Tag Archives: Gary King

August 28, 2023 – Curtis Makes a Decision, Returning, The Real Ned, NYC Minute, Denial Ain’t a River, Making Merit, Magic Moment & Wine

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth sees Finn on the roof and says, she thought she told him that this was her spot. He says, she’ll have to thumb wrestle him for it, and she sits next to him. She says, he’s been up here a lot lately. He must have something on his mind. He says he found out something yesterday and came up here to try and process it. He still can’t wrap his head around it, and doesn’t think he ever will.

Kristina goes to Alexis’s office, and Alexis asks, what brings her here? Kristina says she wanted to thank Alexis for talking to Diane. She agreed to be on the board of the Corinthos-Davis House. Alexis says she told Kristina that Diane would be a real asset, and Kristina says, she is. She’s so excited to have a lawyer of Diane’s caliber on board. But that’s not the only reason she’s here. She owes Alexis an explanation. Alexis says, for what? and Kristina says, the reason she ignored Alexis at the pool earlier.

Trina walks into Kelly’s courtyard, and Josslyn says, welcome to Kelly’s. May I take your order? Trina says, so professional, and Josslyn says, it may not be as glamorous as the art gallery, but she’s happy to help her mom. Trina says, at least Josslyn found a way to be there for her. She doesn’t know what to do for her mom. Josslyn sits down and asks if that means things still aren’t any better between Trina’s mom and Curtis. Trina says she thinks they’ve gotten worse. Curtis is still in rehab and her mom keeps trying to visit him, but he keeps pushing her away. Josslyn takes Trina’s hand and says she’s sorry, and Trina says she doesn’t know what to do. There’s got to be a way to bring them back together.

Marshall walks into Portia’s office and she thanks him for coming. He asks, what’s going on? and she says she heard from the rehab facility. He says, don’t tell him that Curtis had a setback, but she says, no, he’s fine. He’s actually getting released tomorrow. He asks if that isn’t good news, and she says, it should be, but Curtis hasn’t gotten in touch with her. She only spoke to the rehab director. And it looks like Curtis hasn’t reached out to Marshall either, so she doesn’t know what that means. Does that mean Curtis isn’t coming home?

Curtis is exercising with the medicine ball when Stella comes in. She asks what he’s doing, and he says, isn’t it obvious? She says, that he’s working out, but where’s his physical therapist? Curtis says he doesn’t need him, and Stella asks, why is that? He says, Brent taught him everything he needed to know, so now he’s just getting stronger every day. She asks if Brent knows he’s in here on his own, and he says he doesn’t know. He doesn’t care, but he’s ready to get out of here. He’s ready to go home. She says, oh no he isn’t.

Carly thanks Diane for coming to Kelly’s, and Diane says she’s at Carly’s beck and call. She asks how it’s going, and Carly says, good. She never thought she’d enjoy this place like the MetroCourt, but she does. She didn’t realize she had this emotional connection to Kelly’s. It makes her feel closer to her family, to her Aunt Ruby, to her mom… She can’t explain it. Diane says, some things never need explaining, and Carly says, the people are so down to earth. No one’s complaining there’s no beluga on the menu. Diane says, there’s no beluga on the menu? Goodbye. She laughs and says, it’s nice to see Carly and the customers happy. Carly says she’d be even happier if Drew wasn’t in prison. Diane is going to have to get him out.

Robert meets Anna at a poolside table and asks, what’s the occasion? She says she needs a favor. No questions asked.

At another table, Martin sees Lucy walk in and says, there’s his little buttercup. It is so good to see… She throws a drink in his face, and he asks what that was for. She says, not only has he been getting fifty thousand – fifty thousand – dollars every single month from that third ex-wife of his, he kept it a secret. Why did he keep it a secret? He says he doesn’t know what she’s talking about, and she says, that’s good. She knows him now, and she knows when he lies, his little ears turn red. Right now, they’re bright crimson. He says, it could be sunburn, and she says, he’s going to go with that? Spill it. He says he admits it. It’s true. Why does she care? She wonders how he can ask her that. Now she knows why he doesn’t want to marry her. He doesn’t want to give up all that beautiful money. He says, she’s one hell of a confusing creature. She didn’t want to marry him. And I quote, I am through with the institution of marriage, unquote. She says, he actually believed her? He’s an idiot. She was going for the reverse psychology thing. If she says no, then he insists they get married, and carries her off like An Officer and a Gentleman. He says he never saw that movie. He never much cared for Richard Gere actually. Who cares? That’s in the past. He loves her. She says, clearly, all that money from his ex-wife’s alimony is more important to him than love.

Anna says she has to find out if Valentin is still on Pikeman’s payroll. Robert has to use whatever connection he’s got with the Feds and any contacts from the WSB to get her some information. He says, it sounds like she’s convinced that Valentin’s being paid by them. Why doesn’t she simply tell him everything that’s been going on?

Kristina says she stopped by Alexis’s office earlier, and Esme told her that Alexis was meeting someone over by the pool. Alexis says, not the most discreet assistant. Did Esme tell Kristina what she was eating for dinner? Kristina says, when she saw Alexis there with Molly and another young woman she didn’t recognize, who she’s assuming was the surrogate – Alexis says, she was – she wanted to talk to Alexis, but thought it would be better if she stayed out of the way after her last interruption. She practically barged in on Molly and TJ when they were meeting with the surrogacy consultant, and if looks could kill… Let’s just say she made a quick exit. That, on top of the fact Molly didn’t invite her to the sushi party, and she just wanted to steer clear. Alexis says, that was probably a wise decision, and Kristina says she sort of stormed out after Alexis waved at her, so she wanted Alexis to know she wasn’t trying to avoid her. Alexis says she kind of figured something else was going on, and Kristina says, whatever is going on with her and Molly, she doesn’t want it to come between her and Alexis, because their relationship is in such a good place now and she wants it to stay that way. Alexis says she does too. Whatever’s going on between Kristina and Molly won’t affect them. Kristina thanks her.

Finn says he saw Elizabeth talking with his dad, so he’s guessing his dad told her. She says, yes, he did, and Finn says his father’s dying. It’s the first time he’s been able to say that out loud. She says she’s so sorry, and Finn says he’s sorry for his father. Not only is he dying, it’s one of the worst ways. ALS is brutal. He knows it’s coming, but he still can’t believe it’s happening to his father.

Stella says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to sound harsh, but Curtis needs to think about this. Going home is going to be a huge adjustment. He says, Portia already made the house wheelchair accessible (that was fast), but Stella says she’s not talking about handrails and ramps. He needs to talk to his physical therapist about being discharged to make sure he’s prepared for his new reality. He says he doesn’t need a therapist to tell him how he’s feeling. He’ll get the same standard answer they give to everyone, empty words. He doesn’t need that. They don’t know who he is. She says, but she does. So talk to her.

Portia tells Marshall that she made sure the whole house can accommodate a wheelchair, but for all she knows, Curtis made other plans. Maybe he decided to move into an assisted living facility? Marshall says he can’t see Curtis doing that, and just because he hasn’t called, doesn’t mean he’s not coming home. She says, but she would have heard from him by now. She just wants to know what’s going on with him. Why won’t he reach out to her? Marshall says, she has to let Curtis do this in his own time. She has to let Curtis figure it out for himself. He’s sure Curtis is going to let her in.

Carly says, Diane has to do something, and Diane says, Carly knows she’d do almost anything to get Drew out of Pentenville. But because there was no trial, she basically doesn’t have a leg to stand on. She can’t argue for an appeal. She can’t argue that there was a procedural flaw. She can’t argue for a reduced sentence. The moment Drew took the plea deal and pled guilty, his sentence was at the absolute discretion of the judge. Carly says, so let’s find another judge.

Kristina asks, so how was the surrogate? and Alexis says, obviously, it’s a little hard to get to know a stranger in an hour, but from what Alexis could tell, she liked her. Alexis thinks she’ll be a good choice for both of them. Kristina says, that’s great. She’s so happy for Molly, and she knows Molly is going to make an amazing mother. Hopefully by then, their relationship will be back on track. Alexis says, they love each other and that’s not going to change. Kristina just needs to be a little patient. This whole infertility thing has been really overwhelming for her, but now that they have a surrogate, she’ll maybe get past her struggles. There’s a knock at the door, and Gregory comes in. He says, sorry. Not a good time? Kristina says, stay. She was just leaving. She tells Alexis, goodbye. Thank you, love you. Alexis says she loves Kristina too, and Kristina leaves. Alexis asks if Gregory wants to work on that AI piece, and he says, yes, but he’s not sure how many working days he has left.

Curtis thanks Stella for her advice and says he appreciates it. He knows what she’s trying to do, but it’s like this place is a safety net. Every time he falls, there’s somebody there to catch him, and he knows that’s not how life is. He has to get back out there and do things on his own, and can’t expect anybody to hold his hand. She says she’s not talking about that and he knows it. Of course (🍷) he’s going to get out of rehab. She just needs to know he’s ready. He says he just can’t sit here any longer. What is he supposed to do? Feel sorry for himself that he can’t walk? says, maybe that’s exactly what he needs to do. He has a right to feel sorry for himself. He has a right to be mad. This should have never happened, so he can’t just push those feelings aside. He’s got to let them out. Open the window and scream if he has to. Because if he doesn’t, it’s going to eat away at him bit by bit until it explodes or… He starts to talk, but she says she’s not done yet. It’s going to take everything he’s got to face this head-on. God has placed an obstacle in his path, and Curtis needs to show Him that he’s up for the challenge.

Robert says, they know Valentin lied about being at ELQ the night of the fire. Does Anna think he had anything to do with burning down her house? She says, Robert promised her that he wouldn’t ask any questions, and Robert says he lied. The difference between his lies and Valentin’s lies are, Valentin’s lies tend to get you killed. She says, he’s complicated, but he doesn’t do anything without a reason. She doesn’t know why he said he was at ELQ when he wasn’t. She also doesn’t know what else he’s lied about. He says, but she suspects something, and she says, what if his connection to Pikeman goes deeper? He admitted to working for them years ago as a logistics contractor. He says it ended with that, but she doesn’t buy it. What if he’s still in bed with Pikeman?

Martin says, to be fair, neither he nor Lucy has been particularly successful when it comes to marriage. She starts to interrupt, but he says, hang on for a second. Something doesn’t make sense. How on earth did she find out he’s the one getting the alimony?

Diane tells Carly, that’s not the way the law works. It’s not like you’ve gone to a doctor; you don’t like what he says. You go to General Hospital for a second opinion. This is the justice system. You can’t hand pick a judge. Carly says, but the sentence given to Drew was over-the-top and wrong. Besides, Drew agreed to six months in Spring Ridge, not three years in Pentenville. It’s cruel and unusual. Diane says she wholeheartedly agrees, and Carly says, besides, there’s nothing in Drew’s past to justify the sentence. It’s like the judge had some kind of vendetta against Drew. They have to do something. Come on. Diane says, that’s an interesting point though. She might be able to argue bias. She can go back into the judge’s past cases and see if there’s any kind of history of prejudicial behavior. Carly says, so she’ll take the case? and Diane says, that depends on who’s hiring her, Carly or Drew?

Trina says, part of this is her fault, and Josslyn asks, how is it her fault? Trina says, when she found out Curtis was her father, she lashed out at her mom. Her mom found out Curtis kissed Jordan, and was upset about how he was treating her, so she went off on Curtis. Josslyn says she still doesn’t understand how that’s on Trina, and Trina says, if she hadn’t put her mom in a vulnerable state, maybe she wouldn’t have been as angry about the kiss. He said that it meant nothing, but Trina didn’t let it go. And that’s on her. Josslyn says, it’s not. They’re responsible for their actions, not Trina. They’re adults and they’ve got to figure this out for themselves.

Curtis tells Stella, if God wanted to put an obstacle in his path, He didn’t have to take away his ability to walk. Talk about timing; right when everything was looking up. Not only did he reconnect with his father and made peace with him, he found out he has a daughter, an amazing daughter. He struggled with the fact Portia kept it a secret from him, but they were working past that. Stella says, he still has those things. He still has all those good things in his life – family. The accident didn’t take them away. Curtis says, that’s just it. It wasn’t an accident. The shooter intended to pull that trigger. It doesn’t matter if he was the intended target. He was hit and here he is, and she expects him to believe that’s God’s plan? She says, maybe this experience can enrich his life in ways he never expected. It can show how strong and resilient he is. He says he doesn’t feel strong. He can’t even walk. He can barely do anything. So much of who he is, is tied to how physical he was. Curtis, hitting the bag, rough and tumble, running in the park, but he can’t do any of that anymore. She asks if he’s saying a disabled person should just give up. We have nothing to fear but fear itself. Does he know who said that? FDR. He didn’t give up. He ran this country from a wheelchair. That’s a real hero, not like the ones in the comic books Curtis used to love. Curtis has a superpower. He just doesn’t know what it is yet, but it’s in there. And until he finds out, they’re all here standing right beside him.

Marshall says he can understand where Curtis is coming from, and Portia asks what he means. He says, years ago when he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, he made a tough choice. It probably wasn’t the right one, but he chose to leave his family to protect them. Portia asks if he thinks Curtis is pushing her away for the same reason, and he tells her that he can’t say for sure, but what he does know is that his son loves her. What Curtis doesn’t know is what their relationship is going to be like. He’s not just talking emotionally; he’s talking physically. She says, so Curtis is avoiding her, and Marshall says, yeah, he’s avoiding her. He’s avoiding the questions he doesn’t have the answers to yet. It’s not because Curtis doesn’t love her. It’s because he does love her.

