, dare he ask? and she says, maybe this man has former colleagues that can help them. He says, okay. While she’s busy cozying up to her shady scientific community, he’s going to track down Peter’s antidote.

Sam is writing, and Dante looks over her shoulder. She’s drawing a picture of a devil, and he asks if it’s him, but she says, this guy is way better looking. He laughs, and she says if he’s going to interrogate her, she needs to call her lawyer. He tells her, relax. He’s cutting her loose. She asks, why? and he says, because technically, what she did tonight would violate her parole. If she gets arrested, she’ll be sent back to Pentenville to finish out her sentence, and whether or not she deserves that, her kids definitely don’t. She thanks him, and says she’s sorry if her actions tonight damaged their friendship, but he says, her loyalties lie with Danny’s father; he respects that. But it does put them on opposite sides. He guesses that goes for the friendship too. She leaves without saying goodbye.

Finn tells Chase, everything looks good. Does he want something to help him sleep? Chase says, no more drugs, unless it’s a cure, and Finn says he’s working as hard as he can. Chase says, no; he didn’t mean it like that. Finn says he knows how frustrated Chase must be, and Chase says no one is working harder than Finn. He’s glad Finn is on his side. They’re in this together. Finn says, right, and Chase says, then there’s no way they can lose.

Willow says she wants Michael so badly, and he says, but they can’t. She steps away from him, and says she won’t sneak around behind Chase’s back. He says he feels the same way, but it’s hell staying away from her. She says, not until Chase is better. Finn is going to cure whatever’s wrong with Chase, and then she’ll tell him the truth about them. He says, then they can be together.

Carly says she misses Sonny, and he says he’s sorry he left her alone, but he’s always right here… in her heart. He disappears, and she takes a deep breath. She moves to the chair he was sitting in, and says she’s ready. She’s ready to be head of the family, in every way.

Cameron says he really is sorry, and Josslyn says she knows, and it’s okay. She means, it will be okay, but she’s not the one he needs to apologize to. He needs to say he’s sorry to Jake and Jason… if he ever gets the chance. She goes inside, and tells Elizabeth, Cameron just told her what happened. She’s really glad Cameron isn’t the one who shot Jason. Elizabeth says, the police exonerated him, and Cameron comes in. He tells Elizabeth that he’s sorry, but he had to see Josslyn. She says, that’s okay. It’s been a long night. She suggests they go home, and talk about it in the morning. Elizabeth thanks Jax, and leaves with Cameron.

Outside, Cameron says, why did he pick up that gun? It was so stupid. Elizabeth says, it’s okay; it was a terrible mistake. He says, Josslyn warned him that he was going to be sorry, and he didn’t listen to her. Why couldn’t he hear her? She says, Josslyn has a good heart. She’ll understand, eventually. He says, she told him over and over that he was wrong, and now he’s lost her. His best friend. Elizabeth hugs him.

On Monday, Ned tells Olivia that it feels like a new chapter, Cyrus tells Peter that his disregard is a monumental mistake, Carly says everything that happened is on her, and Britt tells Jason that she’s out.

📺 Competition reality shows were this week’s topic on For Real: The Story of Reality TV. Andy talked about how shows like Star Search and So You Think You Can Dance? led to American Idol, and how Project Runway largely got off the ground because Heidi Klum was looking to expand her career, and thought it would work. I have to say, I did not think I’d get as interested in that show as I did. I can’t sew worth a damn, but it sure is fun to watch other people create crazy clothing out of 12 tube socks, a fishing net, and a bubblegum wrapper. We saw Top Chef clips from when Padma was practically a baby, and Andy talked about how the show spun off into versions for quite a few other countries. Shows where there was a central boss, or gatekeeper, that made the winning contestant an insider were covered, like Master Chef and Top Model. I’ll watch anything with Gordon Ramsay in it, but I lost interest in Top Model after Janice Dickinson left. I did always wonder why some contestants flipped out, and not in a good way, over getting makeovers. Isn’t that part of it? The show that taught us to smize, was another one that had incarnations all over the world. Andy tried to make it sound like Top Model was a public service of some kind, which made me wonder if he got residuals or something. There was a virtual chat with Mona Scot Young, producer on Love & Hip-Hop, Kandi Burress, Holly Carter, producer of Preachers of L.A., Detroit, and Atlanta, and Vivica A. Fox. No surprise, they saved The Apprentice for last, getting somewhat political, along with an interview with Omarosa, who’d been in almost 30 reality shows, beginning with The Apprentice.

In wrapping up the series, Andy said reality TV would continue to produce winners and losers. It teaches us that it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose, people admire the guts it takes to put yourself out there. I’m not so sure about that, but okay. He said reality TV used to be a guilty pleasure, but over the years, it had gained prestige, along with two Emmy categories. Project Runway has also won the Peabody Award, named for American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honoring the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and online media. That’s a lot. Carson Kressley summed it up by saying that the cast members are a lot more like us than not like us, and Andy finished, telling us, whether we’re shocked and awed, our lives are made over, we’re addicted to love, or want to see how the other half lives, we’re sharing what it is to be human.

🗽 That’s the Reality Of It…

The latest on the latest RHONY cast member.

https://www.essence.com/love/eboni-k-williams-fiance/

📸 Fun While It Lasted…

Another one for The Countess’s scrapbook.

https://extratv.com/2021/05/04/luann-de-lesseps-and-garth-wakeford-split/

🏖 Still Echoing…

Recapping the highlights of the worst Reunion of the worst people ever.

The award for Most Changed for the Better goes to:

https://pagesix.com/2021/05/06/summer-houses-carl-radke-talks-sobriety-after-brothers-death/

And the award for the Biggest Jerkface on the Planet goes to:

https://pagesix.com/2021/05/06/luke-gulbranson-says-summer-house-producers-meddled-in-hannah-berner-plot/

🤫 Don’t Speak…

Continuing the quiet.

https://comicbook.com/horror/news/quiet-place-part-2-trailer-final-horror/

🌽 For the Thousandth Time…

Did we really need another one?

‘Children of the Corn’ Reboot Gets First Images

🏇 Coming In First…

The whole Anna Nicole thing was so tragic, kudos to her dad for stepping up.

https://people.com/parents/dannielynn-birkhead-attends-kentucky-derby-with-dad-larry-birkhead/

🐾 Daddy Gaga…

Probably nothing you didn’t know, but there are some cute dog pics.

https://pagesix.com/2021/04/30/lady-gagas-dad-says-he-never-believed-unusual-story-of-woman-who-found-dogs/

🪓 But Mommie Dearest Never Gets Old…

And what the hell was wrong with Cats? Did no one see it on Broadway? It was pretty much the same thing.

https://ew.com/gallery/oscar-winners-who-have-razzies/

🤺 Quotes of the Week

The liver is strong here. – EvanGoldschneider, The Real Housewives of New Jersey, referring to the level of drinking

Hope is the destination that we seek. Love is the road that leads to hope. Courage is the motor that drives us. We travel out of darkness into faith. – Dean Koontz

Think before you speak. Read before you think. – Fran Lebowitz

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. – Mahatma Gandhi

You are no better than anyone else, and no one is better than you. – Katherine Johnson

Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws. – Plato

What you’re thinking is what you’re becoming. – Muhammad Ali

Humor helps us get through life with a modicum of grace. It offers one of the few benign ways of coping with it all. – Diana Keaton

Sometimes the only way to ever find yourself is to get completely lost. – Kellie Elmore

Integrity is doing what is right and truthful, and doing as you say you would do. – Roy T. Bennett

You can start late, look different, be uncertain, and still succeed. – Misty Copeland

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. – Confucius

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete. – Jack Kornfield

There is no friend as loyal as a book. – Ernest Hemingway

To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow. – Audrey Hepburn (Ain’t it the truth. Every year, I believe I’ll get tomatoes.)

🐄 Cows Officially Home…

Once again, we’ve come to the end of another workweek. Or another five days have passed, depending on your situation. Whatever way you’re rolling these days, give it a rest for a moment, and shuffle things around. Do something you haven’t done in a while, or never did. Until we reconvene on Dead night, stay safe, stay keeping yourself on your toes, and stay not worrying about winning or losing. Just have the guts to put yourself out there.

And don’t forget your mom this Sunday!

Apr30

April 29, 2021 – Carly Puts the Plan In Motion, Unnecessary Reunion, Shockingly Real, LVP Prepares a Roast, Caught & She Will

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Josslyn comes into the hospital, Trina and Cameron on either side, helping her. She says they didn’t need to bring her there, but Trina says she can’t walk. Cameron says they shouldn’t have let her convince them that playing was a good idea. Josslyn says, it was just a warm up. She needs to prove to her coach that she’s good enough. She limps away, and runs into Portia.

Ava tells Nikolas that she knows he returned Cyrus’s mother back to him, so Cyrus would offer Alexis protection in Pentenville. He asks if she’s upset, but she says, upset is not the word. He asks, what is? and she says she’s terrified.

Alexis scrubs a floor. Hey, I have that same bucket, but mine doesn’t say Pentenville on it. A man suddenly stands over her.

At the MetroCourt, Obrecht suggests she and Scotty get a secluded table, on the off-chance Britt wasn’t exaggerating about a threat. He asks if she thinks the threat is real, and she says, of course (🍷). He says he thought it was a ploy to spend more time with him, and she asks if he thinks she needs a ploy. He asks if she had a good time, and she says, it’s true. She quite enjoys his company. Laura walks in, startled to see them together.

Brick asks Carly about the security accounts, but she says she’ll have Spinelli deal with that. He asks if she’s sure he’s up to it, and she says she is. She’d be nervous if Spinelli was holding a gun, or driving a getaway car, but as far as getting into the mainframe at GH, he’s almost Britt’s equal. Almost. If Sonny was there, he’d be going to the meeting with the Five Families Italian ices, but Jason is going to do that. Jason has to go. She needs him there, and not in prison. Brick says he’s glad she asked for his help.

Sam tells Danny that Jason will only be at the hospital temporarily, and he’ll have to go back to prison. Danny says he knows. Until the trial. She says she wants him to be prepared. There’s a guard outside Jason’s room, who will only let in family, and just so he knows, Jason will be handcuffed to the bed. He says he can handle that. He just wants to see his dad.

Britt tells Jason that she checked Cyrus’s schedule, and he’s in Rochester, so they have some breathing room. He says, good, and she asks how he’s feeling. He says, fully recovered, and she says, good timing. Carly called her earlier, and she’s putting the plan in motion. They’ll be able to break him out tonight.

In an examining room, Josslyn says she can’t believe Trina told her mom, but Trina says her mom works there. She saw them. Portia comes in, and says she hopes Josslyn didn’t get the injury playing volleyball; she was instructed not to play. Josslyn says, no. She was walking by herself in the park, when she accidentally stepped in a hole and rolled her ankle. She was sitting there, trying to loosen it, and Trina and Cameron found her. Portia asks how long Josslyn was there, and Cameron says, that’s why they brought her in. It could be serious. Josslyn says, it’s no big deal, but Portia says they won’t know without some tests. She’s sending Josslyn for an MRI.

Nikolas says he thought Ava was fearless. Why is she terrified? She says, as much as she doesn’t want to think about it, Cyrus bombed The Floating Rib, and used her brother to do it. She’s worried that, before they have a chance to renew their vows, Nikolas will be six feet under, and Cyrus will be responsible. He says, the circumstances are entirely different. Julian was desperate, and had nothing to offer Cyrus. Cyrus sought Nikolas out, and Nikolas gave him something that he tried and failed to get himself. If anything, Cyrus owes him. She says, he’s proven himself useful. She doesn’t think Cyrus will let him go. She happens to love him, and she’s so scared for him. He says, don’t be. He has too much to live for now, and won’t let Cyrus hurt either one of them.

Scotty takes Laura aside, and says he and Obrecht are friends. She asks if he thinks that’s wise, given what Obrecht is responsible for, and he says, what can he tell her? It just happened. She says she can see why they’re drawn to each other. They’re both grieving Franco, and have that connection. He says, she’s right, and she says, she’s not there to judge, but please, be careful. She tells Obrecht, good morning, and apologizes for not greeting her earlier. She was… surprised. Obrecht says she was equally surprised, and tells Laura to call her Liesl. Laura says, okay, Liesl. She’ll see her around. She leaves, and Obrecht says she admires the mayor for many reasons. She knows Laura dislikes her, but she’s withholding judgement. Laura is a woman of discernment and character. Scotty says, Laura is a wonderful girl. She would probably like Obrecht if she got to know her. Obrecht says, perhaps they’ll have a chance after the danger has passed, and she’s in the clear. He asks where the danger is coming from, and she says she doesn’t know, but she intends to find out.

Britt tells Jason that her mother agreed to lie low, although a part of her wants to see Cyrus go after Obrecht. As big and bad as he thinks he is, he’s no match for her. Jason asks if she’s proud of Obrecht, and she says, in a lot of ways. While she disagrees completely with some of Obrecht’s choices, she’d be the first to acknowledge Obrecht has lived life on her own terms; no excuses, no apologies. It didn’t make for a warm and fuzzy childhood, but it made her resilient. She wonders how she got off on this tangent, and Jason says she was talking about warning her mother. Is there anyone else Cyrus could target to get to her? She says she’s drowning in friends and family. There’s Maxie, but since Peter and Cyrus are now a twisted version of the frat boys from hell, she thinks Maxie is okay. Hopefully, Cyrus has no idea Brad is her friend, but other than that, there’s no one she has to worry about. he says, except herself, and she says she told him that she’s doing this. He’s not talking her out of it for her own good. His selfless nobility is already getting on her last nerve; it’s annoying enough. Sam brings Danny in, and he hugs Jason.

Carly tells Brick that they have someone at the hospital to keep Cyrus diverted. He asks if it’s Epiphany, but she says, Britt Westbourne; she’s the Chief of Staff. He says she doesn’t mess around, and she says, Britt isn’t her favorite person, but Jason trusts her. He says, that will be a big help, but they have another obstacle – Cyrus. They have to make sure Cyrus doesn’t get away. She says she thinks she has that covered, and he says, does she? Is it foolproof?

Nikolas tells Ava that he doesn’t expect Cyrus to be on the guest list for their wedding, but she says, Cyrus wants to be a fine, upstanding citizen; he’s going to want an invite. If he doesn’t get one, she’s sure he’ll find a way to wrangle himself in. Nikolas says there’s someone he can guarantee won’t be attending – Spencer. She asks if they spoke, and he says Spencer still isn’t taking his calls. He got a terse email saying not to expect him to come home anytime soon. She says she’s sorry. She knows she’s a factor in their estrangement. He says, a small factor. He’s the one who let his son believe he was dead for years. He didn’t tell Spencer that he survived the shooting. He was too busy with getting revenge against Valentin, and reclaiming his inheritance. His mother thinks his deal with Cyrus is proof of him backsliding, but she’s wrong. He saw the fallout, and learned his lesson about what it cost the people he loves. He wouldn’t act that way again. She says, she thinks Laura is just concerned. Cyrus gets people to do things they wouldn’t normally do. He says, as long as she’s by his side, he wouldn’t.

Alexis asks if she’s doing something wrong, and the man (the warden?) says, no. He has news for her. She’s been reassigned work duty. She says, so soon? What’s her new job? He motions her to follow.

Danny tells Jason, Scout wanted to come, but mom said she was too young to understand. He says, good call. Tell Scout he thinks about her all the time. Is Danny watching out for his sister? Danny says, of course (🍷); he promised he would. Britt and Sam go out to the hallway, and Danny says, it’s not fair that Jason is locked to the bed, but Jason says, it’s just protocol. Danny says, it’s a big mistake. Jason didn’t do what the police said he did. He’d never hurt Jake’s stepdad. Jason says he didn’t kill Franco, and Danny says he wishes everyone believed that. Jake is having a rough time with Cameron. Jason says, Cameron is dealing with losing Franco, who was like a father to him. Just be there for them if they need him. Danny says, sure thing. What happens next?

Britt says she wants Sam to know that Jason is fine, and Sam says, it was bad enough for Jason to be sent to GH. Britt says the Pentenville infirmary wasn’t equipped to handle Jason’s injury, and Sam says Jason recovered quickly. Britt says, she’s kept him as long as she can. She expects he’ll be discharged tonight. Sam says Britt is Chief of Staff. Is she acting as Jason’s primary doctor? Britt says, yes. Does Sam have a problem with that?

Josslyn is wheeled into Portia’s office, and Trina asks if it’s that bad. Cameron asks how she’s feeling, but Portia requests they wait outside so she can speak to Josslyn privately. Trina says they’ll be out in the hall, and they leave. Portia says, the good news is, Josslyn’s ankle isn’t broken. Josslyn says, that means she’s cleared to play, right? but Portia says the MRI showed that Josslyn was millimeters away from tearing her ATF ligament. She’s sorry, but Josslyn’s volleyball season is over.

Ava opens the door, and Cyrus is there. He says, Ms Jerome… or should I say, Mrs. Cassadine? He hopes she can make some time for him.

Josslyn asks Portia if she really can’t play. She’s already packed for the tournament. Portia says she knows it’s a disappointment, but Josslyn can’t play for at least four weeks. That means no running, or athletics of any kind. She’s going to fit Josslyn for an ankle boot. She can walk with it, and it will lessen the pain and take the stress off her ligament. She’s sorry. She tells Josslyn to stay in the chair until she gets back. She opens the door, and Cameron and Trina are right there. Portia tells them that Josslyn could use the company, and Cameron asks why there are security guards all over the place. What’s going on? Portia says she thought Josslyn would have told them. Jason was injured in Pentenville, and he’s upstairs. They go in, and Cameron asks if Josslyn knew Jason was a patient, and Josslyn says, yeah. He asks why she didn’t tell them, and she asks if he thinks that would have been a good idea. They called a truce. Why start an argument by bringing up Jason? Cameron says, she’s probably right. His shift is gong to start soon. He hopes Josslyn feels better. The next time he sees her, he expects her to be holding a trophy. He leaves, and Trina asks if Josslyn wants to tell her about the weirdness going on with Cameron. Josslyn says, Cameron is the least of her problems. Trina’s mom just told her that her volleyball season is over. She can’t play in the tournament. She can’t prove herself, and lost the only shot she has for playing with the best V-1 team in the country.

Sam asks if Britt is sure she wants to be Jason’s doctor, and Britt says she wouldn’t have it any other way. Britt’s phone rings, and she steps away.

Jason tells Danny that he’s not sure how it’s going to shake out, but he doesn’t want Danny to worry; he’ll be fine. Sam comes in, and asks how it’s going. Jason says, good. Danny says he was asking when Jason will get out of prison; when he’ll be found innocent. Jason says he told Danny that he’s sorry, but he doesn’t have a timeline. It’s one of those times he has to be patient. He promises he’ll find a way out. Danny says, but he doesn’t know when, even though he’s innocent. Jason says, that’s the most important thing. No matter what happens, he didn’t kill Franco, and he’s going to prove it.

Brick tells Carly, Cyrus wants to eliminate Jason; he’s not playing. It could happen at any given moment, even tonight. Carly says she was hoping Cyrus would be too busy tonight to go after Jason (like Cyrus does his own dirty work). The doorbell rings, and Carly opens the door to Laura, thanking her for coming. There’s somebody she wants Laura to meet. She introduces Laura to Brick, who says, it’s an honor and a privilege. Laura wonders about his last name, but he says, it’s just Brick. Like Prince or Elvis, but he prefers Prince. Carly says, Brick is a close family friend, and Laura says, the family could use a friend right now. Brick says, Sonny was crazy about Laura, and Laura says she was fond of Sonny too. Carly says, Brick helped when Sonny was looking for Dante in Turkey, and Brick says he’s glad Dante found his way back. Laura says, he had a few good moments with Sonny, but not enough. Brick says, it’s never enough. He’s got to go; he has work to do. He tells Carly that he’ll be in touch, and thanks Laura, telling her to keep up the great work she’s doing in Port Charles. He leaves, and Laura says, Brick is quite charming, but she knows Carly didn’t invite her over for a meet and greet. What’s this about?

Cyrus says, of course (🍷) he’s delighted to see Ava, but he was hoping for a word with her husband. She says Cyrus just missed Nikolas, and he says he wanted to thank Nikolas personally for his invaluable help in returning his mother to him. He can’t tell her how much it means to have his mother nearby, and knowing she’s safe. Ava says she’s glad Florence didn’t suffer when she was away. Now if they’re through… He says they’re not through, and she says she doesn’t understand. Nikolas said Alexis would get protection in Pentenville in exchange for finding Cyrus’s mother, which he’s done. End of story. Cyrus says, it’s never that simple with him.

Alexis goes to the visitor room, and sees Nikolas. He says he’s happy to see her; she looks good. How is she doing? She says, good. She’s working the program, and he’ll be happy to know she hasn’t been tempted to drink the toilet wine. He tells her, steer clear, even if it’s a good vintage. What else? She says she got a new work assignment in the library. It’s a cushy gig. He says, good, and she says she knows what he did. He traded favors with Cyrus, and she wants to know how much of his soul he traded to keep her safe.

Carly says, the second Nikolas turned over Cyrus’s mother to him, they lost their leverage. Laura says she knows. For what it’s worth (🍷), she fought with Nikolas about it. Obviously, she wasn’t able to change his mind. Cyrus got his mother back. Carly says, it’s over. They’ll have to find another way to soften Cyrus. Laura says she’d like to hear how they do that, and Carly tells her, she said herself that she’s Cyrus’s weakness. Cyrus wants a relationship with her; maybe some of her integrity and respectability will rub off on him. Laura says, he’s delusional, and Carly says, but maybe they can use it to their advantage. Laura asks, how? and Carly asks if there’s any way Laura can appear to soften toward Cyrus. Give him the attention he so desperately craves. For the greater good.

Nikolas tells Alexis, don’t be dramatic. His soul had little to do with the quid pro quo. She asks him to tell her what did, and he says he knew Cyrus had connections in Pentenville; an entire network of staff and prisoners who could make Alexis’s life difficult. He’s guessing that happened early on. She asks what Nikolas had to do on his end to accommodate Cyrus, and he says, return Cyrus’s mother. She asks what he means. Where is she? He says, Carly and Jason took her from the assisted living home she was in, and were holding her as leverage. Cyrus just got her back.  

Ava says, Nikolas saw to it that Cyrus’s mother was safely returned. What more could Cyrus possibly want? He says, what he wants isn’t tangible, like goods or money. He wants a relationship, a family. Laura is his sister, which makes Nikolas his nephew. Ava is his niece-in-law, so to speak. She says, technically, she supposes that’s true, and he says, Laura has never been truly open to bonding as a family, but since the deal with Nikolas was mutually beneficial, he’s hoping she’ll be more receptive to a connection in the future. Family. It’s the most important thing, isn’t it?  

Danny leaves, and Sam says Britt told her Jason should be released later. He asks what she heard, and she says, if someone is trying to kill him in Pentenville, he’ll probably get hurt or worse. Please tell her what’s going on. Is the hospital stay part of a bigger set-up?

Scotty walks into the hospital with Obrecht, and she says no need to accompany her. He says, Britt told her that she was in danger, so he’ll be there to protect her. She says, most of the time, it’s other people who need protection from her, and he says he’s going to shadow her, so she knows he has her back. She says, if he insists. Nevertheless, he’ll just be a distraction.

Britt finds a custodian coming out of her office, and he says, all done. She says she told him to take his time, and winks. He leaves, and she goes into her office, followed closely by Obrecht, who startles her. Obrecht asks, what’s going on? Why is she in danger? Does it concern Peter? Britt says, in part, and Obrecht asks what that schwein has done now. Britt says, all Obrecht needs to know is that she’s doing a favor for Jason. Obrecht suggests they leave the country.

Trina wonders what about Josslyn’s academics? but Josslyn says, Southern Coastal has the best volleyball program in the country. They don’t need to take her. Her only shot was to stand out at the tournament, and she just blew it. Trina says she knows Josslyn is disappointed, but wait and see. They’ll tear up PCU. Josslyn can look through the catalog at the tournament. She’s sure Josslyn will find something that interests her. Josslyn says she’s not going to the tournament, but Trina says, they’re her teammates. Doesn’t she want to cheer them on? Josslyn says, they need her, and she can’t play. She’s letting them down. Trina thinks they need a break from Port Charles, and Josslyn says, she’s right. They should definitely go somewhere else. Trina says, like where? and Josslyn says she has an idea.

On the phone, Josslyn says she’ll let Jax know what they decide. She tells Trina, her dad is still in Pennsylvania, a place called Nixon Falls. He hurt himself, and can’t fly. Trina asks how badly he’s hurt, but Josslyn tells her, he didn’t say, and she didn’t ask. He’ll need a ride back, so they can pick him up. Trina doesn’t think her mom will be up for that, and Josslyn tells her, get permission to go to the volleyball game, and they’ll go to Pennsylvania instead. Trina asks if she’s supposed to lie to her mom, but Josslyn says, it’s different from lying. She’s just not telling her mom. It’s not like they’re getting fake IDs and going to bars. They’re just taking a quick road trip to pick up her dad. She needs the distraction. Trina asks if it will get Josslyn out of her bad mood, and Josslyn says, it will help. Portia brings in a boot for Josslyn to try on, and Trina says she and Josslyn have decided to go to the tournament to support Josslyn’s teammates. Is that okay?

Obrecht tells Britt that she must get as far away from Jason as possible. He attracts violence and trouble. He’s a magnet for danger. Britt says, calm down. It’s the people who are after Jason who pose a danger. Obrecht says, Jason is equal to a bobsled run. Where should they go? Perhaps Australia; the Great Barrier Reef. Britt says, she has responsibilities, and Obrecht says, more than her own well-being? Britt says, she has patients, and she can’t leave Maxie. Obrecht agrees that Maxie needs Britt, and Britt says she can look out for herself. Where is Obrecht hiding out? There’s a knock at the door, and Britt points out that someone actually knocked. It’s Scotty, and she asks what he wants. He says he wants to help. He’s there to insure her mother’s protection, and Obrecht smiles.  

Sam says she knows Jason has something planned, and Jason says, the best thing he can give her is deniability. If something happens, and there’s an investigation, she has nothing to hide. Sam says, says he’s right. She has to put Danny and Scout first. It’s the choice she made.

Laura asks if Carly has any idea what she’s asking. Cyrus showed up, pressuring her to get his mother back. When she told him that she couldn’t help, he accused her of taking sides in a turf war. He said if blood ran in the streets of Port Charles, it was on her hands. Carly says she doesn’t want a war; she wants the opposite, to contain Cyrus. Laura is the only one who engages him. Laura says she may be able to engage him, but she has no ability to influence him for the better. He likes the idea of having her for a sister, but has no interest in what she says. She’s like a trophy; the one thing he can’t have. Carly says, that’s what makes her irresistible, and it’s exactly what they need for a few hours; Cyrus occupied and his attention on Laura. Laura asks where his attention would be otherwise, and Carly asks Laura to trust her in this situation. What she doesn’t know, can’t hurt her.

