Tag Archives: General Hospital

January 19, 2024 – Drew Makes a Replacement, A Thought, Custom Made, Side Work, Joke’s On Her, Reaction, VanderSpin, Dragon 2, Late Return, Which Ones, He’s Back, Best Bowl, One Dozen Quotes & Winter

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Laura says, Cyrus’s health must be improving. He looks better. Cyrus thanks her and says, dropping the charges against Sonny Corinthos has revitalized his spirit. His soul is unburdened, so his body can heal. She asks, what led to this unburdening? and he says, accountability. He acknowledged his role in the attack. How he provoked Sonny at the wrong time instead of giving him grace. If he’d simply turned around and walked away, the beating would never have happened. Once he realized that, he was able to let his anger go, and he found peace. She asks if that’s why he called her last night and wanted her here first thing in the morning, to share this epiphany? He says he called her because there’s a lost soul in need of her help. Spencer walks in and Cyrus says, welcome, nephew. You’re right on time.

Ava hears someone come into the gallery, and says she told Trina to take the day off. She turns around and sees it’s Esme. She asks what the hell Esme wants. She’s not welcome here. Esme says, please don’t kick her out. She needs Ava’s help.

Willow says hi to Adam, and he asks where he is. She says, he’s at General Hospital, and he asks, why? She says, because his friend saved his life.

Carly finishes with an interview for a Kelly’s Bobbie’s manager, when Sam walks in. She says, Carly looks underwhelmed, and Carly says, she’s perceptive. She guesses that’s what makes Sam such a great P.I. If she’s looking for something new, perhaps Carly can interest her in the exciting world of shift management.

Nina goes to her office, where movers are removing everything. She asks what they’re doing here, and one of them says, moving. She says, they must be on the wrong floor, but he says, they’re on the right floor. She says, they can’t be because this is her office. They have to leave immediately and tell that guy to bring her stuff back or she’s calling security. He says, they’re just doing their job, and she says, what job? Who ordered this? Drew walks in and says he did. He tells the guys, good work, and suggests they take a break, giving them money for coffee (which I notice he says like caffee) and muffins. They leave, and Nina says, what the hell? He can’t just order her out of her own office. It’s trespassing. He says, no, it’s business. He owns Aurora; Aurora owns Crimson. He knows she’s the Editor-in-Chief of Crimson, but he’s still her boss. Until now. She’s fired. (Okay. I won’t get into how many shades of wrong this would be in the real world, and the lawsuit that would happen. I’ll just keep telling myself, it’s only a soap…)

In the chapel, Josslyn asks how Dex found her, and he says, when she didn’t answer his calls, he went by her dorm. He ran into her RA Kylie, and she told him what happened. He came here and looked around until he found her. She says, her phone died. She’s sorry she didn’t pick up his call. So much was going on. He says, obviously. Why didn’t she call him when she got here? She says she didn’t want to bother him. She knows how he feels about Adam and figured he had enough. He says, if she’s going through something, he wants to know and help if he can. That’s how this works. Got it? She says, got it. She suggests they check on Adam, see if he’s awake. She needs to apologize to him. He asks what she needs to apologize for, and she says, he freaked out because she told the RA that he was in trouble, but Dex says, she has nothing to apologize for. The people who need to be apologizing are Adam’s parents.

Willow asks if Adam remembers anything from last night, but he says, not really. He’d had too much to drink at a frat party. She says, Josslyn Jax found him alone in Rice Park, and he says, sometimes when he drinks, he wanders. It’s a bad habit. She says, he also ingested a lot of pills, and he says, for a cold. She says she’ll let the doctor fill him in, but he says he’d really like to get back to his dorm. She says, he’ll have to be cleared by the attending before he can be released, and he asks when that will be. She says, he had to have his stomach pumped last night. She doesn’t want to alarm him, but he’s lucky to be alive. He says, lucky me.

Carly tells Sam, business is going great, really great. That’s why she has to hire more staff. It’s a really good problem to have, but she just wants Bobbie’s to live up to its namesake. Sam asks what she’s talking about. Bobbie’s is thriving because of her. Onward and upward. Carly thanks her and says she needed to hear that. What can she get Sam? Sam says she’s going to wait to order until Drew gets here, and Carly says, she’s meeting him now? Sam says, actually, five minutes ago. He’s running late. Carly says she hates to break it to Sam, but she’s going to be waiting a long time for Drew.

Nina says, Drew is making a big mistake, and he says, maybe, but it’s his mistake to make. She asks if he honestly thought she’d just roll over and accept this. What about Michael? Drew might own Aurora, but Michael runs it. What does he think Michael will have to say about this? Drew says, hooray?

Cyrus says he’s grateful Spencer came, and Spencer says he didn’t know Laura would be here. She says, nor I, you, and asks Cyrus, what’s going on? He says he thought they should both know he had a visitor here late last night. Somebody who needed his help, who was desperate and alone, who felt everything had been taken from her. Spencer says, Esme, and Laura asks why Esme would come here. Cyrus asks if Spencer wants to explain the rest or should he do it for him? and Laura says, enough with the mystery. Somebody better tell her something. Spencer says he saw his father last night.

Ava says, one too many knocks to the head? and Esme says, does Ava think she wants to be here asking for her help? Ava says, at least she didn’t have to break in. Now leave or she’s going to call the cops. Esme asks if she hasn’t already done that. Ava tried to send her to prison. Ava says, funny. That’s where she thinks criminals belong. Esme says, Ava’s right. She shouldn’t have broken into Windymere, and what Ava did is entirely justified. Ava asks what she wants. Spit it out. Esme says, has she seen Nikolas? and Ava says, why? Has she? Esme says, no, and Ava wonders why she asks. Esme says, because he’s kidnapped her son.

Laura says, Nikolas came back to Port Charles? Where is he? Spencer says, he was here last night. He’s already gone. Laura says, her son came and went without her even knowing. At least Spencer got to see him. It must have been quite a shock though. Did he say why he risked coming back to Port Charles? Spencer says, he came here to take Ace with him… and I let him.

Dex says, Josslyn told him about the pressure Adam’s parents put him under. No wonder he cracked. She says she just can’t believe he’s this messed up about his grades. They’re better than hers, and hers are pretty good. Dex says, it’s not about his GPA. He feels shame for letting his parents down. He wants them to be proud of him. She says, but he acts like he can’t stand them, and Dex says, just the opposite. Adam loves his parents and feels like a failure because he can’t live up to their expectations. She asks if that’s how it was for him, and he says, not exactly. If there was any part of him that wanted to please his parents, it got burned out pretty quickly. He only found peace with his family when he walked away. He just hopes Adam doesn’t have to make the same choice. She says, he really needs help, doesn’t he? and Dex says, he’s going to need a good friend, and that’s what she’s been. She says, let’s go see how he’s doing.

Adam apologizes to Willow for being edgy. He just wants to get out of here. She says she bets, but they need to have the attending check him out first, okay? Portia comes in and says, he’s up. How is he feeling? He asks if she’s the attending, and she says she’s Dr. Robinson. She’s the Co-Chief of Staff here. He says, wow. Then she can definitely sign him out. When can he leave? Willow says she’ll check on the attending and see if Dr. Wallace is available. She leaves, and Adam says he’s really sorry, but last night was just a complete, huge misunderstanding. He’s sorry if he caused trouble, but his friend Josslyn just overreacted. So if she could sign him out, that would be great. She says she happens to know Josslyn Jax, and she doesn’t overreact much. Neither does the staff here at the hospital. She thinks it’s pretty clear what happened here, and anyway, he’s going to have to be cleared by a psychiatrist before he can be discharged. It’s hospital policy. He says, Dr. Robinson… Is she Trina’s mom? She says she is, and he says, Trina’s told him a lot about her. She says, he’s friends with Trina, so she has to take especially good care of him, right? He says, cool. So let him out. She says, if after his evaluation, they all agree that what happened last night is just an unfortunate accident, then he can be discharged. If not, then they’ll have to take the next steps. He asks what that even means. Are they going to keep him here or something? Doesn’t he have rights? What if he doesn’t consent to it? She says, of course (🍷) he has rights. Absolutely, but some of those rights are determined by his diagnosis. They want the absolute best outcome for him, and if they determine he’s a threat to himself or anyone else, they can’t let him leave. It’s hospital policy and standard practice. The on-call psychiatric attending should be here soon, and his parents… He says, they can’t know, and she tells him calm down. He says, please. They can’t know.

Ava asks when Nikolas took Ace, and Esme says, during the hearing. Spencer was supposed to bring Ace to the courthouse, but he never showed up. Nikolas came to the apartment and convinced Spencer to give him her baby. Ava says, that’s unbelievable. And she never saw Nicholas in Port Charles? Esme says, no. He hid from her like the coward that he is, but Spencer let Nikolas take Ace. She can’t believe Spencer would betray her like that. She thought they were getting along. She thought Spencer hated his father… Ava says, like father, like son, self-serving, duplicitous, and Esme says, Ace doesn’t even know Nikolas. He’s going to be so scared and so confused. Nikolas doesn’t know what Ace likes. He needs his mother. She can’t be without her son. She cries and says, he’s all that she’s got. Ava says, it’s a terrible thing to be separated from your child, and Esme says, so she understands. Ava says, unfortunately, she does, but why come to her? and Esme says she thought Nikolas might not be able to stay away from her. Ava says, unfortunately, and Esme says, so she’s right, isn’t she? Nikolas came to see her. Ava says, Nikolas was here, and Esme says, thank God, but Ava says, he’s gone now, and Esme’s never going to find him.

Laura says, Spencer let Nikolas take Ace? How could he do such a thing? He says he had no choice. His little brother wasn’t safe with Esme. She says, come on. She’s proven herself to be a good mother and he knows it. Does Esme know Nikolas took her baby? Cyrus says, that’s why she came to see him last night. She wanted his help tracking Nikolas down. Laura asks why Esme thought he could help her, and Cyrus says, she thinks he has powerful contacts and thought he’d be amenable because Nikolas and Ace are his relatives. Of course (🍷) he’s related to them through Laura, so he knew he had to do the right thing and inform her. He asked Spencer here so he could be the one to explain. Spencer says, Cyrus is all about his soul, right? And confession being good for it? Cyrus says he’d hope so. Spencer is the one who took a child from his mother. Spencer says he did not take Ace, and Laura says, no. He just handed Ace over like he was returning a package. How could he do such a thing? She can only imagine how Esme is feeling right now. How could Spencer take a baby from the only family he ever knew? Spencer says, because he loves his brother, and he’s not going to allow him to be raised by some psychopath, but Laura says, he goes back to that whenever it’s convenient for him. Esme’s worked hard to overcome her past. Spencer says, Laura doesn’t understand. He knows the truth now. Esme’s been lying. She remembers everything.

Portia says, they had to call Adam’s parents because according to his PCU medical records, they’re his emergency contact. Adam asks what she told his parents, and she says she told them he was here and that he’d had a medical emergency. He asks if she told them about the pills, that he tried to hurt himself, and she asks if that’s what happened. He says, no. It was just an accident. She says, okay. Here’s the deal. He’s over 18, so he’s considered to be an adult. As far as they’re concerned, they can’t share any of his information without his permission. He thanks her, and she says, but his parents are still going to have questions. And whether or not last night was an accident, he’s still going to need a support system in place. So she’s imploring him to please be honest with the doctor who’s going to evaluate him. Be honest with his parents, and most importantly, be honest with himself.

Portia leaves and asks if there’s any word on the psyche attending. Is it Dr. Wallace? Willow says, he’s still doing rounds in the west wing. He’ll be down in a second. How’s Adam? She feels so bad for him. Josslyn said he’s under a lot of pressure at school. She just hopes if Wiley or Amelia ever feel pressured at school, they come to her. Portia says she doesn’t get it. Kids these days have so much pressure on them. The bullying, the isolation, school shootings, everything that’s going on in the world. Depression and anxiety are an epidemic for this generation, and it breaks her heart. Josslyn and Dex come by, and Josslyn asks Portia if Adam is awake yet. Portia says she didn’t know Josslyn was here. Did she sleep here last night? Josslyn says she just wants to make sure Adam is okay, and Portia says, he’s awake. He cannot have any visitors right now. That’s really all she can tell Josslyn. A man goes to the reception desk and says he’s here to see Adam Wright. He was brought in last night. He wants to see his son.

Carly says, Drew mentioned he had a meeting at Aurora this morning, and Sam says, they’ve had this on the books for a week. Carly says she’s sure it was last minute. He must have forgotten. Drew would never leave her hanging. Sam says, so she thought. Never say never, she guesses. Carly asks what that means, and Sam says she and Drew have been out of step lately. That’s why she scheduled this meeting, to see if they could iron some things out. Carly asks if this is about the situation with Scout’s school. She doesn’t believe Drew meant to undercut Sam. Sam says, actually, they’ve resolved that issue, but things are still really tense, and they have been since he got home from Pentenville. Maybe it’s just her… Never mind. Carly says, don’t do that. Talk to her. What’s going on? Sam says, Carly probably spends the most time with Drew. Since he’s been back, hasn’t she noticed that he’s changed?

Drew says, as Nina pointed out, Michael just runs Aurora. He happens to own it, so he gets the final say. Nina says she gets it. Either Micahel disagrees with him about firing her and running Crimson into the ground or he doesn’t know. Michael may have Sonny’s last name and he may hate her, but he’s a Quartermaine through and through. He doesn’t let his personal feelings interfere with the balance sheet. Drew says, don’t forget he’s a Quartermaine too, and she says, maybe he should take a page out of his nephew’s book. She has run a tight, profitable ship for years. She saved Crimson from bankruptcy when Julian Jerome tried to run it in the ground and use it as a tax write-off. Now Crimson is one of the top fashion magazines in the country. It is Aurora’s flagship title and it’s her baby. Speaking of, what kind of father tanks his company and destroys his child’s legacy? Isn’t Scout a major shareholder? He gets in Nina’s face and tells her, don’t you dare bring my daughter into this. (I say, or what? You gonna hit me? which is what Nina should say.)

Carly tells Sam, Drew had a horrific experience in Pentenville, and he’s struggling. She thinks that’s to be expected after 3 years in a dungeon in Crete first that affected him not at all. Just when he was getting his bearings, they found out Nina was the one who called the SEC on them. And that very same night, they found out her mother died. She thinks Drew’s angry. She’s angry. Sam says she understands that, but Drew is angry at the world. Carly is directing her anger toward Nina, and rightly so. Carly says, her instincts are telling her to strike back, but she wants to be more like her mom. She wants to focus on what’s important, and right now, keeping her legacy alive and honoring her is so important. She hopes she’s succeeding, but she doesn’t know. Sam says, Bobbie would be really proud of her right now. Carly thanks her and says, but Bobbie also gave people second chances. Maybe that’s what they need to do for Drew. Give him some grace and double down on their support. Sam says she hears Carly, and don’t get her wrong, she’d do anything to support Drew, aside from the issue with Scout and the school. If there’s any way she can help him… Does Carly have any idea how she can do that? She’s listening.

Drew asks what he ever did to Nina. Did he harm her in some way? She says, it wasn’t about him. It was always about Carly. He says, two people were reported to the SEC. Did she just forget about him? She didn’t care that he was collateral damage? She didn’t care that he just got back into his daughter’s life, and he was ripped away again? Right after he helped save Nina’s daughter’s life, so she just cares about her daughter, not his? She says she’s sorry, and she was very grateful. She didn’t know he’d be the one to go to prison. He says, she didn’t want to know. She didn’t care. She was just so hellbent on destroying Carly. He thinks it’s insecurity. She asks what he’s talking about, and he says, Wiley and Amelia love Carly. They’re so much closer to Carly than they are to her. Willow too, for that matter. And Sonny and Carly. Their bond is dysfunctional, but it’s also unbreakable, and he doesn’t think she can stand that, so she wanted to get Carly out of the picture. Nina wanted her out by any means possible. Nina asks if he can just stop talking. Yes. She did what she did, and she won’t deny it, but she thinks this is a perfect opportunity for him to acknowledge his part. He is responsible for putting himself at risk. He says, Carly’s investment was a well-intentioned act of support, with no nefarious motive whatsoever. Nina, on the other hand, just wanted to take Carly out. And now he wants to take Nina out. Nina says she wants to give him fair warning. Don’t use all these feelings to influence his business decisions. Talk to legal. He can’t just fire her. She may not own the company, but without her, there is no magazine. He says, she’s not telling him anything he doesn’t know, and she asks if he’s telling her that he would shutter Crimson just to get rid of her. He says he’s telling her that he would do anything to make her pay for what she’s done.

Portia introduces herself to Adam’s father, and he asks, where’s Adam? Is he okay? She says, he’s resting and he still needs to be seen by an attending. He says, Adam drank too much and made a fool of himself. Does that really require further consultation? She says, it requires them to be as thorough as possible, and he says he doesn’t want her running up their bill with all kinds of extra charges. Adam’s already squandered the money they’ve invested in his education with this foolishness, which is exactly what they were afraid of. Now when can he take his son home? Portia says she’ll go check his status, and walks away. Josslyn follows her and says, Adam can’t go. He needs to stay here and get help. He absolutely cannot go home. Wright says, and why is that? What does she know about his son that he doesn’t? (Hint: Probably everything.)

Esme asks if Ava helped Nikolas kidnap her son, but Ava says she would never do anything like that. Esme says, then why was he here? Why did he come looking for Ava? Did he want Ava to help him get her out of the way? Is that why Ava pressed charges against her? Ava says, that’s ridiculous. She didn’t know Esme had broken into Windymere. She didn’t know Laura was going to convince her to confess to it. Esme says, just tell her how to find Nikolas, please, but Ava says she can’t. He’s a Cassadine. He’s got money, he’s got resources, he’s got the private islands. If Laura couldn’t find him, does Esme really think she’ll be able to? Esme says she’s not giving up on her son. She has resources too. Ava says, Esme has no idea what she’s getting herself into, and her resources can’t possibly compete or compare. Esme asks if she looks helpless. She’ll do whatever it takes to find her son. Maybe she has a dangerous ally of her own. Ava says, oh really? Like who? Esme says, Cyrus Renault.

Cyrus says, Esme told him that Spencer threatened to have the old charges reinstated against her. When he questioned her, she wouldn’t say how this might be possible. Spencer says, because she doesn’t want anyone to know that she’s regained her memory, and Cyrus asks how he knows that. Spencer says, because of the little things she was saying. He was with her before her arraignment at the PCPD. She kept going back to how everyone hated her and how she was the one being persecuted. Then he pointed out to her that these are things that sound like the old Esme. As soon as he said that, she backed off. Laura says, how would he expect her to react? She confessed and she expressed true remorse over what was really a Class-A misdemeanor, and still Ava had to press charges. Spencer says, she told him that Ava wanted her to pay for what she supposedly did to Trina, as though Ava and Trina are the ones overreacting, and she’s the one being persecuted in this situation. Laura says she’s sorry. She doesn’t see this as proof that Esme regained her memory. Spencer says, she called him Spence. That’s what she used to call him, back when they were together. She hasn’t used that name for him since she lost her memory. Laura says, so she called him by his nickname, and he says, when he told her that his father had taken Ace, she told him that she was going to the police and was going to report the kidnapping. He threatened her and said, if she does that, he’s going to tell the police that she has her memory back and they’re going to reopen the investigation. As soon as she heard that, she seemed like she couldn’t risk it. Laura says, maybe she couldn’t risk being thought of as a suspect when she’s so desperate to get her son back. He gave Ace away based on a suspicion, not based on something he knew, and certainly nothing he could prove. Spencer says he does know that Esme has regained her memory, and Cyrus says he’s sorry to interrupt, but memory or not, Esme is still going after her son. She came to him asking for his help. Who else is she going to go to? And if Esme is successful, what will she do when she finds Nikolas?

Carly tells Sam that she thinks the best thing they can do for Drew is, just be honest with each other and keep talking, and to give him some time. She’s going to do everything she can on her end. Sam says, just so she knows, she’s not alone in this. There are plenty of people who care about Drew. Carly says, but what happened to Drew is on her. She’s the one who bought the Aurora stock because she had to inflate the price, even after Drew told her not to, over and over again. And he took the fall just to protect her. Sam says, he insisted on doing that, but Carly says, he wouldn’t have been faced with that choice if it weren’t for her to begin with. So she’s going to do everything in her power to make up for it. Sam says, as long as helping him doesn’t come at her own expense, because that’s the last thing he would want.

Nina asks Drew, what about the staff? They’re hard-working, they’re loyal, some of the best in the business. He’s willing to lay off all of those people just to get back at her. He says, that’s on her. He takes out an envelope and says, she signs this termination agreement or Crimson, with all its staff, is going out of business. One of the movers asks if they should start loading the boxes on the freight elevator, and Drew says he’ll have a look. He tells Nina that he’ll give her a moment to think about it. He leaves, and Nina tosses the papers in a box. She pauses and takes out a photo of Willow with Wiley and Amelia. Drew comes back and says, time’s up. Is she going to sign, or is she taking Crimson down with her? (I’m starting to think this is a dream or he’s really gone bonkers. A lot of it doesn’t make sense, even for a soap.)

Portia says, Josslyn found Adam in the park yesterday, and called emergency services. Wright says, she found him, or she was out drinking with him? and Dex says, Josslyn wasn’t drinking. She went to look for Adam because she was concerned for him. Josslyn says, Adam was alone and nearly passed out, and Wright says, they’ve been concerned about his behavior for quite a while. Josslyn says, really? and Wright says, this incident proves Adam is just not mature enough to live on his own. Josslyn says, it’s not a question about maturity. Adam needs help. He says he appreciates her concern and he’s grateful she called for help when she did, but he’ll take it from here. Josslyn says, he doesn’t understand. Adam has been hiding everything from him because Adam is afraid of what he’ll do. Wright asks why he would be afraid. He and his mother only want the best for Adam. Josslyn says, he just feels so much pressure, and Wright says, Adam has a very promising career ahead of him. He had the test scores to get into PCU. He’s maintained a 4.0 up until now. If he stays on track, he’ll be admitted to a top tier medical school. But now Adam is drinking and partying and squandering everything that he and his mother have worked hard to give him. She says, Adam isn’t partying. He’s self-medicating, having panic attacks. Portia thanks Josslyn and says she thinks she can take it from here. Why doesn’t Josslyn go home and get some rest? Wright asks who he has to speak to, to remove his son, and Dex tells Josslyn, let’s just let the hospital handle this, okay? Wright says, yeah. She’s done her part. Now please leave. This doesn’t concern her. Josslyn says, it should concern him that his son tried to kill himself last night.

Laura says she’s got to alert the police, but Spencer says, if she does that, the FBI could get involved, and who knows who else. Plus, if his father is captured, then Ace is going to get returned to Esme. (He really doesn’t get it, does he?) Laura says, they don’t even know if she’s regained her memory, and if she has, she still might do the right thing by her son. Cyrus says he agrees with Laura. He believes in the power of redemption. Spencer says, well, he doesn’t. Esme’s redemption is fake, and why is Laura still believing her? Is she really choosing Esme’s well-being over Ace’s? Laura says she’s being realistic, and the reality is that Ace would be safer if he was with them. He should have stopped his father. She just doesn’t understand why he didn’t come to her with his suspicions. She would have listened to him. They could have gone to the police together and made Esme face the things she’s done. Spencer says, what about his father, who up until ten minutes ago was the biggest asshat in the world? Should he have reported him as well? Laura says she would have never asked him to turn his own father in, but she knows Ace should be with them while all of the other stuff is getting sorted out. Spencer says, and what if it got sorted out in Esme’s favor? As far as he’s concerned, his father just saved Ace’s life. Laura says, don’t get her wrong. She’s glad that he’s starting to realize his father isn’t the heartless man Spencer’s made him out to be, but he has demonstrated some spectacularly bad judgement here and so has Spencer. His father is on the run. He’s being pursued by the authorities. This little baby has never been in more danger.

Portia tells Josslyn, that’s enough, and Dex says, let’s just go, but Josslyn says, Adam took a pack of antihistamines and washed it down with vodka. He knew what he was doing. Adam is so afraid of his father, he’d rather not live than face him. Wright says, she’s lying, and Josslyn says, doesn’t he even care? He pushed and he pushed until Adam reached his breaking point. Wright says he wants her gone – now! And if this girl comes within 50 feet of Adam, he’ll sue. (Um… we’ve already established Adam is over 18. I don’t think he can. Why is everyone being weird today?) Portia says, that’s unnecessary. She’s tired, she hasn’t slept all night, and she’s leaving right now. Why don’t they go to her office, and she can explain everything that’s going on with Adam, and they can wait for the attending there. Wright leaves with Portia, and Willow goes over to Josslyn and Dex. She says, Dr. Robinson won’t let anything happen to Adam, and Dex tells Josslyn, anything she says will just antagonize Adam’s father. She says, because he refuses to see the truth, and Dex says, Wright isn’t going to listen to her, but if she’s not here, he might listen to Dr. Robinson. Josslyn asks Willow to promise to keep an eye on Adam, and Willow promises. Josslyn says, okay then, and walks to the elevator with Dex, but then she quickly walks off.

Ava says, Esme is joking, but Esme says, Cyrus is going to help her find her son. Ava says, why? and Esme says, because he cares about his family. Ava says, Esme’s not his family. Ace may be a part of his family, but she is not. Esme says, but he promised, and Ava says, promised what exactly? Esme says, nothing. He promised her nothing. She starts to cry again, and says, her son is kidnapped. No one will help her and she’s all alone. She heads for the door, and Ava says, wait, but Esme says, stay away from me, and leaves.

Laura thanks Cyrus for coming to her, to them, about Esme, and he says, they’re family. Where else would he go? She leaves, and in the hallway, Spencer asks if she sees now. Esme went to Cyrus for help. Isn’t that proof she can’t be trusted? Laura says, it’s proof she’s desperate and will do anything to get her baby back, and he says, fine. Both can be true. She takes out her phone and calls the PCPD, asking for Dante. Spencer tries to take the phone, but she says, stop it. She has to do it. She tells them, it’s urgent… Dante answers, and she says, it’s Laura. My grandson Ace has been taken.

Josslyn looks in on Adam through the door window. Dex comes up behind her and gently guides her back to the elevator.

Nina signs the papers, and hands them to Drew. He says he’s surprised she gave in so quickly. She tells him, like she said, Crimson is her baby, and she’ll do anything to save her. (Besides this whole scene being in a parallel universe, is there some weird parallel with Ace here?) She’ll do anything for the employees, even if it means giving up everything she cares about. He asks if she thinks he’d really sabotage Aurora’s flagship title for her. Crimson was always going to be just fine. She says, so this was his plan all along, manipulate her sense of duty to her employees. He says, or maybe she just couldn’t pass up an opportunity to play martyr. She says, her employees are going to lose their jobs eventually anyway, and he says, former employees. She says, this magazine is nothing without her. Does he really think he’s going to get the photographers, the designers, the advertisers? The editorial staff will quit immediately. She made this magazine. This is her magazine. She’s irreplaceable. He says, and yet, he’s already replaced her. Carly walks in, and he says, meet Crimson’s new Editor-in-Chief.

On Monday, Nina says, they’re finally even; Martin asks where Lucy thinks she’s running off to in such a hurry; Esme says, you’re the only person I can turn to (Heather maybe?); and Dante says, maybe he should be arresting Spencer instead.

💭 I dunno about this. I’m guessing the closest Carly has come to editing a magazine is reading one, and wasn’t she just talking to Sam? Hard to believe Nina would say she’s irreplaceable along with all the other big talk, and this would also hardly be moving on for Carly after her speech on letting go. The whole thing was just weird.

🪆 Her Toy Story…

I keep forgetting she was in Five Nights at Freddy’s. I still haven’t seen it.

🪂 On Their Off Time…

Writing mission completed.

This sounds like a real headache. She took an amazing passport photo though.


🤡 Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha and Then Some…

Apparently, the board-certified medical professional was called out by bigger board-certified medical professionals.

😘 She Doesn’t Care…

Sleeping with him was punishment enough.

🍸 After the Rules…

It was bound to happen.

https://people.com/vanderpump-rules-spinoff-the-valley-starring-jax-taylor-brittany-cartwright-kristen-doute-premiere-spring-2024-8431186

🐉 Dragon Is Coming…

What’s up with Season 2.

https://winteriscoming.net/posts/hbo-responds-to-house-of-the-dragon-season-2-release-date-rumors

🐝 Fly Back To Us Soon…

Hopefully, we’re all still alive in 2025.

https://screenrant.com/yellowjackets-season-3-cast-story-everything-we-know/

https://www.etonline.com/yellowjackets-cast-teases-season-3-without-juliette-lewis-exclusive-217957

🏈 In Between Bowl…

The trailers anticipated during the upcoming Super Bowl.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/super-bowl-2024-what-trailers-commercials-deadpool-3-movies-tv/

🦸🏽 You’re Welcome, Canada…

Deadpool is the best.

https://comicbookmovie.com/deadpool/deadpool-3/deadpool-3-set-photos-reveal-multiple-variants-of-spoiler-in-upcoming-mcu-threequel-a208960

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12984525/deadpool-3-ryan-reynolds-sports-long-hair-marvel-hugh-jackman.html

🐾 Fluffy For the Win…

More on Puppy Bowl XX.

https://wagwalking.com/daily/puppy-bowl-2024

https://ew.com/meet-the-starting-lineup-of-the-2024-puppy-bowl-8425601

👸🏽 Quotes of the Week

Things just tend to accumulate after Labor Day. What can I tell you?Little Edie Beale, Grey Gardens

Your journey has molded you for your greater good, and it was exactly what it needed to be. Don’t think that you’ve lost time. There is no short cutting to life. It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the now. And now is right on time. – Asha Tyson

Hold fast to dreams. For if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. – James Langston Hughes

Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. – Henry Ward Beecher

At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent. – Barbara Bush (Or your pets.)

Comparison is the death of true self-contentmentJohn Powell

You’re going to come across people in your life who will say all the right words at all the right times. But in the end, it’s always their actions you should judge them by. It’s actions, not words, that matter. – Nicholas Sparks

It’s almost nostalgic for a time that never existed. – Ruth Washington (Myha’la Herrold) referring to the TV series Friends, Leave the World Behind

Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity. – Henry van Dyke Jr.

Don’t stop until you see the whites of his pockets. – Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Mad Men

Your greatness is measured by your kindness; your education and intellect by your modesty; your ignorance is betrayed by your suspicions and prejudices, and your real caliber is measured by the consideration and tolerance you have for others. William J.H. Boetcker

It’s going to be a long learning curb.Amy Slaton, 1000-Lb. Sisters

Skating On Thin Ice…

Bounce back on Monday really Tuesday for soap and turbulent seas on the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay using your turn signals (you learned that in driver’s ed, right?), and stay focusing on what’s important, even when your instincts are telling you to strike back.

January 18, 2024 – Blaze Pays an Unexpected Visit to Kristina, The Finish Line Of an Uncomfortable Not-So Charming Reunion & Popcorn

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the Quartermaines’, Carly says, this seems a little too familiar, and Michael says, turnabout’s fair play. She says, it was almost a year ago when he accused her of playing God with Willow’s life because she hid the fact that Nina was Willow’s mother, and Michael says he was terrified. He was desperate… She says, don’t do that. He accused her of making a very crucial decision without considering the consequences for anyone, and he was right. He says, now he kept the truth about Nina being the SEC informant to himself, knowing that information would affect her and Drew and Willow and so many others. He should have seen this blowing up, but he didn’t. She says, when protecting their families, they can all have tunnel vision, but he tells her, just say it. He chose dad’s happiness over hers, and that he’s also a giant hypocrite.

At the Bistro, TJ asks if Jordan is tired or just full, and she says, content. This was really nice, and long overdue. He says, that’s on him, but she says she realizes he’s got a lot on his plate right now. Her phone dings, and she says, and so does she. He says, a Deputy Mayor’s work is never finished, and she says, something like that. He says he’s glad her new role is fulfilling, but he hopes it leaves room for a personal life. She wonders if he’s asking about her love life, but he says, more like hoping she’ll have time to babysit, because if everything goes according to plan, her grandchild was conceived today.

Kristina looks at the aftercare information for intrauterine insemination, when there’s a knock at her door. She opens it, and Blaze says, greetings, stranger. Remember me? Kristina asks what she’s doing here. She thought Blaze had another out of town stop on her tour. Blaze says she did, but a blizzard knocked the power out at the venue. So if Kristina doesn’t have any plans tonight, how about it? Can she come out and play? Just a thought, but why does no one ever look through the peephole or ask, who’s there? when someone’s at the door?

Drew sits next to Anna at the bar at Charlie’s and orders scotch, neat. Make it a double. Anna says, tough day at the office? and Drew says, tough decade. (I hear you, Drew.) Every time he thinks it’s taken a turn for the better, the universe kind of shuts that down. She says she’s sorry, but he says, no, he’s sorry. She’s sitting here with her drink, enjoying her book, and he just lays that on her and brings her down. He asks the bartender for another drink for Anna on him, and she says, that’s okay. He didn’t bring her down. He just made her realize how much she relates to everything he just said.

At the hospital, Esme tell Cyrus, wake up. She needs his help. He asks what she’s doing here, and she says she had nowhere else to go. He says, why? What’s the matter? She says, her baby’s gone. He’s been kidnapped by his own father.

TJ says, Kristina underwent intrauterine insemination today, and Jordan says, congratulations. She’ll be praying that the procedure is successful. He says, her and him both. He can’t believe it’s finally going to happen, even though they didn’t get here the way he thought they would. Not in his wildest dreams did he think Kristina would be their surrogate, much less their egg donor. She says she knows it took some time to get comfortable with that, and he says, it did, until he sat down with Kristina, and they talked it all out. He came to a real understanding about her thoughts and feelings about the whole thing. Kristina is as prepared as she can be, emotionally and physically, which is more than some people can say, right? She says, absolutely, and he asks, then why is she so quiet? She’s not weighing in nearly as much as Molly’s mother. Is she comfortable with Kristina being their surrogate? She says, it’s not up to her, and he says he knows. He’s asking. What does she really think?

Kristina says she was just planning on having an evening in tonight, and Blaze says, that sounds a lot better than anything thrown together by someone who just showed up at her door. Any chance she feels like having some company? Kristina says, sure, yeah, come on in. She’s not a great chef or anything, but she was going to make some pasta… Blaze says, she doesn’t have to entertain or play hostess. She was excited about seeing Kristina and totally forgot common courtesy. She should have called first. She apologizes. Kristina says, it’s okay, but Blaze says, no, it’s not. But in her defense, Kristina hasn’t been the easiest to get on the phone lately. Kristina says she knows. She’s been really busy. Blaze says she knows Kristina has a lot going on. Can she ask Kristina a question? Kristina says, okay, and Blaze says, why does it feel like she’s started pulling away?

Esme tells Cyrus that she went to Laura’s apartment to pick up Ace, and Spencer was there. He told her that he wanted to talk, and she should have realized he was just stalling her. Cyrus says he’s not sure he understands, and she says, well, understand this. While she was in a courtroom because of some stupid broken window at Windymere, Spencer was conspiring with his father to steal her baby. He says, this doesn’t sound like Spencer, but she says, yes, it does. He doesn’t know the real Spencer or the real Nikolas. He asks what the police said, but she says she hasn’t called the police. Spencer told her if she called the cops, he’d have her old charges reinstated against her. He says, that’s not Spencer’s call, but she says, he’ll convince the DA. Cyrus says he doesn’t know how. The way he understands it, she could easily sway a jury based on her memory loss. So how can Spencer hold that against her? Has something changed?

Michael tells Carly that he knew he couldn’t cut off Nina completely because Willow would be suspicious, but containing Nina would mitigate the damage. She says, blackmail for the greater good? and he says, if that makes him a hypocrite, so be it. He’s been called worse. She says she thinks that makes him his mother’s son. No one knows why he did the things he did better than she does. Although she can’t say it doesn’t hurt that he kept the things Nina had done to himself. He says he thought he was lessening the hurt by keeping quiet, and she says, how? He says, for Willow mostly. And for his dad. He seemed happy in his marriage, and she seemed happy with Drew and was moving on. She says, that’s all true, but he forgot the lesson they both learned about keeping secrets last year. Even with the best of intentions, keeping things buried can have unintended consequences. He says, and nothing ever stays buried.

Kristina says she’s been really busy with her youth center and everything with her sister and work, and Blaze says, she’s got a lot going on, but come on. She obviously did something to hurt Kirstina’s feelings and she never wants to do that. So help her. Kristina says she pulled away because Blaze pulled away, and Blaze says, when? Kristina says, at Rice Plaza. They were talking about their family traditions… Blaze says, Kristina said her presents a year ago were a pepper spray holster and free legal advice, and Kristina says, among other things. They’re hands sort of found each other and it was really nice. Then Brook and Chase came, and Blaze literally dropped her hand like it was on fire. Blaze says she didn’t realize she did that, and Kristina says, she did. She knows there are certain things Blaze hasn’t shared with her family, but that hurt. Blaze says she’s so sorry, and Kristina thanks her. She says, does Blaze think maybe that’s because she’s not out to her family? but Blaze says she’s not used to public displays of affection. She never has been. Her performance life is in the public eye. She shares so much of herself with her music, she wants to keep her private life just for herself. Kristina says she gets that. She understands Blaze’s life is more complicated than hers in that way, and that’s fine, but when she likes someone, she likes to show it and likes if they do too. Blaze says she’d like to be more like Kristina, but old habits die hard. It might take a bit before she’s as comfortable being in public as Kristina is. Can Kristina be a little patient? Kristina says she doesn’t know.

Jordan says, after everything TJ and Molly went through, she got the impression they wanted to take a break to process and regroup before they tried again. TJ says, they both thought waiting was their best option. But after Kristina volunteered to be their surrogate, he and Molly agreed it wouldn’t be fair to ask Kristina to put her life on hold for them indefinitely. Besides, is there ever a right time to have a child? If you wait for everything to be perfect, you’ll wait forever, right? She says she can’t answer that, and he says, this is the right decision. She says she’ll answer his question with one of her own. Would her opinion change his mind? He says, no, and she says, if it wasn’t clear, how his child comes into this world will never change how much she loves them. Got it? He says, got it, and she says she does love that he values her opinion, and she appreciates how thoughtful he is with every aspect of his life. If he ever truly feels he needs her take on something, she’ll give it to him, but from where she’s sitting, he’s doing just fine in determining his own destiny. And she couldn’t be prouder.

Michael says, part of him wishes he’d never gone looking for the truth, but Carly says, come on. Would he really be happier not knowing, while Nina was settling in to her happily ever after with his dad, getting closer to Willow after everything she’s done? He says, she’s right. he needed to know. He just regrets the way he handled the information. And to top it all off, he hurt the two most important women in his life. She says she’ll survive, but he says, she deserves better. She’s always had his back. No matter how many times he screwed up, he knew she always loved him unconditionally. She says, that’ll never change, and he says, even if the man she loves doesn’t feel the same way?

Drew says he just feels like a stranger to himself lately, and Anna says, angry, but impulsive? He says, yeah. How did she know? She says she feels the same. She guesses a lot has happened to them both since Greenland. He says he heard about her house being burned down and he heard about the other incident, and she says, this life she’s chosen, she’s seen a lot of terrible things, but shooting that young girl… Charlotte… that was the worst moment of her life. He says, she must have been devastated, and she says she doesn’t have words. She’s just been cycling through so many different emotions. He says, it’s exhausting, isn’t it? and she agrees. Then when you think about the people you believe you know the best, and you find out they are unrecognizable… That hurts. And it makes you feel so naïve, and stupid, and very, very sad. But she thinks mostly what she feels right now is anger.

