Tag Archives: General Hospital

Nov8

November 7, 2023 – A Lot Of Guilt To Go Around, Healing Thoughts, Boys Of GH, Take a Stroll, Emmy News, Oops, More Maurice, Viva Las Bravo, Next Year, Holiday Treats & Celebrate

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Doc and Laura come out of the hospital elevator, and Valentin thanks them for coming. Laura says, of course (🍷), and Doc asks, where is Charlotte? Valentin says, she’s in surgery, and Laura asks, what happened? Valentin says, she was shot, and Doc and Laura look stunned. Laura asks, who would do something like that? and Valentin says, it was Anna. Laura says, oh my God, no.

Anna stands on the terrace at Sonny’s penthouse. He tells her, good morning, but she’s not sure what’s good about it. He asks if she got any sleep, but she says, every time she closes her eyes, it just plays like a movie in her head, over and over again. Her finger on the trigger, the gun recoiling, the shot. It was just so loud in that small apartment. It just kind of echoed down the hallway. She can still hear it.

Gregory goes to Alexis’s office and says, he wanted to see her? She thanks him for coming, and he asks if everything is all right. She says she needs his input, and he says, she knows how he loves to share his opinion. What’s the problem? She says, it’s a question of journalistic ethics, and he says, that sounds heavy. She says, it is. Is she required to report the shooting of a child?

Jordan comes into the station, and Mac says, they’ve been waiting for her. She says she got there as soon as she could, and he tells her, Dante was the detective on the scene last night. They go into the interrogation room, and Jordan says she has a lot of questions for Dante. Mac says, tell them exactly what happened, and Robert adds, and why it did.

At Volonino’s Gym, Devon, who has prosthetic legs, asks Curtis, where is everybody? The gym seems quiet. Curtis says, this gym is kind of private. His good friend’s husband owns it. Sonny Corinthos? Devon says, Curtis is a lucky guy to have such good friends, and Curtis says, they’ve definitely stuck by him, even though he tried to push them away.

Sam answers a knock at the door, and says, oh my God – Drew! He says, sorry he didn’t call, and she says, it’s really him. They hug, and he asks if it’s a bad time, but she says, no. It’s never a bad time. She can’t believe he’s out of prison.

While he lifts hand weights, Devon says, this is the time you need your friends the most. Why did Curtis push them away? Curtis asks how he does it, and Devon says he thought he was the one asking a question. Curtis says, Devon’s always so positive and upbeat. He doesn’t know if he’d have made it out of rehab without him. Devon says, Curtis put in the work. He just gave Curtis a bit of inspiration. Curtis says, Devon was dealt a bad hand, but always has a smile on his face. What’s his secret? Devon says, Curtis is seeing who he is today. He wasn’t always this way. He had years of bitterness and resentments it’s taken a lifetime of work to overcome. And that work never ends.

Sam asks when Drew got out, and he says, last night. He went to see Carly, and obviously his next stop was to see his girl. He missed Scout like crazy. Is she awake? She says, she’s actually sleeping right now. Scout’s probably exhausted from the Halloween party at Kelly’s, but she can wake Scout up. He says, it’s probably better if she doesn’t. He doesn’t want her to hear this. Carly got a call that Charlotte was shot, and Danny was trick-or-treating with her before it happened. Sam says, yeah. They didn’t know she was shot when they came home last night; they only knew she was missing. Danny was really shaken up. He felt guilty and responsible. He said that he should have been the one that kept Charlotte with them. Drew says, he shouldn’t have to carry all that, and she says she told him that he doesn’t have to take responsibility for his friends, but he felt guilty. He’s just like his father. He wants to save the entire world, but he can’t. He asks if Danny knows Charlotte was shot, and she says, Dante came home this morning to tell him and Rocco. They were dreading it, but they didn’t want him to read it on social media or anything. They thought it was best if it came from them. He says, that had to have been a tough conversation. How was Rocco? She says, it hit hm pretty hard. He broke down in Dante’s arms. All Dante could do was hold him, and she could tell Danny was holding back tears, but he wanted to stay strong. Drew asks if they have someone they can talk to, like a therapist, and she says she already set it up. And she talked to Elizabeth. Jake was at the scene of the shooting. He’s pretty traumatized too. He says, that is a lot to deal with, especially at their age. Please, she’s got to tell him if there’s anything he can do. Now that he’s back, there’s so much he needs to make up for.

Alexis tells Gregory that she doesn’t know all the details, but she knows the identities of those involved, and two of them are members of her family. He asks if everyone’s all right, but she says, no. This was a tragic accident. He asks, what happened? and she says, he’s aware that Anna has been the target of harassment? He says he knows her house was burned down. The police said it was arson. She says, shortly after that, the broke into her hotel and destroyed her clothes and left her a threatening message. He asks how this relates to the shooting of a child, and she says, Anna’s been on edge for months. So last night, she comes home to an intruder in her apartment. So she takes out her gun and fires, straight into Charlotte Cassadine. He says, Valentin’s daughter was the intruder? He finds it hard to imagine a teenage girl breaking into an apartment. (Really? I don’t.) She says, the police are still trying to piece this all together, but the bottom line is, Anna shot an innocent child, so she’s going to have a lot to answer to. (Wow. A lot of assumption on her part.) He says, but the big question is, what was Charlotte doing in that apartment?

Valentin says, so he realized she had to be headed to Anna’s apartment, and Laura asks if he thinks she wanted to leave another threatening message. Doc asks how she got in, but Valentin says he doesn’t know. He doesn’t know what her intentions were, and he doesn’t know what she’s capable of. Laura says, he got there after the shooting? and he says, yeah. He wanted to intercept her, but he was too late. The door was open, and he looked inside, and Anna was leaning over Charlotte.

Robert asks if Dante talked to Anna, and Dante says, she claims when she left her apartment, she locked the door. When she got back around 9:30 pm, the door was unlocked. She drew her gun, she thought she saw an intruder in her apartment with a weapon, she fired. Robert says, let’s talk about the legal culpability here. Could Anna face criminal charges? It’s not against the law to defend your own property with a gun. Jordan says, it depends, and he says, on what? She says, on if Anna could reasonably expect Charlotte to be there. And if that’s the case, Anna could be in real trouble.

Sonny hands Anna a coffee mug, and she thanks him. He says he knows she’s a tea drinker, but he thought she’d need something stronger than that. She says she’s often wondered why Corinthos went for coffee. Out of all the legitimate businesses out there, why did he choose this? He says, Don Corleone had already chosen olive oil, so he wanted the next best thing. He laughs and says, he had a lot of contacts in South America. She says, that doesn’t sound suspicious, but he says, it’s not what she thinks. Most of the coffee in the world is grown there, and it’s a big industry. Remember when all the coffee houses were going up? He wanted to get in before the market flooded. She says, that’s smart, when Nina comes out. She asks if everything is all right, but Anna says, no, it’s not.

Doc asks if Anna said what happened, but Valentin tells him that he didn’t hear anything she said. The paramedics got there right away. Doc asks if Anna went to the police, but Valentin says he doesn’t know. He knows she came here to explain. Laura asks how you explain shooting a 15-year-old girl, and Valentin says he couldn’t talk to her. He couldn’t wrap his head around the idea she’d shoot Charlotte. He still can’t. (Is it me? Why is this all so hard to put together?)

Sonny says, Anna needed a place to stay last night, and she arrived late, and Nina says she knows Anna got a new place. Are they not ready for her to move in yet? Sonny says, it’s not like that, and Anna says she should be the one to tell her. Nina says, tell her what? What’s going on? Anna says, it’s Charlotte, and Nina asks if something happened to Charlotte. Anna starts to cry and says, it was an accident. She shot her.

Mac asks how Charlotte got into the apartment, but Dante says he doesn’t know. Maybe she had a key. There was no sign of forced entry. Like he said before, Anna said she locked the door before she left, and it was unlocked when she got back. Jordan asks if Anna would have given Charlotte a key, but Dante says he doesn’t know. Robert says he can’t imagine she would do that. She just moved into that place. She’s going to say to Charlotte, drop by after you’re finished with Halloween, and by the way, I’ll give you a key? That doesn’t make any sense. Dante says, according to Jake Webber, Charlotte did have a key in her possession. She said it was her key to getting everything she wanted. Mac asks, what the hell does that mean? and Dante says, that’s what he wants to find out. Jordan says, obviously, she had a key to the apartment, but Anna was unaware. That’s why she came in the door shooting. Robert says, well, she wasn’t expecting Charlotte. And he can tell them who she was expecting.

Sam asks if Drew knew he was getting out. Did Diane get a message to him? He says, no. The whole thing was just so sudden. He was sitting on his cot, the guards walked in and said, come on, Cain, let’s go. You’re released. He didn’t even believe it. He didn’t have to get up in front of the prison board; he didn’t have to speak to the warden. Nothing. Next thing he knew, he was in his own clothes and on his way home. She says, Carly must be really excited for him, and he tells her, you could say that. She told him who was responsible for his release. Sam says, who was it? and he says, your mother.

Gregory tells Alexis that they have to assume Charlotte was there uninvited. If Anna was expecting her, she wouldn’t have pulled a gun. Alexis says, that’s why she’s holding off on publishing. They need more facts. They can’t speculate about this. He says, her cousin must be devastated, and she say she hasn’t been able to reach him. Obviously, he’s in agony. He says, if she didn’t know any of the people involved, if they weren’t family, would she publish? She says, this is what she’s been struggling with all morning. Obviously, the shooting of a child is newsworthy. And it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about the Second Amendment, gun violence is real, and this should be reported. He says, so she’s going to publish it? and she says she thinks she has to. But the victim is a minor and out of respect for her family, she’s not going to mention any names. He says, she’s making a good call on a difficult story, and Alexis looks like she has a headache. I disagree with that call. I think she was right the first time. They need more facts. For instance, it’s not like Charlotte was shot in her own home. She let herself into an apartment where she wasn’t invited. In the dark. In a Hermit costume.

Curtis says, a lifetime of work. He’s not sure he has the stamina for that. Devon says, it’s perfectly normal to doubt yourself, just keep pushing through it. Curtis says, but how do you do it? Devon makes it look so easy, and Curtis knows he’s going to have a struggle on his hands. Devon says, they both have disabilities, but they’re coming from very different places. He was born without legs. He doesn’t know what it’s like to walk without prosthetics. Curtis went from an active, vital man to a wheelchair. That’s a huge adjustment. He still has times of frustration and resentment. Does Curtis know how hard it was to watch the other kids run around the playground? Curtis says he’s sorry. He had no idea. He feels selfish complaining right now, but Devon tells him not to feel sorry for him. There are plenty of times he does that for himself. He tries not to wallow in it. Like it or not, it’s who he is. Just focus on moving forward. Curtis says he’s not sure he knows how to do that.

Alexis hangs up the phone and tells Gregory that she really hopes she’s making the right call. He says, she is. Don’t second guess herself. She says she’s been consumed with this all morning. She didn’t even ask. How is he feeling? Or is that a stupid question to ask somebody with ALS? He laughs and says, no. He appreciates it. Most people just tap-dance around the subject. They’re afraid to ask like it’s some dirty little secret. He’s happy with the new specialist Finn recommended. He’s a straightshooter; he doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He says Gregory’s ALS is progressing, but it’s impossible to put a timeframe on it. So he has no idea how long it’s going to be before he’s in a wheelchair. He gets up and says, which is why he needs to get moving on his bucket list. Has she changed her mind about skydiving?

Scout comes downstairs, and says, daddy? You’re home! She runs to him, and he picks her up, hugging her. Sam smiles.

Dante says, that’s some pretty cryptic sounding stuff, but Robert says he can’t tell them everything. Some of it’s classified Bureau stuff. Jordan says, he has to tell him everything he knows, and Robert says, Anna dug up this old document, which has the name of a former agent attached to it. She figured this guy has been stalking her. Dante asks if Robert has seen the document, and Robert says, Anna laid out what her theory was, and he agreed. Mac says, so this mystery person is still out there, and Robert says, yeah, and he can pull this again. But this time, it might be fatal. This guy’s prepared to do whatever’s necessary to suppress this information. Jordan says, so that means Anna definitely wasn’t expecting Charlotte to be at her apartment, and Robert says, correct. She entered the apartment, saw this figure holding what looked like a weapon, and figured, this person’s going to kill me. So she exercised the only option she had, which was to shoot. Soap looks all around.

Valentin tells Laura and Doc that Dr. Gatlin-Holt went right to work on Charlotte when they arrived. He must have gotten some information, but he couldn’t process it or tell them what was said. He doesn’t know where Charlotte was shot. What if it’s near the heart? Laura says, they don’t know any of that. Try not to speculate. It’s just going to make him crazy. He says, all he knows is that the bullet is still inside of her, and they’re going to remove it, and they’re going to repair the damage, but he can’t get his head around the idea. Doc says, let him see what he can find out, and Laura says she’ll go with him, unless Valentin wants her to stay, but Valentin says, go. They leave, and he takes out his phone. His thumb hovers over Anna’s number, and Nina comes out of the elevator. He goes to her, and they hug and cry.

Anna tells Sonny that she just doesn’t understand what Charlotte was doing in that apartment. How did she get in there? There was no sign of forced entry. She had to have used a key. He says he’s assuming Anna didn’t give her a key, and she says, no. She lost her own key. She had to get one from the super. Sonny asks if she knows what Charlotte was doing before she shot her, and Anna shakes her head. She says, there was a figure with a hood bending over this trunk that she has, and then they turned, and she saw what she thought was a weapon. He says, that’s understandable. She felt threatened. She says she’s been so on edge lately; she jumps at the slightest thing. Sonny was right. She should never have gotten rid of the bodyguard. If he had been there, this wouldn’t have happened. He says, she can’t blame herself, and she asks what he’s talking about. If she – Anna chokes up – if Charlotte… If Charlotte doesn’t make it, it’s her fault. He puts his arm around her as she cries.

Valentin thanks Nina for coming, and she says, of course (🍷). They’re in this together. She’s not letting him go through this alone. He says, this is his fault, but she says, feeling guilty is only going to make this more difficult. He says, if he’d warned Anna that Charlotte was her stalker right away, this never would have happened; she’d have never pulled a gun. Nina says, Valentin made a mistake not telling Anna right away, but Anna made a big mistake and Charlotte did too. (Why are they blaming Anna so hard? The flashlight did look like a gun.) He says, she’s a child, and Nina says she understands that, but her point is, there’s a lot of guilt to go around. He doesn’t have to carry the burden all by himself. Speculating on what he should have done isn’t going to make the situation any easier. He says, they should have confronted Charlotte the moment they saw that security footage, and she hustles him over to the waiting area, suggesting they not talk about the footage. It’s gone. He says, what if his daughter is gone? and they sit. Nina says, they have to be positive. Charlotte is alive. She’s a fighter. They have to believe in her. They have to believe she’s going to make it.

Anna tells Sonny that she’s a professional. She’s been trained in firearms. She knows when to shoot and when not to shoot. He tells her not to beat herself up, and she says she went into that apartment like she was on a mission; like she expected to be fired at. But she wasn’t. She was a 15-year-old girl. He says, she didn’t know that, and she cries some more. She says she saw movement and she reacted. She didn’t stop and access the situation the way she’s been trained to at the Academy. Not shoot first and ask questions later. Maybe she didn’t see movement. Maybe she just imagined it. But she did fire and she hit her target. And they went down, and they didn’t move. It seemed like it was in slow motion, but it could have only taken two seconds. And Jake came and said Charlotte’s name… That’s when she realized what she’d done. She begins to weep again.