Alexis says, Carly and Jason were holding a fragile, elderly woman hostage? but Nikolas says, she was never at risk. She was in a private home, and Bobbie Spencer was her caregiver. She says, they were using her as leverage to keep Cyrus in check. Now that Nikolas has unleashed him, he’s put Sonny’s family, which means Kristina, vulnerable to retaliation. He says he did it for her, but she says she didn’t ask him to. Now he’s in debt to Cyrus. Does he know what that means? He says, it’s nothing he can’t handle, and she says, he’s influential and rich, and now he’s under Cyrus’s thumb. This might be the first step, but it’s not the last. He says he won’t leave Alexis alone. He’s not so naïve to think Cyrus got what he wanted, and is going to go away. She asks what he can do to stop Cyrus, and he says Cyrus has no idea what he’s capable of. If Cyrus crosses him, he won’t win. The benefits of protecting Alexis outweigh the risks. He wants her to find some peace in knowing he made it safer for her in there.   

Ava tells Cyrus that she’s sure her husband has an opinion on furthering a relationship with his new uncle. She trusts Nikolas will see the advantage in everything Cyrus did to help protect his aunt in Pentenville. Cyrus says, that’s the thing about cooperation and open mindedness. It makes the world safer; not just for them, but for those they hold dear. She says she’ll tell Nikolas that he came by, and he picks up a photo, saying, a little angel. He assumes it’s Avery. She’s adorable, and bears a striking resemblance to her late father. He hands Ava the picture, and leaves. She looks at Avery’s photo.   

Britt asks, are you two for real? and Obrecht says, Scotty is quite chivalrous. Scotty says, danke, and Britt says she thought when Obrecht stayed with Scotty, she just didn’t want anyone to know she was in town. Obrecht says, they were capable roommates, but things change. Britt looks shocked, and Obrecht tells her not to be so scandalized. She’s a healthy woman with desires. Why not have fun? Britt should try it sometime. She works too much. Britt says she’s fine, and clearly, so is Obrecht. Scotty says, she is fine, and Obrecht says, danke. As for Britt, be careful. She couldn’t bear if anything happened to Britt. Britt promises to be careful, and Obrecht tells Scotty, let’s go. They happily dance out the door. They are really cute.

Alexis tells Nikolas, she doesn’t know what to say. She doesn’t like what he did, but she’s appreciative and grateful. The minute she got there, she was in trouble. One mention of Cyrus’s name, and she was safe. He says, that’s a good thing. It made him more motivated to rescue Cyrus’s mother. She thanks him, and he says he can’t let anything happen to her. He needs her in his life, and so does the rest of the family.

Sam tells Jason, just because the kids’ safety is her priority, doesn’t mean she doesn’t care. Whatever he’s planning, please be careful. Don’t put himself in a situation that makes anything worse. The kids miss him enough as it is.

Portia tells Josslyn, don’t even think of playing, but Josslyn says, of course (🍷) not. She learned her lesson. She thanks Portia, who says, of course (🍷). Portia leaves, and Trina says she thinks they’re overdue for a road trip. She asks if Josslyn needs to call her mom, but Josslyn says she told her mom goodbye when she left the house, before she destroyed her dream. Trina says, as soon as you embrace failure, it leads to greatness, and Josslyn says, no more moping. Nixon Falls, here we come.

Cameron goes into Jason’s room.

The custodian calls Cyrus, and says, Britt was right where Cyrus said she would be – Jason’s room. 

Laura tells Carly, in her position… She’ll do what she can to make up for Nikolas returning Florence, and so what she can to distract the bad guy they need to stop. Carly says she really needs Laura to spend time with Cyrus tonight. The doorbell rings, and it’s Ava. Carly says, not right now, but Ava says, it can’t wait. It’s about Avery. She’s in trouble.

Tomorrow, Maggie tells Alexis that special treatment can put a target on her back, Jax has to decline, and Ava says she’s not there to ask for help, but offer it.

🏖 The piece of trash that was the Oh God Make It Stop Summer House: Reunion Part One, was even worse than the actual show. Hannah was immediately slut shamed for liking Luke at the same time she was talking to other guys (gasp!), and we were off to a great start. Lindsay said she felt bad a little bit after watching her atrocious treatment of Stephen on her birthday. Andy said it seemed like Kyle and Amanda had changed, and Carl said Amanda held Kyle accountable. Then everyone made a bunch of excuses for Kyle’s drinking. Kyle wouldn’t let Hannah finish a sentence, caused her to cry, and then asked if she went to acting school. Good luck with that POS, Amanda. Lindsay proved once again how much she needs therapy, by acting like a less-than-basic bitch. Because Hannah continually pointed out that we live in a toxic, misogynistic society, Kyle said Hannah used buzzwords to make the men in her life look bad. I guess it never occurred to him that they look bad all on their own, and she just notices. Danielle said Hannah had created the things that happened to her, and she wasn’t a good friend. Baby Kyle got up, saying he needed a minute, and pointed his finger at Hannah the whole time he was walking away. I’m guessing he went to pee in the bushes, since he’s always looking for a new spot to mark his territory. Literally.

Next time, the Luke and Lindsay question, Carl talks about going down a dark path, Luke has something to say, and Hannah leaves in tears.  

📺 Tonight on For Real: The Story of Reality TV, it was the topic of Shock and Awe. I came in a little late, but early enough to catch the disgusting things people had to eat on Fear Factor, like a whole rat being smoothied. I mentally renamed the show The Dumbest Sh*t Ever. I never once saw Lovelines with Dr. Drew Pinsky, but apparently, it was shocking at the time. Before Sex in the City covered every sex topic that ever existed. They showed clips from surgery shows, like Botched and Dr. Pimple Popper, as well as I Am Cait and I Am Jazz, which followed the stories of transgender women Caitlyn Jenner and Jazz Jennings. The saddest thing were the insults Jazz had to endure at such a young age, but I did think if I heard the word journey one more time, I might scream. RuPaul’s Drag Race, which I love, and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, which I’ve blessedly never seen, rounded out the episode. Mama June also made a virtual appearance, and told the audience that she’d spent $600K on cocaine. Good to hear she knows the value of a dollar. As Melissa Rivers said, one thing about reality television is, you’re life could be a lot worse. You could be Mama June. Next time, the biggest stars who have been launched from reality TV.    

🍸 On Overserved, LVP’s guests were Mario Lopez and his wife Courtney, and Sheryl Underwood. The theme was a Traditional English Roast, with dishes LVP said she served at Christmas. They started off by playing Rosé Pong, which didn’t quite seem to have a point. Mario poured rosé into a champagne glass tower, and while the object was to get a ball into one of the glasses, the game seemed to have no rules or consequences for losing. Speaking of glasses, the wine glasses at the dinner table were ginormous, and LVP proved one of them could hold two bottles of wine. The standard I only had one drink joke was made. They played Get Pumped, and had spotted dick for dessert. You can take your pick of jokes about that. We also found out that Mario and Courtney’s daughter walked in on them having sex in a guest bedroom when they thought she was zooming school. Oops. I just love this show. LVP is the consummate hostess, even doing her own cooking, the guests are intelligent and fun, and of course there are the dogs, ponies, and swans. And Giggy! back with us again. The only downside is, you can’t physically get to the food, which always looks insanely good. Next time is the episode with James Kennedy and Jim Jeffries, which I talked about yesterday. I guess that was a sneak peek on Bravo. This show is always well-worth watching, but Jim Jeffries is too funny, so take a look.   

🐕 Couldn’t Happen To a Nicer Group Of People…

Lady Gaga’s dognappers have been caught. Including the woman who found the dogs. Unreal. I hope they rot.

https://people.com/crime/lady-gaga-dogs-kidnapping-suspects-arrested/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lady-gaga-dog-robbery-five-arrested/

✍🏽 Signing Off…

Join me tomorrow for soap, tea, quotes from the best of them, and whatever else I can dig up to entertain you. But for now, stay safe, stay bringing the shock and awe in a good way, and stay embracing failure. It will lead to greatness.

Apr24

April 23, 2021 – Brook Gives Her Baby Daddy Her Terms, Real Transformations, a Baby Bottle At Brunch, Marysol Marries, All You Need To Know, Quote Octet & Speak

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly strides into the hospital, and Cyrus says, what a nice surprise. She says she’s not interested, and he says she seems to be in a hurry. He hopes no one in her family is sick, like her mother. She says her mother is fine, and he says, so is his. It’s such a weight off of him to have her back. He hadn’t realized how preoccupied he was, worrying about her. Well, that’s over. Whatever will he do with all his free time?

Michael and Brook go into the Quartermaine mansion, and Brook thanks him for the ride. It’s one less trip she had to make with Yuri, her unwanted bodyguard. He says, no problem, and she says he can talk. He didn’t say a single word on the way home. He says he didn’t feel like talking, and she says she’s glad he’s over that. Now tell her what happened between him and Willow.

An intern hands Britt a folder with the lab results she requested, but she says, too late, the man is dead. She should say, the boy is dead. He was seventeen. The intern says he’s sorry, and leaves. Britt looks in the folder, and says, a chemical compound the same as the drug Cyrus tried to get the board to pass. She sees Jason going by in a wheelchair, and asks what happened to him. He says, nothing, but she’s like, come on, and he says he was stabbed.

The Pentenville warden says he’s surprised the Commissioner is there to investigate an inmate stabbing, and Jordan says, the inmate was sent there to await trial, so of course (🍷) she’s concerned with his stabbing. Was there something that incited it? The warden says, must have gotten off on the wrong foot, and lets her in to see Shawn. Shawn says, Commissioner, it’s been a while.

Laura sees Martin at the MetroCourt, and says hello. He says she’s speaking to him now? and she says she was concerned about Florence, now that she’s back in Cyrus’s care. He says it’s nice of her to inquire since it was her son who had Florence abducted, and handed back over to his brother.

Curtis gets in the elevator, and Valentin dashes in before the doors close. He says he doesn’t suppose Curtis has heard from Nina.

Nina tells Jax that he needs to leave, but he says he’s sure if she listens to what he has to say, they can work through some of this. He doesn’t want her to carry around all this pain. She tells him not to pretend he’s there for her. He just wants to make himself feel better. He says he really wants to work things out, and if that’s not possible, please let him repair some of the damage that he caused by his actions.

Phyllis tells Sonny, enough with this nonsense about Eli. Have some fun. Dance again. He says she hasn’t danced with him yet. He holds out his hand and asks if she’ll do him the honor. She takes his hand, and says, tempting, but it’s her turn to man the raffle table. He walks her over, and she says she’s fine. Go find Nina. As Sonny is about to leave, the man with the bandana, now has it pulled up over his nose (nothing unusual in our world these days), and his gun in his hand. Sonny says, nice costume, but he might be taking the authentic thing too far. Dude draws a gun, and says, this ain’t pretend.

Jordan says, Shawn stabbed Jason? and Shawn says, it was in self-defense. She says she doesn’t see any cuts or bruises. It can’t have been much of a fight. He says he can take care of himself, and she says she doesn’t understand. She thought he and Jason were friends. They used to work together. He says, working with Sonny is what got him there in the first place. Things change. People change. She says, it’s her; cut the act. What’s really going on? He asks if she doesn’t want to figure it out on her own. Isn’t that the way she does things? She asks what he’s saying, and he tells her that he heard Cyrus had TJ kidnapped and tortured, and she didn’t tell him.

At the hospital, TJ says he got Molly’s text, but he only has a twenty minute break. She throws her arms around him, and says, congratulate her. He says, congratulations. What’s up? She says her internship really paid off. DA Scorpio just told her that when she graduates, a position of Junior ADA will be waiting for her. He says, that’s terrific. He’s so proud of her. She says, of course (🍷) the minute she heard the news, the first person she wanted to tell was her mom. He says, she’s going to be thrilled, and Molly says she knows, but she’s had a hard time scheduling a visit. She doesn’t know all the ins and outs of Pentenville. It seems unreal that she has to visit a parent in prison. He says, take it from him, unfortunately, you get used to it.

Michael tells Brook, Willow is supporting Chase while he’s in the hospital, and he’s picking up the slack with Wiley. Why don’t they talk about her and Valentin? She says, that’s pretty subtle, but it’s not a bad idea. She actually invited Valentin to come over tonight. Michael asks if she’s changed her mind, and wants Valentin to be part of the baby’s life, but she says, tonight is more about talking terms.

Laura tells Martin, Nikolas felt he had no choice but to return Florence to Cyrus. He says, for his aunt’s safety, he knows. However, the only reason she’s in Pentenville is because she chose to plead guilty. Still, he’s sure Alexis is safe… at his mother’s expense; at their expense. Nikolas might be sleeping easier, but he’s not. Cyrus claims their mother is well and safe, but since he won’t let Martin see her, he’s just going to have to take Cyrus’s not-so-reliable word for it. She says, Cyrus cut Martin off from his mother? and he says, completely. He’s punishing Martin for inadvertently orchestrating the interview with Jackie. He wishes he hadn’t asked Cyrus for help. It wasn’t until he heard the interview answers that he was aware his mother was unhappy the first time around. Cyrus had her locked away in that house in Oregon. Laura says, Martin didn’t visit her there? and he says, of course (🍷) he did, but she put on a brave face since she didn’t want to worry him. Thanks to Nikolas, they’re back where they started; in the same circumstances. He’s sure Cyrus will meet Florence’s medical needs, while Martin tortures himself about her peace of mind. Since Cyrus holds all the high cards, his only recourse is to stay on Cyrus’s good side, in hopes that one day Cyrus will give him access to his own mother. That’s him. What is Laura going to do? She asks what he means, and he says, Cyrus wants a relationship with his new sister, the mayor. Laura is worried about blood on the streets. Is she willing to placate their brother for the good of Port Charles?  

Curtis says he hasn’t heard from Nina since she left town, and Valentin says, but Curtis wouldn’t tell him if he had. Curtis says, nope, so why ask? and Valentin says Curtis doesn’t know where she is. He’s not the reason Nina left. Jax broke her heart. Curtis says, this time. Valentin will just have to be content with waiting. He doesn’t think Nina is coming back until she’s damn good and ready.   

Jax tells Nina that he’s owned up to his mistake. Don’t let his bad judgement overshadow what they had together. She says, okay, he wants to talk, and suggests they go somewhere else. Where’s his car?

Phyllis says, oh my God, and Sonny advises Dude to put the gun down. Dude says, give him the cash box, but Phyllis says, it’s for a fundraiser. The town can’t afford to lose the money. Dude says, the hell with the town. He’s the one with the gun.

Cyrus tells Carly the Five Families pitted olives are meeting soon. He could use the time to prepare. It’s too bad Jason won’t be able to attend. It’s such a shame. Jason could have been released, and Gladys could have recanted her testimony, but Carly refused his offer. Now his mother is back with him, and Jason is going to be tried for murder. Funny how things work out. She asks if he’s done; she has a prescription to pick up. He says, lovely speaking with her as always. She punches the elevator buttons like a madwoman.

Britt goes to Jason’s room, and tells the guards that they can wait in the hall. They leave, and she says Jason has lost some blood; that’s why he has an IV. He has a few stitches, but otherwise should be okay. It’s unfair that he has to wait for his trial in Pentenville, since he hasn’t been found guilty yet. Not that she’s saying he is guilty, but he knows what she means. He says she seems stressed, and she says, her boss is a psychopath, there’s been another death from an OD tonight – a seventeen-year-old – and Jason shows up stabbed. She knows prison is a dangerous place, but he’s a super skilled fighter. Can’t he protect himself better? He touches her hand, and says, it’s going to be all right. Carly comes in, and says, excuse me.  

Michael says it sounds like Brook is negotiating a merger, not making provision for a baby. She says, can’t it be both? She wasn’t expecting to get pregnant, but here they are, so she’s going to make the most of it and get ELQ back. He says, with all due respect, Brook needs to adjust her priorities, or alter her perception, or something. She says, because…? and he says she’s due any moment, and she’s acting like it’s not real.   

Laura tells Martin that she doesn’t know what Cyrus wants. He’s got his mother back, and it seemed like he was playing mind games; then she thought he wanted to bond. Now she thinks everything is a manipulation. Martin says, just because Cyrus is a manipulator, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want Laura in his life. His mother threw him out of the house at seventeen, and he wants a family. Laura says she knows that. Otherwise, why would he pay for Florence’s medical care after she rejected him for decades? Martin says, it’s the same reason Cyrus punishes him rather than having him killed. Family is his one blind spot, so she can choose to be a positive influence on Cyrus. All she has to do is allow Cyrus in her life. She says, Cyrus is the man who put her daughter in a coma, but Martin tells her, he’s not saying she should love Cyrus, or even accept him, but don’t shut him out. Valentin approaches their table, and says he’s sorry to interrupt, but he and Martin have a meeting to attend. Martin gets up, and says Laura may want to think about it for all their sakes. He leaves with Valentin.

Jordan wonders how Shawn would have felt, knowing TJ was in danger. He would have just been worried sick, like she was, but there was nothing he could have done about it. He says, because he’s there for a crime he didn’t commit. He didn’t shoot Hayden Barnes. She says, no one put the gun in his hand. He pled guilty; he made his own choice. He says, she sent TJ to him because she couldn’t handle a rebellious teenager, and she says she acknowledges that Shawn played a huge role in turning TJ’s life around. He was there when she wasn’t, but she didn’t abandon TJ; she was on an undercover assignment. She tells him that she’s grateful, but he says he doesn’t want her gratitude. He loved TJ like a son long before he knew he was TJ’s biological father. That she chose to keep from him.

Britt asks how Carly got past the guards, but Carly ignores her and asks how Jason is. He says he’s still breathing, and Britt says, it’s a clean wound. There’s no permanent damage; Jason will barely have a scar. It must have looked worse than it was, for them to bring him to GH, instead of treating him at the prison infirmary. Carly says, their tax dollars at work, and Britt wonders, why bring Jason to a hospital that Cyrus runs, when Cyrus wants him dead? Carly asks if it isn’t riskier for Cyrus to go after Jason there. He’d have to tarnish his GH image, when he worked so hard to be respectable. Jason has more allies there than enemies – no thanks to Britt. Britt tells Carly that she and Jason need to discuss something private. Carly can wait in the hall.

Sonny tells Dude that an armed robbery carries a heavy sentence. He’ll be locked up for years, and for what? A hundred dollars? Walk away. No one has seen the gun but them. They’ll let him go, but he can’t have the money. Dude tells Sonny, stop talking or he’ll shut him up.

Jax tells Nina that she won’t regret it. It’s not a car, but it’s an easy walk. Dude #2 approaches them (surprise!), and says they’re not going anywhere. Why he drug them into it, I have no clue.

Brook asks if Michael is mom shaming her, and he says, of course (🍷) not. She says, it’s not the life she planned. If it was, she’d be on the road, headlining a world tour, but things change. Pregnancy is a personal thing, and every woman deals with it differently. He says he just wants her to be sure. The doorbell rings, and she says, it’s her baby daddy, right on time. Michael answers the door, and Valentin is there with Martin. Michael says Valentin brought his lawyer? and Valentin says, apparently. They have some things to iron out. The baby will be there before they know it. Michael invites them in, and tells them to go to the living room.

TJ tells Molly, this calls for a celebration. As soon as he’s not on call, he’ll take her to her favorite restaurant. She says she still has to pass the bar, and he says, is she kidding? She’s going to nail it. A couple of years in the DA’s office, and she’ll learn the ins and outs of the prosecution, which will make her a better defense attorney. She says she hasn’t had the chance to mention it, but she’s given it some thought. She wants to be a DA.

Jordan says she’s not going to defend her life choices, and Shawn agrees. He says, what’s done is done. He has a father/son relationship with TJ, and the monthly visits are the one thing he has to look forward to. Jordan says, that’s the reason she’s there. Why risk time added to his sentence by attacking another inmate? Shawn says, Jason came at him with a chair; he was just defending himself. She guesses Jason will claim the same thing, and he says, yeah.

Carly says what Britt has to say can wait, and Britt asks Jason if Carly has to be there for everything. Carly says she does, so Britt should say what she needs to, or leave. Britt says, it’s her hospital. If anyone is leaving, it’s Carly. Jason says Britt can talk in front of Carly, and Britt says, fine. The bloodwork from the OD was like Sasha’s when she was brought in with a heart attack. He says, from the drug Cyrus tried to manufacture at GH? and Britt says she has to do a more detailed study, but at first glance, yes. Carly suggests Britt get her facts straight, and then come back and give a report, and Britt says, or she could call Pentenville and say Jason has an obnoxious, unauthorized visitor. Jason says, if Britt can prove it’s the same drug, maybe they can use it against Cyrus, and Britt says, okay. She leaves, and Jason asks what the hell Carly was thinking, getting him stabbed? She says, sorry. It was the only way. I wonder how Jason puts up with this tiresome shrew.

At the MetroCourt, Curtis thanks Laura for meeting him. He has good news. The sound engineer he’s been pursuing hard finally returned his call. The current system is okay, but he doesn’t want just loud. He wants top if the line quality. She says she’d expect nothing less from him, and they sit at the bar. She tells him that she’s glad they have a chance to get together and catch up. He says, him too, but unfortunately, it’s not all good news. He wants her to hear it from him first. He and Jordan are getting a divorce. She says she’s so sorry. She knows they both tried hard to make their marriage work. He says, they did, but at a certain point, they had to face the truth and let go. He’s glad it happened before one of them had to leave town.

Jax struggles with Dude #2, and tells Nina to run. She starts to go, and hears a shot. Sonny knocks Dude down, and takes his gun, holding it on him.  

Valentin tells Brook, in the spirit of transparency, he’s been honest about his lengthy contentious battle over Charlotte. He doesn’t want to go through that again, so he wants everything to be above board. She says, like what? and he says he assumes she’ll give birth at GH, but she says, actually, she’d like to be closer to her mother. She’s going to a hospital in Bensonhurst. Valentin says, okay. He’ll make arrangements, and she says, for what? He says, accommodations. If she’s going to be in Brooklyn, he will too. Brook asks if a father can demand that, and Martin says, legally he can’t be in the delivery room without consent, but Valentin says he’s not demanding that. He doesn’t expect to be in the delivery room, holding her hand and feeding her ice chips, but he will be in the hospital, anxiously awaiting the birth. She says, that’s not happening.

Michael asks if they mind if he has a moment alone with his cousin, and Valentin says, it’s Michael’s house; knock himself out. Michael and Brook go into the foyer, and he asks why she’s freaked out about Valentin going to the hospital. She says, they’re not married. They’re not even a couple, and she’d like to cherish the first moments with her baby without Valentin pressing his face against the glass. He says, if she wants control of ELQ back, she’s going to have to give up on this point. Unless she’s changed her mind, she’ll have to be okay with that. She says she hasn’t changed her mind, and they go back into the living room. She tells Valentin, it’s okay for him to be at the hospital, but not the delivery room. He agrees, and she says, if he wants to be a real dad, involved with the child’s health decisions, etc., he’ll have to give back ELQ. He says, all of the shares in exchange for access to his child? Michael says he was willing to give them up for Nina, but Valentin says, not all of them. Brook says, that’s her offer, and he says, if it’s her final one, he’ll see her in court then. Michael says the Quartermaine’s lawyers are the best in the business. They can draw the case out for years. Valentin says he doesn’t need another hostile relationship, certainly not with the mother of his child, but a lengthy court battle doesn’t faze him. Martin says, more billable hours for him, and Valentin says, being the father gives him certain rights, and he’s willing to protect those rights.  

TJ says he know Molly is loving her internship, but what about her dreams of becoming an activist lawyer? She says she still wants to be an activist, but she’ll be acting within the system instead of fighting against it. Seeing the decisions the DA makes about who gets what charges, and who gets offered a plea deal made her realize that she doesn’t want to right wrongs within the system, so much as prevent them from happening in the first place. He tells her, good luck with that. The system is broken. Otherwise, Cyrus wouldn’t be free.

Jason says Carly had no right to call in a favor from Shawn. She put Shawn in a position where he had to stab Jason, and Jason had to let him. She says she was right. She wasn’t going to let him stay in Pentenville. Sooner or later Cyrus’s men were going to kill him. The meeting of the Five Families anchovy paste is going to take place soon, and he has to take Sonny’s place at the table. He asks if this why she set it up, so he could be at the meeting with the Five Families soft breadsticks? She says she set it up because she wasn’t going to let him die because he’s too stubborn to accept her help. He says, this is the opposite of help.

Britt gets on the computer, and looks up the new drug Cyrus invented. Cyrus comes up behind her and asks what she’s doing.

Jordan tells Shawn that he should stay out of Carly and Jason’s battle with Cyrus. He tells her, guys like Renault need to be stopped. Hasn’t she heard? The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. She asks if that’s what he is. A good man who stabbed his former friend? He asks if she’s saying good men don’t end up in prison, and she says she knows plenty of good people who made mistakes, but decisions made in the moment can be regretted later. He asks if she regrets lying to him about TJ, but she says, no.

Jax punches Dude #2, knocking him out, while Sonny tells the first one, stay down. He tells Phyllis, they have to find a way to tie him up. Nina puts her foot on Dude #2, and says she and Jax make a good team, don’t they? Phyllis tells Sonny to give her the gun. She doesn’t like them, but she knows how to use one. Nina asks Jax is he’s all right; he’s bleeding. He says he’s okay, but then drops to the ground.  

Laura tells Curtis, if he needs to talk, she’s only a phone call away. He thanks her, and says he appreciates it. He’s in a strange place now. He’s sad his marriage has ended, but he feels a tremendous amount of satisfaction in The Savoy coming together. She asks if that’s the name of the club, and he asks if she likes it. She says she does, and thinks it will be the place to be. He says he doesn’t need it to be trendy, and it would be nice if it was successful, but he wants to provide good music, good ambience, and a place where people can set their everyday troubles aside, at least for a little while. Laura thinks it sounds perfect.

Jordan tells Shawn, Tommy was a good father. TJ loved him, and she doesn’t regret lying. She does regret how much she hurt Shawn, and he thanks her for saying that. She tells him, he said himself that he already loved TJ like a son before he knew he was TJ’s father. Could Shawn have loved TJ any more if he’d known they were blood? He says he doesn’t think that’s possible, and she says, TJ got two fathers who loved him. How can she regret that?

Molly tells TJ, she was so scared when her mom pled guilty. The maximum could have been a decade in prison, but the judge took into account the mitigating circumstances, and Alexis got three years. To her, it’s a perfect example of the system working. He says, this is one of those times when they’re just not going to see things the same. Her mom’s biggest mitigating circumstance is that she’s white. He’s happy Alexis only got three years, but Shawn pled guilty to the same crime, and could be there ten years before he gets out. So he would say, the system doesn’t work for everyone the same. Does she really want to be a part of that?