Michael says he doesn’t remember the last time he saw Drew lose his cool like that, and Carly says, it doesn’t happen a lot. He says he’s sorry he put her in such a terrible position, but she says, Drew’s mad, but it’s not all about Michael. He’s struggling. He’s going through a lot since he got attacked in Pentenville. Michael says, no one ever comes out of Pentenville the same way they went in, but you move past it. With honesty and support and maybe talking to somebody, Drew will be able to move past what happened to him in Pentenville. Carly says, yeah. Of course (🍷) it might take a little time, but Drew’s an amazing man. And he’s not the only one. Michael says, not so amazing lately, and Carly says she’ll talk to Drew. He says he’s amazed at her love and forgiveness, and she says she’s always going to forgive him and she’s always going to love him. Know that. His apology tour’s not over. He’s going to have to make things right with Willow. There’s nothing more important than his wife and children, and he cannot let Nina damage this family more than she already has. The nanny says she’s sorry to interrupt, but Wiley is asking for his daddy. Michael thanks her and she leaves. He tells Carly the kids are upstairs because Willow’s working the late shift. He hasn’t seen much of them lately. Carly says, go, tuck in his son, and he thanks her. He leaves, and she takes out her phone.

Drew asks how Anna shook the anger, and she says she’ll let him know when she does. Did he know that anger is really just a byproduct of fear? (I did, from Dr. Phil.) He says, so it’s a symptom, and she says, according to her book, yeah. He asks if there are any other nuggets of wisdom in there, and she says she’s sure there is. She’s only on chapter one. Her focus is a bit off these days. She thinks she read one page three times, but she did grasp that anger/fear connection thing. He says, maybe the fourth time is the charm, and she says, maybe. She’s just biding time until her friend gets here. He says, it looks like she’s got a little bit of time to give that page another shot, and she says she wonders whether an antidote to betrayal is a sort of fellowship, in a way. He says, she might be on to something there. Her company has been medicinal. She says she’s never been called medicinal before, and he says, talking to her, he realizes he’s got to get the toxicity out of his life. She tells him to let her know how that goes.

Jordan’s phone dings, and TJ asks, who is blowing up his mama’s phone? She says she’s working on a special project, and he says, for the mayor’s office? She says, with the mayor’s permission, but the project is off the books, and he says, got it. Say no more. She says, it’s no secret from him. She and Curtis have been looking into his shooting. The alerts she’s getting could be her first solid lead. TJ says, promise him that she’ll be careful.

Esme tells Cyrus that she has no idea what’s going on in Spencer’s mind. All she knows is that she has no faith that the PCPD will help her get her son back from the mayor’s son. He says he’s sorry, but he was under the impression that his sister has been good to her and little Ace, and she says, Laura is the reason she’s in this situation. Laura told her to turn herself in and insisted she’d get a slap on the wrist, and then Ava pressed charges. He says, perhaps it’s time she turned to his brother Martin. He’s a lawyer. She says, he’s her lawyer. He was at her hearing. But a lawyer’s not going to do her any good. There’s no way she’s going to find Nikolas with traditional channels. Cyrus says, he’s also very resourceful, but she says, even if Laura and Martin can help her get Ace back, it won’t do her any good if she’s behind bars. He says, so she doesn’t really fear for Ace’s safety. This is less a matter of protection and more about possession. She asks if she’s being lectured by an ex-con, and he says, she sought him out. Besides, a rap sheet doesn’t preclude morality. Or motherhood, right? She says, right. Which is why she’s appealing to his better angels. He says, what makes her think she can trust him?

Kristina says she has no idea what it’s like to be a public figure. So she can’t even pretend to relate to Blaze’s sensitivities there. Blaze says she’s glad. She wouldn’t want that for Kristina. Kristina says, if she were dating someone in the public eye, she’d be willing to make some compromises, but it would really depend on what they were. It took her a lot of time and a lot of work to get to where she is today, to live authentically her truth, and she’s never going to go back to anything less than that. Blaze says, okay, so if she tries to do better and she’s conscious of her attitudes and behaviors, can they just pick up where they left off? Kristina says, that would be kind of tough. Her life is about major league change. Blaze asks if she means with the youth center opening, and Kristina says, that… and this, showing her the aftercare handout. As of this afternoon, she might be pregnant. Blaze looks at the sheet and says, this is major. No wonder she’s lying low tonight. How is she feeling? Kristina says, all right. How is Blaze feeling? Blaze says, it’s not a total surprise. Kristina made it very clear that she was going to be her sister’s surrogate. Kristina says, but now it’s a reality, and Blaze says, people get pregnant all the time and they find ways to hang out with other people. So will they. At least that’s what they talked about. Kristina says, but now that it’s actually happening, it’s a little hard to see how they’ll juggle that and be together, right? Blaze says, maybe, and Kristina says, here they are, taking the sheet from Blaze. It’s been really nice getting to know her… Blaze says, hang on. So their timing isn’t perfect. She’s missed Kristina, and she likes her a lot, a lot. Kristina says she likes Blaze a lot too, but she doesn’t know if that’s going to be enough.

Blaze says she feels so stupid. She should have picked up on the distance between them sooner, but it sounds like Kristina has made up her mind. Kristina says she’s not sure about much these days, which is why she thinks it’s probably best if they call it. Blaze says she guesses so, and gets up. She goes to the door and says she should have held Kristina’s hand at Rice Plaza and never let go. She walks out, and Kristina says she’ll see Blaze around. Blaze says, sounds good, and leaves. Kristina is pissing me off now. They have more chemistry than most of the couples on the show.

Carly leaves a message for Drew, telling him that she loves him, and Michael comes back downstairs. He says, Wiley is playing with a truck Nina got him. It took everything he had not to chuck it out the window, along with everything else associated with that woman. She says, okay, but being out of the family is going to kill Nina, and she has no one to blame but herself. He says, but is that justice? They both know Drew was just collateral damage. Nina wanted the SEC to get Carly sent to prison. Carly says she knows that, but now everyone knows that. And for her, the silver lining is, she doesn’t have to co-exist with Nina anymore. She doesn’t have to bite her tongue around her. She doesn’t have to serve Nina at her restaurant. She doesn’t have to listen to another sappy speech about why the two of them need to get along. She hates Nina for what she did to Drew, but now she doesn’t have to pretend otherwise. He says, she doesn’t want payback? and she says, yes, she wants payback, but she wants peace of mind more. Since her mother passed, she’s realized closure only comes from letting go. And she’s ready to move on. She suggests he does the same, and she leaves.

Anna says she doesn’t really have a picture of what her life is like after the WSB, and Drew asks if she knows what she wants it to look like. She says he thought she did, but now… He says, there’s no clock. She doesn’t have to put pressure on herself. She says, that’s very good advice. She doesn’t suppose he’d take it. His phone rings and he says, it’s Carly. She’s probably wondering where he is. She says, that’s really nice, to have someone wonder. It’s been her experience that after you ignore the first call, it just gets easier and easier to ignore the rest. They both have a lot of questions that they want to answer for themselves. But Drew has one thing for sure that she doesn’t. He says, what’s that? and she says, he has someone who loves him and wants to support him.

Esme says she doesn’t trust Cyrus. Not for a second. She doesn’t trust anybody. For all she knows, Laura could have known about Nikolas’s plan. He says, she’s accusing his sister of being party to a kidnapping, and she tells him that she’s saying she needs help. There must be something he can do. When she met him in the visiting room at Pentenville, he told her that he cared about family. Were those just empty words? Ace is his family, and he’s also hers. He’s been taken from her. He’s been taken from both of them. Is he going to let that stand?

Jordan tells TJ not to worry; she’s taking precautions. He says he hopes so, and she says she is. Especially now that Curtis is focused on his recovery and can’t provide back-up. He says, she’s not going to forget she’s not the top cop anymore, and she says, it’s not something you forget. If she discovers anything that even flirts with putting her in danger, she’ll turn over the investigation officially. Her phone dings, and he says, go. Take care of her investigation, safely. No danger flirting. Jordan says she hates to ask which one of them is the parent, but she guesses she can’t ask that for much longer.

Kristina sits on the sofa and says, I don’t know if you’re in there or not, or if you even exist yet, but hi. It’s me. Your Auntie Kristina, the crazy one. I am a mess. Clearly. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be talking to you. But you’re the only person who heard what just happened, so please just tell me whether I did the right thing or not. There’s a knock at the door, and Kristina opens it to Blaze holding a shopping bag.

Cyrus tells Esme that his own means are greatly reduced, but he still knows people who can make discreet inquiries on her behalf. And if there’s a trail, they’ll pick it up. She thanks him and asks, what’s the next step? He says he makes a phone call, and she says, that’s it? That’s all he can do? He says, no. He can also pray with her. He picks up his Bible.

Carly comes into Charlie’s and says, there’s the man she adores. Looks like he found some good company. Drew says he did indeed, and Anna says she didn’t get a chance to say, the service for Carly’s mother was really beautiful. They’re all going to miss her so much. Carly thanks her, and Anna says she’s going to call her friend to see where they are. It was nice talking with Drew. He says, her too, and she tells them to have a nice night. She leaves, and Carly sits down. She thanks him for calling her back and says she knows why he’s mad at Michael. He should have told them the truth. She wishes he would have. But she’s made some missteps herself when it came to protecting her family from Nina, so she really does understand. He says he and Michael are going to have to hash this out, and they will, but the bulk of his anger is reserved for Nina. Carly says, blech. Join the club. He says, the failed merger and her investment would have never been on the SEC’s radar if it wasn’t for Nina’s actions. It left him to the mercy of that judge and violent prisoners. It took him away from his daughter, his only child. She says she knows. She understands all that. It’s like she told Michael, there’s a silver lining. They don’t have to pretend to play nice with Nina anymore. They can put Nina in the rearview. He says, not him.

Willow walks into the Quartermaine mansion, and Michael says he didn’t expect her back so soon. He’ll get out of her way. He goes into the living room, and she follows him. She says, wait. How is he doing? She knows he had to have some rough conversations today. He says he got quite the beating from Drew, which he deserved. His mom gave him grace and understanding, which he really appreciated. She says she wants him to know that she didn’t tell Carly or Drew anything about his part in this, and he says he knows. It was Nina. She says, Nina approached her at the hospital. Carly and Drew found them, and it didn’t take Nina 30 seconds to throw it in their faces that he’d known the truth for months. He asks if she understands now why he went to the lengths that he did to protect her from Nina, and she says she does. And that’s the problem. Nina is petty, vindictive, envious, because – let’s be real – she wanted to send Carly to prison so that she couldn’t be a grandmother to Wiley and Amelia or competition for Sonny. Her mother is manipulative, insecure, and a liar, and she had the right to know that. He says he knew how hurt she’d be. Like he said, he was trying to protect her… She says she doesn’t want his protection. She wants the truth from him. Always. Nina’s awful, but that does not absolve him. He says he’s not looking for absolution; he’s looking for forgiveness. She says, that can’t happen overnight, and he says, it can’t happen if they’re apart like this. She says she’s too tired to get into this right now, and he says, then when? Wiley is at the door and asks if it’s time to go home.

At the pier on the phone, Jordan says, so they can tell her where the gun came from… Name the time and place… Okay. Got it. She starts to leave, but a man blocks her path. (For all her talk of being careful, she’s there by herself, and wasn’t even aware this dude came along?) She says, excuse me, but he won’t let her pass, and she asks if there’s something she can help him with. He says he can help himself, and she turns to face another man. He says, going somewhere?

Kristina says, Blaze is back, and Blaze says she thought she heard Kristina talking to someone. She can go if Kristina has company. Kristina says she doesn’t know if she has company or not yet. Did Blaze forget something? Blaze says, not exactly. She just wanted to tell Kristina that she may be right about everything. Maybe she’s not ready. Maybe Kristina has too much going on. Maybe this won’t work, but how will they know if they don’t try? Kirstina says, they won’t, and Blaze says she’s not a quitter, and she gets the feeling Kristina doesn’t like what ifs any more than she does. So what does she think? Will Kristina take a chance with her? Kristina says, it depends, and Blaze says, on? Kristina says, what’s in the bag, and Blaze says, all the ingredients for the dinner she’ll make while Kristina relaxes. She did a quick internet search on foods to avoid after an IUI, so there’s nothing processed, spicy, or hard to digest. She promises. Kristina says she’s going to guess there’s no wine in there either then, and Blaze says, no, but Kristina did mention she wanted to try coquito, so she got some stuff to make some… minus the rum. Kristina says, wow. She thought of everything. Blaze asks if it’s enough, and Kristina stands aside to let her in. All is forgiven by me.

Willow asks what Wiley is doing up. It’s way past his bedtime. Wiley says, daddy never came back up to read to him, and Michael says, if he’s still interested, he can read Wiley a story now. Wiley asks if they can do it at their house. He likes their house better than this one. Michael says, so does he, and Wiley asks, then why he hasn’t been home? Michael says he’s just been a little bit busy with work, but how about if he carries Wiley and Amelia to the gatehouse, and he can read Wiley a story there. Wiley says, yes, please. Will he stay with them tonight? Michael says, probably not tonight, and Wiley asks when they’ll all be together again.

Esme tells Cyrus, no offense, but she’s not going to waste time praying when she could be doing. She dashes off, and he gets out his phone. He says, apologies for the late hour, but when you get this message, please come see me right away. It’s of vital importance.

Drew says, Nina needs to pay for the damage she caused them and their families, and Carly says she agrees. And someday, she hopes Nina will. He says, not someday, now. And he knows exactly how to make her pay.

Anna leaves a message for Jordan, saying, she’s at Charlie’s Pub. She thought Jordan would be here by now. If she can’t make it, just let her know. Call her back.

At the pier, Jordan asks what the men want. Money? She starts to reach into her bag, and Dude #1 says he’s sure Deputy Mayor Ashford keeps her pepper spray in her purse. She asks who they are, and Dude #2 says, they’re going to need her to come with them. She says she’s not going anywhere until they identify themselves, and Dude #2 says, they’ll save the introductions for the ride. They hustle Jordan off, one on either side of her.

Tomorrow, Sam asks if Carly has noticed Drew’s changed since he’s been back; Nina asks if Drew thought she’d just roll over and accept this; Dex asks what Josslyn has to apologize for; and Laura lets Spencer have it. I can’t wait for that one.

Southern Charm – The Reunion – Part Two

After Olivia calls Taylor a sh*t friend and a sh*t human, they take a break. Shep tells Taylor to take a page out of his book. Silence is golden right now. She tells him, thanks, even though she didn’t need coaching. Rodrigo and Rod arrive, and Olivia continues to bitch about Taylor even though she really outed herself about T-Rav. Wow. She must have been blackout drunk. He reminds me of somebody’s creepy uncle who hangs out with the teens by the pool. Taylor says she was this close to not coming, and Austen wants to put a muzzle on the chihuahua that is JT, while JT whines to Rod about Austen.

They reconvene, and Andy welcomes Rod and Rodrigo. He points out that Rodrigo has been in a relationship the longest and asks why Rodrigo thinks the Charleston guys have a hard time settling down. Rodrigo says, it’s a college and tourist town, and a rotating platter of girls. Andy reads a post from a viewer who says, Rod got Olivia gluten-free bread. Don’t let this one go. Olivia says they have fun together, but the timing is off. A nice way of saying, not in a million years. Venita says, Rod is sweet and a gentleman, and Olivia needs someone to take care of her. Women supporting women. Andy says, they got a lot of comments about Olivia’s bra, and we flash back to Rod telling JT about the bra on the ottoman. Olivia says she knows how it looks and sounds, but she was getting comfortable. She was halfway out the door when Austen realized her bra was still there and she told him to throw it away. Madison says, it must have been beige, and Andy asks who thinks they did more than they’re saying. Shep isn’t too sure, and Rod says some vague thing about how he knows for a fact they didn’t. Olivia apparently has a new guy named Alex who lives in Dallas, and we see a clip of Austen golfing with them. Olivia says she took Madison’s advice to look outside Charleston. Even though Charleston still seems to be tagging along. Craig explains that Austen brought Olivia to the club, and now they both get invited there. Andy wonders why Austen gets a pass and not Taylor, and Olivia says, Taylor lied to her face multiple times, but Andy says, Austen also lied. Dodging around that, Olivia says she really tried with Taylor, but it didn’t get her anywhere. In watching the show back, she could see Taylor wasn’t thinking about her. Rodrigo tells her that she keeps saying she doesn’t want to kick Taylor when she’s down, but she was doing it all the time. Olivia says, she kept it positive and looked like an idiot, and when Rodrigo tries to talk, she tells him, shut up. He says, f*** you, since he’s the only one on stage with balls, and he’s had enough of her playing the death card.

Andy gives Olivia condolences about her brother Connor, and after floundering a little, since she doesn’t want to thank Austen and Taylor, Olivia says, everyone stepped up and she appreciated that. Andy asks how her family is, and she says, not good. Her parents are trying to get through and figure out their new reality. We find out that Taylor’s brother also passed away after filming wrapped, and Andy gives Taylor his condolences. There are a lot of jokes and sarcasm I can put in here, but I’m going to show restraint. As awful as they are, these are still people. Andy says, it must have been hard for Olivia to be on the outs with Austen when her brother passed. Olivia says, it was good they could put that aside, since Austen understood more than anyone. But then she does a 180 and says, everyone came to her room except Austen and Taylor. Then Austen was calling her inconsistent. We flash back to that, and I’m thinking, inconsistent? What we just saw was weird; her thanking them, then saying they weren’t there. She says, there was no grace and understanding from them, then Austen expected an apology from her. Okay, I agree with her there. He should have just let that one slide. Austen says, when they were in Jamaica, everything was fine, but then she turned on him and he wondered what happened. Andy wisely moves onto Venita disinviting Taylor to girls’ night, and we flash back to that. Venita says she was trying to protect Olivia’s peace, and Andy points out that last year, Venita and Olivia butted heads. I’d actually forgotten about that, but they flash back to remind me. Andy says, this year, Venita was Olivia’s champion. He asks, what changed? and Venita says, they made an effort between seasons. Olivia says she’s grateful; it helped them grow. Andy asks how Taylor felt about the women talking about her all season, and Taylor says, they were right. He asks if the women think, with time, they’ll be friends again, and Leva says she doesn’t want to see Taylor like this. Taking on the role of your parents, Venita says, they don’t hate Taylor. They’re just disappointed in her behavior. Madison says, there won’t be any sleepovers at her house – BA-DUM-CHH! – and they take a break. The producers tell everyone not to play with their mics so much.

Andy suggests they talk about Austen some more. A viewer points out that when Austen started on the show, he was called Shep’s protégé, and now he’s exactly like Shep. Austen says he only watched half the season, and Craig says he thinks Austen still has a chance to make a choice. He needs to stop making decisions where he’s disappointed in the consequences. Next to take on a parental role, JT says, who you hang out with is who you become. Craig needs to be careful. Craig asks if he should just cut Austen loose, but JT says, he should keep Austen at arm’s length. Craig says, if Austen wasn’t trying to get better, they wouldn’t be hanging out. Translation: Paige wouldn’t let them hang out. Craig says, if Austen stops working on himself, they won’t be hanging out. Translation: If Paige sees no progress is being made, Austen will be cut loose. Olivia thinks Craig is harder on Shep than he is on Austen, and Craig says he and Shep have a longer history. Andy says, Austen felt misrepresented on the show, and asks, what was misrepresented with his and Olivia’s relationship? Austen says, the merry-go-round of Olivia wanting to hang out with him, then being angry with him. Olivia says, they did a full stretch of traveling together after last season, and Shep says, Austen had every opportunity to commit to Olivia; she was ready. Austen found a loophole, saying their relationship wasn’t defined, so he could do what he wanted. It broke his heart seeing Austen throughout the season. He laughed about kissing Taylor. Craig says, Shep had suppressed his feelings, and he’s glad Shep is talking about it. Shep thought if he admitted he was mad at Austen, it would make him look weak. Shep says he felt like they were all in this together, and watching it back was super hard seeing Austen’s blasé attitude. Andy asks Austen what they didn’t show that he wants people to know, and Austen says he wasn’t prepared to answer that. He asks if Shep is angry because of the show or is it because of the past week or two? and Shep says he showed Austen grace (WOTD) and hoped he’d seen the light. Andy asks if he hopes they can get back to a good place, but Shep says, Austen has zero self-awareness. Craig says, Austen was loyal to Shep at BravoCon, and Rodrigo says, when Austen gave Shep the cold shoulder, it hurt Shep’s feelings. Austen says he doesn’t want to deal with Shep right now, and Rodrigo says, that’s why Shep is upset. Austen says he thought they needed a break.

Andy says, new kid on the block, JT, aimed to be the perfect Southern gentleman, and was determined to prove nice guys don’t finish last. He asks how JT’s first season was, and JT says, it was one of the most coolest things in his human experience. Andy says, JT’s mom Bunny got lots of love on social media, and JT says, fans at BravoCon wanted him to FaceTime her. She was cooler than him there. Andy asks if having four sisters played a part in JT’s gentlemanliness (yes, it’s a word!), and JT says he had an older sister and a brother, then three stepsisters later on. It turned the tide of power. Andy says, JT took heat from the guys this season, and we flash back to them making fun of JT all over the place. Andy asks Shep if JT is the new Craig to him, and Shep says he thinks JT likes the ribbing. Craig tells Andy, that’s what Shep said about him – Craig likes it – and Shep says, maybe he’s reading the room wrong. Andy says, JT came in saying he wasn’t in love with Taylor, when he clearly was. JT says he started off playing it cool, but he fell hard and he’s not ashamed to admit it. Andy says, JT has all the things Shep lacks, and Taylor says, JT is an amazing human being and fun to be around, but that’s not happening. Craig says, nice guys finish last, but Olivia says, Craig finished first. Craig says he had to be a little bad. Andy asks why JT brought up the sleepovers, and JT says, if he was in that situation, he’d want a buddy to tell him. Austen says, it was brownnosing at its finest, and Olivia says she doesn’t think she would have known if JT hadn’t said something. Rodrigo says, JT saw an opportunity to weasel his way in with Taylor, and then said he was here for Shep, using him to get to Taylor. Leva says, Rodrigo can’t gaslight someone for doing something right, and I’m trying to figure out how questioning JT’s motive is gaslighting. Genius of the year Rod says, things would have been different if it hadn’t happened, and Craig says, maybe JT thought he’d get the competition out of the way and be Olivia’s knight in shining armor. Leva says, over the summer, people came to her and said something was going on, and Shep says, JT brought the truth to light. Andy asks if Shep thinks they’re still lying, and Shep says, Taylor swore to him nothing happened, but he knows Austen and it’s hard to believe. Venita says she doesn’t think she’d tell her mama that she was thinking of dating someone if they weren’t f***ing, and Madison mimes dropping the mic. Andy says, it’s a good time for a break.

Andy says, things came to a head in the finale, and the group came to a place they’ve never seen. We flash back to Austen pushing that little troll JT off the barstool, and Austen says he attributes it to JT getting a rejection. We flash back to JT professing his love for Taylor, and Taylor saying she needs time. In other words, not a chance in hell. JT says, Austen pushed him first, and Austen asks if JT thinks he’d be with Taylor if it wasn’t for him. JT says, they have to bifurcate those two things because he wants to use a big word, and everyone is like, huh? He told Taylor that he loved her, and he called out Austen for being a sh*tbag. Taylor has nothing to do with that. Austen needs to wake up and learn how to be a man. Austen says, it’s JT’s first season and no one knows what a POS he is, just because he calls himself a gentleman. Andy asks, who’s to blame for the fight? and Shep says, JR was aggressive and forced Austen’s hand. He left when he saw where it was going. Leva says, you can’t make someone punch someone, and I want to throw a pie in her face. Austen says, JT got in his face, and Andy asks if they’ve talked since then, but Austen says, they haven’t spoken. Andy asks if either of them has apologized, and JT fails to see what he should apologize for. Andy says, he got in Austen’s face. Come on. He was trying to get Austen to punch him. Everyone is laughing at this point, and even JT has to smile, but he’s not budging, and says he was minding his own business. Craig says he would have knocked JT down, and Andy asks why JT holds Austen accountable and not Shep. JT says, Shep is upfront about who he is, where Austen manipulates women and lies his way out of things. He’s a narcissist egomaniac. A viewer says if they hear JT tell one more guy they need to apologize, they’re going to scream. We flash back to JT telling various dudes to apologize, and Craig asks if there’s anything Austen could do to better himself in JT’s eyes. JT says, Austen need to do the work. He wants to root for Austen, but he needs to be held accountable. This is the real therapy. Andy says, they do this every year, and we flash back to other Reunions. Austen says, JT claimed he coached Taylor to lie, and we flash back to Austen telling her, there’s no good time to tell Olivia. Taylor says she’s not good at this stuff and she was trying to protect Olivia. She didn’t know how to handle it and genuinely apologizes again to the people she’s hurt and Shep as well. Olivia says her heart breaks for what Taylor’s family is going through. She’s even more sad that she couldn’t be there for Taylor. She doesn’t wish any bad on her. Andy asks how they can move forward, but Olivia says, that’s not happening. They won’t be friends again, but she’s not going to make Taylor miserable or be negative. They’re moving forward, but not necessarily together. During the break, the girls complain about their dresses being uncomfortable. They look great though.

Andy says, they’re wrapping up a season that created cracks in the foundation of the group. He’s been watching the way Taylor looks at Shep and he feels there’s still emotion there. Taylor says, love is still there. She’s here for Shep. She’s happy for him and proud of him. Shep says he has love for her too, and Craig thinks they’re going to get married one day. Andy asks if Taylor loves Shep, and she says she always will. He asks if she’s in love with him, but she says, no. He asks if Shep is in love with Taylor, and Shep says he’d be lying if he didn’t say he made a mistake. He’s scared he’s going to look back at the one who got away. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t love her. Andy says, Shep is finally accessing his anger with Austen, even though he wasn’t in touch with it while living through it. And Austen feels like he’s had to take care of Shep when he’s misbehaving or drunk. Shep says he appreciates it. They’re working through it and Austen needs space. Andy wonders how they move forward, and Austen says he’ll always want to. He doesn’t know what the world looks like where he and Shep aren’t buddies. But he’s been an enabler for a long time. Andy says, they have to redefine what they do together. He asks what Shep thinks is the reason things went down, and Shep says he was suppressing everything because of his love for Austen. Maybe it’s time he cultivated relationships with other people. Craig says, they have a history, but he thinks Shep is finding his new normal. It’s important. Andy says he thinks they all agree that they should find people outside the friend group to date. He asks if JT exorcised the f***boy, but JT says, they’re not even halfway there. Austen says he took it all, and Andy says, they’ll try again next year.

In the spirit of good vibes, Andy produces glasses of Jamaican rum punch, and tin foil hats for everyone. He points out that Shep is drinking only juice and asks Shep to give the toast. Shep goes into a long thing, my takeaway points being, he’s soared like an eagle, slithered like a snake, and everything in between. There are no guarantees in life, and life owes you nothing. He ends with toasting to perseverance in the face of adversity, and they clink glasses.

Good on all of us who made it through this season of awful.

🪄 Gilding My Age…

Join me tomorrow for soap, a spot of tea but little sympathy, and pre-weekend fun. Until then, stay safe, stay praising publicly and criticizing privately, and stay realizing closure only comes from letting go.

January 17, 2024 – Esme Discovers Nikolas Took Ace, Homeless Not Toothless Strikes Again & Child

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly lights a candle in the hospital chapel and says, miss you, mom, so much. Drew comes in and sits next to her, and they hug.

At work, Willow gets a call from Michael, who’s at the Quartermaines. She flashes back to yelling at him on the pier about blackmailing Nina and not letting her make up her own mind. She answers and he tells her that Wiley is putting on a puppet show for Amelia. It’s an epic saga about a family of four who adopts all the puppies at a local shelter. According to Wiley, especially the senior puppies because they deserve homes too. She says, that’s their boy, and he says he was hired to film it for her, so if she receives a mystery video, be prepared for some fine cinema. She says she looks forward to it, and he says, the kids are good, but they were wondering when she’s going to get home. So is he. He misses her.

Finn and Elizabeth go into his office, and he tells her that he appreciates the support, all of it. She says, he’d better, and he says he was thinking maybe it would best if she’s not here when the doctor shows up. He’s breaking a few rules, and it might get dicey. He doesn’t want her associated with any of it. She says, diceyness? and he thanks her for understanding. She says she thinks it’s cute how he wants to protect her, and he says, she’s not going anywhere, is she? She says, they’re in this together, and if this doctor has the information they need to win this lawsuit… There’s a knock at the door, and Finn and Dr. Sawyer introduce themselves. He thanks her for coming, and she says she’s actually here on another case, so the timing is perfect. He introduces Elizabeth and says she’ll be sitting in with them. The doctor asks how she can help. He needs a consult on a patient? He says he does. In fact, her input might be life altering.

Spencer asks how it went in court, and Esme says, he’d know if he’d been there like he promised. Now if he’ll excuse her, she’d like to take her son home. He says he thinks they should talk first, but she says she has nothing to say to him. She starts to go to Ace’s room, but he circumvents her. She says she doesn’t know what’s going on, but she wants her son, and she wants him now. He says, Ace is asleep. He sees no point in waking him up right now. Besides, he thought they should check in. She asks what he wants to know, and he says, why they let her go for starters. She says she’s sure he hoped she’d get sent up the river for the rest of her life, but he says, these days, he has mixed feelings about things like that. She says she doesn’t believe him. If any part of him cared about her, he would have brought Ace to her arraignment like she asked him to. He says, so she could play on the judge’s sympathies? but she says, so if worse came to worse, she could kiss her baby goodbye before they carted her away. But if it softened up the judge, sure, that would have been a nice bonus. He says, there she is, and she asks if he wouldn’t have done the same thing, like anyone would, but he says, it doesn’t matter now. She’s free, but she still hasn’t told him how. Did Ava drop the charges? She says, please. Ava would have brought her own electric chair if she could have gotten it past security. What does he want her to say? She pled guilty. He says he knows, and she asks if he’s surprised. He says, yes, and she tells him that she’s changed as a person. He says, either that or she brokered a deal, and she says, her lawyer and the DA’s office don’t want to clog up the system with a petty crime, and it’s not like she’s ever setting foot in Ava’s drafty castle again. So here she is and here she goes. She’s getting her son and taking him home. He steps in front of her and says, she can’t.

Dr. Sawyer asks to see the patient’s file, and Finn gives it to her, saying, he believes she’s familiar with the patient. Dennis Muldoon. She says she is. She was under the impression Mr. Muldoon had died. Finn says, he did, and she says, if there’s no patient, why does he need a consult? What’s this about? Finn says, Mr. Muldoon died shortly after coming to see him, and now Muldoon’s wife is suing him for malpractice. Dr. Sawyer says she’s sorry to hear that, and he thanks her. He says he was hoping her familiarity with the patient might shed some light, and she says, he’s hoping she can provide some information to assist with his defense? He says, yes, and she says she’s sorry. She can’t help him.

Carly asks how Drew knew where to find her, and he says he came by the house. Pilar told him that she came here to be with Josslyn. Is she all right? Carly says, physically, she’s fine, but she’s had a very emotional night. Josslyn’s been very worried about her friend Adam who has been going through a very difficult time. This afternoon he tried to kill himself. Drew asks if he’s all right, and she says, he’s stable. Apparently, his parents put him under a crazy amount of pressure to succeed. Good grades aren’t enough. If you don’t get 100%, you’re a failure. And apparently Adam snapped and… He says he doesn’t understand how parents can put their kids through that. (Hey, wait…) Obviously, he wants the best for Scout and he’s going to push her to succeed, but mistakes are such an important part of life; that’s what you learn from. She says, it’s the story of her life, and he says, exactly, and look how she turned out. She says she just always tries to strike a balance with her kids. She wants them to excel, but she also wants them to be true to who they are. Michael and Josslyn are achievers. If they see a challenge ahead of them, they’re going to run right for it. He says, they take after her, but she says she doesn’t know about that. Morgan dreamed bigger than his follow-through, and Donna is so young, she hopes she doesn’t mess that kid up. He says, if she screws that up, Donna will let her know, and Carly says, she’s not afraid to speak her opinions. He says, Donna has incredible role models – Josslyn, Michael… She says, Josslyn is an incredible young woman and Michael is her rock. She couldn’t ask for a better son. He says, and he couldn’t ask for a better friend. She hugs him.

Michael asks if he and Willow can talk tonight when she gets home, and Willow sees Nina come out of the elevator, and says, tonight won’t work; maybe tomorrow. Kiss the kids goodnight for her. Nina comes to the reception desk, and Willow says she’s at work. What does Nina want? Nina says, just a few minutes. They haven’t spoken since New Year’s Eve, and there’s still a lot that needs to be said. Willow asks if she’s supposed to thank Nina for stabbing Carly and Drew in the back or for striking a deal with her husband so he would keep quiet about it.

Michael tells Wiley that he’ll come up soon to tuck him in, and Wiley says, mommy too? Michael says, mommy will come up and give him a goodnight kiss when she gets home from work, even if he’s already asleep. He thanks the nanny, and she takes the kids upstairs. Tracy and Ned come in, and Tracy asks if Michael will be joining them for dinner. Leo is insisting they wait for him. Michael asks her to tell Leo that he’s sorry, but he can’t make it. He’s just heading out. She says she hopes Leo lectures him; he’s getting very good at it. Michael says he’s looking forward to it, and asks Ned to return the proxy he gave him. Tracy asks why he’d do that, and Michael says, because the proxy was conditional on no one finding out Nina turned Drew and his mom in to the SEC. Tracy says, but Ned lived up to his end of the bargain. He wasn’t the one who outed Nina. Michael says he may lose what he loves the most over all this. So at the very least, Ned should lose control of ELQ.

Nina says she’s not going to try and justify what she did, and Willow says, that’s a relief. Nina says, but she’d like to explain why she did it. She knows Willow is at work, but just give her a date and a time. There’s just so much they need to say to each other. (I see Nina is going for the ignore-it-and-it-will-go-away approach.) Willow says she has nothing to say to Nina, but Nina says she thinks Willow does. If she were Willow, she’d want to let her have it. They’ve both had a lifetime of pain. If they could just share that with each other and come to a new understanding, she thinks they should do that, even if it’s the last conversation they ever have. Coming down the hall with Drew, Carly says, hasn’t Nina done enough damage? Can’t she leave Willow alone?

Carly asks if Willow is okay, because she’s five, and Willow says she’s fine. Carly asks if she’s sure, and Nina says, she’s a grown woman. Willow has no trouble telling her to get lost. Carly says, but Nina never goes away, despite turning her and Drew in to the SEC. Nina says, for a crime they actually committed, and Carly says, really? Nina is married to Sonny Corinthos. Nina came at her out of spite and others had to suffer. Nina says, not Michael, and Drew asks what that’s supposed to mean. Nina says, Michael hasn’t got around to telling him. She’s sure he’s going to. It’s not like it’s a secret anymore. Drew asks what she’s talking about, and Nina says she did inform the SEC about him and Carly. Everybody knows that now, but the reason it was kept a secret for so long was because Michael knew and said nothing.

Ned says, the proxy will be on Michael’s desk first thing in the morning. Is that soon enough? Michael thanks him, and Ned says, don’t misinterpret his willingness to return it as a victory. Michael says, there’s nothing to interpret. The proxy is his. He leant it to Ned and he wants it back. It’s just a matter of business. Ned says, the real issue is why Michael needed his silence, and that isn’t business. Michael withheld the truth about Nina from Sonny, from Willow, and most importantly from his mother and Drew, the ones most affected by Nina. Why? Michael flashes back to telling Nina that he’s trying to protect his family from her. His father is happy and he’s not going to take that away from him. He’s sure Sonny will be happy until he finds out the kind of woman she really is. She’ll see his family only when he says it’s okay to see them and she’s going to sell his mother her half of the MetroCourt back. Michael tells Ned that he was protecting his family, and Ned says, he’s just like grandfather, at his worst. Tracy tells Michael to disregard his cousin. He has a noble streak, but it only shows up when he wants to take the moral high ground. Ned thanks her for her support, and she says, about this little deal Michael made, Quartermaine to Quartermaine. She has never been prouder.

Finn asks Dr. Sawyer to please just hear him out, but she says she’d rather hear from his attorney. She’d be more than happy to testify in court or by deposition, but without a court order, she can’t violate doctor/patient privilege, even when the patient is deceased, as she’s sure he knows. He says he’s absolutely aware. Perhaps he can provide some context. She says, have his lawyer reach out to her. Until then, she really should be on her way. Elizabeth says, before Dr. Sawyer goes, just hear her out.

Esme says, who is Spencer to tell her that she can’t do anything? Ace is her son and she’s taking him home now. He says he needs to tell her something first, but she says, actually, he doesn’t. Trina already broke the news about her studying at the Sorbonne, and lucky him, he gets to go along for the ride. Now she knows where his priorities lie… He says, she knows nothing about his priorities, and if he didn’t care about Ace… She says, he made his choice. Just own it. He says, she’s right. He has made his choice. She says, and so has she. She’s bringing her son home where he belongs. He says, Ace’s home is not with her. Not anymore.

Carly says, there really is no rock bottom with Nina. Blaming Michael for what she did. Nina says she’s simply just telling them what Michael did. Drew says, it doesn’t make any sense. What reason could Michael possibly have to protect her? Nina says, he wasn’t protecting her. He was holding what she did over her head, using his silence as leverage. He was blackmailing her, forcing her to keep her distance from her daughter. Carly laughs and says she doesn’t know why she bothers listening, because every word out of Nina’s mouth is a lie. Nina says, fine. If Carly doesn’t believe her, ask Michael. Carly says she will because she knows she’ll get the truth from him, and Drew asks Willow if she’s sure she’s okay. Willow says, no, but she will be, and Drew and Carly leave. Willow says, if Nina hadn’t lost her before, she has now.

Dr. Sawyer says, if she’s learned one thing in her career as a physician, it’s to always listen to the nurses, and tells Elizabeth to say what she has to say. Elizabeth thanks her and says she can see Dr. Sawyer wants to help, that she has something to say. She’s not wrong about that, is she? Before Dr. Sawyer makes any decisions, there are a few things she should know about Dr. Finn. Elizabeth is sure she’s aware that he developed a cure for Blackwood’s Disease, but what she can’t know is, the very first person he saved with that cure was Elizabeth’s sister. And when that cure was finalized, Dr. Finn handed over the patent to the hospital, saving it from financial ruin. If this lawsuit prevails, he won’t be able to practice medicine anymore. And there’s no worse feeling that you can save someone, and not being able to. So please, could the doctor just stay and hear what they have to say?

Esme says, where the hell does Spencer get off telling her where Ace’s home is? He is not Ace’s father. Spencer says, no, he’s not. He’s Ace’s brother and he loves him very much. She says, prove it. Don’t go to Paris. Stay here with him… Right. She didn’t think so. She turns to go, and he says, when he told her that Ace’s home wasn’t with her anymore, he didn’t mean it the way she thought. She asks how he meant it, and he says, Ace is gone. She says, gone where? and he says, with our father.

Willow takes Nina into an exam room and says, she wanted to get everything out in the open? Go. Nina says, turning in Carly and Drew was a stupid, impulsive decision, but she was really upset at the thought of losing Willow and she lashed out. Willow says, lashed out? She’s a wrecking ball. Nina says, Willow is right. She’s a lot, but Willow has to understand. She knows Willow knows this, but Carly has kept her from both of her daughters. First Nelle, and then of course (🍷), Willow. Willow says, Nelle was dead by the time Carly figured out she was Nina’s daughter, but Nina says she only has Carly’s word for that. (And that’s not true, right? I think she knew before. There was that whole thing about how she knew Nelle as a kid.) Willow says, well, Nina can take her word for this. Carly didn’t tell her that Nina was her mother because she didn’t want to know. Nina says, she doesn’t mean that, but Willow says she does. After the visitation hearing, she told Carly that she didn’t want to find her birth mother for fear she might turn out to be as awful as Nina was. The joke’s on her because here Nina is, her birth mother. Petty, vindictive, and selfish to the core.