Mac tells Dante to go home and get some rest, and Jordan thanks him. She knows things were intense when he was on administrative leave, but she’s glad to have him back. Dante says, just keep him updated on Charlotte’s condition, and he leaves. In the squad room, an officer tells Dante, CSI sent this up. He gives Dante an envelope and says, the inventory on Charlotte Cassadine’s back. Dante thanks him and starts flipping through it.

Alexis says she would do anything to support Gregory, but she’s not jumping out of a plane. Please don’t make her. She’s afraid of heights and she still doesn’t understand how planes stay up in the air (ha-ha! she’s me), and she doesn’t understand how anyone would think jumping out of a plane would be fun. Really. What’s wrong with them? He laughs and says, it’s supposed to be an exhilarating feeling, but he’s going to let her off the hook. She agreed to ax throwing and hot yoga, so he’s not going to push this one. Besides – he takes a paper out of his pocket and unfolds it – he thinks he still has some less risky items on his list. She says, good. Her stomach thanks him. He says, she’s in the clear. He knows she has a lot to do, so he’s going to take off. She thanks him for the talk, but he says, she doesn’t have to thank him. She says she appreciates that and thanks him again. He leaves.

Scout says she’s so happy Drew’s home. She missed him so much. He says he missed her too. He thought about her every single day. They hug, and she says, really? He says, every hour of every day. He couldn’t wait to get home to her. She asks if it’s over. Does he have to go back to prison? He says, no. He’s here to stay. And you know what made him feel so much better when he was gone? The plaque she got for swimming. Scout says, Sam really gave it to him? and Sam says she told Scout that she was going to. Drew says he’s so proud of her. Next season, he’s going to be at every single meet, he promises. She asks if he got out in time to go trick-or-treating, but he says, the lights were turned out by then. She says, that’s okay, because she got a whole bunch of candy for him. He says, that’s his girl, and she asks if he wants some now. She got all his favorites. Sam says she thinks it’s a little early for candy, and Drew says, maybe she’s right. How about if Scout gets dressed, because there’s something really important that he needs her help with. Scout says, okay, and goes upstairs.

Devon says, for Curtis to move forward, he needs to talk about his feelings and share his experience with others. If he keeps it in and hides it from the people who love him, it will destroy him. So let it out. Let his beautiful family see who he is now.

Dante comes home and tells Sam that he wishes he was still on administrative leave. Then he wouldn’t be having to deal with this. He saw Charlotte on a gurney. She asks if there’s any update on Charlotte’s condition, but he says, she’s still in surgery as far as he knows. This whole thing is unbelievable. How are Rocco and Danny? He can’t believe he had to go back to work after telling them about Charlotte. She says, they were still a mess, and they didn’t want to stay at the house. They needed a distraction, so she let them go to their friend’s house. Drew got out of prison. Scout’s with him now. Dante says, that’s good news, and she asks how it went at the station. He says, taking statements, bagging evidence… A 15-year-old girl’s been shot. None of this makes any sense at this point. It’s someone close to them too. He knows it’s extenuating circumstances, but try telling that to Anna, the one who pulled the trigger.

Anna tells Sonny, this is so surreal. It’s like she was outside of her body watching everything. Then inside her head, she was screaming, no, no, no. Please don’t let it be Charlotte, but she knew it was her. He says, unfortunately, he knows the feeling. When Dante first came to town, he didn’t know Dante was his son, because originally, Dante kept it from him for years. He didn’t know Dante was an undercover cop. So Dante gained his trust and arrested him. And he shot Dante, point blank. She says she did hear about that. That must have been just awful. Sonny says, he was bleeding out on the floor. Olivia came in. She yelled out, you shot your own son. So he knows about that moment. It’s the shot that’s unbearable. She says, even before she took the hood off of Charlotte, she thought, this is such a tiny figure lying here, and the weapon, it was a flashlight she was carrying. He says, she didn’t know that. So then her survival instincts kicked in. She scrunches down in the chair and says, this is such a nightmare. How could she have been so reckless to have fired on an unarmed child? She doesn’t know how she’s going to live with that. She doesn’t know how.

Jordan says, there’s something they need to discuss, and it’s right in this room. Mac says, what? and she says, us. Mac’s acting Police Commissioner, Robert’s the DA, she’s the Deputy Mayor. They all have closer relationship to Anna. Robert says he was married to her – he laughs – twice. She says, even Dante, who was the first investigator on the scene, has a close relationship with Anna. She just doesn’t want anyone thinking this is a cover-up. Mac says, there’s nothing to cover up. They’re not hiding anything. Nor are they giving Anna any preferential treatment. Jordan says she gets that, but they all need to recognize their connections to Anna might compromise the case. Robert asks what she’s suggesting, and she says, that they might have to bring in an outside investigator.

Curtis asks, what about Devon? Does he have any kids? Devon says, two incredible sons. They’re his whole world. They’re devoted to each other. He’s proud to say they’re great human beings. Curtis says he doesn’t doubt that they are. He has a daughter, a lovely wife, his dad, his auntie, his nephew… He has really good friends who he calls family, so he guesses that makes it a big family. Devon says, it’s time to let them in. Let them see who he really is.

Doc tells Laura that he’s sorry. He wishes he could have found out more. She says, that’s okay. She’s sure Valentin will appreciate the effort. She supposes right now all they can do is wait and pray. Doc says, they’ll need to do a lot more than pray. Charlotte’s in real trouble, and he doesn’t mean medically or legally. That child is broken. She says, then they have to do everything they can to fix her. He says, her physical recovery will be a lot easier than her emotional one, and Laura says she’ll never give up on Charlotte. She cries and he holds her.

On the phone, Alexis says, get them to her as soon as she can. Scout comes in and she says she’s got to run. She asks what Scout is doing here, hugging her, and Scout says she has a big surprise for Alexis. Alexis says, bigger than her showing up here on her own? Scout says, yep, and she’s not here on her own. Look who she brought with her. Drew walks in.

Curtis says, his wife keeps asking him how he feels, and Devon asks what he tells her. Curtis says he gives her the same standard answer; it’s all good, babe. But in reality, he’s far from good. Devon says, his wife just wants to help. Keeping her in the dark won’t do either of them any good. Curtis says, he’s right. It’s not fair. From now on, he’s going to tell his wife the truth. He wants to start moving forward. Devon says, okay. Are they done talking now? Let’s get back to work. Curtis says, he’s going to take the tens this time.

Alexis hugs Drew and says she’s so happy to see him. She tells Scout that she was right. This is a big surprise. Drew tells her that it was his idea to see her, but the set-up was all Scout. Alexis asks how happy Scout is to see her daddy, and Scout says, it’s the best. Drew says, it is the best. He got released last night, and he knows she played a pivotal role in that. He thanks her, but she says she’s not taking credit. It was Sonny, it was Carly, it was Diane, it was Gregory… He says he knows they were all involved, but his sources tell him that she was the one to seal the deal, and he’s so grateful. If there’s anything he can do to repay her, she’s got it. She says, the smile on her granddaughter’s face is good enough, and she hugs Scout. She tells Drew, get in here, and they have a three-way hug.

Valentin asks if Doc was able to find out anything, and Doc says he had to leave word for Dr. Gatlin-Holt, but he did speak to the surgical coordinator. Charlotte sustained a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. Valentin asks if there’s any word from the OR, but Doc says, nothing yet, and Nina says she’s sure they’ll hear something soon. Laura thanks her for coming, and Nina says she loves Charlotte. She wanted to be here. Valentin asks how Nina knew to come; he didn’t call her. Nina says, Anna slept over at the penthouse, and she didn’t know about Charlotte until this morning. Laura asks, how is Anna? and Nina says, outwardly, she seem calm, but underneath it all, she’s sure Anna is shattered. She thinks Anna’s still in shock. A surgeon approaches them, and Valentin asks, how’s Charlotte? Is his little girl going to be all right?

Dante tells Sam, so Charlotte took off on the kids, and Jake followed her to Anna’s house. Sam wonders how Charlotte got into Anna’s house. She can’t see Charlotte picking a lock. He says, there’s a lot about Charlotte they don’t know. What they do know is, Anna got to her house, the front door was unlocked, there was an intruder in her apartment. She pulled her gun and fired, and it’s not illegal. Sam says, but the intruder was an unarmed teenager, and Dante says, but Anna was threatened. She thought she saw a weapon. Sam says, what baffles her is what Charlotte was doing there in the first place, and he says he has a theory. He doesn’t know if it holds water yet. She asks what he’s got, and he says, they found Charlotte’s backpack. In it was red spray paint and it matched the paint that was on Anna’s front door. Sam says, murderer, and he says, and then Anna’s house burned down.

Sonny tells Anna, there are some burdens that are too heavy to carry, and some mistakes too terrible to live with. She says, but she has to live with this. She doesn’t have a choice. She has to find a way to come to terms with her actions, and she doesn’t know how to do that. He says, that’s why he prays. In his darkest hours, he gets down on his knees and asks God to give him the strength. Maybe she should try it. She says, he’s a good Catholic as all mob bosses are, but he says he doesn’t know about good, and laughs. She says, he’s a man of faith then. She’s just a lapsed Anglican. She hasn’t been in church for a while. The last time she was in church, she was on a mission actually. He says, that’s all right. God always listens to him. He doesn’t know where he’d be if he didn’t believe in Him. His phone rings, and he says, it’s Nina. He asks if she’s at the hospital, and Nina says, yes. Charlotte’s out of surgery. The doctor said she’s going to make it. Sonny tells Anna that Charlotte’s going to be okay, and Anna breathes a sigh of relief.

Tomorrow, Tracy says, Brook can have her cake and eat it too; Lois asks if Eddie/Ned isn’t curious about the rest; Maxie says, of course (🍷) they’re interested; and Sonny accuses Ava of being in bed with the enemy.

📡 Sending Good Vibes…

Here’s praying he comes through with flying colors.

Jon Lindstrom Asks for “Healing Thoughts” for John J. York

🚑 Goodbye And Happy Anniversary…

Aging Danny up and out.

Zakary Risinger Says Goodbye to GENERAL HOSPITAL

And keeping Wiley. I miss those other kids who moved to France though.

Viron Weaver Celebrates His GENERAL HOSPITAL Anniversary!

🏥 Laura’s Memory Lane…

She’s been on (and off) the show for a long time. I wonder if she dreams in Laura.

Genie Francis Shares Her Favorite GH Moments (EXCLUSIVE)

🏆 Half An Answer…

Apparently, the Daytime Emmys will be on December 16-17 – so good it takes an entire weekend? – but still nothing on when the soaps will figure in. The speculation is the 15th, but there’s nothing definite.

The 2023 Daytime Emmy Awards Are Being Rescheduled!

🍾 Random Events…

He doesn’t say if she gave him a black eye afterward.

https://ew.com/celebrity/john-stamos-elizabeth-taylor-general-hospital-set-yelling-old-lady/

📖 An Open Book…

I love this guy. He must help a lot of people by sharing his personal life.

https://people.com/general-hospital-s-maurice-benard-talks-living-with-bipolar-disorder-8387469

🥂 The Biggest Con Of All…

No recaps for RHOSLC or that horrible House yet, so here are some highlights from Andy’s Kingdom in Vegas.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/bravocon-2023-recap-real-housewives-captain-jason-1235638139/

The tears.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/bravocon-kyle-richards-cries-while-talking-about-mauricio-breakup

The boos.

https://people.com/bravocon-2023-rhonj-teresa-giudice-booed-not-leaving-bravo-8385173

Crowd Chants ‘Fire Teresa’ at BravoCon as Andy Cohen Teases RHONJ Season 14

The absentee.

RHONY’s Jenna Lyons Explains Why She Skipped BravoCon

Awards for bringing the drama.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/the-bravos-awards-at-bravocon-2023-pics-details

🐉 Dragon Their Feet…

Although it isn’t as long as we’ve been waiting for that last book. Write faster, George R.R. Martin.

https://ew.com/tv/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-summer-2024-return/

🍰 Bake Me A Cake…

It might be worth watching just for Joel McHale.

https://ew.com/tv/the-great-american-baking-show-celebrity-holiday-cast-reveal/

🤸‍♀️ Jumping In Leaves…

Join me tomorrow for soap and finding fault with Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay just pushing through it when you doubt yourself, and stay not hiding your feelings from the people who love you.

Nov7

November 6, 2023 – A Quiet Halloween At the Hospital, All-Girls Trip On Deck & Bittersweet

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the hospital, Finn tells Elizabeth that he’s still on a sugar high, and she says, her too. She’s surprised her quietest evening should be Halloween. He tells her, don’t say that. She’s going to jinx it.

Carly and Drew kiss. She says she’s missed him and asks if he’s really here. He says he is. It’s like he’s woken up from a long nightmare. She says, but he’s home now, and he says he is, but he doesn’t know how he got released from Pentenville.

Football player Chase comes home and tells baseball player Brook that he got the assorted chocolates, and they’re the good kind. She says she can’t believe the stores weren’t out, and he says, the first two were, but he hit the jackpot on the third one. She says she’s sure he was the sexiest football player there, and thanks him for going. She looks in the bag, and says, these are the good kind. Too bad all the trick-or-treaters are home sleeping now.

Esme says she’s sorry Ace woke Laura up, but Laura says, he didn’t at all. She was up doing extra work, but she loves every moment she spends with her grandson. Besides, he’s a baby. He cries. That’s what babies do. Esme says she can’t believe she didn’t hear him cry. She should have woken up sooner. Laura says, it’s really okay. That’s why Esme is here with them, so they can help her. Esme asks why Laura is always so nice to her.

Sam and Danny walk into the apartment, and Dante asks how it went tonight… What’s up? Did something happen? Sam says, Danny’s not sure. Charlotte went missing, Jake went to look for her, and now they’re both missing.

Charlotte looks through Anna’s trunk in the dark using a flashlight. Anna is about to come in, but realizes the door is unlocked. She backs away and almost leaves, but stops. The flashlight goes out, and Charlotte messes with it, trying to get it to come back on. Anna takes her gun out of her waistband, and quietly pushes the door open. She sees the hooded figure and says, freeze. Because Charlotte is secretly an idiot, she turns around, the dead flashlight pointed at Anna, and Anna shoots. Charlotte falls to the floor. Jake calls to Charlotte and runs to Anna’s apartment. Anna turns Charlotte over and realizes it’s her.

Anna tells Jake to get the lights. She needs to see where Charlotte is hit. He turns on the lights and sprints over to them. Anna sees the wound is to the side of Charlotte’s stomach, and says she needs something to stop the bleeding. She tells Jake to take off his jacket and give it to her. Quick! She balls up the jacket, putting it against the wound, and tells Jake to call 9-1-1. She asks if Charlotte can hear her, and dispatch asks Jake, what is his emergency? He says, his friend needs an ambulance, and the operator asks if he can tell her what happened. He says, she was shot. Hurry! The operator asks the address, but he doesn’t know, and Anna says, 114 Clover Avenue, apartment 68. He repeats the address to the operator, and says, can they hurry please? She’s bleeding and she’s not moving. The operator says, the ambulance is on the way. What’s his friend’s name and how old is she? He says, Charlotte Cassadine; she’s 15. Please hurry. He asks why Anna shot her, because he too, is an idiot. Has everyone eaten too much candy?