Britt tells Cyrus she’s working; she’s pulling another 12-hour shift. She reaches behind her back, changing the page, and tells Cyrus, she wants to change the lag time between lab orders and results. They can’t have a delay when doctors are waiting for important information. He says she’s so thorough; that’s why he hired her. She thanks him, but says she has work to do. She leaves, and he closes laptop. I’m thinking he’s going to look at the history.

Jason says, Carly made it easier for him to escape, but what good is he to her, the business, or anyone as a fugitive on the run? She says he can go to a safe house, and run the business from there. He says, why doesn’t he just go to the island? and she says, absolutely not. He can’t leave her. They’re going to prove Gladys is lying, and that Peter killed Franco. Once Jason’s name is cleared, he can come home. He says he knows that’s what she wants, but it’s not that easy. Britt comes back, and says she checked on the data from the drug trial, and the chemical compound in Cyrus’s drug and the lab results from her patient are a 90% match. Jason says, they stopped Cyrus from distributing the drug through GH, so he took it to the streets. Britt says, Cyrus interrupted her, but she covered, and had to make herself scarce, so she came there. Clueless Carly says they got Britt’s update, she can leave now, and Britt tells Jason to let her know if he needs a sedative. She’s sure he’ll need one after Carly’s visit. She leaves, and Carly says she can’t believe who Jason is working with. He tells her, stop. It’s not too late to go back on this. They can run a bunch of tests, send him back to Pentenville, and Shawn can be his cellmate; they’ll watch each other’s backs. She asks if he’s out of his mind. She called in every favor Sonny was owed. There are no favors left to get him out of Pentenville a second time. Cyrus comes in, and says, Jason Morgan and the widow Corinthos, together again at last. I laugh because I love the way he talks.

Michael says he knows Valentin can afford a lengthy battle, but does he want to miss out on the first months of his child’s life? The Quartermaine lawyers can drag things out for months, or even years. Valentin says he has a counteroffer. He’ll return Brook’s shares to her, which will allow them to retain full control of the company, assuming they can quit bickering and infighting long enough to act as one. Martin says he’s seen it, and it’s a big assumption. Brook says, it’s a deal. Does he have the shares with him? She’ll sign on the dotted line right now. Valentin says he’s not signing anything until the baby is born.

Nina tells Jax to stay with her, and we hear sirens. She tells him, it will be okay, and yells, hurry! There’s a man shot! The paramedics come, and she tells them Jax needs help. One of them asks about the other guy, but she says, he’s just knocked out; Jax has been shot. They tend to Jax, and Nina says, please wake up. Sonny joins her, and asks if she’s all right.  

Brook says she wants the shares now, and Valentin says he’s always wanted to be two inches taller. (He’s apparently been watching Judge Judy.) They can’t have everything they want. He’ll give her the shares when the baby is born. That’s his final offer. Brook says, deal; when the baby is born. They shake hands, and Valentin says he’ll have the papers drawn up. He and Martin leave, and Michael says, on behalf of the whole family, thank you for returning control of ELQ to the Quartermaines. He’s going to call Ned, unless she wants to do the honors. She tells him, go for it, and he leaves. She wonders, where am I going to find a baby? Hmm… who’s really having a baby and needs somewhere for it to go?

Laura tells Curtis, she’s worried that Cyrus will prevent Martin from seeing their mother. Despite his shortcomings, Martin loves his mother very much, and they’ve always been in close contact, even if just by phone. She wonders if she should reach out to Cyrus on Martin’s behalf, and Curtis says it doesn’t surprise him; she’s got a big heart. She asks if he’s saying she’s a pushover, but he says, far from it. She’s anything but naïve, but she knows if she wants something from Cyrus, he’ll want something in return. She says she does know that. Her son returned Florence to Cyrus, and she feels like she should do something to help Martin.

Molly tells TJ, she’s just as angry and frustrated as he is at the systemic unfairness of prison sentences, but she thinks working within the system is the best way to enact positive change. If the system gets the better of her, she can always switch back to working for a non-profit, or as a defense attorney who has a working knowledge of the ins and outs of the prosecuting psyche. He says he’d never bet against her. If anyone can change the system from within, it would be her. He says he’s proud of her, and they hug.

Shawn tells Jordan, TJ is the most important thing; he’s an amazing kid. Wait. TJ is going to be a doctor soon. He’s an amazing young man. She says she can’t believe TJ is all grown up. Her baby is graduating medical school soon. He says, Dr. TJ Ashford. He wishes he could be there to see it. She says she does too, and he says, so Commissioner, are you going to arrest me? She tells him, he said it was self-defense, right? No charges. But before she goes, life is hard enough in there. Steer clear of Cyrus’s people. He says he’ll do what’s necessary to protect his family, and she leaves. He watches her go.

Cyrus says he can’t think of why the guard let Carly into Jason’s room. Clearly, he doesn’t take his job seriously. He’ll reach out to the prison, and have him replaced immediately. He says Jason looks robust for an assault victim. Rest assured, he’ll be well taken care of in Cyrus’s hospital.

Britt goes back to the computer, and tries to bring up the page she’d been on. It says, access denied.   

Sonny asks if Nina is sure she’s all right, and she says she’s just shaken up. He asks if it’s someone she knows, and she says, just a man from her past. It’s the guy she broke up with. A paramedic says they’re ready to take Jax to the clinic, and Nina says she needs to go. Sonny says, he’ll go with her, but she says, no. Jax sees Sonny, but his vision is blurry. He points at Sonny, says, what the hell? and passes out. Nina says she needs to go, and Sonny asks if she’s sure she doesn’t want him to come, but the paramedic says they can only take one extra in the ambulance. Nina says she’ll call Sonny, and leaves with them.

On Monday, Chase says he’s starting to get scared; Anna asks if Maxie will agree to a visit from Peter; Sonny tells Eli, if the cops come around again, he won’t forget to tell them; and Jax says, Sonny.

📺 On this week’s For Real: The Story of Reality TV, transformation shows were the topic. People makeovers, like The Swan, The Biggest Loser, and Celebrity Rehab were examined first, along with interviews with past contestants. The second half of the show covered business/home makeovers, like Tabatha Takes Over – Tabatha Coffey saying that she opened the door for business shows, but didn’t really know what she was doing, since it was uncharted territory. Kitchen Nightmares, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition were two of the others included, with Chip and Joanna Gaines getting their own segment. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and interviews with the original cast rounded out the show. Next time, Shock and Awe. 

🍸 On Overserved, LVP’s guests Lala Kent and Anna Camp were the Ladies Who Brunch. Lala was pregnant at the time, and is sober anyway, so she couldn’t indulge, but she doesn’t need to in order to spill her guts. They did baby bottles (Lala’s not-so-guilty pleasure) and had fabulous breakfast food. My favorite meal. Anna told a story about how she’d been a shoo-in for a part in a school play, but had it stolen from her by a real bitch. Since Anna ended up on the business end of the stage, when a pitcher of water was required, she took it from the toilet, the bitch having to chug it on stage. Later, said bitch told Anna to make sure she washed the pitcher out next time, since there was sh*t floating in it. Little did she know how literal that might have been. I’ve never done anything like that, but if I had, I don’t think you could get me drunk enough to tell that story. They went inside for a game of Pop Star Charades, and pup Schnookie proceeded to hump LVP’s arm the entire time. The best part was how none of them could stop laughing. As parting gifts, Anna was given a bottle of rosé, and Lala got a quart of milk. Next time, Sherry Underwood and Mario Lopez will be visiting Villa Rosa.

🌴 Real Miami Wedding…

In a weird way, I still miss them.

https://extratv.com/2021/04/23/reality-star-marysol-patton-quietly-marries-steve-mcnamara/

🏆 All You Need To Know…

The best dressed.

https://www.purewow.com/fashion/best-oscar-dresses

The red carpet of the 90s.

https://www.stylebistro.com/This+Is+What+The+Oscars+Red+Carpet+Looked+Like+In+The+’90s

All the information on who, what, and how to watch the ceremony.

https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2021

Where to stream the contenders.

How to Watch 25 of This Year’s Oscar-Nominated Films Right Now

👄 Quotes of the Week

Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face. – Carol Moseley-Braun

Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations. – Mae Jemison

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

No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow. – Alice Walker

Comfort can be dangerous. Comfort provides a floor but also a ceiling. – Trevor Noah

You don’t shoot animals with collars. That’s how Yogi Bear has lasted so long. – Mike Baxter (Tim Allen), Last Man Standing

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. – Pablo Picasso

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

⌚️ Out of Time…

Somehow the day… oh, you know the rest. Until we meet on the Deadside, stay safe, stay changing the scenery once in a while, and stay changing the system any way you can.

Apr9

April 8, 2021 – Alexis’s Last Day Of Freedom, Nancy’s Perspective, Worst House In the Hamptons, Real Love, the Real Behind the Real & Money

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Alexis listens to opera and looks at the watch her mother gave her. She remembers watching her mother and Mikkos from the stairs as a little girl, when Sam comes in, and asks why music so loud. Alexis says she didn’t know it was still playing. It’s her last night of freedom and all. Sam asks if it’s Alexis’s mother singing, and she says, yeah. She had a beautiful voice, didn’t she? Sam says she’s not a fan of opera, but her voice was amazing. She asks Alexis if she’s wearing her mother’s watch, and Alexis says she was putting things away to store in the attic for when she’s gone, and it was there. It’s still broken. Sam says she thought Alexis had it fixed, and Alexis says she did, twice. It’s frozen in time, like she will be for three years.

Outside, Molly asks Kristina if she was able to get things ready for tonight. Kristina says, it’s all set, and asks Molly to go in the backyard with her.  

Alexis tells Sam, it just hit her how much she’ll be missing. She won’t see Scout or Danny for three years. She gets up, and Sam says, please… but Alexis says she can’t talk. She’s feeling so scared right now, and she doesn’t want to do that. She’s going to run errands, and see some people. She thinks Sam was right. She needs to talk to someone about this.

Hours later. Alexis goes to Doc’s office and thanks him for seeing her. He says, anything for a friend. What can he do for her? She says she’s turning herself in tomorrow, and she needs help. She’s starting her prison sentence. He asks if she wants him to ask the question everybody hates, and she says, how does she feel? She prides herself in being a fighter, an idealist, and an advocate. Now she’ll be prisoner number whatever. He says she’s more than that, and she says she’s a disbarred, out of control addict. She’s not a lawyer anymore, and that’s how she defined herself. She doesn’t know who the hell she is anymore. He suggests they begin there. Who is Alexis Davis?

She says, who is Alexis Davis… anymore? He says, how about who Alexis Davis is right now? and she says, that’s easy. Alexis Davis is going to prison in the morning. She’s got be honest; she didn’t think she’d get a prison sentence. She knew it was a possibility, but did she think it through? It happened, and like it or not, it’s here. Her last day of freedom. He asks where else she’s been, and she says, what? He says she’s clearly terrified, and she asks if that’s baffling to him. He says, no, but tell him how else she’s been spending her last day of freedom so far.

Earlier that day. At Kelly’s, Ned, Jax, and Finn toast to Alexis with their coffee. Finn says, ten years will fly by, and she says, it’s only three. He says, that helps with the silver lining, and she says she won’t miss him. Ned says she won’t miss any of them. They’re going to visit every chance they get. Valentin comes in, and says, good. He didn’t miss them. Alexis tells him, pull up a seat. She’s glad he could make it. She says, I trust you gentlemen can get along for one meal, right? Valentin says he hasn’t seen her wear the watch in a while, and Jax asks if it’s an antique. She says it belonged to her mother. Valentin found it and gave it to her, but it’s stuck again. She thought she’d give fixing it one more try before she goes off to the hoosgow. Valentin says he’s proud of her for taking responsibility and owning her mistakes. It’s more than any of them, including himself, have done. Ned says, for once, he and Valentin agree. They could all learn from her example. They lift their cups to her.   

Alexis tells Doc, it felt good to see her friends; it reminded her of better days. Before she threw her career away for Neil. Can he tell her why she did that ? She doesn’t really know. When she was an attorney she always stood for something. When she was on her game, and doing the right thing, she felt like a superhero. Ridiculous, she knows. Doc says he’s seen her in court, and it isn’t, and she says she was a fighter, and idealist and an advocate. She asks if that’s what he’s writing now, and he says she knows he needs to take notes. She says, what notes is he taking? and he says, that’s the second time she’s used those words to define how she sees herself; a fighter, an idealist, and an advocate. Alexis says, when she’s nervous she repeats herself, and he asks why she’s nervous. She says, maybe she doesn’t want a shiv in her side, and he says he can recommend a prison consultant, but she says she already did that. He asks what they said, and she says, don’t joke, keep cigarettes as currency, and find a purpose. He says, that’s sound advice, and she says her purpose is gone. She needs help getting it back. Isn’t that part of his job? To help her find her purpose? He says, let’s do that then, and she asks, how? He asks where they left off in their last session, and she says, it was a while ago.  The British were coming, and tea was in the harbor. He says, good thing he keeps detailed notes. He looks through her folder, and says, where were they? When they ended their last session, they’d just touched on her relationship with her father. Alexis flashes back again to being a little girl, watching her parents from the stairs. Doc asks if she’s still with him.

She tells Doc, she doesn’t have many memories of her father. He was barely present in her life or her mother’s life. She looks at her watch, and he asks if there’s somewhere she needs to be. She looks at her little girl self, sitting on the floor of Doc’s office, and remembers again. She says, there isn’t much unpack about her father. He was a married man, and kept her mother as his mistress, in a gilded cage with beautiful clothes and on a short leash. But she didn’t get her tendency to self-sabotage or make mistakes because of him. Even when she was spinning out of control, those were her choices. He asks when she started spinning out of control, and she says she thinks the turning point was when Julian took a knife to her throat; the same knife Helena used to kill her mother. The circle of life… or death. Doc says, it was Julian’s decision, not hers, but she says it was her decision to let Julian in her life. She let him in because she loved him. One in a long line of toxic men. He says, they weren’t all toxic, were they?  

Earlier that day. Alexis sees Ned outside of Kelly’s, and he says he’s worried about her. She tells him, stop that, but he says he can’t help it. She says she doesn’t even know why he’s still talking to her after what she did to his marriage. He says, it’s his fault, not hers, and she says, what’s with the two them? Why did she walk out of the wedding? He says her timing’s not always great, but her instincts are spot-on. They were wrong for each other. She asks what that has to do with now, and he says, not a damn thing. She’s his dear friend, and always will be. They’ll always have each other’s backs. Alexis tells Doc, Ned was stable, kind, and treated her with respect. No wonder she left him at the altar. He says, it’s not a bad decision if you know it’s wrong, and she says he makes a valid point. She and Ned didn’t belong together. Of course (🍷) that didn’t stop her from hopping in the sack with him when she knew he wasn’t available.

Earlier that day. Alexis rings the bell at the Quartermaine mansion, and Olivia tells her, Ned isn’t there. He’s supposed to be with her. Alexis says she came to see Dante, but Olivia says, he took the boys for ice cream. What does she need him for? Alexis tells Olivia, she wanted to say that… never mind. She starts to leave, and Olivia says, for the record, she’s still furious, beyond furious, at Alexis, but she’s terrified for her. She doesn’t hate her. Alexis says she’s really sorry they’re not friends anymore, but she’s glad Olivia doesn’t hate her. Olivia says, a long time ago, she met someone named Alexis Davis. Ever heard of her? Alexis says, it rings a bell, and Olivia says, when a lowlife had her arrested for feeding her kid in public, that’s who she turned to, to defend her rights, and did she ever. Alexis says, she remembers, and misses her. Olivia says, so does she. Go where she needs to go, and do what she needs to do to find the Alexis she used to know.

Alexis asks Doc, how low can she go? She slept with her friend’s husband, and almost killed her friend’s son, yet Olivia was able to show her the kindness and grace she didn’t deserve. He asks if she thinks pleading guilty and serving a sentence is penance for the steps she’s made since Neil died. Is the goal to punish herself?

Alexis says she’s been punishing herself her whole life. She doesn’t even know why. She just knows she needs to be accountable. Doc asks, to whom? and she says, everyone for everything. He asks, why? and she says it’s her job to hold all things together for all people all the time. He says, she couldn’t if she tried. She made the right choice with Neil. She asks if that’s supposed to be a solution. Neil died; he OD’d in her bed. Doc says she didn’t put the needle in Neil’s arm, no more than she put the knife in Julian’s hand. How is she responsible?

Earlier that day. Alexis goes to Charlie’s, and sees the bartender from the back. For a moment, she thinks it’s Julian, and Nikolas asks if everything is okay, all things considered. The bartender turns around, and she says, sorry. She hands Nikolas a photo album, and says she found it in storage. It’s a family album with some nice pictures of him and Stefan when Nikolas was little. She’s sure he’ll get a kick out of looking at them. He says she doesn’t need to make up excuses to say goodbye. She’ll be okay; he promises. She asks if he guarantees it, and he says he’ll be right back. He goes to take the phone from the bartender, and Ava comes over to Alexis. Alexis says she heard Julian left the pub to Ava in his will, and Ava says, he did. Just so Alexis knows, Kristina has a job there for as long as she wants it. Alexis says, that’s good to hear, and Ava says, although the clientele has dwindled. People probably don’t want to go to a place that was owned by the mad bomber. Her brother was a terribly flawed man, but his love for Alexis was real. She hopes Alexis knows that. Alexis says she knows how flawed Julian was; that’s exactly the problem.

Doc asks if this is upsetting her, and Alexis says, yes. Julian is not the root of her problem. Neither is Rick, Jerry, or the rest of them; they’re just a symptom. He says, of what? and she says, her tendency to self-sabotage. At some point, for some reason, she decided she’s not supposed to be happy. He asks, what’s wrong with happiness? and she says, it’s fleeting. It comes in and out of your life like people; like the men in her life. He says, like her father? She sees herself as a little girl watching from the stairs as her parents argue. Her mother says she doesn’t need Mikkos. She’ll be nothing and have nothing? He’s nothing but a boring cliché. Mikkos calls her an ungrateful bitch. Doc asks where Alexis went just now, and she gets up. She says, this isn’t working. She came because she needed him to soothe her anxiety about going to prison. He’s yet another man who defines women by their daddy issues. Not all of her actions are defined by men, and what he’s doing is insulting and offensive. He’s not helping.

Doc says, now they’re getting somewhere, and she says she doesn’t want the men in her life to define who she is… whoever that is. She looks at the watch.

Earlier that day. Alexis leaves the pub, and Valentin says, hello again. Did she get the watch fixed? She says they couldn’t even get it to start ticking. Her mother thought it was beautiful; she lived for trinkets like that. It’s a lost cause; alas, something they both know about. Valentin says, on the contrary. She taught him that as long as they’re true to themselves, they’ll never be lost. She asks when she taught him that, and he says the night she cleaned his clock at misery poker. Doc tells Alexis, it’s twice now that she’s mentioned her father. She went somewhere. Did she remember something? She says, it’s not important, but he suggests she run it by him to make sure. She says, fine. She told him that she doesn’t have many memories of her father; she blocked most of them for decades. One keeps coming back though, like she’s seeing it for the first time. He asks, what happened just now; she was looking at the time. She says, actually, she was looking at her watch. She must have been five or six at the time. We see little Alexis looking at the Christmas tree, and there’s a knock at the door. Her mother runs to let Mikkos in. Alexis tells Doc, her father would stop by every few months, and shower them both with gifts. Christmas Eve was no exception. Mikkos hands Kristen a gift, and says it must be for her. Alexis says, her father brought the watch. She remembers thinking how beautiful it was, and that it must have cost a fortune; several thousand dollars. That’s how he showed affection. It was a wonderful night, and her mother asked him to stay over. She wanted to spend Christmas morning as a family, but he refused. He had to get back to his real family. Alexis was sent to her room so they could argue, but of course (🍷) she didn’t go. She stayed hidden, and they tore into each other. Mikkos tried to leave, but her mother wouldn’t let him. They argued some more, and it got intense. Her mother threated to tell Helena about them, then… We see Mikkos hit Kristen, and she falls. Alexis says, her father hit mother, and kept hitting her. He wouldn’t stop, and there was nothing she could do about it. She cries.

Alexis says she Idolized her father. She yearned for his affection, and in the rare moments when he gave it to her, she cherished it. It wasn’t until she saw him in that moment, when he hit her mother over and over, hand over hand, that she knew he wasn’t who she’d imagined him to be. He was a monster. She watched him abuse her mother, and she was powerless to stop him. Alexis sees Mikkos drag her mother up from the floor, and smack her around. She runs downstairs, saying, stop it, but her mother tells her to go back upstairs. She tells Mikkos not to touch her mother, and her mother tells her to go to her room. She tells Mikkos, please don’t hurt her, and picks up the watch. She tells him that he broke it, and he storms out. She hugs her mother. Alexis tells Doc, she knew her mother was done with Mikkos and the Cassadine family, and Doc says, but that didn’t happen. She says, he came back New Year’s Eve, contrite. He apologized for losing his temper, and begged forgiveness, promising to never do it again, and then… Mikkos gives Kristen the watch, and says, just like new. He puts it on her, and says, like nothing happened. Alexis tells Doc, she took him back. He fixed her pretty watch, and put it back on her pretty wrist, and after everything he’d done, she took him back. She watched him shower her mother with gifts and brutality, and her mother was never free of him again, until she died.

She tried help her mother, but she couldn’t. Doc says, it’s a pretty heavy burden to put on a child, doesn’t she think? Alexis says, it’s all she had, and he says, she was a child. She flashes back to Mikkos beating her mother again, and Doc repeats, she was a child. Alexis looks at her child self, sitting on the floor of Doc’s office, and goes to her. Little Alexis says she couldn’t stop him. She’s sorry. Alexis says, don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault. You’re just a little girl. Little Alexis says, if he loved her, he wouldn’t hurt her mother, but Alexis says, he didn’t love anybody; he was damaged and cruel. Little Alexis asks why her mother stays, and Alexis says, she’s damaged too. You’re such a good girl, Natasha, and you deserve to be happy. And all the bad things that happened to you, never should have happened. It shouldn’t have been your burden to carry; it’s too much to handle. No one was there when they should have been, but Alexis is here for her now. She knows who she is – Alexis Davis – and she is a fighter, an idealist, and an advocate, and she can handle this for her, if she lets her. You can let this go now, Natasha. I’ve got this. She hugs her child self.

Doc says, you got this. She may have felt helpless that night, but she found it within herself to stand up for the voiceless. Isn’t that what she’s done her entire life? Be the voice of others in ways she never realized?

Later that night. Alexis comes home to a small surprise party. Kristina says she knows Alexis told them not to have a big party, and it’s not. Sam says Alexis can’t go without a celebration, and Kristina says, not everything is about her. She plays Pomp and Circumstance on her phone, and Molly comes down the stairs in her cap and gown. Kristina says they didn’t want Alexis to miss Molly’s graduation from law school, and now she won’t. Molly says, even though it’s officially next month. Sam says, they’re all together, and she thinks that’s what’s important, and Alexis says she’s so proud of Molly. She hugs Molly, and says, they’re her life raft. Molly says Alexis doesn’t need a life raft. She’s unsinkable. The girls gather around Alexis for a group hug, while Ned films. Ned tells everyone, say cheese, and takes a group selfie.

Doc tells Alexis, several times she used three aspects that she felt defined her; fighter, idealist, and advocate. Either by fate or luck, she has three daughters; a fighter (Sam), an idealist (Kristina), and an advocate (Molly). She didn’t need a law degree to impart those gifts on her daughters or the world. All she need was to be… She says, Alexis Davis, and he tells her, she said it, not him.

After the party, Alexis starts to clean up, but Sam tells her, don’t. Go get some rest. Alexis says, her last night in a cozy bed? and Sam says that’s not what she meant, but yes. Alexis says Sam can stop worrying. She’s all right. She’s scared, but more at peace than she’s been in a long time. Sam leaves, and Alexis looks around. She flashes back to when she first came to Port Charles, telling a law firm that she heard they were looking for a good attorney. Saying, she’s better than good. She’s the best. She remembers almost marrying Ned, and running from the wedding. She thinks about getting pregnant, and pretending to be the Quartermaine’s butler. She recalls explaining to Sam how Sam’s father sent her away as a baby for adoption, but she’s not going anywhere. She flashes back to having lung cancer, saving Kristina, and running over Kiefer with the car. She remembers Sam telling her that being hungover is becoming a pattern, Jax telling her that she’s so torn up, she’s drinking until she blacks out, and hitting Julian with the car. She recalls going to AA for the first time, her relationship with Finn, and Valentin giving her the watch. She flashes back to being disbarred, and hugging her daughters. She looks at the watch, takes it off, puts it on her desk, and goes upstairs.

The next morning. Alexis is led to her cell. Her roommate is at a desk, and jumps when Alexis says, excuse me. Alexis says she didn’t mean to startle her, but she says Alexis isn’t the first, and won’t be the last. She moves some books off the bunk, so Alexis can move in, and Alexis asks what she’s working on. She says she has a parole hearing coming up, so she’s brushing up, since she wants to do everything right. Alexis sits next to her, and says, my name is Alexis Davis, and I can help you.  

The house is empty. We see the watch, now running.

This was an incredibly touching episode. It brought tears to my eyes while watching it, and again while editing it.

Tomorrow, Chase asks if Gregory is having second thoughts, Finn asks Elizabeth if it gets easier, Nikolas tells Ava that he’s willing to make a deal with the devil, and Carly tells Jason that she’s getting him out, whatever it takes.

🙇🏻‍♂️ Feelings…

Nancy Grahn talks about Alexis’s very special episode.

Exclusive: GH’s Nancy Lee Grahn On Today’s Alexis-Centric Episode
General Hospital Spoilers: Nancy Lee Grahn Addresses Fans After Airing Of Special ‘Alexis’ Episode

🏖 When we last left Why Am I Watching This Trash? Summer House, Stephen was standing outside Lindsay’s window, in the heart of electric tealights spelling out, I 🤍 You. Kyle told everyone to bask in the moment, but I wasn’t sure if he meant the romantic moment, or a moment where he wasn’t complaining. Supposedly, Stephen was reenacting a scene from his and Lindsay’s favorite 80s movie, but if it was talking about Say Anything, why didn’t dude use the boombox he had sitting there? I give it a 3. Lindsay came down, and Stephen presented her with flowers. He said he was scared of losing her, and wanted her be his girlfriend again, but she didn’t have an answer for him. Even so, she deigned to give him a hug, which led to making out, which led to them having sex. Carl missed everything since he was in the shower. The next day, Lindsay told Stephen about her pregnancy scare, and to his credit, he didn’t even flinch.  