Ned says, since when is Tracy proud of Michael? and Tracy says, since he showed his true colors. What he pulled is definitely worthy of her father. Underneath that mild-mannered baby face, beats the heart of a true Quartermaine. Michael says, if doing right by his family finally makes him a Quartermaine in her eyes, then so be it. But he gave Nina his silence for the sake of his children and Willow, because they are his priority above everything and anyone else. Carly and Drew walk in.

Tracy says she guesses they have a lot to discuss, so why doesn’t Ned join her in the kitchen? She’s suddenly famished. Ned says, yes, treachery always improves one’s appetite, and follows her out. Michael says, so, Nina told them, and Carly says, she did, and she called Nina a liar. But for the first time in Nina’s life, she’s telling the truth. Isn’t she?

Nina says she agrees she’s made mistakes, and Willow says, mistakes? Please. It was all deliberate. Nina thought it through with care. She needed to hurt Drew in order to hurt Carly, and she was proud of what she’d done. Just like she enjoyed causing a rift between Michael and Drew and his mom. Nina says she actually didn’t want to tell them anything, but Willow says she was standing right there. Nina couldn’t wait to throw it in Carly’s face that Michael knew. Nina says, Michael was blackmailing her. He told her the only way he would keep quiet was if she let him decide when she could see Willow and the kids. Nina cries and says she agreed to it because losing Willow a bit at a time was better than losing her all at once. That’s what’s happening now. Willow says, Carly was right. All Nina does is lie to everyone. And the person she’s lying to the most is herself.

Dr. Sawyer asks how they propose doing this without violating confidentiality, and Finn says, very carefully. Off the record, strictly hypotheticals. Elizabeth says, and if Dr. Sawyer says, stop, they stop. Dr. Sawyer says, okay, and they sit down. Finn says, hypothetically, a patient who dies from Stage IV colon cancer, usually has been exhibiting symptoms for quite some time, yes? Dr. Sawyer says, yes, and he says, hypothetically, this patient may have been exhibiting symptoms for two or three months prior. She says, it would be a certainty that a patient in this condition would be symptomatic, and he tells her, say this patient had a history of traveling to remote locations. They exhibit symptoms consistent with colon cancer or any other maladies, and they tested positive for one or more of those maladies. Dr. Sawyer says, personally, she would screen for any and all unknowns to rule them out, and he says, including cancer? She says, correct. And if testing came up positive for cancer, she would certainly refer that patient to an oncologist… hypothetically.

Esme says, Nikolas was here, and Spencer says, yes. That’s why he didn’t bring Ace to court. His father came back, and he wanted to take him and Ace with him. She says, take him where? Where did Nikolas take Ace? Spencer says, Ace is safe, and she says, Ace is safe with her. Did Spencer at least fight him off? Spencer doesn’t have a scratch on him. Did he at least call the police? They have to find out where Nikolas took Ace. He says he doesn’t know where his father took Ace. She needs to accept Ace is gone though. (Spencer is seriously creeping me out, the way he’s talking.) She says, the hell she does. She’s Ace’s mother and his legal guardian. She takes out her phone and says, Nikolas has no right to her son, the son he abandoned. She’s calling the police. He says, put the phone away, and she says, you don’t tell me what to do, Spencer, and he asks if she doesn’t mean Spence. That’s what she used to call him, back when she was busy manipulating people and destroying their property, ruining their lives. He flashes back to her calling him Spence in the interrogation room, and he says, the old Esme, the one who lived to do her father’s bidding.

Elizabeth says, may I? and Dr. Sawyer says, if she has another hypothetical. Elizabeth says, of course (🍷). This is actually more of a procedural question. The doctor says, go ahead, and Elizabeth says, when she refers a patient to an oncologist, or any specialist really, does her office know if that patient made and kept their appointment? Dr. Sawyer says, like most practices, once they make the referral, it’s up to the patient to let them know if they followed up, and Elizabeth says, right. So hypothetically… Dr. Sawyer says, some patients we never hear back from. Soap looks all around.

Esme says, she called him Spence? and Spencer says, she did. She says, so what? and he says he thinks they both know what that means. She says, it means nothing, especially now that her son has been kidnapped. He says, it means that she’s back, the old Esme, the one who destroyed his entire world. She says, that’s a little melodramatic, but he says, no, it isn’t. Look him in his eyes and tell him that she doesn’t remember. Tell him that she doesn’t remember swan diving off of that tower and his father keeping her prisoner up there for months. Tell him that she doesn’t remember tormenting Trina and setting Ava’s car on fire and using him to drive a wedge between Ava and his father. All because her father put her up to it because of his sick obsession with her. Esme says she’s heard those stories, and that is all they are to her, but he says, no, no, no (a million noes). She remembers. She’s the same Esme. She’s the same Esme that targeted him in school, who convinced him that she loved him when she didn’t. And the new Esme – whatever that façade was – became very close to being a decent person and a good mother, but that Esme is gone. She’s back to being a puppet for her psychotic father. That is the Esme Prince he’s talking to right now, isn’t it? She says, oh my God. Nikolas didn’t just take Ace. Spencer gave him away, didn’t he? He gave Nikolas her son. Spencer looks like dark Sonny all of a sudden.

Nina tells Willow, that night at the church was a turning point for her. She confessed her sins. She owned up to everything she was doing, and she realized she was blaming Carly for everything because Carly kept her daughters from her, but the important thing is, she’s going to stop blaming Carly. And she’s definitely going to stop beating herself up for her mistakes. Willow says, on the subject of beatings, Drew was almost beaten to death in prison, and Nina says she feels terrible about that. Willow says, that changes exactly nothing. Nina was desperate to hide what she did from Willow. That’s why she made her deal with Michael. Nina says, no. She agreed to Michael’s terms because, believe it or not, she wasn’t just thinking of herself; she was thinking about Michael. Willow says, oh please, and Nina says she knew that if Willow found out Michael was making a deal with her, that he was willing to blackmail her for the sake of Willow’s happiness, that Willow’s marriage, her family, might have to pay the price. She just wants Willow to be happy. She wants the kids to be happy. She loves Willow. Willow says, Nina may have convinced herself that she had these noble motives, but all she really ended up doing was hurting her and Michael and her children and their other grandmother and Drew, the man who saved her life. It’s enough. She wants nothing more to do with Nina.

Tracy scarfs down some snacks in the pantry and tells Ned that she doesn’t hear any yelling. She wishes she could be a fly on the wall. She comes out into the nook and asks Ned if he wants some carrots and hummus. He says, no. He does not want a carrot or hummus. Does she even care how Michael played fast and loose with her own son? She laughs and says she can’t believe it. After all these years, he still doesn’t get it. She doesn’t care about Michael. He asks if she’s sure, because a minute ago, Michael was the apple of her eye. She says she’s always pleased when a Quartermaine acts like a Quartermaine. And when Michael does it, it is a thing of beauty. The man knows what he wants, and he’s very practical about how he’s going to go and get it. Right now he’s a little distracted with the Nina thing, but at some point, he’s going to turn his attention back to the family business. Ned better be prepared.

Drew asks why Michael would stay silent and protect Nina, but Michael says he wasn’t protecting Nina. He was protecting his family from Nina. Carly asks when he found out, and he says, at the wedding. She says, he didn’t object? but he says, the ceremony was already over. They were already married, and Drew was already in prison. Drew says, that makes it okay not to tell them? and Michael says, the damage was already done. It wouldn’t have gotten Drew out of prison. The only thing exposing Nina would accomplish was hurting his dad and Willow. Drew says, maybe he could have told him and Carly, and they could have decided what needed to be done. Michael says he knows what kind of woman Nina is, the vindictiveness, the total disregard for other people. He had to limit his children’s exposure to them. He had to protect them. He had to protect Willow. Carly says, by keeping information from them, and Michael says he went to tell dad. When he went to Sonny, he was so happy, saying how much he appreciated them accepting Nina into the family, and he couldn’t go through with it. He couldn’t crush Sonny’s happiness. So he went to Nina and blackmailed her instead. Drew says, so Michael put Sonny’s happiness ahead of their friendship, but Michael says he doesn’t see it that way. Drew says, the way he sees it, they were partners, family. He trusted Michael. Michael’s mother trusted him and this is how Michael repays them?

After Dr. Sawyer leaves, Finn asks how Elizabeth did that. Never mind. He thanks her for getting Dr. Sawyer to stay. She really is much better with people than he is, obviously. What she said… that was very kind of her. She says, just calling it as she sees it, and he says he doesn’t think anyone’s ever spoken about him the way she did. She says, they do, just not in front of him, and he asks if they’re afraid it will go to his head. She says, he’d be insufferable, and he says, when she’s right, she’s right. She suggests he stick around and hear one or two more good things, and he says, only one or two? She says, don’t get greedy. She wonders why Mr. Muldoon never mentioned Dr. Sawyer, and Finn says, and the oncologist referral? And why he never followed up on any of the tests Finn recommended. She says she gets why Mrs. Muldoon didn’t say anything, and Finn says, maybe she didn’t know. She says, maybe, but that would mean he hid it from her as well, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Finn says, they have to find that oncologist, and she says, then that’s what they’ll do. He says, it’s right around the corner. The sooner, the better.

Esme says, Spencer is something else. He goes on and on about how rotten and selfish his father is, and it turns out he’s no better. He does what he wants, he takes what he wants, and to hell with everyone else. He says, it wasn’t easy, but she says she doesn’t care if it was easy for him or not; he did it. He says, yes, he did. Because he thinks Ace will have a happier life with his father than with the daughter of Ryan Chamberlain. She says, who cares whose daughter she is? Ace is her son, and he and his father are going back to prison where they belong. He says, speaking of prison, if she goes to the cops with this, he’ll tell them that she got her memory back, and they’ll hold her accountable for everything. She says, because she called him Spence, and he says, that’s right. After she broke into Windymere and revisited the scene of the crime. Definitely suspect behavior, doesn’t she think? Can she really afford to risk it? She leaves, slamming the door behind her.

Tracy says, Ned is all that she cares about, him and Dillon. Let’s face it. Dillon doesn’t really have a head for business. Then there’s Brook. She does have Quartermaine instincts, but she doesn’t have Quartermaine priorities. Tracy is working on her. Then there’s Leo. Ned says, what about Leo? and she says she doesn’t care whose blood he is. That boy is her grandson, and she adores him. He says, and the rest of us? and she says, you and yours, that’s all I care about. Above all else. Is she pleased Michael and Drew are at each other’s throats? Of course (🍷) she is. it strengthens their position. Because the only way you’ll come out on top is if you’re standing on everybody else. Right? He says, she’s got a point.

Willow says she and Nina have nothing more to say to each other – ever. She’s going to get back to work. Nina says she knows that she hurt Willow, but she’s never going to stop hoping Willow forgives her someday. Maybe they can start over as mother and daughter. Willow says, Nina can hope all she wants. She’s done. She opens the door, and Nina says she knows Willow means that now and maybe it’s the end of them, but she’ll always be here if Willow needs her. Always. Willow walks out without looking back.

Michael says, Drew has to understand. By the time he found out… Drew says he does understand. He understands Michael more than ever. He tells Carly, let’s go, but she says she needs to talk to her son. He says, okay, and leaves. Michael says, so, where do we go from here?

Tomorrow, Blaze wonders why it feels like Kristina started moving away; Cyrus asks what makes someone think they can trust him; Carly tells Michael, keeping things buried can have unintended consequences; and Drew tells Anna that he might be on to something.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

God help and forgive me. Help me get through this show and forgive my evil thoughts during it. And maybe for even watching it in the first place, at least after LVP left. I expect nasty from Erika, who gave up fighting with others for Lent in exchange for embarrassing them. Kyle and Dorit are both dimbulbs, although I have a margin of sympathy for Dorit’s PTSD and that dolt of a husband’s reaction to it. I’m honestly starting to wonder if the whole Kyle/Mauricio thing isn’t made up just to keep her relevant. He just seems stoned all the time and she looks like a bad actress. The cherry on the Hills cake though is Annemarie. WTF? over and over. She’s practically incoherent in her arguments and apparently doesn’t have the knowledge google gave her. Vent over. Moving on.

Kyle visits Sutton and snoops in her refrigerator. In Kyle’s interview, she says, Sutton not eating much makes sense after seeing what’s in her refrigerator. In Sutton’s interview, she says, had she known Kyle was going to be nosing around her refrigerator, she would have put more food in there. They discuss the Celebration of Life event the night before, and Sutton asks where Mauricio was. Kyle says, he’s in Mexico City, and in her interview, Sutton says, she’s not accepting that excuse. Unless you’re in the hospital or dead, you show up for your wife and your wife’s dead best friend’s family. Kyle says, he’ll be at the Homeless Not Toothless gala, and we flash back to them all murdering the name. Kyle says she wants them to have a home and teeth, and Sutton wonders why they can’t remember the name. She tells Kyle how Garcelle told her that Annemarie was coming for her last night. She likes Annemarie. Why is Annmarie coming for her? Kyle says, Sutton let Annemarie lick her armpit (yuk), and we flash back to things you can’t unsee. Sutton says, Annemarie needs to shut up about her esophagus, and in her interview, Kyle says she’s seen Sutton get in fights over ridiculous things. We flash back to the ugly leather pants debacle, and Kyle says, maybe she’s met her match. Sutton shows Kyle a picture of the house near Barcelona where they’ll be staying, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, it’s been a tumultuous few months. She wants them to take this trip to have fun and remember they love each other. She tells Kyle that she doesn’t want to invite the nurse/doctor. Annemarie owes her an apology. Kyle says she can’t disinvite Annemarie, and Sutton says she won’t, but Annemarie owes her an apology.  

Crystal calls Garcelle and asks what she thought of Kyle’s event. Garcelle says she thought it was beautiful, and Crystal says she was moved. She texted Kyle and said her friend would be grateful. Garcelle says, it was celebratory without being somber, yet it wasn’t such a party you forgot why you came. Crystal says, Annemarie forgot what the event was about. She implied Sutton had an eating disorder. We flash back to that, and Crystal wonders what Annemarie’s end game is. To shame Sutton? In Garcelle’s interview, she says, Sutton isn’t Annemarie’s patient and Annemarie just met her. Leave Sutton and her esophagus alone. Now she’s the esophagus police. Crystal says, Annemarie said she was a doctor when they met, and in Crystal’s interview, she says, they met at a holiday party. She said she was an anesthesiologist, not a nurse anesthetist. She wonders what else Annemarie is lying about. She tells Garcelle that she googled narrow esophagus and it’s very much a thing. Garcelle says, even in medicine, you can’t say something is true 100% of the time. Crystal says, the first thing that came up was that it’s genetic. Sutton said it ran in her family, so that’s good enough for her. In her interview, Crystal says, Annemarie told them that she couldn’t find anything on it, and it took her a minute to google it. Maybe she’s a doctor.

Dorit and PK go to check out the Hilton where the event is being held. In Dorit’s interview, she says, last year, there was a covid surge, so they had to postpone the gala. We flash back to the previous Homeless Not Toothless gala, and Dorit talks to security. PK tells her to trust her people, and in Dorit’s interview, she says she thinks the therapy session was beneficial. We flash back to Dorit telling PK what she needs from him, and in her interview, she says, he’s more present. He’s been listening more, and she feels more connected to him. She’s grateful for that. Dorit says, they’re expecting 400 people, and PK says, Paula Abdul and William H. Macy will be there, as well as a surprise they haven’t pulled off yet. He critiques the table décor, and says, it feels daytime. In her interview, Dorit says she loves that PK can say things she wouldn’t. Therapy didn’t solve all their problems, but it’s a good start. She’s hopeful that things are going to get better and better.

Crystal meets her brother Jeff for lunch and tells him about the trip to Ojai. She mentions Sutton licking Kyle’s toe, and Jeff wonders, what are they doing? He says, it was nice being back in Asia. He saw his ex, Vivi, and got some things off his chest. He’s wounded, but not mad. Vivi always felt like she wasn’t accepted by Crystal and their mom, and she’s not wrong. In Crystal’s interview, she says, Jeff’s girlfriends have always found her intimidating; she has a lot of strong opinions and expectations. She was trying to be protective, but realizes her approach was wrong. She tells Jeff that, being an only child, Vivi can’t understand, and Jeff says, true, but another woman in his life was always problematic for her and their mom. The woman in his life will have to accept they’re close, but so will Crystal and their mom. In her interview, Crystal says, she and her brother have always been close. When they were kids, people thought they were twins. When she met Rob, she was nervous that she would no longer be Jeff’s sister because she was a wife and mom, but things never changed. Jeff says he’s planning to spend more time in Asia. He’s going to spend half a year in Bangkok. He can do music or DJ. Crystal wonders if she pushed him too far, but he says he’s not trying to distance himself. He’s taking control of his life. In Crystal’s interview, she says she needs to accept her brother and what he wants, or it will create more of a wedge between them and she’ll lose him forever. Jeff says, their mom did a great job as a mom, and she did a great job as his sister. Their work is done. He makes his own decisions, and they need to trust they did a good job. Trust his judgement.

Everyone gets ready for the Homeless Not Toothless event, and the name is the gift that keeps on giving, since everyone is having lots of laughs over it. Rob is going to an event for The Brave Little Toaster, but he says he’ll meet Crystal later. On the way there, Mauricio asks Kyle about the Celebration of Life event, and she says, she wanted everyone to enjoy themselves, but still address the topic. In Kyle’s interview, she says, it would have meant something for Mauricio to show up, since he was close to Lorene also. We flash back to Lorene’s mother asking about him. She tells Mauricio that she’s going to be doing some traveling of her own. After the Barcelona trip, she’s going to Spain for work. In her interview, she says, he got a taste of his own medicine. She forgot tell him and he doesn’t get a heads up, so oops.

In Dorit’s interview, she says, everything is incredible. It’s exactly how she wanted, and she couldn’t have done it without PK. Erika runs into her dentist and he’s more flirtatious with her than I’d be comfortable with. In Kyle’s interview, she says, when she and Mauricio go to an event, there’s a lot of whispering and watching them. It feels strange. They’re analyzing every move and hand gesture. It’s very weird. Sutton arrives and tells the others that she has a magical esophagus. Don’t talk about her body behind her back. It’s not going to go well. They see Annemarie and call her over.

Annemarie introduces husband Marcellus, and when Sutton says, they’re talking now, she sends him to the bar. Sutton says, Annemarie picked the wrong person, but Annemarie won’t let her talk. Sutton says, excuse me, ma’am, and Annemarie tries to out ma’am her. In Erika’s interview, she says, you have to be careful. Where she’s from, this particular no ma’ am could get you slapped. Annemarie tells Sutton not to yell, when she’s not yelling, but when Sutton says she’s not, Annemarie calls her a liar. Annemarie tends to come in hot in a cartoonish way that’s very unattractive and awkward. She also keeps reminding everyone that she’s a board-certified nurse anesthetist. I’ve heard it four times in five seconds now. Sutton says she has a board-certified doctor, and knows what she has, even though Annemarie said she made it up. Annemarie says she didn’t, and Crystal says, she told them that Sutton lied. We flash back to Annemarie saying that, and Annemarie says she told them it was a potential lie. WTF is a potential lie? This woman is unreal. Everything she gets caught on, she changes around. She accuses Crystal of saying Sutton had an eating disorder, and Crystal asks if she’s out of her mind. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, they haven’t even gotten in the ballroom yet and they’re going at it. People are looking at them. It’s like they’re at the zoo looking at animals and they’re the animals. Sutton says, it was inappropriate to bring it up at Kyle’s event, and once again, Annemarie acts like she did no such thing. Crystal says, Annemarie literally talked two hours about it. She and Garcelle had to leave; it was so annoying. We flash back to the multiple times Annemarie discussed it with various groups of women, and Annemarie says, she was trained to be a critical thinker. Maybe Crystal would understand if she’d gone to med school. Crystal says, Annemarie didn’t go to med school, and Annemarie says, Crystal keeps downplaying her profession. Crystal says, she’s such a bitch, and in Annemarie’s interview, she says, Crystal said she wanted to go to med school – we flash back to that – but her husband wouldn’t have waited. She thinks Crystal resents her being in the medical profession. Crystal is taking out what she didn’t get to do on her. Annemarie says she apologizes for being concerned, and in Sutton’s interview, she says she appreciates Annemarie’s non-apology apology. She’ll take it because she doesn’t want to talk about her esophagus anymore.

Kyle tells Dorit that Annemarie and Sutton were arguing. It was heated, worked up, and elevated. Garcelle joins them, and Kyle says she never saw Crystal like that. She never knew Crystal had it in her. In Kyle’s interview, she says, they’ve wanted Crystal to find her voice, but screaming someone’s a bitch at a black-tie event wasn’t exactly what they were talking about. The women look at the stuff up for silent auction, and Dorit makes sure Sutton isn’t sitting by Annemarie. This teeny tiny old woman all in pink – who not surprisingly goes by the name of Pink Lady – says she appreciates Erika, who’s in Barbiecore, and they take photos. As they sit down at the table, Mauricio says he hears Sutton has an esophagus problem, and in her interview, Sutton says, if Mauricio can come to this, but not to the Celebration of Life event for his wife, that’s messed up. Dorit is introduced and she introduces Paula Abdul, who introduces Taylor Dayne. Taylor sings Tell It to My Heart, Erika sings along with her, and everyone acts stupid, getting up, waving, and hooting. This is really irritating since it’s a gala, not a concert. Afterwards, Sutton tells the women that they’ve got to stop this. Garcelle asks what they do, and Sutton says she likes Annemarie, but she didn’t like Annemarie going behind her back. Annemarie – who apparently cannot admit when she’s wrong – says she already explained. Dorit suggests they go home and take a deep breath. Kyle says, they want only positive energy when they go to Spain.

Everyone packs for Barcelona, and Kyle calls Sutton. She asks what the vibe is, and Sutton says, it’s an old city with cobblestone streets. Kyle says, it won’t stop the women from wearing high heels. Barcelona is not ready for them. Sutton says, there’s angst that needs to be worked out. Kyle’s mission is to tell Annemarie not to talk at them. In Kyle’s interview, she says, the fact that she has to mediate the fight about Sutton’s esophagus at this point is upsetting. But she feels like since she brought Annemarie into the group, she should fix things and play peacemaker. Annemarie calls Kyle and says she’s had time to think and reflect. She feels ridiculous and horrible. Kyle says, it was a lot, and for her to say it’s a lot says a lot. Crystal calls Erika, who says, ooh, Crystal called Annemarie a bitch. Crystal says, Annemarie was calling out Sutton for yelling when she was the one yelling. It didn’t make sense. Erika says, people communicate under stress in different ways. Thank God it wasn’t about her. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, Annemarie wants to be right because it’s a medical thing. Kyle tells Annemarie, maybe Spain will be the magic touch, and in her interview, she says, if they can get past their issues, they can have a fun, bonding experience. She’s not holding her breath. Annemarie says, Crystal owes her an apology for mocking her profession, and in her interview, she says she’s proud to be a nurse anesthetist. It’s difficult and challenging. Erika says she’ll be the referee and bring a whistle, and Crystal says, Annemarie might not talk to her. That’s even better. In Erika’s interview, she says, therapy works. It’s expensive, but it works. Kyle tells Annemarie that they don’t want to have these conversations on the plane. They don’t want to be kicked off. Annemarie says she wants to go in happy, positive, and looking forward to the trip.

Annemarie calls Sutton and says she’s coming with her heart in her hands. She’s sorry for her part in everything that happened. Sutton says, her part? and in Sutton’s interview, she says, how about her part being the only part? No ma’am. Annemarie says she’s sorry she pried into something Sutton didn’t want to talk about, but Sutton says she’ll talk about her esophagus all day. Annemarie says she’s sorry she talked… Sutton says, behind her back. She wants Annemarie to come on the trip and she’s looking forward to working it out. Annemarie says she did lick Sutton’s armpit. How many friends can she say that about? (Jeff is right. What are they doing?)

24 hours later. Flashes into the future. Annemarie says, when she met Crystal, Crystal said the women were not intelligent and shallow… Annemarie tells Crystal to bring it down a notch, which doesn’t go over big… Annemarie tells Crystal, thanks for giving her something to talk about and making Crystal’s ass relevant… Sutton says, don’t make the little people come out.

I must admit I’m intrigued about that last one.

To be continued…

❄️ Savoring the Snowflakes…

Hop aboard tomorrow for soap and a Reunion lacking Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay replacing something you borrowed if you broke it or lost it, and stay remembering, therapy is expensive, but it works.

January 16, 2024 – Nina Makes a Deal With Cyrus, Adam’s Dad, A Message, Premature, Icon Of Days, Salty Talk, All About Emmy, Playing Dress-Up & White

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

In Cyrus’s hospital room, Dex prepares a syringe. In the hallway on the phone, Nina talks with a client. She sees Sonny coming out of the elevator, and ducks around the corner. Sonny goes to the reception desk and asks where Cyrus’s room is. Dex is about to put the syringe into Cyrus’s IV, when there’s a knock on the window. Sonny peeks through the blinds that Dex stupidly left open and shakes his head. As Dex steps away, Cyrus grabs his arm. He asks what Dex is trying to do.

Josslyn runs into the hospital and asks Willow if her friend Adam Wright has been brought in. Willow says he has, and he’s with a doctor in exam room one, but she can’t go in there. Josslyn says she just wants to be nearby.

Finn examines Adam and tries to rouse him, while Elizabeth checks his vitals. A nurse shows Finn the pill packets and says, they may have been mixed with vodka. He says, that combo could do it. This kid meant business. He rubs Adam’s chest vigorously, telling him to wake up. Josslyn watches through the window.

Willow calls Carly and asks her to come to the hospital; Joss is here. Carly asks if she’s okay (maybe Willow should have led with that), and Willow says, she is, but she thinks Josslyn needs Carly. Carly says she’ll be right there.

Trina says, Esme must be relieved, and Esme says, yeah. Has Trina seen Spencer? He was supposed to bring Ace here. Trina says she hasn’t seen them, but it looks like Esme didn’t need that adorable baby boy to sway the judge’s opinion. She must be thrilled. Esme says, Trina must be disappointed in her sentence. She can understand why. Trina tells Esme not to presume knowing anything about her, but Esme says, come on. The revenge porn of Cameron and Josslyn, framing Trina for the crime. If the allegations were true and she was in Trina’s position, she wouldn’t be done with her until she was locked up forever.

Spencer tells Nikolas that he’s not leaving Port Charles. His life is here. His grandmother is here. Trina is here. Aunt Alexis is here and he’s not throwing that away. He’s not going to abandon everyone and everything just so he can go on the run with Nikolas. Nikolas says he knows he’s asking for a lot, but Spencer says, he’s not just asking for a lot; he’s asking for everything. Nikolas says, it’s the only option, at least for now, but Spencer says, it’s Nikolas’s only option, not his. Ace isn’t going with him, and neither is he. Nikolas says, it’s the only way for them to be together as a family. Spencer has to trust him on this. Spencer says, the thing is, he doesn’t trust Nikolas, and he’s not running away because he’s not like Nikolas. Nikolas says, doesn’t Spencer realize his brother is in danger if he stays here?

Elizabeth says, Adam’s blood pressure is dropping, and Finn asks if he’s had any history of substance abuse. Elizabeth says, he’s on dextroamphetamine, and Finn says, for ADHD? She says, correct, and he says, anything else? She says, he was brought in for a panic attack previously. Josslyn Jax brought him in, and she checked him in. Finn asks her to find out if he’s taken anything else, and she leaves.

In the hallway, Josslyn asks if Adam is all right, and Elizabeth says, they’re doing everything they can to help him, but she needs more information. Josslyn says she was there when he passed out. She called 911. Elizabeth asks if she’s the one who found the pills, and Josslyn says, yeah. She found them at the park. He was drinking and the pills had fallen out of his pocket. Elizabeth asks if Josslyn knows if he took them, and Josslyn says, no, but he couldn’t have taken them that long before she found him. Maybe an hour ago? Elizabeth says, it’s important they know as much about his medical history as possible. So has Adam used drugs in the past? Josslyn says, he has ADHD, so he’s taking something for that, and Elizabeth says, dextroamphetamine. Josslyn says, that’s it, and Elizabeth says, anything else? Josslyn says, not that she’s aware of, and Elizabeth says, what about the drinking? Josslyn says, Adam got really drunk New Year’s Eve, but other than that, she’s never seen him drunk. Elizabeth says, she’s been very helpful and thanks her for the info. Josslyn says, of course (🍷), and Elizabeth goes back into the exam room. Willow asks how Josslyn is holding up, and Josslyn says, Adam has been struggling for months. How did she not see it coming?

Sonny goes into Cyrus’s room and says he’s sorry. He didn’t mean to interrupt. Can he have a word with Mr. Renault? Dex asks if that’s okay with Cyrus, and Cyrus says, it’s fine with him. Mr. Corinthos’ timing is positively providential. Sonny asks, why is that? and Cyrus says he has some news that will uplift Sonny’s spirits.

Trina says her parents raised her to know right from wrong, and Esme says, her parents didn’t raise her. Not that she could even remember if they did. Trina says her point is, she believes in the justice system, and for it to work, it has to be fair. So does she want Esme to pay for the horrible things she did to Joss, Cam, and her? Of course (🍷) she does. Because Esme broke the law multiple times and deserves to be punished for her crimes. That’s only fair. But she doesn’t deserve to spend time in prison for some petty breaking and entering where no one got hurt. As much as she dislikes Esme, she found herself agreeing with the judge. Esme says she’s surprised Trina can be so rational about this, and Trina says she wants to live her life looking ahead. She’s leaving Port Charles soon, and she doesn’t want her very justified anger toward Esme to hold her back. Esme says, she’s leaving town… Trina says, don’t get too excited. It’s only for one semester, but she was accepted to study at the Sorbonne in Paris. Esme says, congratulations. That seems like an amazing opportunity. Trina says, it is, and Esme says, but she knows Spencer is going to miss Trina like crazy when she’s gone. Trina says, he might, if he wasn’t coming with her.

Finn says some medical stuff to Elizabeth, and the other nurse asks if they shouldn’t get approval from one of the Co-Chiefs of Staff. Finn says he has no time for waiting. Let’s go. Elizabeth tells the nurse that Finn knows what he’s doing, and the nurse jets.

Willow says, it’s not Josslyn’s fault, but Josslyn says, all the signs were there. She knew Adam was in trouble. Willow says, but she’s not a mind reader. She couldn’t have predicted Adam was going to try and take his own life. Did he ever talk about suicide with her? Josslyn says, no. He never used that word. But more than once, he talked about how the pressure was never-ending. She was so worried about him that she told the RA what was going on with him. Willow says, it sounds like she did the right thing. She tried to get Adam help. Josslyn says, but it didn’t work. She thinks that’s what pushed Adam over the edge. Carly comes out of the elevator, and Josslyn hugs her. She says, Adam tried to kill himself. She found him in the park. Carly tells Willow, thank you.

Spencer asks, what makes Nikolas think Ace is in danger? He liked it better when Ace and Esme were both living here with his grandmother, but still. Nikolas says, as long as Ace is in Esme’s care, his brother is in danger, and Spencer says he knows Nikolas hasn’t been around, so he might not know this, but Esme is actually a very good mother to Ace. Nikolas says, she’s playing a part. Showing people what they want to see. But at the core, Esme is still the same viper that caused destruction in both of their lives… Spencer says he actually does believe this version of Esme loves her son, and Nikolas says, whatever love Esme has for Ace is outweighed by her curiosity about her former life. Doesn’t he get it? Esme wants to remember. That’s why she’s searching for her past. That’s why she went to Windymere and broke in. Spencer asks how Nikolas would know about that, and Nikolas says he told Spencer; he’s been watching things. Whatever stories Esme makes up about her reasons for going there, they both know better. Spencer says he’s wondered about Esme at times, and who’s to say whether she’s gotten her memories back, but how can they know that for sure? They don’t have any proof. They don’t have any evidence to back it up. Nikolas says, they both know what her true nature is. Esme’s still the same person who tormented both of them and relished watching their family in pain. She’ll cause more pain than running away with Ace, or worse.

Sonny says, they’re going to be fine in here, aren’t they? and Cyrus says he thinks they will. Dex leaves, and Cyrus says, believe it or not, he’s happy to see Sonny again, calling him Mr. Corinthos. Sonny says, the nurse is gone. He can stop with the Mr. Corinthos nonsense. If he’s got something to say, say it quick.

Nina sees Dex and asks why he’s dressed like that. Was he just in Cyrus Renault’s room? Dex says, she shouldn’t be here, and she asks if Sonny is in with Cyrus right now. She moves toward the room, but he stops her, saying, he’s sorry, but she can’t go in there right now. She says, so he is in there.

Cyrus says, what Sonny needs to know is, he’s a sinner, and Sonny says, that’s not news. Cyrus says he knows he’ll never be able to fully repent for his past. He begs for forgiveness from God every day, but he doesn’t know that the gates of heaven will open for him after the things he’s done. Sonny says, that’s an awful big wind-up. Can he just get to the point? Cyrus says, this is why he now has to live a fully penitent life. He’ll continue to try and atone for his sins and accept his punishment with grace. Sonny says, tick… tock, and Cyrus says, Sonny doesn’t need to send anyone else to do his dirty work. Sonny asks, why is that? and Cyrus says he won’t be pressing charges against Sonny. The case will be closed.

Trina heads for the door, but Esme says, wait. What does Trina mean, she’s going to Paris? She can’t believe Spencer would abandon his brother like that. Trina says, Esme moved out of Laura and Doc’s place. She made the decision that Spencer would see a whole lot less of Ace. Besides, this is a really great opportunity. Esme says, for Trina. What about Spencer? Isn’t this really selfish of her? Trina asks Esme to let her finish. She was going to say, Spencer didn’t want to leave her either. Besides, it’s not like he has a job or anything that ties him down here. Esme says, what about his grandmother? and Trina says, Laura spent a summer in Europe trying to track down Spencer’s dad. She thinks Laura can handle Spencer being away for one semester. Esme says, Laura will probably be okay with this, but what about Ace? What about her? Trina says, what about you, Esme?

Spencer says he knows what the old Esme is capable of, but there’s got to be a better way than taking off with her child, and Nikolas says, if there was a way he could stay in Port Charles and fight for custody, he’d do that. But if he stays, he’ll go to prison. Spencer says, the way he did, but Nikolas says, Spencer’s sentence was fairly brief. In his case, he doesn’t know when he’d be free again, and that does Ace no good. Spencer says, but he does have to face the consequences of his actions at some point, right? He has a family and one of his kids is a baby, so at some point it has to stop being all about him. Nikolas says he’s doing this for Ace. For all his flaws and failings, this isn’t a choice between him and a better man. It’s a choice between him and Esme. Spencer says, what if Esme wasn’t a factor? and Nikolas asks how that would even be possible. Spencer says, his grandmother convinced Esme to turn herself in to the PCPD for breaking into Windymere, and as the current owner of the property, Ava has decided to press charges. In fact, her hearing is being held right now. (I guess Nikolas wasn’t watching that closely.) If Ava gets her way, Esme’s going to be spending some time in prison. That will give Nikolas a window of opportunity to squash any legal problems he might have and file for custody of Ace. Nikolas says, even if Esme does go to prison, she still has rights. She won’t just roll over. Spencer says, but Nikolas is the father. He has just as much a right of claim as she does, right? Spencer’s phone rings and he says, it’s his grandmother. Maybe she has an update. Hey, are you at the courthouse with Esme?… Yes… Okay, thank you for telling me. Nikolas says, well? and Spencer says, she pled guilty. She’s not going to have to serve any time. She got six months probation. So Esme’s basically a free woman.

Josslyn tells Carly that she found Adam in the park. He was just sitting there trying to play his guitar, drinking from a bottle of vodka. Carly takes Josslyn’s hand and says, thank God she went to look for him. He tried to take his life. Josslyn says she can’t believe he took it this far, when Finn and Elizabeth come out. Josslyn asks Finn, how is he? and Finn says he understands Josslyn found Adam and called the ambulance, and they thank her for that. But they can really only speak to family. All he can say is, they pumped his stomach. Elizabeth says, he’s in stable condition – Josslyn says, thank God – thanks to her quick thinking. Finn says, he should make a full recovery, and Josslyn thanks them. Carly says, she did the right thing, and Finn says, they do need to speak to Adam’s parents though. Elizabeth says, they have Adam’s parents’ contact information, but Josslyn says, please do not call his parents. Carly says, they have to, but Josslyn says, she doesn’t understand. His parents are the reason he tried to kill himself.

Sonny tells Cyrus, in the state of New York, the victim doesn’t need to press charges. For assault, the state can pursue the case without him. Cyrus says, while that may be true, he wonders how much effort the DA will want to invest when the key witness says they were the one who provoked the assault. Sonny had gone to a church, trying to commune with God and search for answers. He came upon Sonny, and instead of responding with kindness, he responded with hostility and bitterness, maybe even malice. In other words, Cyrus sinned against him. So if the DA takes the case to trial and he’s called to testify, he’ll repent and beg for forgiveness. Sonny says, that’s the exact opposite of what he told the cops. What was the change of heart? Cyrus says he doesn’t understand, and Sonny asks what Cyrus did. Because if he can reverse his position just like that, there has to be something in it for him. So what does he want in return? That’s what he’s asking. Cyrus says, nothing. He’s aware a man in Sonny’s position might just want to finish the job he started. And since getting out of Pentenville, he’s really come to appreciate his freedom. His life might be really small now, but he cherishes it and he’d like to keep living it. Is that so hard to understand? Sonny says, for an average person, maybe, but for Cyrus, he doesn’t believe a word Cyrus is shoveling at him. Cyrus laughs and asks if Sonny would believe another person helped him see the error of his ways, and Sonny asks, who got to him? Cyrus says, the person asked him not to say, but Sonny says, who? Cyrus says, let him keep his word. It’s the only thing he has left.

Nina tells Dex, ever since Sonny found out what she did, he hasn’t been thinking clearly. She’s worried about him. If anything happens to him… Dex says, if Sonny wants her to know something, he’ll tell her himself. He’s genuinely sorry that it’s come to this. She says, her too. She’s not giving up on Sonny. She’s not going to stop loving him. She’ll do anything for the man that she loves. She walks away.

Josslyn tells Finn, Adam doesn’t have a good relationship with his parents. He would not want them to be involved. And he’s not a minor; he’s over 18. That has to count for something, right? Finn says, he’s currently unconscious and his parents are next of kin. They have to be notified. He’s really sorry, but that’s hospital procedure. Elizabeth says she knows Josslyn and knows her heart is in the right place, but if that was Cameron in there, doesn’t Josslyn think she should be notified? Josslyn says, it’s not the same thing. Adam’s parents are the problem. He’s terrified of them. He got an A-minus on a test, and they considered that a failure. Finn says he understands, but legally, Adam’s parents need to be notified. Carly thanks him and says, do what he needs to do. Finn and Elizabeth leave, and Carly sits down with Josslyn. Josslyn asks if they can’t at least wait until Adam wakes up and ask him if he wants his parents to know, and Carly says, she’s heard a lot about Adam’s parents this semester, hasn’t she? Josslyn says, it’s crazy the amount of pressure they put on him. The way he talks, they don’t even see him. It’s just about him getting the best grades to get into the right med school. Carly says, he seems to be leaning a lot on Josslyn too, and Josslyn says, yes. She thought she was helping. Clearly not. Carly says, she didn’t do anything wrong. Adam is lucky to have a friend like her. Josslyn says, when Adam’s parents find out what he did, Adam is never going to forgive her.