Gregory tells Alexis that he let Finn know about his diagnosis. It’s still surreal saying he has ALS. You’d think it would have sunk in by now, but every time he says it, it hits him all over again. She asks how Finn took it, and he says, Finn usually plays everything close to the vest, but he was obviously devastated. And he only added to that by telling him that Alexis already knew. She says she and Finn ran into each other a little bit ago, and they talked about it. He asks if Finn was upset that she knew, but she says she thinks he’s more concerned about Gregory, not who was told first. He says, so hopefully it won’t damage their friendship, and she says, no, it will not. She and Finn are fine and they’re both worried about him. He thanks her again for keeping his confidence, and apologizes for putting her in that position. It wasn’t fair. He hopes she can forgive him.

Elizabeth says she knows what Finn’s dad is facing is horrible, but hopefully he can hang onto those moments of joy he has right now. Finn said he talked about going on a trip? Finn says, he wanted to take Violet to Disneyworld, but that was before his symptoms started getting worse. He thinks his father is afraid of losing his mobility, and doesn’t want Violet to see that. She says, that’s inevitable, but kids are super resilient. One day at a time. That’s what they say in AA, right? He tells her, that’s what they say, but it’s still hard to see what lies ahead. She says she knows, but his dad is still independent and still has his freedom, and Finn has to take advantage of that while he can. Don’t miss out on what’s right in front of him.

Martin wonders how Lucy got a look at the particulars of his financials, especially that alimony. That is confidential, and he’s not the kind of man who leaves documents lying around. So how on earth did she get her hands on that information? She says, well… perhaps… she went to Pine Valley and she snooped. He says, that girls trip she took with Felicia. She said they were in Llanview. Lucy says she lied. They met this guy there named Jackson Montgomery; he’s a lawyer. Martin says, oh Lord. He knows who Jackson Montgomery is. She says, they also had a look at his files. Perhaps without his permission. He says, so she was willing to break the law to get a look at his private something-something? She could have been arrested. How could she have done something like that? She says, how could she have done something like that? How could he keep this alimony thing a secret from her all this time? He says, that’s in his past. It has nothing to do with the two of them. Nothing is more important than his relationship with her. She says, okay. Give up the money. Tell his third ex-wife that he just doesn’t want that alimony anymore. No alimony ever. He says, it’s fifty thousand dollars… Is that really what she wants? She says she doesn’t know. She doesn’t think she’s free to make demands on him to give up fifty thousand dollars, especially when she’s going to be bankrupt soon.

Robert says he’ll take care of Valentin, but why doesn’t Anna just confront him directly? She says she can’t do that, and he says, because she doesn’t trust him. He often wondered what she really saw in that dude. She asks him to stop. She didn’t ask him for this. She really just wants him to find out the truth, because she doesn’t know what it is anymore. Valentin walks in and says, nobody told him they were having company, but Robert gets up and says, they don’t. He’s leaving. He goes, and Valentin asks, what’s wrong with Robert? She says, he’s a bit worried about Robin.

Diane asks if Drew knows that Carly is trying to relitigate his sentence, and Carly says, yes. He knows she wants him out of there. She was just with him earlier at Pentenville. Diane asks how he’s holding up, and Carly says, he’s Drew. He’s strong mentally and physically, so he’s not going to complain. He can survive, but that’s not the point. He shouldn’t have to. Diane says, in a standard case – and this is far from a standard case – the appeals process can take years, and it can be torturous. It’s a vicious cycle of hope and disappointment. So instead of putting Drew through all of that, the wisest course of action might be to let him finish out his sentence.

Stella asks what life at home looks like for Curtis now. Is he going to continue to do everything on his own and shut out his wife? She knows it’s hard for Portia to see him this way. Every time she comes to see him, she feels Curtis is pushing her away. Is that how it’s going to be when he gets home? He shakes his head, and says, they’d been making progress. He was on his way to talk to her at the pool when he was shot. He never got his chance. She says, but now he has a chance, and he says, once he found out he was paralyzed, he said some horrible things to Portia. He didn’t want her pity, so he was deliberately hurtful. He thought it would drive her away. She says, but it didn’t. That woman loves him unconditionally. She knows Portia was hurt, but she understood why he lashed out. We’re always toughest on the ones we love. This might be a long road, but let them ride it along with him. They love him. So let them in.

Alexis says, there is nothing to forgive, but Gregory says, it was wrong. Especially knowing she and Finn were friends. She says, what about Chase? How did he take it? Gregory looks away, and she says, ooh. He hasn’t told Chase yet. He says he will. He just keeps putting it off. Chase has been so sensitive. It practically killed him to tell Chase that he and Chase’s mother were getting divorced. He can’t imagine how he’s going to take this news. He just wants a few more days with him not knowing, so their time together isn’t about his illness. She says she understands, and he says he knows it’s been difficult, but he thanks her for respecting his wishes and staying silent about his diagnosis. It gave him more time with his family; time to be a father and grandfather, not a man with a debilitating disease. She says, again, it’s not her place to share this information and he’ll tell Chase when he’s ready.

Finn says, Elizabeth is right. He needs to focus on the present and enjoy this time with his dad. He just wishes he hadn’t wasted so damn much of it. For years he wanted nothing to do with his family; he turned his back on his father. His father never gave up on him. Elizabeth says, now it’s his turn, because Finn won’t give up on him, and Finn says he’s going to be there for his father every step of the way. She says, now’s the time to be completely honest with him. Put everything on the table. Tell Gregory how he feels guilty for shutting him out and that he wants to make up for it. Tell Gregory that he loves him.

Trina goes to Portia’s office and says she thought Portia could use some company. Portia says she sure does. It’s been such an emotional night. She hugs Trina, and Trina says she’s been having a lot of those lately. Talk to her. Portia says she’s really been dumping on Trina a lot lately, so… Trina says she wants to help Portia. What’s going on? Portia says, Marshall was here earlier and they had a pretty heavy discussion about Curtis. Trina asks if something is wrong with Curtis, but Portia says, no, he’s fine. But she heard from the rehab facility, and he’s being released tomorrow. Trina says, that’s great. She was just telling Joss that once they’re under the same roof again, she knows things will get better. Portia says, but she’s not quite sure Curtis is going to be coming back home.

Stella says, Curtis is a very proud man. She knows it’s difficult for him to be so vulnerable, but they’re not looking at him with pity, especially Portia. He needs to open his heart and let Portia in. If he can do that, maybe he’s ready to go home. He says he’s been shutting down emotionally because it’s easier than admitting how difficult this is. Sure, the physical part’s demanding, but it’s the only way he can work through this. But he knows he has to put his life back together, and it’s just going to look a little different from this angle. She asks if that means he’s ready to take on the challenge of his new reality.

Anna asks what Valentin’s been up to, and he says he was with Charlotte. They were supposed to have lunch by the pool, but she had a pizza placed she wanted him to see, so they may have ordered a large sausage and mushroom, and finished half a dozen zeppole for dessert. So he doesn’t think he’s going to be terribly hungry for dinner, but he will join her. She says, okay. He can make it up to her by ordering another glass of wine. She’s just going to go to the ladies room. She’ll be right back.

Lucy tells Martin, Deception stock is tanking, and how dare they claim she stole the whole idea of The Deceptor? She didn’t, and he knows that. She came up with the idea when they were together in bed. Remember? He was her inspiration. He says, intellectual property theft is very difficult to prove, and she says, but what if they actually prove it? They’re out of business and she’s broke. He sees Valentin walking to the door, and asks Lucy to excuse him for a second. She says, what’s more important than her? and he says, hold that thought, and dashes after Valentin.

In the hallway, Valentin asks if Martin heard back, and Martin says, yes. And it’s not good news.

Carly says, Diane thinks Drew should stay in Pentenville for three years, and Diane says, stop it. She doesn’t think Drew should stay in Pentenville. Of course (🍷) not. She’s just saying, at this point, it might be wise to let him finish out his sentence. Carly says, it’s not, and she wouldn’t ask Diane to pursue this if Drew wasn’t on board. Diane says, really? and Carly says, okay, she would, but he is. So come on. Please? Diane is the best lawyer she knows. There has to be something she can do. Diane says, there’s just not a lot to work with here. This is a federal case and it’s very tricky to get federal cases reassigned to a different judge. Carly says, can’t she pull some strings?… What about Robert? She knows things are awkward between him and Diane, but maybe he has some federal connections… Diane says, yes, things are awkward between the two of them, when Carly says, here he is. Diane says, what? and Carly says, well, hello, DA Scorpio. Robert says, good evening, ladies. He didn’t know Diane frequented this establishment. Diane says, there’s boatloads he doesn’t know about her. She starts to leave, and he says he thought he’d drop by to tell her that he got a new set of wheels. She stops and turns around.

Finn says he’s glad his dad confided in Elizabeth, and she says, he did it for Finn. He wanted Finn to be able to share the burden. Finn says, just between the two of them, there’s no one else he’d  rather share it with, and she tells him that Gregory also said he hadn’t told Chase yet. He says, it’s going to be hard, but he’ll be there to help his father. He’s really grateful to have her here in his corner. He can’t imagine doing this on his own. She says, he doesn’t have to. She’s here for him, every step of the way. They hug.

Gregory tells Alexis, what if he’s never ready to let Chase know? He keeps waiting for the right time, but Chase has been so happy lately with Brook and getting his badge back; this will crush him. She says she doesn’t think he’s giving Chase enough credit. He was raised by a helluva dad. She wants him to stop her if she’s said this before, but she’s here for him. He says, stop, and she says she’s really lucky to have him in her life. He says, stop, and she says, he’s a great writer. He says, go on, and she says, and he’s a helluva pal. He says, the feeling’s mutual, boss, and she hugs him.

Diane asks, under what circumstances would Robert buy a new car when he told her he was perfectly comfortable with the old one? He said he wasn’t good with change. Robert tells her that he thought about what she said, and she was right. He thought he’d open himself up to new possibilities. She says, out with the old, in with the new, is that it? She’s not sure it’s quite that simple, but enjoy those wheels. He asks if she’d like to come for a spin, and she says she’ll have to check her spin schedule, but she’s sure she can squeeze him in. He says he’s sure her friend Chris… What’s his name? She says, Chris is her name, and Diane is sure she wouldn’t mind. She heads for the door, and Carly says, on that other thing… Diane says, got it, and leaves.

Valentin says, the clock is ticking. He needs Martin to get this done. Martin says, it’s not that simple, but Valentin says, it is simple. He can’t take the next step until Martin gets it done. Will he get it done? Valentin walks out and goes to the table. Anna is there, and she asks, what’s with him and Martin? It seemed a little tense. Is everything okay? He says, yeah. They talked some business, nothing interesting. At least now Martin can take this off as a business expense. He’s here for her. How was her day? She says, kind of like him and Martin. Nothing interesting.

Martin asks what he can get Lucy. Is she hungry? Does she want something to eat? She does love their burgers. She says, nope. She’s not hungry. She doesn’t have an appetite. Too nervous. The hearing is tomorrow, and her entire future is riding on that hearing. This really could be the end of Deception, and the end of her.

Trina asks if Curtis said he’s not coming home, and Portia says, no, but she hasn’t heard from him. She’s worried maybe he has second thoughts about coming back. Trina says she’s sure Curtis just has a lot on his mind, being discharged. She knows he’ll come home. So she better get back to the house and make sure everything is ready. Portia says she doesn’t want Trina to get her hopes up. If Curtis does come back home, things are going to be different. It’s going to be an adjustment for all of them. Portia’s phone rings, and it’s Curtis. He asks how she is, and she says she’s okay. How is he? He says, better than he’s been in the last few weeks. He’s coming home. She says, he has no idea how happy that makes her, and he says, it’s not going to be easy, but they can make it work… together.

Tomorrow, Dr. Montague says he’s going to give Sasha something to take all her pain away; Marshall tells Curtis, there’s trouble at the club; Cyrus says he now has Sonny’s protection too; and Carly tells Michael that she’s going to come up with a way to get Drew out of Pentenville.

↪️ Circling Back…

I totally forgot she’d made an appearance before.

🎤 Time For a Chat…

This is a good interview show. August 31st, 3 pm.

🗽 Their City Never Sleeps…

This week’s RHONY recap.

🛟 Sinking Ship…

This guy seems like a total creeper. And I’m wondering what production meant by, they dealt with it. Did they pat her on the head and send her back to work?

🌳 New To Me…

Apparently, this show has been on Netflix for a while, but it only recently caught my eye. I love an apocalyptic drama. While slow moving at times, I was in it for the long haul and found the payoff gratifying.

https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-netflix-original-3/

🐕 But Is He Single…?

Only the hardest of hearts could have abandoned this little nugget. And only the best dude in the world made him an immediate BFF.

👟 Talk To the Foot…

Come set a spell tomorrow for soap and tea without sympathy. Until then, stay safe, stay never counting your chickens before they’re hatched, and stay not complaining if there’s no beluga on the menu.

August 25, 2023 – Cody Asks Sam For Help, Newbie, Atlanta Receipts, Called Out, No Shock, Leaky Deck, VanderLock, Tasty Move, New Horror, Dead News, Second Last, Stray Training, Apple Pups, 9 Crisp Quotes & Out

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Willow comes into the hospital, and Elizabeth asks if she’s had a setback, but Willow says, just the opposite. She wants to get back to work. Does Elizabeth have room for one more nurse?