Hannah had been holding off inviting Des to the nightmare house, until she saw what happened in the house with Luke, which she said was a mistake on her part. Paige said she felt like she had a penpal instead of a boyfriend, and was practically single without the fun of being single. Hannah suggested Paige actually ask Perry to come out, and what a shock, when she did, he did. Des also arrived, and having gone back to being the adult in the house, Carl told Des that he’d be an ally if need be. Kyle negated that with several crude remarks that Hannah was dating his dad, since he and Des resembled one another. At dinner, Des told everyone that he and Hannah had sex on their second date, which you’d think would be rude, but this bunch talks about their sex lives like it’s the weather. In Luke’s interview, he thought this meant he couldn’t possibly have been leading Hannah on. Because she couldn’t possibly have had a casual relationship while waiting for him to make up his dimbulb mind. To prove my point, in Hannah’s interview, she said that it was quarantine, she hadn’t had sex in 6 months, and it felt like 6 years. Carl extracted himself quickly from that conversation. Luke said Des rubbed him the wrong way, and I’m now at the point where I just want to smack Luke whenever I see him. Paige thought Des was the male version of Hannah. Danielle’s boyfriend Robert also showed up, so it was all coupley. In Carl’s interview, he said he was in a better place, but still had work to do, confirming his status as grown-up of the week.   

Next time, labor Day, Danielle doesn’t think Stephan is the guy for Lindsay, and Hannah gets defensive about Des.

🎥 I finally saw the Addicted to Love episode of For Real: The Story of Reality TV. Andy said The Dating Game (circa 1965) looked like preschool compared to today’s love connection shows. Clips were shown from Millionaire Matchmaker, Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire – which ended up with a scandal attached to it – and Temptation Island, which ended up with a lawsuit. The Bachelor was discussed, and Andy interviewed Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney. I don’t watch The Bachelor, Temptation Island, or The Bachelorette, since I can’t endure the embarrassment I feel for the contestants who leave their dignity at the door, but Bachelor viewers might remember Jason as the bachelor who dumped his choice for the choice he dumped. To his credit, they’ve been together 11 years now, and have two children, so I guess the dumped choice was the right choice. The Bachelor franchise is nothing to sneeze at, having borne 8 Bachelor/Bachelorette spin-offs, and 37 versions throughout the world. The Lifetime fictional series UnReal (which I loved) was also based on The Bachelor, and the whole thing has culminated in Bachelor Nation, where all things Bachelor can be found. One of the producers felt it was the combination of soap opera, the competitive element, and the element of suspense that made it a successful collective viewing experience.

Flavor of Love was one of my favorites, and another producer said, if you you’re a woman, there’s a very good chance you’re attractive to Flava Flav. Bret Michaels pitched his own Rock of Love, which I also watched, where he wasn’t so much looking for love, as a good time. Several girls quit early on when they realized they were more likely to be objectified than be going on the road with Bret. There were more mentions of spin-offs, including another favorite of mine, I Love New York. I think Tiffany Pollard is the best! Another scandal was born from Megan Wants a Millionaire. Megan literally dodging a bullet when the contestant she wanted to choose was thought a poor choice by producers. She’d planned on calling him on the DL after eliminating him, but he ran off and got married to a model in Vegas. No harm, no foul, until the model was found dead. While her murderer was on yet another reality show, I Love Money. He, too, ended up dead by his own hand. Hmm… Maybe the love of money is the root of all evil…  Andy moved on to more current programs like Catfish, and my all-time favorite – the show I love above all other reality shows – 90 Day Fiancé. The beauty of it was that it was rejected all over the place, until a bigwig at TLC asked the producers to show him what they thought they couldn’t sell, and promptly ordered six episodes. Dr. Drew Pinsky, also of reality fame (Celebrity Rehab), said the show is like reality on steroids. The viewers wanted to see more of the cast outside the window of the K-1 Visa, and the franchise was born. For Real is a really well-crafted series. Andy definitely gets a bravo.

😲 Really Real…

On Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire, one of those millionaires didn’t have quite as much bank as he said. In addition to lying about pretty much everything else.

https://www.fame10.com/entertainment/who-wants-to-marry-a-multi-millionaire-7-shocking-behind-the-scenes-secrets/

The lawsuit against Temptation Island only gave them more publicity. They tried to pretend they didn’t want to break up a family.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1251517.stm

The ups and downs of The Bachelor’s Jason, and contestants Melissa and Molly, along with a few other Bachelor tidbits.

15 Times ‘The Bachelor’ Made Our Heads Explode!

The scandal beyond all of them, involving a murder/suicide.

The Basics:

The harrowing tale of the ‘Megan Wants a Millionaire’ murder

The Grisly Details:

https://ew.com/tv/2020/01/30/ryan-jenkins-jasmine-fiore-megan-wants-a-millionaire/

🌬 Off Like the Wind…

Brewing the tea for tomorrow, but in the meantime, stay safe, stay in good health, and stay being a fighter, an idealist, and an advocate.

⚠️ Warning: Possible Bad Words Ahead…

Apr2

April 1, 2021 – Britt Agrees To Help Maxie, More Reality, House of Bad Pennies & April Fool

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Josslyn visits Cameron, and says she hasn’t seen him since the memorial. He says he wasn’t really up for seeing anyone, and she digs in her bag. She says since she’s there, she baked him some chocolate chip cookies, and hands him a container. She’s sure they’re not as good as Aiden’s, but Cameron thinks they should grab some milk and do a taste test. Jake and Elizabeth come downstairs, and Elizabeth says she told Jake, no. He asks, why? and she says she doesn’t think it’s a good idea. He asks what that means. Why can’t he see his dad?

At the jail, Scotty tells Jason that he belongs in there. He can’t wait until Jason gets before a judge and a jury, and tells them how he planned to kill Franco if his tumor got worse; then reneged on the plan and killed him anyway. Jason has nothing to say to him? You’re just going to dummy up on me, you musclebound oaf? What about the final moments? Did he make Franco beg for his life, or did he just enjoy pulling the trigger?

Obrecht leaves a message for Britt to call her back. It’s about Peter. There’s no end to his crimes. They have to do everything in their power to keep Maxie and James away from him.

Britt tells Maxie that Peter is fixated on her as his great love and his salvation. He won’t give her up, and she’ll be stuck there, playing the loving, grieving partner. She has to ask herself, how far is she willing to go? Maxie says, as far as she needs to. There are no lengths she’s not willing to go to protect her daughter. Britt says, then she’s sorry. She can’t help Maxie.

Sonny and Nina walk into the Tan-O, and Nina says he’s right; the river is amazing, and the mill. He says, there is a certain charm to Nixon Falls, and she says, it does have that. He says if she and her magazine can write an article, she could bring some people there. It could be a destination. Isn’t that what they call it? She believes it is, and he says, nobody knows about it, so if she brought some people from her town, worst case scenario, they have a nice trip and a great meal; best case scenario, she could bring all these tourists there and save this place from extinction. Will she do it? Her phone rings, and she says she has to take it. It’s Obrecht, who asks how far out of town Nina is. Nina says, pretty far; what’s wrong? Obrecht says, for the first time in her life, she’s at a complete loss. She doesn’t know what to do. Nina gestures for Sonny to step away, and he laughs, but goes behind the bar. Nina asks Obrecht to calm down. What’s gotten her so upset? Obrecht says, what else? Peter August. Nina asks what he did now, and Obrecht says, in addition to his myriad of crimes, Peter murdered Franco.

At the MetroCourt, Peter tells Carly, despite the grandstanding, she’s all alone in a sea of predators. She says, don’t tell her she can’t protect her family. No one is getting the better of her; least of all, him. He asks if she’s sure about that, and she asks if he thinks she’s weak, and her family is vulnerable somehow. He’s mistaken. If he ever comes at her, or anyone she cares about, she’ll come back at him ten times harder. He says she’s quite the lioness, and Jax appears, and says, oh yes, she is. I wonder what the hell they did to his hair.

Britt says Maxie needs to cut Peter out of her life, and Maxie says, he’s a psychopath; they’re clingy. I laugh, and Britt suggests Maxie go into hiding and not come back until Peter is dead or in prison. Maxie says she can’t cut Peter out of her life right now. Right now, he’s all hearts and flowers, and she needs to keep it that way until she can hide this baby from him. Britt says, that’s all good in theory, but in reality, the more she gives, the more Peter will take. He’ll push and push, until he pushes her back to bed with him again. Maxie says, oh my God, stop, but Britt asks if she’s wrong. Peter is a very big, very strong man with no conscience, and he wants Maxie. So if her plan is to keep him close, how is she going to put him off?

Jax asks why Carly doesn’t have a drink with him, instead of wasting her time with this guy, and she says, just when the conversation was starting to get interesting? Not a chance. Jax says, he’s not worth it, and Peter says, thanks for the assist. That’s the second time today Carly needed to be pulled away from a victim. She says, don’t cross me again, you son of a bitch, and Peter says, what she lacks in elegance, she makes up for in gusto. She really is what one would expect from a mob wife. Without the mob, of course (🍷). He leaves, and Carly tells Jax, thank you. Don’t do that again. He says, he was just trying to… and she says, help her when she didn’t ask for it or need it. He says it looked like she did, and she says, he knows damn well she’s not some damsel in distress. He undermined her in front of Peter. He says, so now Peter will underestimate her. She’s ahead. She sarcastically thanks him, and he says she’s welcome. Besides, does she really want to make an enemy of Peter right now?

Nina tells Obrecht, that’s a really serious accusation. Is she sure? Obrecht says she’s positive, and Nina asks how she knows. Obrecht says, Anna told her. She knew of Peter’s treachery all this time, and every time, she tried to stop him. She failed, and now… She starts to cry, and Nina says Obrecht isn’t to blame herself. Obrecht says she blames Peter. He lured Caesar to Port Charles, where he killed her only son, and now Peter has killed Franco, who she loved as if he were her son. Nina says she’s sorry. Obrecht knows how important Franco was to her. Obrecht says she doesn’t know what to do, and Nina says she wants Obrecht to listen to her. She fights to get justice for Franco – the legal way. She’s to take all the anger, and guilt, and grief, and turn it into something positive. Obrecht asks if Nina took her anger at being kept from her grandson into something positive, and Nina looks at Sonny. She says she’s trying to.

Scotty tells Jason, when Jake spoke at Franco’s memorial, he said how much Franco had done for him. When Jason killed Franco, he also broke his own son’s heart. Does that mean anything to him? From one father to another, can he apologize to Scotty for what he did to his son? Jason says he can’t. He didn’t kill Franco.

Elizabeth says Jake’s father knows Jake loves him, but wouldn’t want Jake to see him in jail; it’s no place for kids. Jake says he needs to tell his father that he’s on his side, and Elizabeth says, he knows that, but if Jake wants, she’ll tell him the next time she sees him, okay? Jake says, it’s not okay. He needs to tell Jason that he knows Jason didn’t kill Franco. He just wouldn’t. Cameron says he knows Jake doesn’t want to hear this right now, but his father shot and killed Franco. Elizabeth tells Cameron, stop, but Cameron says, no. Jake telling himself that Jason didn’t kill Franco, is completely stupid.

Maxie says Britt is right about Peter, but she doesn’t need to worry. Peter isn’t going to blindside her; she sees the crazy now. She’s not falling for his charms again. Britt says she’s sorry. She’s upsetting Maxie. She wants to take Maxie’s blood pressure, and tells her to have a seat. Maxie sits, and Britt says she’s worried about Maxie. Peter keeps inserting himself into her life, and it just keeps getting worse. What is she going to do about it? Maxie says, what she always does; deal with it. Let’s be real. What choice do I have?

Scotty asks if Jason thinks they’re all idiots, and Jason says, it’s the truth. Scotty says, Elizabeth saw Jason standing over Franco as the life was draining out of his body. He doesn’t know why he’s bothering with Jason. Jason can’t give him what he wants. Jason can’t bring Franco back to him. Obrecht comes in, and says, nor to her. Nobody can bring Franco back to them, but someone will be punished for killing him. Scotty says, you’re damn right. Jason is going to pay for this. He asks Obrecht how she wants to kill Jason. Should he distract the guards? She says, no. Jason is telling the truth. He didn’t kill Franco. Peter did.

Elizabeth asks Cameron what he’s doing, and Cameron says, the sooner Jake gets it into his thick head, the better off he’ll be. Jason Morgan, Jake’s father, killed Franco. Jake says Cameron is a liar. His father didn’t do it. They got the wrong guy. Cameron says, ask mom; she was there. She saw Jason do it. Elizabeth says, not another word, and Jake says, Cameron is the one who’s lying. He hates Cameron. Jake runs outside, and Elizabeth asks, what got into Cameron? How could he do that to Jake? She follows Jake, and Josslyn tells Cameron that his mom’s right. He shouldn’t have said that to Jake. He supposes she thinks Jason is innocent too. Outside, Jake asks if Elizabeth thinks his dad killed Franco.

Carly tells Jax, Peter is already an enemy. That conversation was a warning shot, and she flinched. He says, it wasn’t because he showed up? and she says, it happened before he got there. She pours a drink, and she says, Peter really got to her, and does he know why? Peter got to her because he’s right. Jason’s in jail, Sonny is gone, and she’s the last line of defense when it comes to her family. She’s the one who has to keep the wolves at bay. She chugs the drink down, and Jax says she’s not alone. Sonny’s people are loyal to her, and will stop Peter if he tries anything. She says, Peter isn’t the only one she’s up against.

Sonny asks if Nina is okay, and Nina says she’s fine. Her aunt is upset about something that happened at home. He says she looks a bit worse for the wear, and she says, it’s a long story, and honestly, after she heard what her aunt had to say, she’s even happier that she decided to get away from it all. He says, what better place than Nixon Falls, and gives her a beer. She says, and after that call, she’s wondering if she should spoil this place with a bunch of people who will… just complicate things. He says, if she brings tourists in there, he doesn’t think they’re going to complicate things. They’ll just see the peace and quiet that he sees. She says he does seem relaxed, and he says, compared to who? She says, the people back home. Sometimes he must wonder who he is and where he came from. He says he’s not going to lie to her, he does, and she asks if he’s tried to find out who he is. He says, he wouldn’t know where to start, and she says, there are a million ways to research it. Everyone is on the internet and leaves a footprint. He must know that. He says, yeah, and she asks why he hasn’t tried harder to find out who he is. He says he’s hit a few snags along the way. She says, such as? and he says, there have been a few situations that made him wonder how complicated, or maybe dangerous, his life was. It could be a blessing. Maybe his life was a mess. She says he has history. He has people; everyone does. He says, where are they? He’s been looking; what about them? It seems like they gave up pretty easy. She says he can’t be sure of that, and he says he doesn’t want to chase after a life he doesn’t remember. He leans forward on the bar, and says, maybe he’s got a life right now that’s pretty good.

On the phone, Elijah says they’ve got nothing on this Mike guy? That can’t be, because he’s trouble. He looks in the window of the Tan-O, and says, dig deeper. He’ll see if he can find out more.

Jax says, Cyrus Renault? and Carly says, he’s circling like a vulture, waiting to take over Sonny’s whole territory. Jax asks what that has to do with her, and she asks if that’s an actual question. For the first time in a long time, Carly and I are on the same page. Is he kidding? He says she’s not running Sonny’s business, is she? Legit or otherwise. He thought that was Jason’s job. Has he been on another planet? Carly says, Jason is awaiting arraignment, locked up on murder charges, and Jax says, which doesn’t change the fact that Cyrus is Jason’s enemy, not hers. She says, Cyrus won’t hesitate to use her family as leverage to get what he wants. It was just a year ago when Cyrus attacked her family, including their daughter. He says, but Cyrus did that to get to Sonny, not her. I decide Jax took stupid pills today. He says, now with Jason and Sonny out of the picture, she’s irrelevant to Cyrus. She says she has every reason to believe the case against Jason is going to fall apart, and he asks if it’s a little bit of wishful thinking on her part. She says, Jason is innocent. Cyrus is framing Jason to cover for the real killer – Peter August.

Josslyn says what she thinks about Jason is beside the point, and what Cameron said wasn’t about Jake; it was about him. He hates Jason, so he wants Jake to hate him too? He says, Jake should hate Jason. He took Franco away from them, and she says he was cruel, and unfair, and he’s better than that. At least she thought he was.

Elizabeth tells Jake, they don’t have all the facts yet about who killed Franco, and he asks if she thinks his dad is guilty, and she says, what she knows is, a person in this country is innocent until proven guilty. Jake says, so his dad is innocent until then? and she says, that’s what she was taught. He asks if he can please see Jason. He needs to talk to Jason himself.

Obrecht tells Scotty, Peter framed Jason like he framed her. The difference is, Peter has no one to protect him anymore. Not even Anna. He asks why she’s so sure, and she says they came to a meeting of the minds. He says, her and Anna, the woman she hates more than anybody in the world? She says, the very one, and tells Jason, she came there to tell him that she’ll fight for his freedom, and Peter’s conviction. Frankly, he’s quite lucky to have her on his side. She tells Scotty, they’re done here. Let’s go and remember Franco. Scotty reluctantly leaves with her.

Britt tells Maxie, slightly elevated; she can’t imagine why. Okay, her fault. She’s sorry. Maxie says the pressure would go down if Britt agreed to help her hide this baby from Peter. Britt says, maybe they can come up with another plan, and Maxie says she’s open to suggestions. She’s heartbroken to be away from her little girl, even for such a short period of time. Someone bangs on the door. It’s Peter, who says he really needs to see Maxie.

Jax asks what makes Carly think Peter killed Franco, and she says, Jason figured it out. Franco kept having more of Drew’s memories, and Peter killed him to shut him up. Jax says, but there’s a witness, and she says, Gladys Corbin. She and Jason think she saw Peter ditch the gun, ran to Cyrus, and Cyrus told her to say it was Jason. Of course (🍷) Gladys was more than happy to. Jax says he wishes she wouldn’t get involved, but she says, it’s Jason. Jax knows she has to fight for him. He says she does understand Jason is a big boy who can fight his own battles, but she says, not all of them, and not from a cell. He tells her that he can’t say he’s surprised. If he’s being honest, he’s always admired her passion. She says, no, he hasn’t, and he says, he didn’t say he agreed with it, but he admires it. She says, fair enough, and he says, big difference. She says, okay, and asks if he’s had any luck finding Nina. He says, according to his sources, she hasn’t left the country, and Carly says, she forgot to tell him. Nina called her.

Elijah walks into the Tan-O, and asks how just Mike/Sonny is doing. Sonny says, Phyllis and Lenny went to the movies, and Elijah says it’s really a blessing Mike is there. Sonny says he can’t argue with that, and Elijah asks who his friend is. Sonny introduces Nina, and Elijah asks if she’s from around there. She says she’s just passing through, and he says he’s afraid a lot of people are just passing through. Not too many stop and stay. Where’s she coming from? She tells him, New York, and he says, the city? She says, they’re northeast, and he asks, what brought her there?. Sonny wonders if Elijah is going to ask her shoe size next, and he says, sorry. Nina says she and Phyllis go way back, and Elijah says, from the vibe he was getting, he thought maybe she knew just Mike. Sonny says Elijah just came in; what kind of vibe is he talking about? Elijah says he saw them from outside when he was on the phone, and they looked like old friends. He was hoping Nina could tell them something about their mystery man. Nina says, sorry, no. She and Mike just met.

Elizabeth and Jake go back inside, and Elizabeth says she’ll see what she can do to get Jake in to see his dad. Jake starts to head upstairs, and Cameron says he needs to tell Jake something. Jake tells Cameron to leave him alone; he doesn’t want to talk to Cameron. Cameron says he needs to tell Jake how sorry he is for the stuff he said about Jake’s dad. He was worried Jake would see it online, or his friends would tell him, and he didn’t want Jake to be hurt by it. Jake says, so Cameron decided to hurt him himself? and Cameron says, he wanted to protect Jake, but he can see now that he didn’t do a very good job. Josslyn helped him realize that the reason he said what he said was that inside, he still really misses Franco. Jake says he misses Franco too. Cameron says, now that Franco is gone, they have to stick together. Brother to brother, will Jake accept his apology? Jake asks if Cameron will take back what he said about Jake’s dad, and Cameron stammers that he can’t. Jake says, then he doesn’t accept Cameron’s apology.

Scotty and Obrecht have martinis at the MetroCourt. Obrecht says, now that they’re sufficiently lubricated, they can say things they would never utter when sober. Scotty says, okay… and she says she’ll go first. In addition to saving her from Dr. Kirk, she wants him to know how grateful she is for the hospitality he shared when she was in hiding. He says, now that she mentions it, sidestepping the law is his specialty. She says she needs to ask him for one more thing; hear her out. He wonders if he’s going to regret this, and she says she hopes not. He tells her, fire away, and she says, Franco’s death is her fault.

Maxie opens the door to Peter, and tells him to come in. He says, oh, Britt’s there, and Britt says she came to check Maxie’s blood pressure. It’s elevated, so please don’t upset her. He says he’ll give it his best. He just wanted to give Maxie this. He hands her a giftbag, and she asks, what’s the occasion? He says he just wanted to apologize. He’s sorry for crowding her at last night’s Lamaze class. He just wanted to be a good father, and promises he’ll back off moving forward, and respect that she needs some space. She thanks him, and takes a stuffed bear out of the bag. He says it has real sentimental value to him (I think, and probably a microphone inside). When Valentin took him from his adoptive parents, it was the only toy he brought with him. He cherished it all the years he was with his father. Britt says she’s surprised Faison let him keep it, and he says, Faison didn’t care much about him, and didn’t care about his keepsakes either. She, of all people, knows the drill. She says she does, and he says, this little guy kept him hopeful that there were better people in the world. People that would love him, like Maxie does.

Maxie says, this is really lovely, and thanks him. She says she hopes he can find it in himself to keep his promise, and give her what she needs to feel safe around her. He says, it breaks his heart, and she says, it’s not a picnic for her either, but she’ll get what she needs. He asks if he can see her tomorrow, and put together the crib he got for the baby. She says, Peter… and he says, or he could just give her a few days. She says, that would be better, and he says he’ll call her in the morning to see how she’s feeling. Maybe when she’s alone – he looks at Britt – they can really talk. She thanks him for the gift, and he leaves. She says she told Britt she could put up a front, and Britt says she sure did. Maxie says, even with all his faults – Britt says, they’re called crimes – this was a really nice gesture. Britt says, it would have been, if he wasn’t lying through his teeth. He didn’t get that from his adoptive parents. Faison gave it to him. Maxie asks if she’s sure, and Britt says, yes, because Faison gave her one just like it. Maxie drops the bear to the ground.

Carly tells Jax, she didn’t know where Nina was, but it sounded like a bar or restaurant. Jax asks what she wanted, and Carly says she assumed Nina wanted to threaten her with legal action over visiting Wiley. He must remember Ava going on and on about it. He says, he recalls; what did Carly say? She says she told Nina… not to, and he says he’s sure there’s a lot more to it than that. She says, there is, but that was the gist, and he says, after she got the gist, what did Nina sound like? Carly says, she sounded odd, really odd, and he says, in what way? She says, Nina told her that she’d made her bed, and now she’d have to lie in it – alone.

Sonny explains to Nina that Elijah is one of Phyllis’s strays. Lenny and Phyllis took him in when he needed help. Elijah says, they’re great people. It breaks his heart to see their business isn’t what it used to be. Sonny says, that’s why he’s trying to get Nina to write an article, so the tourists come in. Elijah says, so she’s a writer, and Sonny says, not just a writer. She’s the editor of Crimson magazine. He looked it up; she’s a big deal. Elijah says, Crimson, it’s a fashion magazine, right? and Nina says, that’s the one. He says, she’s thinking of doing an article on Nixon Falls? and she says, they do more than just fashion. Mike was showing her around town, the river, the mill; it’s a very special place. Elijah says, if she wants special, don’t just take a newbie’s word for it. How about if he gives her the insider’s tour?

Obrecht tells Scotty, it was her fault. Had she been more astute, she could have stopped Peter, or at least warned Franco. Close to tears, she says she’s failed, and she doesn’t know how she’ll ever forgive herself. Scotty says, if Peter did this… and she says, of course (🍷), Peter did this. Why is it so difficult for him to accept? He says, then she shouldn’t beat herself up. She’s not going to bring Franco back. Peter August will pay for this. They must make him pay. She says, of course (🍷) he will pay. Scotty has no idea how she will make Peter pay. Scotty says, fill him in on that. Franco was his last son, and he knows Franco had flaws… She says, flaws? Franco? How dare he? Scotty says Obrecht only sees the good in Franco, and she says, she saw much more than that. She saw his troubled soul, the devil he used to be, but was no more. Best of all, she saw his heart. Scotty says he saw Franco’s vulnerable side – a lot – especially when he needed help. She says, yes, she was particularly fond of that. She loved all of him. Scotty says, him too, and she puts her hand on his. She dabs at her eyes, and says she despises crying in public. He says, Fraulein, may I walk you to your room? and she says she would like that.

At Kelly’s, Josslyn says she knows it might not seem like it, but Cameron did good talking to Jake. He says he feels so bad. He should have never gone off on Jake like that. She says she’s glad he realizes that; that’s good. He says, come on. She has to know, deep inside, that Jason did it, right? She says, they’re really going there again? and he says, tell him she’s not wearing blinders, like Jake and everyone else who puts Jason on a pedestal. She says she’s not wearing blinders, and she’s 100% certain Jason didn’t do it. He says, his mom was there. She practically caught him in the act. Josslyn says, she didn’t see Jason kill Franco, because he didn’t do it. Cameron gets up, and says, he can’t believe this. How can she sit there and defend the man who murdered his stepfather? How can she call herself his friend and not be on his side with this?

Jake runs to Jason’s cell, followed by Elizabeth. He calls out, dad! and Jason says, this is a surprise. Elizabeth says, Jake needed to see him, and the Commissioner made it happen. Jake is carrying a drawing, and says he painted something for Jason. It’s from when they went to see the Woodchucks. So Jason can think of something else while he’s in there. Jason unrolls a painting of the stadium, and says, it’s great. Jake thanks him, and says he was hoping Jason would like it. Jason says, it’s perfect, and Jake looks around. He says he can see why his mom didn’t think it was a good idea to come there. It looks depressing. Jason shrugs, and says, yeah, but he’s fine. How is Jake doing? Jake says, not great. Cameron says Jason killed Franco, and says mom thinks he did too.

Josslyn says, who is he, and what has he done with Cameron Webber? Cameron says he’s right there, but she says the Cameron she knows is a decent guy. He’s so convinced he’s right, he thinks it’s his duty to trash Jake’s father. He says he apologized to Jake, and she says, but he didn’t mean it. Obviously, there are sides, and they’re not on the same one. He asks what she’s going to do, and she says, the only thing she can. She tells him that she can’t be friends with someone who’s so twisted up in what they think, they can’t even consider they might be wrong, and leaves.