Dante asks, what happened? and Danny says, Mr. Cassadine dropped them off at Harbor Vista to go trick-or-treating. It’s where Charlotte wanted to go. She said neighborhoods around there gave out the best candy. They went trick-or-treating, then a little bit later, stopped to check their bags and figure out what street to go down next. Dante asks if that’s when they noticed Charlotte was missing, and Danny says, yeah. They looked for her. Jake thought he saw her, but when he turned around, the person Jake was looking at was in the Hermit costume from the tarot. Dante asks if that’s what Charlotte was dressed up as, and Jake says, no, but it’s what she was originally going to go as, so if the person they did see was Charlotte, she must have changed her costume at some point. Sam asks if he knows why she wanted to go as the character from tarot, and Danny says, maybe she likes it. They were all at Kelly’s one day eating sundaes, and she said she learned to read tarot when she was away at boarding school in Switzerland.

Elizabeth says, after all the time she’s spent with Finn, she never pegged him as being the suspicious type, but he admits there are things that can’t be explained. Her luck tapping maple trees, for example. She says she has a knack for it. Or maybe she was a maple tree tapper in a past life, which sounds just as crazy as believing in a jinx. He says, laugh all she wants, but one of the weirdest nights he ever spent in the ER started with an intern saying, it’s gonna be a quiet night.

Laura says, why is she so nice to Esme? Because they’re family. Esme is the mother of her grandson; that means a great deal to her, and to Doc. Esme says, families aren’t always nice to each other, and Laura says she knows. Navigating family is tough for some. Esme says, that’s an understatement, especially considering who her parents are, and Laura suggests they focus on the present moment and the people who are here right now, like Ace, who she couldn’t possibly love more. She sees what a wonderful mother Esme is to him, and she can’t help but love Esme. So why doesn’t she just let go of all that guilt? Esme asks if Laura thinks she’s really doing a good job, and Laura says she’s doing a great job. She’s very impressed with how Esme is handling being a single mother and working at The Invader to support her son. Esme says, but Ace’s schedule is disrupting Laura’s life. She’s the mayor and has to put up with a teething baby when she has a million things to do. It’s not fair. Laura says, why doesn’t Esme let her be the judge of that? She loves having Ace here. She loves being able to help Esme with him. Esme says, and she’s been so generous, and it’s been so great, but they can’t stay here anymore.

Chase wonders if he was too generous to the trick-or-treaters earlier, and Brook says, he gave three extra candy bars to three kids dressed in Star Wars costumes, so what does he think? He says, that’s because they looked awesome. Now he feels bad that she had to turn kids away while he was out searching for candy. She reaches for the bowl, but he pulls it away, saying, he doesn’t want to run out again. She says, if they do, she’ll just give out more granola bars, and he says, she didn’t. She says, there was nothing else. She couldn’t just turn them away with nothing. He says, granola bars? That was his worst nightmare as a kid. It was like getting a box of raisins. She says she thinks the granola bars were fine, but he says, no way. He wants their apartment to be primo trick-or-treat territory, not a candy desert. She takes the bowl from him, puts it on the table, and says, there’s always next year. At least they get trick-or-treaters. Every year, her family opens the main gate, and they never get trick-or-treaters. He says, that’s probably for the best. Can she imagine little kids walking up to the Quartermaine mansion and Tracy answering the door? She’d be judging them the whole time. Yours is too tacky. What are you supposed to be? He laughs like a witch, and she asks if he’s implying that her grandmother is a certain Wicked Witch.

True story. I understand about the granola bars. I’ve never given them out, but one year, I thought I was going to have to give out granola bars or instant oatmeal packets, when I nearly ran out of candy. We had an extreme number of kids that year, and my supply was dwindling by 7 pm. I called my neighbor who I knew went all out, and asked if he had any extra. He said he was just about to call me. Thank God I squeaked by, and no granola bars had to be given out. Moving on.

Drew tells Carly that when he got out of the hospital and landed back in Pentenville, they immediately put him in solitary. She asks if they said why, and he says, the guards claim it was for his own protection; they couldn’t protect him unless he was removed from the other prisoners. But then, out of the blue, they took him out of there. They said Judge Kim decided the sentence he’d handed down was too harsh, and that’s when they released him, but he doesn’t know why. Does she?

Anna tells Jake that they’ve got to get Charlotte’s legs up because she’s bleeding, and he puts some throw pillows under her legs. Anna says, good. Talk to her. Just say her name. He tells Charlotte that she’s going to be okay. He’s here. Anna asks if she can hear them, and Jake says, the ambulance is on the way. Valentin comes in and runs to Charlotte, asking, what happened? Jake says, she was shot, and Valentin says, what? Did somebody call an ambulance? Anna says, they’re on their way, and Valentin tells Charlotte, papa’s here. Anna tells Jake to stand by the door; make sure they see him.

Danny tells Dante that they split up to look for Charlotte. Jake went in the direction of the person in the Hermit costume, and he and Georgie went the other way. Dante asks when they found Mr. Cassadine, and Danny says, right after that. They met back at the place they were supposed to meet. When they told him that they couldn’t find Charlotte, he got really scared. He told Danny to call his mom so she could pick up him and Georgie, and he could go look for Charlotte. Sam says, he did good. He followed Mr. Cassadine’s orders and waited there until she could come and get him. Danny asks if he’s in trouble, and Sam says, of course (🍷) not. Why doesn’t he go upstairs and get ready for bed? Tell Scout and Rocco to do the same thing. He asks if he can take his candy, but Dante says he and Sam have to look through it first. Then they’ll bring it to him. (Slick! They’re going to steal their favorites out of it.) Danny goes upstairs, and Dante says, he can’t imagine what Valentin was thinking, leaving Georgie and Danny alone like that to look for Charlotte. (For God’s sake, they’re not 5.) Sam says she doesn’t like it either, but in Valentin’s defense, he could reasonably assume that Danny and Georgie could make it home safely. She’s just glad they have a level-headed kid who knew to call them. Dante’s phone rings, and she says, he’s not off administrative leave three hours and they’re calling him? He says, Falconari… What?… When?… He’ll be right there. He tells Sam, there was a shooting. The address is Maxie’s old apartment.

Carly tells Drew, Alexis interviewed Judge Kim. She said she wanted to highlight his tough on crime stance, and during the interview, she brought up allegations of inappropriate gifts, specifically an expensive trip he received from a prominent businessman. In other words, Kim was bought and paid for. He asks how Kim responded. Did he say anything incriminating? She says, no. He denied it all and stormed out of Alexis’s office. He says, Kim must have known Alexis was on the right track, and Carly says, absolutely. He must have been afraid that a very sexy Navy SEAL who served his country, who was handed down a very harsh sentence, could draw too much attention to him. It could put a very big wrinkle in his ambitious career. Drew asks why Alexis wanted to do the interview. How did she know he was corrupt? Carly says, from her.

Chase tells Brook that he never said that Tracy was a Wicked Witch. She’s difficult… and direct, but everybody knows she’s direct. She is who she is. Brook says, there’s definite similarities between Tracy and a certain Witch of the West, especially when she’s trying to be generous and ends up blackmailing you. He says, this isn’t about the way he feels, is it? This is about Tracy’s claim that she stole Deception to give it to Brook. She says, yeah, and she and granny finally had it out.

Finn tells Elizabeth, everything that could go wrong that night did go wrong. There was nothing tragic, but sort of a series of freakish events. There was dropped trays, a crashed mail cart, the computers crashed, they lost wheelchairs. It all culminated in him delivering a baby stuck in an elevator. She says, crashed mail carts? and he says, that was her one takeaway? She asks if it was his first time delivering a baby, and he says, yes. It was the mother’s fourth child, and lucky for him, she knew what she was doing. She basically talked him through it. Mom and the baby came through just fine. Him? Not so much. He didn’t go anywhere near the OB/GYN for the rest of the year. So the moral of our story is… She says, stay off elevators with pregnant ladies, but he says, wrong. No matter how quiet the night seems, you never say it out loud.

Laura asks Esme what she meant, and Esme says, it’s time for her and Ace to find a place of their own. Laura says she didn’t see that coming at all. It feels sudden to her. Did something happen that makes her feel like she has to go? Esme says, nothing specific. The apartment just feels crowded with everyone living here, and she really doesn’t want to overstay her welcome. Laura says, the apartment doesn’t feel crowded to her. They all have their own bedrooms, and it’s big enough that if you want alone time, you can have it. Unless Esme is feeling crowded by someone in particular. Would this have something to do with Spencer?

The paramedics put Charlotte on a stretcher, and wheel her out. An EMT says, they’ll be transporting the patient to GH, and Valentin says he’s the father; he’ll be riding with them. Dante has shown up, and sees Valentin leave with the paramedics. He goes inside the apartment, and he and Anna look at each other.

Drew says, Carly’s the one who got Alexis to interview Judge Kim? and she says, Sonny went to Alexis first, but she’s the one who got the information about the vacation from a regular here at Kelly’s who’s the regular pilot for the businessman. Kim was a passenger on his private jet. Drew says, that’s kind of incredible. He definitely owes Alexis and Sonny a debt of gratitude. She says, and Diane Miller too, because she provided Alexis with a lot of important information, and he says he’ll thank all three of them, but Carly is the real hero here. It kind of makes sense that she’s the one to save him. She says she’d do anything to save him. She’s the reason he was in prison to begin with. He says, that’s not what he meant. He meant how smart and clever and incredibly beautiful she is. She’s his hero. She kisses him.

Esme tells Laura, it’s hard living with Spencer. Living with him and sharing the responsibilities of Ace makes it really complicated, and she thinks she’s started to develop feelings for him. She guesses if she’s being honest, she can’t help but feel drawn to him. Laura says, everything Esme is saying is completely natural, and Esme says, it is? Laura says, yes, of course (🍷). They’re in close proximity, and Spencer is the one she’d go to if she had a question or issue about Ace. Spencer has sort of taken on the role of father to her son… Does she think it’s all stemming from living here with Spencer, or does she think something else could be prompting this? Esme says, like what? and Laura says, like maybe Spencer’s relationship with Trina?

Danny comes downstairs and tells Sam that Scout and Rocco are already asleep. Where’s Dante? He wants Dante to go through his candy so he can have some. Sam says, he got a work call, but said he’d be here in the morning so he can have breakfast with all three of you kids. Is he okay? He says he texted both Charlotte and Jake. He still hasn’t heard from them yet. She asks him to go through the bowl of candy and see if he can find one of those taffies she loves. (Ooh, is it the chocolate one? I love that too. It’s tastes like a YooHoo.) He says he doubts there’s any left. He saw Scout go through them. She says, give it a shot. If he finds one, she’ll split it with him. He digs through the bowl, and she asks if he knows what’s going on with Charlotte. He says, she seemed pretty excited about trick-or-treating, and she asks if he’s okay. He says he’s been thinking. What if Charlotte didn’t take off? What if someone grabbed her? He bets that’s what Mr. Cassadine was thinking when he took off, leaving him and Georgie. Sam says she’s going to be really honest with him right now. She’s a little worried about Charlotte too, but they can’t jump to the worst scenario. Let’s just send out good, positive thoughts to her until they find her and get her home. He says, okay, and she tells him to remember that Charlotte is independent, and she does have a little mischievous side to her. So this all could be a simple Halloween prank that went wrong.

Dante asks if Jake is okay. He has a few questions for him, and then he’s going to take Jake home. Jake says he wants to go to the hospital. He needs to see Charlotte. Please. His mom’s working tonight; she’ll be there. Dante says, okay, and asks Jake to hang with the officer here for a minute. He’s got to talk to Anna, and then they can go to the hospital together. Jake goes out to the hallway, and Anna tells Dante that she left her apartment a little before 9, and locked the door. When she came back, the door was unlocked, so she realized someone was inside the apartment. She takes a shaky breath, and he asks if she wants to sit down, but she says, no. She drew her gun because she knew someone was inside the apartment – she starts to cry – and she opened the door really slowly and there was movement over by the trunk. The person turned toward her with what appeared to be a weapon in their hand, so she fired. She discharged her weapon on a child. She begins to sob, and Dante holds her.

Carly says she can’t believe Drew’s here. When he was in surgery, and she didn’t know if he was going to make it, she couldn’t stop thinking about how she was responsible for setting all this in motion, and she just wants him to know – and hear her please – she’s sorry. She’s so, so sorry. He says, it’s over now. It’s over. Except for six months’ probation. She says, Judge Kim gave him six months’ probation? That’s ridiculous. He already served enough unnecessary time in prison with hardened criminals who almost killed him. He says he’ll be fine. He won’t so much as jaywalk. What matters now is that he’s home with the women that he loves. She says, women? and he says, yeah. Her and Scout.

Brook tells Chase that Tracy has her faults, no doubt, but she truly believes Tracy wants to provide for her; that Tracy is genuinely concerned about her future. He says, sometimes people have weird ways of showing their love, and Brook says, Tracy’s pointed out on multiple occasions that she no longer has a stake in ELQ. So Deception is Tracy’s way of providing for her financial future. She’s told Tracy tons and tons of times, but she just doesn’t seem to understand, her future, her love is in music. And she is 100% committed to being a music manager. He says, she needs to follow her dreams and stick to them, and she says, that is exactly her point. If she had Deception to fall back on, it would just undermine her confidence in herself. It would be like admitting she doesn’t have what it takes to make it in the music world. He says, they both know she has what it takes, and she thanks him. She says, she just feels so terrible about Tracy hijacking Deception from Lucy, Maxie, and Sasha. The three of them should be running Deception, not Tracy, and definitely not her. Chase says he has a simple solution, and she says she’d love to hear it. He says, let Tracy give her Deception, and then she can sign it over to Maxie, Lucy, and Sasha. (That was my idea, and probably most of the audience, two seconds after Tracy told her.)

Charlotte is wheeled into the hospital and met by Elizabeth, Finn, and Austin. The EMT says, 15-year-old female, GSW to the abdomen, unconscious and lost a lot of blood. Austin says, her pulse is weak and thready; she’s hypokalemic. He tells them to get her to Trauma 1, and they jet with the gurney. Elizabeth grabs Valentin and asks, where’s Jake? Where’s her son?

Anna looks at the bloodstain on her carpet, and Dante says, CSI is on their way. He sees Charlotte’s backpack, and asks if Anna knows whose it is, but Anna says, no. Jake says, that’s Charlotte’s. She had it with her tonight. Can he take it to her at the hospital? Dante says, not tonight, and tells an officer to make sure CSI bags it as evidence. He tells Anna that he’s going to need her gun, and still crying, she puts it in an evidence bag the officer is holding. Jake asks if he can please go see Charlotte now, and Anna says, take him to the hospital. Elizabeth will have heard all about this and needs to know her son is okay. Just take him. She’ll stay with the officers, and they can take her into custody.