Finn sets up the backgammon board, and Tracy says she hopes he’s been practicing. He’s going to need it. He asks if she’s kidding. He has an eight-year-old daughter, and there’s not a day that goes by that there isn’t new disease at the hospital to challenge him. Does she really think he has time to practice backgammon? She looks at him, and he says, okay. The minute he knew she was back in town, he started practicing his ass off. She says, good choice – she takes a paper out of her pocket – because according to her calculations, Tracy-47, Finn-29. He says, 47-29? She kept that all this time? She asks what he thinks and he says, of course (🍷) she kept it; she’s winning. She says she loves to win, and shakes the dice.

Cody says he’s desperate here. Sasha’s in trouble, and Sam could be his only chance. She says, to get himself locked up in Ferncliff? and he says, to help Sasha. She says she thinks it’s a terrible plan, but he says, it’s the only plan he’s got. Please. She says she won’t help him, much less be the one who commits him.

On his phone at the Crimson office, Sonny asks what Brick’s got for him. Has the fake information Betty stole from his computer been downloaded?… He gets that, but he’s impatient. It’s just that he wants some answers. He may have to figure this out. Nina comes out of the elevator, and Sonny says, he’ll see Brick later. Nina comes in and asks, what’s wrong? Sonny says, nothing. A beautiful woman is in front of him. What could be wrong with that? She says, nothing’s wrong with that, and they hug. Absolutely nothing.

At the pool, Molly thanks Alexis for coming, and Alexis says, of course (🍷) she would be here. She knows how much this means to Molly and TJ. Molly says she really wants Alexis to like her, and Alexis says she thinks it’s more important that Molly and TJ like her. Molly says, they really do, when Andrea comes in. Molly introduces her to Alexis, and they sit at a table. Kristina appears in the doorway and sees them.

On the phone, Brook says, so it’s all true?… She can’t say she’s completely surprised. She could kill her with her bare hands… No, no. Not them. A certain member of her family.

Tracy asks, how’s Finn’s father? and Finn says, he’s… fine. She says, fine? Really? She was supposed to have dinner a few days ago at the MetroCourt with her sister-in-law who had to cancel. There, she ran into Finn’s father, who coerced her into having dinner with him. Finn asks, how bad was the dinner? and she says, actually, the food was much improved now that Carly Spencer is no longer running the show. He says he meant, how was his dad’s company? and she says, he’s charming, but he couldn’t hide the fact that his hand was cramping. What’s wrong with him? Finn says he’ll have to ask her not to pursue that line of questioning, and she asks, why? He says he’d prefer not to lie to her, and she says, fine. He shakes the dice, and asks how Ned is doing. She says, he’s still singing on streetcorners and hanging out with her favorite person, Sonny Corinthos. And how is Detective Chase? He says, Chase is convinced Tracy is forcing Brook to give up her music career to work at Deception, and she says she needs to ask him not to pursue that line of questioning. He asks, why? and she says she’d prefer not to lie to him. He laughs.

Willow tells Elizabeth that she’s feeling stronger every day. She’s got her energy back and she’s really starting to feel like her old self again. Elizabeth says, that’s such great news, and Willow says she loves her time with Michael and the kids, but what she really wants is to get back to nursing. Taking care of people who need help, like she did when she was getting her transplant. This hospital is full of excellent nurses who took such amazing care of her and really supported her when she needed it. She’s not sure what she would have done without them. Elizabeth says, they do have excellent nurses here, but Willow wasn’t just any patient; she’s one of them. Willow says she wants to pay it forward and give that type of care to other patients who need it. Elizabeth says, that’s why they do this, and she’s all for Willow coming back to GH because she’s an amazing nurse, and she can’t wait to have Willow back on rotation, as soon as her doctors approve her return. It would be a bad way to repay all those nurses by coming back too soon and pushing herself too hard, compromising her immune system. Willow says, of course (🍷). She agrees. That’s why she’s here, to talk to Dr. Randolph and see when she’ll be approved. Elizabeth says, great. This place needs people like Willow, and she can’t wait to get that documentation that says Willow is ready to work.

Sonny says he doesn’t want to keep Nina from her work. Maybe she should see if something urgent came up. Nina says she’s just fine in his arms. Besides, there’s nothing that can’t wait. He asks if she’s sure about that, and she says she would have gotten a text or an email from one of her assistants. He says, maybe its one of those old fashioned phone things. Why doesn’t she just check it out? She asks why he’s acting so weird, and he says he doesn’t want her to miss something important. She goes to her desk and finds a jewelry box, and asks, what’s this? He says he doesn’t know; maybe she should open it. She opens it, and says, oh! revealing a stunning diamond pendant necklace. She says she loves it; it’s beautiful. He says, it’s going to be even more beautiful when he puts it on her, and she asks if it’s an apology for being so secretive with her. He says, yes and no, and she asks, which is it? He says, why doesn’t she turn around and he’ll put it on her. She says, it’s gorgeous (it gets my vote), and he says, it’s absolutely amazing, putting the necklace on her. He hooks the clasp, and she asks how it looks. He says, she looks beautiful and that just compliments it, and she says, he always has a way of making her feel special. What happened to him to put him so at ease? He says he’s just happy, but she says when she saw him in his office the other night talking to Ava, they both seemed pretty tense.

Sam says, even if she wanted to – which she doesn’t – she couldn’t have Cody committed because she’s not related to him. Therefore, there’s no legal standing to do it. He says, easy fix, and she says she can’t wait to hear this. He says he gives her power of attorney. She becomes his medical executor. She says, so he appoints her one day, and she has him committed the next. That’s not going to look suspicious at all, is it? He says, it’s good enough to get him into Ferncliff, and if people start asking questions afterward, who cares? She says she cares. This is a bad idea. He says, no, it’s not. It could work. She says, this is a pointless discussion because she’s not going to do it, and he says, why? She says, because she’s not going to do anything that’s going to make Sasha worse.

Andrea says, the view from up here is amazing, and Alexis says, you can see most of Port Charles from up here. Kristina says, TJ likes to come here and go swimming to blow off steam, and afterward they grab something to eat. Alexis notices Kristina, who ducks out. Molly and Andrea discuss the food there, and their favorite dishes. Alexis looks over and sees Kristina is gone.

Tracy says she wins, and Finn says he has the feeling that’s her favorite phrase. She says, it’s definitely one of her favorites. Isn’t he even going to try to beat her? He says, just wait til next game, and she says she appreciates his enthusiasm, adding something to the paper. She says, the running score is now 48 to 29, and he tells her that she doesn’t have to say it so loud. He’s surprised she doesn’t have her own Quartermaine score tab stationery with a little family crest on it. He can see it now; one for Brook, two for Tracy, Ned zero. She says, that’s a clever idea, and he says, you’re welcome. She asks what they’re going to talk about now that he’s removed his father from the topic of conversation and she’s removed her granddaughter? She knows he doesn’t want to waste any more time talking about stationery. He says he discovered a fascinating new bacteria… but she says, no. Infectious diseases is off the table. He says he has a topic, and she says, Monica’s cheap china or business cards? He says, what about Luke?

Gregory comes into the hospital, and Elizabeth asks if he’s here to see Finn, but he says, actually, he was hoping to have a word with her. She says, sure. Is everything okay? He tells her, let’s just say, it’s extremely important.

Sam tells Cody, they’ve been over this. Sasha has suffered a psychotic break. Right now she needs medical attention because she’s dangerous and delusional. He says, no, she isn’t, and Sam asks what he’s talking about. He has a scar on his side where Sasha stabbed him. He says he’s telling her that Sasha is being drugged, and somehow, Gladys is responsible for it. How is he the only one who sees it? She says, he may think that, but Sasha also has a history of mental illness, and he says he knows all about her history, but one minute she’s fine, and the next minute, she’s hallucinating. How does that happen? He’s telling her, something isn’t right. She says, okay. Say he does get in to see Sasha and he pushes her further into her delusion. He says he wouldn’t, but she says, he doesn’t know that. Or maybe even the worst-case scenario. Maybe she thinks he’s Cyrus Renault again and attacks him a second time, and he’s not so lucky and winds up in the hospital, or worse. He says he’s thought through all that. He’ll be on his guard this time, and he can defend himself from Sasha. She says she’s not worried about him, and he says, gee, thanks. She says she’s worried about Sasha and him traumatizing her more. Is he willing to take that risk?

Sonny says he understands why Nina feels excluded, and she says, good, because she did. First, Dex and Gabe wouldn’t let her in the penthouse. Then when she went to his office, she found him talking with Ava, and she seemed to be in the know about what was going on. He says, because he and Ava share Avery, and she says, but then he tells her that it’s for her safety that she doesn’t know. Who wouldn’t feel left out? He says, because some things in his business are better left unsaid. They’ve gone over this a thousand times and he doesn’t want to put her in danger. She says, he’s willing to put Ava’s life in danger? and he takes her hand. He says he came here to apologize for making her feel like an outsider. He doesn’t let her in on things because it puts her at risk. She knows everything else. She says she feels like Frank or Gabe when his office door is shut in her face, and he says he doesn’t ever want her to feel like an employee. She says she knew from day one what she was getting into when she fell in love with him, and she accepts all of him; this charming, amazing man in front of her, and the ruthless businessman. She loves all of him. He says he doesn’t ever want her to forget how much he loves her. That’s all that matters. She says, just let her in. Maybe she can help him. She can handle it. He says, some things are best not knowing.

Kristina goes to the reception desk and asks if Dr. Randolph is in. Walking by, Willow says, Dr. Randolph had an emergency that pulled her away, and Kristina hugs her. She says, Willow looks great. It’s nice to see her out. Willow says, it’s great to be out. She’s feeling a lot better. Kristina says she’s sorry she didn’t come see Willow. She didn’t know when Willow was accepting visitors again. Willow says, it’s okay. After she left the hospital, she had to restrict her visitors to a small group, since her immune system might be compromised, but now she’s almost fully recovered, so they can see each other any time. Kristina says, that’s amazing news, and Willow says she couldn’t be more grateful for what Liesl did for her. She’s actually here to see Dr. Randolph too. She’s hoping to get the all-clear to go back to work. What about Kristina? Is she okay? Kristina says, not really. Actually, it’s probably best she doesn’t see Dr. Randolph today.

Elizabeth tells Gregory, she’s officially on break, so she’s all his. What’s going on? Are Finn and Violet okay? He says, they’re fine, and they sit down. He needs her to accept his apology. She says, for what? and he says he’s been keeping something from her, from everyone close to him. But the time has come for him to be up front and transparent. He waited too long. He never should have agreed to watch Violet the other night. She asks, what happened? and he says he fell, and Violet came in and saw him on the floor. She says she’s sure it was scary for Violet, but she’s going to be okay. What about him? Is he hurt? Does he want to see a doctor? He says, no. The fall was nothing serious, but Violet was worried and so was he. He told Finn and now he’s telling her. He has ALS.

Tracy tells Finn that she keeps forgetting Luke is gone. The fact that he’s not around to drive her crazy is something she finds impossible to wrap her head around. Finn says, she really misses him, doesn’t she? and she says, yeah. He has her at loose ends, so she concentrates on her good friend – she nods to him – and focuses on a business project she’s involved in. He asks if she wants to talk about it, or is it one of those subjects they shouldn’t pursue a line of questioning? She says she prefers not to lie to him, and he laughs. Brook storms in and says, how could she? Tracy says, they’re in the middle of a game, and Brook swipes the board onto the floor. She says, now they’re not.

Nina and Sonny sit at a table, fully set for dinner in her office, and she says, one of the perks of having her office in the MetroCourt is that she can have them send dinner down when they’re feeling hungry and romantic. He says, speaking of romantic, they haven’t even talked about the details for the wedding, and she says, they’ve been a little preoccupied. Him with whatever he’s doing and Michael, and her with  the MetroCourt and the magazine and Willow. He asks if they can focus on themselves. They haven’t even set a date when she wants to marry him. She says she’s glad he asked because she wants a winter wedding, and she wants their table centerpieces to be filled with anemones and orchids and roses, and she was thinking about wearing an off-white gown. He says, she thought about this? and she says, a little. He says, a lot, and she says, if they have a winter wedding, she saw these amazing emerald and gold invitations; they’re gorgeous. And he would look dashing in a burgundy tux, and she could picture them in Crimson’s January issue. He says he’s not very comfortable with being splashed across her magazine, but he does like a winter wedding because they have time to plan and she can have what she wants. She says, there’s another reason she wants to wait for winter. She wants to make sure Willow is fully recovered. If they have a wedding before Willow is completely cleared, she thinks it would be disrespectful to her. He says, Nina wants her to come around so she can be part of the wedding.

Kristina says she doesn’t know if Willow heard, but she’s starting an LGBTQIA+ youth center here in Port Charles. Willow says, Michael told her. She thinks it’s an amazing idea. Kristina says she asked Dr. Randolph if she would be on the board of directors, and Willows says, she would be excellent. What did she say? Kristina says, she seemed interested, but she didn’t commit yet, so she’s here hopefully to convince her to get on board. (No pun intended?) Willow says, she will, and Kristina says she’s glad she ran into Willow first. She’s realizing she’s not quite in the right head space to talk to Dr. Randolph today, and the worst thing she could possibly do is throw herself into business to distract herself and potential risk messing things up for the foundation. Willow says, distract herself from what? and Kristina says, from feeling left out of her sister’s life.