Jason says he doesn’t want Jake to worry, but Jake says she is worried. Jason says, try not to worry too much. Things will work themselves out, one way or another. He gives Jake his word, he did not kill Franco. Jake says he knew it. He knew Jason didn’t do it. He tried to tell Cameron, but he wouldn’t listen. Jason says Jake doesn’t have to defend him. He wishes he could tell Jake this was going to be over soon, but the courts are slow, and it could take a while for the truth to come out. There are going to be a lot of people saying a lot of bad things about him; just let them. Jake doesn’t have to fight for him. Jake says, but he wants to, and Jason thanks him. He says, the best thing Jake can do for him is just live his life, try to get along with his brothers, and keep doing his art. Hold on to the fact Jason didn’t do this; he’d never hurt anyone if it meant hurting Jake. Jake says he knows Jason wouldn’t, and Jason puts his hand through the bars and on Jake’s shoulder. Elizabeth thinks about this.

Obrecht opens her hotel room door, and tells Scotty, everyone thought she was crazy when she hired Franco as an art therapist at the hospital. He says, he thought it was genius, using Franco’s talent to help people. She says, at one time, they were Franco’s only allies when everyone feared and hated him. He says he knows it, but he was always thankful that Obrecht was there for Franco, and she says she’s thankful Franco had Scotty in his life as well. She asks if he’d like to come in, and he says he believes he will. She smiles as she closes the door.

Britt picks up the bear from the floor with tissue paper, and stuffs it back in the bag. Maxie says, this doesn’t happen often, so she wants Britt to take it in. Britt says, take what in? and Maxie says she’s admitting she was wrong, and Britt was right. Peter isn’t going to stop pushing. Britt says, exactly, which is why she’s going to go along with Maxie’s plan. Maxie says, really? and Britt says they’re going to fake a stillbirth, and send that baby somewhere Peter can’t find her. Maxie thanks Britt, saying, she didn’t know how she was going to do this alone. Britt takes Maxie’s hand, and says, first things first. They can’t leave Maxie open to more visits from Peter. Maxie agrees, but wonders how they can stop him. Britt says, trust her. She knows how to keep Peter away from Maxie. All the way until the baby is born.

Jax tells Carly, he wishes there was something he could do, and she says, Cyrus, now Peter; they’re her problems to solve. He says he may not be a coffee importer like Sonny, or a business associate like Jason, but he is there. Which means she’s definitely not alone in this. He puts his hand on hers.

Elijah says, how about it? Will Nina let him show her around? She says she hasn’t even decided if she’s going to write the article, and Sonny says, she will. Elijah says, especially after his grand tour, and she says, all right. How about tomorrow? He says, tomorrow’s great, and tells Sonny, later, Mike. He leaves, and Nina says, everyone in Nixon Falls seems very nice. Sonny says, yeah. He’s a helluva guy, isn’t he?

Outside on the phone, Elijah says he has news. Mike isn’t their only problem. There’s a big shot here, Nina Reeves. She runs Crimson magazine, the fashion rag. Find out more about her.

Nina says Sonny doesn’t think much of Elijah, does he? and Sonny says it doesn’t really matter what he thinks. Nina says, tomorrow is going to be very interesting.

Tomorrow, Jackie asks if Chase is willing to get past this, Sonny asks Nina what makes her think she knows him so well, and Carly tells Jason that if Peter can play dirty, so can she.

📺 I caught For Real: The Story of Reality TV on E! tonight, and they covered secrets from the early days, how producers twist reality to stir the drama, and how stars turn the tables. Heather, Julie, Norman, and Eric from The Real World: New York were interviewed, and Andy said it was the first time they’ve seen each other in 20 years. I questioned that, since they’d filmed Homecoming last summer, and although this interview was virtual, it seemed later in the pandemic. Eric was also in the same room as the others, while on Homecoming, he didn’t stay at the loft because he had covid. Andy kept crying, and said as a young gay man in NYC, Norman was someone he could relate to. Besides The Real World, Survivor, Kid’s Nation, and Big Brother were among the shows discussed. Zeke Smith talked about being outed as trans on Survivor, but was good with it. He said that while before when you googled transgender, suicide stories came up first, but now, his story does. Richard Hatch also talked about how being a TV villain caused disruption in his private life. Next time, the topic is, reality love. 

🏖 On the God awful Summer House, a fistfight between Kyle and Luke was avoided, and Kyle went off mumbling that he was going to make a necklace out of Luke’s hair and feed it to him. Then he did some drunk eating, but it wasn’t Luke’s hair. Luke said they couldn’t fire him, he quit, but showed up again the next day. Ciara said he was a man-child, and she didn’t even want to hear his voice again. Carl confessed that he’d started drinking again after his brother died, and basically screwed up his chance to be the adult in the house. He did rally though, shaving off his Amish beard, and vacuuming his room. Hannah said the house was a full-on crazy ward, and I couldn’t argue with that.

Luke made apologies all around, and Lindsay took a pregnancy test. After hearing ad nauseum that she was 34 (i.e. her biological clock was ticking), she was glad to find out the test was negative. After pretending to stand up for women, Kyle asked if Ciara’s boobs were real. FYI, they are. In Paige’s interview, she said she wanted to fault Kyle for waking up that morning to hypocrisy, but Ciara did have fantastic boobs. Stephen sent Lindsay a daily bouquet of flowers, and showed up at the house when the housemates went out to eat (in a real restaurant!). He set tealights by the pool to spell out I 🤍 You, and stood in the middle of the heart with a boombox to greet Lindsay when they got back.  Lindsay was smitten. Next time, both Des and Robert join the housemates, and Luke is puzzled about how he’d been leading Hannah on, since she’d already been with Des. And of course more immature and horrific behavior.

🛶 Paddling Off…

Brewing a pot of tea for tomorrow, but for now, stay safe, stay making the most of every day, and stay away from psychopaths. They’re clingy.

Apr1

March 31, 2021 – A Plan Is Set In Motion, a Kinda Sorta Apology, Being Real, Once Again, Melissa Tells All, Reasons & Traveling

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Going on three days now, I missed the beginning – why break a streak? – but here are the highlights. Molly and TJ showed up at court, and Alexis pleaded guilty. Jordan explained to Curtis why Taggert was staying with her, and told Taggert that he had Curtis to thank for Trina forgiving him. Jordan left to take a call, leaving Taggert and Curtis probably feeling awkward. Carly left Anna’s to get the plan in motion, and Robert came by. Anna told him that Jason was innocent, and Peter had killed Franco. Peter saw Valentin at the MetroCourt, and said, nyah-nyah, Maxie was giving him another chance. Valentin said he was sick of hearing Peter play the victim. Britt went over to Maxie’s place, and checked Maxie’s blood pressure. It was elevated, and Maxie said she was worried about Peter coming back. Britt said her father never took no for an answer, and Peter was more like Faison every day. It was obsession, not love. Maxie said the baby would have to disappear. Finally, I sat down…

Judge Carson asks if Alexis understands the ramifications of pleading guilty, and Alexis says she does. The judge asks if the prosecution has any objections, and the prosecutor says, none. She says Alexis’s request is granted, and asks if the victim is present. Dante says he is, and she says she’s reviewed his statement regarding January 28th, but written statements can sometimes be misleading. She’d like to hear his testimony before she pronounces sentencing.

Taggert says he wants to let Curtis know, there’s absolutely nothing going on, but Curtis says Taggert doesn’t need to tell him that. Taggert says he knows he made things hard when he came back, making Jordan keep his survival a secret. He saw the toll it put on Curtis and his marriage, and he’s sorry. He didn’t mean come between Curtis and Jordan. Curtis says, he didn’t. The problem is strictly between him and Jordan. Taggert says he still regrets putting pressure on Jordan. A partner, even a former partner, should help, and not complicate the other partner’s life. Curtis says, it’s just a hazard of the job. It doesn’t stop when you go home and take the badge off. Taggert says, it seeps into everything you do, and Curtis says, and those you care about. Taggert says he never met a more dedicated cop than Jordan, and Curtis says, Jordan is all about justice. It’s what she was born to do.

Robert says, Peter killed Franco, and framed Jason, and Anna says, Jason is a professional. If he’d wanted to kill Franco, he would have done it years ago, and without a trace. Jason isn’t going to dump the weapon down a garbage shoot in the same building as the murder. Peter did, and wiped it clean, thinking that’s all he needs to do. He’s been extraordinarily lucky. That’s what’s going to trip him up. He’s going to confuse luck with being good. Robert says she’s convinced him.

Valentin says the life Peter is proud of isn’t real; it was built on lies. Hurting people won’t change that. He did the right thing, and told Maxie the truth. Peter says, now Valentin cares so much about doing the right thing? and Valentin says, better late than never. When Peter’s cell door closes, will he still be looking around for Maxie? Peter says, the WSB has no proof; he won’t be arrested, and that’s the truth. Valentin says he claims to love Maxie, but he won’t confess. He needs to take responsibility. Peter says, by going to prison? and Valentin says, that may be the only way. Be the father his child deserves. Peter tells Valentin to stay out of his life and his way, or he’ll live to regret it. Carly watches.

Carly goes over to Gladys’s table, and asks what the hell she thinks she’s doing. Gladys says she has a right to be there. She’s even ordering Carly’s overpriced coffee. Carly says she’s not talking about that. Why did Gladys lie about Jason? Gladys says she didn’t, and Carly says, save it. Gladys is a spiteful bottom feeder, and will be doing eight to ten for obstruction of justice when Carly is done.  

Britt says, the baby is going to disappear? and Maxie says, the baby can’t be anywhere Peter can find her. He has to think she’s gone. Britt asks what that will entail. Is Maxie going to hide out? Maxie says she’ll send word to Peter that the baby died in childbirth, but Britt says he won’t believe her. She can try to run, but he’ll find her. If she tries to keep the baby from him, he’ll come at her harder. She’ll never be free. Obsession runs in the family. Be careful. Maxie says, that’s why she’s turned this over and over in her mind. She knows what she needs to do. Peter has to believe the baby is stillborn.

Dante tells the judge, he was on the first floor of GH when he witnessed an altercation between Franco and Sam. Elizabeth was also there. There were raised voices and Franco seemed to reach out to grab Sam. Judge Carson asks if Franco was  threatening herm but Dante says he doesn’t know; it was chaotic. But Alexis is Sam’s mother, and she came out of an examining room with a syringe. She was headed for Franco, and he got in between them, intercepting Alexis. That’s when she got him in the chest. The judge asks if Dante believes Alexis intended to assault him, and he says, no. Alexis wasn’t in her right mind. She was drinking and her judgment was impaired. You could say she chose to drink, but Alexis is an alcoholic and has a disease. Dante believes people struggling with substance abuse and mental illness should he helped, not punished, and hopes the court agrees, and shows leniency. He forgives Alexis and she’s definitely not a threat to society. Judge Carson thanks him, and says, you may step down. She asks if Alexis has an elocution, and Alexis gets up. She says she does.  

Gladys asks what Carly’s problem is. Does she want to cause a scene? Carly says she doesn’t care if everyone hears her. Gladys is a liar who will do anything for money. It makes her an unreliable witness, and Carly is going to find out why Gladys falsely accused Jason. Gladys says she did her civic duty, and reported suspicious activity to the cops. Carly says, no wonder Brando went to work for Cyrus. He has no use for her either. She’s a fraud and a cheat. Valentin comes over, and says, that’s enough. Peter watches.

Alexis thanks Dante for his incredibly thoughtful and generous support of her. His forgiveness means more than he’ll ever know. She’d like to says she’s sorry, deeply sorry, for what she’s done, and wants to make amends. She may have lost the ability to practice law, but she hasn’t lost her respect for it. She committed a crime, and she’s willing to accept punishment. Most important, she loves her family, and doesn’t want to hurt them anymore. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone anymore. She thanks Judge Carson for giving her a chance to speak, and the judge says, the court is ready to proceed with sentencing. She’ll take a short break, and return with the sentence. The bailiff says, all rise, and the judge leaves. Alexis says she didn’t mean to undercut Diane; she knows how Diane hates that. Diane says Alexis did great. She’s still a helluva lawyer. Alexis says she meant every word. It’s in the judge’s hands now.

Robert tells Anna, Peter thought Franco knew something connecting him to Drew’s kidnapping, which gives him a motive. Anna says, someone saw Jason ditch the gun, but they’re lying. He asks if she can prove it, and she says, she, Carly, and Valentin have a plan. As they speak, Carly is publicly accusing Gladys about lying about seeing Jason dump the gun. He says, that’s her plan? To shame Gladys? It won’t work. Anna says, it will. Valentin will step in and defend Gladys. He’ll intervene, and Gladys will be smitten with her knight in tarnished armor. That’s the first step. He says he’s confused. How many steps are there? Jason’s arraignment is tomorrow. She asks if he can get it postponed, and he says, he’s the DA. Tell him what he can do. Right now, the tide is against Jason. She has to come with hard evidence against Peter before it’s too late. She says, too late for what? and he says there isn’t just one plan to handle Peter. Maxie is working on one of her own. Anna says, bloody hell.

Britt asks if Maxie isn’t being too reminiscent of Nelle. Does she really want to emulate a psychopath? Maxie says she’s not doing it to punish Peter, like Nelle did to Michael. She’s doing it to protect herself, the baby, and James. Britt asks how it’s going to work. Nelle delivered Wiley in the woods, and she’s lucky he survived the trauma. Maxie isn’t thinking holing up in a cabin, is she? Maxie says, no way. She delivered James by the side of the road, and isn’t risking that again. She’s giving birth in a hospital. Britt says, good. How does she plan to convince Peter the baby didn’t make it? Maxie says, that’s where Britt comes in.

Valentin asks if Carly has a problem with this nice lady, but Carly says Gladys is no lady; she’s a liar. She’s angry that Sonny favored Jason over Brando. Valentin asks if she thinks Gladys accused her out of spite to get back at her expired husband, and Gladys says she was only doing her civic duty. Valentin agrees, saying since Jason slithered back into town, he’s put all their lives in danger. Carly tells them to get out of her restaurant. They head for the elevator, and Carly tells Peter, he’s next.

Gladys says she takes it that Valentin isn’t a fan of the widow Corinthos, and he says, she’s a dreadful woman. He introduces himself, and Gladys does the same. He says, it’s great to meet her, and hopes she’s all right. Carly was completely out of line. The whole thing was upsetting. Whenever he deals with Carly, he needs a good stiff drink, but not at the MetroCourt. He knows the perfect place. Would she like to join him? She says, you bet, and he says, wonderful.

Robert tells Anna that Peter was standing his ground and refusing to leave, and she asks how he got Peter to go. He says Maxie appealed to the child’s welfare, and talked about how caring Peter was. He left under his own power. She says, good move, and Robert says, Maxie is playing a dangerous game, keeping Peter at arm’s length while pretending to be friends. She can’t get a restraining order for fear of inciting him. Anna says, unfortunately, Maxie is right. How many abusive husbands ignore the orders, and it leads to tragic results? At least Maxie is thinking clearly, but she’d like to know Maxie’s plan. Robert says, him too. He wishes she’d tell him.  

Britt tells Maxie, she moved heaven and earth to get her license back. She can’t risk it. Not only is the plan distasteful; it’s impractical. Maxie asks if Britt isn’t sympathetic to her child’s dilemma; they’re talking about her niece. Britt says, of course (🍷) she wants to keep the baby safe, but Peter doesn’t trust her. If she comes out with tears in her eyes, saying the baby didn’t make it, he won’t buy it. Paranoia doesn’t begin to describe his mindset. There’s no scenario where he won’t be suspicious. Maxie says both she and Britt have done worse. She has every confidence they can handle this.

Curtis says, they’re still going after Cyrus? and Taggert says, until he’s behind bars or in the ground. He’s seen Curtis in action, and he’s good. It could be what they need to stop Cyrus, especially with Sonny out of the picture. What does Curtis say? Curtis says, no. He’s not about that life anymore.

Sam says she’s so proud of Alexis, and Molly says, Alexis was honest and brave. Alexis says, don’t give her the credit, and Sam says she doesn’t need prison to get sober, but Alexis says, it’s a constant struggle. Molly says Alexis is strong enough to handle it, and Alexis thanks Dante for his kind words. Sam thanks him too, and he says he was just being honest. Diane says she’s sure it helped, and the judge will consider it. Molly says she hopes it’s enough to get Alexis a suspended sentence, and Diane says, that’s the dream scenario. Molly asks if Diane thinks the judge will be harsh, but Diane says she doesn’t know. The judge is all over the map with sentencing. Sometimes she throws the book, sometimes she’s lenient. Alexis says, she likes people who take responsibility, and she did in all sincerity. Whatever sentence is rendered, she’ll be okay. The bailiff says, all rise.

Taggert says he heard Curtis bought a nightclub, and Curtis says he did. Taggert says, for real? No more P.I. work? Curtis says, no, and Taggert says, wow. Okay, good luck. Taggert’s phone dings, and he says, the food is in the lobby. He’ll go get it. He leaves, and Jordan says she’s sorry there are so many interruptions. Curtis says, no worries, and she says she’s glad he came by.  

Judge Carson says Alexis has been before her as a lawyer, and giving her impromptu summation showed integrity. She knows about alcoholism, and knows it’s an illness. She commends Alexis for not hiding behind her disease. She’s before the judge on two charges, but the intended victim wasn’t injured. She’s dismissing the attempted murder charge, but there’s still the matter of the assault on Dante.  

Carly says Peter’s smear campaign to convict Jason before he goes to court isn’t journalism; it’s tabloid trash. He says his readers are fascinated with the enforcer of the late mob kingpin. His metrics are up, and his subscriptions have increased. Carly says she’d like to see how his ad revenues will fare. The MetroCourt has relationships with the businesses that advertise in his paper, as well as Corinthos Coffee. She’ll convince them that they’re better off not associating with his disreputable rag. Does he think he’ll be able to afford his office at the MetroCourt? His lease is up for renewal. He asks if she’s sure she wants to pick a fight with him, and she says, back off Jason, or he’ll find out.

At a fancy restaurant we’ve never seen, Valentin asks Gladys if she’d like another, and she says, why not? It’s such a nice place. He tells the waiter, another wine for the lovely Miss Corbin, and thanks her for joining him. Don’t think about Carly for one more minute. She’s tedious and overbearing. He resides at the MetroCourt or he’d avoid her altogether. Gladys says she knows all about Carly. She doesn’t buy the gracious lady act; Carly is anything but. Gladys is actually family, or she was. Carly is a gold-digging social climber who married her cousin. She and Sonny were cousins – may he rest. He was connected, if Valentin knows what she means. He says he does, as does half of Port Charles. She laughs, and says Brando got shot his first day in Port Charles. He saved Carly’s life, and Sonny still wouldn’t let him into the business.  He says, it must have been disappointing for her son, and she says, it was, but Brando got a better job with Cyrus. Valentin says he’s met Cyrus; the impressive chairman of General Hospital. Cyrus is no stranger to bad press. Gladys says she can’t believe everyone thinks Carly is so high and mighty, while Cyrus is a great guy who’s painted as a criminal. Valentin says, there are two sides to every story, and they clink glasses. She says she’s glad everything worked out, and he says he takes it Brando enjoys working for Cyrus. She says, why wouldn’t he? Brando knows a good thing when he sees it. So does Cyrus. She and Brando are going to go far.

Robert says, Maxie has a plan – God help us – and Anna has a plan, while Peter is going around covering his tracks. Anna says Jason believes Gladys saw Peter. That’s how she knew where the gun was. She was paid by Cyrus to incriminate Jason. He asks if she thinks Cyrus and Peter have a connection, and she says, wouldn’t that be great? Robert could bring them up on conspiracy charges. He tells her, come up with more evidence, and she says she’s working on it. He says she has a lot of faith in Valentin, and she says Valentin is as motivated as she is. He’s going to cozy up to Gladys, gain her trust, and find evidence linking her, Cyrus, and Peter. She wishes she could tell Maxie, but it’s too much pressure. She’s scared that Maxie will say something and give it away. He says, it’s a risk, but if Maxie isn’t told, she’s more likely to do something drastic.

Britt says if Maxie fakes a stillbirth, she’ll have to lie to everyone. There’s no telling her mom or Mac that their grandchild is alive. Her friends and family will mourn the loss, and be heartbroken. Maxie says she knows. She hates it, but they’ll understand in the end. Britt says, if Maxie manages to convince Peter the child is gone, where will the baby be? Given up for adoption? Maxie says she’s not giving up her baby. After the baby is born, she’ll be whisked out of Port Charles by someone Maxie trusts. Don’t ask her who. She hasn’t gotten that far yet. Then, after a few weeks, she’ll say she can’t stay in Port Charles; the grief is too much to bear. She’s moving, and starting a new life. Britt asks if she thinks Peter will fall for it, and Maxie says she’ll wait until Peter is in prison. Then she’ll come back and explain, and everyone will be so happy that she was able save baby. She tells Britt, please help save your niece.

Judge Carson says, for aggravated assault, she’s sentencing Alexis to three years in Pentenville. She’ll be given seven days to get her affairs in order before she needs to report to the prison. Court is adjourned. I’m thinking, it seems kind of harsh, and Diane says, it’s better than she thought it would be. Three years is light; Alexis will have the opportunity for parole. Molly says she was so scared, but Sam says, Alexis is still going to prison. Alexis says she’s fine, and it won’t be three years; it will two and a half. Molly says she knows it was an easy sentence, but what will they do without her? Alexis says she’s not gone yet. They have a week, and she’s not wasting one minute. She hugs Sam and Molly.

Curtis says, it’s nice to see Jordan too, but he’ll let her get to her work. She says, great, but why did he come over? He says, it’s not important, but she says he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to come there if it wasn’t. She knows he wasn’t expecting Taggert, but they can go somewhere private. He says she has enough on her plate with her unexpected guest. She’s a good friend. She says it’s the least she can do, since Taggert was punished for what the team did to Cyrus. Curtis says Taggert doesn’t seem to be holding it against her, besides, she’s paid in other ways. Taggert comes back with a load of bags, and says he ordered half the menu. There’s enough for everybody. Does Curtis want to join them? Curtis says, thanks; he’s good. He should probably get going. He leaves, and Taggert asks Jordan if she’s okay.

Valentin asks how long Gladys is in town, but Gladys tells him, she couldn’t say. Now she’s a material witness in a murder trial. He says, a lot of people would be nervous going up against someone as dangerous and powerful as Jason. She says she has protection. Her son Brando is very protective; that boy loves his mother. Valentin says, he has good reason. He’s sure she must be eager to see Jason convicted so she’ll have nothing to worry about, and she says, she’s just doing her part. She knows what she saw, and Jason is getting what he deserves. She says she should get going, and he says he’s sorry; he’s kept her too long. Will she let him drive her home? She says she will. It’s so nice to meet a real gentlemen. Valentin is a class act. (Agreed.)

Anna tells Robert, she doesn’t have a good relationship with Maxie right now. Maxie won’t listen to her, but if anyone can get through to Maxie, it’s Robert. He says, Maxie isn’t famous for keeping a cool head, and she says he has to talk to Maxie. Reassure her, do whatever it takes. He says he’s concerned that Maxie’s plan will get in the way of Anna’s plan, or worse, provoke Peter.  

Britt says, Maxie is right about one thing. She can’t pull this off on her own. Maxie asks if Britt is going to help her, and Britt says they have to plan a scenario for every potential situation. Maxie can’t leave town a few weeks afterward. Unless Peter is under arrest, he’s going to follow her, and expect them to console each other. Maxie says she keeps praying Peter is removed from their lives, and Britt says, her too, but they don’t know when and if that will happen. The baby will be safe, but not Maxie. Peter is fixated on her as his great love, and only salvation. He’s not going to give up. He’s going to want to be the loving, grieving partner. Maxie needs to ask herself, how far is she willing to go?

Peter tells Carly, be careful. With Sonny dead, and Jason in prison, there’s no one left to protect her. She asks what he just said to her, and he says, only the truth. Despite her grandstanding, she’s alone in a sea of predators. She says, no one is getting the better of her. Least of all, him. He asks if she’s sure about that.   

Tomorrow, Nina suggests Sonny find out who he is, Josslyn tells Cameron what he did was cruel, and Jason yells that he didn’t kill Franco.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

There was a rewind to the Teresa/Jackie altercation from last week, that ended with Teresa storming into the house, after telling everyone to f*** themselves. Or maybe she meant just Joe #2. That wasn’t really clear. Melissa said it was bullsh*t, and Marge said Jackie had been cordial when Teresa told her to stick a sex toy up her ass. Melissa suggested letting Joe #2 talk to Teresa, but in Joe’s interview, he said Teresa hadn’t stuck up for him when Juicy Joe (aka Joe #1) put out a nasty article about him. Yet if Jackie says something, Teresa wants him to have her back. She wanted it both ways, and he was over it. Marge apologized to Jackie, who asked why Joe #3 gave life to the Evan rumor. Since Joe #3 can never speak for himself, Marge said that all the men were talking about it, and started screeching at Jackie. Jackie wondered why everyone was yelling at her, since she’d done nothing wrong. Melissa tried calming Marge down, and in Frank’s interview, he said Joe #3 did say he heard the rumor – and we flashed back to that – but all any of them said was that they didn’t believe it, So who TF cares? Jackie wanted to know why she was being a punching bag, and Joe #3 told her that at guy’s night, they all gave Evan a 100% vote of confidence. This made it all good, and they hugged. In Melissa’s interview, she said there was only one person to blame for the meltdown, and that was Teresa. Teresa came back outside, Melissa got in her face, and ended up throwing a cheese plate. Teresa whined that Melissa should stick up for her, and Melissa asked if Teresa was a weak bitch. She’d already defended Teresa too many times. Joe #2 said he was always fighting for Teresa, and screamed that Joe #1 had put his parents in their graves. That POS had put Teresa in jail, and his mother in her grave. He pounded the table, causing everything to fly everywhere, and Teresa looked like a fish out of water, with her mouth gaping open, because she can dish it out, but not take it.   

Delores said the Gorga’s would have wanted Joe #2 and Teresa to get together, and it sucked. In Joe #2’s interview, he said there wasn’t a man on earth who took away more than Joe #1 took away from him. Joe #1 took his time with his mother and sister, and he couldn’t stand the thought of Joe #1 coming between him and his family again. Joe #2 and Teresa hugged, and it was all I love you. In his interview, Joe #2 said when he and Teresa fight, it brings him back to the dark place where they were before. He told Teresa to squash it, and she said she didn’t function that way, but he told her it had to end. Jackie didn’t know what she should do about the rest of the trip, and she, Melissa, and Marge went back to Melissa’s house with Joes #2 and #3. Jackie said it had been a sh*tshow. Delores said she knew Teresa fought hard, but didn’t really want to hurt anyone. I wasn’t so sure about that. Back at Melissa’s house, Jackie said Teresa was an effing animal, and called Evan. She asked him to agree that if Teresa started something, they’d leave. Delores told Teresa that she and Jackie spoke different language. Jackie thought Teresa was a bad person, and Delores wanted Teresa to prove her wrong. Joe #2 ended up having to put his hand in a bucket of ice from pounding the table, and Jackie asked the other household to help shut it down if Teresa started something when Evan came.    