Carly hands Drew a vanilla shake and says, honestly, it’s all she has. The kids at the Halloween party ate everything. They even ate two of Aiden’s pies. Drew says, Elizabeth told him that Aiden’s baking, and Carly says, yes and he’s incredible. He asks if the kids had fun, and she says, they did. They played cornhole outside. It was hilarious, but they had a great time. He asks if Scout was here, and Carly says, she was. He should have seen her. She was so cute. She was dressed up as a scarecrow (oops). She had a blast. She misses him like crazy though. He says he misses Scout so much. He can’t wait to see her. He’s going to see her first thing tomorrow. Can he tell Carly something? She says, yeah, and he says, this is the best vanilla shake he’s ever had in his entire life. She laughs and takes a sip. She agrees it’s good, and they kiss.

Austin says, blah-blah-blah, medical stuff, protocol. He says more medical stuff and asks them to call radiology. They need a stat X-ray and give him the ultrasound.

On the phone, Elizabeth says, let her know when the OR is ready, and Finn asks what Valentin said about Jake. She says, he’s safe. He’s with Dante and the police, but he’s not answering his phone. Jake comes in with Dante, and Elizabeth runs to him, hugging him. She asks if he’s okay, and he says he is. He asks, where’s Charlotte? He needs to see her. Elizabeth says, the doctors are with her now, and he asks if she’s going to be okay.

Esme tells Laura that Spencer’s relationship with Trina is a huge part of why she needs to move out, but it’s also what’s so complicated. Laura says, complicated how? and Esme says, because of Trina. Laura says, because Esme doesn’t want to hurt her? and Esme says, of course (🍷). That’s the thing. She really likes Trina. Trina is so nice, and she’s seen how Trina is with her son. She’s so thoughtful of him; always bringing him little gifts and stuff. Laura says, she is a really lovely young lady, but she and Esme have quite the history. Esme says, that’s what she’s been told, but oddly, Trina seems to be the one who blames her the least, unlike other people. And her mom, Dr. Robinson, is so helpful. Laura asks, how so? and Esme says, Dr. Robinson is the one who suggested she and Spencer take the parenting class over the summer at GH. It’s been really helpful. It really took a lot of pressure off of them and helped bring her and Spencer together… for Ace’s sake, of course (🍷). Laura says, yes, of course (🍷), but still, it had to hurt Esme if she had feelings for Spencer. Esme asks, what doesn’t hurt her? She’s a girl with no past. She’s like a ghost walking through a town full of people who only know the old her and really have no interest in knowing the new her. There’s just something really familiar about Spencer, and she thinks she wants to latch on to anything that is familiar, even when she knows it’s not real or possible.

Danny tells Sam that he should have kept them all together, but Sam says, they’re his friends. It’s not his responsibility to keep them in line. He knows that, right? He says, maybe it wasn’t his job exactly, but Charlotte listens to him. When she was staying with them and left her stuff all over the bathroom, when he asked her to pick it up, she would. Not all the time, but she listened to him the most out of everyone. He needed to step up. She asks if he knows who he reminds her of right now, and he says, dad? She says, yeah, his dad. And just like his dad, he wants to take responsibility for the whole world, but he can’t. Nor can he fix everyone’s problems. Why don’t they wait until tomorrow to figure out the candy? He says, wait. He found one. It’s the last one. He hands it to her, and she says she knew if there was one left, he’d be the one to find it. She thanks him.

Dante tells Elizabeth that Jake was great. He called 9-1-1 and held Charlotte’s hand. He talked to her until the paramedics got there. He was a real hero. Elizabeth says she’s sure Charlotte knew he was there the whole time, and Jake says, it was an accident, right? Anna didn’t mean to shoot Charlotte, did she? Dante looks at Elizabeth.

Anna is standing in the hospital hallway, and Finn asks if she’s okay. She says she just wants to know if Charlotte’s out of danger, and he asks if she wants to sit down. She asks if he knows. Has he heard anything? Is she stable?

Austin says, they need to get her stabilized, and gives the nurse instructions. He asks if the other nurse has heard from the OR. They really need to get her up there before she crashes. Hanging up the phone, the nurse says, the OR is ready for him, and he says, okay. Everything’s good. The gurney is wheeled to the elevator, and Valentin jumps up. He tells Austin, save his daughter, please, and Austin says, they’re going to do everything they can. Valentin tells Charlotte that he’s here and she’s going to be okay. He’s right here. Charlotte is taken into the elevator and the doors close. Anna approaches Valentin, and he says, why? (Why? This is his fault.)

Drew says he doesn’t want Carly to think of anything except going for a night out with him. Some champagne, maybe a little dessert. She says, not a Kelly’s vanilla milkshake? and he says he wouldn’t trade tonight for anything. He loved everything about it. He loves her. She suggests they get out of here, so he can show her how much he loves her, and he asks if they’re going back to her place. He seems to remember how incredibly comfortable her bed is. She kisses him and says she’s going to get her coat. She goes in the back, and he gets up. He clutches his side.

Brook says, Chase is the sweetest man, and he asks if that’s supposed to be a compliment. She says, he’s sweet and kind and just a little naïve when it comes to granny. There is no way Tracy would just sign Deception over to her, for the exact reason he just mentioned. Tracy is a lot of things, but stupid she is not. Tracy would never risk her giving Lucy back the company. He says, she’s probably right, and she says she can see Tracy keeping some level of power. Like becoming the President of the Board. He says, okay, so what’s the next steps? but she says she doesn’t know, but it’s going to have to be something a lot more devious if she’s going to outmaneuver her grandmother. He asks if they can not scheme tonight, because tonight is Halloween, and that only comes once a year. So let’s focus on that, not Tracy. She says, okay. Tricks or treats? He says, treat, and they kiss.

Laura says she understands where Esme is coming from and thinks Esme may be right to put a little space between her and Spencer right now. Just so she can continue to forge her own new path. Esme asks if she thinks so, and Laura says she does. And by the way, she is interested in getting to know the new Esme. Esme thanks Laura for supporting her and says she knows it won’t be easy, especially with Ace leaving too. Laura asks if she’s thought at all about where she’ll live, and Esme says, there are rooms available above Kelly’s. She talked to Carly Spencer about it and thinks that’s about all she can afford on her receptionist’s salary. Plus, it does keep her in Port Charles, which is what she knows Laura would want. Laura thanks her and says, it would mean so much to her to be able to watch Ace grow up. She doesn’t want Esme to worry, so she’s going to help Esme with the rent, but Esme says, no. She’s lived here since Ace was born, and Laura hasn’t asked her for a cent. She can’t take anything more from Laura. Laura says she insists, because Esme is family, and the most important thing right now is that she and Ace have a safe and comfortable home. Esme thanks her and says she’ll think about it. She’s going to check on Ace. She really does think this is what’s best for both her and Ace. Laura says she thinks Esme may be right, and Esme leaves. Laura wonders what Spencer is going to think.

Sam turns out the lights, when her phone rings. She asks if everything is all right, and Dante says, the shooting victim at Maxie’s apartment was Charlotte. She says, what? Tell her that Charlotte is okay. Please. He says, she’s in surgery right now, and she asks, who shot Charlotte? He says, Anna did.

Anna tells Valentin, it happened so fast. It was dark. She thought it was an intruder. She didn’t know it was her. He says, please, he can’t do this, and she says, he doesn’t understand. It was an accident. She didn’t know it was her. He says he can’t do this right now, and Dante comes over and says he has to take Anna in for some questions, and they walk away. Jake approaches Valentin, and says he’s so sorry. He tried to catch up with Charlotte, but he wasn’t fast enough. Valentin says, it wasn’t his fault, and looks over at Anna. She leaves with Dante.

Tomorrow, Drew tells Sam that there’s so much he needs to make up for; Curtis asks what someone’s secret is; Jordan tells Robert that they need to bring in an outside investigator; and Anna tells Sonny that if Charlotte doesn’t make it, it’s her fault.

Below Deck Mediterranean

While she’s in her bunk with Luka, Natalya’s boyfriend AJ calls. Luka laughs, and tells her to take it, but she says, it’s not funny; it’s her f***ing life. Luka says he can’t get laid, and leaves the cabin. Natalya says she hates herself, putting us in the same club, since I hate her too. Lara says she’s still drunk, and Natalya says, if the boat burns, she’s going with it. She’s an emotional wreck and doesn’t know what’s happening. In Natalya’s interview, she says she’s realized she doesn’t want to be in an open relationship. Something all of us realized in the first episode. She says she’s not supposed to be with anyone else, but he is and it’s not okay with her. We flash back to their last call, and Natalya says, another person came along who’s in her heart, but because of her boyfriend, she had to push him away. This girl has messed up thinking in so many ways, I don’t have time to list them. I assume she’s a mean girl because of the crap she allows herself to take from men, but still, no excuse. Captain Sandy calls Luka, Jack, and Tumi to the crew mess for a preference sheet meeting. The captain says, Amanda Britte books event spaces and is a party planner. She’s bringing her closest friends, and they want a casino atmosphere on the yacht. Tumi reads that they love espresso martinis and margaritas. Her kind of girls. The captain says, it’s four girls. Get ready. Jack reads that they like Mediterranean cuisine, and one of them wants no meat except seafood. He concludes that she doesn’t know what she wants. Captain Sandy tells Jack and Luka that they know the line. Don’t cross it. In Jack’s interview, he says he’s crossed it a few times, but you can either do that or be a chef. Kyle asks Jess if she’s confident on service. He’s exhausted. In Jessika’s interview, she says, she’s mentally geared to do housekeeping, but she’s happy to take one for the team. She’s a go with the flow girl. Kyle says he also thinks it’s fair that she do service too. The crew gets the boat ready, and Kyle says he hates all-girl trips. They do cute, weird sh*t that no one thinks is funny except them. Tumi says, it will be fun, and in Kyle’s interview, he says he’s more experienced on service, but depending on how crazy they are and the demands they make, he needs his energy. Haleigh tells Lara that she thinks a good job for her would be hugging walruses, and in Haleigh’s interview, she says she’s going to hug walruses and sell feet pics to compensate. In Luka’s interview, he says, Max is the biggest learning curve he’s been thrown. He thinks there’s literally a cartoon going on in Max’s head; random voices bouncing around. AJ calls Natalya, and she says she tells him everything, and now she’s sick as sh*t about kissing someone for one second. Yet he can go home with anyone. What does he want? If he said she was the only one he wanted to be with, it would be only him for her. She’s trying to get a mindset. She asks if he wants her on a plane. She’s not doing anything. She told him what happened, and he acted like she was moving away with the person. She needs a couple hours to think. They’ll talk later. In the crew mess, Kyle says, AJ is not nice, and Natalya wants to leave, but he said, nope. Tumi is like, why? Max looks at the photos of the incoming guests and says, pretty, but Luka says, the trip is not for jiggy-jiggy. Kyle tells Tumi about his plan for him and Jessica to switch positions, and she laughs. In Tumi’s interview, she says, Kyle is trying to put her on the spot to get out of service. Cute. Try again next week.

Jessika has washed a sandwich in with her laundry, and says she’s confused. Max lounges on deck and yawns. Natalya predicts this charter will be a ballbreaker, and Jessika tells her that Kyle wants her on service. Natalya says, Kyle doesn’t want to be on service, and Jessika says, Tumi laughed. Natalya says, Tumi thinks Jessika can’t do it, and in Jessika’s interview, she says she’s confused. Natalya is making her think that Tumi doesn’t believe she’s capable. She feels it’s out of character for Tumi to be talking sh*t about her, and she wonders what switched. Kyle says he’s off duty, emotionally and workwise.

5 hours before charter. Haleigh asks if they’re ready to seize the goddam day, and Jack says he’s going to wow them with seafood. Jessika wants to talk to Kyle and asks him about Tumi laughing. She wonders if she’s being belittled. Kyle says, it’s not fair if everyone doesn’t do service. Just keep a smile on her face. He’s here. Provisions come in, and Captain Sandy says, teamwork makes the dream work. I was hoping we could get through an episode without that and/or a baseball reference. Natalya avoids Luka, and in Luka’s interview, he says, the AJ situation is affecting Natalya a lot, but he’s respecting her boundaries. Kyle tells Natalya that Jessika is pissed off about how the service situation was handled, and Natalya says, Tumi has to chill the f*** out. In Natalya’s interview, she says, Tumi realized that she and Jessika were running the show before she got there. She’s bothered that she can’t confront Tumi.

Tumi tells the interior to get in their whites, and Captain Sandy calls the crew to the dock for arrival. Lara says she’s going to propose to one of these women. Primary Amanda introduces herself, and so do guests Delaney and Leni. I guess the others don’t have names. In Jack’s interview, he says, I can’t cross the line… I can’t cross the line… The captain welcomes them aboard and says, Tumi will show them around. Lara says, surely, one of them must be a lesbian, and Tumi says she has tequila shots and champagne. She gives the guests the tour, and Natalya tells Luka that Tumi was talking sh*t. She laughed about Jessika being on service. In Natalya’s interview, she says she’s keeping her distance from Luka, but he’s the person she confides in. She’ll have to put on a chastity belt. The captain tells the crew to prepare for departure. Natalya texts AJ and says, she’s not doing anything with anyone, but they have to talk boundaries. Lara is struggling with a ground line, and Captain Sandy wonders why it’s taking so long.

Lara asks Max to help, as the fenders crunch against the next boat’s fenders. She says, there’s too much line out, and in Max’s interview, he says, the mistake he made two days ago is having repercussions. The guests want to see the galley, and Jack says, this is where the magic happens. In Jack’s interview, he says he promises he’ll be good this charter, and winks. Lara tells Max that he could have brought the line in, but it’s okay; he’ll learn. In Lara’s interview, she says she has to do it in a way that he still respects her. It’s like instructing a little child. It’s going be okay, little Max. The guests request Max’s presence, and Kyle brings him in. Leni says she loves his accent, and in his interview, Max says, we have the master jedi of sex in the boat. Lunch is ready, and Natalya asks Luka if he’s going to date Jess now. He says, yes, but Jessika says, no. Natalya says, rejected. Jack helps bring up the seafood extravaganza, and in his interview, he says, it looks unbelievable, but the seafood towers are super easy to make. He’s not Harry Potter anymore. He feels like James Bond this charter. Jack makes a return appearance after the meal, and the guests cheer, giving lunch a 10 out of 10. He tells them that each course at dinner will be from a different country. When he gets back to the galley, he says he feels like Gordon Ramsay. Natalya says she thought she and Tumi turned a new page, and Jessika says, maybe it’s her. She wasn’t here the last time. Natalya says, it’s not her, and in Jessika’s interview, she says, growing up, her stepdad would shut her down any time she had an attitude or opinion. She realized that she caused more hurt to her family if she had an opinion. She had to learn to stand up for herself as an adult. She’s still learning. In Kyle’s interview, he says he’s gay, and there’s nothing up there for him. The guests use the slide and jump off the boat. Lara puts soap on the slide to make it more slippery. Jessika finds Tumi and says she wants to clear the air. When Kyle mentioned putting her on service, Tumi laughed. She’s not sure if Tumi was laughing at her because she doesn’t think Jessika is capable.