Alexis asks what led Andrea to wanting to become a surrogate, and Andrea tells her, like she said, she’s married. She and Ben have a young son, Randy; he’s just a baby. Her husband is a plumber and she used to work as an executive assistant. Alexis says, so she’s no longer working, and Andrea says she really wanted to stay home with her son and not look for another job, and she and her husband decided being a surrogate would allow her to do that. Randy’s young enough that he won’t remember her being pregnant. Someday they’ll explain to him of course (🍷), when he’s old enough to understand. Alexis says, it’s good to come clean about things like that, and Andrea says, at this point, he’s so young, he won’t anticipate a sibling when he sees her pregnant. So it won’t mean anything to him. Alexis asks, what will it mean to her?

Cody tells Sam that he can’t think of anything more traumatic than Sasha being trapped in Ferncliff. Please, just hear him out. She sits down, and he says, so Sasha had a breakdown after her baby and husband died within a year. Then she started using drugs; that’s when she cracked. That’s when she smashed in the windshield. Sam asks if he’s trying to prove her point, and he says he gets it, but then Sasha got help. She made a full recovery and was doing so great, she was even able to go back on TV selling Deception’s beauty products. And just when she’s ready to dump Gladys as her guardian and start taking control of her own affairs, she cracks again, even worse than before, leaving greedy Gladys in control of her money. Come on. Doesn’t Sam find that way too convenient?

Finn points to the game on the floor and says he was going to win. It doesn’t matter; Tracy and Brook should talk. He’ll show himself out. Tracy says she apologizes for the rudeness of her granddaughter. She was clearly raised by her mother. He says he’ll call Tracy later and leaves. Brook asks why she did it. Why? Tracy says, do what? and Brook says, go after Deception and in the process hurt her friends. Tracy says, please. She’s told Brook time and again, there are no friends in business. Does Brook think her great grandfather could have built ELQ into what it is today by making friends? Besides, they got what was coming to them. Brook asks how she can say that, and Tracy says, Lucy Coe stole the designs for The Deceptor. Brook says, from who? Tracy? Tracy says, no, and Brook asks, then who? Tracy says, from the company she’s working with, and Brook says, so there it is. Tracy just revealed the whole plot. Tracy used her. Tracy says, Brook used her to get Chase back his job, and Brook says, and Tracy used that to blackmail her into hurting her friends so she could help some random company. For what? Some revenge on Lucy Coe? Some bizarre vendetta? What’s happened to her? My guess: Tracy is working with Martin’s ex-wife number three, whose idea he inadvertently passed to Lucy.

Cody tells Sam, Sasha isn’t in Ferncliff because she’s a danger to him or herself. She’s in Ferncliff because she’s a threat to Gladys controlling her money. Sam asks if he really believes Gladys had Sasha drugged and sent to Ferncliff so she could remain in control of Sasha’s assets, and he says he’s played cards with Gladys. She’s an addict, like anyone who’s addicted to booze or coke. She says, that’s a big accusation to make, and he says, yeah, and Gladys has an even bigger debt to pay. Addicts are liars. He has no idea what lies Gladys has told herself to justify what she’s doing to Sasha. Frankly, he doesn’t care. All he cares about here is the victim. So is Sam going to let Sasha just rot in Ferncliff, or is she going to help him get in there and help her?

Sonny tells Nina, Willow’s on the road to making a full recovery, so they have to believe that. Nina says she does. She saw Willow earlier at Kelly’s and she looked a lot better. She just doesn’t want to tempt fate. He says, she’s going through a lot; she’s been through a lot. She’s a fighter. Nina says, she is a fighter, but it’s hard not to worry about her, and he says, they’re always going to worry about their kids. Nothing’s going to change that. But Nina’s been doing a lot of praying, and her prayers seem to be answered. Nina says, Sonny knows her a little too well, and he tells her not to forget that. He knows how important it is to have Willow at their wedding. Nina says, they’ve made a lot of progress. They’ve had some really good conversations, and Willow has made it clear she wants more of a relationship with her. He says, that’s great, and she says, it’s just going to be a long, hard road to rebuild that trust, but she wants Willow at the wedding, and they both know she won’t attend as long as Michael’s not there. (I dunno about that.) How does he feel about that? He says, if Michael wants to show up, nothing would make him happier. If you’d asked him six months ago if there was a chance Michael would come to their wedding – they laugh – he would say, no way. But you‘ve got to have hope, and he and Michael are doing a lot better. She says, that’s great, because she knows how important that is to him. He says, they’ve got to be thankful for everything they’ve got, and things seem to be looking up for them.

Willow says, Kristina can talk to her. What happened? Kristina says she knows she can trust Willow with this, and the secret is going to be out in nine months anyway. Molly and TJ have been having some infertility issues; Molly specifically has been. Willow says, poor Molly, and Kristina says, she’s been taking it really hard, and ever since they found out, she – they – have been talking about ways to have a baby of their own. So Kristina stepped up and committed the unpardonable sin of offering to be their surrogate. Willow says, wow. That is quite an offer. She’s taking it that it didn’t go over well. Kristina says, but it should have. You’d think Molly would see it as the selfless and loving gift she intended it to be. Instead, she’s insulted and completely shut Kristina out.

Andrea says she’s sure Alexis knows, there’s no greater joy than being a mom, and she was blessed with an easy and healthy pregnancy. If she can somehow pass that joy on to Molly and TJ by being their surrogate and giving them the gift of being parents, she’s also providing for her family and she’s willing to do it. Molly says, she and TJ can’t thank Molly enough. And they’ll both be there for Andrea every step of the way. Andrea says, luckily, she does know what to anticipate with the pregnancy, and going into it, knowing she’s carrying Molly and TJ’s baby and not her own, will make it possible for her to do this. That’s why she signed the contract. Alexis says she knows something about contracts, having been a lawyer for most of her life. She also knows what they can’t do. They really can’t capture the emotional part of what it means to have a child. So she thanks Andrea. It’s an incredible gift Andrea is giving to her child.

Elizabeth says she’s so sorry this is happening to him, and Gregory thanks her. It’s been a struggle to wrap his mind around it. (There’s a lot of that going around.) He put off facing it for as long as he could, which is why he hid his diagnosis from Finn and Chase for so long. He still hasn’t found the strength to tell Chase. Now that Finn knows, on the one hand, he’s relieved; on the other hand, he knows his son. She says, he’ll do everything he can for Gregory, and he says, that’s what he’s afraid of. Finn will act as both his doctor and his son, and he’ll forget to feel. But he’ll need to be in touch with those feelings, and for that he’ll need Elizabeth. Gregory dreads what’s ahead for him, but knowing Finn has her beside him, supporting him, he can dread it a little less.

Tracy says, what’s happened to her? What’s happened to Brook? Chase has softened her beyond recognition. Brook says, thank you, but Tracy says, that wasn’t a compliment. Brook says, Luke’s death has hardened Tracy more than she could have possibly imagined. She’s not only destroyed a company, she’s destroyed dreams. Does she understand that? Tracy says, please, and Brook says, if there’s any merit to this suit, it could bankrupt Deception. Tracy says, well, then Lucy Coe hasn’t kept very good books if her company’s that financially fragile, and Brook says, she’s unbelievable. This could leave Deception vulnerable to a hostile takeover. Or it could crumble before it ever has a chance to get back up on its feet. Tracy says, that’s the plan.

Elizabeth says she’ll do everything she can to support Finn, and Gregory. And she’ll be there for Chase and Violet. Gregory tells her that he had no doubt she’d say that, and thanks her. She asks, who else knows? and he says, at this point, it’s her, Finn, and Alexis Davis. He knows he’s being a coward, but he’s dreading telling Chase. She says, he’s anything but a coward. Facing this alone for months takes way more strength than he’s willing to admit. He’ll find the right moment to tell Chase. He says, Chase is the baby of the family, but boy, the optimist; the one who believes no matter how bad things get, it’s going to be okay in the end. He doesn’t know how to tell Chase that he’s sick, getting sicker, and one day, he’ll be helpless. There are days when he doesn’t believe it himself, but then his hands cramp up, or he struggles to stand up, or he falls down like he did with Violet, and it hits him. He’s going to die. This is real. She says, yeah, it’s real. There are still good days ahead, and she’s going to help him enjoy them. He thanks her and they hug, and Finn sees them.

Brook says, what plan? What is Tracy really after? She hasn’t been interested in ELQ in years, and that’s money to run a small country. What’s really going on here? Who sets out to ruin people’s lives? Oh wait. She’s sorry. Of course (🍷). A Quartermaine. Well look how well that’s turned out for this family. No wonder her dad woke up thinking he was someone else. Who’d want to be Tracy’s kid? Brook stomps out, and Tracy ponders this.

Andrea thanks Molly and Alexis for the lovely meal and even lovelier company. She’s so glad she’s in the position to help Molly and TJ. Molly says, they’re the fortunate ones to have found Andrea, and Andrea tells Alexis, it’s been a pleasure. Alexis says, it was a pleasure for her as well. It was a wonderful night. Andrea leaves, and Molly asks what Alexis thinks, and please, be honest. This is too important for anything else. Alexis says she likes Andrea. She thinks Andrea has a good head on her shoulders, and a good understanding of what it’s like to be a surrogate. Molly says she’s so relieved to hear Alexis say that, and Alexis says she thinks Molly and TJ are going to make fantastic parents. Molly thanks her, and they hug.

Kristina tells Willow, if she’s honest, it feels like Molly is punishing her because she can have a baby and Molly can’t. She knows that sounds harsh. Willow says, Kristina has a right to her feelings. She won’t pretend to know the answers, but one thing she’s learned is that babies are great bridge builders. Once the child is there and you’re interacting with this small miracle and the immediacy of them, it makes the old wounds seem less painful. So don’t assume she and Molly will feel this way forever. It’s very possible once the baby gets here, Kristina will just be aunty and Molly will be mom, and neither one of them will feel the need to be so territorial. It’ll all get easier. Kristina says she really hopes Willow is right, and she hopes the same for Kristina and Nina. She knows there’s negative history there and she gets it, but she’s been spending some time with Nina and she’s really a good person. Kristina’s dad loves her a lot. Maybe it’s like Willow just said, the immediacy will make the old wounds seem less painful. She hopes things get easier for Willow too, and Nina. Willow says she likes the sound of that.

Nina says, she and Sonny need to have these romantic dinners more often, and he says he knows. He’ll see what he can do. They kiss and his phone rings. He says he’s got to get this, and she says, go. He steps away and asks, what’s the update?

Cody says, what if it was Sam in Ferncliff? Or one of her sisters? Alone and afraid, being held against your will, being told by the doctors and staff that you’re crazy. Wouldn’t she want someone to check on her and make sure she’s safe? Wouldn’t she want someone to do something for her if she wasn’t? Wouldn’t she want someone to save her if they could? Or would she prefer everyone just stands on the sideline, does nothing, and hopes for the best? Because when that doesn’t work out, her and everyone she loves are going to regret it for the rest of their lives. Sam says, okay. She’ll do it. She’ll have him committed.

On Monday, Marshall asks if Portia has any good news; Lucy calls Martin an idiot; Trina tells Josslyn, there’s got to be a way to bring them back together; and Stella tells Curtis that he’s not giving up.

⚖️ New Lawyer In Town…

Too bad Nora wasn’t available. Then we’d have both Pine Valley and Llanview representing.

🍑 Peach Of a Reunion…

I’ve been watching this off and on, but I still can’t get the image out of my head of Shereé and Marlo screeching at each other in gibberish back in (I think) season 4. No one seems to have matured much since then either.

🍊 Clap This…

Tamra can make justifications and excuses all she wants, but that episode was disgusting, and she hasn’t changed for the better in all these years.

🛟 His Ship Is Sinking…

Never liked him. Never will.

https://people.com/below-deck-sailing-yacht-gary-king-accused-alleged-sexual-misconduct-7852575

The Latest In Decks…

Not sure how I’m going to feel about Captain Lee’s replacement.

🍸 Because Can’t Let It Go…

Why doesn’t he just leave already? No matter what she says, this can’t be comfortable for her.

https://ew.com/tv/vanderpump-rules-ariana-madix-sleeps-with-door-locked-tom-sandoval/

At least she has something to balance it out.

🍜 Tastes Change…

It’s a wonder she didn’t end up in the hospital from exhaustion.

👹 Delicacies Of Horror…

Some of what to expect in AHS season 12.

https://ew.com/tv/everything-we-know-about-american-horror-story-12-delicate/

AHS trivia. Maybe they should do an AHS: Barbie.

https://ew.com/tv/margot-robbie-almost-starred-in-american-horror-story-asylum/

⚰️ Dead Review…

Apparently, it doesn’t take much to impress him. Just because you’re not repeating the same lines over and over doesn’t make it art. TBD.

For the life of me, I can’t remember this guy.

Teasing Rick and Michonne. Mostly Michonne.

Maggie’s plans in the City.

🏞 Mapping the Last…

They’re ready to roll. Now if the strike would just end.

https://ew.com/awards/the-last-of-us-season-2-mapped-out-craig-mazin/

🐶 No Dogs Under 17 Allowed…

I think this says it all: For years, I have been saying, Somebody needs to make an R-rated talking dog movie, the animal trainer says.

https://people.com/strays-dog-casting-training-exclusive-7692967

🦮 Pets in 3D…

I love it! Kudos to Apple. 🍎

https://people.com/dogs-with-prostheses-star-apple-iphone-campaign-the-invincibles-7724735

🐝 Quotes of the Week

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. – Neale Donald Walsch

You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals. – Booker T. Washington (Well, if I ever reach my goals, it will be one helluva yardstick.)