Delores told Frank that she wasn’t confident Evan was coming in peace, and he agreed. No one got much sleep at Melissa’s house, but Marge had the best quote of the night, telling Joe #2, no salt on The Marge’s food. She also said, it was a clusterf*ck of a night. Jackie said she didn’t want Teresa to be an animal around her husband, and Joe #2 let Teresa know that he didn’t want any issues at their father’s memorial. He wanted Teresa to talk to Evan, and in Delores’s interview, she said if that’s what it took to end it, talk to the effing guy. Bill arrived, and Delores said yesterday had been an emotional day for Teresa, since her divorce had been finalized and her house went on the market. Bill said he probably shouldn’t have told Jennifer what Joe #3 had said. Ya think? Marge didn’t want Teresa to suck the life out of everyone.

In her interview, Melissa said the worst thing was, you didn’t know which Teresa you would get, so she didn’t know if the worst was over. Teresa (wo)manned up, and told Jackie that she wasn’t trying to hurt her or her family, and asked if they could drop everything. Jackie said she’d like that, but don’t bring up her husband again. Teresa said it was dropped, and Jackie said Teresa needed to apologize to Evan too. Teresa said she thought that would be weird, and couldn’t Jackie do it for her, and Jackie told her that they should at least both be there. In Jackie’s interview, she said Teresa didn’t feel weird talking about him; now talk to him. In Teresa’s interview, she said her brother asked her to make it right, so she did, but felt uncomfortable speaking to Evan. She was old school, and where she came from, the wife made it good with the husband.

In the Memory Lane department, Melissa said in her interview that she was born and raised at the Jersey shore. When she’d been pregnant with Antonia, she and Joe #2 got their first shore house. It was tiny, but now they had 7 bedrooms. Melissa gave Delores and Jennifer a tour. Teresa told Evan that she didn’t like the way things went down, and hadn’t meant to hurt anyone. Jackie said they were going to let everything go, and Evan said, let’s have fun. In Marge’s interview, she said it was the weakest apology she’d ever seen, but since it came from Teresa, it was a freaking miracle. Joe #2 said he was proud of Teresa, and in Teresa’s interview, she said it was her dad’s memorial, and she hoped he was looking down to see her and her brother at peace.

Jackie asked if Evan was okay, and he said he was cool. She said she just wanted it to be over. Marge and Joe #3, and Jennifer and Bill went out on waverunners, while the rest tooled around in Joe #2’s boat. In Jennifer’s interview, she said it reminded her of summers she spent as a kid in Turkey. In Jackie’s interview, she said Teresa was like Jekyl and Hyde; freaking evil one minute, then nice and fun, but she was ready to put it behind them and have fun. At lunch, Delores said she was proud of Teresa, and somehow this led to Marge saying it was Jennifer’s fault for bringing it up. She also didn’t think it was right that Jennifer had an opinion on how she talked to Joe #3. Jennifer said Marge was shooting the messenger, and in Joe #2’s interview, he said they just put the drama to bed, and now it was starting again. Jennifer said Marge treated her husband badly, and Marge suggested Jennifer not come between her and Joe #3. She pointed out that Jennifer had embarrassed her entire family by being a sloppy drunk, and Jennifer said Marge was so sloppy, she’d slept with her boss. Oh no she didn’t. In Marge’s interview, she said her boss was an older man in a position of power, taking advantage of a young girl, and I felt the Twitterverse rumble. The guys were hanging out at the bar, and Joe #2 said he could hear Marge’s mouth, and Joe #3 said she had good lungs. Marge suggested Jennifer never argued with her husband because he was her meal ticket. Frank said meals brought out the worst in the women, and Evan suggested they just throw the women a protein bar and keep doing activities. Actually, that’s not a bad idea.

Delores asked if Jennifer hadn’t learned a lesson last night, and in her interview, she said Jennifer was like a little kid who said things you didn’t want them to. In Jennifer’s interview, she said she was a social drinker, not an alcoholic. She didn’t want Marg projecting her mother onto her. In the car, Jennifer said Marge slept with her boss to get ahead, and I felt more rumblings. Delores thought dinner wasn’t going to be quiet.

This season, Joe #2 twerks, a Halloween party, a memorial for Joe and Teresa’s father, Teresa has a new boyfriend, and Melissa tells Joe #2 that he’s holding her back.

📺 Tonight, Bravo also aired last night’s E! episode of For Real: The Story of Reality TV, which was good, since I missed it. Andy Cohen gave us a little reality history, beginning with 1973’s An American Family. I was glad to see that show finally get credit. I saw most of it one New Year’s Day in the 90s when PBS reran it, and I’ve always wanted to watch it again in its entirety. Andy told us that Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous came ten years later, and Laguna Beach in 2004 (which I never saw) paved the way for the others.

Andy interviewed Teresa Giudice, Kyle Richards, and Caroline Manzo, who’s response to being hired was, these (indicating her breasts) are real and I love my husband. Kyle said she’d never wanted to do a reality show or a soap opera, and Andy said she wound up on a reality show that was a soap opera. Showrunners gave inside info as well, and we were told the formula was go big or go home, and to show and wear your wealth. The Real Housewives of Atlanta was discussed quite a bit, it having had the Oprah Effect, where both Black and Caucasian audiences both tuned in. Since I’d never seen Basketball Wives, I was surprised to find out Tami Roman from Real World Los Angeles had been on it. In her interview, she said she’d brought her Real World self into the show, and wanted it to be about sisterhood, but it wasn’t what she got. She was blindsided in finding out another cast member had slept with her ex-husband – while they were married. We also saw a blossoming Cardi B on Love & Hip Hop, the showrunner telling us that it was about the affluence/hardship of being a woman in a misogynistic world. She also said Cardi B understood it was about getting what you needed from the show, but giving back to the audience as well. Gizelle Bryant said the cast was ratchet, but tremendously entertaining. LVP thought people loved to watch reality TV for the opulent lives, but also to see that everyone has the same problems, and go through the same sh*t with their friends. It made people feel better about themselves. Caroline explained that she’d left the show not only because it had seeped into her family life, but she knew she’d given her best to the show, and could give no more. When she saw Teresa’s audition video, she said Teresa had an innocence and lightness that wasn’t there anymore. Andy tried pumping her on what happened between Caroline and sister Dina, who she hasn’t spoken to in years, but Caroling wasn’t talking. Teresa said that what happens in life happens on RHONJ, although I’ve never once seen anyone flip a table IRL.

We moved on to the Recession, where the scrappy ingenuity of working class white people was brought to reality TV with the likes of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Toddlers and Tiaras, and Teen Mom. The Jersey Shore (bleh) came along next, and showed that money didn’t matter. It was about being loyal, friendships, and GTL. Funny. I thought it was about being a drunk a-hole and giving a bad name to the Shore. Vanderpump Rules and Below Deck were examined, and Tom from VPR said he thought the cast was relatable on several levels. They were making ends meet, but also striving to get to the next level. Captain Lee said Below Deck was a combination of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous and Downton Abbey, but on the water. Kate Chastain leaving a blanket folded like a rocketship d*ck for guest Dean was revisited, and she said she couldn’t even tell us how many d*ck gifts she gets on a daily basis. I’m not so sure I’d want to know anyway. She also said guests would ask her to sign the book she’d written. Scwartz (VPR) said he was sure he was going to wake up on Tom’s couch, super hungover, and find out it was all a crazy fever dream. Andy’s final thought was that reality TV reassured us of our shared humanity, and reminded us that we’re not so different after all… for the most part.

👩🏼‍🏫 One More Time…

All about the analogy and its aftermath.

https://www.etonline.com/jackie-goldschneider-on-the-aftermath-of-her-rhonj-analogy-whats-to-come-with-teresa-giudice-161095

🍵 Melissa Spills It…

Wow. She’s pretty chatty.

https://www.etonline.com/melissa-gorga-on-rhonj-shore-showdown-with-teresa-giudice-marriage-woes-and-gias-sad-song-exclusive

👠 Why She’s Still Here…

I was wondering how on earth this screeching harridan is still on TV,  so I googled it. This is what I got.

https://screenrant.com/housewives-new-jersey-teresa-guidice-fan-favorite-reasons/

👍🏽 Hitchin’ a Ride…

Someday, I will have all my ducks in a row. Although by then, more ducks will no doubt have been added. No matter how many ducks you have, stay safe, stay doing nicely unto others, and stay not pounding on the table. All you’ll do is hurt yourself and end up with your hand in a bucket of ice.

Mar26

March 25, 2021 – Brando Snitches On Gladys – Yes, I Got You (For the Most Part), Reality Trip, a Tuscan Feast, Representing Their States & One Less

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What I Watched Today

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

⚠️ GH was preempted in most US locales because of a press conference that I didn’t see, since it was on at 2 pm my time, and GH comes on at 3. It took me all of five seconds to say, what the blip? and google it to find out why. I was able to find a video of it, but I’m not positive there isn’t more at the end. I’ll repost this, along with anything extra, tomorrow, so read on if you want to be spoiled.

General Hospital

Taggert wakes to see Jason in the cell across from him, and says he didn’t realize he had a roommate. He asks what Jason did this time.

Britt looks at her phone, and says, what the hell? We see an Invader headline that says, Morgan Arrested for Murder.

Olivia is praying the rosary at the hospital, when Sam brings her coffee. Sam says she’s had worse from the vending machine, but Olivia says the caffeine won’t do her nerves much good. Sam says Olivia has been up all night, and Olivia says, so has she. She guesses she’s just going to be worried about Dante for the rest of her life. Going after Peter with a gun; Dante never would have done it if he was in his right mind. Sam says that’s why she brought Dante to see Doc. Doc will make Dante better, and he can move on. Got it? Olivia says, got it.

Dante tells Anna she should go, but Anna says she’s kind of wired. It’s hard to believe, but she hasn’t pulled an all-nighter in some time. How’s he doing? He says, you tell me.

At Kelly’s, Sasha tells Michael that she’s glad they were able to squeeze in breakfast. She hasn’t seen him in forever. He says he’s had one fire to put out after another. Jason getting arrested last night didn’t make things any better. She asks if there’s anything she can do. Maxie told her Nina took a leave of absence, and she knows it’s technically Jax’s half of the company, but has it impacted Michael? He says, not from a business perspective, but he has to admit, Nina taking a break is the best thing for Wiley.

Sonny is sweeping the floor at the Tan-O when Nina comes in. He says he was wondering if he was going to see her again, or she was going to skip town. She says she couldn’t leave without coming by, especially since Phyllis and Lenny let her stay at their place. He asks if a good night’s sleep helped her decide what she’s going to do next, and she says, it would have, but she didn’t get much sleep last night.

On the phone, Carly says, Jason’s arraignment is coming up. How confident is Diane that she can get him off on bail?… Is she serious?… She knows Diane is going to do everything she can. She just wishes they had the name of the supposed witness. That would make all the difference.

As they walk to Kelly’s, Gladys says she’s glad Brando was able to come to breakfast. Too bad he has plans for lunch and dinner. He says, they’re not plans; they’re called work. He tells her, before they go in, they need to talk, and she asks, about what? and he says, about her being the one who got Jason arrested.

Jason tells Taggert that he’s been arrested for the murder of Franco Baldwin. Tagger asks how long Jason thinks it will take for Jason’s defense lawyer to get him out of this one, and Jason guesses they’ll find out. Taggert says, if history is any indication, Jason will see the light of day before he does.

Martin meets Laura at the MetroCourt, and says she sounded mysterious on the phone. Does she mind telling him what the occasion is? She says she noticed it was his birthday last week. Why didn’t he say something? He says he didn’t know he was supposed to. They are siblings, but the fact is, they barely know each other. She says she was hoping they could use the occasion to change that.

Olivia tells Sam that she knows Peter is bad news, and she truly hopes to God Peter pays for his crimes, especially what he did to Drew. Sam says, her too, and Olivia says she’s just grateful it wasn’t Dante wasn’t the one to handle him. She thanks Sam for showing up when she did, and getting through to her son. She just couldn’t go through this again. Sam says Olivia doesn’t have to thank her. She did what anyone would have done. Olivia says, since Dante has been home, Sam has been a really good friend to him. She tries her best, but it seems that Sam was exactly what was needed, and she’s so grateful for that.

Anna knows it’s been difficult for Dante rehashing all that, but she thinks he and Doc made progress last night. He says he definitely feels lighter. It’s weird though, not having control like that. He just kept hearing in his head, complete the mission; kill Peter. He was going to do it. She says, he didn’t though, and he says, that’s because Sam showed up and talked to him. It was like a fog was lifted. She says, at least he knows where the fog came from now. She’s so sorry for what Dr. Kirk did to him. He says, it’s over now, and she says, yeah, it’s over. Now he can get on with the rest of his life. He wonders what that looks like.

Jason says he wants Taggert to know, whatever is going on with him, Portia and Trina are still protected. Taggert says he didn’t think anything different. A guard comes in to get Taggert for his sentencing hearing, and Taggert tells Jason that Cyrus is still walking around while Jason is behind bars. Whatever he’s doing to get out, do it fast. The guard takes Taggert out.

Gladys tells Brando, what else is there to say? She saw Jason dispose of a gun, and told the police. She still can’t believe he’s responsible for such an awful murder, and Brando says, they don’t know that Jason is. Her coming forward is causing a lot of problems for Carly. She just lost her husband. Does Gladys remember her cousin Sonny? She says, God rest his soul, and he says, there are still a lot of questions regarding Franco’s death. She says, which is why she felt it was necessary that she come forward. Is this an interrogation? He says, no, and she says all she did was give the police the information. Why does he care anyway? The last she heard, Sonny kicked him to the curb. He has a new job now, with the head of the hospital no less. If he really thinks about it, she did him a favor. He asks, how? and she says, her doing her civic duty will only endear Brando more to his employer. Now can they go in? It’s cold out here.

Michael tells Sasha, he was thinking about Wiley, and his confusion about what Nina said to him; and Willow, and how hurt she’s been. She’s just trying to protect Wiley. Sasha says Michael is trying to make everything okay, and he says it should have occurred to him to get Willow’s opinion. She is Wiley’s mother, and absolutely has a say in everything that happens to him, especially something so pivotal as, if he can see one of his grandmothers or not. Gladys and Brando come in, and Gladys says, look at this. They’ve got themselves a family reunion.

Carly tells Diane to let her know what she finds out in discovery. Cyrus walks in, and Carly says she has to call Diane back. Cyrus says, good morning, Mrs. Corinthos, and she asks what he wants. He says, just to offer his sympathies. He saw on the news that Jason was arrested. She says, a misunderstanding. His lawyer will have him out in no time. Cyrus says he certainly hopes that’s the case, for her sake. He can’t imagine how difficult this must be so soon after her husband’s passing.

Sonny says, so what kept Nina up? Thinking about that woman she talked to? He gives her some coffee, and she says, yes. That, and wondering, is it her job or fate to balance the scales? He says he doesn’t believe much in fate, and she says, wasn’t it him who said last night that it was fate that brought them together? He says, that’s just a figure of speech. He thinks we make our own choices in life. Look at him. Lenny and Phyllis took him in, and put their necks on the line, so he wants to pay them back with any job they want. She says he’s done a lot of great things for them, and fate or not, he’s been a blessing. He says he doesn’t know about that, and she asks if he ever wonders about the choices that led him there. Like what kind of person he was. He says he has no way of knowing, and she asks, if there was a way for him to know, would he want to know?

Olivia sees Dante come out, and runs to him. She says, thank God, and hugs him. She asks if he’s okay, and he says he’s good. She asks, what happened? and he asks if Anna wants to do the honors. Anna says, it turns out a faction of the WSB went rogue. They enlisted Dr. Kirk to manipulate the psychological trauma Dante had experienced to use for their own end. To eliminate Peter. Olivia says, manipulate how? and Anna says, Dr. Kirk instilled triggers in Dante that he was acting on without realizing it. Olivia says, they’re gone now? and Anna says Doc believes he removed them. Dante says they’re going to do a couple of sessions a week, and Anna says, to make sure there aren’t any hidden triggers. Sam says she’s glad he’s okay, and he says he owes her big time. Sam says he doesn’t, but Dante and Olivia say he does. He says if she hadn’t shown up, Peter would be dead. He was going to do it; there was nothing clearer in his mind. The only thing that stopped him was her. Sam says she’s glad she was there, and he says, him too. Sam’s phone dings, and she steps away. Olivia asks Anna if Dante is safe and can go home, and Anna says, absolutely. Sam looks at the Invader headline, along with a text from Molly that says, did you see this?

The guard tells Jason that Dr. Westbourne is there to see him, and she brings her medical bag into Jason’s cell. He asks what she’s doing, and she tells him to shut up. She raises her voice, and says she’s following up on the head injury he suffered last summer; the one that requires him to be seen every month. She takes out a pen light, and tells him, follow it please. He says the guard can’t hear them, and she says, what the hell is going on? He was arrested for Franco’s murder? He says he didn’t kill Franco; Peter did. She says, Peter, as in her brother? and he says, Peter framed him. She says, he’s saying that like he’s telling her what he had for dinner last night. Is he forgetting how good Peter is at that? If he has, just ask her mother about her recent stint in Steinmaur. She’d be happy to give him all the details. He says he remembers, and she asks why he’s so relaxed right now. She makes sure the guard isn’t there, and says she’s been to prison. It’s no joyride. She’s sure he’ll survive, most likely, but it won’t be pleasant, for him or the people he’s leaving behind, like Carly and his kids. He tells her, just take a breath, and she says, no. He says, she doesn’t want to breathe? and she says, he doesn’t get to calm her down. She faked her way in there with this check-up thing. It’s her job to take care of him. He says, okay.

Sonny says, some days finding out who he is, is all he thinks about, and Nina asks, what about the other days? He says, he’s not sure he wants to find out the answer. It’s good there, and who knows? It might be the start of something big. Phyllis comes in, and says she didn’t expect to see Nina this early. Nina says she got a jump on the day, and Phyllis says, so this is goodbye? Nina says, yeah. She thinks it’s time they all got on with their lives.

Gladys hugs Michael, and says, it’s so good to see him again. She was so sorry to hear about his father. Brando made it clear she wasn’t welcome at Dev’s memorial, so she figured it was the same with Sonny’s, and Lord knows, she doesn’t want to upset Michael’s mother. Michael says, it’s very generous of her, and Sasha quietly asks if Brando told his mother not to come to his son’s funeral. He says, long story, and she says, I’ll bet. He asks if Michael has a second, and Michael says, sure. They step away, and Gladys says she and Sasha keep running into each other; first in Brando’s hospital room, and now here. She’s curious. How long have Sasha and Brando been… friendly?

Brando tells Michael, don’t react, just listen, and relay this information to whoever needs to know. His mother is the witness who accused Jason.

Martin tells Laura, he must confess, since his mother’s been in hiding, his birthday felt lonelier than usual this year. She takes it Jason didn’t tell Martin where he moved Florence, and Martin says he wants to keep it that way. The less he knows, the less Cyrus can pressure him into revealing it. She says, smart, but it must be difficult, and he says, right now, he would have been making plans to visit his mother for Easter. Lord, how that woman loves getting dressed up for church. Then she critiques her friends outfits. Did you see what she was wearing? Who does that woman think she is, the queen? Laura laughs, and he says, she’s something. He guesses he can’t risk visiting her this year. Laura suggests he spend the holiday with her and her family. She would have asked him sooner, but she assumed he had other relatives he wanted to spend it with… or children. He shakes his head, and she says, or a significant other? He just looks at her, and she says they really don’t know each other, do they? and he says, not yet.

Carly tells Cyrus, they both know what he can do with his condolences. Now is that all? He says, actually, no. With Jason indisposed, he’s not sure who he should be reaching out to in matters of business. Unless it’s always been her. She says, sorry? and he says, the more he gets to know her, the more he’s thinking she’s not just a passive bystander. Instead of being the grieving widow allowing Jason to run the organization, she’s been the power behind the throne. Maybe she’s the one he’s been dealing with all along. She says he mentioned business, and he says, it’s come to his attention that Jason called a meeting of the Five Families spaghetti sauce, presumably to discuss the power balance now that Sonny is gone. She says, and? and he says, and one has to worry what’s going to happen if Jason can’t make that meeting.

Phyllis says something I can’t understand, and Nina asks what she means. So apparently, I’m not the only one who needs clarity. Phyllis says, just some community issues. Nothing for Nina to worry about. Sonny says, the recession has been affecting local businesses. Add in vandalism and burglary, it’s tough. Nina asks if the repairs Phyllis has been doing aren’t an isolated incident, and Phyllis says, none of it has been serious or violent. Sonny thinks busted windows are violent, but Phyllis says, no one got hurt. It’s scaring people off, and the fewer businesses, the more people jump ship. Sonny says, it’s not good for the foot traffic at the Tan-O, and Nina says, she’s so sorry; that’s terrible. Phyllis says it’s a shame to see what’s happening to their little town, especially since it seems there’s nothing she can do about it. Sonny says, but Nina can.

Cyrus tells Carly, fear not. He plans to attend the meeting, and will be sure to communicate all is well on her end. But the other families can be unpredictable, especially if they smell blood in the water with Jason being indisposed. Carly’s phone rings, and she asks Michael, what’s up? Cyrus says, a son checking in with his mother; what a luxury. Michael says he just ran into Brando. The witness is Gladys. She asks if he’s sure, and he tells her, that’s what Brando said. There must be an angle. She thanks him, and Cyrus says, that was a quick phone call. She says, that’s what happens when people get to the point, and he asks if everything is all right. She says, it will be. It turns out Sonny’s cousin Gladys is the witness testifying against Jason. He asks if she means the nice woman he met at Mike’s funeral, and she says, yeah, and they both know Cyrus put her up to it.

Britt says, it still doesn’t feel like it’s computing, and Jason says, what? She says that he’s been arrested for something he didn’t do. Not just something – murder – and the person who did do it happens to be incredibly skilled at covering his tracks. He says he knows all this, and she says, of course (🍷) he does, because he’s Mr. Mob Guy who knows everything about everything, which is great when it comes to Jason’s territory and killing mobsters, but when it comes to Peter… She doesn’t even know how to say this. She went on the run with her father for a year, looking for any and every way out. When she tells him that Faison is a whole other level of crazy… He says, he should listen? but she says, no. Consider Peter was raised by that monster. He hated Faison’s guts, but that doesn’t change the fact that Peter learned everything Faison had to teach. All the lessons of espionage and manipulation and deceit. Does he see where she’s going with this? He says, tell him, and she says, Faison was a complete and utter psychopath who destroyed people’s lives for fun. And her brother – the person who framed Jason – learned at his knee. Maybe there needs to be a little more panic here, because life as he knows it is about to end.

Olivia tells Dante, if she’d known what that Kirk guy was doing to him in Geneva, she would have busted down the door and dragged Dante out herself. He says, and then what? and she says, none of this would have happened. Anna says, Kirk was conditioning Dante for months, and Dante says he doesn’t think there’s anything Olivia could have done. Olivia says there’s one thing she doesn’t get, and Dante says, just one thing? Olivia says, Kirk is dead. So he’s manipulating Dante from beyond the grave? Anna says, once the triggers are installed, they remain intact, so Kirk wouldn’t have to physically manipulate them. Olivia asks if Anna is sure Kirk wasn’t working with anyone else, and Anna says, there’s no evidence of that. Olivia says, at the end of the day, its done. It’s over with, and it’s all smooth sailing from here. Dante says, that’s the plan.

Martin tells Laura, he never started a family of his own, but don’t get him wrong. It’s not for lack of trying. Laura says, so he’s been there, and he says, several times. He’s paid enough alimony alone to fund a small country. After his third wife, he realized the problem just might be him. Laura says, it seems hard to believe, and he says he has a tendency to smooth talk his way out of… well, everything. He glosses over the underlying issues in the relationship. It’s funny. He just realized, in his effort to make his marriages different from his parents’ marriage, he created his own set of difficulties. She thought he got along with his parents, and he says he did, but there was tension in the house; they were always fighting about something. His father’s past transgressions… She says, or about Cyrus? Martin says he was the good son; the one they didn’t have to worry about. They were so traumatized by everything Cyrus put them through, there wasn’t much left over for him. They counted on him to take care of himself, so he did. She says she thinks she knows how he felt. From the other side, the sister she was raised with, Amy, was just the sweetest thing, but growing up, Laura was a lot. He says, it’s hard to imagine, and Laura says, Amy had to be twice as loud, and twice as gregarious just to get a little of the attention she was getting. Martin asks if she’s calling him gregarious, and she says she’s sure it was hard for Amy to live with her, just like it was hard for Martin to live with Cyrus. He says, they all have their challenges, but having people around who care about you makes those challenges a little easier to live with.

Sasha tells Gladys, Brando helped her through a rough time recently, and Gladys says she heard about Sasha’s rough time with drugs when Jackie interviewed her on GMA3. Sasha says, fortunately, she got the help she needed, in large part because of Gladys’s son. Gladys says, mm-hmm, and Brando and Michael come back in. Brando says he hopes they weren’t too long, and Gladys says they were just catching up. She suggests they grab themselves a table; she’s famished. Michael and Sasha go back to their table, and Sasha asks if everything is okay.

Cyrus says he doesn’t know what Carly is talking about. He barely knows this Gladys woman. She says, it all makes sense. He saw Jason was being brought in for questioning, and saw an opportunity. That’s why he’s there, going on and on about the Five Families salad dressing. He wanted her to know what was going on, so he could make her an offer she can’t refuse.

Britt says she and Jason were supposed to take down Cyrus together. What does he care if he goes to prison, and she’s left holding the bag? Don’t worry about her. She’s just risking her career, and life probably, while he’s safe and sound behind bars. He notices her hand shaking, and she says she knows she said prison is hellish, but if Cyrus finds out she’s been working against him, she’s going to wish she was in Pentenville. He takes her hand, and says she’s not as selfish as she wants people to think. She says, try her, and the guard comes back, saying, time to finish up. Jason has another visitor. It’s Sam.

Sonny says, Nina writes for a magazine, right? and she says she does. He asks why she doesn’t write an article on Nixon Falls. Tell people what’s going on there, and people will come there and spend money; it will tide people over. Phyllis says, it’s a wonderful idea, and asks if Nina thinks it’s possible. Nina says she’d love to help, but Crimson is a fashion magazine. He asks if she only writes about clothes, and not human interest, and she says, sometimes they do. He asks, what’s the problem? and she says she’s on a leave of absence. She has communication with her team, but the second in command is running the day to day business. She doesn’t think it would be appropriate for her to overrule their decisions, unless she was ready to go back to work. Phyllis says, of course (🍷). She completely understands. Nina’s been through a lot, and deserves some time off. She’ll grab Nina some water for her ride. Nina says, no, but Phyllis says, don’t be silly. They have plenty of bottles in the back. She leaves, and Sonny looks at Nina. Nina says, what? and he says he thinks she’s making a mistake.