Esme tells Trina that she’s Ace’s mother and she thought Spencer wanted to be a part of his little brother’s life. Trina says, Spencer will always be part of Ace’s life. He’s just giving Esme the space that she said she wanted. Esme tells Trina that she said she wanted space. She didn’t say she wanted Ace’s brother on another continent. Trina says, it’s not like they’re not coming back to Port Charles. They’re going to be in Paris for one semester. (IKR? Again, everyone is acting like this is forever.) Esme says, what if they love living there and that one semester extends into the summer, and they decide to live there for another year? Spencer can party his way through Europe, leaving his brother totally behind. Trina says, Spencer is not going to do that. He’s way to loyal to Ace. Esme says, Trina is in love with Spencer. Of course (🍷) she’s going to say that. Trina says she can’t believe she has to defend Spencer to Esme, of all people. What has he done except help her and Ace? Esme says, Ace loves his brother. He lights up every time Spencer walks into the room, and Ace is too little to understand the difference between a parent and a brother. How is Ace going to understand Spencer hasn’t just completely abandoned him.\?

Spencer tells Nikolas that he doesn’t understand how this could have happened. Esme gets six months probation and no time in jail? Nikolas says, Esme wasn’t on trial for the revenge porn of Josslyn and Cam, or for framing Trina. This case was just about breaking and entering into Windymere. Like he said, Esme wouldn’t have broken into Windymere unless she thought it would help her get her memories back. Spencer flashes back to the interrogation room and realizing that Esme remembers. Nikolas says, if Esme was truly committed to starting a new life with Ace as his devoted mother, wouldn’t she want to avoid Windymere at all costs? Spencer remembers Esme calling him Spence, and Nikolas asks what he’s thinking. Spencer says he doesn’t know anything for sure. It’s really more so just a feeling. Nikolas says, a feeling about what? and Spencer says, Esme may not be telling the whole truth about why she broke into Windymere. She said something. It was a really, really small thing, so it might not mean anything. Nikolas asks what she said, and Spencer says, she called me Spence. That was the name she called him the whole time they were together, and she hasn’t called him that since she lost her memory. But then, earlier today at the PCPD, she called him Spence. It wasn’t just what she said, it was how she said it. It was the same tone, it was the same inflection, everything. It could just be a coincidence. Nikolas says, he knows better. It’s proof that Esme’s lying. She must have gotten her memories back. Spencer asks how they know that for sure, and Nikolas says, they can’t as long as she denies it, but is he really willing to trust her? Does he want to risk his brother’s life for Esme?

Willow says she’s got a call in to PCU requesting Adam’s parents’ contact information, and Finn says, after a psyche consult, he’s sure Adam will be put on a 72-hour hold. Maybe this will be a wake-up call for his parents to start taking better care of their son. Willow says, maybe.

Carly tells Josslyn, the situation with Adam’s parents sounds terrible. She can’t imagine putting that kind of pressure on her kid, but he tried to kill himself. This is really serious. Now his parents will be able to give him the support he needs. Adam’s clearly crying out for help. Josslyn says she just wishes she’d done something sooner.

Dex puts the wrapped syringe in a trashcan and sees Sonny in the hallway. He asks if Sonny changed his mind about Renault, and Sonny says, Cyrus is still poison in Port Charles. They’ve got to deal with him. They’ve just got to figure out another way. Dex says, what about the assault charge against Sonny? and Sonny says, somebody convinced Cyrus not to testify. Dex says, without the victim’s testimony… and Sonny says, Scorpio isn’t going to risk embarrassment losing a weak case. He’s just trying to figure out who convinced Cyrus to drop the charges. Dex says he might know, and Sonny says, who? Dex says, Cyrus wasn’t alone when he got here. There was someone in his room with him. Sonny says, who? and Dex looks down the hall at Nina.

Trina says, with Spencer out of the country, this could be Esme’s chance to prove she can go it alone as Ace’s mom. And yes, Spencer has helped out a lot, but it’s time for him to take a step back. Esme made the same point when she moved out of Laura’s place. Esme asks if she’s supposed to thank Trina now, like Trina is doing her this big favor, and Trina says, Esme can look at it however she wants, but she wants Esme to know that not for one second did they question her abilities as a mom. They were only thinking about Ace. She and Spencer don’t think about Esme at all. She has to go. She tells Esme, congratulations. She got what she wanted. Trina walks out.

Nikolas asks when Esme will be back for Ace, and Spencer says, the hearing is over. She’s a free woman, so any minute now. Nikolas says, they’re running out of time. If Spencer won’t come with him, Spencer has to give him Ace to get him out of Esme’s grasp. This is their only chance. Spencer says, when Ace was born, he was certain Nikolas was going to come back, and when he didn’t, he was furious with Nikolas. He swore he was going to make sure Ace had a stable childhood no matter what. Nikolas says he knows and he’s sorry. He shouldn’t have left. It wasn’t fair for him to leave Spencer to pick up the pieces. He knows it looks like he’s running away again, he swears this time it’s different. He’s not running away to escape punishment. He’s running away to protect his son. Let him be a father to Ace. And to Spencer. Let him do the right thing for their family. Let him save his son.

Elizabeth says, as awful as that was, it was nice seeing Finn back in his element. He thanks her for backing him up with the nurse. He realizes she was just following procedure. She says, yes, but he was making the right call.

Carly says, Josslyn tried to help Adam and he pushed her away. Then when he really needed her help, she was there for him and did the right thing. He’s going to understand. She’s so proud of Josslyn. Willow comes out and says she’s sorry to interrupt, but she thought Josslyn would want to know Adam is stabilized now, in case she wants to see him. Josslyn says she does. She just needs to grab something from her car. Carly stops her and says, or they could give him a night to absorb what happened and see him tomorrow. Josslyn says, no. She needs to see him today. Besides, she has something that belongs to him. She’ll be right back. She leaves, and Willow asks if Josslyn realizes she saved Adam’s life, but Carly says, no. She feels like she should have known what he was going to try.

On the phone, Nina says she needs confirmation first thing tomorrow, when Sonny comes up behind her. He asks what she did. What did she promise Cyrus? She says, nothing she couldn’t afford to part with. His freedom is that important to her. He asks, what made her think it was a good idea to strike a deal with Cyrus? and she says, Cyrus is going to drop all the charges against him, a fight that she caused. Sonny wouldn’t have attacked Cyrus if he wasn’t so upset with her. She’s caused a lot of trouble and made some mistakes. Everything is falling apart, and if she could go back in time, she would. She would change how she handled things, but that’s not a possibility. What is a possibility is her making a deal with Cyrus. All she’s trying to do is clean up the mess she made. He says, next time she gets the urge to help him, don’t. He starts to walk away, but she calls to him and he stops. She says she has to do something, and he says, this is his life. Stay away from his business. As a matter of fact, stay away from him. He stalks off, all dark Sonny like.

Elizabeth says, Adam is really lucky Finn cared more about saving his life than getting someone to sign off on his diagnosis. In life or death, there’s just no time to second guess. He says, they all made a difference in helping that kid. His life depended on making a split-second decision. It reminded him of why he loves being a doctor. It also reminded him of what he stands to lose if he can’t be one.

Carly tells Willow, on one hand, she’s very proud of Josslyn, of how she handled the situation. Willow says, on the other hand? and Carly says she hates how Josslyn feels responsible for him. We just want to protect our kids, right? Willow says, until life gets in the way. Josslyn comes back and says she’s ready to see Adam. If they don’t mind, she’d prefer to go in alone. Carly says, okay. They’ll be right here if she needs them. Josslyn thanks them and goes to the exam room.

Josslyn sees Adam unconscious and hooked up to oxygen. She sets down her stuff and his guitar and goes over to the bed. She says, it’s me, Josslyn, and sits down. She says she brought his guitar from the park. She knows how much he loves it. She takes his hand and says she’s going to stay with him until he wakes up. Because he’s not alone.

Nikolas says, Spencer has to know that taking Ace away with him is the best option for his brother, and Spencer says, the points he’s making about Esme are valid. If she does get her memories back, she has zero incentive to be honest about it. Nikolas says, so Spencer will let him take Ace with him? and Spencer says, yes. Nikolas says, he’s making the right decision, and Spencer says, his blankie is in his room. Nikolas goes to Ace’s room – even though he would have no clue where it is and the apartment has more than one floor – and Spencer says he really hopes he gets to see Ace again so he can keep reminding Ace how much he loves him. He bounces and kisses Ace and says, when he first learned about Ace, he wasn’t sure how to feel. And then he saw Ace and all he had was pure love for him. All he ever wanted for Ace was happiness and safety and love. Nikolas stands in the doorway, and Spencer says he doesn’t know what he’s doing, but he thinks he’s making the right decision. He hopes Ace remembers always that he has an older brother who loves him very much. Nikolas comes out, and Spencer says, if he ever hurts Ace, if he ever abandons him… Nikolas says, never, but Spencer says, listen to him. If he ever hurts Ace, he will find Nikolas and he will make him pay. Nikolas says he knows that.

Spencer says, he likes grapes, but they need to be cut into quarters, so he doesn’t choke. And as Nikolas can see, he’s a very good sleeper. (Ace has basically been passed out through this whole scene.) He likes to be read bedtime stories before bed; it helps him calm down. Nikolas says, got it. He asks Spencer to please come with them. The transition would be so much easier on his little brother, and honestly, he’d love it too. Spencer can’t know how much he’s missed him. Spencer says he’s glad he’s been able to play the role he has in Ace’s life. He has a life with Trina now, so he can’t. Nikolas says he understands, but he promises that one day, they’ll both be back. Spencer tells him not to make promises he can’t keep. Not to him, not to Ace. Nikolas says he swears they will, and Spencer says, just make sure that he’s looked after. That’s what’s most important. He hands Ace to Nikolas, and Ace barely opens an eye. And in perhaps the stupidest move Spencer has ever made, he opens the door, and Nikolas leaves with Ace.

Elizabeth tells Finn, good news. The doctor Muldoon saw in Beechers Corners is in Port Charles and she’s willing to meet with them. This could be his best chance to beat the malpractice suit.

Carly says she told Josslyn that Adam’s parents will only want the best for him. She sincerely hopes that’s true. Willow says, parents can have all the good intentions in the world, and they can still let their children down.

Nina says she talked to the station. Cyrus has his time slot as soon as Sonny’s case is officially thrown out. Then he can start spreading the Good Word. He says, praise the Lord, and she tells him, sure. Whatever you say. He smiles.

Sonny is in the elevator with Dex, and says, Dex impressed him today. Dex says he didn’t do anything, but Sonny says, the fact Dex was going to follow his orders lets him know he can count on Dex. Dex thanks him, and Sonny says, any questions? Dex says, just one. What are they going to do about Cyrus? Sonny says he’s going to make that bastard wish he hadn’t stopped Dex from putting him out of his misery.

Trina bursts into the exam room, and Josslyn thanks her for coming, hugging her. Trina says, of course (🍷). She dropped everything as soon as she got Josslyn’s text. How’s Adam? Josslyn says, the good news is, she found him, so the paramedics got him to the hospital in time. But she has no idea what she’s going to say to him when he wakes up.

Spencer leans on the mantel and notices Ace’s pillow (I think) got left behind. He scoops it up and opens the door. Esme is there.

Tomorrow, Esme says she’s taking Ace home, but Spencer says, she can’t; Nina says, if they don’t believe her, ask Michael; and Willow wants nothing more to do with someone. I’m hoping it’s Michael, but I’m guessing it’s Nina.

🏥 Meet the Parent…

He’s probably going to yell at Adam for not doing it right.

Steve Mize Cast as Adam’s Father on GENERAL HOSPITAL

🩺 Good To Be Home…

Looks like he’s hoping to make it a permanent address. I wouldn’t hate that.

🥀 Gone Too Soon…

This is just too sad.

ALL MY CHILDREN’s Alec Musser Dead at 50

💫 Losing a Legend…

The soap world loses another great one.

🧂 Throwing It Over My Shoulder…

They were at the point where everyone was talking over everyone, so A) no one was listening to anyone, and B) we couldn’t hear what anyone was saying clearly. Mary joined the group, and it was established that she’s not a backstabber. She’ll tell you to your face.

Pick your poison.

https://ew.com/the-real-housewives-of-salt-lake-city-season-4-reunion-part-2-8430550

https://people.com/rhoslc-recap-monica-garcia-explains-using-4-different-last-names-reunion-part-2-8430604

🏆 Emmy Cornucopia…

The winners.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2024/01/15/emmys-2024-complete-winners-list/72102243007/

Memories.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2024-primetime-emmy-awards-top-ten-memorable-moments-niecy-nash-betts-elton-john/

The red carpet and more.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/emmy-awards-2024-red-carpet/

And most important, fashion and beauty.

https://www.essence.com/gallery/beauty-75th-emmy-awards-2024/

https://www.hellomagazine.com/hfm/fashion-trends/511295/best-dressed-stars-emmys-2024/

I agree with most, but not all of these choices. I thought Niecy Nash-Betts looked very old-world Hollywood glam.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12966691/Emmy-Awards-WORST-dressed.html

Something random. This sounds like me – watch my purse, Carson.

https://people.com/ayo-edebiri-asks-carson-daly-to-hold-her-purse-after-emmys-awards-2023-win-8426544

🐩 Dress ‘Em Up, Show ‘Em Off…

These dogs are too cute.

https://people.com/courteney-cox-dresses-up-dogs-lily-bear-in-hilarious-video-8426672

I don’t know how old this article is, but it doesn’t matter. Cute pets are cute pets.

https://www.rover.com/blog/favorite-celebrity-pets/

🦹🏽‍♀️ Winding Up the Masquerade…

Join me tomorrow for soap and the never-ending season of Beverly Hills awfulness. Until then, stay safe, stay doing a periodic social media audit, and stay living your life looking ahead.

January 15, 2024 – The State Of New York Versus Esme Prince, Stuck For the Final Charter On Deck & Dream

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Kristina goes to Sonny’s office and sees him concentrating at his desk. She says, that’s some serious reading he’s got going on there. She knows he wasn’t expecting her, so if it’s a bad time… He says he’s always happy to see her. It’s a never a bad time. He hugs her and says, her timing’s always perfect. He looks over to see the wedding photo of him and Nina, out of the frame and lying on the desk.

The reception nurse tells Nina that Cyrus is in room 1002. Dex watches has she goes into Cyrus’s room. Cyrus says, look who we have here. The Lord has blessed him with a beautiful visitor. She says, keep the Lord out of this. This is between her and him.

At the courthouse, Laura says she was hoping to run into Ava. Can they talk for a minute? Ava says, of course (🍷). What can she do for Laura? Laura says, drop the charges against Esme, and Ava asks, why would she do that?

Josslyn knocks at Adam’s door and says she really needs to talk to him. A guy answers the door and tells her that she can stop knocking. Adam’s not here. He left a few minutes ago. She says she really needs to see him. Did he say where he was going? The guy says he’s not Adam’s keeper. He stormed out of here with his guitar and my vodka. Josslyn thanks him and dashes off.

Ava tells Laura that she’s sorry, but she has no intention of dropping the charges. Esme deserves this. In fact, she deserves far worse after everything she did to hurt Trina. Laura says, that is a completely separate issue. Let her answer for those crimes when the time comes. Ava’s phone rings and she says she’s so sorry. She really has to take this. Laura goes into the courtroom and asks how Esme is holding up. Esme says she’d be a lot better if Spencer was here with Ace like he promised. Where is he?

Spencer says, father, and Nikolas says, hello, Spencer.

Cyrus says, Nina seems to be angry with him, and she says, you think? He says, but why? He helped her unburden her conscience. She says, he lied about being a priest, he listened to her confession, he ruined her marriage, he destroyed her relationship with her daughter. What did he expect, a thank you note? He says, it was all going to come out eventually. All he did was help her hasten the inevitable, and doesn’t she feel better without all the crushing weight of guilt hanging over her? She says, actually, she doesn’t. Did he feel better after he was sent to prison as punishment for his crimes? He says, she’s lashing out. He understands. The truth hurts, but just give it time. Now the healing process can occur.

Sonny asks, to what does he owe the honor of Kristina’s visit? but she says she doesn’t actually have a reason. She just wanted to say hi. He says, usually she’s so busy with everything going on, she can’t get away in the middle of the day. She says, everything is on track with the surrogacy. She just wanted to check on him. He says, so this isn’t just a drop-in. She’s checking up on him. She says, he’s had a lot going on. Everything with Nina, and getting arrested, Bobbie Spencer’s funeral… She just wanted to make sure he was okay. He says, that’s very thoughtful. He’s fine. She asks if he’s sure, and he says, yeah. He’s her dad, so she has to listen to what he says, and she says, the support thing works both ways. He’s always been there for her, and she can tell when something’s not okay. This is exactly where she needs to be right now.

On a park bench, Adam strums his guitar, when Josslyn comes along. She says she thought she’d find him here, and he says, why? Because she knows him so well? Or does she read his mind? He takes a sip from the bottle of vodka, and she sits down. She says she knows he’s mad, but if he would just let her explain herself… He says, it doesn’t matter. She doesn’t need to come up with some stupid excuse for narcing on him. It’s all right. What’s done is done. She says, it wasn’t narcing on him. She’s worried about him. She was just trying to get him some help. He says, if she was really his friend, she’d see that he wants to be alone. Go away. She says, no. That’s not how this works. It’s because she’s his friend that she’s staying.

Trina walks into the courthouse, and Ava says she didn’t know if Trina was going to be here or not. She takes it that Trina leaving the hospital is a good sign. Trina says, the best, and Ava says, Curtis is okay? Trina says, yeah. He’s already awake and talking to them. Ava says she’s so glad to hear it, and Trina says, they’re all so relieved. Now they’re just waiting to see if the surgery will help him walk again. Ava says, of course (🍷). Be sure to tell everyone in her family that she’s thinking of them. Trina says she will. Actually, she got to talk to her dad after his surgery, and he reminded her how important it is to focus on her future. So that’s exactly what she’s going to do.

Laura says she’s sure Ace and Spencer are on their way over, but she needs Esme to focus on herself right now. She knows she’s the one who convinced Esme to confess, and she completely understands that Esme would blame her for the trouble she’s in right now. Esme says, it’s fine. It’s not on Laura. It’s her own fault she’s in trouble. She’s the one who’s messed up, yet again. She guesses now all that’s left to do is pray for a miracle. Martin walks in, and Laura says, maybe one can be arranged.

Nikolas walks into the apartment and tells Spencer that he looks good. Spencer thanks him and says he is. Nikolas says he’s glad. Is Ace here? Spencer says, he’s asleep in his room, and Nikolas says he understands Spencer stepped up to take great care of his brother since he’s been gone. Thank you. Spencer says, Nikolas doesn’t need to thank him for loving his little brother, and Nikolas says, he just meant that Spencer could have let himself get caught up in who his mother is and how he came to be, and just handed him off to his grandmother. Instead, Spencer has taken great care of him. Spencer says, Nikolas has been keeping tabs on them? and Nikolas says he guesses he deserves Spencer’s surprise on that. He had to leave. They would have put him in prison. And although it seems like he never looked back, just because he wasn’t here doesn’t mean he stopped caring about Spencer and Ace. Spencer says he wasn’t sure how Nikolas felt about him, given the way they left things. After all, he did try to blackmail Nikolas into handing over custody of Ace. Nikolas says, that was very Cassadine of him, and they laugh. Spencer says he did what he thought was best for his little brother, and he’s thought so much about what he’d say to Nikolas if he ever saw him again. Nikolas says, if? and Spencer says, given the way they left things, he wasn’t so sure. He played out so many different scenarios in his head; where they’d be and how it would go. This time, seeing Nikolas standing here in front of him… Nikolas says, Spencer realizes how much he hates him. He doesn’t blame Spencer. He knows he failed Spencer and Ace. He left them both, and he deserves everything Spencer has coming for him, and he’s ready to take it. Spencer tells him, there’s only one thing left to say. He’s sorry.

Martin says, ADA Lansing-Davis, and Molly says hello to him and Laura. She asks how she can help them, and Martin says he was hoping they could discuss a deal for his client. He meant her and him; no impropriety intended. Laura says she’s just here as a grandmother. Her position as mayor should have no bearing on the conversation. Molly says, understood. With regard to the case, his client confessed to breaking and entering. It’s open and shut. Laura says, but Esme took responsibility for her crimes. She turned herself in. Nobody was hurt. There should be some leniency in a situation where a young woman has memory loss… Martin asks if she minds if he takes it from here, and Laura says, sorry. She leaves, and Molly says, the law is clear. Ava Jerome has decided to press charges and her office has the responsibility to pursue a conviction. He says, in that case, she should know he intends to advise his client to plead not guilty, which means there’s going to be a trial, and eventually she’s going to take that stand and get to tell her whole sordid story, complete with waterworks, he’s sure. Now correct him if he’s wrong, but juries tend to be sympathetic to young women who’ve been held captive against their will. Is she sure she’s going to get that conviction under those circumstances?

Ava tells Trina, that’s amazing news. Paris, and with Spencer? It’s so romantic, right? Long walks together along the Sienne. Visiting the Louvre together. Candlelit dinners with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Trina says, Ava is making her even more excited. She can’t believe this is really happening. Ava says, Trina deserves every second of it. That’s exactly why she decided to press charges against Esme. So Trina could see her brought to justice and finally close that chapter of her life.

Nikolas says he doesn’t understand. Spencer is sorry? For what? Spencer says he assumes Nikolas knows by now that Esme’s biological parents are Ryan Chamberlain and Heather Webber. Nikolas says he’s aware, yes. It’s both shocking, and given her behavior, not surprising at all. Spencer says, Esme conspired with her psychotic father to tear their family apart, and he fell right into her hands. And he’s sorry. Nikolas says, it wasn’t Spencer’s fault. Esme manipulated him, something they’re both very good at. Spencer says, little things that didn’t make sense. He was so blinded by his need to get back at Nikolas, he just didn’t see that. He made it very easy and he regrets that. Nikolas says he appreciates Spencer’s apology, but it’s not necessary. He bears responsibility for their failed relationship. He should have tried harder to make things better between them. Sure, Ryan and Esme might have been trying to destroy their relationship, but he gave them an opening. He let Esme get in his head about his marriage. And he slept with her. And he kept Esme prisoner at Windymere. Those were his choices, even if Ryan and Esme were pulling the strings. Spencer says, Nikolas hurt him, no doubt, but now he can see Nikolas hurt himself just as much. Nikolas says, maybe more. Now all he can do is take responsibility for his actions. Spencer says, like abandoning his newborn son so he could avoid going to prison?

Adam gets up and is about to take a swig from the vodka bottle, but Josslyn stops him. He tells her not to touch him. He doesn’t want her help. She says, this is exactly why she went to the RA. He’s not okay and she didn’t know what else to do. He says, she’s just like his parents. They don’t care about him. They just want to make him someone else’s problem. He takes a drink, and she snatches the bottle away from him, saying, that’s not why she did it. She’s worried about him. He needs to get some help. He says, nothing matters. He’s miserable… all the time. She can’t change that.

Nina says, healing. That’s what Cyrus thinks is about to happen here? This was all about him getting back at Sonny. He found an opportunity to use her to get back at Sonny and he took it. He says, she’s wrong. He has no quarrel with Sonny or his family. He simply saw two children of God hurt by lies and he wanted to ease their pain. She says, by listening to her confession under false pretenses, and he says, it was the best way for her to begin her journey to a life of authenticity. He has no ill will toward her, and if her marriage is floundering, he’s sorry. She tells him to spare her these empty words. If he’s truly sorry, prove it.

Sonny says he appreciates that Kristina is willing to spend time with her dad. She has one of the biggest hearts he knows, and he’s proud to be her father. But he’s fine. She says, as long as he says so, but if and when he needs her, know that she’s there. He says, she doesn’t have to worry about him. He’s been through a lot, and it takes a lot to keep him down. She says, it sure does. He’s one of the strongest people she’s ever met. He’s always been her rock and to think of him going to prison for assaulting Cyrus? Sonny flashes back to Dex saying, killing Cyrus gets rid of the man, but not necessarily the charges against him. The DA may even up the charges to manslaughter, saying Cyrus died as a result of his injuries. Sonny tells Dex that he wants to send a message; nobody crosses Sonny Corinthos. Dex tells him, there’s DNA. His knuckles are proof. Sonny asks if Kristina trusts him, and she says, always. He says he’s not going to prison, because he has a family who needs him. And he’s going to do everything he can to make sure he takes care of all of them.

At the hospital, now wearing scrubs, Dex’s phone dings, and he sends a text: On my way. The reception nurse says, he looks lost. Can she help him find out where he’s supposed to be? He says, no. He’s all good. She says, he’s supposed to be wearing a badge. Who is he? Dex says, he’s a temp orderly. It’s his first day. He must have left his badge in the locker room. He’s sorry. The nurse says she guesses it’s okay just this one time, but he’s not supposed to be on his phone while he’s working. He puts his phone in his pocket and says he appreciates her help.

Nina says, Cyrus thought that she needed to come clean to the people she hurt in her life in order to move on. He also told her that it wasn’t enough to feel sorry for lying to them, that she had to back it up with action. Isn’t that right? He tells her that he did say that, and she says, it’s time to practice what he preaches. If he’s truly sorry, he needs to make amends. He says he admits his apology might ring hollow to her without an accompanying act of contrition, and she says, there is something he can do. Drop the charges against Sonny.

Sonny tells Kristina that he’s been through a lot worse, and he always survives. She knows that, doesn’t she? She says, yeah, she knows. She believes in him, but she’s worried about him, even if for just selfish reasons. He says, what’s going on? and she says she’s afraid he’s not going to be here for her when she needs him. She can’t imagine going through this whole surrogacy thing with Molly and TJ without him here. He says, that’s not going to happen. He’s going to be here by her side the whole time. But she has to know she’s strong enough to do it on her own. She wipes tears away and says she knows. She thanks him and says, there was a time when she never would have had the courage to think of herself for Molly and TJ’s surrogacy. She would have just thought there was someone else, someone better. She never would have thought she could do it, but Sonny helped her see that she was capable of doing big, important, life changing things. He’s helped her find confidence in herself. That’s because of him. She takes his hand.

Trina says, Ava pressed charges against Esme for her? and Ava says she did, but Trina doesn’t seem very happy about it. Trina says she’s not sure how she feels about it. There’s a child involved. If Esme goes to prison, that little boy will be separated from his mother because of her. Ava says, Esme may be Ace’s mother, but she’s still the same conniving manipulator she’s always been. All she wants is for Trina to get fraction of the justice she’s due after everything Esme has put her through. then she can move on with her life without the burden of Esme Prince.

The bailiff says, all rise, and Ava and Trina go into the courtroom. The bailiff tells everyone, be seated, and the judge says, in the matter of the State of New York versus Esme Prince, how does the defendant plead?

Nikolas says, Spencer is right. He did abandon Ace, but Ace wasn’t the only son he walked out on. Spencer says he’s used to Nikolas disappearing by now, and Nikolas says he wants Spencer to know he regrets it. All of it. He hasn’t been a very good father to Spencer, and he doesn’t expect Spencer to forgive him for any of it. While he was away, he thought a lot about Spencer, about them. When he found out Spencer was his son and not Jax’s, he swore he was going to be the best dad anyone ever had, that Spencer would have the most normal childhood Nikolas could give him, and that Spencer would always know how much he loved him, but he failed at all that. But you can’t change the past, no matter how much you want to. It wasn’t all bad though, right? They had their moments. Some of his favorite memories are of him and Spencer when Spencer was very young. Spencer cries and says, Nikolas was his whole world. He loved Nikolas so much. Nikolas cries and says he loved Spencer too, fiercely. And no matter what else has happened between them, he wants Spencer to know that will never change. Ace cries from the other room, and Nikolas says, sounds like Ace is awake. Can he meet him?

Adam says, Josslyn doesn’t know what it’s like to be him, so stop pretending she does. She says, it’s true. She doesn’t have the same problems as he does. So maybe she’s not the best person to give him advice. But someone out there does understand if he’d just talk to them. Just come back to the dorms and get some sleep. They can figure out his next step together. He starts to nod off and falls into her lap. She sees some empty pill packets and shakes him, saying his name. She says, he’s got to wake up. Please.

Josslyn calls 9-1-1 and tells them that Adam has passed out. He’s been drinking vodka, and she thinks he took a bunch of pills. They’re in Rice Park, in an opening behind the Great Lawn. She’s going to put the phone down, but she’s staying on the line. She lightly smacks Adam’s face and tells him that he’s got to talk to her. Can he hear her? She gets no response.

Cyrus says he wishes he could help Nina, but he has no power over law enforcement. She says she doesn’t believe that, not for a second. He got Sonny into trouble; he can get Sonny out of trouble. Isn’t one of the tenets of his religion to forgive others just as God forgives you? He says, it is, but that doesn’t change the fact he’s Sonny’s victim. Sonny assaulted him. Why shouldn’t he seek justice? She says, because she can offer him something he wants more.

Sonny says, as much as he’d like to take all the credit for Kristina becoming such an amazing woman, they have to give her mom a little bit of credit. She says she knows mom supports her, of course (🍷), but what she gets from him is different. He says, she and her mom have a complicated relationship. He doesn’t want to get in the middle of it, but never doubt how much her mom believes in her. She asks if he and her mom have been talking about her, and he says, of course (🍷). Alexis always had misgivings about the situation. She didn’t know how complicated it was going to be, but it always came from love with Kristina and Molly. She never doubted who Kristina was or how much she was helping her sister. Kristina says she knows that now, but when Alexis first came at her with all these questions, whether or not she knew what she was doing or getting herself into, it took her back to all those times before when Alexis would underestimate her. It was like she would wait on the sidelines for Kristina to screw it up. Sonny asks if she’s ever talked to Alexis about it, but Kristina says, there’s no point now. It’s different. It’s different now because she’s different. She knows who she is and she knows she’s capable of meeting big challenges in her life. It’s kind of like how Sonny is so much better than the reputation that precludes him. People who don’t know him just assume he’s who they read about in the paper or what they see on the news. They have no idea how generous and kind he is, and how he’d do absolutely anything for the people he loves. And he’s always had this code of ethics, this unspoken code, that he lives by, and she feels like it almost got stronger from his time in Nixon Falls. Of course (🍷) she attributed that to Nina, but she guesses she was wrong there.

The judge asks how Esme pleads, and she says, guilty. He says, let the record reflect the defendant has entered a guilty plea. He understands a deal was struck just before this hearing began. Molly gets up and says, correct, your honor. In exchange for the defendant’s guilty plea, the DA’s office is seeking six months probation with no jail time. Ava jumps up and says, what? but the judge bangs his gavel and says, order. This court doesn’t tolerate outbursts. He asks counsel to approach the bench, and Martin and Molly go up front. Ava stomps over to Laura and asks, what the hell happened? Laura says she advocated for justice and the rest is up to the judge.

Spencer brings Ace out and says, this is your dad. Nikolas says, it’s so wonderful to finally meet him, and Spencer hands Ace to him. Nikolas says, he’s so big, and Spencer says, he’s a year old now. Nikolas says, he looks like Spencer. He has their ears, and Spencer’s grandmother’s nose. He cries as he rocks Ace and says, look at you.

Sonny tells Kristina, there are things that happened in Nixon Falls that continue to influence him. Nina wasn’t the only one. She says she liked Nina. She even forgave her for keeping him from them for so long. They were all so happy at the wedding, it felt like it was a fresh start. He says he thought it was, and she says, she was so vindictive with what she did to Carly and Drew, but she wasn’t after Drew; she was just trying to hurt Carly. And in the end, Nina didn’t get anything she wanted, and it cost her everything. Sonny flashes back to punching out Cyrus, then telling Dex to take care of him. He tells Kristina, sometimes we’re blinded by our own pain, and she says she’s the queen of reactionary behavior and lashing out. That’s why she admires Sonny so much. Nina couldn’t see the right path, but Sonny always has his eyes peeled.

Nina says, Cyrus has something she wants and she’s willing to give him anything he asks for in return. As far as she remembers, bargaining is still allowed in his religion. Is she right? He says, man does not live by bread alone, and she laughs, saying, certainly not him. He says, there may be some circumstances where a tithing is considered appropriate, and she asks if this is one of them.

The judge says, the court has heard from both attorneys and looked at the facts in the case. He’s satisfied that the deal was made in good faith and in accordance with the law. Esme Prince, I sentence you to the recommended six months probation. Esme breathes a sigh of relief, and he says, court’s adjourned. The bailiff says, all rise, and the judge leaves. Ava asks Molly, what the hell was that? and Molly says she understands Ava is upset. Ava says, Molly’s damn right she’s upset. She was the victim of a crime. Her house was broken into. Her safety was put at risk, and now Esme Prince gets to ride off into the sunset with probation? This is a travesty of justice. Molly says, Esme admitted to her crimes and showed remorse for her actions. No one was hurt in the crime, and it’s against the city’s best interest to try a case for such a relatively minor charge. Ava might not like it, but justice was served today. Molly leaves, and Ava tells Trina, this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.  

Esme tells Martin, a few hours ago, everything was helpless. Now he was able to keep her out of prison. She can’t thank him enough. He says, she should thank Laura. She’s the one who convinced him to approach Ms. Lansing-Davis with the deal. But make no mistake. Esme is on probation now. She needs to be on her best behavior for the next six months or she will be looking at jail time. She says, understood, and he says, there’s no wiggle room here. She doesn’t so much as put a toe over the line.

Nikolas says, he’s such a peaceful little guy, and Spencer says he’s surprised. He doesn’t usually take to strangers this quickly. He thinks Ace really likes Nikolas. Nikolas says, then he’s a very lucky man. He’s made so many bad decisions, so many wrong turns. But no matter what he’s done wrong, he needs Ace to know he’s a part of him, the very best part, and always will be. Spencer says, father… stay.

Adam is put on a stretcher, and Josslyn hands the empty packets to a paramedic, saying, she thinks he took these. She doesn’t know how many, but he washed them down with vodka. The EMT says he’ll pass this on to the doctor, and she asks if Adam is going to be okay, but they’re already moving.

Dex sees Nina leave Cyrus’s room.

Sonny calls Dex and gets voicemail. Sonny says he needs Dex to call it off. Don’t do it.

Laura asks how Esme is feeling, and she says, much better than she expected. She really thought she’d be in jail tonight. Laura says, she and Ace both are very happy she’s not, and Esme thanks her. She doesn’t know what magic Laura was able to pull, but Laura saved her. Laura says, it did get a little dicey there for a while, but she’s just glad it all worked out in the end. Tell her something. Is Esme happy she did the right thing? Esme says she’s glad she listened to Laura, and Laura says, good. Then listen to her on this other thing too. Now that she knows she’s been given probation, leave her past behind her and focus on her future. Esme says she will, and Laura’s phone dings. She says, duty calls. She has to run. She’s just so glad Esme gets to go home tonight. Esme says, her too, and Laura leaves. Esme turns around and sees Trina standing there.

Spencer says, Nikolas is in a lot of legal trouble now because of keeping Esme prisoner. Elizabeth was able to cut a deal. Maybe he can too. Nikolas says, there were extenuating circumstances for Elizabeth. He was the mastermind of the whole thing. He doubts the justice system will treat the two of them the same way. Spencer says, maybe not, but he does have the resources to retain Diane Miller, and she’s been keeping his Uncle Sonny out of prison for years. He thinks it’s at least worth a conversation. Maybe she can argue that he did what he had to in order to protect Ace… What? Nikolas doesn’t say anything, and Spencer says, he has no intention of staying in Port Charles, does he? Nikolas says he can’t, and Spencer says he should have known Nikolas was just passing through. Nikolas says, this time, it’s different, and Spencer asks, how so? Nikolas says, because this time he’s taking his sons with him.

Tomorrow, Trina says, Esme deserves to be punished for her crimes; Spencer says, it’s Nikolas’s only option, but not his; Nina says she’ll do anything for the man she loves; and Dex puts a syringe in Cyrus’s IV tube.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Captain Sandy texts Haleigh, asking how she’s feeling, and Haleigh texts back that it’s been a rough couple of days. She calls and says she’s feeling better, and on her way back. Captain Sandy asks if she’s 100%, and Haleigh says she’s 101%. The captain says, they need able seamen, and radios Lara to stay in her cabin until she gets a doctor. The captain radios Luka, Tumi, and Jack for the final preference sheet meeting. Primary Victor is a neurosurgeon in Columbus, Ohio. He and his friends want a luxury vacation. Jack reads that they want a tasting menu and wine pairing, and Tumi says, the want to go to a local beach club and enjoy a foam party. Then in the evening, have a Hollywood glam red-carpet party. Captain Sandy says she wants to end on a high note. They can do this. In Tumi’s interview, she says, it’s the last charter and the last impression the captain will have of her. She’s hoping for one smooth charter. She hopes for a lot.

Provisions come in, and Max apologizes to the lobster. In Tumi’s interview, she says she likes Lily. She has an amazing personality, and their beautiful black sheep has energy that she doesn’t. Haleigh comes back, and in her interview, she says, the last three days were from hell. Dealing with the shenanigans that happen on the ship is crazy, but she’ll take it ten times over barfing in a hotel room. She saw Jesus for two days, but she’s good now. Lara says, Captain Sandy wants her off the boat, and a car comes for her. In Lara’s interview, she says, it’s been a great season. She’s made so much progress personally and becoming lead deckhand. She would hate leaving at the end of the season because she’s sick and missing the last charter. I’ll be back, bitches. Max makes fun of Lily wanting to cuddle, and says he forgives her. She was drunk. The captain calls Luka to the bridge and shows him a warning on the screen. She says, there are large waves, 3 meters. In her interview, she says, the wind blowing kicks up the sea. She can see all the boats are docked. It’s the final charter, and they’ve had one problem after another, but if she left, she’d be a bad captain, and everyone would be seasick. She radios the crew to meet in the main salon for a pre-charter arrival meeting, and tells the crew, it’s the last one. She’s looked at the weather and it’s not even close. They’re not leaving. The news won’t land easily, so they need to think of things to do with the guests. They can still kill it. In Kyle’s interview, he says, the season has been challenging. They had a bosun with unethical papers, he and Natalya fought, they got a new person, Natalya left, he and Jack fought, the crew dropped like flies, Lara left, and now they can’t leave the dock. He laughs and says he didn’t realize how much happened. He’s tired.

The guests arrive, and the captain says, they’re going to get creative. She welcomes them and says, they’re happy to have them. It’s their final charter and they want to make it incredible. Tumi will show them around, then she’ll come see them and talk to them about what’s next. Tumi serves champagne and gives the tour. Bringing on the luggage, Haleigh asks if they’re moving onto the boat, and Jessika says she doesn’t think the guests are going to take the news well. Captain Sandy sees the guests are gathered at the bar and explains that they won’t be leaving the dock. Guest Laurah asks if there’s a chance they’ll be able to, but the captain says, there are gale force winds. She’s sorry, but there’s nothing she can do to control it.