Tumi says, Jessika is interpreting it wrong. She was laughing because Kyle was running away from service. Jessika says she could have sworn they were just out drinking and Tumi had said she was doing good. The way Kyle said it, it seemed like Tumi thought she was green. Tumi says, Kyle is not running away, and Jessika tells her that Natalya also said Tumi was making fun of her. Tumi says, it literally has nothing to do with Jessika, and in Tumi’s interview, she says she respects Jessika for coming to her. She thought she and Natalya had made peace, but Natalya is stirring the pot. It’s mind boggling. Tumi and Jack confer on the dinner menu, and in Jack’s interview, he says, it’s going to be a tasting menu; everything but the kitchen sink. It’s what he’s good at even though it makes his job harder. Haleigh and Max dance around on deck, and Luka tells them to bring the water toys in. Lara tells Max that he’s doing amazing, and in Max’s interview, he says he’s giving like crazy. Lara giving him a compliment makes him feel powerful. The guests get ready for dinner. Jack has Tumi taste his stew, and she says, that’s fire. The guests are seated and from around the globe comes… food porn! Natalya tells Jessika that she’s confused as to whether Tumi is nice or not. Jessika says, that’s a conversation Natalya will have to have with Tumi. In Jessika’s interview, she says she’s hesitant to talk to Natalya. She doesn’t want to tell her that she talked to Tumi at all because Natalya has her own agenda. She doesn’t want drama. She’s a peacemaker. The guests talk about Diplo and how they know tons of women who have slept with him. In Jack’s interview, he says he hates sh*t like positive vibes only, but he’s a product of the people he’s around. If he’s around people moaning, he moans. He still has a bond with Natalya, but he’s focused on the guests. He says, when he’s the adult, you know you’ve hit rock bottom. The guests pronounce dinner perfect and so good. Natalya calls AJ and asks if he slept with someone last night. Apparently, he did, and she says, he made her feel like absolute sh*t just for kissing someone, and he’s f***ing a girl from the club. He’s a f***ing liar. Kyle vacuums as the guests continue to party, and one of them tells him that vacuuming is stupid and he doesn’t have to do it. In Kyle’s interview, he says, it’s going on f*** o’clock. This is why he wanted a break and to not be on service. All these women are exhausting. One of the guests says she loves Kyle more than she loves her parents. The guests finally go to bed at 3:15, and at 6:30, most of the crew is getting up. Natalya goes to see Captain Sandy on the bridge, and says, this isn’t a positive conversation. The captain invites her to sit down and asks, what’s wrong? Natalya says she doesn’t think she’s mentally doing well, and Captain Sandy asks, why? The boyfriend? Natalya says she’s coping, and the captain says she’s sorry. Natalya asks, how many more charters? and the captain says, five. She doesn’t want Natalya to leave. Methinks Natalya needs some attention.

Captain Sandy tells Natalya that she’s safe and she’s okay. They have her. Kyle and the other people care about her, and this will pass. This feeling will pass. One day at a time. (Ha-ha! The captain is twelve-stepping her.) Sometimes you need those days when you have to deal. Feel sad, then make a decision as to what’s best for herself. The captain gives Natalya a hug. Disappointing me greatly, Lara tells Natalya about Kyle saying she wanted to leave, but he told her not to, and Tumi saying he should have told her to go. In Lara’s interview, she says, at this stage, she’s closer to Natalya than anyone else (translation: she wants to hit on Natalya more than anyone else), and she would want to know if someone said that about her. Natalya wonders what Tumi’s issue is, and Lara says, Tumi didn’t like Natalya from the beginning. In Natalya’s interview, she says she thought they’d hit refresh. She’s not biting her tongue anymore. She’s done with Tumi. The captain and Luka are carrying kayaks across the deck and launching them into the water. As the captain walks backwards holding her end, she falls. She tells Luka that she’s fine, and carries on, not missing a beat. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says she thinks she broke her wrist. She just wants to get to her cabin, assess her wrist, and  move it around to see if it’s okay. Chief Officer Nikola bandages it for her. Natalya charges over to Tumi and says she wants something clarified. Did Tumi say it would be fine if she left? Tumi says she never wants someone who’s struggling to stay, but Natalya thinks there’s shade in what she says. She thought they hit refresh. Tumi says, that doesn’t mean they have to be friends. They’re not chums. Natalya says, Tumi’s not a good leader. Maybe it’s the living together that makes them ridiculous, but I don’t get why they don’t just focus on their damn work instead of their relationships with each other and every little word that’s spoken.

A couple of the guests listen in, and Natalya tells Tumi, that’s not a positive attitude. Tumi says, if Natalya is struggling, Natalya can come to her, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, it’s not what Tumi is saying, but the tone that bothers her. Natalya says, Tumi’s comments are upsetting her people, and in Tumi’s interview, she says she doesn’t like being spoken down to. She’s had it her whole life, and it lights a fire in her. Just stop. The listening guests go back with the others, and one says, something is going on downstairs. (Unless I really missed GH, I wouldn’t waste one minute of my Mediterranean cruise listening to crew drama.) Tumi says she knew Natalya would start that sh*t again, and tells Kyle that if Natalya isn’t happy, she could have come to her. Jessica came to her. Kyle says, that’s maturity, and Tumi says, Jessika thought the way Kyle was talking, Tumi thought she was a green stew. In Kyle’s interview, he says he’s done everything for that girl, and she just swept the floor with him. How dare you?

Captain Sandy tells Luka that she’s broken her wrist before and she’s going to get it checked out. Nikola will be in charge, and in Luka’s interview, he says he’s 50% to blame. Kyle tells Jessika that she did him dirty when he was there for her. Don’t apologize. She says she doesn’t know why this is triggering him, and he says, she went behind his back and said he was making her feel like a green stew. She says, not in a bad way, and Leni listens in. Kyle says he’s the common denominator between everyone. I guess he doesn’t realize that could be taken in a negative way as well. Luka tells the deckhands about the captain’s wrist, and Kyle accuses Jessika of throwing him under the bus. Jessika says she didn’t, and Kyle says she belittled (WOTD) him when he had faith in her.

Captain Sandy heads for shore.

Next time, Jack does shots with the guests; Luka hits on Jessika; Jessika cries to Tumi; Kyle cries about stupid drama; Tumi says, everyone is at their breaking point; Kyle and Natalya argue; and Kyle calls Natalya a fake ass bitch.

🎪 All The Shade And Nothing But The Shade…

A taste of BravoCon. I heard Teresa got booed, and Sandoval. <snort>

A Recap Of The Shadiest Weekend Las Vegas Has Ever Seen

👻 Post Halloween Blues…

Join me tomorrow for soap and a tea party. I just can’t stomach Winter House – even I have to draw the line somewhere – but I’ll getcha the recap. Until then, stay safe, stay following your dreams and sticking to them, and stay never saying it out loud, no matter how quiet the night seems.

Nov4

November 3, 2023 – Charlotte Disappears From the Group, New Faces, 2 Grads, A Return, So Sad, Celebrations, Cancelled, Told You, This Week in Reality, Trixie’s Home, More, 11 Quotes For Month 11 & Candy

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly flips Kelly’s sign to closed and tells Regina that she can go home. She calls Alexis and asks if she’s heard anything about Drew’s case. Alexis says she’s afraid all she’s heard is silence from Judge Kim’s office, but she promises to let Carly know if she hears something. Carly thanks her, and Alexis says she’ll keep pushing. Carly says she knows, and Alexis tells her, have a good night. Sam comes into Kelly’s, and Carly asks if Scout forgot something, but Sam says she just wanted to check on her friend.

Alexis tells Molly that she’s sorry she’s late, but Molly says, five minutes is not late. She tells Alexis that TJ isn’t here. The ER is always busy on Halloween, so he probably won’t be back until early morning. Alexis says, poor baby, and Molly says, TJ loves being a doctor. Alexis says she knows he loves her daughter, and Molly says, Andrea was going to join them, but she’s exhausted after trick-or-treating with her son, so she had to cancel. Alexis is glad Molly has such a cordial relationship with her surrogate, and Molly says, her too. She and TJ were really lucky to find her. Alexis says she thinks that baby will be very lucky to have Molly and TJ as parents, and Molly asks if she’s hungry. Alexis says she’s always hungry, and Molly says she’ll unpack the food. There’s a knock at the door, and Alexis answers. It’s Kristina, and Alexis asks what she’s doing here.

Still dressed as Princess Leia, Willow finds a pirate hat outside Kelly’s, and picks it up. Harmony says she likes Willow’s costume, and Willow asks what Harmony is doing here. Harmony says she came to see Wiley and warn Willow. Willow says, warn her about what? and Harmony says, Willow can’t… She continues speaking, but there’s no sound, and Willow wakes up on the sofa. Michael asks if she had a bad dream.

Doc brings Laura a glass of wine, and she thanks him. He asks if Ace is asleep, and she says, yep and his mother too. He says, Esme is down for the night this early? and she says, Ace is teething. He kept her up all night; she’s exhausted. He says, she seemed fine when she was trotting him around in his costume, and Laura says, wasn’t he so cute? But just a little bit cranky. He asks if Spencer is out with Trina, and she says, yeah, and Charlotte should be out trick-or-treating by now.

Valentin parks the car, and the kids thank him. They start to get out, but he says, not so fast. Stay right where you are. He looks pointedly at Charlotte.

Anna says, it has to be here, and looks in a folder. She says, of course (🍷) it was you, you smarmy bastard.

Walking into Molly’s apartment, Kristina asks, what kind of greeting is that? and Alexis asks if she let Molly know she was coming. Kristina says, yes, when Molly invited her. She also brought pumpkin ice cream for Halloween.🤢Molly comes out and says she’s glad Kristina could make it. They hug, and Kristina says, sorry she’s a little late. She had to get someone to cover for her at Charlie’s, but here she is. Molly says, and she heard Kristina brought pumpkin ice cream, and Kristina says she did. Blaze turned her on to this new place. It’s totally organic and has amazing new flavors. Molly says she can’t wait to try it. She bets even mom will like it. Kristina says, she likes everything, and Alexis says, all right. Time out. Does someone want to tell her what she’s missing?

Sam says she hopes Carly doesn’t mind her dropping by, and Carly says, no, as long as Sam doesn’t mind helping her clean. Sam asks what she can do, and Carly says, crayon duty? Sam gets to work, and Carly says she just spoke to Sam’s mom. Sam asks if she had any news about Drew, but Carly says, no. She called to see if Alexis had an update because she just couldn’t help herself. Sam says she’s sure Alexis doesn’t mind, but she did tell Sam about Judge Kim’s record of giving overly harsh sentences if he thinks it will help him up the ladder. Carly asks if Sam can believe judges are still doing that, and Sam says, no, but her mom will see to it that she makes him answer some really tough questions if he doesn’t reconsider Drew’s sentence. Carly says she knows. It’s just, the waiting is driving her crazy. Has Sam told Scout what’s going on? Sam says, no. She doesn’t want to get Scout’s hopes up in case it doesn’t happen. Carly says, that’s smart. She keeps telling herself the same thing, don’t get your hopes up, but it’s so hard.

Willow asks, where’s Wiley? and Michael says he carried Wiley to bed. He didn’t even wake up. Willow says she’s sorry, but he says she has nothing to be sorry about. It looks like she had a bad dream. Does she remember what it was about? She says she had that dream about Harmony again.

Doc says, it’s good Charlotte’s out doing something with kids her age, and Laura agrees, but she’s just worried because Charlotte is obviously troubled right now. She thanks Doc for fitting Charlotte into his schedule, and he says, it’s a good first step. She asks if there’s anything he can tell her, and he says he can’t share what she confided, because she never opened up to him. Laura says, nothing? and he says, she was pleasant, articulate, and gave nothing away. The only real moment in the session happened when she began to talk about being protective of her father.

Valentin asks if their cell phones are fully charged. What about flashlights? They have candy bags there… Charlotte says, papa, please, and he says he’s almost done. Again, what’s the route? They all recite, Harbor Vista, Prince Street, Elmer Street, and back. He says, they’ll be back at what time? and they say, 9 o’clock. He says, they stay together. No one goes out on their own. Their parents are counting on him to keep them safe. Don’t make him look like a jerk. He puts his hand on Charlotte’s backpack, and she moves away. He says he’s helping her out. Did her father sufficiently embarrass her tonight? She says, he did, and he says, good. That’s his job. (He sounds like my father.) And to keep her safe and make sure she has a good time. She thanks him, and she says, tonight means a lot to her. He says, it means a lot to him too. Have fun. Valentin steps away, and Jake asks Charlotte, what made her change her mind about dressing up as the Hermit? She says, he doesn’t like her rah-rah costume? and he says he’s kind of surprised she does. She says she doesn’t, but she couldn’t get the other costume ready in time. Maybe she’ll dress as the Hermit next year. Georgie tells them, let’s go, and they leave as Valentin watches.

Anna tosses the unneeded folders back into the trunk, and calls Robert. He answers, happy Halloweeny, honey, and she asks where he is. He says, out tricking and treating with the rest of the kids, and she says, no, really. Where is he? He says he’s still in the office, and she says, stay right there. She’s coming over. He asks what this is about, but she says, it’s something he needs to see for himself. Stay in the office. She gathers up the papers she needs, puts them in her bag, and heads for the door. She pauses a moment, and goes back, taking her gun from the safe. She turns out the lights and leaves, locking the door behind her.

Sam says she was watching Carly with Nina earlier. Carly was very gracious to her. Nina says, it’s lucky she wasn’t bobbing for apples, and makes a pushing motion with her hands. Sam says, she’s really good at hiding her animosity, and Carly says, it’s exhausting. Sam says she gets that, and Carly says, fanning the flames of her hatred for Nina doesn’t help anything, and she’s Willow’s mother and Wiley’s grandmother, so… Sam says, and Sonny’s wife, and Carly says, yeah, there’s that. Sam says, Dante told her that Sonny seems to be happy, and Carly says, good. She wants him to be happy. Sam says, Sonny wants Carly to be happy too, and Carly says she knows. And Nina has been on her best behavior around the kids and Sonny. Sam says, but Carly doesn’t think she’s changed, and Carly says, no, not at all. For a long time, Willow didn’t want any relationship with Nina. Now, clearly, that’s changed, so if Willow’s happy, she’s happy. Sam asks, but what about Michael?

Willow gets up and says, so much candy, and Michael asks if it was the same dream or was it different this time? She says she was at Kelly’s, at the Halloween party. She was outside, and everyone else was inside. And suddenly, Harmony was there. It seemed almost normal. He asks if Harmony talked to her, and she says, yes. She asked Harmony why she was there, and she said the same thing as before. Harmony said she had to warn her, but when she goes on, her lips move, but there’s no sound. He says, so she still hasn’t heard an actual warning, and she says, but she thinks she knows what Harmony is trying to tell her.

Molly asks Kristina if Alexis missed something, and Kristina says she doesn’t know. Alexis opened up the door and there she was with her pumpkin ice cream. Molly says she came over, said it sounded really good, and here we are. Kristina says, there we are. Alexis is up to date. Alexis says, funny. They were hugging each other. Kristina asks if that’s against the rules, and Alexis says, they know what she’s saying. The last she knew, they weren’t speaking to each other. Now they’re acting like nothing happened, and they’re playing that little game, let’s make mom think she’s crazy. Kristina says she loves that game, and Molly agrees. Alexis says, spill it, and Molly says, after Alexis told them how disappointed she was in them, and how she’d do anything to have her sister back in her life, they really took it to heart. They got together and ironed things out. Kristina says, it was really more of a hammering thing, if you want to be accurate, and Molly says, sometimes it takes a hammer to get through to Kristina. Kristina says, Molly isn’t so easy herself, and Alexis says she really doesn’t need to know what happened. She doesn’t really need to know the details. Kristina says, Alexis always needs to know the details, and Alexis says, the two of them made up, and they’re very happy, and she’s happy that they’re happy. They’re all happy, and she’s very proud of them. Kristina asks if they can eat now, and Alexis grabs the ice cream and takes it to the kitchen. Molly says she actually thinks Alexis is proud, and Kristina says, of both of them. That’s got to be a first. Molly says she guesses hammering it out was worth it. Kristina says, definitely worth it, and Molly asks if Kristina will feel like that when this baby comes. Kristina says, Molly’s got her. Always. They hug.