Brook says Jason seems good; no lingering affects from the trauma. She leaves, and the guard locks the cell. He leaves, and Sam says, Molly told her Jason was arrested. She wanted to make sure everything was all right. He says he appreciates her checking up on him; he’s okay. She asks if he has a plan, and he says they’re working on it. She says she knows Peter killed Franco, and he says, but Peter is framing him, and they all know how good he is at that. Getting out of there isn’t going to be easy. Britt listens in.

Cyrus says, maybe Gladys’s eyesight isn’t what it used to be. She says she saw Jason with the gun used to kill Franco. Carly says, that’s right, and he says, perhaps on further reflection, she’ll realize she couldn’t possibly have seen Jason dispose of the weapon. Wouldn’t it be a relief if she were to suddenly recant her story? Just as it would be a relief if his mother was returned to him. Are they understanding each other? She says she thinks they do, and he says he looks forward to hearing from her.

Gladys says Sasha and Brando seem close, and he says, they’re just friends. She asks if that’s why he keeps stealing looks in Sasha’s direction. She’ll just say this. Does he think it’s wise to get involved with someone else in recovery? She thought that was a big no-no.

On the phone, Michael tells Willow where to find Wiley’s toy. He knows how cranky Wiley gets without Mr. Trunks. Sasha says, Mr. Trunks? and he says, it’s Wiley’s stuffed elephant, like we couldn’t guess that. She says, it doesn’t sound like Willow is holding a grudge about Nina, and he says he thinks she’s more disappointed than angry. She’s upset that he left her out, and he shouldn’t have. She says, if anyone knows he’s looking out for Wiley, it’s Willow, so don’t beat himself up. That said, when it’s time to register Wiley for preschool, consult Willow. He says he will, and she says she does feel sorry for Nina. Does it bother him that she said that? He says, no. He feels bad for her too. That’s why he and Willow brought Wiley to Crimson in the first place. He hopes it does work out someday. She asks if that’s why Nina left town, and he says Nina had to clear her head; she needs help. He hopes she gets it.

Sonny says he’s not a publisher, but Nina is the boss, right? She can pretty much print whatever she wants. She says he’s probably right, but he heard what Phyllis said. She’s been through a lot these past few months. She needs time to heal and recover. She needs time to… He says, balance the scales? She was wondering how to make the world right when she’s been wronged. Maybe she can help some people who’ve been good to her. Phyllis dropped everything to go to New York when Nina needed her. Maybe Nina can do the same.

🤔 Here’s where it got tricky. The video I was watching suddenly changed to today’s rerun. But then I found a different one. It had a janky soundtrack, but…

Olivia tells Dante, she used to think the spy life was romantic, but the WSB seems like a disaster from top to bottom. Anna says she’s no one to talk, but she’d like to point out Robert. He spent his whole career with the WSB, and he’s really a good person. He’s not unique. There really are some good guys in the WSB. Olivia says she’ll take Anna’s word for it. She asks if Dante is ready to go, and he says there’s a nap with his name on it. He thanks Anna, and they leave. She makes a call, saying she needs to see someone, right away.

Phyllis comes back with the water, and Nina says she changed her mind. She thinks she might stay a while. Mike is right. She could probably pull a few strings and get an article written about this place. Phyllis says, really? and Nina says, it might not see print for a while, but she’d like to help out any way she can. Phyllis hugs Nina, and says it means the world to her, but is Nina sure she doesn’t mind putting off her trip? Nina asks, what difference do a few days make? and Sonny says, none.

Michael tells Sasha, he thinks their impulse is to be strong. They tell themselves they can do this, but sometimes they need someone to guide them. Not tell them what to do, but help them figure a way out. Sasha agrees, and says it was nearly impossible for her to show up for her first counseling session. Everyone was telling her to go, but she was so humiliated and locked inside herself, it took everything in her. She knows it’s vastly different circumstances, but maybe Nina isn’t there yet. He hopes Nina gets there, and realizes the best thing for her and Wiley is for her to deal with this. Sasha hopes Nina gets there too.

Brando says Sasha’s recovery is none of Gladys’s business, and Gladys says Sasha told her personally. He says they’re just friends, and she says that’s not what it looks like to her. He tells her, look more closely. Sasha and Michael are clearly trying to work things out. She tells him, if he says so.

The waitress brings a chocolate cake with a candle to the table, and Laura says she wanted to celebrate Martin’s birthday. He thanks her, and says he’s truly touched. She says, have at it, and he blows out the candle. Cyrus comes by, and asks what Martin wished for.

Britt tells Sam, she knows they’re not each other’s biggest fans, but they have a common goal. Jason didn’t kill Franco. Sam says, what about Peter? Britt thinks he did it, and Sam says, he’s more dangerous to Maxie than they thought. Britt asks what they’re going to do about it.

Carly visits Jason, who’s very popular in jail. He asks if everything is okay, and she says, it will be. She’s getting him out of there. No matter what it takes.

🤷🏽 Okay, here’s where I ran out of options. I think there’s a little bit more, but I looked through 47,000 (slight exaggeration) videos, and couldn’t find one that had anything further. This episode is scheduled to be shown tomorrow, so we’ll find out then.

📽 For Real: The Story of Reality TV premiered on E! and its first episode was a trip down Reality Lane. Andy Cohen is the host, and he told us, in the golden age of Hollywood, celebrities were glamorous and unattainable. Once TV came along, they became more accessible, beginning with Lucille Ball. I know. I wouldn’t have thought of her either, but her show I Love Lucy did mirror her life somewhat. We found out that 12 hours before giving birth in reel life, Lucy had given birth in real life. Geez, here’s your hat, what’s your hurry. Get back to work. From there, surprisingly skipping An American Family, they jumped to MTV’s Cribs and The Real World. Then The Osbournes, who were the first celebrity family in reality TV. Andy explained that celebrities found that it was a vehicle for getting new fans, and Anna Nicole Smith followed, along with the Paris Hilton/Nicole Richie effort The Simple Life. The Girls Next Door was originally supposed to be about Hugh Hefner co-parenting with his ex, but Hef thought that was the dumbest idea he’d ever heard, and it morphed into a show about three residents of the Playboy mansion. The girls spun off Kendra on Top, Kendra Wilkinson’s life with husband Hank Baskett, which got kind of messy when Hank cheated with a transgender woman. Then there was Breaking Bonaduce, and the Holy Grail of reality shows, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which launched its cast from unknowns to the biggest stars in the world. They showed a clip from a Barbara Walters interview, where Barbara said they were famous for being famous, and Khloe said, but they were still entertaining people. Although I can’t say I’m a fan – I’ve actually seen very little of those shows – I had to admit she had a point. They agreed that Bruce Jenner’s transition to Caitlyn Jenner was the most difficult thing they’d had to go through on the show, since there was little precedent for the situation. It was fun to see clips from reality shows past, and I think this one’s a winner.

Next time, a reunion of some Real World NYC cast members, and interviews with reality stars.

🍸 Overserved was great! Everything I wanted it to be. LVP explained the premise as being the creation of a one-time only event, with a unique theme, exquisite food, unforgettable moments, and revealing conversation. This week, she prepared a Tuscan feast for guests Joel McHale and Cheryl Hines at Villa Rosa. Schnookie and Puffy were also in attendance, and Lisa had a Lady and the Tramp spaghetti moment with Puffy, as did Cheryl with Schnookie. Joel is one of the funniest human beings on the face of the earth, and did not disappoint, and Cheryl was not so bad herself. Some new factoids for me were that Cheryl is married to Robert Kennedy Jr., and Joel was born in Rome. However, when Lisa asked if he knew Italian, he said spaghetti and lasagna. The whole show just made me want to be there.

Next time, Lisa’s guests are – my favorite drag queen – Trixie Mattel and Iggy Azalea  

🏖 Summer House was the usual not-even-hot, more like lukewarm, mess. The guys got drunk and stupid, with the exception of Carl, while the girls had a spa night. Kyle was so mature that, instead of using one of the many bathrooms in the house like an adult, he got busy watering the plants, announcing it like it was an achievement. In her interview, Danielle gave props to Carl for having his sh*t fully together and his priorities straight. The group had a theme party, where the housemates represented different states, and set up their own pubs. Hannah told us that since they couldn’t go out to the pubs, they’d bring them to the house. This was actually pretty cool until someone wondered who the first one to puke would be, and I remembered what show I was watching. The HUGE topic of the night was, did Luke and Lindsay hook up? Especially since a psychic had confirmed it. Luke didn’t want to talk about his feelings, but It didn’t help any when he and Lindsay left the theme party together. Luke tried talking to Ciara, who wanted to give him boundaries. All she did was confuse him, and she ended up suggesting they not be friends, because it would be easier. Carl said Luke didn’t have the ability to own his truth, and I wondered what they even means anymore? Not to mention, Carl delivered that message while wearing his Amish pub owner’s getup. And who knew there was a rule that you don’t text a female after 9 pm unless you want to hook up? Not me. Kyle put his finger in Luke’s face, and said he exerted his power over women. It ended with Kyle walking out, then stomping back, bringing production with him, and a near brawl between Kyle and Luke, with the others holding them back from each other. Maybe these people just shouldn’t drink. Or go to the Hamptons. Or go anywhere.  

🛴 Time To Scoot…

Well, it’s been an interesting day for TV. Since tomorrow will be relatively open, I’m folding my tent and sneaking off into the night. There will be plenty of time to pour you some tea tomorrow. Wherever you’re sneaking off to, stay safe, stay as festive as possible, and stay not making it your job to balance the scales, and let it be up to fate.

Mar19

March 18, 2021 – Jordan Has an Eyewitness, Something In the Water, Really, New Chefs, a Thought & Proud

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Apparently, I’m doomed to repeat history, and missed the beginning. What happened was, Jordan brought Jason into the station in cuffs, Carly railing and ranting that she couldn’t arrest him based on what Elizabeth had said. Diane arrived shortly afterward. At Kelly’s, Sam told Peter that he wouldn’t see Jason coming, but Peter said he thought Jason had bigger problems. Valentin went to the hospital to check on Maxie, and Britt said he should worry about himself, and Peter coming after him. The nanny brought Violet to the hospital to see Finn, and Olivia was surprised to find a pregnant Brook lying on the couch. Brook practically lunged for the take-out bags in Olivia’s hands. Chase went to the gatehouse, and told Willow about Finn being his dad, and told her the whole, sad story. Brando and Gladys met at the bistro, and Jax showed up at Franco’s memorial. Then…

Chase says Willow must be tired of talking about this, but she says, of course (🍷) not. She asks if he wants to sit, and hands him a plush frog. She says, it’s not Wiley’s favorite, but he left it there for when he needs comfort during anxious moments. Wiley wouldn’t mind if Chase borrows it for a while. He says he might, and she says it’s nice to see him smile. He says he can’t help thinking about the talk show segment that’s been his life, and she says, coming from a mundane background, she can’t tell how he’s feeling. She imagines Finn is thinking the same things, but Chase says he doesn’t know. He hasn’t talked to him. She says, maybe it’s time to change that.

Violet tells Finn that she misses her dollhouse and her bed, and he says she’s due a proper tea party. He’ll phone Trish at the MetroCourt, and they can do it after he gets home. She says, tea is at four, and he says, then they’re on for four tomorrow at the hotel. It will be like Eloise at the Plaza. She asks if they can invite Anna, and miraculously, Anna appears. She asks if someone is planning a tea party, and Violet runs to her. She says she misses Anna, and  Anna says she misses Violet too. Violet asks if they can go home together now, and get married.

Gladys says her heart broke when she heard Brando was shot. It must have been hard dealing with Sonny’s family with Carly in the mix. Sonny could have done better. Carly is selfish to the core, but she’s going to reap what she’s sown. He says, how so? What does she think Carly deserves?

Carly says, every moment Jordan focuses on Jason, Franco’s killer has time to cover his tracks. Jordan asks if Carly is worried about getting justice for Franco, but Carly says she’s worried about Jason going down for a crime he didn’t commit. Diane says she’s there to address any potential injustice. Jordan leaves, and Diane asks why Carly is there. Carly says she was with Jason when Jordan brought him in, and Diane says, as distressing as it was, Carly should have stayed home. Jason asks, what’s going on? and Diane says Jordan doesn’t make an arrest if she doesn’t think it’s going to stick. She’s got something on Jason. Carly says, impossible, and Jason wonders what Jordan has. Diane says she doesn’t know yet. Is there anything he hasn’t told her? He says he didn’t do it, and she says she has to find out what Jordan has. As it stands, it looks like he’s in serious trouble.

Anna tells Violet, she knows it was unfair that her big night got interrupted, and Violet suggests they do it again. This time with no interruptions. Anna says, sounds like a good idea. She wishes she’d thought of it. She came to talk to Violet’s daddy about that very subject, but she’ll let them continue to plan their tea party. Violet says, how about scones and hot chocolate? and Anna says those are her absolute favorites. How did Violet know? Finn says he’ll get hot chocolate and scones from Kelly’s, and hugs Violet. Violet hugs Anna, and goes off with the nanny. Finn says, sorry. He thinks Violet still expects them to be a family, like everything is okay. He should have prepared her better. Violet blows him a kiss from the elevator, and he catches it, and blows one back.   

Brook tells Olivia, it smells amazing; it’s good to see Olivia too. Olivia looks at Brook’s belly, and says, this certainly is a surprise. Brook says it was a surprise to her too. In the words of her mother, you can take all the precautions you want, but nothing avoids pregnancy like good choices. Olivia asks if Brook’s father knows. The last time she saw Brook, she and Ned were mending fences after the brouhaha with Valentin… Is Valentin the father? Brook says, he doesn’t know yet, and Olivia says, no. He should never know about this.

Valentin says he’s touched by Britt’s concern, but Peter isn’t coming after him. Britt wonders if that’s humor talking or insanity. Valentin set the course for Peter’s entire miserable life, and in Peter’s mind, Valentin double-crossed him. Valentin says he thought she was single-minded when it came to Peter, but she says, just because she knows who Peter is, doesn’t mean the man who made him that way gets a pass. Now she gets to watch her remaining sibling follow in their father’s footsteps. He tells her not to let it cloud her judgement. Maxie and her child come first. She says, without them, what does Peter have left? and he says, Peter is a lost cause. She says, because his mother was Alex Marick and his father was Cesar Faison? Her father was Faison and her mother is Obrecht. Does that make her a lost cause too? Her hand begins to shake uncontrollably, and she slams it on the desk. Valentin is concerned, and says he wants to make sure she’s taken care of.

Dante meets Obrecht at the cemetery, where she tells him that the WSB wants a permanent solution to Peter. Peter is still a clear and present danger. They have no idea what he’s going to do next. Dante says he’ll keep cultivating leads. Something has to shake out. She says, it’s been decided, and he asks what she means by a permanent solution. She clicks her pen, and says Dante must complete the mission. He must assassinate Peter.

Sam asks what Peter thinks he knows about Jason, and Peter says he wouldn’t spread any information that hasn’t been completely vetted yet, and doesn’t want to put a strain on Sam and Jason’s relationship. She says Peter killed the father of her child, and he says, unfounded allegations. He gets it. The anxiety with Jason, her mother’s drinking; she’s got a lot on her plate. Her family is practically falling apart. He’s sorry about her difficulties, but it’s good that she created distance between herself and Jason. She doesn’t want to be dragged down with him. She asks, for what? and he says, the murder of Franco Baldwin.

Gladys asks why Brando cares. What has Carly done for him except be ungrateful for him saving her life? Carly should be down on her knees thanking him, but treats him like a poor relation. She knows Carly was the one who told Sonny to boot him out of the family because he got a better offer than working in a garage. He suggests she drive back in the car Sonny gave her, and he’ll deal with the mess she’ll leave behind. She says she’s the one who’s been cleaning up messes, and he asks what she did. She says, her civic duty.

Diane tells Jason, Jordan will be back to question him. What is he going to say? He says, I don’t know or I don’t recall, and Diane tells Carly, for the record, that’s how it’s done. Jordan is going to want to gather information, and so will she. What evidence does Jordan have that’s so compelling, she had the confidence to arrest him? Word has it, Jordan is fast tracking Jason’s arraignment. Carly says, good. They want Jason out as soon as possible, and Jason says he has no time to be sitting in a cell. Diane says she’ll do what she can, but they have to prepare for the possibility that Jason will be held without bail, especially with his extensive rap sheet. Carly says, that’s why they have Diane on retainer, and Diane says she’ll do her utmost, but she needs to hear what the evidence is before she can refute it. Jordan comes in with a gun in an evidence bag, and says, it’s the gun that was used to kill Franco. Does Jason recognize it? Jason says he’s never seen it before, and Jordan says, interesting. An eyewitness saw it in his hand.

Nina says she didn’t expect to see Jax. Is he paying his respects to Franco? He says, to be honest, he was hoping to find her there, but it’s an impressive display. If someone had told him ten years ago what Franco would accomplish… She says, he never would have believed it. Franco turned his life around. Jax says Nina turned her life around, and she says she has her moments, but what she did at the graveside wasn’t one of them. He says he doesn’t blame her, and she says she’s not asking his forgiveness. He says he understands, but actually, he’s asking for hers.

Chase tells Willow that he doesn’t see the point in going to Finn. He doesn’t know what to say. Willow asks what makes it his responsibility? She’s guessing Finn has lot to say to him, and Chase asks if she’s met Finn. She says, Finn is a great guy and a great dad. He’s done right by Violet, and she bets anything Finn wants to do right by him too.

Finn asks how Maxie is, and Anna says she hasn’t seen Maxie, but thinks she’s good. Maxie and the baby are doing well, all things considered. He says, good, and she says he sounds professional. Can’t they just talk like them? He says, sure, and she asks how he is. He says, managing, and her? She says she feels a bit beaten up… lonely. She keeps looking behind her at the house, thinking he’s there, and hearing little footsteps upstairs, thinking it’s Violet. She misses them both so much. She loves him. Finn says, we feel the same way, and she asks if that isn’t what’s important. That they love each other. Isn’t it enough to bridge the distance? Why doesn’t he come home, and they can work it out? Unless he doesn’t want to.

Obrecht says Dante has procured Maxie’s phone. He’s going to use it to lure Peter with a text message. Then he’s going to use this to kill him. She gives Dante a gun, and says, when Peter is dead, walk away. Leave him, and throw the gun into the harbor. If he’s questioned by the authorities, remember he’s to say he was under the orders of Dr. Kirk, who dictated Dante’s course of action before he left the doctor’s care in Switzerland. Does he understand his directives? He says he does, and she says they have to protect Maxie, her child, and countless others. Dante won’t be troubled by Peter’s death. He must complete the mission. He repeats, must complete the mission, and she leaves. He looks around, and looks at the gun and the phone in his hands.

Sam tells Peter, Jason didn’t kill Franco, and he asks if she doesn’t think Jason is capable of it. It was no secret that Franco’s mental health was unstable, and his condition was volatile. She says, and Peter made sure everyone found out. She doesn’t need a recap. He says he thinks she dodged a bullet, but she says she thinks he has. He looks at his phone, and says he has to go. Maxie wants to meet him. She says he’s lying, and he tells her, see for herself, showing her Maxie’s message to meet her at Nathan’s grave. They have to talk. Sam wonders why Maxie would want to meet at Nathan’s grave, and he says Nathan was his brother, and Maxie’s husband. Another way they’re connected. Excuse him. He has other pressing priorities.   

Britt tells Valentin, she knows she has nurses on staff who are waiting to justify their salaries, and he says he just wants to help. She says she’s fine, and he says he’s read about people who can take excruciating pain, but she says, he’s the one who’s going to be hurting. Peter is going to want payback, and he’s going to take a page from Faison’s playbook. He’s going to hurt the people Valentin cares about. If Valentin wants to protect Anna, Maxie, and Maxie’s child, he has to stop Peter.

Olivia tells Brook, she’s so sorry. She swears she’s not judging, and Brook says Olivia isn’t in a position to judge. Olivia says, that’s her point exactly. She didn’t want Julian to be part of Leo’s life, but the truth came out, and it might come out for Brook too. Brook has to play it close to the vest right now. Valentin is smarter and more duplicitous than Julian. Brook saw Valentin’s ELQ takeover, and how he played her. Her advice is to look to Charlotte, and take her cues from that. Brook says all she did was ask for some food, and now she’s getting extremely premature parenting advice from someone who has no business doing it. Olivia says it’s because she loves Brook. Brook says, and Olivia loves her father. Michael told her Olivia and Ned were having hard times. Is Ned there? Olivia says Ned isn’t living there right now, and Brook says, don’t tell her father. He has enough to be miserable about.

Finn tells Anna that he thinks about Violet, and what’s best for her. He tried to come up with an arrangement where he can deal with being involved with a WSB agent… She says she’ll quit. She doesn’t need the job, and they don’t need her anymore. She gave her life to the Bureau, and they’ve taken more than enough in return. She doesn’t care about it anymore; he and Violet are all that matters. He says he appreciates the gesture, but they’ve had this conversation before. He’d thought their future was secure, but then she left for six months to find her sister. She says, Alex is dead, but he says, it’s not about Alex; it’s about her. She’ll always have her own priorities and the need to do things on her own, and that’s good, but he’s old-fashioned and thinks marriage should be a  partnership. Any time the past comes up, she shuts him out. It was hard for him to deal with before Violet, but now, he can’t tear her life apart on a moment’s notice. He has to know they’ll be honest with each other, and next time there’s a crisis, they’ll face it together. Anna says it’s the least he should expect, but she can’t guarantee she won’t have to deal with something from her past. He says he doesn’t know what kind of relationship he can have with someone who only reveals part of themselves, and keeps another part hidden. She says, she doesn’t mean to keep anything hidden, but it’s like a reflex; it kind of just happens without her thinking about it. He says he gets it, but it’s working against them and their life together. If she could learn to tell the truth and be honest, maybe they could find a way to move forward with this. If they can do that, maybe they could have a tea party.

Chase tells Willow that Gregory will always be his dad. If he takes steps toward Finn, it will hurt Gregory like hell. She asks if he thinks his dad will feel like Chase is leaving him behind, and Chase says Gregory wouldn’t want to, but you can’t help how you feel. She suggests he talk to Gregory. They were always close; maybe it can help their bond. Things might change, but Gregory will be there for him if they confront it together. Chase says, okay. In the meantime, he’ll let Finn come to him. He can’t even look Finn in the eye, much less talk to him. She says, what if Finn is thinking the same thing, and waiting for Chase? If they’re waiting for the same signal, and never get it, they’ll never get anywhere. He’s definitely the wronged party, but the longer he waits to deal with it, the harder it will be. Chase asks why he has to be the one, and she says, maybe because he’s better at handling it than Finn. Finn cut himself off from the family, and there were years of silence and distance. The longer Chase waits, the more likely it is they won’t be able to repair this mistake.

Finn tells Anna, when he was watching Violet sleeping, he didn’t think there was a path back. Maybe he still doesn’t. Anna says, no, and he says, the lies have to stop. Promise him that, and maybe there’s a chance to make it work. She says she wishes she could make that promise, but there are things that are too dangerous for him to know, that could put him, and God forbid, Violet at risk. There might be times when she has to deal with a situation on her own, or turn to someone trained to provide cover. He says, like Robert or Cassadine, and she says she’s not choosing them or trusting them over Finn. She’s taking action to keep him and Violet safe. He says, including lying to his face, and she says, in her line of work, sometimes it’s necessary to lie. He says, like the ones she was telling herself. It’s not the first time he and Violet moved out. He suspected Peter was dangerous, but she convinced him otherwise. She knew Violet was a priority, and knew if she told him the truth about what Alex and Peter were capable of, he and Violet would leave. Anna says, he’s right. She did, and she’s sorry. It was really selfish, but she loves them so much. He says he doesn’t blame her. He knows what it’s like. Thinking you’re doing something right has a way of clouding your judgement. Secrets and lies keep you sick. He understands from his disease. His life was turned upside down, like now. He doesn’t need much justification to reach for an injection or a pill, but he can’t jeopardize his sobriety. It’s not just for himself anymore. He has people who need him. She asks if there’s no other way, and he says he’s looking, but he can’t see it. The only way forward is to be apart.

Jax says he tried calling Nina a few times, but she says she wasn’t up to talking. He says he understands; he just wanted to make sure she was okay… and apologize. He desperately regrets how things turned out, but he’ll never regret loving her. She says she can’t listen to this, and starts to walk out. He says, if there’s a chance that things can work out between them, he wants to take it, because they’re worth fighting for.

Carly says, this is crazy. It’s one thing for Elizabeth to make things up – she’s hysterical – but to believe them? Diane says she reviewed Elizabeth’s statement, and nowhere did she read that Elizabeth saw her client with a gun. Jason wasn’t there when Franco got shot, and when Elizabeth arrived, she and Jason were in each other’s presence until the medics arrived. Jordan asks Jason if it’s true that he was always in Elizabeth’s sight, but Diane says, he can’t attest to someone else’s observation. Jordan asks if he didn’t step into the corridor when he called 911. Carly says, when he called for help. That proves he was trying to assist with the situation. Jordan says, it proves that he can’t account for his whereabouts for a brief time. Diane says, emphasis on brief, but Jordan says, it was enough time to drop the gun down the laundry shoot, which is where they found it. Diane asks if Jason’s fingerprints were on it, and Jordan doesn’t say anything. Diane says she didn’t think so, and Carly says Elizabeth was with Franco the whole time. She couldn’t have possibly witnessed anything that corroborates Jason getting rid of the gun. Jordan tells them, she didn’t say Elizabeth was the eyewitness.

Brando says, Gladys did her civic duty? She doesn’t have a civic-minded bone in her body. She says she did Port Charles a service at great risk to her personal safety. Gladys remembers telling Jordan that she was standing in a loft on Talmage Street, a short term rental. She heard a noise, and looked out the door. She saw the studio door open, and he came out with a gun. He dropped it in the laundry shoot, and went back inside. Jordan asks if she’s certain, and Gladys says she’s sure. She’s seen him plenty of times, and would know those cold eyes anywhere. She looks at a picture of Jason, and says, it was him, Sonny’s guy. Jason killed that man, she swears it on Mike’s grave. Huh. Nice little twist.