The captain tells the guests that she’s sorry. She loves leaving the dock too. It’s like landing and takeoff for a pilot. No one is leaving. The marina looks normal, but offshore it’s dangerous, and there’s nothing she can do to control it. Thank God the sun is out. Laurah asks if they can jet ski, but that’s a no, and Captain Sandy says she’s challenged the crew to entertain them. In her interview, the captain says, the pressure is on the crew. They need to distract the guests. If the guests say they’re bored, it’s too late; they failed. Laurah still isn’t getting it, and says, the weather is insane, but Kyle says, they can’t even leave for another port. Tumi and Luka look online for things to do in Genoa and check out tourist stuff. In Tumi’s interview, she says, it’s easier dealing with the demands on the preference sheets, but that’s out the window. They have to come up with a new plan, but she’s not a magician. She’s got a provisioner and google, and she’s winging it. Guest Jeff wanders into the galley and wonders if he can learn to cook. Max also googles things to do, and the guests sit down for lunch. In Jack’s interview, he says, stuck on the dock, the guests are food dependent and that’s on him. Whatever he can do to make them happy, he’ll do it. He’ll give a show. He’s a ballerina and will dance on the water. Jeff’s wife Stephanie says, the kids are calling, and Jeff says he’s going to throw the phone overboard. They snipe at each other, and in her interview, Tumi says, awkward. The captain checks on the guests, and Laurah whines about the weather being nice out, so it has to be explained yet again. She asks if they can get a refund. In the laundry, Lily laughs at a dude’s tiny underwear. Captain Sandy calls Luka and Tumi to the bridge and tells them that the crew has to be with the guests at all times. It’s on them. Maybe they can take a little boat ride. Laurah gripes that there’s not even a breeze, when she should be grateful it’s not pouring rain. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, the crew needs to keep their foot on the gas. She has a first-time chief stew and bosun, and the guests have expectations. She’s seeing a baseline energy, but this charter requires more than that.

Captain Sandy starts googling, and Kyle suggests going to the nearest bar and letting them loose. Jack texts Natalya that they’re stuck at the dock, and Luka suggests using the tender they have in the water to cruise around the port. The captain tells Tumi and Kyle to go with the guests, and in her interview, she says, the guests need to feel like they’re being taken care of. They’ll have two department heads on the boat and need to feel attention from them. In Luka’s interview, he says, they’re going to use the backup tender they keep on the dock. At least it’s something to offer. Natalya texts Jack, asking if it’s the last charter, and Jack texts back, yes. In Jack’s interview, he says he feels like he, Natalya, and Tumi would have been the dream team. They all have an amazing work ethic. It would be a perfect world without egos. Jeff asks if they’re the only ones who have ever had to stay on dock, and in Luka’s interview, he says, they’re going to cruise around the port and show them a whole lot of nothing. It’s the world’s sh*ttiest booze cruise. In Kyle’s interview, he says, it’s so embarrassing. Wow. Shipping containers. Look at that crane. Back on the yacht, Lily does a cartwheel. In her interview, she says, Max is funny. He’s crazier than most of the guys she goes for. She doesn’t see it going anywhere off the boat, but her parents got married in 21 days. Jeff asks if they’re doing anything else, and Tumi continues to google. In her interview, she says she feels like she’s a step behind the guests. She’s going to get a car to take them to Portofino and get them off the boat for a long time. Luka tells Jessika, this is the longest day in the world, and in his interview, he says he definitely dodged a bullet with the Katie thing. We flash back to Katie texting that she’s in Portofino, and the captain teasing him about his girlfriend. Luka says he didn’t do anything wrong, but he’s glad it’s blown over. Tumi calls the provisioner about Italian dancers, and he says he booked two modern dancers for her. Jeff complains to Captain Sandy, who says she’s doing everything she can. In the captain’s interview, she says, the guests are reminding her that they’re stuck every chance they get. She doesn’t want to fail the client, but so far, the team has failed.

The captain radios Tumi to meet in the galley. She tells Tumi that the guests are not happy. She wants a game night with the crew against the guests. Lily is their gamester. We flash back to Lily playing a game with the guests, and in Lily’s interview, she says, games are her bread and butter. Seeing people happy makes her happy. The guests get in the hot tub, and in the crew mess, Lily puts a bunch of stuff together for the games. While opening a green marker, somehow, the ink flies out and everywhere, mostly on her. In Haleigh’s interview, she says, it’s like a green murder scene. In Tumi’s interview, she says she can’t be mad. It’s so her. How? Captain Sandy tells Luka that the whole crew is participating in the games, and Luka tells Jack that it feels wrong without Lara. Tumi lets Captain Sandy know she ordered dancers, and the captain calls her The Tuminator. Jeff groans that he’s going to bed, but Stephanie is waiting for him. They bicker weirdly, and he says he’s counting the hours until they fly back. Jack works on the tasting menu, and in his interview, he says he’s out of his comfort zone, but he’s been a stripper, he’s made pizza, dealt with the women from Florida, and done Dine in the Dark. Now he’ll finally get to do whatever the hell he wants. Jessika tells Lily about going to Cannes with Luka, and in her interview, she says, she’s being a sucker. Of course, she has feelings for him, but she’s being present in the moment and enjoying the time they have together. Meanwhile, in his bunk, Luka asks Natalya to send nudes. Ugh.

The dancers arrive and Tumi gets them set up. Jeff thinks Jack should get a raise. In Tumi’s interview, she says she danced until she was around 16. She liked ballet; it was calming. She won’t be calm now until she sees the guests happy. The dancers perform, and in Kyle’s interview, he says, it’s sensual and seductive. Woof. He’s been on this boat too long. In her interview, Tumi says, she doesn’t know if it was the dancers, the food, or the cocktails, but she feels like the guests’ coldness is starting to thaw. In Haleigh’s interview, she says she thinks Jack creates an excessive amount of dishes, but she’ll wash them. Tumi tells the guests that she’s thinking after breakfast, they could go to Portofino. Kyle says, it’s beautiful and only a 30-mile drive. Tumi leads the guests to the main salon where Lily says, they’re going to have a best dressed contest. They each have 30 seconds to pick what they want from her dress-up bin. This looks like a fun drinking game. Not so much Lily’s pick up the cereal box with your teeth game, which involves doing the splits to get close enough. Laurah seems to have forgotten she’s wearing no underwear, and her dress has a slit up the back. Even with the blur, I will never be able to unsee this, nor will the other guests or the crew.😧Jack texts Natalya, asking if she’s in Genoa, and she says she’s just passing through. He says, they’ll talk tomorrow. Kyle tells Tumi that the captain said she missed Natalya, and he feels pissed. She only knows one side of the story, Natalya’s side. In Kyle’s interview, he says he doesn’t think now is the time to tell the captain how he feels. He’ll has to face his own demons, but he’s had no time, and this is still triggering him. Natalya texts Luka that she’s coming to Genoa.

The guests go to bed, leaving a trail of feathers in their wake. In the morning, Kyle tells Captain Sandy that Lily was living her best life, and the guests were smiling. Luka is thrilled that the guests will be gone for the whole day, and Jack wonders what to wear to a foam party. Tumi tells him, anything his heart desires. My favorite food porn of the day, breakfast, is served. The captain asks the guests how game night was, and they tell her that Lily was fun and very flexible. Natalya texts Jack, asking to chat, and he goes out on deck. He’s wondering why she’s still there and suggests she come see them for a drink. He asks if anyone else knows, and she says, Luka. He asks if she wants him to tell everyone, but she says, don’t tell them. Kyle talks to Jessika about Natalya, and Jessika says, people who manipulate like her are scary and dangerous. In Jack’s interview, he says he’s pretty sure Kyle will be shook up. Jessika is a different ballgame, but it’s going to be explosive.

Next – the Season Finale – the guests go to the beach club; Lara returns and says, they’re going to f***ing tear up the city; Natalya joins the party; and Jessika kisses Max.

🫶🏾 He Had a Dream…

Drop in tomorrow for soap and what’s interesting and/or tea-worthy. Until then, stay safe; stay being mindful of others’ feelings, beliefs, and expectations; and stay not being so blinded by your own pain that it ends up costing you everything.

January 12, 2024 – Sonny Tests Dex’s Loyalty, Return Reveal, Supporters, A Legend Remembered, Absurd, Competent, No Drama, Next Us, The Ones, After, Bowling Pups, X Quotes & Dry

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Ava walks into the gallery and Nikolas says, good morning. She says, not anymore, it isn’t, and he asks if she’s sent out the invites to her little party yet. She says, nope, and he says, they agreed she’d throw a party and invite Esme. Ava says, Esme’s partying days are over. At least for now. She’s in jail. You’re welcome.

Spencer meets Esme in the interrogation room, and she asks if Ace is okay. Did he miss her? Did he sleep? Spencer says, Ace is okay. Of course (🍷) he missed her, but they were able to keep him preoccupied until he fell asleep. He’s comfortable at Laura’s place. After all, it was his first home. She says she doesn’t want him upset, but he says, it seems like she’s the one who’s upset right now. Did she sleep? She says, of course (🍷) not. She was too keyed up about the hearing today. He says he gets it. Facing prison time is frightening. She says, of course (🍷) he gets it; he’s done this himself. She’s not worried so much about her. She’s just worried about what will happen to her son.

Portia is snoozing with her head on Curtis’s hospital bed, when Curtis wakes up. He asks how he did, and she says, flying colors. One for the record books. Stella comes in with coffee and says, look who’s up… again. Curtis says he was up before? and Stella says, yes, and he promised to buy her a new car. He says he has no recollection of that, and Portia says, nice try. He’s been in and out, but that’s to be expected, and he seems fully conscious now. He says he’s slept enough and he’s ready to take on the day. Stella says, time to spread the good news.

Josslyn asks where Trina is off to, and Trina says, GH to see about Curtis. Is she okay? What’s going on? Josslyn says she’s just second-guessing herself. She told the RA about Adam. He was just so drunk on New Year’s Eve and so upset about his parents possibly pulling him out of PCU. She just wants to help. Trina says, Josslyn doesn’t have to justify it to her. Josslyn says, Dex thinks Adam’s emotional problems are too big for her to handle by herself. She agrees, but she still feels like she ratted him out. Trina’s phone rings, and she asks Stella if everything is okay… Really?… Okay. She’s on her way. Josslyn asks, is everything okay? and Trina says, everything’s great. Curtis is awake.

Diane meets Robert at the PC Grill, and he says he’s so sorry about last night, but she says she completely understands. She’s just curious as to who or what was enticing enough to lure him away from what would have been a wonderful evening. He says, Sonny Corinthos.

Sonny and Dex walk into Sonny’s office at Pozzulo’s, and Sonny says, anything? Frank says, crib’s clean, and runs a device over Dex. Dex asks, what’s wrong? Did they find a bug? Sonny says he’s just being careful, and Frank says, he’s clean. Frank leaves, and Sonny says, he and Dex need to have a conversation. Once they do, it does not leave this office. They sit down, and Dex says, understood. Sonny says he needs Dex to do something important for him. It’s sort of a crucial test, and once Dex does this for him, there’s no looking back.

Josslyn hugs Trina and says she’s so glad Curtis is awake. Trina must be so relieved. Trina says, Josslyn has no idea. Is she going to be okay, or does she need to talk some more? Josslyn says she’s good. Go see Curtis… Trina’s dad she means. Trina laughs and says, that’s okay. She trips up all the time. (Hey, what happened to Taggert anyway?) Trina tells Josslyn not to beat herself up for talking to Kylie. Adam is really lucky to have a friend who cares so much. Josslyn says, thanks, and Trina opens the door. Adam is there, and she says she was just on her way out. She leaves, and Josslyn invites Adam in. He says he was surprised to get her text. He figured after New Year’s, she wouldn’t want to talk to him again. He was wrecked. It turns out frat parties aren’t his vibe. She says she was really worried about him. Has he heard from his parents, or have they said anything more about him leaving school? He says, they really want him back home, but he’d rather be anywhere but there. She says she knows problems with parents can be tough, but they’re not insurmountable. He says he gets that she’s being kind and tactful. He knows he should stand up for himself, but he’s just not strong enough.

Deanna tells Curtis that everything looks good. Just buzz if he needs anything. They all thank her, she says, of course (🍷), and leaves. Portia says, Dr. Martel came by earlier and should be back a little bit later, but he said the surgery went very well. No surprises, no complications, and he says it’s looking very positive. Curtis says, that’s good to hear. Now they just wait for the swelling to go down and maybe he can dunk a ball again. Stella says, big talk. She’s glad she’s here and not TJ. She knows he’d have something to say about that. Does Curtis want them to call his dad and tell him that he’s awake? Portia says, they probably should, right? but Curtis says, not if it means waking him up. Let him rest. Portia should get some rest too. Portia says she’s fine. She’s fresh as a daisy. He says, and twice as beautiful.

Esme asks if Spencer saw Ace this morning. She normally feeds him and gets him ready for daycare. Spencer says he fed Ace, and she says, he’s going to be so confused. His whole schedule is off. Spencer says, he’s fine, but she says, he won’t be if she disappears from his life. Growing up without a mother is awful. Isn’t that what Spencer told her? He says, Ace isn’t growing up without her. He’s not. She’s a good mother. She says, does he really mean that? and he says, yes, but he’s got to ask. Why would she sacrifice his safety and security so she could break into Windymere of all places? Why did she go there on Christmas?

Nikolas says, why insist on pressing charges against Esme? and Ava says, because the opportunity to right a wrong presented itself. Esme should already be serving a very long sentence for what she did to Trina and to Josslyn and to Cameron. In an hour, she’s going down to the courthouse and watch their judicial system in action. He says, so Esme’s hearing is today, and she say she wishes she could bring popcorn. Nikolas suddenly jets, and Nina calls Ava’s name. She comes in the back way and asks if Ava is with a customer. She thought she heard her talking to someone. Ava says she was on the phone. She’s been trying to reach Nina. What happened after New Year’s Eve? How did Sonny find out it was her who went to the SEC? Nina says, Sonny told Ava, but Ava says, he hasn’t said a word, and she thought it best to just stay out of his way. When Sonny feels betrayed, he’s downright dangerous.

Sonny says, Dex is aware of his legal troubles. Cyrus brought cops into a situation that should just have been between them. He seriously miscalculated. Dex says, in what way? and Sonny says, the only thing Dex needs to know is, things are going to change around here. He needs to go back to focusing on the business. He hasn’t been doing that lately. Cyrus was released from prison, and now he’s causing trouble – again. Dex asks if Sonny wants to suspend business until after his trial, but Sonny says, there’s not going to be a trial. That’s where Dex comes in. Dex has to take care of Cyrus for him. Dex says, to keep him from testifying? Does Sonny want him to scare Cyrus? Sonny says, to death.

Josslyn hands Adam something to drink, and he says, thanks, but she didn’t ask him over here to check his hydration, did she? She says, he’s right. She didn’t. And what he said about not being strong enough to talk to his parents? She thinks he can. He needs to tell them what’s going on with him. But when she said that he should talk to someone, she didn’t mean just her. There’s a knock at the door, and she says she went to someone for help. She opens the door to RA Kylie, and Adam says, she’s a snitch.

Nina says she’s guessing Sonny doesn’t know that Ava’s the one who encouraged her to turn in Carly and Drew, and Ava says, what? They’ve been over this. She did not encourage Nina and Nina knows it. She was just calling Nina’s bluff to make her see reason. She wasn’t supposed to actually go through with it, which Nina did without her knowledge and involvement. But Sonny doesn’t know she knew it was Nina. She doesn’t think she’d be staying at his penthouse if he did. She and Sonny have reached a place where they can almost trust each other for Avery’s sake. Nina says, don’t worry. She’s not going to put Ava in the middle of this. She’s afraid Sonny hates her now and she’s just going to have to deal with it on her own. Ava says she doesn’t think Sonny hates Nina. He just goes to a dark place when he’s hurt. And you know what they say; hurt people hurt people. Nina says her earth shattered when Sonny slammed the door in her face, and Ava says she’s sure it was painful, but she’s talking about Cyrus Renault. Nina says, what about him? and Ava says, she doesn’t know? Cyrus is in the hospital. Sonny beat him almost to death.

Trina says she’s so happy to see Curtis and runs to the bed to hug him. He says he’s happy for the same, and she says, how is he? How is he feeling? He’s not in any pain, right? He says, no. Her beautiful mom and his doctor have his pain management under control. Enough about him. How about her? She’s back in school. Did she get the classes she wanted? Portia says, that and then some, and Trina gives her a look. Curtis says, okay, what did he miss? and Trina says she was accepted to study at the Sorbonne for a semester abroad. He says, that’s great. Paris, that’s wonderful, the Louvre, all the artwork. She’s going to be in heaven. Plus, Paris is beautiful in the fall. She says, the thing is, she was accepted to study for the spring semester, and he says, as in this spring? Why hasn’t she said anything? She says she found out over the holidays and thought she wasn’t going to go. Portia says, it’s just such a wonderful opportunity, and Stella says, the chance of a lifetime. Curtis says, it absolutely is. Why wouldn’t she? Trina says she just thought that right now wouldn’t be the right moment to be so far away, and he says, for him? She says, if he’d rather she stay, she totally understands. She wants to. He asks if Portia and Stella mind if he talks to his child, Stella says, absolutely, and she and Portia leave.

Spencer tells Esme, look at that. Coffee, something to eat. He puts it in front of her and says, the coffee’s terrible though. She says she’ll take the terrible coffee. She’s not hungry. She pushes the plate aside, and he says, she should eat something. She has a big day ahead of her. He sits down and asks if she’s going to tell him what she was thinking; why she broke into Windymere. She says she was lonely. They had Ace and she was confused about her life. Windymere was the last place she was before she lost her memory. He says, it sounds to him like she went looking for her old memories, and she says, so she can be the most hated person in Port Charles again? Sure. Why doesn’t she go back to a time when everyone was against her? He says, that’s really interesting because the old Esme had a persecution complex as well. Maybe she’s closer to her than she thinks. She says she doesn’t have to imagine much. Everyone has already told her how terrible the old Esme was. You know what they say about first impressions. Her first impression of her former self has been a lasting one. She really wants to be a good person, but he has no idea how hard it is. He says he gets it. He knows what it’s like to have people judge you for your past actions, but the bottom line is, he doesn’t want her to go to prison. He thinks that Ace is going to be a lot happier if she doesn’t go away. She asks if he’ll bring Ace to the courthouse. She already misses him so much. She needs to see her baby. Please. Will he do that for her?

In the hallway, Portia asks Stella if she just blew it, bringing up that news about Trina. He just woke up from his surgery… Stella says, take a breath. She wanted to give him some good news and this is good news. Portia says, it is good news, but she’s tired. She’s really not thinking straight. She just should have waited, that’s all. Stella says, it’s no wonder. They’ve all gone home to sleep, and she’s been by Curtis’s side since he went into surgery. She has to take care of herself. Curtis still has a long road ahead of him, and he’s going to need her to support him.

Curtis asks if Trina has accepted yet, and she says, not yet, but the deadline is approaching. She knows he’s going to tell her to go, but when she thinks about not being here when he gets back on his feet… He says, there’s no guarantee he will walk again, but she says she has faith. He’s one of the strongest people she knows, and she knows he’s going to do anything to get back on his feet. He says, whether he does or doesn’t, it’s not helping if she passes on this amazing opportunity. She should go. He’ll be here when she gets back. Not right here, but he’ll be here. Who knows? Maybe he’ll be on his feet in time to see her there in Paris. Unless he’d be cramping her style. Because he doesn’t want to interfere with her solo adventure. She says, actually, she won’t be solo. Spencer’s coming with her.

Nina asks if Cyrus went to Sonny, but Ava says she thinks it was a case of wrong place, wrong time. Sonny found out about Nina, he went to the church, and Cyrus showed up and said something that triggered him, and Sonny lost it. Nina says, at the church? It was Cyrus who told Sonny that she was the one who tipped off the SEC. Ava asks, how the hell did Cyrus know? and Nina says, because she was in church. She was confessing her sins to a priest, but it wasn’t a priest. It was Cyrus Renault. He knows everything. Ava says, he knew before Sonny knew. She can see why that might push Sonny over the edge. Nina says, bragging to Sonny when Sonny was at his lowest, he deserved whatever happened to him. At least now Cyrus doesn’t have anything that he’s holding over either one of them. Ava says, Cyrus went to the cops. Sonny is facing assault charges. Nina says, he was arrested? and Ava says, he’s out now, but he’s going to have to go to trial. Nina says, Diane will get him off, right? and Ava says, Diane is a very good lawyer, but Cyrus hates Sonny. He’s not going to let this go. And the PCPD has been trying to put Sonny behind bars for decades. They’re not going to miss this chance.

Diane says, Robert doesn’t want to appear overconfident. That’s going to make it all the more disappointing when her client walks, yet again. Robert says, these charges aren’t business as usual. Whatever it was that set Sonny off, he almost killed a man with his bare hands. He’s simply here to see that Sonny pays for it. She says, he’s unusually and unprofessionally gleeful about this, but she is a professional, so she’ll remind him that her client is innocent until proven guilty. This community loves Sonny Corinthos, an exceptional businessman, a wonderful father. Cyrus Renault on the other hand, is a career criminal with a rap sheet that stretches across Texas. She doesn’t know why he’s bothering to bring this to trial. Who’s the more credible witness here? He says, Cyrus Renault, he’s a criminal. Then again, so is Sonny. Diane says, well… and Robert says, the thing is, they now have DNA that puts Sonny at the scene of the crime, which is actually going to put him away, and there’s not a thing she can do about that.

Sonny says, Dex has always come through for him when he’s asked. Dex has proven his loyalty. Sonny thinks there’s just one final step. Dex does this for him, they’ll always have his back. He won’t have to ask for anything. He’ll always be there for Dex. Cyrus is an old man. Nobody’s going to be surprised when his heart gives out on him. Dex says he guesses that makes sense, and Sonny asks what he means. Does he have something on his mind? Dex says, it’s not his place, and Sonny says, it’s not, but it’s a big ask. So if Dex has something on his mind, go ahead and spit it out. Dex says, killing Cyrus Renault gets rid of the man, but it doesn’t necessarily get rid of the charges against Sonny. The DA might even up the charges from assault to manslaughter, saying that Renault died as a result of his injuries. Sonny says, Robert Scorpio can do whatever he wants, but his case is going to fall apart if Cyrus isn’t there. Nobody saw him at All Saints. There are no witnesses to testify against him. There are no cameras in the church. He wants to send a message – nobody crosses Sonny Corinthos. He wants people to remember that. Dex says he’s sure they will, but he’s concerned about Sonny. There’s DNA. He wasn’t wearing gloves; his knuckles are proof. Sonny says, that’s what he pays Diane for, because she can discredit any DNA evidence if she has to. Dex gets up, and Sonny asks if he’s satisfied, or does he have something else? Dex looks at Sonny and Sonny says, disappointing. He gets up and says, if he can’t ask Dex to do something for him, that means Dex doesn’t trust him, which means he can’t rely on Dex. He told Dex from the beginning that he needs loyal men by his side. Is he loyal or not?

Curtis says, Spencer cares a great deal about Trina. He’s going to give her his two cents. Spend it how she likes. He thinks Paris should be about her. It should be about figuring out who she is, and the woman she wants to become. It’s only a semester, right? And Spencer will be here when she gets back. Won’t he?

Spencer tells Esme, don’t worry. He’ll bring Ace to the courthouse. She thanks him and says she still doesn’t know what she’s going to do. Ava’s intent on throwing the book at her for what she supposedly did to Trina. He says, supposedly? and she says she doesn’t remember any of it. She’s not denying the things people have said the old Esme has done, but to go to jail for something she doesn’t remember doing, when she’s no longer that person? Even Trina didn’t want that. He says, that’s correct. Trina convinced them all that it wasn’t fair and that’s why Esme wasn’t charged. Esme says, and Trina said she did it for Ace, and she appreciates that, but Ava doesn’t see it that way. Why can’t she just let it go? Spencer says, Esme broke into Ava’s home and actions have consequences, and she tells him, says the person who’s skirted consequences his entire life. He says, she remembers, doesn’t she?

Adam says he can’t believe Josslyn would do this to him. How can she get him in trouble like this? She says she was just trying to get him some help, and Kylie says, he’s not in trouble. Josslyn did the right thing coming to her. It’s okay. They want to help him. Adam tells Josslyn that she had no right to say anything, but she says she knows he’s unhappy. All he does is study and push himself. He barely even goes out. He says, that’s because it’s all he’s got, okay? Or that he had. Kylie says, school can be a lot of pressure, and Josslyn’s just being a friend. She’s already spoken to Health Services, and someone can speak to him today. The counselor sent a form to his student portal. He asks why she’d do that. His parents are going to see it.

Nina tells Ava that Sonny could go to prison because of her. It’s all her fault. Does she know where he is? Ava says, in his office maybe? and Nina says she has to help him. She has to do something. Ava says, no. She doesn’t think Sonny wants Nina’s help right now. Nina says, he’s still her husband and she loves him. She has to try. Ava says, okay. Good luck. Call me. Nina leaves, and Nikolas comes back in. He says, so Sonny’s not so untouchable after all. It’s about time that sanctimonious hypocrite was taken down a peg or two. Ava says, he’s still here, huh? and he says, so Esme’s hearing is definitely today? She says, uh-huh, and he says he supposes his mother and Spencer will be there. She says, that’s very likely. Like she said, you’re welcome. He says, what for? and she says, once Esme is behind bars, he won’t have to worry about sweet little Ace. He’ll be safe and sound with Laura. He says, then he guesses this is goodbye.

Diane says, Robert wouldn’t be the first public servant to get giddy at the thought of taking down Sonny Corinthos. So allow her to point out a few things that others have learned at great cost. He says, that sounds like a threat, but she says, don’t be silly. She’s simply observing that if he were to bring this to trial, the defendant is going to be far more appealing than the alleged victim. Does he even think he can impanel twelve jurors who will find Cyrus Renault more credible than Sonny Corinthos? Even if he was able to prove that Sonny attacked Cyrus, no one’s going to shed any tears at the fact that Cyrus finally got a taste of his own medicine. Robert asks if there’s nothing to be said for redemption here, and she laughs. He says, Cyrus Renault is now a man of God, beaten within an inch of his life in a church. What does she think the jury’s going to make of that?

Dex says he is loyal to Sonny. It’s his job to protect Sonny and protect his interests. And that includes speaking up when he sees potential problems. Sonny says he knows. He hears what Dex is saying, but this is something Dex needs to know. He’s going to make this happen and he thought Dex was up to the job. It’s just a shame Dex is going to fall short of his expectations, but it’s better he’s hearing about this now than hearing about it later. So let’s just erase any doubts we have here. Is Dex with him?

Adam says, his parents will go crazy if they think he’s out partying. They’ll think he has a drinking problem. Kylie says, no. His student portal is confidential. He says, she doesn’t get it. His parents forced him to give them his password when they found out he lied about having an internship. Kylie says she’s sure the counselor will be willing to talk to his parents. Don’t worry. Everything will be confidential. There are so many students going through tough times these days. It’s not that uncommon. Josslyn says, please, just listen to Kylie. She thinks talking to the counselor is a good idea, and it could really help him. She’ll even go with him if he wants. Kylie says, they can go over to Health Services right now, and Josslyn says, come on, Adam, please.

Ava says, goodbye? and Nikolas says, it’s time for him to leave Port Charles. He’s a wanted man. He held Esme captive and it’s too soon to make almonds amends with Spencer and his mother. He doesn’t have a place in Port Charles right now. She asks if he’ll be back, and he says he’s not sure as to when. She guesses this is goodbye then, and he turns to leave, but she calls him back. She says she’s really glad she didn’t kill him, and he tells her that she says the sweetest things. He touches her face and tells her to take care of herself. She says, him too, and he leaves.

Sonny says, Dex told him that he wanted to advance. He said he wanted to do something for the organization. The way he sees it, this is how Dex does it. Dex says he agrees that Cyrus is dangerous, and Sonny says he has no doubt that Cyrus is going to come after the people closest to him. His kids, his grandkids, Sasha, Carly – he puts his hand on Dex’s shoulder – Josslyn. They’re all in danger and he doesn’t want them to live like this forever. Dex says, what about Mrs. Corinthos? Is she being protected? Sonny says he will deal with Nina. Dex deals with Cyrus. Dex asks when Sonny wants him to do it, and Sonny says, immediately. Cyrus is weak. He’s exposed. Anything can happen in a hospital. Dex says, okay. How do they make that happen?

Portia and Stella go back into Curtis’s room, and Curtis asks if Trina is going to the hearing. Portia says, Trina told him about Esme breaking into Windymere, and he says, he’s guessing she’s sitting with Ava. Trina says she thought about it, but she wanted to be here with him. He says, don’t worry about him. He’s not going anywhere. Besides, she needs to see this through. This could mean Esme’s finally out of her life. He’s glad Ava pressed charges. Trina says, her too, and he asks what Esme was doing at Windymere anyway. It just seems strange. Trina says, no clue, and Stella says she still doesn’t trust her. Trina says, neither does she, but she does feel bad for Ace. If Esme goes to prison, he’ll have no parents.

Spencer asks if Esme is starting to remember, but she says, no. She’s just going off everything she’s learned of his past from Laura and Doc. An officer tells Esme that her lawyer’s here. He’ll take her back to get dressed for court. She thanks him and says, Spencer is still bringing Ace to court, right? He says he is, and she thanks him for coming. She says, I really need you on my side, Spence, and leaves, and he flashes back to her calling him Spence, and saying, he’s even more pathetic than when she first met him. He says, Spence.

Trina leaves, and Portia asks if she told Curtis everything about Paris. He says, she did, and Portia says, he knows she doesn’t like the idea of Spencer going to Paris with Trina. He says, neither does he, but hopefully, they won’t have to worry about that. Stella says, why is that? and Curtis says, if Esme goes to prison, Spencer’s not going to want his brother to be alone. He’s going to stay right here in Port Charles and raise Ace. Portia says, fingers crossed.

Robert says, Diane hasn’t touched her food. She doesn’t like it? She says, no. She just seems to have lost her appetite. Clearly, Robert doesn’t want to litigate this case on its merits. He’s just someone else who wants to take down Sonny. He says, anything at all to rid this town of Corinthos. Although he will miss Sonny’s coffee. She folds her arms, and he says, come on. Think of all the extra time she’ll have on her hands now that her biggest client is going away for the rest of his life. Whatever will she do? She says, oh golly. She’s sure she can find someone or something to keep her busy. She gets up and says, she’ll tell him this though, she won’t be busy with him. She walks out and he looks perplexed.

In his office, Sonny looks at his bruised knuckles, then puts the picture of Nina on his desk face down. There’s a knock at the door, and he says, come in. Frank brings him the mail and asks if there’s anything else he can get Sonny. Sonny says, no. He thinks he’s got everything under control.

At the hospital, Dex makes a call and says, come on, Joss, pick up.

Josslyn ignores Dex’s call, and Adam says he’s not going to Health Services, and they can’t make him. This is none of their business. Josslyn asks him to just please calm down, but he says she doesn’t want to hear this. Both of them, just leave him alone. And take the damn counselor off his portal. He storms out, and Josslyn asks Kylie, now what?

Leaving a message, Dex says, Josslyn doesn’t have to call him back. he just wanted to hear her voice and tell her how important she is to him. And let her know that no matter what happens with them, he loves her, and he always will. He sees a text from Unknown that says: Room 1002. He says, gotta go, and walks down the hall, noticing Nina at the reception desk.

Nina asks what room Cyrus Renault is in, as Dex listens from around the corner.

Spencer tells the sitter to enjoy the rest of her day. He’ll be taking Ace to see his mother in court. She thanks him and says she hopes everything works out for him. He says he’s sure it will, and she leaves. He says, one way or another, and flashes back to Esme saying, no deal, Spence. He says, she was lying. She remembers everything. There’s a knock at the door and he opens it. Nikolas is there.

On Monday, Ava asks Laura why she would do that; Kristina says, this is exactly where she needs to be right now; Nina says, if Cyrus is truly sorry, prove it; and the judge asks how Esme pleads.

💝 Bringing the Surprise Twist…

I hadn’t realized the woman playing BJ was the child who played BJ. Very clever!

🌷 Bobbie’s Last Save…

I swear they didn’t address Famke by name, but I might have blinked and missed it.

👩‍⚕️ Memorializing a GH Icon…

Taking everything into consideration, it was worth the wait. It must have been tough on the actors though, pretending she was still alive. Obviously, there was going to be no recast.

The Why.

The How.

GENERAL HOSPITAL Spoilers: Remembering Bobbie

Memories.

🪙 In Random Stupid News…

This is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard.

https://people.com/eminem-opposes-deposition-seeks-protective-order-against-gizelle-bryant-robyn-dixon-shady-trademark-dispute-case-8420744

⚖️ You’re All Out Of Order…

Who knows? It probably wouldn’t change the outcome anyway.

https://people.com/tom-girardi-deemed-competent-to-stand-trial-by-judge-reports-8421562

💤 For Those Who Still Care…

Teresa and Jennifer are so volatile, the rest of them can finally relax.

🌁 News Of the Last…

What’s happened up until now. (First the earth cooled, then the dinosaurs came…)

https://www.gamesradar.com/the-last-of-us-season-2-release-date-cast/

I don’t think it’s necessary either. It was a great episode, but a spinoff would just be depressing knowing the ending.

https://www.themarysue.com/will-there-be-a-bill-and-frank-the-last-of-us-spinoff-explained/

⚰️ Next Dead Up…

This looks like another winner. In all these spinoffs, it’s like they finally got the idea that Walking Dead was too stagnant.

https://ew.com/walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-trailer-rick-grimes-action-8424639

https://ew.com/walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-terry-o-quinn-character-8421730

https://ew.com/walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-exclusive-first-look-pollyanna-mcintosh-jadis-8413410

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-rick-and-michonne-jadis-pollyanna-mcintosh-the-ones-who-live/

🎉 Not Letting Go Yet…

The overtime is probably pretty good.

https://www.justjared.com/2024/01/01/how-long-does-it-take-up-to-clean-times-square-after-new-years-eve-clean-up-details-revealed/

🐕‍🦺 Love the Players and the Game…

Who’s competing in this year’s Puppy Bowl.

https://www.discovery.com/shows/puppy-bowl/see/meet-the-players-of-puppy-bowl-xx

Mr. Bean!

https://people.com/puppy-bowl-2024-puppy-players-with-special-needs-8424973

🫦 Quotes of the Week

If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. – Michael Jordan (Or kick it down.)

Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.Spencer Johnson

It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you are not. – Andre Gide

It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Your dream is a reality that is waiting for you to materialize. Today is a new day! Don’t let your history interfere with your destiny! Learn from your past so that it can empower your present and propel you to greatness. – Steve Maraboli

In our daily lives, we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but the gratefulness that makes us happy. – Albert Clarke

I challenge you to let every day be a Friday. Permit yourself to be happy every day. – Joel Osteen

Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence. – Henry David Thoreau

You don’t have to be great at something to start but you have to start to be great at something. – Zig Ziglar

I’d say he was lying through his teeth, but he ain’t got none. – Amy Slaton referring to Glenn, 1000-Lb. Sisters

😐 Feeling Mediocre…

Return to this spot on Monday really Tuesday for soap and the final Med charter. Until then, stay safe, stay making time every day to do a small thing that brings you joy, and stay having faith even when there are no guarantees.

January 11, 2024 – A Different Kind Of Memorial For Bobbie, When Charm Reunites & Just

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

If you didn’t need tissues yesterday, get ‘em out today. This is the real memorial.

Anna looks at the hospital memorial wall, when Robert comes along. He says he always thought Bobbie would outlive all of them. Anna says, and now her picture is next to Epiphany’s. This year they’ve had to say goodbye to people who were there for their daughter when they couldn’t be. It just doesn’t seem fair. He says, no, it doesn’t.

At the Koffie Hub in Amsterdam, Carly tells an employee that she’s visiting here from America. Her mom used to meet a colleague here, pretty frequently she thinks. She shows him a photo of her and Bobbie, and says, that’s her mom. Does he recognize her? He says, no, sorry. He can’t help her. Felicia brings some coffee to the table and says, they talked about this. The people who Bobbie worked for do everything they can to keep their sources anonymous because they’re working against some very dangerous people. Carly says, yes, but they’ve been here for hours. What are they supposed to do, just sit here until the mystery person shows up? Felicia says, Tracy followed Carly’s mom here to this café. She said Bobbie was here all hours of the day. The contact has to be here. Carly says, they don’t even know if the contact is a man or a woman, and Felicia says, sometimes in the P.I. business, it’s not about what the person looks like; it’s about knowing what to look for.

At Kelly’s, Maxie is looking at Angela’s business card, when Angela walks in. Maxie says, she’s here. Maxie hugs her and says she was beginning to think she dreamt Angela up. And she just hugged her, which is weird since they just met yesterday. Angela says she really enjoyed talking to Maxie and her mom about Bobbie, and she thinks after all the stories and tears, it’s okay they moved into hug territory. Maxie says, there are plenty of people with memories of Bobbie to share. They’re going to be coming here throughout the day to officially share them for Angela’s article. Angela says, that’s great. The more anecdotes she can get, the better the story will be. Maxie says she appreciates Angela letting her help with her profile on Bobbie. She feels like it’s something she can actually do, especially with her mom and Carly off to Amsterdam. Angela asks if Maxie thinks they’ll be able to find Bobbie’s contact at the rescue organization, and Maxie says she sure hopes so. She’s learned not to doubt either of them. And now they have each other so… argh!

Carly and Felicia sit at separate tables and talk on the phone. Carly says she knows her mom was doing really good work here, and important work, but she still can’t believe she chose to spend Christmas here. She really loved Christmas. Felicia says, Bobbie used to host the best Christmas parties at the brownstone. Even Tony was welcome after they split up. Those parties were so much fun. Carly says she never knew that, and Felicia says, it was a very different time. Carly wasn’t exactly on the invitation list then. Carly says she guesses she wasn’t, and Felicia says, don’t move. Carly asks, who’s here? and Felicia says, don’t turn around. She thinks they just might have found her mom’s contact. We see a woman talking with the employee.

We see Bobbie one last last time – in the credits.

Angela puts her phone on record and thanks Laura for joining them. It’s not every day she gets to sit with the mayor of a major metropolitan city. Laura says, Port Charles is hardly as cosmopolitan as Amsterdam, but she does think it’s a special place to call home. As far as Angela’s article on Bobbie Spencer, Laura doesn’t know how much more she can say that she didn’t already say in her eulogy. Angela tells her, everyone has said such beautiful things about Bobbie, and sometimes in death, people tend to deify a person, forgetting some of their rough spots. She wants to write about all of Bobbie. Laura says, okay, and laughs. They did have some rough spots, especially in the early years. Angela wonders if she can ask why, and Laura says, it’s really the oldest story in the world. They were fighting over a boy. We flash back to when we were all children, and Laura knocks at Scotty’s door, but Bobbie opens it. She says, Laura couldn’t go on treating Scotty like dirt forever. Unless she wanted him to turn to someone else for comfort. She’d invite Laura in, but considering what she and Scotty have in mind for tonight, three is definitely a crowd. Laura tells Angela, looking back on it now, she thinks she and Bobbie butted heads because she was brought up to believe politeness and manners and being sensitive to everyone else’s feelings was the most important thing in the world. Bobbie just said what was on her mind. Back then, it ruffled a few feathers, but now she really wishes they had more people like that. Angela asks if she can be more specific, and Laura says, someone who can listen with a sympathetic ear, but also provide you with a reality check. We flash back to Bobbie telling Laura that she gets how Nikolas came into being. Laura was stuck on that horrible island, married to Stavros, and Stephan was standing under some olive tree, looking at her with those eyes. Then Laura has to wait and see how long she can hold on before she tells Luke the truth. Then what does she say to him? Oh, by the way, I’ve got a kid who’s not yours. Why does she always wait until the house is burning down before she dials 9-1-1? Laura tells Angela that Bobbie was never afraid to be honest with her. She loved her for that.

When the woman and café guy are done talking, Carly says, excuse me. She shows the woman the photo of her and Bobbie and asks if she knows her mom. The woman says she’s sorry. She has to go. Carly says, it’s so important. Her mom passed away.