New beginnings are disguised as painful endings. – Lao Tzu

No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave. – Calvin Coolidge

Nobody can make you a doormat unless you lay down on the floor. – Judge Star Jones, Divorce Court

Whatever we believe about ourselves and our ability comes true for us. – Susan L. Taylor

Today stretches ahead of you waiting to be shaped. You are the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will be like is up to you. – Steve Maraboli

The fruit of your own hard work is the sweetest. – Deepika Padukone

Don’t spend major time on minor things. – Jim Rohn

🍒 Outside the Club…

While you’re enjoying what’s left of the summer, stop by on Monday really Tuesday for soap and random cups of tea. Until then, stay safe, stay tempering your ambition with courtesy, and stay being thankful for everything you’ve got.

July 21, 2023 – Sonny Sizes Up Austin, New Nanny, Will He, Transformed, Dueling Deckhands, New Chef, Dead Stuff, She’s Here, Robfusal, Sea Dog, Just Five Quotes & Her World

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny says, to protecting our own, and clinks glasses with Nina and Ava. He asks Austin, what’s wrong? Does he have a problem with the toast?

As the doctor pokes at Curtis’s legs, TJ asks what he feels, but Curtis says he doesn’t feel a thing. He can’t feel anything. None of them seem surprised that he can’t feel his legs. Will somebody tell him what the hell is going on? He shouts, what’s going on?!

Diane walks into the hospital on the phone, and says she’s literally walking in the door… Don’t worry. She’ll find Sasha and take care of everything. Leaning on the counter, Robert says, everything? That’s a tall order, even for Killer Miller.

Sasha is wheeled out of the elevator, and Gladys says, she’s going to get better. She knows it doesn’t look like it, but she promises to do everything she can to get Sasha all the help she needs. Dr. Montague comes out and says he knows how upsetting this must be for Gladys, but he’s here now. He asks if Sasha remembers him. He’s Dr. Montague, and he’s here to help her. She says, help her? and he says, she’s not herself right now, but he promises she will be soon. He’ll make sure of that. He asks the officer to take Sasha to the exam room, and the officer leaves with Sasha. Gladys says, he never told her that Sasha would get this bad, but Montague says, her daughter-in-law is much worse off than she led him to believe. Gladys asks what he gave her. She hurt somebody. It’s lucky she didn’t kill him. And she’s in so much pain now. She never meant for Sasha to suffer… He says, shut up. They both know what she meant to happen. She did her part; now he’ll do his. He goes into the exam room, and closes the door. Gladys looks at Sasha through the window, and Montague closes the blinds.

Carly visits Drew in Pentenville, and says she knows she promised she wouldn’t visit so soon, but he says he’s glad she did. She says she knows he wanted to feel more settled, but she had to see him. She misses him so much. He says he misses her, and she says, here she is. He says, she looks so beautiful, even in a place like this, and she says, she talked to Sam. Scout’s determined to visit him ASAP. He says, she knows how Scout is when she sets her mind to something; you can’t change it. The last time he was locked in a cell, he etched her name in the wall, and that’s what kept him alive, but now he has so much more to live for. She says, this place is better than Crete, right? and he flashes back to Cyrus giving him a Bible with a screwdriver in it. Carly asks, what’s wrong?

At the pool, Dex tells Josslyn, other people were at the pool when the shooting happened. Anna Devane for one, and the police are even certain Curtis wasn’t the target. She says she’s certain. Curtis was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The bullet was meant for Sonny. It could have been Dex. He says, no, but she says, he already got shot working for Sonny. What’s to say it won’t happen again? He says, because now he has more to live for. He’s never loved anyone as much as he loves her. He’s not going to give that up. They kiss.

TJ says, Curtis has every right to be concerned, and Portia says, TJ is right, but he doesn’t want to put too much stress on himself right now. That’s going to make it… Curtis says, stop. He can’t feel his legs. He needs them to stop talking to him like family. They’re doctors and he’s a patient. Why can’t he feel his legs? Dr. Barnsdall says he understands why Curtis is so concerned, but he’s just come through very extensive spinal surgery. Curtis is lucky to be alive. The bullet fragments he removed were lodged very close to Curtis’s spine. He was under very heavy sedation during the procedure. Every patient’s body reacts differently when that wears off. Curtis says, so the anesthesia is why he can’t feel his legs? and the doctor says, that’s one of the possibilities. Curtis says, cut it to him straight. What are the other possibilities? Dr. Barnsdall says he still needs to look at some of the other tests and scans they took after the surgery, and then he’ll better be able to answer some of Curtis’s questions. He’ll leave Curtis with his family now. The doctor leaves with the nurse, and TJ asks if Curtis heard what Dr. Barnsdall said. Very few people would have even survived that surgery. Portia says, if Aunt Stella were here, she thinks Stella would call it a miracle, and Curtis says, a miracle.

Diane tells Robert that she’s here to see her client Sasha Gilmore. Yes, she knows Sasha was recently represented by Martin Grey, but he asked her to take over when he was called away. He asks if Martin is going to be back, and she says, he is, but Maxie felt Sasha needed… He says, a killer shark, but she says, compassion and complete dedication. She will take care of everything. She knows why he’s here, and no, he won’t interrogate her client in her current state.

Gladys tells the guard that her daughter-in-law is not a criminal. He saw how gentle she was. She just needs a little psychological help, that’s all. He looks straight ahead like a guard at Buckingham Palace, and she says, oh God, and walks away.

Sasha says she knows he’s Dr. Montague, and he says, very good. Does she know why she’s here? She says, for more of those pills he gave her? but he says, no. Those pills would have helped her, but he warned her not to take too many. She says she only took three pills a day like he told her, and as he prepares a syringe, she notices blood on her clothes. He says, soon, all of her questions will be answered, and she sees the syringe. She asks, what’s that? No. He gives her the shot.

Austin says he really respects Sonny. Sonny is a powerful man and puts such a high value on family. Sonny says, nothing more important than family, and Austin says, absolutely. Let him try to put Sonny’s mind at ease. He hasn’t spent a lot of time with Avery, but the little time he’s spent with her, she’s lovely. He thinks she looks at him and sees him as not just her mom’s friend, but maybe her friend as well. Sonny says, Avery sees the good in everybody, and Austin says, that’s wonderful. He wonders if she got that from Ava, or is it a trait she inherited from Sonny? Sonny says he always gives people another chance, and Austin says, just the one? What happens when people disappoint him? Sonny asks, what happens when Austin loses a patient? and Austin says he thinks he can speak for every doctor in the world when he says, it’s hard to lose a patient. Sonny says, you’ve just got to move forward. It’s sad, but some people are beyond helping. You’ve just got to move on.

Portia says, please talk to them, and Curtis says he understands what the doctor was saying. He’s lucky to be alive, and he’s grateful for everything everyone at the hospital has done for him. But he wants to walk out of the hospital on his own, and that’s not going to happen. TJ tells him, that’s not what Dr. Barnsdall said, and Curtis says, yet. Portia says, no one can walk right after spinal surgery, and TJ says, Portia’s right. People going through the same kind of surgery, it can take weeks before they can walk. Curtis asks, how long before they can feel their legs again? when TJ gets paged, and Curtis tells him to go. He knows TJ has a job to do. TJ says he’ll be back as soon as he can, and leaves. Portia takes Curtis’s hand, and says, it’s going to be okay, and he says, yes, it will. As soon as he gets his life back. All of it.

Robert says he takes no pleasure in Sasha’s current predicament, but Cody Bell’s the real victim here, and Diane says, come on. They both know there was no intent. Sasha never meant to hurt the guy. He says, she stabbed him with a paring knife, and Diane says, it’s well-documented that Sasha hasn’t been herself since losing her baby and her husband. And might she point out, Heather Webber killed Sasha’s husband and came perilously close to killing yours truly, so she would think he’d have more… He says he’s not there to persecute her client, and she says, good. Why is he here? He says, after Maxie spoke to her, she called her Uncle Robert. She says, so Maxie asked him to look out for Sasha to make sure she was treated fairly, and he says, who’d have thunk it? Her and him on the same team. They get into the elevator together, and bump shoulders.

Sasha scrubs at the blood, and says she can’t get this off, but Montague says, don’t worry about that. He sets up a recorder, and says, they’ll take care of that later. Now tell him what she remembers. She says, there was a pool, and he says, what happened at the pool? She says, Gladys was there… and he grabbed her by the wrist. She flashes back to seeing Cyrus grab Gladys, and tells Montague, she saw him. He tried to ruin her life. He gave her drugs. Montague asks who she thinks she saw at the pool, and she says she knows she saw him. He grabbed Gladys and she knew she had to stop him. She had to stop Cyrus Renault.

Carly says she doesn’t understand. Cyrus is a murderer. She assumed Drew would be separated from people like him. Where did Drew run into him? Drew says, Cyrus found him. Cyrus wants to make him a fisher of men. She says, Cyrus Renault? and he says, what good is a messiah complex without disciples he’s recruiting? She asks if he told Cyrus to go to hell. Better yet, he has to tell the guards. They don’t know what kind of sick game Cyrus is playing, but Drew has to stay away from him. Drew doesn’t want to get on his bad side. He says she doesn’t have to worry about him, but she says, he just told her some maniac has him in their sights, and he doesn’t want her worrying about him? He says he’s got this; he can take care of himself. Cyrus knows not to make a move on him. She says she knows all the training he’s had, but he doesn’t know how many men Cyrus has under his control. He can’t fight everyone. He says, it’s okay, but she says, it’s not okay. He says, it’s taken care of, and she says, how, and by whom? He says, her ex-husband.

Ava says, Sonny is incorrigible, and tells Austin that his bark is far worse than his bite. Sonny says, the doctor knows he was joking, right? and they all laugh. Austin’s phone rings, and he asks them to excuse him. Sonny asks if there’s a problem, but Austin says, occupational hazard. He’ll be right back. He leaves, and Ava says, all right. Nina says, don’t get her wrong. Austin is awkward, but very nice and there’s some kind of chemistry there, but as a couple, she doesn’t really see it. I’m glad she said it, since I’ve been thinking it.

Outside on the phone, Austin tells someone, you could say that. It was super awkward. A lunatic walks into a restaurant and he’s with Sonny Corinthos. Not great. He guesses the question is, what’s Mason going to do about it?

TJ asks if Dr. Barnsdall reviewed all of Curtis’s latest test results, and the doctor says he did, and the final scans they took after Curtis’s surgery. TJ says, will his uncle ever be able to walk again?

Carly says, Sonny has people watching Drew’s back, and Drew says, she doesn’t sound completely surprised. She says, vintage Sonny, and Drew says, to protect him? She says, Sonny knows he’s a good guy, and deep down he knows Drew is good for her. She and Sonny will always be family, and at the end of the day, nothing’s more important to Sonny than family. He asks if this is Sonny’s way of welcoming him into the family, and she laughs, saying, she wouldn’t go that far. She just wants him to come home. Nothing’s more important. He says he’s working on it. So what else is going on? She says, Willow came home, and he says, that’s great. She says, the only reason Willow is okay is because he rescued Liesl. The only reason Willow’s okay is because of him. He says he’s just happy she’s home where she belongs. Are they planning a big party at the house for her already?… What’s going on? Carly says, nothing, but he says he knows her. He loves her. Tell him what it is.

Portia says, what Curtis needs right now is rest, and she’ll be right back. He doesn’t let go of her hand, and says, what he needs is her here. He also needs to tell her something before the doctor gets back. She says, they’ll have plenty of time to talk later, but he says, she’s wrong. Time is the one thing we’re never sure we have. When he came to find her at the pool, he’d just had a conversation with Sam, and she said something he didn’t think was important at the time. And now, he can’t forget it. Portia asks what she said, and he tells her, she said, you never have enough time with the people you love, and she’s right. He realized how much time he was wasting and came to find her. He’s not sorry he went to the pool looking for her, but he’s sorry he didn’t get to say what he wanted to say.

Robert and Diane come out of the elevator, and Gladys says, her daughter-in-law is in no condition to be hounded by lawyers right now. Diane says, Gladys might be Sasha’s guardian, but she’s not Sasha’s gatekeeper. She’s assuming Sasha is in the exam room. Gladys says, she’s getting the treatment she needs from her shrink, and Robert says, he’ll handle this. He goes over to the guard, and Gladys says she’s sure Diane means well, but Sasha is in pretty bad shape. If Diane makes her more upset, she swears she’ll… Diane asks, what will she do? Word to the wise; never, ever threaten her. Robert tells Diane, ten minutes max, and Diane asks Gladys to excuse her.

Sasha says, he was going to hurt Gladys like he hurt her, and she couldn’t let that happen. So she saw the knife, and… Diane walks in, and says, Sasha, stop right there. Not one more word. And you – she looks at Montague – turn off that recording device right now. He grabs it and shuts it off.