Doc tells Laura, Valentin was badly injured not too long ago, and Charlotte is physically and emotionally dependent on her father. Laura says, but she also has them, and she has Sam and Dante. He says, she lived with Sam and Dante a month, maybe two. Before that, she lived with them for a few months, but if you take into context her entire life, as she remembers it, the one constant is Valentin. In other words, protecting her father is like protecting herself. Laura asks how that translates into breaking into Anna’s hotel room and vandalizing it or burning down Anna’s home – if it was really Charlotte who did that.

Jake wonders, what’s with the apples? and Georgie says she hates apples. Danny says, him too, and Jake says, some guy gave him money. Georgie says, her too, and Danny says, that’s why he likes going later. People run out of candy and feel guilty, then they give out cash. (Not in my neighborhood or I’d go out trick-or-treating.) While the others are busy talking, Charlotte slips away and goes down an alleyway to a hidden area. She opens her backpack.

As the Davis girls sit on the floor eating takeout, and Alexis tells them, she’s just saying that was her favorite year taking them trick-or-treating. Kristina says, she made them dress up as Supreme Court Justices, and Alexis says, because there were two women on the Court that year; that was the first time. Molly says, she had to wear those big glass to be Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and Alexis says, she was shorter. Kristina says, but those little gavels came in handy when knocking door to door, and Molly says, and their costumes were unique that year. Kristina tells Alexis, be honest. Was that the last time she was proud of them? Alexis says she’s proud of them all the time… when they’re not annoying her. She’s proud of all three of her girls. Kristina says, just wait until she gets ahold of Molly’s little girl on her first Halloween, and Molly says, or little boy, but Kristina says, it’s the Davis family. It has to be a girl. Alexis says, good point.

Carly says she thinks Michael’s just trying to do what’s best for his family, and Sam says, that’s true, but she doesn’t think Michael is as open to Nina as Willow and the kids are. Carly says, maybe he’s just not as good at covering his feelings as his mother, and Sam says, but Michael was best man at his dad’s and Nina’s wedding, right? Carly says she thinks he did that because Sonny asked him to, and Sam asks if she still thinks Michael is wary of Nina. Carly says she thinks wary is an understatement. That woman let them all believe Sonny was dead when she knew damn well he was alive. So she thinks the real question is, why would Michael or any of them trust her? Sam says, that’s true. She’s just glad Michael and Sonny are close again. Carly says, so is she, and Sam says, Dante told her that he didn’t think they’d ever be able to reconcile. Carly says, her neither. They’re both stubborn, stubborn men, and after Sonny fell in love with Nina… Sam says, Michael couldn’t accept it, and Carly says, no. It was really tough on Michael. It was tough on all of them. Sam says, and now? and Carly says, and now, life goes on. Whatever happened in Puerto Rico seemed to have changed everything between Michael and Sonny.

Michael says, so Willow thinks she knows what Harmony is warning her about? and Willow says, not for sure, but she thinks Harmony is trying to tell her that someone close to her is lying. He says, lying to her? and she says, yes, and Harmony is trying to warn her that she’ll get hurt. He says, Harmony’s been lying to Willow her whole life. Maybe that’s what’s jumbled up in her head. She tells him, that’s what Liesl said. Liesl said she should just ignore it. But what if someone is lying to her? Michael remembers asking Nina if she thinks Willow will understand. Drew saved her daughter’s life, and she got him sent to prison. He was beaten so badly, he almost died. Does she think Willow’s going to forgive her for that? Willow asks if he thinks she’s just nervous about how well things are going with Nina.

Doc says, even if Charlotte didn’t burn down Anna’s house, knowing what she has done, she’s clearly in crisis, and Laura says she knows. That’s why she’s so grateful Charlotte is seeing him. She’s going to see him on an ongoing basis? He says, that seems to be Valentin’s intention anyway, and she says, good. The house phone rings, and she says, it’s Valentin. She asks if everything is okay, and he says he was just checking in like he said he would. She says, of course (🍷). He did tell her that. Is Charlotte having a good time? He says, she is. She’s trick-or-treating with Danny and Jake and Georgie. Laura says she’s glad Charlotte’s spending time with them. It will be good for her to be with her friends right now. He says, she really needed this, and Laura says she knows. Please tell Charlotte that she loves her. She thanks him for checking in with her and tells him to have a good night.

Now dressed in a black hooded robe, Charlotte hears Jake calling her name. Jake asks Danny and Georgie how they lost her, and Georgie says, no clue. They call for her, and Danny says, come on. Not funny. They continue to search, and Charlotte puts the hood up, covering most of her face. I guess this is the Hermit?

Kristina asks if Molly and TJ have come up with any possible baby names, but Alexis thinks it’s too early to be talking about baby names. (Is she kidding? Girls probably start doing that in high school.) Molly says she and TJ said the same thing – Alexis says, good – except then they realized they were talking about the most mundane things not to talk about the baby all the time. Alexis says, it’s almost impossible not to obsess about the first baby. Molly says, now it’s all she can think about, and she goes over to the bookcase. Alexis asks if that’s what she thinks it is, and Molly says, a book of baby names. Alexis says, here we go, and tells Kristina, be nice. Kristina says she’s always nice… mostly, and Molly says, so they were both thinking Albert. I literally lol at Alexis’s face, and Kristina says, Albert? For a baby? She asks if Alexis likes Albert, and Alexis says she thinks Albert’s perfect. She thinks any baby name they come up with is perfect, because it’s their baby to name. Molly says she wasn’t even all that crazy about Albert, even though it’s a good name. Then they were thinking Ferris. Kristina says, as in Bueller… Bueller… Bueller… Molly and Alexis tell her, stop, and Molly says, maybe it’s a bad idea. Kristina says, what about girl’s names? And Molly says she was thinking something classic, like Athena, Kristina says, why not name her Madea? And Molly says, very funny. Alexis says, how about if we just look through this book together, quietly, and keep our opinions to ourselves? but Kristina says, they’re her daughters. It’s impossible to keep their opinions to themselves. Molly says, well said, sis, and Alexis says, touché. They open the book.

Carly says she bets Sam didn’t expect to help her take out the trash when she came to check on a friend, but Sam says she’ll scrub pots and pans if Carly needs her to. Carly says, she already did all that, but next time, and Sam says, perfect. Carly says she bets if she had told Sam all those years ago that they’d have a night like this… Sam says she bets she would have told Carly, not in a million years could they be civil to each other, and Carly says, they’ve come a long way. Sam says she’s glad, and Carly says, her too. If Rocco and Scout are on the same sugar rush as her kids used to get on Halloween night, Sam had better get home fast. Sam says she’s sure Dante has downed most of the candy by now, and Carly thanks Sam for coming to check on her. She didn’t realize how much she needed the distraction. Sam says, of course (🍷), and Carly can call her anytime. And don’t give up, because her mom never will. Carly says she knows and tells Sam, happy Halloween. Sam says, happy Halloween, and leaves.

Michael says, so things are going well with Willow and Nina? and Willow says, he was there tonight. Maybe it’s because now they’ve shared some positive experiences? He says he knows she had a good time at the wedding, and she says, they all did. Until Michael got distracted by that business call. He says, sorry about that, and she says, since the wedding, she and Nina can talk about Wiley and Amelia, even about taking that trip to Montreal. He asks if she wanted to go on that trip with Nina to Montreal, and she says, yes, she kind of did.

Laura tells Doc that she knows Charlotte. She couldn’t do something like this without having some kind of help. He asks if she thinks Charlotte had help from Victor, and she says, remember when Valentin got hurt? It was Victor who arranged for Charlotte to go to that private school in Europe. He had access to her there for over a year. Doc says, an impressionable year, and she says, yeah. Who knows what kind of lies he filled her head with? He asks if Charlotte didn’t say she hardly saw him, but Laura says, that is exactly what Victor would have told her to say. Victor hates Anna, so whatever Charlotte has done to hurt Anna is born out of Victor’s own hatred. Why else would Charlotte do something like that?

Anna goes into Robert’s office, and he asks what he needs to see. She opens the folder and asks if he recognizes any names there, and he says, Forsythe. She says, exactly. This memo is proof of a colossal screw up, and Forsythe was right in the middle of it. It should have killed his career. Robert says, but it didn’t, and she says, no, because someone buried it. He asks if this memo is the only proof she’s got, and she says, no. She was there – she takes a volume out of her bag – and she wrote it all down in her notebook. She knows for a fact he was there, and Forsythe has always known that she knew.

The kids continue to look for Charlotte, and Danny says, she’s ruining everything. Georgie wonders, where is she? and Jake says, she has to be around here somewhere. Georgie says, is that her? as Charlotte ducks around behind them, and Jake says, no. They saw that girl before and Charlotte doesn’t have pom poms. Danny says, she must have gotten ahead of them, and looking intently at someone, Jake tells them to go that way. He tells Georgie to text Charlotte, and he’ll go the other way.

Anna tells Robert that she thinks Forsythe either does something with intelligence or the defense industry. Either way, if this came out, it would ruin his career. He says, or worse, and she says, no wonder she’s being targeted. He knows for a fact she witnessed everything that happened. Somewhere in that trunk is a long form copy of the incident. She took it, just for insurance. He says, smart, but she says, what good is it doing her? No one could blame her if she took a copy of this to Alexis at The Invader, before Forsythe finds out she has any actual proof. He says, maybe he should take her home to her place, but she says she doesn’t need a babysitter. If anyone is watching her, everything should seem really normal. (Well, she did just dash to the DA’s office. I’m not sure how normal that is.) He tells her, be careful. They know the lengths Forsythe’s prepared to go to keep this quiet. Anna asks if he thinks that’s why Forsythe burned her house down, destroying any evidence she might have, and Robert says, could be. If he knows she has that trunk, he could come after her. She says, let him. At least now she’s not fighting shadows. She knows exactly what she’s up against.

Valentin looks at his watch, when Georgie and Danny arrive at the designated spot. He says, they’re back early. Where are Jake and Charlotte? Danny says, they couldn’t find Charlotte, and Valentin asks what he means. They were supposed to stick together. Danny says, they were, and Georgie says, when they stopped to check their candy, Charlotte just kind of disappeared. Danny says, Georgie tried texting her, and Georgie says, now Jake’s gone too.

Charlotte knocks on Anna’s door a couple of times and gets no answer. She looks around, smiling, then takes out the keys she spends so much time looking at, and lets herself in, closing the door behind her. She looks around using a flashlight. She checks out the safe, then sees the trunk. She kneels down and opens it, looking at the contents. She flashes back to reading Victor’s letter: Anna Devane is not who she seems. Do not trust her. She takes out a folder and looks at it.

Michael says he had no idea Willow really wanted to go on that trip. She says she knows it’s extravagant; Sonny wanting to take them to Montreal, just so Wiley can prove to James that his grandpa has a private jet. Michael says, his dad will go to extremes just to make sure his kids and grandkids are happy, and she says she can see that now. And she thinks Sonny would be disappointed if he couldn’t do it. And she’s never been to Montreal. Going there with Sonny, Nina, and the kids would give them another positive experience they could share. What does he think?

Molly, Kristina, and Alexis sit on the sofa, and Kristina says, this ice cream is really good. Molly says, Blaze has got great taste, and Kristina says, she sure does. Molly asks Alexis if there’s any update on Judge Kim. Kristina asks if that’s the judge who gave that ridiculous prison sentence to Drew, and Alexis says, it is. Right now, there’s no actual news. There are rumors flying around at the courthouse that he’s going to reconsider Drew’s sentence, but they’re just rumors. Kristina says, poor Scout, and Molly says she saw Scout the other day. She’s old enough to understand what prison means. She misses Drew so much. Alexis says, so does Carly, and Kristina says she can’t believe the judge wouldn’t take Drew’s family into consideration, or his military record. Molly says she thinks the judge wants to be seen as tough on everyone, no exceptions. Use it as a path to bigger things. Alexis says, so they hope for a miracle.

Carly goes in the back, and someone approaches the door. Drew walks in, and she says, is it really you? She runs to him and they kiss. She asks why he’s here, and he says, all he knows is, they said he was free to go, and he came straight here. She says, he couldn’t, but he says he did. He’s here. They’re together and he loves her so much. She says she loves him too, and they kiss again.

Alexis asks if Kristina drove, but Kristina says, on Halloween night? No way. Alexis says, good. She’ll drop Kristina off, and Kristina thanks her. Alexis says, next time, they add Sam to make everything complete, and the girls agree. They say their goodbyes, and Alexis and Kristina leave. In the hallway, Alexis says, that wasn’t the evening she expected. Kristina asks if she’s disappointed, and Alexis says she’s thrilled. Inside, Molly picks up the book of baby names and sits down with it. She says, Romulus… Atlas… Percio… Maybe she shouldn’t show this to TJ.

Michael says he just assumed… He thought Willow only went along with the Montreal trip for Wiley’s sake. He thought she’d be dreading it. She says she would have been, before. She might have even found an excuse not to go. He says, that changed since the wedding? and she says she guesses so. And the more time she spends with Nina when they’re with the whole family, the more she thinks they might actually be able to have a real relationship. Does that bother him? He takes her hand, and says, the only thing he cares about is that she and the kids are happy. He kisses her and says, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she stays happy, and no one will ever hurt her. Wow. Is she gonna be mad at him when this all comes out six years from now.

Laura tells Doc that Charlotte reminds her a lot of herself at that age. She had a chaotic childhood too, and thought she knew better than all of the adults around her. He says, every teenager thinks that, and she says, yes, but she didn’t think of herself as a teenager. She thought she was more mature than the kids around her, and maybe she was. Maybe Charlotte is too, but Laura threw herself into some really adult situations that she didn’t know how to deal with. But that didn’t stop her from trying. He says, and look how well things turned out for her, and she says, but she didn’t have a grandfather like Victor Cassadine whispering in her ear that she should hate someone. Victor has convinced Charlotte that she should hate Anna, that she should hurt Anna.

Valentin says, it’s going straight to voicemail. She’s turned her phone off. Georgie asks why she would do that, and he yells, I don’t know! Sorry. She says, that’s okay. He’s worried about Charlotte. On the phone, Danny leaves a message for Jake that he and Georgie are with Mr. Cassadine, and he’s really worried about Charlotte. Is he with her? Call him. Valentin asks, when was the last time someone saw Charlotte? and Danny says, before they went into the alley, like they said. Valentin says, and no one’s seen her since? and Danny says, Jake thought he saw her. Valentin says, he did? and Georgie says, but it wasn’t Charlotte. It was some kid dressed as the Hermit in the tarot cards. Valentin asks why he would assume that was Charlotte, and Georgie says, because that’s what Charlotte said she was going to dress up as that, but she changed her mind. (Popular costume, is it?) Valentin says, tell him exactly what this costume looked like.