Sitting at a table with Felicia and Carly, the woman says she’s so sorry Bobbie died. Carly’s mother was a remarkable woman. Felicia says, Bobbie was her best friend. They go way back. Carly says she’s learning there was a whole side to her mother that she didn’t know anything about. How did she get involved with the organization? The woman says, Bobbie was a regular customer here. She’d see her from time to time. You can’t miss that red hair. One day, she was reading an article in the newspaper about a human trafficking sting. She opened up about her own past. She wanted to do more to help. Felicia asks what exactly she did for the organization, and the woman says she and her friends shelter young people escaping from being exploited. Bobbie opened up her home, one person at a time, as a refuge, until the paperwork came through. Carly says, a reporter her mom trusted told them that she was helping a young woman, and the woman says she’s very surprised Carly’s mother would have shared that information. Secrecy is key in their organization. Felicia asks if she knows anything about this young woman, and she says, yes. Her name was Cornelia. Bobbie brought clothes to her. They were concerned that the people she was running from would find her in Amsterdam. So Bobbie said she knew a place Cornelia could stay closer to America until her asylum paperwork came through. Carly asks where Cornelia is now, and the woman says she arranged for Cornelia to board a freighter to Canada, but that was weeks ago. She assumed that Bobbie had successfully gotten Cornelia to America. Carly says, Bobbie passed away here, in Amsterdam.

At Kelly’s, Lucas says, for someone who had a million nicknames in her family, his mom could barely tolerate them. No, scratch that. She hated them. He remembers at one point, his dad started calling him Champ. His mom put her foot down right away. She said, Tony, our son’s name is Lucas. Not Luke, not LL, and certainly not Champ. Of course (🍷) his older sister thought that was the funniest thing in the world. So just to needle their mom, BJ called him Champ until the day she… Anyway, he guesses what he’s trying to say is that his mom was a very principled and strong-willed person. She had no problem standing up for what she believed in, or her family. He flashes back to Bobbie telling Tracy that Lucas is her son. He’s a wonderful young man and she’s very proud of him. And if Tracy ever insults her son again, she’ll bitch slap Tracy all the way to the Canadian border. Tracy says, she’ll what? and Bobbie asks if Tracy would like her to demonstrate. They used to beat up rich girls like her in Florida for sport. It’s one of those street things you never forget, so lay off her kid or she’ll do more damage to Tracy than she ever dreamed of. Lucas tells Angela that he guesses that makes his mom the champ. She was always the one you wanted fighting in your corner.

The woman says, Bobbie told Cornelia to wait for her in a secure location in Canada, but if Bobbie never got the chance to meet up with her… Carly says, that means Cornelia’s been waiting for her mother this whole time, and Felicia says, and Bobbie never got the asylum paperwork to that poor girl seeking asylum into America. Felicia excuses herself and steps away.

Anna’s phone rings, and she tells Robert, it’s Felicia. She answers, saying she heard Felicia ran off to Amsterdam. Felicia says she’s sorry. She doesn’t have a whole lot of time. Does Anna have any contacts in the State Department that would help someone seeking asylum in America? Anna asks if this has to do with the human trafficking rescue, and Robert says, human trafficking? Anna tells Felicia, hold on. Robert’s with her and she’s putting Felicia on speaker. Go ahead. Robert asks, what’s happening? and Felicia says, it’s a long story, but there was someone Bobbie was in the middle of helping when she passed away. Anna says, most of her contacts at the Bureau got burnt when they took away her badge, and Felicia says, just like Frisco. Robert says he has a few contacts, and he’s probably in better standing than Anna right now. Let him make a few calls. Felicia says, that would be great, and thanks him.

Carly says she doesn’t understand. There’s no way to contact Cornelia? The woman says, no. For her safety, the only person who knew she would be waiting for her visa was Carly’s mother. They have no way of contacting her. Felicia comes back and says, Robert and Anna are going to pull some strings to get the asylum paperwork fast-tracked, but Carly says, it doesn’t matter if they can’t track Cornelia down. The woman says, that poor girl is probably freezing to death in some cabin in Canada just waiting for Bobbie to arrive, and Carly asks if she said cabin. The woman says, Carly’s mother once mentioned to her that the people she was helping would be safe in some cabin in the woods. Carly says, oh my God. She knows where Cornelia is.

At Kelly’s, Josslyn asks if Michael remembers when Bobbie went to his wedding to Nelle. Willow says, Nelle was a very unpopular person, and Josslyn says, Grandma Bobbie showed up in a black veil to protest. Michael says, that was one wedding Bobbie didn’t support, and Willow says, Bobbie was nothing but supportive at their wedding. Willow flashes back to saying, Bobbie always made her feel like a part of the family, and Bobbie showing her a beautiful bracelet. Bobbie says, her brother Luke gave this. Luke admired people who had lots of courage, and Willow has an abundance. She puts the bracelet on Willow, and Willow says, this means so much to her. Bobbie says, and Willow means so much to all of them. Willow tells Angela that she didn’t grow up in a big, extended family like Michael and Josslyn did, but with Bobbie, she made sure you knew you finally found one.

Robert says, that was an ordeal, and Anna asks if he had any success. He says he called in every favor he ever had. A friend of his at State is waiting for their call as soon as they hear from Felicia. Anna says, those human trafficking people are dangerous. She hopes Felicia and Carly aren’t in too much trouble.

In a car, presumably in Canada, Felicia asks if Tracy said how far from the border Luke’s cabin is, but Carly tells her, she said she’d never been. Felicia says she still doesn’t have cell service, so an ETA on the map is out, and Carly says, this is the most she’s traveled in 48 hours. How about Felicia? Felicia says she used to be married to Frisco Jones. A lot of traveling came with that deal. Carly says, at the very least, this is the most time they’ve spent together. Why does she think that is? It’s kind of crazy she hasn’t spent much time with her mom’s best friend. Unless it’s not that crazy to her. Felicia says, about what she said earlier… Carly says, look out! and the car swerves.

Out of the car, Felicia checks a cut on Carly’s forehead, but Carly says, a couple bandages will fix it up. She’s just glad they didn’t hit that deer. Felicia says, that wasn’t a deer they almost hit; that was a moose. (Seriously? Carly didn’t know the difference? Those moose are big.) Carly says, Felicia’s got to be kidding her, and Felicia says she’s just glad they’re in one piece. Has Carly ever changed a tire before? Carly says, more than she’d like to remember, but it’s been a while, and Felicia says, it’s like riding a bike. You never forget how.

Scotty says he’s sure everyone has told Angela how optimistic and upbeat Bobbie was, and she certainly was. She didn’t take any guff from anyone. Not her bosses, anyone who looked down on her, and she certainly didn’t take it from him. He flashes back to telling Bobbie that he can explain, but she says, there’s no explanation that would make her understand why he’d cause havoc at a hospital he represents. He says, there wasn’t any havoc, only a couple of disturbances. Nobody was hurt… She says, it was a hospital. There could have been a panic. People could have been killed. What’s the matter with him? So his precious Medic Tech can come in and take over? He says, she knows a lot about this stuff, huh? and she asks if he thought she was just some stupid roll in the hay. Don’t ever touch her again. He tells Angela, Bobbie did mellow over the years. She became the best damn nurse at General Hospital. However, she could still throw words around. Lucy says she can attest to that, and flashes back to saying, Bobbie doesn’t have Noah, so she’s going after Scotty again. Bobbie says, Lucy just had to head that off at the pass, didn’t she? She had to make a point to Scotty. She had to make a point to her. Just like when Lucy sicced Damien Smith on her. Lucy says, wait a minute. That is not what happened. Bobbie says, let her finish. So this, Lucy, is karma. Angela says, for someone who didn’t get along all that well with Bobbie, to keep showing up for her, it’s almost like they were the original frenemies. Lucy says, that sounds right. She guesses that is a good way to describe them. Angela asks why Lucy thinks that is, and Lucy says, Bobbie’s daughter BJ was very special to her. Angela asks if she can elaborate, and Lucy’s voice breaks as she tells Angela that she’s heard it said, if you want a true test of someone’s character, it’s not in taking stock of their friends. It’s taking stock of their rivals. So if she’s walked through this life with Bobbie Spencer as her worthy adversary, she guesses she’s one very lucky woman.

Felicia says, Carly was right, and Carly says, not that she doesn’t love hearing that, but about what? Felicia says, Carly is her best friend’s daughter, and it was no accident they never became close, because she was there when Carly first came to Port Charles. She destroyed Bobbie’s life and not for nothing, Tony was her family too, so Carly didn’t just break up a marriage. It was two people she considered to be her home base. Carly says she never thought of it like that, and Felicia says, but she does. Bobbie was so distraught about the affair Carly had with Tony; it was her shoulder Bobbie cried on. And it was really hard to watch her friend get her heart shattered. So she guesses she has a little bit of resentment. And as she says it out loud, it feels a little embarrassing because it was decades ago. She knows that Bobbie forgave Carly because Carly was her daughter, but it was hard for her to let go because she’s always had this protective streak for her best friend. And she’s so sorry. Carly says, don’t be. She gets it. And she’s not blameless in this distance between them. She’s close to Maxie. Felicia was gone a lot and she saw what that did to Maxie. Then she came back, and Maxie forgave her, and she judged Felicia. Felicia says she gets that too. Well, if Bobbie can forgive Carly and Maxie can forgive her, maybe it’s high time they forgive each other. Carly says she likes that idea, and Felicia says, who knows? Maybe this was part of Bobbie’s big plan to find a way to bring her daughter and her best friend a little bit closer. Carly says, it would be just like her, and Felicia says, she liked to meddle. They laugh, and Carly says she thinks maybe they should lean on each other. Few people were as close to Bobbie as they were. Felicia gives the nut one more turn and says, they have a new tire. Shall we, partner? She holds out her hand, and Carly takes it, saying, we shall.

Elizabeth tells Angela that she didn’t talk about it at the funeral because it wasn’t the time or place, but when she was a teenager and fairly new to Port Charles, she was sexually assaulted. And Bobbie came to her and took care of her, because that’s who she was. Kind and compassionate and always ready to offer her empathy. Oh, her sons don’t know about her attack. Does Angela think they could keep this in the spirit of Bobbie’s kindness and leave out the details of her past? Angela says, yes, of course (🍷). She totally understands. Elizabeth thanks her, and says, at the time of her assault, she was living with her grandmother, and she did not know how to deal with that. She flashes back to Bobbie saying, when a woman has been raped, she needs very special, very specific attention paid to her feelings because she’s been traumatized, and her body because she may have been hurt. That’s the most important thing. She came prepared for any eventuality because she promised her nephew that she’d take good care of Elizabeth. Elizabeth tells Angela that she was really confused, but Bobbie never made her feel ashamed. Angela says she’s glad Bobbie was there to help Elizabeth, and Elizabeth says, her too. Bobbie was the one who told her, even though she survived something traumatic, that she was the one in charge of how she let that define her. And Bobbie offered her love and support, and it inspired her to send that love back out in the world by helping others. When she was younger, she thought she was going to be a painter. She loved to paint – she still loves to paint – but her true passion became healing others, just like it was Bobbie’s. She never takes for granted walking across GH’s tenth floor, when she’s walking in Bobbie’s footsteps.

Walking on a path through the woods, Felicia says she finally has cellphone service, now that they don’t need GPS, and Carly says, this is definitely the right address. Felicia says, nothing to do now but knock on the door, and Carly says, let’s do this. They go onto the porch of a cabin, and Carly knocks on the door. She listens, and Felicia asks if there are any noises inside, but Carly says she doesn’t hear anything. Felicia says, knock again, and Carly does, calling, Cornelia! Cornelia, please open up. They’re here to help her. They’re friends. They door opens and a young woman peeks out. Carly asks if she’s Cornelia, and she says, who wants to know? Carly says, they’re friends and they’ve come to take her someplace safe. Cornelia comes out brandishing a shovel, and Carly and Felicia jet off the porch. Cornelia takes a swing, but misses.

Carly says, please don’t do that. She has picture on the phone in her pocket. She can prove that they’re friends. Cornelia says she doesn’t care who they claim to be, she’s not going back, but Carly says she promises it’s okay. Still holding up the shovel, Cornelia asks how they know her name. How did they know she was here? Carly says, because they were sent by a friend and they’re here to help her. She promises Cornelia is safe. Cornelia sees the B on Carly’s necklace and says, that’s Bobbie’s necklace. Why is she wearing it? Carly says, because Bobbie’s her mom. She has a picture of them together on her phone. Can she pull her phone out of her pocket? Cornelia says, yes… slowly, and Carly takes out her phone, showing Cornelia the picture. Cornelia cries and says she doesn’t understand. Bobbie was supposed to meet her here. Why didn’t she come? She lowers the shovel, and Carly says, Bobbie died. She’s so sorry her mom had Cornelia waiting here, but she wants Cornelia to know that they know her story and she’s safe now. Carly promises her that. Felicia says she can back up everything Carly just said because Bobbie is her best friend. She can trust Bobbie’s daughter just like she can trust Bobbie. Cornelia drops the shovel and falls into Carly’s arms. Carly hugs her tight.

Anna’s phone rings, and she tells Robert, it’s Felicia. Felicia says, know the favor she and Robert called in? She thinks they’re ready for it now. Behind her, Cornelia and Carly sit at the table in the cabin, talking.

As they walk out of Kelly’s, Angela says she can’t believe Maxie went to all that trouble to arrange that so she could speak to some people who loved Bobbie. Maxie says, it’s not like she had to twist anyone’s arm. The people Angela spoke with love Bobbie. They all miss her so much. Angela says, is Maxie kidding her? The hardest part now is going to be deciding which stories to include, there were so many. Maxie says, Angela is going to send her a copy when it’s done, right? and Angela says, of course (🍷). She just has to say, it’s been really great getting to know Maxie. Maxie says she hopes Angela is staying in town for a while. She was hoping they could hang out. She thinks they have a lot in common. Angela says she thinks so too, but her bosses said she could only stay in Port Charles for so long. Maxie says, those kind of bosses are the worst, and Angela says, but she promises that Maxie will be seeing her around. Maxie says, okay. Don’t forget to send her that article. Angela leaves, as Maxie’s phone rings, and she says, hang on. It’s her mom. But Angela is gone. She says, mom?…

Maxie runs into the hospital and sees Felicia and Carly. She runs to Felicia and says she’s so glad she’s okay. She hugs Felicia, and Elizabeth says, why doesn’t Carly let her check out that cut. Carly says, that would be great, and goes with her.

In an exam room, Elizabeth tends to Carly’s forehead and says, Robert and Anna told her what Carly’s been up to. It sounds like quite an adventure. They went out of their way to help a stranger. Carly says, yeah, but her mom was the one who helped Cornelia. She and Felicia just got her across the finish line. Elizabeth says, either way, she’s sure Carly’s mom is very proud of her. She puts a bandage on Carly and says, she’s good to go. Carly thanks her and says, Elizabeth offered to paint the new sign for Kelly’s. Elizabeth says, the offer still stands, but Carly says she has something else in mind.

At Maxie’s house, Felicia finds Maxie digging through her bag and asks, what’s going on? Maxie says she thought Felicia would have slept in after all the international travel she’s done in the last two days, and Felicia says she’s jetlagged for sure. Maxie didn’t have to let her sleep in her bed last night. Maxie says, after what she and Carly pulled off, completing Bobbie’s last rescue? They’re heroes to her. Giving up her bed was the least she could do. Felicia says she appreciates it. What is Maxie searching for? Maxie says, does she remember that journalist from Amsterdam, Angela Brighton? She gave Maxie her business card and Maxie wanted to email her, let her know that Felicia and Carly found the woman Bobbie was helping. She thought that would be a great ending for her article, but she can’t find Angela’s business card anywhere. (Are you thinking what I’m thinking?) Felicia asks if she possibly threw it out, but Maxie says, absolutely not. She remembers putting it in her wallet, but it’s not in there. She seriously can’t find it. She’s starting to think it disappeared. Felicia says, maybe she can track Angela down online. She knows Angela’s name and knows the organization she works for. Maxie says she did that already. There’s no mention of her online anywhere. Felicia says, maybe it’s a different spelling, and Maxie says she supposes she could have spelled it incorrectly. Felicia says, let her help. She’ll start tracking Brighton down. Maxie asks if she hasn’t done enough sleuthing for the week, but Felicia says, it’s just a phone call. Hardly life in the fast lane. She’ll see Maxie soon. She leaves, and Maxie gets on her laptop.

Carly looks at the sign along with Lucas and Laura, and Elizabeth says, well? What does everyone think? Laura says, it’s beautiful. She loves it. She thinks the people of Port Charles are going to love it. (Somehow, I think she means us.) Lucas says, it’s perfect, and Carly agrees. She says, it’s so perfect. This place has always been a comfort to everyone and a safe haven to anyone who needs it. Now that her mom’s gone, people need to know that’s still true.

On the phone, Felicia asks if this is the Associated Press in Amsterdam, and a woman says, yes, it is. How can she help Felicia? Felicia says she’s hoping to get a message to one of their reporters, Angela Brighton. The woman says, I’m sorry. Who? Felicia says, Angela Brighton. She was doing a profile on Felicia’s best friend Bobbie Spencer, who unfortunately passed away while she was visiting their city. The woman says she’s sorry. She’s been here for years and nobody by that name has ever worked here.

Lucas says he has to go catch his flight, and Carly says she hates that he has to leave. They hug, and she says, please don’t be a stranger. She loves him. He says he loves her too, and leaves. He sees Angela in the courtyard and says, people are looking for her. She saved the day. She says she’d love to celebrate with them, but she has to go back home. He thanks her and she says, anytime. He turns to leave, and she adds, Champ. He stops and turns around, but she’s gone.

Felicia looks stunned, and flashes back to BJ saying she wants her mommy and daddy and wants to go back home. She hugs BJ. In the present, she says, oh my God. That was Barbara Jean. She laugh/cries.

Maxie sees No Results for Angela Brighton on Spyder-Finder and says she doesn’t understand. Brighton is a journalist. How could she not have any online presence? She slams the laptop shut and gets up. She puts her hand to her chest and says, BJ’s heart. Felicia walks in and Maxie says, BJ? They hug.

Laura asks if Carly would like some company, but Carly says she thinks she’d like to spend some time by herself. She and Laura hug, and Laura leaves with Elizabeth. Alone, Carly says, oh, mom. You lived such an incredible life. You’re an amazing woman. I hope I brought you some peace – she touches her necklace – because that’s what you gave me, and everyone else. She flashes back to telling Bobbie that she’s really grateful for the relationship they have now and Bobbie saying, her too. Carly says, and you did it. A nursing degree – we see Bobbie as a young nurse, saying she graduated at the top of her class – a family – we see Bobbie with Lucas, and then with BJ on life support, saying BJ is the daughter she prayed for, except BJ went beyond her wildest expectations. We see Bobbie kissing BJ goodbye and saying she loves her, then BJ flatlining. We flash back to Bobbie telling Maxie, you want to forget the good times and the bad, because you think you can’t go on, but you can. I did. She reminds Maxie that BJ lives on in her and they hug. We flash back to Bobbie leaving a frantic message for Luke to call and Laura telling her, Luke is gone, and hugging her. We flash back to Carly introducing Bobbie at the Nurses Ball. This amazing, beautiful woman has been helping people for the past 45 years. We see Bobbie telling Carly that she’s here for her. We flash back to Scotty saying, they’ve had a number of flings over the years, and later asking Bobbie to marry him. She asks if he’s insane. We see them clinking spoons and sharing an ice cream cake; and Scotty saying, they’ve still got their friendship and he hopes she doesn’t forget that.

Carly goes outside, looks at the sign, and smiles. She gets on a stepladder and hangs it.

Felicia and Maxie hug, and Maxie puts her hand on her heart. Felicia puts her hand over it.

Carly looks up at the sign, smiles, and goes back inside. We see it says Bobbie’s, and we hear Carly say, you should be so proud of yourself. I’m extremely proud of you, mom. Bobbie says, thank you, honey, and we hear BJ’s heartbeat.

Tomorrow, Esme asks Spencer to do something for her; Robert tells Diane, it sounds like a threat; Ava tells Nina that when Sonny feels betrayed, he’s downright dangerous; and Stella wants to spread the good news.

Southern Charm – Reunion – Part 1

I always hate Reunions because inevitably, people all talk at once and you can’t understand what any of them are saying. And there’s usually yelling. A lot of it.

I hate JT already and we’re not even out of the dressing room. Shep gives the advice to never interfere with your opponent when he’s making mistakes. It’s rude.

Andy does the usual welcomes. We find out Paige heavily influenced Craig’s choice of wardrobe, but everyone looks great. JT says he’s performing the first f***boy exorcism on Austen, and Shep says, the power of JT compels you. Andy suggests JT scale it back; they’re just starting. Andy asks who thinks pandas are real, and Taylor says she’s questioning it now. We flash back to Craig broaching the subject and Craig says he thinks it’s people in suits, but the way he’s smiling, I think he’s just goofing around with this conspiracy theory stuff. Andy asks about Madison’s long-distance marriage, and they talk about Austen’s lack of enthusiasm for Brett, and Brett being a stepdad. Andy asks about the bully that picked on Hudson, and Madison says, the parents weren’t home, but she spoke in the Ring camera. The mother has taken care of the situation. Venita says, Madison has a grown woman aura now, and Andy asks if Shep is inspired to settle down. He says, he doesn’t know if that’s in the cards for him; he’s a restless person. Leva says some of the things she thought would be monotony are things she looks forward to now, and Shep says, being with Taylor was his happiest time, but Taylor says she’s good with them as friends. Andy asks about Austen calling Madison a bored housewife, and JT gives a side-eye so hard, his eyes are going to slide out of his head. JT says, blah-blah-blah, and Austen says, JT is Commonus [sic] (he means Commodus) of Gladiator. He suggests JT look at himself, but JT is too obsessed with Austen for that possibility.

JT babbles about Austen during the break. When they reconvene, Andy says, Craig did the impossible, being a man in Charleston who wanted to settle down. JT asks if Craig likes bondage, which isn’t anything I needed to know, but Craig says, light bondage, and there’s some spirited sex talk. Andy questions Shep’s ability to satisfy a woman, and Shep says, every girl’s finish line is finicky and crazy. In other words, he doesn’t want to put in any work. Taylor says she could count on one hand when she was satisfied. Shep… What difference does it make? Moving on. Andy asks about the pillow business, and Craig says he’s turned it into an eight-figure business, with 30 employees who have health insurance. Bravo, Craig! Andy asks who thinks Paige will ever move to Charleston, and Austen, Madison, and Olivia raise their hands. Madison says she doesn’t think full-time though. Shep says, it’s hard to have a relationship on camera and thinks Craig is strategic. Craig says, he’s not, but there have been times they didn’t want to deal with the group. They had experiences with Shep that weren’t great, and he doesn’t think their relationships are similar. Shep says he thinks he and Taylor would be married and he’d be a different person if it weren’t for the cameras. Taylor says she agrees, but thinks he’s right about it not being in the cards for him. Shep says she was right about a lot of things in her analysis of him, and he’s realized a lot of things they need to talk about. Ugh. Are they getting on that roller coaster again?

Andy says, Taylor was single, unfettered, and unfiltered this season. Was she finding her voice or losing her manners? He asks why Taylor was so emo around Shep, and she says, it was out of sight, out of mind, and when Shep came back from his travels, it was a rehash of emotions. She thought she’d moved forward, but she hadn’t. Her dildo gift to Madison is discussed, and Madison says, maybe Taylor needed it more. Taylor says she was trying to be funny, but Madison says it was Taylor’s first time meeting her husband. If it had been her bachelorette, bring on all the dildos you want. She’s not wrong. She suggests putting one in Shep’s mouth to shut him up. Hmm… I think I missed something. Andy brings up Taylor’s nakey photo, and says, why Whitney? Taylor says she asked herself that the next morning, but she’d heard he was hanging with Shep, and she was being petty. Andy doesn’t like that she was shamed for it, and Craig thinks it’s f***ed up that Whitney showed anyone. Venita says, they didn’t shame her for the photo, but that she sent it to someone in their friend circle. Madison says, Whitney’s girlfriend is the one who told Patricia, and Taylor says someone should tell her that Whitney hooks up with every girl in Charleston. Shep says he doesn’t want to see his girlfriends in that way, so I guess he’s that saint in the living room/whore in the bedroom type. JT can’t believe Shep doesn’t like getting nudes and can’t get girl to the finish line, and Shep offers to show him a list of satisfied customers. Taylor insists the photo wasn’t explicit, and Leva says she doesn’t want to throw Taylor under the bus, but she saw it. She saw the whole thread. I don’t know what it is about Leva. I liked her at first, but there’s a wicked look in her eye when she meddles. I think it’s less out of concern for others than for her own stirring the pot.

Leva tells Taylor that the text said, come eff me in Nashville, and Taylor asks, when was she in Nashville? She has no receipts because she deleted everything from Whitney, and Andy asks how Leva saw it. Leva said she’d asked Whitney why he showed all the guys, and he said he was embarrassed. Craig says, Whitney isn’t here to answer for it, when he’s the villain, but it’s weird Taylor was sexting a friend. JT says, grace needs to be given to people grieving, and Olivia says she’s tired of hearing it. Taylor says she made a mistake, but she’d never say it’s because of Shep. Andy says, Shep seems to have guilt over it, and Shep says he brought her into this. A viewer says, when Shep takes responsibility for what Taylor does, it robs her of her agency, but Shep says he takes pride in her development. Taylor says, he can’t be responsible for her, and Andy mentions Taylor’s new boyfriend Gaston, who’s from Republic, since these people can’t stop being incestuous. Shep says he met Gaston at BravoCon, and Leva thinks Shep sounds like a dad. Shep says, Gaston upset Taylor, but Taylor says, Gaston was upset because Shep greeted her by slapping her on the ass. Shep says, that’s not how he says hello, and Andy asks if he was drunk. Shep says he was, Andy asks how he knows then, and Shep admits he doesn’t. Andy says, Shep told him that he had something on his mind that he wanted to say to the group, and we see a clip of Shep telling Andy that he’d love to go on a ramble. Andy thinks this would be a great time to ramble, and Shep says he’s glad everyone is here. This is sort of a mea culpa. He’s at a crossroads and BravoCon was the impetus. He was out of control drunk in Las Vegas and doesn’t remember much. That scared the sh*t out of him. Andy asks him to explain what happened, but Shep says he can’t. He was blacked out. He was drinking margaritas and drank more when they did Watch What Happens Live. Andy says he saw Austen trying to take care of Shep and trying to make him presentable, but Shep didn’t even realize he was doing it. He was being a real friend. Austen says, it’s not the first time, and Craig says, that’s why he and Austen didn’t go to the meeting when Shep asked to talk to all his friends. It’s happened 17 times. The road Shep is on ends off a cliff, and he can’t be in that car anymore. After BravoCon, it was dark, and Craig realized he had to be okay with Shep ruining his life. They’ve been here before.

Shep says, they don’t owe him anything, and Austen says he’s been Shep’s best friend and been there for him. JT is like, WTF? forgetting that he just got here, and Shep says he’d love Austen’s support and help anytime. Andy says, it sounds like Austen and Craig have been doing that and they’re at the end of their rope. Craig says, Shep has to put some effort in, and Shep says he’s in a headspace to make major changes. He might start with not talking like he’s from the 1960s. He says, the other guys have a podcast and Craig has pillows, but he has nothing. How is he of value? Physiologically, he can’t do the same things he used to. His mind and body are telling him, no. He’s listening to his body and mind, and mixing it with fear, but he was Mr. Fun and has a reputation. Craig says he misses it, but doesn’t miss what Shep is feeling now. Andy wonders what Shep is doing about it. Has he quit drinking? Shep says he’s just drinking beer, and Andy is pretty certain they’ve heard that before too. Craig says he didn’t drink liquor for two years and now he doesn’t drink at all now. Watching Shep was a lesson. He was asked if anything could be done to salvage the friendship, and he said if Shep did one thing he’s be there, but Shep is too proud to turn off this road. Shep says he’s lost his pride, and Andy asks Taylor’s reaction. She says she’s happy because she knows the real Shep. He feels empty and overcompensates by acting like an idiot. Shep says that Taylor would tell him that he thought he was a rockstar and she was right. Andy asks for Venita’s reaction, since she also got here five minutes ago, and Venita says, it’s a lot to admit on a large stage. She knows he must have been thinking that way for a long time, and he has to cut the alcohol out completely for a true change. Leva says, Shep needs to want something more. Find the things he wants more, like marriage or a career. Shep says, stay tuned. He thinks he can do it. Andy says, he has a lot of support, and Shep thanks everyone for listening. Craig and Austen look like they don’t believe it. As they leave for a break, Shep thanks Andy for the platform and Andy tells him that he needs to relitigate his relationship with alcohol.

Still on break, Shep tells Taylor that he wanted to say those things to her privately, and she says she’s happy about it. He jokingly tells her to quit telling people he’s bad in bed. Back onstage, Andy says, Shep spent time with Austen in Australia, and Shep says, they had moments they could have talked. Andy asks how Shep would have reacted had Austen told him about Taylor, and Shep says he would have thanked Austen for being honest, then try to process it. Austen says he’s sorry. He thought it was a non-factor. Nothing came of it and it was going nowhere. Shep says, Austen told him that he wouldn’t have gotten with Taylor if he came along first, and it was arrogant, but Madison agrees with Austen. Olivia says, that’s probably how it should have went [sic] down. They should give shot since they made a mess of things anyway. Taylor says, Shep captivated her and she wasn’t interested, and Leva says, Taylor keeps thinking about the moment, but she lied to all of them for a long time. Taylor says she understands the severity of the betrayal, and Craig says, if they had the desire, they shouldn’t have even gotten close. Andy explains, it was the cover-up, not the crime, and Olivia says, Taylor acts like it’s their fault for not understanding. Taylor lied so many times, and Olivia didn’t hop on the forgiveness wagon. Taylor tells her that she never said that, and Olivia says, shut up. Taylor says, forgive as you want to be forgiven, and Olivia tells her, go ahead and say it. Andy says, Taylor seems to be implying Olivia did something, and Taylor says, to a friend and confident. Olivia outs herself by saying she slept with Thomas. She was fresh out of college, and it was a dumb choice on a drunken night. She wanted to take it to her grave. Who wouldn’t? I can agree with her there, but I don’t think I’d ever be that drunk. Olivia says, Madison mentioned it last year, and we flash back to the Reunion. Yes, she did. Olivia says, afterward, she thanked Taylor for sticking up for her, and told Taylor that something did happen. Taylor was the only person she told. Andy asks why Olivia needs to be forgiven, and Taylor says, Kathryn was her friend. It was after baby number two. Andy asks if she was with Thomas, but Olivia says she doesn’t think so. Taylor’s been chomping at the bit to use it, and not only is she a sh*t friend, she’s a sh*t human too. Andy says, we’ll leave it there.

While I’m not suggesting Olivia hop on the forgiveness wagon if she doesn’t want to, Madison is really the one who outed her if anyone was paying attention. And if no one was, Olivia is the one who brought it up and outed herself. So in saying it’s Taylor’s fault, Olivia is once again calling the kettle black.

Next time, Rod and Rodrigo make an appearance; Shep gets a call; JT wants Craig to hold Austen accountable; and Andy asks Olivia why Austen gets a pass and not Taylor.  

Happy 17th Birthday, Sir Marco of PeeWee, Last Born in the Line of Juliet!

🪱 Wiggling It Just a Little Bit…

Kiki with me tomorrow, when there will be soap, a little bit of this, and a little tea about that. Until then, stay safe, stay letting someone know when you’re proud of them, and stay being in charge of how you let your experiences define you.

January 10, 2024 – Memorial For an Angel On Earth, Two Celebrations In Beverly Hills, Salty Reunion & Don’t

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly looks at a photo of Bobbie from the Nurses Ball, and elsewhere, Felicia does the same. Lucas arrives and Josslyn hugs him. She says, they’re so glad he’s here, and Michael says he’s so sorry. He hugs Lucas, who says, him too.

Maxie says, it was really nice of Cody to ask James to help him in the stables today. Promise her that when he gets home, no fighting with his sister. He promises, and Felicia comes in with Anna. Maxie hugs them both, and Felicia cries.

At the hospital memorial wall, Laura kisses her hand and touches Bobbie’s photo. Spencer comes along and they hug.

Dante and Sam meet Sonny in the apartment building hallway, and they get in the elevator together.

Carly hugs Lucas and asks how they’re going to do this. He says he doesn’t know, but they will. Carly’s phone rings, and she answers it.

Carly goes to Kelly’s where Elizabeth is waiting. Elizabeth says she didn’t want Carly to come. She just wanted her to know what happened. Carly asks, what did happen? and Elizabeth shows her the broken Kelly’s sign. She says, last night’s storm must have knocked it down. (How did they know it was going to storm last night?) Carly says, her mom told her that Aunt Ruby had this made. It was hand painted. This thing’s lasted for decades. Elizabeth says she can handle this. The funeral is soon. Carly should go be with her family. Carly says, today of all days, and Elizabeth says she can paint a new sign. It can be something similar or Carly can pick something new. (This is kind of weird, since the sign isn’t smashed to bits, and could be fixed.) Carly says, Elizabeth doesn’t have to do that, but Elizabeth says she’d be honored. Kelly’s means so much to this community, just like Bobbie did. Just like she always will.

Carly arrives at the church, telling Josslyn, sorry. She had to take care of something. Josslyn asks if everything is all right, and Carly says, it will be. Michael asks how she’s doing, and she says she’s taking it minute by minute. Lucas tells her to take it second by second if she has to. He knows he is. Carly asks if she told him how good it is to see him, and Lucas says, once or twice. Drew says he’s going to check in with the priest and make sure everything’s set. He leaves, and Michael asks if Carly is ready, but she says, no. Josslyn says, they’re here for her, and Carly says she’s here for Josslyn too, for all of them. They go into the church, where Bobbie’s photo is prominently displayed.

We see Bobbie in the credits one last time.

Drew says, everything is set, and Lucas thanks him. Drew says he wishes he could do more… for all of them. Sam, Dante, and Sonny come in, and Sam hugs Carly, saying, she’s so sorry. Carly thanks her and Dante asks how she’s doing. Carly makes a face, and he says, sorry. Pretty dumb question to ask. Her mom was an incredible person. He knows Lulu thought pretty highly of her. Carly says, her mom felt the same about Lulu and thanks them for coming. Sam says, where else would they be? and sits with Dante. Carly takes Sonny’s hand, and he asks how she’s holding up. He knows it’s a dumb question (a lot of that going around). She says, hanging in there, and he says he loved Bobbie. He’s going to miss her. She says, her too.

Felicia, Anna, and Maxie look at some memorial photos, and Felicia says, Bobbie’s with Barbara Jean and Tony now. She knows that should give her comfort. Anna says, but she wishes Bobbie were here, and Felicia says, so much. Maxie tells them, Bobbie always said she felt like BJ and Tony were her guardian angels. She feels that way too, especially with BJ. Sometimes she has what she feels is a memory, but she knows it can’t be. She wasn’t even conscious. Anna asks, what kind of memory? and Maxie says, being in the hospital. Uncle Tony listening to BJ’s heart in her chest. It feels so real. She can even feel the weight of his head on her chest. Felicia says she thinks Maxie does remember, and Maxie says, how? Anna says, doctors and nurses tell them this all the time, don’t they? She’s sure Bobbie would have agreed that even if the patient is out, they’re not unaware of their surroundings. Felicia says, that’s why they encourage us to talk to them. Tony did listen to that beautiful heart of hers. What a blessing that she carries that moment with her. Anna asks if they should go in, and they do. Maxie notices an unknown woman sitting in the back.

Willow walks in and tells Michael, sorry she’s late. Monica wasn’t feeling well, and it took her minute to convince Monica to stay home. He says he’s glad she’s here, and she says, of course (🍷) she’s here. She loved Bobbie very much and she knows he loved her even more.

Laura takes Carly’s hands and says she’s going to miss Carly’s mother so very much. They hug, and Carly thanks her for offering to give the eulogy. It means so much to them. Laura says, Bobbie was like a sister to her. She just hopes she can do Bobbie justice. Doc says, she will, and Carly agrees.

Trina hugs Josslyn and says she’s so sorry about Josslyn’s grandmother. Josslyn thanks her, and Spencer says, they weren’t technically related, but Bobbie was always good to him. Josslyn says, Bobbie was good to everyone, unless you got on her bad side, then watch out. Spencer says, loyal to the core, and Trina says, sounds like somebody else she knows. She and Josslyn hug again.

Tracy says she’s so sorry for Carly’s loss. It’s Port Charles’s loss really. Carly thanks her and says she’s really glad Tracy was helping her mom handle Luke’s affairs. Tracy says she doesn’t think Carly’s mom thought it was helping. She thought it was just getting in the way. Carly says she’s really glad Tracy was there, and Tracy says, then she is too. Her mother was a force to be reckoned with. She was loyal to the people she loved, Luke especially. Her voice breaking, Tracy says she admired Bobbie immensely for that, and walks over to the memorial photos, where Lucy is standing.

Lucy says she’s not getting into it with Tracy. Not here, not today. Tracy says, that’s not why she approached Lucy. Whatever’s going on between them, Bobbie transcends that. Lucy says, yes, she does, and Tracy says, Luke loved his sister. Lucy says, she was his rock, ride or die, and Tracy says, and he was hers. So how about if just for today, they hold a truce for Bobbie. Lucy says, for Bobbie.

Alexis lights a candle, and Sam says she never pegged Alexis as the religious type. Alexis says she’s not. She’s honoring Bobbie’s spirit, which was incandescent. She was an angel on this earth. Kristina says, the way Bobbie helped her with all that Keifer stuff. It was a nightmare, and she wouldn’t have gotten through it without her. Alexis says, that makes both of them, and flashes back to Bobbie saying her father physically abused her. Eventually, she pulled herself out of that pit, and she became a nurse and got married. And it was respectable, except her husband beat her too. Alexis says she’s sorry, and Bobbie says, it became a pattern, and she didn’t recognize it. Alexis says, how could she possibly have not known that? and Bobbie says, we all do the best we can. However, Alexis’s daughter needs that smart, positive, independent woman to look up to. In the present, Alexis says, it’s a good lesson for all of them. Pay it forward.

Laura asks what Scotty is up to, and he says he was trying to jot something down to say. He speaks for a living and he wants to ask Laura something. Why is it that someone he cared so much about, he’s just coming up empty? She takes his hand.

Maxie asks if Anna knows that woman, but Anna says, no. She doesn’t recognize her at all. It’s not really a surprise though, is it, given the amount of patients and people Bobbie helped over the years. Maxie looks at the woman again.

The casket is brought in, and everyone stands. The priest says, God, we are gathered her today as friends and family of our loved one, who departed from this world recently and came into Your presence. Let the love You showered upon Bobbie in her life fill this service. Help us to learn how to love others unconditionally, as Bobbie did when she was with us here on earth. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Laura says, when she first met Bobbie, she was just a candy striper and Bobbie was a nurse at General Hospital. Over the years, they went through an awful lot together. They were not just sisters-in-law, they were friends. Real friends, the kind that would always show up for each other. And getting to know Bobbie, getting to be in her orbit, was truly an honor, because she touched so many lives. Laura can feel the love in the room Bobbie shared with them. She thinks it’s fair to say Bobbie Spencer was someone who led with her heart, and she loved without the obstruction of skepticism. She also believes that Bobbie was the most unfailingly optimistic (Felix is here!) person she ever met in her life. She always had a smile on, right? For everyone, no matter what kind of day she was having. Also, she was not afraid to fight for the things she believed in. She thinks when they were young, Bobbie had more of a tendency to fight with people, but that changed as Bobbie got older, and she began to fight for people. She had the knack of seeing the good in absolutely everyone, even if she had to dig really deep to find it. Do they know how special that is? How rare that is? And they all got to experience it; they all got to experience her. And Bobbie Spencer was an experience. One that she’ll truly miss.