Ava says, she and Austin have only had a few dates. Of course (🍷) Nina doesn’t see them as a couple. Nina says, on the plus side, he’s nothing like Nikolas, and Ava says, that’s for sure. He is very… Nina says, alive, and Ava says, what? Nina says, don’t get her wrong. Ava and Nikolas had some connection and chemistry, but Nikolas always seemed like he was brooding. He was always serious all the time to her. At least Austin is mysteriously… expressive. Ava says, he’s definitely more alive, and Sonny says, he’s very attentive to his patients, because earlier, that guy Gordon was hostile. Austin could have blown him off, but he took the time to deal with the problem. Nina asks, what happened when Sonny went out after him? and Sonny says he’s pretty sure that Austin’s patient understands the situation. Austin comes back, and Ava says, Sonny was just complementing his bedside manner. Sonny’s phone rings, and he tells Gladys that he’s in the middle of something. Gladys says, it’s Sasha. She’s been arrested. Sonny asks, what the hell for? and Gladys says, she’s getting a psyche evaluation at GH right now. Sonny says he’ll be right there, and Nina asks, what’s going on? He says, Sasha’s in trouble. He has to go to GH. Nina says she’s going with him, and tells Ava and Austin that she’s so sorry. Ava says, no, go, and Sonny and Nina leave. Ava says, disaster averted, for now, and eats her martini olives off the stirrer.

Josslyn puts suntan lotion (I think… I hope) on Dex, when his phone rings. She says, don’t answer it, but he says, she knows he has to. Sonny says he knows it’s Dex’s day off. Something came up. Dex asks what he needs and Sonny says, surveillance. Port Charles Grill. Austin Gatlin-Holt.

Portia says she loves the sentiment, she really does, but is Curtis saying if he hadn’t spoken to Sam, he wouldn’t… He says, it’s done. They’re here. And what he wants her to know right now is, whatever happens, his feelings for her won’t change. And once he’s back on his feet… She says, and he will be, but she needs him to listen to his doctors… and his wife. She just wants him to relax and let his body heal as long as possible. He says he’s feeling stronger by the minute, and she says, good. That’s what she likes to hear. She has to check on a patient really quickly, but she promises she’ll be right back. She leaves, and cries in the hallway. Curtis pinches his leg, and sighs.

Dr. Barnsdall shows TJ his tablet, and says, they were successful in removing the bullet and every fragment. TJ says, Dr. Barnsdall always does good work, but was it enough?

Carly says, there’s nothing for Drew to worry about, but he says, something is going on. Is it the financial penalty from the SEC? She says she can handle it. She doesn’t want him to even think about it. He says he doesn’t want her thinking about it. That was a huge fine. He doesn’t want this weighing her down along with everything else. It’s really simple. He can sell Aurora. She says, no, he can’t. Diane made it crystal clear that she can’t accept anything from him, Michael, or Sonny. She could be hit with an even bigger fine, or worse. He says, Diane knows what she’s talking about. Did she come up with a Plan B? Carly says, she did, and Diane told her it’s going to take a while, but it doesn’t matter because she has resources. He says, tell him she’s not selling the house, and she says, the house is too big for them. He says, it’s not just the house, it’s the moss bowl’s🎍 her home, and she says, the home she had with Sonny. She has a lot of great memories of the kids growing up there, but those memories aren’t going away because she sells the house. She wants to focus on the future, and getting him out of here and sharing that future with him. No piece of real estate is going to change that. Life is too fragile to wait around. You think you have everything under control, and think the people you love are safe, then just like that… He says, what happened?

Dex puts his shirt on, and Josslyn asks if he really has to go. It’s his day off. What could be so important? He says, it’s no big deal. Nothing dangerous. Just a little surveillance. He kisses her, and she says, if it’s not important, why can’t they go back to his place right now? and he says, it’s not that he doesn’t want that. He made a choice when he decided to work for Sonny. She says she thought she was the choice he made, and he says, the best ever; the most important ever. But now he needs to go to work, and she – he takes a book out of their beach bag – needs to finish that mystery. The minute this job is done, he promises… She kisses him, and he says he promises. I gotta say it. I think she’s too immature for him.

Austin says he can’t tell. Did Sonny think he was okay, or does Sonny hate him? Ava shrugs and says she doesn’t know, but when he decides, believe her, Austin will know. He asks how she thinks it went, but she says she doesn’t know. Sonny plays things so close to the vest, but when it comes to Avery, he’s not going to take any chances. Austin says, Sonny has nothing to worry about with him and Avery. He loves kids. Ava says, that’s good, because Sonny said something he really meant; family is everything. He lives by that. Austin asks if he’s like that with all her lovers.

Gladys thanks Sonny for coming, and Sonny asks Robert, where’s Sasha? Robert says, she’s in there, indicating the exam room. Diane’s with her.

Montague says, how dare Diane barge in here and interrupt while he’s evaluating a patient. Get out! Diane says she’s not going anywhere. She’s Diane Miller, and she’s Sasha’s attorney. And that trumps his title any day of the week, and don’t turn that recorder on again. She gently asks if Sasha remembers her, and Sasha says, Diane. Diane says she’s Sasha’s attorney. She helped Sasha once before, and she’s going to help her again. Sasha tells her, Dr. Montague said… but Diane says, no. She doesn’t need to pay any attention to Dr. Montague. Just look right at her and she doesn’t say one more word. Montague says, unfortunately, Diane is a little too late. Sasha already told him more than enough.

Nina tells Gladys, this doesn’t make any sense. Why would Sasha stab Cody Bell? Gladys says, it was obvious she wasn’t herself. She would never hurt anyone. Something made her do it. Sonny says, like what? What made her do it?

Alone in the office, TJ yells, dammit! and pounds the desk with his fist. Portia walks in and says, no. He walks over to her, and she tells him, please don’t say it. She cries as he hugs her.

Gladys says she’s not a shrink. How would she know what’s wrong with Sasha? First there was the shoplifting, now she stabs Cody? Nina’s own journalist was there; she saw the whole thing. Nina says she talked to Alyse. She said it came out of nowhere. It doesn’t make any sense. When she was on Home & Heart, and someone did that horrible mind game on her, she handled it. Sonny says he saw her a few weeks ago and told her that she was ready to be on her own; to end Gladys’s guardianship. What changed?

Montague and Diane step away from Sasha, and he says, the police brought Miss Gilmore in for a psyche evaluation. As her lawyer, he’s sure Diane knows what that entails, what his responsibilities are. He’s sorry, but at this point, his hands are tied.

Robert tells Gladys, Sonny, and Nina that he just got off a call from Judge Palmer… Diane joins them and says, please, let her tell them. Sasha needs help. She’s being sent to Ferncliff Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Oh yeah, Ferncliff. We haven’t seen that place for a while.

Ava says she needs to make something very clear, she and Austin aren’t a couple, and they’re definitely not lovers. He says, what happened at Windymere… She says, means nothing. They’re nothing. She had a little moment of weakness. She’s regretted it ever since. He says he’s only regretted they haven’t done it again, and she says, he has an inflated opinion – he rubs her leg under the table – of his sexual prowess. And she assumes as a doctor – she picks up her knife – he has a need for that hand creeping up her thigh. He says, she wouldn’t, and she just looks at him. He removes his hand, and says, she didn’t answer his question. Sonny is a jealous guy? She says, Sonny doesn’t care who she sleeps with, as long as it doesn’t negatively impact Avery. He says, good to know. He assumes she sang his praises when he was away from the table, and she says, what praises might those be? His gymnastics in bed. He says, thank you, and she says, his willingness to help bury dead husbands? She told Sonny as little as possible about him; only what she thought he’d actually believe. He says, then how come he didn’t buy it?

Drew asks, what happened? and Carly says, Curtis was shot. Drew says, is he… She says, no. He’s in the hospital. He asks, how bad was it? and she says, it was touch and go. She heard this morning he’s out of surgery, he’s in recovery, but she doesn’t know his condition. Drew says, who shot him? and she says, they don’t know. It was at the MetroCourt pool. He asks if anyone else was hurt, and she says, no, luckily. He says he doesn’t get it. Who would want to kill Curtis? She says, the PCPD isn’t sure he was the target.

Curtis unsuccessfully tries to move his legs. In the hallway, Portia wipes the tears from her cheeks and puts on a smile. She goes into his room, and says, told him that she wouldn’t be long. He says he’s glad she’s back. Could she make sure they schedule a therapy session for him as soon as possible? She says, it’s way too soon for something like that, but he says, it’s never too soon. He’s not going to sit here in this bed and wait for another miracle. He knows it’s going to take hard work, but he’s here for it. Because no matter what it takes, he’s going to walk and stand up on his own two legs. Who knows? Someday, he might take her in his arms and they can dance the night away again. What does she think about that? She says she absolutely loves it. There’s something she wants to tell him. He asks, what’s wrong? and she says, Dr. Barnsdall got the latest tests and scans back and he consulted with three other surgeons, and none of them think he’ll be able to walk again.

Carly says she’s sorry. As soon as she gets any information about Curtis, she’ll get it to Drew. He thanks her, and says, she told him Portia was with Curtis. Does she know who else was out there? She says, his attorney Zeke, Jordan Ashford… Dante, Anna, and Sonny. He says, Curtis is such a good man. They’d better find out who did this. A guard says, time’s up, and Carly says she’ll come back as soon as she can. Seeing him makes everything better. He says he loves her, and she says she loves him, and leaves after taking a last look.

Portia says, doctors have been wrong before, and this isn’t a death sentence. They almost lost him for good, and Dr. Barnsdall said there’s no reason he can’t live an absolutely… Curtis says, stop. Just stop. She says, but they all love him. No matter what. He says he needs some time, and she says, of course (🍷). Of course (🍷) he does. He says, alone, and she says she understands. She leaves, and stands in the hallway crying, when TJ sees her. In his room, Curtis looks lonely.

Josslyn reads her book, when her phone rings. She says, hello?… This is Josslyn Jax. Who’s this?… Excuse me?… What are you talking about?

Ava says, Sonny rarely makes snap judgements, but when he does, look out, and Austin says, so she doesn’t think Sonny’s judged him yet. She says, probably not, but she thinks she managed to convince him that he has nothing to worry about with Austin spending time around Avery. Austin says, he’s not the only one who can read people. And he gets the distinct feeling Sonny is on to them. Dex listens from the bar.

Cyrus sits on a couch reading, and looks up to see Drew.

Sasha is wheeled out, and Nina says, it’s horrible. Diane promises Nina that she’ll fight this tooth and nail. Gladys says, she’s going to a good place, right? and Montague says, that’s exactly where her daughter-in-law should be. She’ll get all the help she needs. Isn’t that what they all want? He gets in the elevator, and Sonny asks the guard for a moment. He asks if Sasha can hear him. He knows she’s in there. Listen to him. She’s not alone. Does she understand? She’s not alone. She thanks him, and the guard wheels her into the elevator.

On Monday, Carly tells Josslyn that she’s been entrusted with their family institution; Austin tells someone that everything will be okay; and Sonny tells Dex, stay with him. See what he can find out.

🧸 Bye Pilar…

The nanny Mason wants.

⚖️ Come On Back, Jack…

I feel ripped off. I was hoping he was going to be a regular.

👩🏻‍⚕️ Spreading Her Wings…

Now if they’d just give her a love life. Chad was great, but it’s been a minute… or two… or three…

⚓️ Two Stooges On Deck…

He needs to mansplain.

He’s got work to do, he’s just not sure what.

🥗 She’s the Top…

No one can replace Padma, but the show must go on.

⚰️ Let’s Talk About Dead…

Wow. Daryl hasn’t even had his first season yet.

https://www.avclub.com/amc-is-already-tossing-new-seasons-at-its-latest-walkin-1850665927

And coming up behind Daryl.

https://people.com/the-walking-dead-rick-michonne-spinoff-title-teaser-andrew-lincoln-danai-gurira-7564287

City recap.

https://www.cbr.com/the-walking-dead-dead-city-season1-episode5-recap-spoilers/

🩰 Time To Shine…

Barbie in review.

https://www.avclub.com/barbie-movie-review-margot-robbie-greta-gerwig-1850646537

I love this song!

https://slate.com/culture/2023/07/barbie-girl-song-movie-aqua-nicki-minaj-ice-spice.html

When and where you can see it.

https://www.barbie-themovie.com/

📸 Meanie Meanie Jellybeanie…

I included this only because I thought it was odd and kind of funny.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/abby-lee-miller-slams-rob-lowe-for-refusing-to-take-a-picture-with-her-at-elton-johns-oscar-party-he-was-mean/ar-AA1e5DmS

🐶 The Old Man and The Sea, and The Dog…

I’ll bet he was glad for the company, and it’s a good pet parent who recognizes their dog would be happier in another home.

https://people.com/dog-lost-at-sea-with-sailor-adopted-by-crew-member-rescued-them-7563071

💫 Quotes of the Week

Today is a new day. Hiding from your history only shackles you to it. We can’t undo a single thing we have ever done, but we can make decisions today that propel us to the life we want and towards the healing we need. – Steve Maraboli

It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about. – Dale Carnegie

To be nobody but yourself — in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else — means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. – e.e. cummings

You are not called to be a canary in a cage. You are called to be an eagle, and to fly sun to sun, over continents. – Henry Ward Beecher

I’m fast, cheap, but average. – Director Higurashi (Takayuki Hamatsu), One Cut of the Dead

🩱 Life In Plastic…

Meet me here on Monday really Tuesday for soap, and who knows what, since I can’t watch one more Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay making your own kind of music, and stay keeping in mind, time is the one thing we’re never sure we have.

June 17, 2022 – Drew Celebrates With Carly, Suits, Finished, RomaDrama, Wife Block, Unconcerned, One More, Spinning Thrones, Juneteenth, 10 Quotes For Dads & Vibe

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly sees someone swimming in the pool, and says, the pool’s closed. Drew gets out, and sexy music plays while she stares at him. Erm… He says he was hoping the owner could bend the rules a little for him.