Charlotte looks through the folders, and Anna comes to the door. Anna puts her key in the lock, and realizes it’s unlocked. Charlotte braces the flashlight in the trunk in way that Anna sees the light, and she backs away from the door. The flashlight goes out, and Charlotte gets up. She taps at it, trying to get it to go on again. Anna sets down her bag and takes her gun out of her waistband. She quietly opens the door and sees the back of the hooded figure. She says, freeze, and Charlotte turns, pointing the flashlight at Anna. Anna shoots, and Charlotte falls.

On Monday, Drew doesn’t know how he got released from Pentenville; Sam says, they can’t jump to the worst-case scenario; Laura didn’t see that coming at all; and Elizabeth wonders where her son is.

🪢 As the Door Revolves…

Today, the new Molly debuted. I had a hard enough time not mixing up Molly and Kristina, but now they really look alike. I get that they’re sisters, but give me a break. We also got a new Georgie and Danny. So far, I’m liking them both.

GENERAL HOSPITAL Recasts Georgie Again
GH’s New Danny Morgan Is Asher Jared Antonyzyn
Asher Antonyzyn Opens up About Joining the Cast of GH

🎓 And the Diploma Goes To…

How cool that Tajh Bellow (TJ) graduated with him. Two GH generations.

Donnell Turner Graduates Summa Cum Laude!

🗽 From the Old Neighborhood…

Gloria is in the building.

Ellen Travolta Returns to GENERAL HOSPITAL!

🥀 At Peace…

You probably know by now.

Soap Star Tyler Christopher Dead at 50

There were so many tributes. He was much loved.

Stars Remember Tyler Christopher

🎃 Soap Or Treat…

How the soap stars spent Halloween.

Soap Stars Celebrate Halloween — See Their Cool Costumes!

🎱 Time’s Up…

She just got more and more obnoxious as the years went on. Remember that seder she caused a scene at? Oy. Good riddance.

Former ‘RHONY’ Star Ramona Singer Dropped From BravoCon After Racial Slur

https://www.etonline.com/ramona-singer-is-no-longer-at-real-estate-job-amid-bravo-controversy-214111

⚖️ As Predicted…

And I’m sure more lawsuits to come. Brandi also thinks she’s still 20. Shhh… Don’t tell her.

https://people.com/butler-from-bravo-s-rhugt-files-lawsuit-alleging-sexual-assault-8364873

👠 Recaps Of the House And Wives…

This is one I only watch peripherally – i.e. while I’m concentrating on something else at the same time.

Real Housewives of Miami Season 6, Episode 1 Recap: The Drama’s Already Started

Ditto. Except for when Trixie Mattel was on. I’m not sure why Mary is still in the cast. She seems like someone dropped in from another planet, and that’s saying a lot.

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4, Episode 8 Recap: Major Mommy Issues

I can’t stomach this, but if you can, go for it.

Winter House Season 3, Episode 2 Recap: Shiver Me Timbers

I thought maybe these two were sane, but it looks like they’re sliding into wishy-washy territory. Sam shouldn’t be surprised. There are only 30- to 40-year-old boys on this show.

https://www.bravotv.com/winter-house/style-living/winter-house-recap-kory-keefer-samantha-fehers-relationship-update

🛠 Speaking Of Miss Trixie…

She is a Queen of many talents.

https://ew.com/tv/trixie-mattel-drag-me-home-hgtv-series/

🦇 You Didn’t Think I Was Done…

If you think you’ve seen them all, you’re wrong. Keep scrolling or swiping. There are definitely some repeats, but even cuter the second time around.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/celebrity-pets-best-halloween-costumes-over-the-years/ss-AA1jb9C6

Celebrity Pets’ Best Halloween Costumes Over the Years

🪗 Quotes of the Week

Infinitely more important than sharing one’s material wealth is sharing the wealth of ourselves—our time and energy, our passion and commitment, and, above all, our love. – William E. Simon (But a little cash never hurts.)

If you don’t believe me, then google it. – Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), General Hospital

There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them. – Ray Bradbury

It is mental slavery to cling to things that have stopped serving their purpose in your life. – Chinonye J. Chidolue

Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress: Working hard for something we love is called passion. – Simon Sinek

Success is built sequentially. It’s one thing at a time. – Gary W. Keller

Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. – Carl Jung

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. – Maya Angelou

The differences that separate human beings are nothing compared to the similarities that bond us together. – Sophie Grégoire Trudeau

What did Columbus discover? People were already here. It’s like crashing your car into Starbucks & saying you discovered coffee. – Jimmy Kimmel

Magic is believing in yourself. If you can make that happen, you can make anything happen. – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

🪶 Shaking A Tailfeather…

Stop in for a quick dose of Fear on Sunday. Until then, stay safe, stay remembering there’s another holiday between Halloween and Christmas/Hanukkah/whatever winter thing you celebrate, and stay knowing that sometimes it takes a hammer to iron things out, but it’s definitely worth it.

Nov3

November 2, 2023 – Halloween Celebration In Port Charles, Austen Must Be Held Accountable For a Bra On the Ottoman & Husband

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Michael and crew go into Kelly’s where the party has begun. They’re dressed as characters from Star Wars, Michael being Darth Vader. Carly asks if that’s Michael in there, and Wiley says, he’s Luke Skywalker. Carly says, he certainly is, and Michael says, I am your father. Willow, as Princess Leia, tells Carly, may the Force be with you tonight. She may need it. Carly says she thinks so, and cowboy James asks if Wiley wants to round up some bad guys. Wiley says he has his light saber, and Michael says, to infinity and… Wiley tells him, wrong movie, dad. The kids run off, and Maxie says she’s glad James has another sheriff of sorts to fight the bad guys. Willow says, they’ll be occupied for hours, and Michael says, somebody’s got to keep the peace. Carly says she doesn’t think it’s going to be those two. Donna comes in as Little Bo Peep, and Carly says, her costume turned out perfect, and pumpkin Scout looks amazing. Carly thanks Sonny and Nina for bringing the girls, and Sonny thanks her for doing all this. Nina says, they’re going to have so much fun, and she and Michael exchange a look.

Trina, a sexy-ish Little Red Riding Hood, says she doesn’t know how she’s going to pull this together. Thank God Josslyn is here. Adjusting Trina’s costume, Josslyn says, she’s going to look fantastic. She’s going to be the life of the party. Trina says she can’t believe Josslyn isn’t coming. She was so excited for tonight. She’s going to miss an epic party. Josslyn says she doesn’t know. Dex was supposed to come with her, and now that she’s solo, she doesn’t want to go and deal with all the drunk frat guys hitting on her. Trina offers to protect her, and Josslyn thanks her, but says she thinks she needs some me time. But go, have so much fun, and text her all of the tragic costumes. Trina tells her to get ready for the pictures.

Sasha looks at her bank account on her laptop, and sighs. She says, talk about a horror show. There’s a knock at the door, and cowboy Cody says, happy Halloween.

Anna tells herself that she’s cracked tougher codes than this, and takes some folders out of the trunk. She opens one and says, so many years of secrets. She closes it and says, it’s not a trip down Memory Lane. Let’s get this worked out.

Charlotte walks outside and adjusts the jack-o-lanterns. She takes Anna’s keys out of her pocket, when Valentin comes out and asks what she’s doing. She holds the keys behind her back.

Pirate Aiden tells Avery that the cookies are great. He’s all about 3-D cake decorating. Check this out. He shows her his phone, and she says, he did that? He says, pretty complicated.

Anna sets volumes of some kind on the table, and says, 1983, 1985, 89. There’s a knock at the door, and Felicia says, it’s her. She’s holding a giftbag and Anna asks, what is it? Felicia says, a housewarming present, something no self-respecting Englishwoman should be without. She gives the giftbag to Anna.

Charlotte goes back inside, stuffing the keys into her pocket again, and Valentin asks why she’s not in her Halloween costume. Her friends are going to be here any minute. She says she was just fixing the decorations. She wants everything to be perfect when they get here. And her costume is easy. She can just put it on before they go trick-or-treating. He says, she’s pretty excited about Halloween this year, and she says, last year was so boring. They barely did anything at boarding school; the headmaster was so strict. He says he’s sorry she had to go through that. They’ll make this one a Halloween to remember. She says, it’s already better. She’s here with him in a house of their own. There’s a knock at the door, and Charlotte says, it must be them. Remember their deal about no chaperoning. She opens the door, and Jake, Danny, and Georgie say, trick-or-treat.

Josslyn opens the dorm room door, and Spencer jumps out dressed like a werewolf. Josslyn tells Trina, Bigfoot’s here, and we see Trina with her red hood. Spencer says he has no words, and she says, silence is gold, baby. He kisses her, and she says, it’s Ace’s first Halloween. Was he excited to take Ace trick-or-treating? He says, yes. It was wonderful. He didn’t know how Ace was going to react at first because he was so scared of that jack-o-lantern in the lobby, but he was great. He had so much fun. At first, Esme was trying to walk Ace up to the doors, but he decided it would be better to just float him up. They had a nice time. Of course (🍷) Ace passed out by the fourth house, so he dropped Ace off and now he’s all hers. She asks what they’re waiting for. Let’s get going. Josslyn opens the door and tells them, have fun. Don’t do anything she wouldn’t do. Spencer gives the standard answer of, that leaves a lot of options, and he and Trina leave. Adam walks dejectedly down the hall, and Josslyn asks, what’s going on? It looks like he’s seen a ghost.

Avery tells Sonny that she wants to show Willow her costume, and he tells her, go have some fun. She runs off, and Sonny asks if Aiden misses his brother. Aiden says, yeah, but they talk on the phone all the time. Sonny asks if Cameron likes school, and Aiden tells him, you could say that, but he’s really interested in Ueki, his new girlfriend. Sonny laughs.

Outside, Nina asks what they have here. A cowboy and… Wiley says, Luke Skywalker, and James says, yes, ma’am, and if she needs any help with outlaws, they’ve got her covered. She says, that’s good to know, pardner, and Wiley says, they could patrol the island. James should see where Grandpa and Grandma Nina had their wedding. There are big caves to explore and a lot of spiders. They’re going to go back again soon, right? Nina says, yes, they are, although she wishes he wouldn’t mention those spiders. Michael takes a peek outside, keeping his eye on Nina.

Willow asks how the girls came up with their costumes, and Avery says she wanted hers to be a surprise. Donna kept wanting to find out. Donna says she did not. She just wanted to know what color it would be. Scout says, or if it was an animal or a person or if she would have a tiara. Avery says, Donna decided what they would wear, and Donna says, only because you let me. Avery makes air quotes and says, let you.

Michael goes back to the kitchen and asks if Carly’s had any word on Drew, but she says, no. Radio silence, and it’s driving her crazy.

Sasha asks if it isn’t a little late for trick-or-treat, but Cody says, that’s just if you want to get candy. He’s here to give it. He’s carrying a pumpkin bucket full of candy, and she says she appreciates the gesture, and she does have a sweet tooth, but she thinks if she ate all that, she’d go into sugar shock. He says, this isn’t for her to eat. At least not all of it. It’s for her to give away. She says she doesn’t think any little goblins are going to be ringing her doorbell. There’s not so much as a skeleton on the door or a plastic pumpkin out front. He says, hold that thought, he’ll be right back, and leaves.

Josslyn invites Adam in and tells him to have a seat. She’ll get him some water. He says he doesn’t know what went wrong. He’s never taken a test like that before. She says, that was Organic Chemistry. It’s tough, and that was a heinous test. The professor warned them. What did he get? He says he got a 92.5, and she says, and that’s tanking? He says, 92.5 is not going to get him into any of the medical schools on his parents’ list, and she says, she’d better not apply to any of the schools on his parents’ list, because she got 89% and that’s better than she thought. He says he wishes he could be like her. She’s so relaxed and level-headed. If he gets less than a 95, he has a panic attack, and has to dodge all the calls from home. She says, that’s intense. He has to stop being so hard on himself. He’s so smart and he’s so capable. He’s going to make a great doctor. He thanks her and says he really needed to hear that. Her phone dings, and she says she guesses she’s going out for Halloween after all.

Anna takes out a pair of mugs with the Union Jack flag on them, and tells Felicia, this is perfect. How did she know? She’s so desperate for a cup of tea. Felicia says she had a hunch, and Anna says, Felicia didn’t have to give her a gift. The whole place is gift enough; just her figuring out she could sublet from Maxie. Felicia says, two birds, one stone, right? and Anna says, Felicia has a unique ability. It makes her perfect to be a patient advocate. She just figures things out and helps people work through difficult situations. Felicia says she wouldn’t engrave that on a plaque just yet. She nearly sank her career at the hospital before it even set sail.

Charlotte says her friends look great, and tells them to check out their new house. Devil Georgie says, this is so cool. They both have new places. Charlotte says, it’s kind of weird Georgie’s living in her mom’s old house. What room did she pick? Georgie says she got the room with the window seat, and Charlotte says, that’s where she used to sleep. Mad scientist Jake asks, what are these? and Charlotte says, pumpkin bars. She made them. Valentin lets Sam in, and asks if he can offer her a glass of sparkling pumpkin spice apple cider. She says she’s good (as I would), and he says, probably a wise choice. He thanks her for bringing the kids by, and she says, her pleasure. They were all really excited. Elizabeth is working and Maxie took James to Kelly’s. Sonny and Nina offered to take Scout so she could drop the kids off here, but Carly is throwing a huge Halloween bash for adults and kids. Valentin says he wasn’t aware there was a party; he wasn’t in the loop. She says, according to Carly, the more the merrier, so if anyone wants to join… and he says, that might be preferable. Let’s ask them what they think. Sam tells the kids, Carly is throwing a huge Halloween bash at Kelly’s. Any takers? The response is underwhelming.

Maxie tells Sonny and Nina, congratulations, lovebirds, for skipping town like fugitives. Sonny says he wasn’t going to let Nina get away, and Maxie says, that’s sweet. She had the perfect theme for their wedding; flying cherubs, towering gladiolas, taffeta for days. But she supposes eloping does have its appeal. Nina says she wishes Maxie could have been there. If she’d done the wedding, Nina’s sure it would have been amazing, but this is exactly what they wanted. Sonny says, quick and simple, and Maxie says, probably for the best, because weddings in Port Charles usually attract bad mojo. Nina says, no bad mojo, and Maxie says, all they need is happiness, and they both clearly have that going on. Sonny says, you got it, and kisses Nina.

Outside, Avery says, girls play better, and Donna says, yeah. James says, no way. Boys do because their arms are strong. Avery says, who cares about strong arms? You have to aim good. Donna says, yeah, and Scout says, like using a slingshot. Daddy says you have to tilt a little higher than you see. Bringing Wiley out, Michael asks what they’re talking about, and Aiden says, cornhole is really a gender war. James tells him, Avery says girls are better, and Michael says, those are fighting words. It’s not that simple though, right? Everyone has their own skills and talents. That’s what goes into making a winning team, right? Wiley says he guesses.

Willow tells Carly, Michael’s such a good dad, and an amazing big brother. Carly agrees, and says, he’s the rock of the family. He’s always stepping in to help his siblings, and double that for his own children. It’s a gift, and sometimes a burden.

Nina comes out and asks what they’re doing. Wiley says, they’re going to play cornhole. He wants her on his team. Michael obviously can’t stand this.