Scotty says he’s at a loss for words, which is rare for him. How do you memorialize someone as complicated as Bobbie? Hell, look at her friends. The Aztec princess over there – we see Felicia – a ragtag lawyer like him, and fitness guru Richard Simmons. Bobbie was the best of everything. She was kind, she was sweet, generous. She was a nurse. He loved her. It’s only today he realized they were meant to be best friends. She did that. He puts his hand on the casket and says he’s going to miss her, with everything he’s got.

Elizabeth says, it’s no secret that Bobbie grew up with a lot of trauma. But instead of letting that break her or hold her back, she harnessed it. She took all of that negative energy and turned it into strength and wisdom and ultimately into something healing, because that’s who Bobbie was. She was a healer. Bobbie helped her through some really difficult times, and she knows for a fact she’s not the only one. They can ask anyone at the hospital. They can ask anyone in this church. If you were new, or lost, or just struggling to find your path, who was the first person to offer their hand to help? Everyone says, Bobbie, and Elizabeth says, right, Bobbie. It’s a legacy she’ll do her very best to continue. And she hopes to make Bobbie proud.

Carly thanks everyone for being here today. Her mom was a wonderful woman. They had a very unique relationship in that they didn’t meet until they were adults. Don’t get her wrong, her mom was a wonderful mother, but she wasn’t the mother who raised her. She wasn’t the mother to check for monsters under the bed. She was the mother who mentored her and understood her. Who made room in her heart for Carly and taught Carly how to make room in hers. When Carly came to Port Charles, she was a mess. She was a schemer and not in a good place. There were two people who changed that in her. Bobbie was one of them. She didn’t realize how powerful true acceptance was. Bobbie gave her forgiveness, but acceptance… Bobbie said Carly was her daughter and that she was a Spencer, and that she was going to love Carly and that she’d believe in Carly no matter what. She said she was never going to take Carly’s crap, but she was always going to be by Carly’s side, and she was. She knows on the surface they were very different, but you didn’t have to scratch too deep to see they were very much alike. And she sees Bobbie every time she sees her kids. The way they stand up for themselves. The way they accept and care about the people around them. How they try so hard not to go after the bad, but they go after the good. I’m still working on that one, but I’m going to keep trying, mom. She looks up, then looks at Bobbie’s picture and says, I love you, Bobbie Jean Spencer. The world’s a very different place without you.

After the service, Maxie asks Felicia if they should head out, but Felicia says she’d like to stay a little bit longer if that’s okay. Maxie tells her to take all the time she needs. She’ll be right back. Maxie follows the unknown woman out to the vestibule, and says, hi. She saw her in the back of the chapel. Was she friends with Bobbie? The woman says, more like they worked together. Angela Brighton. She’s a reporter for the AP. She’s doing a story on Maxie’s friend. Maxie asks, what kind of story?

Lucas lights a candle, as Felix approaches. They hug, and Felix says he’s so sorry. Lucas thanks him, and Felix says, Lucas’s mother was one of the best people he ever met. Lucas says, she was pretty great, and Felix says, she was more than great. He keeps thinking about the Nurses Ball. How much fun he had performing with her every year. Bobbie was tireless. The choreographer would physically leave the building, and she’d be like, we don’t need him. Let’s do it one more time. Lucas says he’s sure they loved that, and Felix says, they did, because she wasn’t annoying or obnoxious about it. She was just her usual upbeat and energetic self. Lucas says, she wanted everybody to be their best, and Felix says, every year, something would inevitably go wrong, convincing them it wasn’t going to work this time. But Bobbie would insist that it would, and of course (🍷) it did. A real team player, Lucas’s mom. He’s really going to miss her. They all are. Lucas says, yeah, and thanks Felix for sharing that with him. Felix says, thank you for sharing her with us, and puts his hand on Lucas’s shoulder.

Felicia says, it was a beautiful service, and Carly thanks her. She thanks Felicia for being such a great friend to her mom. She was really lucky to have Felicia. Felicia says she’s the lucky one, and Maxie says she’s sorry to interrupt. Felicia says, Maxie never interrupts, and Angela tells Carly that she’s sorry for Carly’s loss. Carly asks if Angela was a friend of her mom, and Maxie says, yes, and they have something important to tell her.

At Kelly’s, Carly says she doesn’t mean to offend Angela, but she doesn’t want the press making a mockery of her mother’s death. Angela says she totally understands that, and Maxie says, just hear her out. Trust her. Carly says, okay, and Angela says, first off, Bobbie told her a lot about Carly. Felicia says, back up. How does she know Bobbie? Angela says she was recently stationed at the AP Bureau in Amsterdam. That’s when she started writing the profile on Bobbie and the work she was doing there. Carly says, the work she was doing there? She was helping settle her brother’s affairs. Angela says, she was doing that, but she was also devoting herself to charity work at the organization. Felicia asks, what kind of organization? and Angela says, a rescue one. Carly’s mother was helping young women escape human trafficking.

Carly says, human trafficking? That’s dangerous. How did her mother get involved in this? Angela says, don’t worry. She was volunteering at a non-profit. She wasn’t out on the front lines, but she did use her time and resources to help women all over Europe travel to the states and apply for asylum. Carly says, to get a better life, and Felicia says, just like Bobbie did. Angela says, Carly’s mother did confide in her about her teenage years, and Carly says, when she was a prostitute. Angela says she also knows Bobbie was too young to make that choice. Bobbie herself was trafficked. Of course (🍷) they weren’t calling it that back then, but it’s finally being acknowledged for the abuse it was. Bobbie told her that she had her reckoning with her past, and she played a pivotal role in helping those women escape, which is why Angela wanted to write the article. Carly says, so her mother agreed to speak with Angela? and Angela says, unfortunately, she couldn’t say much without risking exposing the victims and her contact. There was a point person with an organization that aided in the actual journey to the US. However, right before she passed, Bobbie did tell her that she was in the process of arranging asylum for someone. Maxie asks if that’s usually very complicated, and Angela says, normally, no. She would just find a safe place for them to stay while the paperwork was being completed, but in this case, she was really worried for the girl’s safety. People were looking for her, so Bobbie was trying to find a way to get her to the states sooner. Carly asks if Angela knows if the woman got here, and Angela says she wishes she knew. Carly says she’s sorry. She needs some air. She goes outside and Felicia follows her. She asks if Carly is okay, and Carly says she knew something was going on. Why would it take so long for her mom to settle Luke’s affairs? Why? Felicia says, leave it to Bobbie to save the world as her side gig.

Back home, Carly thanks Tracy for coming. She knows it’s been a long day. Tracy says, especially for Carly. It was a lovely tribute to Carly’s mother, and she hopes Carly found some peace in it. Carly says she did. She’s really glad Tracy was there. Tracy says, Luke thought the world of Carly’s mother and she wouldn’t have missed it, and Carly says, at least they’re together now. Tracy laughs and says she’d like to think so. So what’s this about? Carly says she needs Tracy’s help.

Outside Kelly’s, Felicia flashes back to telling Bobbie that there’s no way she can make this easy for her, but she loves Bobbie so much. They hug, and Felicia says, if Maxie makes it through this, she and Frisco have Bobbie and Tony to thank. In the present, Felicia cries, and Maxie comes out of Kelly’s with Angela. Maxie asks what Felicia is doing out in the cold, and Felicia says she was just thinking about Bobbie and how Bobbie was always there for her and never expected anything in return. She hopes Bobbie knows that she would have done anything for her. Angela says she’s sure she did, and Maxie says she knows she did. Felicia says, Angela has really kind eyes. Has anyone ever told her that? Angela says, empathy is part of the job, and Felicia says she’s going to walk home. Handing Felicia her bag, Maxie asks if she’s sure. She can give Felicia a ride. Felicia says she just wants to spend some time by herself, and Maxie says, text her when she gets there. Felicia hugs Maxie and says she loves her. Maxie says she loves Felicia too, and Felicia says, Maxie is her everything good, just like Georgie and James and Baily Lou are Maxie’s. Maxie says she knows, and Felicia says, nice to meet Angela. Angela says, her as well, and Felicia leaves. Angela says, Maxie and her mother have a really special bond, and Maxie says, yeah. She’s the best. Angela says she feels the same way about hers.

Tracy tells Carly, wow. Here she thought she was taking something off Bobbie’s plate by going to Amsterdam. Little did she know, Bobbie had a whole other platter. Human trafficking? Carly says, it makes sense, given her mom’s history and her complicated relationship with Ruby and Luke. Tracy says, Luke loved Carly’s mother, and Carly says she knows. Tracy says, he went above and beyond to always protect her, and Carly says, yes. He protected her in his own way, but come on. He didn’t go to the police. He could have stopped it. Tracy says, back then, the person who would have gotten into trouble is Carly’s mother. They didn’t know better back then. Carly says, they did deep down, and if they didn’t, they sure as hell should have, and Tracy says she can’t argue with Carly there. Carly says she just wants to know the woman her mother was trying to help is safe, and Tracy says she can see this is important to Carly. Carly says, it is, because she didn’t get to say goodbye to her mom. She just wants to finish what Bobbie started. Tracy asks what she can do to help, and Carly says, Tracy was with Bobbie for a month. Did she mention her contact at this organization? Tracy says she told Carly, she knew nothing about this other life Bobbie was leading, and Carly asks if a name kept popping up, something she just passed off as other business. Tracy says, she didn’t confide anything. She did mention some cabin in Ontario that Luke had, but really, Bobbie just couldn’t wait to get rid of her. Now she knows why. Carly asks if she went off on her own a lot, and Tracy says, she did, all the time. Actually, she followed Bobbie, and she was at a café up the street from Luke’s. She thinks Bobbie went there often. Carly asks, what was the name of the café?

Drew says, Carly is going to Amsterdam? and she says, uh-huh. He says, tonight? and she says, yeah. Josslyn says, grandma’s funeral was just a few hours ago. Isn’t she exhausted? Carly says, if she gets on the overnight flight, she can sleep on the plane, and get there early tomorrow. Drew says, sounds like she’s made up her mind about this, and she says she has. He says he’s going with her, but she says, no. He says, it could be dangerous, and she says she’s only going there so she can find her mom’s contact at the organization. (I guess a phone call is out of the question.) She’s also going to need Josslyn to look out for Donna and Avery too. Josslyn says, of course (🍷), but does she really need to do this? Carly says, come on. Her mom’s upbringing was less than ideal. There was a lot of pain, a lot of abuse, and she worked really hard to break the cycle, but clearly, she was looking for peace. If Carly can help her find that, even in death… Josslyn hugs her and says she’s so proud of Carly. Drew says he’s proud of her too, but no one would be prouder than Bobbie.

At Kelly’s, Maxie says, Angela came all this way to finish her article on Bobbie, and Angela says, it was totally worth the trip. After hearing the tributes at the funeral, and listening to Maxie and her mom talk about Bobbie, she has a more complete picture of who she was. Maxie says she can do better than that, and Angela says, how so? Maxie says, there are countless people in Port Charles who Bobbie has helped. She thinks Angela should talk to some of them. Angela says she would love to talk to anyone who would share their memories of Bobbie with her, and Maxie asks how long she’s here for. Angela says, her flight’s supposed to leave tomorrow night, and Maxie says, come back here tomorrow morning, and she promises Angela won’t be disappointed.

Carly walks outside with her suitcase, when Felicia walks up with her suitcase and asks if Carly has room for one more. She was talking to Drew, and he said she had a lead on Bobbie’s contact in Amsterdam. She’d like to come with Carly. Carly says, that won’t be necessary, and Felicia asks, what’s her plan? To camp out at the café and ask every person who enters if they know who Bobbie’s associate is? Carly says she hasn’t gotten that far yet, and Felicia says, let her help. She knows she’s been out of the P.I. game for a minute and she and Carly have never been particularly close. But Bobbie’s life gave her meaning and Bobbie literally gave life to her daughter. She owes Bobbie everything, and she’d really like to give her this one last gift. Carly says, they’d better get going.

Tomorrow, Maxie feels like it’s something she can actually do; Lucy says she’s one very lucky woman; Felicia thinks they might have just found Bobbie’s contact; and Carly says, there was a side to her mother that she didn’t know anything about. I hope we get more flashbacks with Bobbie. It’s not like they haven’t had the time to get them together.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Kyle has arranged for a day in Ojai for Annemarie’s birthday. In Kyle’s interview, she says, whenever Annemarie is around, it’s been chaos. We flash back to that, and Kyle says she thought they could have a day trip, a girls day with no arguing. They all meet at Kyle’s house, and Garcelle and Sutton ride over together. Garcelle says she and Dorit hashed things out, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says she hopes everybody is good and they can put it behind them and enjoy themselves. She tells Sutton that she’s moving past it. Erika is absent due to covid, but they call her. It’s boring. They drink in the limo bus, and in Annemarie’s interview, she says, she and Sutton got off to a rocky start, but she’ll see how the day goes. Sutton tells everyone that she has very exciting news. She went on date. He’s cute, has a job, and likes karaoke. And he asked her out on a second date. We flash back to the first one, and I actually think they look good together. I’m rooting for this coupling. In Sutton’s interview, she says she’s excited. Steve has been texting her and she thinks he likes her. Kyle says, they’re going to a wine tasting, but there will be tequila and vodka there as well, and Sutton says she brought her own vodka. I think she’s joking, but I’d bring my own if I went somewhere with this group.

They do some shopping, and it’s determined that Kyle is the biggest shopper. In Kyle’s interview, she says she buys something every day. How much money do they have??? They go to Casa Locé Farm and Winery, and oh man, the food porn at this place. Sommelier Blane describes the wines as they taste. In her interview, Kyle says she loves L.A., but doesn’t feel as connected to it as she used to. When Portia goes to school, she wants to move to a place more conducive to making her happy. Kyle announces they’re playing a table topics game, and the first card is an instruction to lick someone’s toe. I’m out, but Sutton volunteers and licks Kyle’s toe. In her interview, Sutton says she regrets nothing. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, everyone is having a good time. It’s fun. Can they keep it like this? My guess is, no. The question of what’s appropriate for husbands and other women on social media comes up, and Kyle says, she doesn’t like it at all. In her interview, she says, Mauricio gets a lot of DMs from women, and they’re the aggressor. There are a lot of a-holes out there. A birthday cake is brought out, and Kyle asks if anyone would ever date a woman. In Dorit’s interview, she asks, where the hell did that come from? and in Sutton’s interview, she says, that’s a weird question to ask randomly. My cousin is a lesbian. Garcelle says she’s thought about it, and Kyle says she would. In her interview, Garcelle says, years ago, Kyle was shocked about threesomes. She doesn’t know much, but she thinks a country song is somewhere in there. Kyle demonstrates scissoring with Dorit, and it just looks awkward. Garcelle says she’s not impressed with these moves. In her interview, Sutton says, they get to the point where they’re having so much fun, they remember they like each other. I might point out, Erika is not on this trip. Just sayin’. Kyle reminds everyone about the Celebration of Life event that she’s having for her friend Lorene who recently committed suicide. She feels like it’s the right way to honor her.

Garcelle makes lasagna for Jaid and Jax, and says she’s got a confession to make. They’re 15, but she’s feeling like they’re going to be gone soon and doing their own thing, and it makes her sad. She wonders what she’s going to do with herself. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, her window with the boys is small. They’re about to fly the coop and she doesn’t know how to handle it. Jaid wants Ashlyn to sleep over, and Garcelle starts talking about sex, which causes the twins much embarrassment. In her interview, she says, seeing them giggle and squirm reminds her that they’re still little boys. Jax says, sounds like health class, and Garcelle says, no means no; yes means, everybody agrees; and she doesn’t want to be a grandma anytime soon. Talk over.

Dorit asks PK to be open and focused for therapist Sarah’s house call, and in her interview, she says, she’s happy he’s agreeable. Her biggest issue after the home invasion is that PK hasn’t been there for her, physically or emotionally. We flash back to some instances of that, and Dorit says, her patience is used up. It’s time for PK to show up. She tells Sarah that she feels like he doesn’t understand the severity of her PTSD, largely in part to the surprise element. She tried to explain it to him, but he had a defensive reaction. PK asks if it requires a discussion then and there, and Sarah asks if he’s saying Dorit’s timing is off. PK says, no husband would have taken kindly to what Dorit said after what he did. It felt like a f*** you.

Sarah says, PTSD is born in anxiety and catches you off guard. Your instinct is to be ready for something horrible to happen all the time. She asks if she’s got it right, and Dorit says, perfection. I agree. PK says he considers some things just obnoxious and not PTSD. When does high maintenance blend with PTSD? In Dorit’s interview, she says, when she met PK, he could let go of things easily, but now he’s more harsh with her. He gets mean. In PK’s interview, he says, Dorit used to be a bubbly, enthusiastic girl, and not as high maintenance as she is now. I’m not a huge fan of Dorit’s, but seriously? She’s a mother now, she’s older, she survived a gun to her head. WTF does this guy expect? Dorit says she’s a totally new person and can’t do anything about it. Does he have any idea what that’s like to live with? Sarah asks what she wants PK to do, and Dorit says, if she tells him that she’s not good, understand she’s having an episode and comfort his wife. In her interview, Dorit says, it’s times like this that test the relationship. And when she needs PK, not the other way around, he’s coming up short. In his interview, PK says, the pressure of a career, a job, traveling, and a wife is a challenge. Maybe he’s not balancing it as well as he should or could, but it’s not one sided. They both need to be wrong sometime, and that’s a challenge to Dorit. PK says, of course he wants to understand, but Dorit needs to articulate it in a calmer, less irritating manner. In Dorit’s interview, she says, what she needs is for PK not only to better grasp the situation, but to want to be there for her. If they do that together, they can succeed. If they can’t, she doesn’t know what the future holds. PK tells her that she takes a long time to say something, but she’s sweet when she’s asleep, and they laugh.

Everyone gets ready for Kyle’s Celebration of Life, and Kyle gets there first, bringing Teddi (ugh) and Morgan. In Kyle’s interview, she says she talks to Teddi and Morgan every day, and they discuss everything. She was drawn to Morgan by her music. Her lyrics are raw, open, and honest. She’s putting it all out there, and Kyle admires that, since she’s struggled with that herself. Teddi tells Garcelle, the gnat’s here, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, not only is Teddi annoying, she refers to herself as a gnat. We flash back to Garcelle saying Teddi is annoying like a gnat. Kyle’s daughters join her, and in her interview, she says, her daughters are her best friends. They give her the best advice, they’re there for her, and listen to her. She doesn’t know what she’d do without them. After raising them, it’s good to lean on them. Mauricio is out of town on business, but two years ago, she would have relied on him to get through the evening. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, Kyle coming alone says a lot about where her relationship is. Maybe she’s not trying to hide it after all. Crystal, Garcelle, and Annemarie talk about Garcelle’s sons for a hot minute before Annemarie brings up Sutton’s small esophagus. She says she feels like she’s beating a dead horse, and Garcelle asks why she cares. In her interview, Garcelle says she doesn’t think esophagus is Beverly Hills talk. They talk about someone’s jewelry, bags, and ex-husbands, but not their esophagus. Plastic surgery is also okay to talk about. Annemarie says she scoured her medical books, and the professionals she’s talked to said, you could present that to a layperson, but if you said that to a medical professional, you’d sound stupid. She says, if you have an eating disorder or acid reflux, it could cause scar tissue, and Crystal tells her to get off the eating disorder platform. Annemarie insists she didn’t say that, even though we all heard it two seconds ago. In Crystal’s interview, she says, Annemarie is the biggest gaslighter, and she doesn’t need to look up gaslighting in a medical book. Annemarie says, it’s not a diagnosis, and Garcelle says she’s getting a drink. She asks if they need anything, and Crystal says, a bottle of tequila. I might point out that Sutton didn’t say it was a diagnosis; she said it was a symptom. Sutton tells Dorit that her family never addressed her father’s suicide, and in her interview, she says her father was 62 and she’s lived with the guilt. She’s tried to figure out why. They had him hospitalized twice. She needs to learn to let that go. Garcelle tells Sutton that Annemarie is coming for her small esophagus, and Sutton says, not tonight. In Dorit’s interview, she says, Garcelle likes to strike a match, throw it on the flames, and walk away. Um… Isn’t the match used to start the flames? Sutton says she’s an ambassador for NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness, also a sponsor of the event), and Annemarie better stay the f*** away from her. Not tonight.

In Dorit’s interview, she says she met Morgan before Kyle did. She came to a dinner for Mauricio’s birthday, and she stuck out like a sore thumb. Dorit didn’t understand the connection between Morgan and Kyle, but why not? Now that she thinks about it, it was the last time they were together as a couple. Kyle and Morgan eat fruit off a stick, and in her interview, Dorit says, this is exactly how rumors start.

Kyle takes the mic and says, they’re here to honor her best friend Lorene Shay on the one-year anniversary of her death. Nobody wants to talk about suicide, and she wants those struggling to know there are resources to help them. In Sutton’s interview, she says, she was supposed to be home when her father shot himself. She misses him and misses him not seeing her children. But he is proud of her because he’s still with them. Kyle talks about her and Lorene meeting at age seven, and not getting along at first. In her interview, Kyle says, neither one of them could ever apologize, so when they had an argument, they came up with the word babalu instead of sorry. She’d talked to Lorene two days before, and Lorene told her that she should always appreciate her marriage. She said she would. We see photos of Lorene and Kyle together, and Kyle says, now she and Mauricio are having a hard time, and she thinks she’s letting Lorene down. In Dorit’s interview, she says she’s overcome with emotion. She knows how devastated Kyle is and it’s important Kyle knows she’s here for her. Morgan plays a ballad about lovers, which doesn’t seem like the best choice for this event. In Kyle’s interview, she says, since Lorene died, she thinks life is too short. She’s trying to be happy and live her life and doesn’t want to waste a day spending time with people she doesn’t want to or who don’t appreciate her. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, when her mom passed, knowing she’d never see, hear, or hug her again was the hardest part. In her interview, Kyle says, as hard as it was, people wanted to celebrate Lorene, hear the stories, and lean on each other. It’s all we can do. Lorene’s mom, Sugar, says, she should be here, and Kyle says, she is.

This was the kind of episode I like to see, but it’s a shame half of it had to surround a death to get these women to behave. That being said, again I point out Erika wasn’t there, and Annemarie just couldn’t help herself by bringing up Sutton’s esophagus at the most inappropriate time ever. Thirsty much?

Next time, Erika begins dance rehearsal; Crystal tells Garcelle that Annemarie claimed to be a doctor when they met; Sutton grills Annemarie; and Crystal calls Annemarie a bitch.

🧂 Rubbing Salt In the Wound…

That salty bunch reunites to scream over each other and bring… Receipts! Proof! Timelines! Screenshots!

🪣 Wringing Out the Old…

Join me tomorrow for soap and what is sure to be a not-so Charming Reunion. Until then, stay safe, stay anticipating major accomplishments in the new year, and stay paying it forward. For Bobbie.

January 9, 2024 – Esme Confesses To Ava, All About Those Globes & What

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

As we sniffle our way through the week, working up to a full-on ugly cry…

Sonny tells Carly that he came as soon as he could. He’s probably the last person she wants to see. He should have kept his distance. He’ll keep his distance. Can she please give everybody his condolences? He starts to leave, but she calls him back and hugs him.

At the station, Ava tells Dante, here she is at his invitation, or should she say, his insistence? She’s a busy woman. She’s prepping for a new show at the gallery. He says he’s sorry to interrupt her evening, but he thought she’d like to know the person who broke into Windymere is here, and they’ve confessed. She says, honesty? How about that? Why does she need to be here though, if they’ve confessed?

In the interrogation room, Laura asks Esme to stop pacing and sit down. She’s doing the right thing by coming forward and admitting she’s the one who broke into Windymere. Esme says, is she? Ava despises her. Laura says, she’s not doing this for Ava. She’s doing it for herself. Come, sit. Esme sits down, and Laura says, she’s taking responsibility for her own actions right now, and Laura knows that seems daunting, but once she’s told the truth, she’s going to feel so much better. Esme says, not if Ava demands her head, when Dante comes in with Ava.

Gregory goes to Alexis’s office and asks if she’s busy. Dumb question. She’s always busy. He doesn’t want to bother her. She says, he’s not bothering her, and flashes back to their kiss after the airplane jump. She says, actually, she’s really glad he’s here.

Dr. Martel tells Curtis that he’s a great candidate for the surgery. He’s glad Portia submitted him. He’s been stabilized to the point of no movement or sensation in his legs and he has seven centimeters of healthy spinal cord below the injury. Portia says she’s been meaning to ask, how many patients have undergone the surgery at this point? The doctor says, as she knows, it’s still in clinical trials, and she says, yes, but how many operations have they had since Curtis signed up? He says, they’ve had 25 operations so far, and she asks, how many were successful? He says, three, so far.

In the waiting room, TJ says, Portia was lucky to get Curtis into that trial, and Stella says, yeah, but it’s only been six months since he’s been shot. He’s still healing, physically and emotionally. What if the procedure doesn’t work? Marshall says, what if it does? They need to stay positive for Curtis. She says, it’s Curtis she’s thinking about. Do they remember how depressed he was when he heard about his prognosis? She just hates to see him fall back into that. Marshall says, the man is about to go under the knife. This is not the time for doubt. If she can’t be all in, then don’t be here at all. He gets up, says, excuse me, and walks away.

Gregory asks why Alexis is glad to see him. Aside from his editorial wizardry and sparkling personality, of course (🍷). She says, because she wanted to show him these, and picks up a stack of photos. She says, look at this… look at us… look at me. They’re jumping out of a plane. He says he saw the photos. He didn’t feel the need to print them out. They’re not exactly flattering… of him. Of her, she looks fantastic. She says, nice save. She has a thought. Hear her out. She says, they get certified and learn to jump solo. That way they can jump without having somebody strapped to their back. Is he in? He says, as tempting as that is, he’s going to have to pass. He did it once, and he’s got more on his list. But he really appreciates her diving into the blue, or the proverbial twilight as it is. She says, it was a pleasure actually, and he says, on that note, he thinks they need to talk about what happened on the tarmac. She says, the kiss. Right. She was wondering if he’d bring that up. He says, how could he not? It’s all he could think about.

Laura thanks Ava for coming. It would mean a lot to both of them if Ava could just hear Esme out. They’re hoping to come to some sort of an agreement instead of going before a judge. Ava says, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, and sits down. If Esme has a tale to tell, she’s more than willing to listen. But for Esme’s sake, it better be convincing.

Brining some coffee to a table, Carly asks how Sonny knew she was here. Did he go by the house first? He says, no, just the opposite. He thought he’d check here first. He saw that Kelly’s was closed, but the light was on, so he figured she’d be here. She says she thought of opening up, but she couldn’t do it. Not before the memorial service. He says, if there’s anything she needs, anything he can do for her, don’t hesitate. She says, Drew is taking care of a lot. Lucas is helping him. Sonny asks, how are the kids? and she says, Michael and Josslyn are heartbroken. They’re doing the best they can. She hasn’t told Donna and Avery. He says, Bobbie was wonderful to those girls, and she says, they used to have sleepovers and make breakfast. How is she going to tell them Bobbie’s gone?

TJ asks if Marshall is okay, and Marshall says he had no right to lose his temper like that. He’s got to apologize to Stella. TJ says, without a doubt, but first, why doesn’t Marhsall tell him what’s going on? Marshall says he’s a hypocrite. Stella was just saying all the things he’s been trying not to say. TJ says, but? and Marshall says he’s terrified. All he can think about is the last time Curtis was on that operating table and his heart stopped. What if something else goes wrong? He’d rather have his son in a wheelchair than not have his son at all.

Stella tells Trina that she shouldn’t have been so negative. If Curtis and Portia are okay with this procedure, who is she to second guess them? She’s here; her role is to be supportive. That’s what family’s for. Curtis is going to have that surgery and they’re going to be here when he comes out and when he wakes up and see him through his recovery. No matter what the outcome. She asks, what’s going on with Trina? and Trina says she did something terrible.

Dr. Martel says, as they know, three of his patients have had great success with therapy. Of course (🍷) he has to be clear; he makes no assurances. Portia says, he’s preparing them for the possibility it might not work, and the doctor says, and preparing them that there might be a risk of complications. He wanted to review the medical liability waiver; it details the risks. Complications, and continuation of paralysis, infection, leakage of spinal fluids… Curtis says, they went over all the risks in their consultation. They’re fully aware and they signed all the paperwork. Dr. Martel says he’ll give them a few minutes, but if Portia is having second thoughts, now’s the time to voice them. He leaves, and Curtis looks at Portia.

Sonny says, Carly doesn’t have to talk to the girls alone. She was there when they had to tell Avery about his dad. Donna was too little to remember, but Avery knew Mike. Carly says, she was crazy about him, and he says, it was a hard conversation, but Carly was here for him, he’s going to be there for her. The girls are resilient, and they’re going to be okay. He’s just concerned about her. How is she doing? She says, it’s her mom. It hurts and she can’t breathe. She came here because she wanted to be closer to her. She misses her so much. She cries, and he says he gets it. Bobbie was a force of nature. They both laugh, and he says, she wasn’t always his biggest fan, but she was fair-minded, and she welcomed everybody who came into Kelly’s. She says, Bobbie liked him. (News to me.) She liked him because he was friends with Luke and was his occasional business partner. So that got him into her good graces. He says, she didn’t want Carly to be with him, and Carly says, she didn’t want her daughter near the danger that came with him. And she didn’t like how volatile they were together, and she didn’t want to see her daughter hurt, but Carly ran straight toward him. He says he thinks more so that Bobbie wanted her daughter to have a happy life, and she didn’t think Carly would have a happy life with him.

TJ tells Marshall, Curtis suffered a cardiac event during emergency surgery. The surgical team had to go in and remove the blood from Curtis’s spine as quickly as they could, so he was barely stabilized. This elective surgery is entirely different. It’s planned with a highly specialized team. There’s no comparison and way less risk. Marshall says, but there’s still risk, right?

Stella says, Paris? and Trina says, yes. She submitted herself on a whim, and Spencer convinced her to go. Actually, he’s coming with her. Stella says, oh, obviously not thrilled, and Trina says, and she’s always wanted to study at the Sorbonne. Stella asks if she can defer it, and Trina says, she could ask, but she’s not optimistic. And next year will be her senior year, so she has to be at PCU for her final year. So that’s what’s happening with her. Stella says she understands. Trina has a hard choice to make. How can Trina possibly run off to Paris when part of her is saying she needs to stay here and help Curtis through his recovery? But she knows what she would do.

Alexis says, the kiss. They could chalk it up to a lot of adrenaline, a lot of exuberance… It surprised her. She certainly wasn’t expecting that to happen. He says, neither was he. Not to say he hadn’t thought about it before. She’s an engaging and intelligent woman. She keeps him honest and on his toes. She holds him to a higher standard and makes him want to reach it. Not to mention, she’s extremely easy on the eyes. She says she’s flattered. He certainly keeps his cards close to the vest. She never would have guessed that. So what comes next? He says, an apology.

Gregory says he doesn’t know what he was thinking. He never should have kissed her. Alexis tells him, like she said, the adrenaline rush, right? They don’t have to make it more than that. He says, she’s getting defensive, but she says she’s not… Maybe she is defensive, but he’s the one standing there apologizing for a kiss, that she reciprocated by the way. It’s not like he dragged her to the cave by her hair. He says, hers was a sympathy kiss, and she asks if that’s what he thinks. He asks if she would have gone skydiving if he wasn’t sick, and she says, probably not. He says, neither would he. Ten years ago, it never would have crossed his mind. He did it now because now is his last chance. He won’t be around in ten years; maybe not even in five. Which brings him to that kiss. Would she have kissed him back if she didn’t know he was running out of time? She says, that’s impossible to answer. She can’t unknow what she knows, and she can’t tell him her feelings under hypothetical circumstances. He has ALS and that directly led to them jumping out of a plane, which led directly to that kiss. He says he never should have put her in that position. He really hopes she can forgive him.

Curtis says he gets the feeling Portia wants to call it off. Does she? She says she can’t be the one who decides whether or not he has this surgery. Ultimately, this is his decision. He says, they make their decisions together, hence, they both have input. What’s hers? She says she doesn’t want to burden him… but he says, the burden is knowing she’s holding back. He wants to know what she’s thinking. She says, up until now, she’s been looking at this like a clinician, and as a doctor, she would have no problem recommending this surgery because it has the best outcome for a recovery. But now she’s not looking at this as a doctor. She’s looking at it as his wife. As his wife, she’s scared.

TJ tells Marshall, bottom line, Curtis is strong-willed and determined, so if he wants to walk again, and he’s willing to do the hard work of rehabilitation, he thinks Curtis deserves that chance. Marshall says he’ll still breathe a lot easier when Curtis is out of surgery, and TJ says, they all will. They hug, and Marshall says he guesses he’d better get started on that apology. TJ asks if everything is all right between Marshall and Aunt Stella, and Marshall flashes back to them almost kissing. He tells TJ, they’re fine. Just suffering from nerves, that’s all. Plain and simple. TJ looks like he’s not buying it.

Trina tells Stella that she knows family comes first. She knows she can go to Paris some other time. Stella asks if those words came out of her mouth, and Trina says, no. Stella says, exactly. Go to Paris. They’ll be fine. She’s been where Trina is. She gave up a lot to raise Thomas and Curtis when they were kids, but stepping in then was the right thing to do. No regrets, but she’ll always wonder what might have been had she had the freedom to go after her dreams and ambitions. Trina asks if it wouldn’t be selfish of her if she didn’t make the same sacrifice, but Stella says, these are very different circumstances. At the time, she was all Irene had. There were other relatives around, but nobody knew those boys like she did. That was her choice, but now it’s different with Curtis. First of all, he’s a grown man and he’s got a lot of family around him – Marshall, Portia, TJ, her. We got this, girl. She better go to Paris and have a wonderful, life-changing experience. They hug.

Esme tells Ava, all she knows is that last Christmas, she was pregnant and locked in the tower by Ace’s father. She couldn’t even remember that. Suddenly, she was desperate to get her memories back, and she thought if she went to Windymere, she might remember something, and if she did, it might unlock another memory. At some point in her life when she wasn’t so alone. When there was someone who cared for her, loved her. She wasn’t thinking straight, but she thought if she returned to Windymere, she might get something back. But it wasn’t right, and she so sorry for invading Ava’s space. Dante wonders why she just didn’t ask Ava if she could have access to Windymere, and Esme says, considering what she knows of their history, she didn’t think Ava would allow it, especially if Ava thought she was trying to remember her past. Ava asks if that’s what Esme wants, to return to form, but Esme says, no. She heard more than enough about the kind of person she used to be. But all she wants is to be the best mom she can be to Ace and be worthy of everyone’s trust. Laura says, and in addition to proving she’s a reliable and good mother, she’s also taken a job. She’s working at The Invader now for Alexis Davis. Ava says, so, did breaking into her home achieve the desired result? Did she remember? Laura says, just tell the truth, and Esme says she still doesn’t know who she is. She’s just as lost as ever.

Carly says, she and her mother went back and forth about Sonny so many times over the years, but her mind was made up and Bobbie accepted it. And she accepted him. He says, with a raised eyebrow and a sharp tongue, and Carly laughs and says, all the time. She welcomed him into the family and how could she not? He’s the father of her grandchildren. She loved them fiercely, so how could she not love him? Sonny says he cared about her. He never wanted to let her down. Carly says, every time they got divorced, she never once said, I told you so. She was the most sensitive and open-minded person Carly ever met. She was always willing to change her mind about someone. He says, she accepted people for who they were. She never tried to make someone who they weren’t. That’s why she was so loved. It’s harder to accept certain people than other people, but he’s sure she was very relieved when Carly and Drew got together. Carly says, Bobbie was happy for her. Thank God Drew showed up when he did, because it was a really bad night, especially when… he says, Nina showed up.

Carly gets up and goes behind the counter, and Sonny says he figures she doesn’t want to talk about Nina. She says she doesn’t, but does he need to talk about Nina? He says, no, and she says she realizes the two of them weren’t the only ones hurt by Nina’s actions. What she did affects Sonny, and Carly meant what she said on New Year’s Eve. She wants him to be happy and she’s sorry if he’s not. He says, that right there is Bobbie all over again.

Marshall tells Stella that he’s ashamed of himself. He never should have yelled at her the way he did. He apologizes sincerely. She was just saying out loud all the things he’s been trying to sit on. He was way out of line. Stella says, apology accepted, and he thanks her. She says, people say funny things when they’re scared. Lord knows she’s butted in when she shouldn’t have and withheld information when she shouldn’t have. Sometimes it’s hard to know just what to say in the moment. He says he’s glad they could get back together again. But is it him, or did something spark between them Christmas Eve? He feels like they’ve both been trying to avoid the subject. She says she doesn’t know what he means, but he says, come on. Just tell him one way or the other.

Alexis says, it means a lot to her that Gregory is concerned about her feelings, but – and she really means this honestly – there’s nothing to forgive. She was so grateful that he made her jump out of that plane. It was the most exhilarating, terrifying moment of her life. And the kiss wasn’t bad either. He says he’s glad to hear it. He’d hate to feel like he misled her. He remembers how they struggled when he wasn’t completely honest with her about his health, and she felt deceived by him. She says she doesn’t know if he knows this about her, but she has a tendency sometimes to overreact. Those runaway feelings she has get the best of her. He says he actually admires that about her. When she cares about someone, she cares deeply. And even though they were at odds for a little bit, he realized she was his friend, a truly good friend. That’s why he hopes they can stay where they are. Too much in his life keeps changing. He needs her to be his constant, his friend.

Curtis says, after he was shot, he shut Portia out. He made a big mistake. He promised he would never do that again. So if she doesn’t want him to have this procedure, then that’s it, he won’t. They’ll keep on keepin’ on and go back to their wonderful lives. She says, what about New Year’s Eve? Sweeping her off her feet. He says he’ll think of something. He was… never mind. She says, no. She wants to know. This honesty thing goes both ways. He says he was thinking, this treatment is experimental. Even if, God Forbid, it doesn’t go his way, maybe Dr. Martel can take that information and help the next person after him to walk. But that person’s not in this room right now, and all he cares about is her, and Trina, Aunt Stella, and his dad, and TJ. She says, so this room and the hallway, and he says, exactly. Does she want to help him get dressed? Let’s go home. Dr. Martel comes back and asks how they’re doing. The OR is ready, the team is waiting, and the orderlies are ready to take him. Curtis thanks him, and says, but he and his beautiful wife have decided not… Portia says, not to wait another moment. Her husband’s ready – she looks at Curtis – and so is she.

Esme tells Ava that she’s taken responsibility for her actions and she’s willing to face the consequences, but please do not separate her from her son. Laura says, it would mean a lot to both of them. They’re both hoping she’d be willing to just drop the charges. Maybe they could work something out, make some kind of arrangement where Esme does community service. Ava asks Dante, what’s the average sentence for breaking and entering? but Dante says he doesn’t know. There’re things you’ve got to take into account, like the nature of the crime or any priors. Esme broke in, yes, but she didn’t steal anything, she didn’t have a weapon, she didn’t hurt anybody, she came forward and confessed, and she seems to be showing remorse. Ava says, so they’re talking really less than a year, right? She bets Esme could do that kind of time standing on her head. She’d like to press charges. We’re all shocked, and I’m also disappointed, and Laura says, she confessed. She turned herself in. Ava says she’s sure Laura had a lot to do with that, and Esme tells Ava that she said she was sorry. Ava says, maybe Esme had a hard Christmas. Maybe a little depressed about her unremembered life. Well, she really doesn’t care. Esme is still the girl who drugged Trina Robinson. She filmed and posted revenge porn of Josslyn Jax and Cameron Webber and she never paid for any of it. As far as she’s concerned, a slap on the wrist isn’t nearly enough. But it’s a start. Ava walks out.