Nina asks if everything’s all right, and Sonny says, it’s just business. It wasn’t anything urgent. He thanks her for waiting, and she says, it would have been rude, not to mention immature, if she’d just walked away in a huff (or a minute and a huff. sorry). He asks if she was tempted, and she says, a little bit. A part of her doesn’t want to hear his answer about the kiss he gave her, but then there’s another part of her that really needs to know, because it means something to her. Did he kiss her because he got into a fight with his ex-wife?

At a drive-in (!), Anna asks if Valentin has ever been here before, but he says he hasn’t had the pleasure. Her? She says, no. All the drive-in theaters she’s seen have been in movies she’s watched. He says, she wanted him to surprise her, and she says, he did. He’s kind of like this movie. He says, old or notorious? and she says, he seems to be black and white, but in reality, he’s a complex balance of shadows. She got that out of a book on Hitchcock. He says he likes it; it makes him sound classic, yet timeless. She says, this is the part where Ingrid Bergman realizes she’s been poisoned, and he says, like the old days, huh? She says, only if your nostalgic about someone being drugged in an undercover operation, and he says he thinks it’s part of their charm tonight.

Trina tells Josslyn that they have to get out of the bar before the cops check their IDs. The instigator, aka tall bald guy, is taken away, and the cops talk to bar guy. Josslyn says, now’s their chance, but as they start to leave, Rory comes in, and asks what they’re doing here.

Selina walks into The Savoy, and asks why Brad called her back here. He says, there’s a problem with the game. Linc comes out of the back and goes to the bar, while Brook stares daggers at him. He asks for a double vodka on the rocks, and Brook starts to stomp over to him, but Chase intercepts her and asks if she’s going somewhere. Brad tells Selina, Judge Abbott canceled at the last minute, so he let another player come in. She says, without vetting him first? Linc tells N’neka to put it on his tab, when Britt comes up to the bar. She says she was here earlier, and realized she can’t find her phone. Did someone turn it in? N’neka says she’ll check, and leaves. Linc says he hopes she finds Britt’s phone. He hates to see a lady in distress.

In the hallway, Brad tells Selina, when he saw the guy’s bankroll, he figured it would be okay. He knew the password. She says, just spit it out; what happened? and Cody comes out, counting a load of cash.

Sonny says, when he kissed Nina, he wasn’t thinking about Carly, and she says, but he did fight with Carly. He says, yeah. Carly and Michael think he turned his back on his family. She says, that’s ridiculous. His family is everything to him. He says, right, and when he went on the stand, it wasn’t against Michael; he was just there to tell the truth. She says, and he was gracious enough to forgive her, and doesn’t hold her responsible anymore for keeping his identity a secret. He says, the thing is, he always believed and still believes Wiley needs to have her in his life. She thanks him, and says, Carly considers that a betrayal. He says, in Carly’s mind, the biggest betrayal was, when Baldwin was going after Michael, he stood by Nina. Nina says she has to be honest. When he did that, she was surprised too.

Drew tells Carly that he just needed a quick swim. It was a crazy day at Aurora, and he didn’t get a chance to work out. She asks, how quick? and he says, only a mile. Navy SEAL. He hopes she isn’t going to revoke his membership, but she says, he’s exactly the distraction she needed after the day she’s had. He says, bad? and she says, beyond. Frustrating… heartbreaking… deeply disappointing, but also the best.

Trina tells Rory that she and Josslyn were tracking down proof Esme framed her, and he says, in a bar known for criminal activity? Trina says, just the place Esme would go to for an unregistered phone, and Josslyn promises they’ll explain everything later, but right now, they need to get out of here. An officer calls Rory over, and asks if he has ID on Josslyn and Trina.

Chase asks, what happened to their hanging out by the pool? and Brook says she’s sorry, but this was too good of a chance to pass up. Linc had a card from The Savoy, with what was obviously a password written on the back. He says, a strong indicator that something shady was going on, and she says, yes, Mr. Sarcasm. This is her chance to catch Linc in the act, and blackmail him into signing the rights to her songs back over to her. He says, there’s so much illegal in what she just said to him, he doesn’t know where to start.

Linc says he knows Britt. She’s the woman in the GIF that’s gone viral; soaking wet… climbing out of the pool. She says, yes, that’s her, and he says, she has a rockin’ bod. It’s like the beauty from the Black Lagoon. They might be able to recreate that in one of his artist’s videos. She says, excuse me? and he says, oh, did he not mention he’s a music producer?

Selina asks, is this the last minute player? and Cody says, they meet again. All the players raved about her in there. She says, did they? and he says, Brad here was kind enough to let him sit in on the game. Texas Hold ‘Em high stakes is exactly how he likes to play. It’s a shame the game ended so early. She says, isn’t it, and he says, thanks for the hospitality. Goodnight. He starts to leave, and she says, Li! A big guy comes in, and she says she’d like a word with this man – outside.

Anna says she loves this movie, and Valentin says he’s never known anyone so thrilled with this film. She says, come on. Cary Grant rescues Ingrid Bergman. The Nazis are thwarted, and the moment he goes back inside, Claude Reins is a dead man. What’s not to love? It’s so good. He says, if she likes this film, she’s going to love the second feature, and she says, he’s not going to tell her what it is? He says she wanted to be surprised. There’s a concession stand that sells bon-bons. A little pedestrian for such a momentous occasion. She says, a drive-in’s momentous? but he says, not the drive-in; us. Her agreeing to an official first date. She says, that is momentous, and he says, so – he brings out a basket from the backseat – he brought charcuterie, and caviar. She says, it’s lovely… and he says, what? She tells him, she loves popcorn at the movies, and he reaches in the back, this time pulling out a bag of popcorn, saying, it’s a good thing he brought some. This is from Japan, salted with umami, and out of this world. She says, popcorn needs to have butter, and he says he’s usually much better at this. She says, bullseye on the movie, and remembering she loves Hitchcock; that’s all perfect. He says, the master of suspense. He never got more romantic than Notorious. She says, yeah, a libeled lady and a charismatic rogue on a spy mission, longing for each other. He says, what’s not to love?

Brook says, of course (🍷) blackmailing Linc is illegal; that’s why she kept him out of it. He says, she ditched him, and she says, for his own good. He’s so close to being reinstated. He says, she asked for his help, and as soon as he agreed, she bailed on him, so she could do it on her own. Not that she got anywhere. She says she begs to differ. Something went way, way wrong. Linc came out of the back room fuming, and when he gets mad, he gets stupid. And when Linc gets stupid, which is most of the time, Linc makes mistakes, and that’s when they’ve got him.

Linc tells Britt, he manages some of the best talent in the business, and she says, he’s rolling in it? He says, private planes, yachts… and she says, he has more than one? He says, that depends where he’s heading, and she pretends to be excited, saying, which she imagines is all over the world. He says, baby, you would not believe the life I’ve lived, and she says she bets he’s seen some things. He says he’s nothing like the guys she’s used to, and she says, so true.

Li tosses Cody into an alleyway, and Cody says, what’s there to talk about? He bought into the game. He played well, he won, fair and square. Selina asks, what’s his definition of fair? What’s indisputable is, he cleaned out all of her other players in eight hands. Cody says, that’s just how the cards fell, and Selina says, when the game goes on all night, the players’ inhibitions wear down, and the stakes go up. If they lose, they ask for credit. Cody says, which she’s more than happy to extend at a far interest rate, and she says, he cut into her profits, she’ll need to recoup her losses, which will come out of his winnings. He says, now who’s not playing fair? and she says something in Mandarin. Li punches Cody in the stomach, and Cody falls to the ground, doubled over.

Nina says, she and Sonny haven’t addressed what Scotty did to Michael on the stand, and he asks if she knew what Scotty was going to do, but she says she didn’t. Scotty told her that he was going to bring up Claudia Zaccara’s death, but she had no idea about the details of how Claudia died. All she knows is, Scotty said he was going to hit Michael with his criminal record. Sonny says, so it sounds like she didn’t know how bad Scotty was going to get with Michael, and she says she didn’t, but she’s not going to get any medals either. Kidnapping Avery, and again, keeping his existence in Nixon Falls a secret. He says, let him guess. Scotty told her, in order to secure visitation with Wiley, she was going to have to level the playing field. She says, make Michael look so bad, she’d look better by comparison, and he says, listen. He just wants her to know, Michael had no intention of killing Claudia. He was just a teenager, and he was defending his little sister. She says she knows that now, and watching Scotty go after him on the stand made her stomach sink. In part because of what she set in motion, and in part because she was sure she’d lose him over it.

Drew says, it’s kind of nice having the place to themselves, and Carly says, one of the perks of co-owning the MetroCourt. He says, she knows he’s only hanging out for the perks, right? and she says she’s under no illusion. They sit, and he says he thinks he knows what she meant when she said, bad, but for the best. It’s when something crappy happens to you, but you needed it. It gives you a wake-up call and shifts your whole perspective. She says, that’s exactly what happened to her today. She hadn’t talked to Sonny since Nina’s visitation hearing. She won’t go into the gory details, but Nina and her lawyer accused Michael of being violent towards women. Can he believe that? He says he heard that, and he’s so incredibly sorry. She says, it was awful, but what was truly indefensible was Sonny. He was in the court room; he heard everything. And when it was over, he comforted Nina. Drew says, she must have felt so betrayed, and she says, yeah, and furious, and devastated. And now, weirdly grateful.

Nina says, when Scotty got done with Michael, and the judge called for a recess because she wanted to talk to Scotty and Diane in chambers, she stood up and felt so alone. She turned around, and there Sonny was, on her side. He looked so stoic, and she had no idea what he was feeling. She thought he was going to tear into her. He says, there was a lot of stuff happening. He was angry with Scotty for going after Michael, and he was disappointed in Michael for going after her. It was a lot. She says she wanted to play fair. She wanted to let everyone just cool down until Michael and Willow would allow her to see Wiley, but Michael and Willow didn’t play fair. He says, even before the five-part feature in The Invader? and she says, they were never going to cool down. Wiley would have been an adult before she was allowed to see him, and by that time, he’d be so brainwashed, he’d never want to see her. Sonny says, she had every right to go for the petition for visitation, and she says she’s made a lot of mistakes, but so has Michael. Nobody is perfect here. He takes her hand, and says, when he saw her in court, she was hurting a lot. All he could think about was making her feel better. She says she just wanted to explain to him what happened. She felt like her skin was ripped off; all her faults were exposed… and there he was. He touched her cheek – she starts to cry, and he gives her his hanky – and that small act of compassion meant more to her than he’ll ever know.

Drew says, Carly is grateful Sonny sided with Nina? and she says, the Sonny she knew would have defended his son, and the fact that he didn’t, brought it all home to her in a way nothing else could. The man she married, the Sonny she loved, the father of her kids, is gone. For as long as she’s known Sonny, he could make her angrier than anyone, and what surprised her today was the anger she didn’t feel. That’s when she realized… He says, her wake-up call, and she says, what Sonny did in that courtroom severed the last tie. They’re Donna’s parents, and will always co-exist for her sake, but they live separate lives. She’s been saying she’s free for a while, but today, she feels free. He tells her, congratulations, and she thanks him. He says, they should celebrate.

Rory says he needs to see their IDs, and Trina says, which one? The real one that says she’s underage, or the fake one that says she’s 23 and her name is Jane? Josslyn says, look, Trina can’t get arrested, even if it’s a misdemeanor. The Title IX investigation came back against her. He says he’s sorry to hear that, and Trina says, thanks, but it turns out it’s the least of her worries. Josslyn tells him, coming here was entirely her idea; she dragged Trina along. Please, just bust her and let Trina go. She hands him her fake ID.

Li kicks Cody’s ass some more, and Selina says, enough. The money. Li reaches in Cody’s pocket, and Cody says, they can’t take his buy-in money; he brought it to the table. She says he cost her far more than she recouped tonight. He’s still in her dept. He says, she can’t leave him with nothing, and she says she’s not completely heartless, and pulls out a bill, tossing it toward him. She tells Li, let’s go, and they leave. Brad tells Cody, sorry, Selina calls to him, and he goes.  

Linc says he doesn’t want to intimidate Britt or anything. He is rich and famous, but deep down, he’s just a regular guy. She says, regular just doesn’t do it for her; neither does rich and famous. She’s into a very particular type. He asks her to enlighten him, and she says, the kind who keeps his head when literal bullets are flying, who’s not overly fussy in the rule of law, and who doesn’t give a damn about pop culture. The kind of guy who can take a punch, and laugh about it. N’neka brings out a phone, and asks if it’s Britt’s, and Britt thanks her, taking it. She tells Linc, by the way, he’s a loser, even if he’s rich and famous, and walks away.

Chase says, if Britt does something illegal, and Linc can prove it, she’ll be in a far worse position than when she started. She says, look at Linc’s expression. Britt blew him off and he is livid. Now’s her chance. She heads for the bar.

Coming out of the club, Britt sees Cody in the alley.

Carly says she’s up for celebrating; what does Drew suggest? He says, how about a night swim? but she says she didn’t bring her suit. He says, they could skinny dip, but she says she owns the hotel. People could come, so… He says he doesn’t think anyone is around, and the pool’s closed. He won’t tell. She says, raincheck? and he says, absolutely. He says, at least put her feet in the water? and sits at the edge of the pool. He holds out his hand, and she says, she can do that, taking it.