Finn tells Anna, it’s okay. They’ll make arrangements to come by and get Roxie. She says, whatever he wants is fine. She’ll make arrangements to get Violet’s tea set over to the hotel. She knows Violet wants it. She was thinking, if he wants her to talk to Violet, she can explain or reassure her. Unless he prefers she stay out of it. He thanks her for the offer, but he doesn’t know how Violet is going to react. He’s going to do his best to explain. He wants Anna to know that he’s not going to take Violet away from her, or her away from Violet, and she says she’ll be there anytime he asks. She tells him, it seems like she’s resigned to walking away, but she’s not. Finn says, him neither, and smiles. He says, it’s good to know they went down fighting, and she says, yeah. When she fell in love with him, she told herself it was for the last time. She cries a little, and says, it felt like a fresh start for her. He did change her. He takes her hand, and says she changed him too. They just didn’t change enough. She guesses not, and they hug. She leaves, and he says, goodbye, Anna.

Willow asks Olivia if that was Brook, but Olivia is on the phone. She tells Ned that she’s at the house, and asks if he can come over. She needs to speak with him right away.

Finn is looking at his tablet, when Chase comes in.

Britt calls to confirm her appointment, and asks what they mean, reschedule? She can’t do that. She needs to see the doctor now. Her hand shakes even more.  

Brando says, Jason shot Franco? He finds it hard to believe, and Gladys asks if he’s calling her a liar. She’s been working up the nerve to see him. She already went to the police. She says she thought he’d be grateful. Jason is a menace, and the streets are safer without him. She thanks him for lunch, and says she’ll see him at dinner.

Diane asks Jordan who the unnamed eyewitness is, and Jordan says Diane will get the information during discovery. In the meantime, she’ll see them in court. She leaves, and Carly asks, what happens now? Diane says, now, they have a problem.   

Valentin meets Nina outside Kelly’s, and asks if she’s been waiting long. He came as soon as he could. She thanks him for meeting her, and he says, it sounded urgent. She gives him an envelope, and asks him to give it to Charlotte. She’d give it to Charlotte herself, but she’s leaving. She needs to get away from Port Charles. He asks, what happened? and she tells him not to make it harder than it is. Just tell Charlotte that she loves her. He says he tells Charlotte that every night, and she says he’s a great father. She touches his face, and walks away. He starts to leave, and comes face to face with Brook.   

Obrecht sees Jax, and says, Heir Jax. He says he heard she was out, and she says she understands he’s been busy breaking her niece’s heart. He says she’s probably not too happy with him, but she says, not at all. He did what he thought necessary for the greater good; she knows the feeling. It’s a shame Franco, who truly turned his life around, is gone, while those who are evil and pretend to be good are walking free. Jax leaves, and she says, but not for much longer, and smiles.

Sam tries calling Maxie, and says, pick up. Don’t do this to her.

Dante puts Maxie’s phone in his pocket. Peter arrives, and asks, where’s Maxie? She texted him to meet her there. Dante says, Maxie didn’t text Peter. He did.

Tomorrow, Olivia wants to talk to Ned about his daughter, Finn wants to run another paternity test, Carly asks why Elizabeth is sure Jason is guilty, and Dante has to complete the mission.

🏖 On Horror Summer House, Lindsay claimed Stephen did nothing terrible, but he wasn’t giving her what she wanted in the relationship. Kyle – possibly the most humongous baby of a man I’ve ever seen – whined that he’d literally lost sleep over his clashes with Hannah, and Amanda told him to decide which battles were worth the fight. He questioned whether Hannah believed in his and Amanda’s relationship, and I failed to see why he should even care. He and Hannah had yet another argument where Hannah compared Kyle to her father, then screeched at him not to bring her family into it. I’m telling you, there’s something in the water there that makes people unreasonable and immature. Hannah told Ciara that she’d wanted to have fun this summer, so why did she have to be attacked by a little blonde leprechaun? In Hannah’s interview, she said having to win at tennis to get her dad’s love as a child caused her to fear not being good enough, and she couldn’t handle it when men were aggressive. Luke did the first smart thing since he got there, and stayed out of it, playing his guitar on the back porch. Carl was quarantined in his room, after having made a trip home after his brother died, which was probably a blessing in disguise. Later, Hannah said she’d reflected, and was sorry for the negativity. She said she looked up to Kyle, and in her interview, Lindsay said she was no actress, but was calling bullsh*t. Everyone was friends again.

Hannah started talking up Des, and in Luke’s interview, he called Des a backup plan for Hannah. The group had a beach picnic, and Lindsay broke up with Stephen over the phone, saying she thought they should go their separate ways, even though she acknowledged he’d been trying. This one is so spoiled, I don’t think she knows what she wants. He kept doing what she told him to, and then the terms would change. He most likely dodged a bullet. Ciara thought it was weird that Lindsay seemed to feel unbothered, and said she would have been bawling. The other girls predicted a Luke and Lindsay hook-up by the end of the summer. Amanda told Kyle that she wanted to start a family right away (God no), but Kyle said, although Loverboy was doing well, he wasn’t ready for responsibilities like a house and mortgage. Hannah’s psychic told her that Luke and Lindsay were POS, and she was better off without Luke. The girls speculated as to whether Lindsay and Luke had already hooked up, and Amanda insisted they had to get to the bottom of it. For whatever reason, Paige was recruited to question Luke, and she said she was so chicken, she was going to throw up. I guess it must get boring after a while, sipping margaritas on a swan floatie in the pool, and eating barbecue.

Best exchange of the night:

Ciara: Welcome to the single girls club. Lindsay: Well, I’m thirty-four and you’re twenty-four. Ciara: A welcome is a welcome.

Next time, sexual tension is in the air, Lindsay asks if they know who she is, Luke says he doesn’t like Kyle, and a possible fistfight. Yay.  

📺 For Real: The Story of Reality TV, hosted by Andy Cohen, will air on E! Thursday, March 25th at 9 pm.

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/andy-cohen-e-tv-news-roundup-1234907438/

🔪 Bravo’s Top Chef Portland will begin on April 1st at 8 pm. No foolin’.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/top-chef-season-18-cast-premiere-date-trailer

💭 Just a thought. People who remove messages all the time on social media or messenger should have their phones taken away. Maybe people would start thinking more about what they write before they write it. It’s so annoying. I want to see what you wrote when you were drunk/pissed off/just being an idiot.

🍵 Tea You Tomorrow…

It got late while I wasn’t looking, but there will be time for tea and GH tomorrow. In the meantime, stay safe, stay buckling your seatbelt, and stay appreciating any welcome you get.

Feb16

February 15, 2021 – GH Is Catching Up, a Pandemic Halts the Deck, Behind the Real, Another AMC Reunion, Reuniting On Edge, Valentine’s Soap, Daytime Goodbye, Real Take Two, a Different Stand, Fashion Break, Today’s Fact, Two Holiday Quotes & Respect

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

There don’t seem to be any new episodes out there, and today ABC aired this one:

https://tvwiththeresa.wordpress.com/2021/02/10/february-9-2021-not-preempted-4u-phyllis-gives-nina-a-confirmation-will-they-or-wont-they-all-about-alex-unmasked-a-goodbye-new-wonder-dead-news-globe-list-today/

I’m guessing we’re done with preemption… for now.

Below Deck

Jolly Harbour. Francesca tells Elizabeth that every charter, she’s been putting in her energy, and checking up on her. Elizabeth sleeping in the guest cabin was the final straw. She’s been super disrespectful of the interior, and Francesca has come to a decision that she’s going to have to let Elizabeth go. Elizabeth looks panicked, and says, what? Francesca says, sorry, and Elizabeth asks if they can’t stick it out. Francesca says Elizabeth has exhausted her chances; sorry. Captain Lee says Francesca will help Elizabeth get her stuff together, and Elizabeth tells him, sorry. He says, sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Elizabeth tells Izzy that she’s been fired, and Izzy says, what the sh*t? Rachel asks Izzy if Elizabeth just said she got fired. In Elizabeth’s interview, she says she’d be the first to admit if she was wrong or she sucked, or she did anything to deserve it. It feels like it’s not even real. She says she can’t believe Francesca is doing this, and Francesca says Elizabeth’s behavior toward her is bullsh*t. It’s not nice, and she’s disrespectful. She’s been chatting to everyone about Francesca, and it’s coming back to her. Really? How come we never saw that? Elizabeth asks if Francesca will talk to the captain, but Francesca says she made the call. Rachel tells Izzy that sh*t rolls downhill. The only person actually keeping it together is Ashling. In Rachel’s interview, she says she understands Elizabeth’s foibles, but Elizabeth is close to her heart. We flash back to them having fun together, and Rachel says, it sucks, and it’s unfair. Francesca tells Elizabeth that she’s given her chances, and when Elizbeth reaches for Francesca’s arm, Francesca says, please don’t touch me, which is just a little overdramatic IMO. In Francesca’s interview, she says she doesn’t want to be a bad chief stew. Elizabeth was given chances. We flash back to Francesca calling Elizabeth out, and Francesca says Elizabeth shouldn’t be surprised. Elizabeth tells Rachel that Francesca doesn’t respect her, and wants her to go. Rachel says, stay calm, and just pack. Francesca tells Ashling about firing Elizabeth, and in James’s interview, he says he’s going to miss her. Izzy asks if James is okay, and he says he’s fine. In his interview, a producer asks if a part of him is relieved, and he asks why they said that to him. God, I’m an a-hole. At least he admits it. Elizabeth wails that now she has to go back to New York, and deal with the virus. She doesn’t want to go.

James tells Izzy that it shows how bad Elizabeth and Francesca got on, and Izzy says she thinks it’s personal. She tells James that she and Rachel had plans to get Elizabeth a birthday cake. Ashling the snake hugs Elizabeth, and in her interview, Ashling says, in some ways, she feels guilty. It should have happened three or four charters ago, but it never did. She doesn’t think yachting is for Elizabeth. Izzy tells Rob something about rinsing down the side of the boat, and he walks away, saying, just smile and nod. Francesca starts carrying Elizabeth’s bags downstairs. In Eddie’s interview, he says Francesca was looking for an ultimate reason to fire Elizabeth. It’s pretty evil, but it’s what’s best for the crew. Elizabeth tells Rachel that she’s okay. She says goodbye to everyone, and tells them that she loves them. James tells her, keep in touch, and she says, this sucks. He says he knows, and in her interview, she says, when an opportunity closes, it’s like a compass for her, and sends her in a better direction. She feels wronged, but believes in karma. What goes around, will come around for Francesca. She decides to call her energy healer.

March 13, 2020. Rachel says, it’s the eighth charter, and she’s so frustrated. In her interview, she says, Elizabeth is gone; who is going to be blamed now? Francesca’s done nothing to fix the problem. She tells Eddie, everything will come out in the wash, and become clear as day. In Francesca’s interview, she says it’s like a huge weight has lifted from her shoulders. Rachel is pissed about Elizabeth, but at this point, Rachel can jump off the boat. Rob tells Ashling, they’re going to nail it, and the crew gets ready to go out. The captain says, the whole goddam world has gone mad. James’s mother calls him, and tells him about all kinds of things being canceled, and how they can’t get hand sanitizer or soap. She thinks it’s going to get worse before it gets better. He wonders if he’s going to be stuck in Antigua, but she says it’s better than being stuck in the house.

They get in the taxi, and James says, Elizabeth was his drinking partner, and now he has no one. I play my violin. Ashling announces that it’s traumatic in Italy; all the shops are closed. Francesca says, it’s mental, and they all scroll their phones for news. Eddie thinks it will get bad for two weeks, then probably get better. Ha-ha-ha! That’s what we all thought. The birthday cake comes out, topped with sparklers, surprising Rachel. Francesca stupidly toasts to Elizabeth’s birthday, and everyone starts grabbing at the cake. The waitress says they started before she brought the knife, and Rachel says, it’s already in somebody’s back. BA-DUM-CHH! In Rachel’s interview, she says she ordered the cake, but then canceled it, and the sh*t showed up anyway. Francesca seems super stoked that Elizabeth isn’t there. Let’s celebrate. That’s f***ed up. Izzy tells the rest of them that she and Rachel assumed this wasn’t happening. Rachel leaves the restaurant, and Francesca suggests they go back to the boat. Outside having a smoke, Rachel says, tasteless as sh*t. Francesca sees Rachel sitting on a bench, and asks if she wants to come, but Rachel says she’s good. She thought what happened with the cake was distasteful, and not appropriate; she needs a moment. In Francesca’s interview, she says, Rachel is a ticking time bomb. She feels like if she says anything wrong, Rachel will explode. In Rachel’s interview, she says she was upset that the cake came. She thought that it was distasteful and handled wrongly. In the taxi, James says, Rachel is just using it as an excuse to be mad. Rachel takes a separate taxi back by herself.

Francesca feels she should talk to Rachel, but Eddie says he wouldn’t. Rachel comes back to the boat, and says it was the most distasteful thing she’s seen. Eating someone’s cake on their birthday when they’re gone was the wrong move. In her interview, Rachel says, there’s a pandemic, and these a-holes are celebrating Elizabeth’s departure. She doesn’t think it’s right. Rachel walks through the crew mess, and says, fine, whatever, and as she’s walking, she tells Francesca to shove the cake up her ass. Go Rachel. On deck, Rob tells James, it was the icing on the cake. Groan.

Rachel calls Vincenzo, who tells her that it’s 5 am. She says her friend got fired, then her birthday cake showed up at dinner. The crew cut the cake and celebrated, so she walked off. Vincenzo says, he’s happy to hear her voice, and in Rachel’s interview, she says Vincenza is her confidante. He makes everything better. She says she’s glad to see his face, and in her interview, she says he takes her away from a sh*t situation. Francesca whacks her head on the top of her bunk, and I laaaugh.

March 14. A newscaster says, they don’t know much, but it might just be the tip of the iceberg. In Rachel’s interview, she says, last night was a huge deal. Francesca is a super bully. She had to fire someone because she’s inept and incapable of training them. She effing sucks. Eddie tells the crew that the goal is to put things away, and leave them better than they found them. James says, the UK has been shut down. Rachel radios the captain, asking if he’s available, and Francesca wonders what she’s going to say. She knows Rachel is upset about Elizabeth, but what else might she say to the captain? She’s been trying hard to maintain a relationship, and not say anything. Rachel tells Captain Lee, this isn’t okay. She has issues with service. Captain Lee says they have two more charters; six effing days. He could do them standing on his head. He sees her frustration, but Francesca had to pick up the slack for Elizabeth. She’s been going to bed too late, and getting up too early, like Rachel. In his interview, the captain says, both Rachel and Francesca care about what they do, and want the same end result, but they each take a circuitous route. It’s a sh*t sandwich. Time to take a bite.

HA-HA-HA! Francesca hit her head on an open cupboard door. In Izzy’s interview, she says she’s starting to think she’ll have to talk to Rob. That sh*t brings up anxiety in her. She tells James that she doesn’t want to act like an a-hole, but she has to point out her authority. In her interview, she says Rob takes pleasure in bringing her down. She doesn’t know if it’s insecurities that he needs to talk to a therapist about, or he’s genuinely a d*ckhead. Eddie says he hates this effing island. Rachel radios Francesca to talk in the galley, and in her interview, Francesca says the last thing she wants to do is have a meeting with Rachel, but they have two charters left, and have to sort something out. Rachel says when Francesca is on service by herself, and needs help, she understands. Elizabeth wasn’t the best stew. Francesca says she gets where Rachel is coming from, but don’t take it out on her. Rachel apologizes (!), and says, they should make a good go of it, and kill it. In Rachel’s interview, she says, there are certain people you can’t bark at. If she gets aggressive with Francesca, she can’t get the end result she needs. Francesca says, if something isn’t working, they’re both proactive enough to fix it. In her interview, Rachel says, opening the communication barrier will help them be cohesive. They have two charters left. Then Francesca can s*ck her effing d*ck. Alrighty then.

Rob points out that James is using half a jar of peanut butter on his sandwich, and James says that’s because he’s on a diet. The captain looks at his phone, and tosses it down. He says, Jesus Christ, and ponders heavily. He says, the world is going to hell in an effing handbasket. He radios the crew to be in the main salon in five minutes. Rachel wonders what happened, and Eddie says, something’s not right. The crew gathers, and the captain says they have a situation. Their last two charters have been canceled, and effectively, their season has ended. In his interview, the captain says it’s something he’s never experienced, and it’s scary as hell, and frustrating. There’s not an effing thing he can do about it, and he’s not used to that. He tells the crew they’ll make their exit tomorrow. He’ll take care of the travel arrangements. In Francesca’s interview, she says she can’t believe this is happening. Her family isn’t well, and she’s afraid of what she can bring back. It’s a situation she doesn’t want. The captain says they’re done; they’ll wrap up tonight. Carry on. Rob says, that escalated quick, and Eddie goes to the bridge. He and Captain Lee agree that it got real, and in Eddie’s interview, he says he never thought this would happen. He’s worried about his family. He’s hearing there’s no toilet paper, and he doesn’t know what’s going on. Captain Lee tells him, it’s been a pleasure.

James calls his mom, and Izzy calls sister Tory. In Izzy’s interview, she says she’s not ready to leave. She’s not ready to go out and face the world in a pandemic. James tells his mom to fill the fridge, and put on an apron. There’s cooking that needs to be done. Ugh. I think he’s joking, but coming from him, it rubs me the wrong way. Rob whines that they lost five grand. I seriously doubt two more charters would have netted them five grand. More like  three. Rachel texts Vincenzo, and in her interview, she starts to cry, saying, she can’t see her boyfriend. She loves him, and he can’t come to the US. She just wants to see him. Vincenzo tells her, don’t stress. They’ll organize tomorrow In her interview, Rachel says she just wants to go home. The crew gathers in one of the lounges, and Eddie says he’s disappointed to have it end this way. They pour drinks, and the captain walks through. They offer him something, but he says he’s not in a celebratory mood. Francesca wonders why he’s not in a celebratory mood, since she’s such a moron, and Eddie says they might as well celebrate what they did this season. Francesca pops some champagne, and they toast. They put on some music, and take pictures, dancing and jumping around like idiots. Eddie finally decides to go to bed.   

Francesca says going to Australia means quarantining for 14 days. In Rob’s interview, he says he was just setting up there. He feels nervous. He commanded boats to escape the rest of the world, but he can’t this time. He tells Eddie that his dad messaged him from Canada, and he thinks he has to go there. In Francesca’s interview, she says she has a 30 hour flight back, and doesn’t know what to expect. I break out my violin, and think, at least Elizabeth got a head start.  

March 15, 2020. To top things off, it’s raining. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says, when he woke up, for a brief moment, he thought he had to get up for charter pick-up. Then the realization hit him, and he sat there going, WTF? He needs to be home with his family to take care of them. The engineer and delivery crew will take the boat back to the owners, and they’ll see how everything shakes out.

Francesca asks Eddie what his rose and thorn of the season were, and Eddie says his rose was charter one. We flash back to those very entertaining gay dudes, and he says his thorn was the entire goddam deck crew. Izzy tells James the way Rob acts toward her is rude, and we flash back to Rob being extremely disrespectful to her. James texts Rob, telling him, heads up. He thinks Izzy wants to have a chat with him about his rudeness. In his interview, James says, he likes them both, but Rob’s his boy. Izzy says, Rob has locked himself in the bathroom, so no one can speak to him. In Rob’s interview, he says he thinks it’s time for him to get back into the science swing of things. He likes mixing it up. Rob sees Izzy, and says he’s been meaning to talk to her, weirdly turning the tables. He wants to say he’s sorry for giving her a hard time. If anyone deserved to be lead deckhand, it’s her, and he’s glad. She says the way he treated her, and his passive comments were disrespectful, especially to someone in a new management position. It’s not appropriate, and a 32 year old shouldn’t act like a 12 year old. He says he’s sorry he made her feel that way, but she says she knows he doesn’t give a f***. He says, sometimes you see the error of your ways, and she asks if he has. She doesn’t think so, but hopes he has a safe trip home. He  thanks her for taking the time to talk to him. Ashling and Francesca eavesdrop like they’re 12 years old, and Francesca says she didn’t know the extent of the issue.

In Ashling’s interview, she says she sums up the experience as fun, vibrant, interesting, and weird. She says goodbye to Francesca, and in her interview, says, it’s goodbye for now. Who knows what the future holds? She might not be able to leave the country. Rachel goes to the bridge to say goodbye to Captain Lee. He tells her that she’s a talented chef, and he enjoyed working with her. In his interview, he smiles, and says, Rachel is a piece of work. She’s brilliant at her job, but there’s no doubt she’s wound up a little tight. He doesn’t mind. She wanted a shot at redemption, and she did him proud. Now that he knows which buttons not to push, he’d work with her again. In Rachel’s interview, she says she has no regrets, but she’s happy to get off the boat, and deal with what’s happening in the real world.

Francesca passes around a shammy for everyone to sign. Izzy tells James that she knows he tipped Rob off. In her interview, Izzy says, James is infatuated with Rob; they have a bromance. But she’s disappointed in him. It was a d*ck move. She tells him that he’s a sh*tbag. In her interview, she says she’s disappointed that James didn’t have her back, but it’s such a bromance, she’s not surprised. In James’s interview, he says he wants to go back to complaining about the English weather, going to the gym, and winding his parents up. The season was a muddled blur of work, arguments, and drama, with a sprinkle of fun. He and Izzy hug, and in her interview, Izzy says, they’re not divorced. They’re separated and taking a break separated. It’s a conscious uncoupling. James leaves, and Eddie tells Francesca, everything is nuts. Izzy goes to see Captain Lee, who tells her that she was a pleasure to work with. She says she learned so much, and has so much more to learn. She wants to prove she can do it. He says he thinks she’s capable of more than she realizes. He’s proud of her. They hug, and in Izzy’s interview, she says, the season ended much how she imagines sex with James would be – abrupt and unsatisfying. She started as third stew – she and Eddie clink beer bottles – and she’s ending the season where she deserves to be. She has a good feeling. She thanks Eddie for encouraging her to be an effing legend. He says if she keeps going the way she is, she’ll be bosun in no time. They hug, and she thanks him again. In Eddie’s interview, he says, it gets him choked up.

Francesca tells the captain goodbye, and gives him the shammy signed by the crew (sans Elizabeth), to remember the season by. He tells her, it’s sweet, but he won’t forget it any time soon. In his interview, he says that Francesca had big shoes to fill, but she’s very bright, and genuinely loves to please people. In Francesca’s interview, she says she had a lot to manage this season, and it was exhausting. It will be nice to go home, and see her family. Especially in times like these, that’s what’s most important. I wonder what the hell Francesca is wearing. She has a huge infinity scarf hanging over a nude top, and it looks like she’s wearing no top except the scarf.

Eddie goes to the bridge, and tells Captain Lee, the time has come. He has a flight to catch. The captain says, they made it – sort of. Eddie says, it sucks that it ended like this, but it was a wild ride, and the captain says he’s proud of Eddie. He made progress, and handled his team well. There were a few speed bumps, but there always are. The captain gives him a set of stripes, making him a first officer. Eddie says, it’s the second pair the captain has given him, and we flash back to seven years ago, when Eddie was made bosun. Captain Lee says he appreciates Eddie, and Eddie says, it was a good season. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says Eddie made the season easier. He worked tirelessly, and made the season for him. Eddie is what he would have wanted his son to turn out like… had he lived. He tells us, that’s all he can say, and I want to cry, looking at his face. He quietly says, he’s a great kid.

In Eddie’s interview, he says he’s honored to be given another stripe from Captain Lee. The captain is someone he holds to a high standard, and considers a good friend. It means the world to him. He walks down the dock, and says, that’s it, rounding the corner.

Captain Lee packs. In his interview, he says, it really sucks. He started the season in a hospital – we flash back to him telling Eddie that he has broken ribs – it didn’t start well – we flash back to Shane being let go, and Rachel walking off – and it didn’t end well – we flash back to the firing of Elizabeth, and news of the coronavirus, the announcer saying, this just may be the tip of the iceberg. The captain says, this year was tough. You have tough years, but don’t toss in the towel. You pick yourself up keep going because there are people who depend on you. It’s not the end of the world. We’re tougher and better than this. He hopes everyone gets home safe, and maybe to a better place than the one they left. As always, he tells us that he has the best goddam job in the world. He tells the boat, thanks, old girl.

Next time, I assume The Reunion.

😈 That evil mastermind of reality television, Andy Cohen, is premiering a new show. For Real: The Story of Reality TV will begin on March 25th, on the E! network.

🙌🏽 Reunited Again…

Join some of the Pine Valley residents on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 3 p.m. EST.

Don’t Miss This ALL MY CHILDREN Online Reunion!

🌃 On the Edge…

And somewhere in Monticello, another reunion will be happening on Thursday, February 18, at 3 p.m. ET.

Don’t Miss This EDGE OF NIGHT Online Reunion!

💘 Celebrities, They’re Just Like Us…

Except they get Godiva instead of Dove.

See How Your Favorite Soap Stars Celebrated Valentine’s Day

🧛🏻‍♀️ From the Shadows…

A sad farewell to a vet of the soap world.

GENERAL HOSPITAL Actor Christopher Pennock Dead at 76

🗽 More Real In NYC…

I’m not sure how I feel about the fact that they were all available. Have they been held in suspended animation since the show ended? Don’t they have jobs? Since Eric will be around, can we get The Grind back too?

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/the-real-world-returning-to-paramount-with-original-new-york-cast

🎡 A Stand-Up Ending…

The Stand has concluded on CBS All Access. Apparently, it met with Stephen King’s approval, and mine too. Alexander Skarsgård was especially impressive as devil incarnate Randall Flagg. WARNING: SPOILERS IN THIS ARTICLE.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-stand-finale-differences-stephen-king-book/

👗 A Moment of Fashion…

What does that even mean, broke the internet? Mine’s still working just fine. And please. Since when does fashion have a moment with a seven-year-old?

https://www.eonline.com/news/1235524/from-jennifer-lopez-to-north-west-these-are-the-fashion-week-moments-that-broke-the-internet

📌 That’s a Fact…

Phillis Wheatley was the first African American to publish a book of poetry, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, in 1773. Born in Gambia and sold to the Wheatley family in Boston when she was 7 years old, Wheatley was emancipated shortly after her book was released.

Bars Fight, written by poet and activist Lucy Terry in 1746, was the first known poem written by a Black American. Terry was enslaved in Rhode Island as a toddler, but became free at age 26 after marrying a free Black man.

Clotel; or, The President’s Daughter, was the first novel published by an African American, in 1853. It was written by abolitionist and lecturer William Wells Brown.

– from Oprah magazine

🔥 Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your hearth or burn down your house, you can never tell. – Joan Crawford (My contribution to and acknowledgement of Valentine’s Day.)

🏛 Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. – Thomas Jefferson (My contribution to and acknowledgement of President’s Day.)

⛸ Time To Skate…

Since tomorrow is a heavy work day, it’s time for me to slide over to another lane. See you tomorrow with whatever I can come up with, but until then, stay safe, stay evolving, and stay not tossing in the towel. You have people depending on you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF-gQP91iIE