Sonny says, there’s a lot of Bobbie in Carly, especially as a mother, and Carly says, it’s crazy, right? Bobbie didn’t raise her. They had to work so hard to build their relationship. He says, they came a long way. He probably should have said this a long time ago and he’s sorry that he didn’t, but he owes her and Bobbie. He saw how hard Carly worked for Bobbie’s forgiveness, and then in the end, they had this beautiful relationship. And if he hadn’t witnessed that, there’s no way he could have been there for his dad. So she and Bobbie showed him this was possible. She says she’s so glad he made peace with Mike. He’s such a good son. Hopefully Mike is welcoming her mom right now. He says, she knows how much his dad loved the ladies, and they laugh. He just wishes he could have thanked her mom while he had the chance. But tonight in his prayers, he’ll thank her.

Curtis is wheeled out on a gurney, and he asks if Portia is sure about this. She says she is. Is he? The family gathers around, and Trina says she loves him. They’re all pulling for him. Marshall says, she’s speaking for all of them. They’re all going to be pulling for him. Stella says, and praying. Do good, you hear? Curtis says, yes, ma’am. Would they all do him a favor and look after his beautiful wife? Reassure her that he’s going to be okay. TJ says, will do, and Marshall says, he’s going to be fine. Portia says she loves him, and he says he loves her more. They kiss, the elevator doors open, and Curtis is wheeled inside.

Laura follows Ava into the squad room, and says, wait a minute. She just wants to understand. Ava says she thought she made herself perfectly clear, but Laura says she thinks she saw Ava go out of her way to see that Esme would receive a light sentence. Why did she do that? Ava says she’s not completely heartless, but Trina did suffer at the hands of that girl. She was charged and tried for a crime she did not commit. So it does not seem out of line that Esme be punished for a crime she admits she did. Maybe Esme doing a short stint in the hoosegow is a small comfort in the grand scheme of things, but it’s something. Laura says, she’s got a baby, and Ava says, a baby who is well-loved and has a family eager to care for him. Laura has a generous heart, but trust her. A leopard does not change her spots. And neither does that Esme. She leaves.

Dante handcuffs Esme and asks if she understands these rights as he’s explained them to her. She says, yes, but Laura said they’d let her go. he leads her out, and as they pass Laura, Esme cries and says, she said that they’d let her go. Dante takes her away as she cries, and Laura starts to cry.

Alexis says she’ll always be Gregory’s friend and he thanks her. He says, in that case, he’ll leave her to her work. That sky was incredible, wasn’t it? Diving into twilight. He walks toward the door, and she says, you know, you’re a poet at heart. You should really try your hand at that. He asks, what makes her think he hasn’t? And she really should try skydiving solo. He’ll cheer her on. He says, goodnight, and leaves.

In the OR, Dr. Martel says, okay, people. This is where they give this man a chance to walk. Curtis lies on his side under anesthesia.

Carly thanks Sonny for stopping by. She really needed it. He says, get her coat, he’ll drive her home, but she says, that’s okay. She’s going to stay a while longer. He tells her, if she needs anything, like he said, all she has to do is call. She asks, what happened to his hand? and he says he just lost his temper. She asks if it helped, and he says, no. She says, sometimes it never does. And sometimes, someone shows up who knows you and understands you and makes you feel a little less alone, and that’s what he did for her tonight. She thanks him, and he puts his hand on hers. He says, take care, and walks to the door. She says, get home safe, and he says, her too. And Kelly’s looks great. Bobbie would have been very proud of her. Don’t forget to lock up. She says, yeah, and he leaves.

Carly locks the door and says, I love you, mom.

Tomorrow, the weepfest that is Bobbie’s memorial; Tracy suggests a truce with Lucy for Bobbie; and Carly says, the world’s a very different place without Bobbie.

🏆 Bringing In the Globes…

Just the basics.

https://ew.com/golden-globes-2024-winners-full-list-8423211

Everything you didn’t know you wanted to know.

The fashion. Best, worst, and good Lord, what is that?

https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/golden-globes-2024-fashion-live-from-the-red-carpet

🌧 Stormy Weather…

Signing off early tonight due to inclement weather. Join me tomorrow when the skies have cleared for soap and the endless season of RHOBH. Until then, stay safe, stay using your phone less and personally engaging more, and stay willing to change your mind about someone. Accept people for who they are and don’t try to make them who they’re not.

January 8, 2023 – Felicia Reveals the Results Of the DNA Test, More Gay Fun Less Hotel On Deck & City

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly is in Kelly’s by herself, remembering Bobbie. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, we’re closed, but the knocking continues. She opens the door, and Elizabeth is there.

Felicia tells Cody that she knows it wasn’t right and she definitely crossed the line, and Maxie says, she didn’t just cross it. She ran over it and torched it behind her. Cody asks how she could do this, and she says she’s been noticing his reactions to certain situations and thought something was off. He says, literally how? He never gave her a sample. She says, he didn’t have to. She took a few strands of hair the hairstylist used on him at Home & Heart. Maxie says, that was such a violation. How could she do that? Cody says, it looks like deception runs in the family.

On the phone in an unidentified restaurant, Lucy says she realizes they’re out of season, but it’s very, very important they find them… Because a friend of hers passed away and those were her favorite flowers. It would just mean everything to her if they could find them… She appreciates it and thanks them for trying. She tells Scotty that she’s really not trying to be difficult. She’s just wants to show proper respects. He says, she’s got his.

At the PC Grill, Brook tells Tracy that the results of the new face cream are incredible. These numbers are exciting. Tracy says, good, but she’s clearly not paying attention and Brook says, it’s understandable she’s distracted today. She knows this is a hard time for Tracy, losing Bobbie so soon after Luke. Tracy says, yet more proof that life can change in the blink of an eye, and Brook suggests they do this another time. They can reschedule. Tracy sees Martin walk in and says, no need.

Willow walks into Sonny’s old kitchen and hugs Josslyn, saying, sorry about Bobbie. We’re never ready to lose the people we love. Josslyn thanks her, and Willow asks if she needs anything or if she can do anything, but Josslyn says, no. She’s just glad Willow is here. Willow sees Michael, and the moss bowl🎍turns its back to him.

Dante goes into the interrogation room, telling the officer that he can take it from here. The officer leaves, and Sonny says he appreciates Dante coming in to ask him questions, but Dante knows he doesn’t talk to cops. Dante takes Sonny’s cuffs off, and Sonny asks if they’re doing this off the record. Dante says, this isn’t about the assault on Cyrus. Bobbie Spencer died.

Elizabeth says she knows this is a difficult time for Carly, and she probably wants to be alone, but she heard about Carly’s mom. She’s really sorry for Carly’s loss. Carly thanks her, but says, they’re closed, and Elizabeth says she knows. She doesn’t want to eat. She just wanted to be here to feel closer to Bobbie. She doesn’t want to intrude, but if there’s anything she can do for Carly or her family, please don’t hesitate to ask. She loved Carly’s mom. She starts to leave, but Carly asks if she wants to come in for a cup of coffee. Elizabeth says she’d love that, and they go inside.

Tracy says, Martin was supposed to be here with Lucy, and Brook says, Tracy invited Lucy and Martin to their business lunch? She must be a glutton for punishment. Tracy says she has to take care of something, and gets up. Brook tells her to ask him to join them, and Tracy goes over to Martin’s table. She asks, where’s his worst half? and he’s like, say what? She says, Lucy’s assistant said she was going to have a lunch date with him, yet here he is all by himself. She knows Lucy didn’t blow him off for work because she’s not at the office. Where is she? He asks if she’s aware that Bobbie Spencer passed away, and she says, yes, she is. Bobbie was her sister-in-law. He says, then it shouldn’t exactly be hard for her to comprehend why Lucy’s not in the mood for a lunch date. She says, Lucy and Bobbie had a feud for decades, and he says, it’s true they had a complicated relationship, but the truth is, Bobbie’s death has hit Lucy very hard. As a matter of fact, if she must know, Lucy and Scotty are together right now. They’re planning something for Bobbie’s memorial. Tracy laughs and says, those two together? Nothing good’s going to come from that.

Scotty says he wants to do everything in his power to honor Bobbie, but shrubbery’s not exactly his expertise, and Lucy says she knows. She’s not a florist, but the floral presentation at Bobbie’s memorial needs to be big and epic and beautiful to honor her life. She’s just so afraid that Bobbie’s flowers aren’t in season. What if they can’t find them? He says, she will. He’s seen her work magic before, and he wouldn’t want to bet against her, but he does admire her for doing this. She and Bobbie weren’t exactly copacetic. Lucy says, he’s right. They definitely had their issues. He tells her that he’d say so. Lucy was willing to get in trouble because she thought Bobbie wasn’t doing the Nurses Ball the way she wanted it done. She says, it’s just that she thought she could do it better, that she could raise more money. She and Bobbie did fight a lot, but somehow, she has this feeling that deep down there was mutual respect, and now they’ve run out of time. She’s not going to be able to make it right with Bobbie, and she’s going to regret that for the rest of her life. He says he feels the same way she does.

Sonny thanks Dante for telling him about Bobbie, and Dante asks if that’s all he’s got to say. Sonny says, until his attorney is present, and Dante says, come on. Sonny and Bobbie were friends for decades. That’s got to hurt. Sonny says he wasn’t expecting it, and Dante sits down. He says he heard and didn’t want to not tell Sonny with everything going on with Nina. He just wants Sonny to know he’s here for him, okay? Sonny says, really? and Dante asks if Sonny doesn’t believe him. Sonny says, Dante had him arrested, and Dante says, sometimes he’s a cop, but he’s Sonny’s son 24/7, and what he’s seeing right now as his son, kind of scares the hell out of him.

Felicia tells Cody that she’s not going to apologize for looking out for her husband. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do for her family, and she just had to know if her suspicions were correct. He says he gets it. She just wanted Mac to know the truth, but Mac’s not the only person involved here. Sasha comes in and asks if she’s interrupting, and Maxie says she doesn’t mean to be rude, but they’re in the middle of something sensitive. Cody says, that’s okay. He and Sasha have actually talked about Felicia questioning the DNA results, and Maxie says, they discussed this before? Sasha says, don’t blame Cody. She actually brought it up. After what Maxie’s mom said on Christmas Eve, she just sort of mentioned it without thinking. She figured it didn’t matter since they all knew the truth. Cody says, Felicia actually just ran another DNA test to see if he was Mac’s son, and Sasha says, oh, wow. Okay. So that’s what’s going on here. If Felicia ran her own test, then she knows for sure Cody wasn’t lying. Felicia says she does. She really thought there was something else going on here, but she guesses her instincts were wrong this time. Cody is not Mac’s son.

Maxie says, of course (🍷) Cody isn’t Mac’s son, and she can’t believe Felicia thought he was, especially after the first DNA test. Felicia says she hopes Cody can forgive her, and he says, there’s just one thing he doesn’t understand. No one had to know about this if she’d just kept quiet, so why did she tell him? Felicia says, because it’s the right thing to do. He’s important to her family, and that means a lot to her. She doesn’t want there to be any secrets between them. She can admit when she’s done something wrong, and she doesn’t repeat her mistakes… Well, not often. He says he appreciates that. He knows telling him couldn’t have been easy, so they’re good. Maxie says, change of plans. She’s going to take the afternoon off and spend time with her mom. She thinks they could both use it. Felicia says she’d love that, and Maxie says, great. Let’s get out of here. She’ll call Sasha to reschedule. Maxie leaves with Felicia, and Cody asks, what the hell just happened?

Carly says she can make Elizabeth a BLT, or she thinks they have some pastries… Elizabeth says, Carly doesn’t need to take care of her. She’s going through a lot right now. She knows they’ve never been close – it’s probably easier that way – but if Carly needs to talk or just cry, she’s here for her. Carly thanks her and says she really appreciates that. She thinks she could use one of those pastries. Carly goes in the back to find something to help her eat her feelings, and she says, what? Dammit!

Sonny says, Dante doesn’t have to worry about him, but Dante says he disagrees. Sonny’s looking pretty rough. Maybe he just hit his breaking point with everything that’s going on. Sonny says he’s fine, but Dante says, he’s not. If he was, he wouldn’t have beaten someone up for no reason, even Cyrus Renault. Sonny says he appreciates Dante’s concern, but they both know he can’t separate being a cop from being his son. He doesn’t expect Dante to. Diane walks in and asks for a moment alone with her client, and Dante says, absolutely. He’ll be out there if they need him. He leaves, and Diane says, the arrest report says second degree assault. She’s just going to assume it was self-defense. Sonny says, no. Cyrus never raised a hand to him.

Willow asks how Josslyn is holding up, and Josslyn says, she’s okay… She means, not. She just misses Bobbie so much already. Willow says she knows, taking Josslyn’s hand. Losing Bobbie was just so unexpected. Michael says, thankfully, they have each other to lean on, and Willow agrees. She asks if Carly is here. She’d like to offer her condolences. Michael says, she’s at Kelly’s. She just needed some time alone. They’re all pretty much in shock. Josslyn says, mom’s devastated, and Willow says, of course (🍷) she is. Her heart breaks for Carly. Josslyn says she’s going to check on Avery and Donna, and leaves. Michael says, it’s good to see Willow, and she asks why he didn’t call her last night. She would’ve come over. He says, she’s here now, and she hugs him. She says she’s so sorry. She loved Bobbie too.

Sasha closes the door and tells Cody that she knew something was off when Felicia showed up at Home & Heart for no reason. Even Maxie was suspicious. And the way Felicia was watching him. There was just something about it that made her curious. So she followed Felicia and saw her taking hair out of the hairbrush they’d been using on him. So she figured Felicia was going to run another paternity test on him and Mac. He says, wow. The PCPD could use a detective as good as her. She says she didn’t actually know she was right until she saw Felicia telling a messenger to take an envelope to the lab. Fortunately, she was able to swap out the hair sample. He says, with whose hair? and she says, hers. He says, right. So he guesses she knew the results would come back negative. (Oh, okay. He’s not going to ask just how she swapped out the samples? Did she mug the messenger?) She says, or she was about to get the biggest surprise of her life, and he says he appreciates her going through all that trouble for him, but she really shouldn’t have done it. She asks, why not? She thought he was dead set about the truth of him being Mac’s son coming out. He says he ia, because he committed a crime, and she just implicated herself in it.

Martin says, the thought occurs, he shouldn’t have to abide Tracy’s continually snide comments about the woman he loves. Tracy sits down and tells him not to tie himself in a knot defending Lucy Coe. She has chosen to take solace from Scott Baldwin. He says he means it. Just because they don’t get along doesn’t mean she has to grab every single opportunity to tear Lucy down when she should be grieving. Tracy asks if Lucy has chosen to share her feelings about Bobbie’s passing with him, and he says, that doesn’t mean anything. She’s obviously processing an unexpected loss. She says, or Lucy doesn’t want him to see her real self. She doesn’t want to let him in, because if he knew the real sordid story about what Lucy did to Bobbie, he’d run for the hills. But there is one person who knows Lucy Coe, warts and all, and through every despicable act has stood by her. That’s Scott Baldwin.

Lucy says, reliving that horrible, horrible, horrible bet she made with Damien Smith, it not only hurt Bobbie, but it hurt Tony too, poor sweet Tony. And she deserved all the anger. She just had no respect for their marriage, but if she could take it back, she sure as heck would. He says, what a pair they were, and she says she doesn’t want to speak ill of the dead, but Bobbie was no saint all the time. People forget, but not always. He says, she would be the first one to admit that. When Bobbie brought her brother to this town, his life definitely changed. Lucy says she doesn’t want to judge Bobbie, because she’s lived her life in the grey area morally speaking – she can’t seem to help it – but Bobbie made mistakes too. But that’s the difference. Somehow, people forgave her and she rose above it and they looked up to her. Lucy doesn’t think it’s fair. Why didn’t she ever get that? He says, maybe if she was a nurse, she would have been forgiven… What did he just say? Lucy’s voice breaks as she says, if she tells him something right now, does he swear it will never leave this table? Does he swear? He says he promises, and they lock pinkies.

On the phone, Diane says she appreciates all the information… Absolutely, yes. Please call her if anything changes. She thanks them, and tells Sonny that it’s his lucky day despite being in custody. Cyrus Renault is in guarded, but stable condition. Sonny says, so is he going to make a full recovery? and she says, presumably. She can’t make any promises, but given Cyrus’s history of violence and the fact that he was recently incarcerated, she should be able to get Sonny bail. He thanks her, and she says, he pays her because she’s the best. She’ll go start the paperwork. Once he’s released, they should talk about next steps regarding Nina. Does he want her to start divorce proceedings?

Carly bangs on the sink, and says, stupid sink. She can’t believe this. It picks today of all days to do this again? Elizabeth comes in and asks, what’s the problem? Carly says, this sink. It keeps backing up and no matter what she does, she can’t fix it. It’s just infuriating. Elizabeth asks if she has a wrench, and Carly gets one out of a cupboard and gives it to her. Elizabeth says, by the way, it’s not the sink; it’s the pipes. She goes underneath the sink and bangs on the pipe. The water goes down, and Carly asks how she did that. Elizabeth says she used to work here, remember? This sink was always a problem. It used to drive Carly’s mother crazy. Carly starts to cry and says she’s sorry. She knows it might seem small to Elizabeth, but it’s not; it’s big. All she wants is to run Kelly’s so smoothly that it will make her mom proud and not let her down. Elizabeth says, Carly couldn’t. She was everything to her mom. Carly thanks her.

Michale asks how the kids are, and Willow says, they’re fine. He asks if she told them, but she says, no. Not without him there. She thinks that’s something they should do together. He says he agrees, and the moss bowl🎍agrees with his agreement. He hated being away from her last night. He tossed and turned for hours. He missed her being next to him. He knows he messed up and he messed up bad, but he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make things right. She says she wishes it was that simple; she really does. But this has her looking at their relationship with new eyes. He really hurt her.

Cody says, Sasha made herself an accessory after the fact. Why would she put herself in the middle of his mess? She says, seems like a minor risk after what he did for her, and he says, the last thing he wants to do is put her in a bad position, but she says, he didn’t. It was her call and she never hesitated for a second. He thanks her and says he appreciates it, but next time, can she give him a heads up? He was this close to confessing everything to Felicia. She says she admits Felicia surprised her. She had no reason to admit what she did. She must really care about him. He says, yeah, or her family does. He’s grown really attached to them. To James, to Maxie, and to Mac, and he’s lying to all of them. He hates it. She says she knows he does, and he says, Felicia had the guts to tell the truth, but he still doesn’t. She says, it’s more complicated for him than it is for Felicia. She wouldn’t face any legal consequences by telling the truth. (Wait. What? She just had a DNA test done without his knowledge or consent.) He wonders why he let Scotty talk him into that stupid WSB lawsuit. Because he saw the possibility of a big payday, and it ended up costing him a family.

Michael says he wasn’t trying to hurt Willow. Just the opposite. He was trying to prevent her from being hurt. She say she understands why he did it, but she’s not okay with him lying to her, even if it’s a lie of omission. He says he’s sorry, and she says she knows he is, and this is the worst possible time for this to happen. His grandmother just died and that’s where his focus is, where it should be, but even though she’s going to be here to support his family during this difficult time… He says, she needs space, and she says, yes. But she’s going to bring the kids over after she gets off work. She’ll see him then. She leaves and Josslyn comes back. He asks how much she heard, and she says, enough to know he messed up bad. What did he do? He says he found out that Nina reported mom and Drew to the SEC, and he kept it from everyone.

Sonny tells Diane, right now, he just wants to get out of here. His family just suffered a big loss. Bobbie just passed away. Diane says she heard about that; all of her condolences. But they’ve got to discuss the Nina of it all. He says he understands, but she’s not a priority right now. His children just lost their grandmother and Carly just lost her mother… She says she’s got it. She’s going to see about getting him released. She leaves.

Carly says, it’s funny. She always knew Elizabeth worked with her mom at GH, but she forgot Elizabeth used to work here (me too). Elizabeth says, it was so long ago. She’s known Carly’s mom for as long as she’s been in Port Charles. Bobbie was there for her in one of the darkest moments of her life. She honestly doesn’t know if she would have been able to get through it if it weren’t for Bobbie. Bobbie understood exactly what she was going through, and she definitely needed that. She was so steady and gentle, and so compassionate. Carly’s mom and this place became kind of a refuge for her. She was safe here, and she owes Bobbie so much for that. She thinks that’s why she wanted to be here right now. Because when everything in her life was falling apart, she knew she could always count on Bobbie. She thinks she just wanted to feel that security again.

Carly says she thinks being a nurse was the perfect job for her mom. No one was better at taking care of people. Elizabeth says, Bobbie showed her how to treat others. She’s always tried to put that into practice at GH. Pay it forward for her. Carly thanks her, and Elizabeth says, her mom may be gone, but she left an incredible legacy, and that’s how she’s going to live on. Not just in the hearts of her family, but in everyone who strived to bring a little compassion and kindness back into this world. Carly thanks Elizabeth for talking to her about her mom, because it’s exactly what she needed. She thanks Elizabeth for being her friend and staying. It’s what her mom would have done. They hug and Elizabeth leaves.

At the cemetery, Maxie tells Felicia that she’s glad they decided to come here today. Felicia says, her too, and puts flowers on BJ’s grave, touching the headstone. She says, say hello to your mom, sweet girl, and takes Maxie’s hand. She says she sure misses Bobbie, and BJ.

Josslyn asks, why make a deal with Nina? and Michael says, because when he went to tell dad the truth, he couldn’t go through with it. He was so happy and so in love. If he would have found out Nina turned Drew and mom into the SEC, it would have broken his heart. The same with Willow. Every single time Willow let Nina in, Nina disappointed her or worse. He thought he was protecting his family from Nina. She says, at their mother’s expense? and he says, that’s easy for her to say. She’s not in his position. Does he regret lying to mom? Yes, he does, but he didn’t have any good choice here. She says, telling the truth would have been a good one, and he asks if she’s ever lied to protect someone she loves.

Diane says, Sonny is a free man. Cyrus Renault being a convicted felon worked in their favor and she was able to secure his bail. So go home, deal with what he needs to deal with, then call her. They’ll circle back to their previous conversation and discuss next steps. Sonny says, okay,and thanks her. Dante comes in and closes the door. Sonny says he just wants Dante to know that he heard every word Dante said before and he appreciates it. Dante says he understands why Sonny didn’t want to talk to him before. He didn’t want to arrest Sonny. Sonny says, Dante was doing his job; he’s a cop. He wants Dante to know he’s also his son and he loves him. Dante says he loves Sonny too, and if Sonny wants to talk, he’s literally down the hall. Sonny says, he can count on it.

Lucy tells Scotty that she can’t believe she never realized she was jealous of Bobbie. That’s why Bobbie always got under her skin. She was able to break out from her past and redeem her reputation, and people looked up to her for that. And she resented Bobbie for that. Bobbie had what she wanted. Bobbie had everyone’s respect and the admiration she craved. What’s funny is, in the end, maybe she and Bobbie weren’t so different after all. If she could have just gotten over all her jealousy and pettiness, maybe they would have ended up being friends. He says, if she was here and Lucy told her that… Lucy says, Bobbie would probably laugh in her face, but he says he doesn’t think so. He thinks they could have been friends. Bobbie could hold a grudge, but she was also very forgiving. She forgave him time and time and time again. She did not deserve all the things he did to her. Lucy says she feels the same way, and she cries. Scotty hands her a napkin, and their hands touch.

Tracy tells Martin, Lucy Coe is just one step away from her next misdeed. And for as long as she can remember, Scotty has always been her go-to guy. Does he want to be collateral damage? Be her guest. Just don’t ever say she didn’t warn him. She goes back to her table, and Brook asks what that was all about. Or does she even want to know? Tracy says, Lucy and Scotty are trying to put one over on her, but they’ve clearly forgotten who she is. Once you cross her, she destroys you.

Carly flashes back to Bobbie telling her, just like when Aunt Ruby died, they’ll get through Luke’s death together. She looks around Kelly’s and sighs.

Josslyn says she doesn’t agree Michael’s decision, but she’s not going to fight with him. She can’t be mad at him now that grandma’s gone. She needs him. He says, the most important thing now is that their family sticks together, and they hug. He says, they’ll get each other through this.

Diane tells Dante to please look after his father. Without breaking attorney/client privilege… He says he’s got it.

Sasha says, Cody is in this position now because there are people in his life he cares about, that he doesn’t want to hurt. He says, she’s right. He guesses he’s not used to people sticking their necks out for him like she did. She says she guesses he’s just going to have to face the fact he’s not alone in the world anymore, and he says he has a partner in crime now.

Maxie tells Felicia that she misses Bobbie so much. At least they know she’s with BJ now. It’s a small comfort, but it helps. She wasn’t ready to lose Bobbie yet. It hurts so much. Felicia says she knows, and hugs Maxie. She says, at least they have memories of her and that gets them through, and they have each other. That makes it hurt a little bit less.

Tracy tells Brook that she doesn’t know when Scotty and Lucy concocted this scheme, but clearly, they’re exploiting what they perceive as her loneliness. Brook says, how dare they use her like this? After all those nasty things Lucy said to her about Luke, she can’t believe Lucy would try to use Tracy’s grief to her advantage. Tracy says, anything Lucy does is believable, but she’s going to use their faults against them, and they’ll never see it coming. In fact, they’re going to dig their own graves. Brook says, good. Make them pay for it. She does know how much Tracy misses Luke. She just hopes dealing with this doesn’t distract her from dealing with those feelings. Tracy slides some papers toward herself and asks what they’re working on.

Lucy tells Scotty, oh no, no, no. She forgot to order the forget-me-nots. He says he doesn’t think Bobbie would care about the forget-me-nots, but she says, that’s not the point. The point is, they’re symbolic. They have to honor Bobbie properly, and then they’ve got to get back to doing what they do best. He asks what that means, and she says, it means marrying him off to Tracy Quartermaine and bringing her down. Scotty rubs his forehead, Lucy says, ta, and leaves.

Carly turns out the lights and looks around Kelly’s. She says, oh mom. How am I gonna do this alone? She walks outside and finds Sonny there.

Tomorrow, Curtis tells Portia that he promised he’d never do that again; Alexis asks Greogry, what comes next; and Laura says, Esme has to tell the truth.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Ugh. Back to the old Deck.

Captain Sandy calls Max to the bridge and says she doesn’t like to be lied to. Don’t do it again. He said there was no food and pitched a fit, when there was pasta. Max says he didn’t want pasta, and the captain tells him, then say he doesn’t want it, not that there’s no food. What he did was wrong, and he needs to say he’s sorry. Max says, no, and leaves, and Lara says, he’s a baby. The captain follows Max to the bow and says she understands he’s hungry and tired. Lara wonders if Haleigh is coming back, but Luka says he’s not sure. Max tells the captain that he can’t digest pasta, and she says, he did lie to her. In her interview, she says she doesn’t tolerate lying or insubordination. She would have talked to the chef, and Jack would have been blindsided. Max’s lie affected other people, and that’s not okay. She tells Max that she thinks he’s just frustrated. He has a new schedule, needs food, and she’ll make sure he gets it. Kyle talks to primary Billy and guest Chris, and says, it’s been an interesting ride for him. We flash back to Kyle’s season, and he tells them that he had expectations coming in and thinks that was his downfall. Billy complains about Jack not hearing him on the temperature of the meat. He says, if the chef doesn’t listen, there’s no value in telling him anything, and Kyle says he’ll chat with Jack. In Tumi’s interview, she says, the saving grace with Lily is that she’s reminded Tumi that in being chief stew, she’s in a position to allow people time and space to grow, Max gets food! and in his interview, he says he’s tired and hungry, and become angry. He marvels at how the words hungry and angry are similar, which leads me to believe he’s never heard the word hangry. He says he needs to take a breath and watch cat videos on YouTube. I do like the simplicity of Max.

Tumi tells the guests that they have access to a castle in Genoa for the day, Santa Margherita. In her interview, she says she’s been missing Kyle. His part in this charter was bringing the energy they need. They complement each other. There are charters she’s better at, like the Florida girls, but in dealing with demanding Billy, Kyle has the energy to manage it. Kyle tells Tumi about Billy’s chef complaint, and says he’s not feeling his best, so he’s lying down. Luke tells Captain Sandy that Katie Flood is in Portofino, and the captain asks if he has a crush on her. He’s smiling like it’s a crush; she can tell. In Luka’s interview, he says, the captain doesn’t have a clue, and it’s best for her not to know these things. Tumi asks Luka to meet her, and tells him the plans for going to the castle. Luka radios Max, but Lara says she’ll go. Max is tired and needs to digest his food. In his interview, Max says he was awake at 3 am, then he was fighting for food. In Lara’s interview, she says, Max can go to bed and suck his thumb. She doesn’t want to hear complaining. Lily plays a guessing game with the guests, and Jack tells Tumi that he’s doing classic combinations on small plates for the guests’ Dine in the Dark dinner. Luka teaches Jessika how to drive the tender, and in Jessika’s interview, she says, it’s exciting with Luka. It’s weird. Normally, she likes medium ugly guys because they stick around. In Luka’s interview, he says he’s Max’s boss and he’s been up since 6 am with no break. If he tells Max to do something, do it. The guests go to the castle, and I decide there are just too many stairs in Italy, watching Lily carry a ton of stuff up to the top. In the crew mess, the captain teases Luka about texting his girlfriend, and Luka says, Katie wants to see them. Captain Sandy says she knew it was Katie because of his face. He’s smitten. In her interview, Jessika says, what f***ing girlfriend? and Luka asks, what’s smitten? In Tumi’s interview, she says, the captain has no idea what’s going on. She’s wondering how Luka is going to get himself out of this one.

Luka tries to change the subject by talking about the jet ski, and says, Katie used to go out with one of his mates. Because we’re in kindergarten, Captain Sandy says, Luka likes her, and in her interview, Jessica says, what the f***? over and over. She thinks Luka looks guilty. He’s been making out with her and has a crush on some girl? She’s triggered. Tumi tells Jack, that was awkward, and the guests come back, saying that lunch at the castle was fabulous. The captain checks on Kyle, and asks, how’s his head? He says he’s struggling, and she tells him to let her know if he doesn’t feel better. In Lara’s interview, she says she was a bartender for two years. She and the other bartender would take off their shirts and do body shots and the tips came rolling in, but that won’t work with this group. Lily makes margaritas, which seems fitting. Back on the boat, Luka says, when he tells Max to do something, he has to do it, and Max says he’s exhausted, but Luka says he is too. He doesn’t want to be controlling, but wants Max to give his energy. He can’t complain or go to his room. Max says he just wants five f***ing minutes. It’s physic what he does [sic]. In Max’s interview, he says he doesn’t appreciate Luka talking to him like a child. He picks up the guests and brings them back. They rave over the excursion, saying it was amazing, really cool, and the service was impeccable. Billy tells Tumi that the secret to Dine in the Dark relies on service; they have to explain where things are. The pressure is on Tumi. Tumi says she’s got them. In Jack’s interview, he says, there have got to be strong flavors. You taste first with your eyes. It’s weird, but true. Now he can do what he wants because they can’t see it. In Lily’s interview, she says, Max has a wacky personality. He makes her laugh though. Lara tells Max, stop fornicating and let’s go. Tumi explains to Jessika how they have to direct the guests, and Jessika thinks it’s going to be messy. In Tumi’s interview, she says she’s never done Dine in the Dark. It’s going to be a test of her communication skills.

The first course of oysters mignonette is served, and Tumi gives the guests guidance on where the utensils are. Billy says he doesn’t know what it is, but it’s good. Someone actually guesses accurately, and they take a shot. In Lily’s interview, she says, in a week, she’s gone from rubbish to good. Think of how she’ll be in a year. Jessika tells Lily, Luka is a f***boy, and explains about him texting Katie. She’s not even going to look at him. In Jessika’s interview, she says, all she can think of is, f***boy, avoid, avoid, avoid. She’s hurt, but she has to focus on work. The guests chase the next course of yellowtail with saffron sauce around the plate, which is pretty amusing. Lara tells Luka what Jessika said, and he says, it’s awkward. He’s got to speak her. In Luka’s interview, he says, obviously, he likes Jessika more than a friend, but they’re not in a relationship. He and Katie are just friends, even if he’s texting her as more than friend… Ugh. This guy. Again, like my local K-Mart. He started of strong and went downhill. The captain checks in on dinner, surprised that the guests really can’t see, and Tumi says, the next course is more complicated because they need two utensils. Ribeye with peppercorn sauce is served. Luka tells the captain that she got him in trouble, but she says she had no idea. In her interview, she says, don’t hate the player; hate the game. Luke texts Jessika and says he knows she’s pissed off, but Captain Sandy was joking. Chocolate mousse with poached pear, otherwise known as a major candidate for Food Porn of the Year, is served for dessert. I taste it with my eyes. When one of the guests guesses pear, another says, pair of what? reminding me of the dad jokes I grew up with. Jessika tells Tumi that she’s trying to avoid Luka, and Tumi asks if she thinks she’s just being emotional. Jessika says she doesn’t know. They’ll see if she gives in when she’s f***ed up. But she’s not f***ed up now, so she’s not giving in. In Tumi’s interview, she says, between Jessika’s disastrous love life, Kyle being ill, and Lily thriving, they’re doing really well. Luka texts that he’s sorry if he pissed Jessika off. He spoke to Captain Sandy. In Luka’s interview, he says he’s trying to prove his innocence. He’ll have to look into getting a lawyer. Definitely not Sandy. Jessika says she’s going to bed. She has no energy to do this.

The guests want late night snacks, and Lily makes guacamole with Max assisting. Luka texts Natalya that he misses her, and she texts back that she misses him more. What’s wrong with this jerk? In Lily’s interview, she says, the last boat she was on, she was the only stew on an 82 foot sailboat. She tells Max, obviously she’s not a critically acclaimed chef, and it’s taking so long, the guests wonder if they should have just asked for milkshakes. Then they wonder if she died. In Lily’s interview, she says she wouldn’t eat this herself, and tells them, it has a massive kick, but they like it. Max goes on anchor watch. In the morning, Captain Sandy sees bad weather ahead, and announces, all hands on deck. She wants to depart before it gets worse. Lara says her body is sore and she has the chills, and in her interview, she says she woke up feeling really rough. Having Haleigh off, she doesn’t want to say anything. Luka says, she’s got the flu, but Lara insists she doesn’t. Kyle stumbles out, and Tumi asks Lily to pack for the guests, then asks Jessika about Luka. Jessika says, Luka wanted to hang out when the charter was over, but she gets attached when she keeps hanging out with someone. She might as well enjoy the last few days, then that’s it. She asks what Tumi thinks, and Tumi tells her to decide for herself, and she’ll tell Jessika what she thinks after it’s over. Kyle says he’s here now, and in his interview, he says, finally the pain is gone. But even when he wasn’t present, the interior did well. Tumi is the boss bitch he came to work with. He hugs Billy and says, when they came, he got a migraine, and now that they’re leaving, he’s feeling fantastic. In Max’s interview, he says she’s knows Luka’s just doing his job, and deep down, he’s a good guy. They can make a reset like on an iPhone. Jessika texts Luka to meet her in the captain’s office. They meet, and he says, all good? She says, no bad vibes, and noticing them, Tumi says, it’s ridiculous. In her interview, Jessika says, the situation is annoying, but at the same time, it’s not her business who Luka is talking to. In his interview, Luka says, just because he’s talking to Katie, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care. Everyone has feelings. Wow. What an Einstein. Tumi says, this is why she doesn’t have relationships with Scorpios. In her interview, Jessika says she’s going in eyes open. In Luka’s interview, he says he never suggested they had a relationship. It’s no strings. Imagine if people found out he was texting Natalya.

They dock, and in Lara’s interview, she says, honestly, she feels like a bag of d*cks. She just wants to dock the boat so she can go to bed. Captain Sandy tells the crew to get in their whites for guest departure, and they do the usual. Billy says, the charter was amazing, Tumi’s team was incredible, and after a stumble, Jack was great. More gay fun, less hotel. In Jack’s interview, he says, if that’s the only critique Billy can give, he’ll give himself a pat on the back. The guests leave, and Captain Sandy tells the crew to meet for the tip meeting. She gets a text from Haleigh, who says she’s spent two days throwing up non-stop. The captain radios the crew and says, since no one is here, she’s taking the cash. The crew hurries in and she says she bought herself some shoes with the tip money. She tells them that they’re almost there. Having said that, they came together. Even though they were down a person, they did an excellent job. They should always want to be there for each other. She tells Tumi that she’s impressed and proud, and she’s especially proud of Lily. The deck team, the same; they killed it. She thanks the crew, and says, with that…. the tip is $32K, the biggest the entire season. I’m pretty sure it’s the biggest in any season of the franchise, and they clink glasses. Even though she didn’t say, I figured it to be $4000 each. In her interview, Tumi says, girl, yes! This specific charter made her feel good. If she can manage to make it a success with people less experienced, she can give herself a pat on the shoulder. Haleigh texts Luka that she’s still throwing up, and Lara goes to bed. Jessika says, they’re getting drink drank drunk, and Luka tells Lara, rest up. In Lara’s interview, she says she’s worried about missing the last charter. It will be Luka doing all the work. Max doesn’t do sh*t. I’ve decided it’s like a big PJ party to Max.

The crew gets ready to go out, and for whatever reason, Max stays on board. They go to a restaurant that Tumi pronounces civilized. Lily thanks the crew for allowing her to be a part of them, even though she came in late, and Tumi says, she’s so improved. Jessika says, Lily is now a now badass, and they wonder why Max stayed behind. On the yacht, Max lounges in his robe. In his interview, he says he loves his robe. It’s so bougie. You can shoot a hip hop clip in it because it’s so cool. To his credit, he checks on Lara. At the restaurant, Luka asks if Jessika wants to go to France after the charter is over, and she says, might as well. In her interview, she says, Luka is in damage repair mode. Why did she say yes? When she gets approval or attention, it feels good. She can admit that. They move on to a bar, get loud, and kind of dance. Lily does a backbend, and in Tumi’s interview, she says, it’s the first night out no one has drama. This is the chaos she’s looking for. They go back to the boat, and Lily says she’s going to wake up Prince What’s-His-Name. Jessika gets in Luka’s bunk, and he puts up a privacy towel. Lily climbs in with Max, and in Max’s interview, he says, she smells like alcohol and cigarettes. When you talk to me, move 45 degrees on the left.

In the morning, six hours to charter, Captain Sandy texts Haleigh to see how she’s feeling. She sees Lara and asks, what’s wrong? Lara says she feels fluey; she has body chills. The captain wonders if she should be on board and decides she’s getting Lara off the boat. Lara says she understands and tells Luka. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, if Lara is down and Haleigh doesn’t come back, she’ll be down to Max and Luka. She won’t be able to leave the dock. She has to abide by the Safe Manning document. She calls to get a doctor for Lara ASAP, and in her interview, she says she has to meet the safety requirements. How is she going to get off the dock with only two deckhands? Haleigh texts that she’ll call. It’s been a rough two days.

Next time, Jessica says she’s going to Cannes with Luka; Captain Sandy misses Natalya’s organizational skills; Jeff tells Natalya to come see them; and Natalya makes Jack promise not to tell anyone she’s coming.

☔️ That Rainy Day Is Now…

Join me tomorrow for more soap angst and Golden Globes talk. Until then, stay safe; stay contemplating one thing you would like to happen in 2024 and then make a plan to bring it into being; and stay admitting when you’ve done something wrong and not repeating your mistakes. At least not often.