Sonny tells Nina, Carly saw him in the courtroom, and that’s what they were fighting about. He guesses she felt that gesture of comfort meant he was okay with Scotty going after Michael. She says she’s so sorry she put him in that position, but he says, he doesn’t regret it. He was just doing what he felt he should do in the moment. She says, Carly can’t forgive him, but he says, she’s done, which is ironic because the divorce has been finalized for a while now. He guesses she doesn’t… She’s cutting the cord, except for Donna. He gets to see Donna as much as he wants. Nina says, no matter what Carly’s issues are, she’s first and foremost a mother. She’s never going to use Donna as a pawn. He says he never thought this would happen. He always thought he’d be connected to Carly, at least from the past and the kids… He flashes back to Carly saying he consoled the woman who initiated an attack on Michael, and she doesn’t know him anymore. He tells Nina, Carly said she doesn’t know who he is anymore, and he’s thinking, of course (🍷) she doesn’t. A lot has changed since Nixon Falls. He’s not the same person; he’s changed. And it seems like the only one who understands him in his life is Nina.

Rory says he’ll need Trina’s too, and the other officer tells Rory, the bouncer checks out. They step aside, and the officer says, his partner is waiting for him; they got a perp violating parole who needs processing at the station. Clear the scene; send everyone home. He leaves, and Rory goes back to Josslyn and Trina. Josslyn asks, what happens now? Is he going to arrest them? He says, technically, it’s not illegal to purchase a fake ID in the state of New York. Using one is more of a grey area; it’s up to the officer’s discretion whether or not he wants to file charges. Trina asks what his discretion is telling him, and he puts the fake ID’s in his pocket, saying, he’ll let them off with a warning, this time.

Cody coughs and groans. Britt picks up the bill, and says, did he lose something?

Brook tells Linc, what a coincidence. Long time, no see. He tells her, get lost. He’s expecting a call from Korea. She says, and there’s a bridge for sale in Brooklyn, and he says he should know better than to visit Port Charles. First, some cowboy took all his cash in a card game; then some woman doesn’t even have the sense to appreciate what he’s offering. His phone rings, and he says, this is it. He says, min-ho; ban nalYes, absolutely. All I Want is still available. Brook says, that’s her song, and Linc says, they will do a phenomenal interpretation, and he’s listened to plenty of boy bands. Might he say, theirs is the best in the K-Pop biz… Yeah, they can change the lyrics from him to her. They can change whatever they want; he owns the song. Brook grabs the phone, and he says, what the hell. She says, the song in question is no longer available. It’s caught up in a copyright lawsuit that could drag on for years. Bye. She hangs up, and Linc says, does she realize what she just did? She says she saved her song. He says he wants his phone back, and grabs her arm. Chase flies between them, separating them, and Linc says, if Chase doesn’t realize she’s using him, he’s dumber than he looks. He holds out his hand, and says, phone. Or he will sell her entire catalog to a porn producer he knows who’ll use it for soundtracks, She says, what a surprise; he knows a porn producer. Linc says, come to think of it, that’s a market she should explore. She can’t sing anymore, but there are other ways to perform, like lying on your back. Chase punches him in the face.

Anna’s phone dings, and she tells Valentin, sorry. She usually remembers to switch these things off. He asks if it’s important, but she says, it’s just work; it’ll keep. He asks if it’s anything to do with the Jennifer Smith case, and she wonders why he’s asking. He says, just curious. He offered his assistance, and she was strangely quiet. She says, it’s not likely she would need it. The WSB thinks the case is airtight. He says, she doesn’t agree? and she says, no. Jennifer insisted she had this French naval captain up in her room. He says, played by Gary Cooper? and she says she wishes. Anyway, they haven’t been able to locate him or confirm his identity. Valentin flashes back to pretending to be the captain, and says, he thinks he can still be of some use.  

Nina tells Sonny, she’s sorry; she didn’t mean to get so emotional. He says he didn’t call her here for consolation, and she says, she knows. She can tell he’s hurting. Why doesn’t he talk to her? He says he’s tired of hurting. He’s tired of being angry and being sorry. This is who he is. Love him or hate him, with her, it seems to be enough. She says she’s tired of hurting too. She’s tired of the loss and regret. He makes her happy, and she wants to embrace that happiness. He asks how they start, and she kisses his hand, and says, slowly.

Carly and Drew eat ice cream cones, as they dangle their feet in the water. Carly says, this is perfect, and he says she doesn’t think his idea of a celebration is kind of lame? She says, sometimes the simplest things are the best. She’s hanging out with him on this gorgeous night, and her feet are in the swimming pool that she co-owns, and she’s got chunk of stock in a media company that’s soaring by the day. He says, a bigger chunk than she expected, but she says she knows a good thing when she sees it.

Britt sits Cody up, and asks what he did to deserve this. He says, this is how it goes when he’s on a winning streak, and she says, he gets beat up and left in an alley with $50? He says, his luck turns harder and faster than a bucking bronco, and she says, there he was, picturing the hot car he was going to buy, that place in Malibu. He says, a 200 acre spread in Wyoming. Nice place; has she ever been? He was going to buy some horses. She says, purebred? but he says, no, the price is too pricey. He was going to get some workhorses to take care of and ride… He closes his eyes, and she says, he may have a concussion, so stay with her. He says he’s not sleeping; he’s just resting his eyes. She says, then she’ll leave him to it. She starts to walk away, and says, damn Hippocratic Oath. First do no harm. She goes back to him, and says she’s a doctor, so first, she’s going to check his injuries. She’s warning him now; this is going to hurt. She moves his head and he groans. She checks his eyes.

Rory says, Trina and Josslyn were looking for a lead on Esme; did they find one? Trina says, yes and no, and Josslyn says, Esme framed Trina by planting the phone in Trina’s bag. Trina says, the phone she used to record the sex tape, and then send it out in an email blast. Josslyn says, they think they found the guy who sold her the phone, and Rory asks, who is he? Trina says, he was tending the bar when they got there; they don’t know his name. Josslyn says, he was about to ID Esme, but the fight broke out, and he slipped away. Trina says, but he works here, which means he’ll be back. Next time they’ll… Rory says, next time, they won’t be anywhere near here, and Josslyn says, they need to find the guy. Rory says, he’ll ask about the bartender. He’ll get a name and description, and he’ll run it. Rory’s phone beeps, and he says he’s got another call; disturbance in progress. How are they getting home? Josslyn says, a Ride Share; they’ll be here in ten minutes. He tells then, be sure not to miss it, and leaves.

Carly thanks Drew for the ice cream, and says, it was a great suggestion. He starts unbuttoning his shirt, and she asks what he’s doing. He says, what does she think he’s doing? He’s working off the ice cream. The mile he swam isn’t going to cut it. He gets in the pool, and she thanks him for the celebration. He tells her, who says it’s over? As far as he’s concerned, it’s just getting started.

Sonny says, he and Nina have been dancing around each other for a year at least, not to mention their time in Nixon Falls. How much slower can they go? She says she wants nothing more than to dive head first into a relationship with him, and he asks, what’s stopping her? She says, herself. The feeling she had in that courtroom when she stood up and saw him. They’re hot and heavy for each other now, but what happens to her when it fizzles out? She takes his hand, and says, he’s unlike any man she’s ever known, and she wants them to build something real between them. He says he appreciates it, but she’s not the only one who’s feeling alone. Carly and Michael cut him out of their life; he can’t rely on them. There is this connection they have, but if she wants to take it slow, he’s okay with that. She says, okay, and picks up her bag. He asks if she’s going home already, and she says she is, handing him back his hanky. He tells her to keep it to remember him, and she laughs, saying, okay. If she doesn’t leave now, she never will. She’ll call him. He says he’s looking forward to it, and she leaves.

Cody asks, will I live? and Britt says, his ribs are bruised, and maybe some are cracked. She recommends an x-ray. He says he’ll get right on that, as soon as he figures out how to stand up, and she says, for pity’s sake, lean on her. She helps him up, and he grunts and groans. She says he’s such a big baby. Is he the same guy who fell from the sky and into the MetroCourt pool without a bump? He says, she cushioned his fall, and she says, she’s parked over there; she’ll drive him to GH. He says, hospitals are pricey, and he’s down to his last fifty, but she says, she’s not going to leave him in the alley. He needs help. He says he knows who can help him, and they owe him.

Anna says, familiar with a lot of French captains, are we? and Valentin says, profiling 101. First of all, how do they know Jennifer didn’t just invent this gallant seafarer? She says, they know he exists because the hotel bartender saw him, and Valentin says, okay. This is where he suggests the captain’s involvement is incidental. Miss Smith is just implicating him as a red herring. She says, no more Hitchcock for him, but he says, it’s Occam’s Razor; the simplest explanation is usually the right one. She doesn’t want to admit her guilt, so she’s claiming innocence, and pointing the finger at some poor sap she met at the hotel bar. Anna says, perhaps, and he asks what she thinks happened, but she says she’s not sharing her theories with a civilian. He asks who she’s calling a civilian. They’ve worked together on plenty of her cases. She asks what he’s doing, and he says he’s trying to help her, but she says, he’s not. She thought this was too good to be true; is this really a date? Or is this whole drive-in, Hitchcock, charcuterie just a tactic to get information out of her?

Josslyn and Trina get in the car, and Josslyn says, how crazy was that? Trina says, the bar fight? The lead on Esme? Josslyn says, the cops showing up? Trina says, they were so close to getting the bartender to ID Esme, and Josslyn says, things could be worse. We could be in the back of a squad car, charged with misdemeanor use of a fake ID… Jane. Trina says, you’re right… Kara. Rory did us a solid tonight. Josslyn says, us? That had nothing to do with her. Rory did it for Trina. He likes her. Trina says she thinks he does.

At The Savoy, Rory asks, what happened here? and Linc says, he was attacked, assault and battery, and he’s pressing charges. Take statements from all the witnesses. Rory asks if N’neka saw the incident, and she says she’s afraid she did. He asks, who did what to whom?

Brook tells Chase, it’s all her fault; she feels awful. He says, he’s the one who lost his cool, and she says, he had every right to. Linc is such a slimeball. They’ll sneak out the back door, hole up at the mansion, and call the ELQ lawyers. They’ll get them out of this. She starts to leave, and asks if he isn’t coming. He says, it will only make things worse if he leaves the scene. He’ll be labeled a fugitive with an APB on his back.

Linc tells Rory, he was the victim of a brutal and unprovoked attack, but Rory says, according to Linc’s witness here – he indicates N’neka – Detective Chase threw the first and only punch. N’neka says, Linc collapsed like wet cardboard, and laughs. Linc says, exactly. Call an ambulance. Chase broke his jaw. Rory says, excuse him, and goes over to Chase. He says, Chase was on suspension when he joined the force, but he’s heard the stories. Chase says he bets. Rory’s heard the witness, and the victim who clearly wants to press charges. He turns around, putting his hands behind his back, and Brook says, no, no. no. He was provoked. Linc had it coming. Please don’t do this. Chase says, Brook… and Rory read Chase his rights, handcuffing him.  

On Monday (which was supposed to be today), Trina tells Portia that she thinks things are going in her favor; Valentin says he’ll do anything Anna wants; Laura tells Martin, she’s narrowed the suspects down to one; and Spencer tells Victor that he has good reason to keep Esme close.

👃 Smelled This Coming…

I have to admit, I always wonder if people who use their religion to opt out are like vegetarians who wear leather shoes.

🦸🏻‍♂️ Wrapping It Up…

Valentin finishes up his side hustle.

💖 Come On Down…

If you happen to be in the neighborhood and enjoy a little romance and/or soap stars, here’s an event for you.

👉🏻 It’s Fancy Pants’ Fault…

Another one who thinks someone is making it personal, when they’re really just vial and unlikeable, and no one likes them.

⛵️ Reaping What He Sowed…

When will Gary get little Gary under control? Does he want to go the way of Jean Luc?

https://www.eonline.com/news/1334521/below-deck-sailing-yachts-gary-king-responds-to-concerns-over-ashley-marti-incident

👰🏼 Not Sure We Care…

But to round out the excuses of why <fill in Vanderpump Rules cast member> wasn’t at Stassi’s wedding, here you go.

🐉 Thrones For the Spin…

A show about Flea Bottom sounds pretty interesting.

https://ew.com/tv/game-of-thrones-every-spinoff-in-development/

💃🏾 Because It’s June…

What Juneteenth is about.

https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth

And what to watch.

🎺 Quotes of the Week

Every father should remember one day his son will follow his example, not his advice. – Charles Kettering

The strongest, toughest men all have compassion. They’re not heartless and cold. You have to be man enough to have compassion — to care about people and about your children. – Denzel Washington

A 2-year-old is kind of like having a blender, but you don’t have a top for it.Jerry Seinfeld

A father carries pictures where his money used to be. – Steve Martin

The quality of a father can be seen in the goals, dreams, and aspirations he sets not only for himself, but for his family.Reed Markham

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, ‘You’re tearing up the grass.’ ‘We’re not raising grass,’ Dad would reply. ‘We’re raising boys.‘ – Harmon Killebrew

Just taught my kids about taxes by eating 38% of their ice cream. – Conan O’Brien

By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong. – Charles Wadsworth

The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get. – Tim Russert (Although I question who this is attributed to, since I remember my father saying it before Russert’s time.)

The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature. – Abbé Prévost

👔 Happy Father’s Day…

To all the father’s out there, be they biological, father figures, or pet dads – enjoy your day! And then get back to work. See you on Monday for soap and Sailing. Until then, stay safe, stay unregretful about the path not taken, and stay remembering, when something crappy happens to you, it could be a wake-up call and for the best.