Sam says, don’t all speak at once, and Chalotte says, thank you for the invitation to Carly’s party… Steampunk Danny says, they talked about this. The party at Kelly’s is totally for little kids. They want to go trick-or-treating. Sam says, okay, but if they change their minds… Jake says, they won’t. Right? Danny says, they’ll let her know, and Valentin says, the mob has spoken.

Felicia tells Anna, it was a nightmare. She was so humiliated. Anna says, $11,000 is so much, and Felicia says she knows. The patient couldn’t afford it, and how was she going to explain that to Mac? Anna asks if she’d be on the hook for it, and Felicia tells her, she couldn’t very well say to the poor man, sorry, my bad. Stella Henry saved the day. Anna says, Curtis’s Aunt Stella? and Felicia says, yes. She had her checkbook out, ready to pay, and Stella knew of a research project at the hospital, so she made a call. The patient agreed to share his data, and boom, the hospital stepped right in and covered the cost. She couldn’t believe it. Stella knows everything. Anna says, Felicia will too. She’s just a diamond in the rough. Felicia says, more like a lump of coal, but Stella has all this information, and it’s right here. She taps her head, and Anna says, Felicia has it up there too. She’s a perfectionist. That’s her strength. She’s not going to be a rookie forever, and her heart is in the right place. That’s the most important thing.

Dex knocks at Josslyn’s door, and Josslyn opens it, dressed as Alice in Wonderland. She says, wow, nice costume. It’s really a mobster, security detail look. He says, very funny. He got here as soon as possible. She says, he gets points for that, and he says, besides, nobody’s going to be looking at him. She asks how he got the night off, and he says, Sonny told him that he didn’t have to work tonight, so he didn’t ask questions. He just grabbed the opportunity. She says she’s glad he did – he kisses her – but they should probably go or else they won’t get out of here. She really wants to see Trina and Spencer. He says, okay then. Let’s get going. They leave, and Adam shuffles out from around the corner. He’s getting good at this lurking thing.

Cody tries to hang a ghost on Sasha’s door, but it falls, and she says, told him. He says, this thing is surprisingly heavy for a ghost, and she says, maybe it’s real. He says, maybe they have to use real magic then, and takes some tape from her. He says, hocus pocus, shazam, and steps away. The ghost stays, and he says, magic. She says, magic tape, and he says, behold. Her abode is now goblin friendly, and fab-boo-lous. She says she can’t believe it. He’s turned her boring apartment into a haunted mansion, but he says, let’s not go overboard. He just ran to the bargain mart and grabbed whatever they had left. But this witch’s hat had her name written all over it. He puts a blue sparkly witch’s hat on her head, and she asks if he’s implying she’s a witch. He says, she definitely cast a spell on him (groan), and she is quite enchanting. She says, that’s very sweet of him to say, and honestly, she appreciates him thinking of her tonight, but he doesn’t have to feel obligated to check up on her. He asks if that’s what she thinks he’s doing, and she says, isn’t he? but he says, she’s got it all wrong. He’s not checking up on her. He’s just making it easier for her to check up on him.

Maxie tells Carly that she has an errand to run. She’s going to leave James here. She’ll either be back to get him or her mom will come. Is that okay? Carly says, she has an errand to run on Halloween? and Maxie says, wish her luck. Carly says, good luck, and don’t worry about James; she’ll keep an eye on him. Maxie says, she’s a lifesaver. And hats off to her for staging this flawless soirée. Carly says she’ll take it. That’s a compliment coming from Maxie.

Wiley says, they flew on his grandpa’s private jet, and he got to meet the pilot, but James says, no way. He’s making that up. Wiley says he is not. He high-fived him. Ask grandpa. They go over to Sonny, and Wiley says, tell James about the jet. Sonny says, what about the jet? and James says, he really has one? With a pilot? Sonny says, yes, it’s true. He cannot lie. Wiley says he told James that he wasn’t lying, and Willow tells him, remember what they said about the word gracious? Wiley says he guesses, and she says, gracious winners don’t gloat. He asks what gloat means, and she says, it means he needs to apologize to James. Wiley tells her, James said he was lying, and she just looks at him. He tells James, okay, he’s sorry, and Sonny says he’ll show James the jet this weekend and take him on an adventure. James asks if he means it, and Wiley says, grandpa does not tell lies. Willow says, it sounds fun. Maybe Grandma Nina, daddy, Wiley’s sister, and she could join in and make it a family day. Nina says, that’s a wonderful idea, and Wiley and James high-five. Nina asks if James is ready for a jet-setting lifestyle. It’s going to be very special for all of them.

Danny asks if Sonny means it. He’ll actually take them up in the plane? Sonny says, sure. The real question is, where are they going to go? James says, they can go anywhere? and Sonny says, within reason. James says, how about the biodome in Montreal? It’s like the rainforest and Antarctica all in the same place. And there are monkeys and turtles that have been alive for over 100 years. Willow tells Wiley, that sounds too cool to pass up, and asks Nina if she’s still going to Paris for work or can she come with them. Nina looks at Michael, who shakes his head slightly, and I can’t write here what I say to him, since the blog is PG. Nina says she took care of her Paris business without having to go to Paris, but the weekend is still really busy. She has a big deadline. Sonny says, she can spare a day, and she says she’d love to – she glances at Michael again – but she really can’t. Wiley says, please, and Michael says, they have to respect his her decision. Sonny says, they’ll do something with Grandma Nina some other time, and Nina tells them to have a great time without her. Make sure they take a lot of video for her.

Sam walks in, and hugs Scout, asking if Scout missed her. Scout says, they need her on their team. She’s the best at cornhole. The only one better is daddy.

Trina and Spencer walk into the gallery, and Trina says she never thought she’d be so happy to escape a party. He says, it was a zoo. It was loud and crowded… She says, and obnoxious, and he says, and way too many dudes trying to hit on her. She says, kudos for him. He was this close to throwing some punches at someone, wasn’t he? He says he was, and she says, good for him. Gold star. He says he thinks he deserves a little extra credit, and she says, here’s his bonus, kissing him.

Sasha says she hopes Cody won’t be too disappointed if no trick-or-treaters show up. He says, you never know. It pays to be prepared. A horde of sugar crazed children might show up at her door like a zombie apocalypse. She says she supposes it could happen, but honestly, if it doesn’t, she’s really glad he brought all this candy, because given the state of her finances after Gladys raided her bank account, it might be the only food in the house for a while. He says he still can’t believe Gladys did that to her. Talk about a witch. She says she’s sorry she brought that up. She’ll be fine, she promises. She just needs to find herself some work. There’s a knock at the door (opportunity!), and Cody says, what did he tell her? They put their hats on and open the door, but it’s Maxie.

Felicia says, it looks like she caught Anna in the middle of something, and Anna says, all of this was in storage. It’s just old books and documents from her early years at the WSB. Her phone rings, and she says, it’s Valentin. Felicia tells her not to leave him hanging. She’ll make some more tea. She goes to the kitchen, and Anna answers, happy Halloween. He says, happy Halloween to her too, and she says, it’s good to hear his voice. He says, it’s always good to hear her. How’s the apartment? Sorry he couldn’t get away to help her settle in. She says, that’s okay. He had all those burnt pumpkin bars to take care of. How’s Charlotte now? Is she okay? He says, she’s better, and Anna says, Robert helped her earlier, and Felicia is with her now actually. He says, that’s great, and asks Anna how she is. Anna says she’s fine. She’s always armed, so he shouldn’t worry about her. He says he likes worrying about her, and she asks what he’s doing. He says, at the moment, he’s bracing himself to take four teenagers trick-or-treating, and she says, sounds scary. He says he thinks this may be the most dangerous mission of his life, and she laughs.

Spencer takes out his phone, and Trina says, he’s not texting Esme to check on Ace, is he? He says, no. Quite the opposite. He’s trying to connect to the gallery’s speaker because he’d like to dance with her. She says, in that case, follow her, and she takes his phone.

Josslyn says, Dex should have seen his face when the cops showed up, and he asks how she could. She was too busy yelling, drive around the block, drive around the block! She says she didn’t want to miss the action. She was looking for Spencer and Trina. He asks if that’s why she was recording on her phone, and she says, it was funny watching all the frat guys scurrying about when the lights came on. They go into her room, and she says, he’s telling her that wasn’t funny? Adam shows up, and says, they’re back. Josslyn says, the party could have been legendary, but the second they showed up, the cops did. So they opted for food instead. She holds up a takeout bag, and says, happy Halloween. Dex suggests Adam steer clear of Xavier Hall. It’s not a pretty scene right now. Josslyn says, bye, and closes the door.

Maxie says she was thrilled to get Sasha’s text. Knowing she’s staying in town is such a relief. They could have made it work if she left town, but Sasha being based here will help them launch the new campaign. Cody says, new campaign? and Maxie says, with the lawsuit officially behind them, they can relaunch The Deceptor and unveil their new line with Sasha as the Face of Deception. Sasha says, her? After all the bad PR? Maxie says, full transparency, they toyed with the idea of bringing in a new face, but Tracy of all people, insisted on rehiring Sasha, and Maxie is glad she did. Cody says, Tracy Quartermaine? and Maxie says, yeah. She is now the majority shareholder of Deception. Cody says, color him impressed. Maybe she’s not so ruthless after all. Maxie says she wouldn’t go that far, and Cody says, at least she made the right choice. Maxie says, the ball’s in Sasha’s court. Does she still want to be the Face of Deception? Sasha says, yes! She thanks Maxie and says, Maxie has no idea how much this means to her. They hug, and Maxie tells her, welcome back. Cody asks if she wants some candy, but Maxie says she has to go back to Kelly’s and get James. Carly is throwing a Halloween party for the little ones, so happy Halloween. It’s going to be a great new chapter for all of them. She leaves.

Wiley says, ready to lose? and Avery says, only in his dreams. Michael says, focus, captains. They have to finish picking teams. Avery has two more. She says, Aiden, but he says he’s Switzerland here; strictly an impartial observer. She says, okay then, Sam… and Mama Carly. Wiley says he gets mommy and Grandma Nina. Michael says, the first team to touch their noses gets first play. Ready… Set… Go. He says, Willow was last, and Wiley whines, mommy... She says, sorry, champ.

Cornhole is played, and there’s laughing and cheering. They all kind of stink, but Nina gets one in, and Wiley hugs her. She picks him up, much to Michael’s annoyance.

Anna says, if there’s a clue in here at all that can lead her to who’s targeting her… She believes it’s someone from the WSB or an agent from back in the day. Just a breadcrumb in amongst all the chaos that could trigger a memory or something. A name would be perfect. She would love if she could find a name. Felicia says she could help Anna sift through all of this stuff tomorrow. She doesn’t have to be at the hospital until mid-afternoon. Anna says, it just has to be her… and a strong cup of tea, thanks to Felicia, and Felicia says, okay, but Anna has to promise to call her if anything unexpected comes up. And for heaven’s sake, stay vigilant. Anna says, Felicia doesn’t have to worry about her, and Felicia says she should go. She promised Maxie that she’d pick up James at Carly’s Halloween bash. Anna walks her to the door and thanks her for coming around and her gift. She loves it. They hug, and Felicia says, take care. Anna double locks the door, and looks at the stuff spread out.

Valentin asks, where’s Charlotte? and Danny says, she had some last-minute issue with her costume. Valentin calls to her, let’s go. They’re running out of time for trick-or-treating. Charlotte comes out dressed as a cheerleader, and Valentin says he didn’t expect that. Charlotte says, what’s the matter? Doesn’t he like it? He says, it’s great. Let’s get going. He’ll bring the car around. He leaves, and Jake asks, what’s with the backpack? They’re not getting that much candy. She says she’s just bringing a sweater. It can get chilly out there. Danny says he thought she was going to be the hermit figure from her tarot card deck, but she says she changed her mind. The way Valentin was looking, I assume this costume has some significance.

Aiden thanks Carly for the party, and she thanks him for helping the girls decorate cookies. He asks if she means desecrate cookies, but she says, not once he started to show them how to do it. Avery’s a big fan.

Maxie arrives and runs into Felicia outside. They hug, and James runs out. He says, guess what? Wiley’s grandpa has a jet and he’s going to take them to Antarctica. Felicia says, really? and he says, not exactly. The Montreal Biodome. Maxie says, that’s almost cooler, and James says, good one mom, cooler, and they laugh.

Sam tells Carly, it was excellent. The kids had so much fun. Carly says she’s so happy everyone could get together. Scout thanks her for the cookies and asks if she can take some extra for daddy. Carly says, sure can, handing some to her, and Scout tells Sam that she wants to save it for when daddy gets home; he loves chocolate. Sam, Aiden, and Scout leave, and Sonny tells the girls to say goodnight to Carly, who says, they’re going to need these for a sleepover. She gives them cookies, and they hug her. She says, goodnight to her sweetest girls, and Donna says, this was the best day, and not too scary. Willow asks if Wiley is ready, and Michael tells him to say goodnight to his grandmother. He hugs Carly, and then Nina, telling her, it’s not her fault they lost. They hug again, and Willow tells Michael, Wiley sure loves his grandma Nina. Steam comes out of Michael’s ears.

Cody says, so the Face of Deception rides again, and Sasha says, it would seem so. He tells her, don’t look so happy. Cheer up, the tides are turning. She says she knows, but why on earth would Tracy Quartermaine stick with her after all the tabloid scandals? He says, could be – and he’s just spitballing here – that Tracy thinks she’s talented and the best woman for the job. She says she appreciates his faith in her, but… There’s a knock at the door, and he says, this is it. Go time. He puts her hat on her head and hands her the candy bucket, and she goes to the door.

There’s a song part, and Trina and Spencer dance and kiss.

Josslyn tells Dex, this costume is cute, but she feels like she’s wearing a straitjacket. He says he has just the cure for that, and she says, please, help me, doctor. He unzips her dress, and they get busy.

Adam looks online at his grade. He pulls at his hair and says, stupid.

Anna picks up some reports to look at. She flips through some pages, then focuses on one. She gasps and says, my God, that’s it. She quickly puts the folder back together and leaves.

Valentin tells the kids that their chariot awaits. Trick-or-treating ends at 9 pm, even if they only get twenty minutes on the trail. They file out, and Valentin asks Charlotte to lock the door. She stands in the doorway, looking at Anna’s keys, and Jake asks, what’s that for? She says, this is the key to getting everything she wants.

Tomorrow, Anna tells Robert that she knows exactly who she’s up against; Laura tells Doc, who knows what kind of lies he filled her head with; Carly tells Sam, what happened in Puerto Rico seems to have changed everything; and Valentin tells the kids, stay right where you are.

Southern Charm

Shep calls his mom and says he’s taking the guys to the house in Linville.

After the party, JT’s space looks a mess, and he tries to clean it. Rod joins him, and says, there was a lot going on. JT says, Craig was trying to give him Big D*ck Energy, but it was really Tiny Pillow Energy. Rod says, Craig is half-adult, half-child inside, and JT says he’d wanted the meal to give Olivia a sense of normalcy. The last thing he wanted was for it to be WWIII. Rod says, Taylor was caught in four lies, and JT says he thinks she’s an angel who’s been beaten to sh*t by Shep. Just because people make bad decisions, doesn’t make them bad people. In JT’s interview, he says he wasn’t easy to be around after his divorce. He has to wonder if someone isn’t trustworthy or are they going through pain. Rod says, the only way Olivia will be friends with Taylor again is if she never lies again. If a new story comes out, like Taylor sleeping with Austen, he can’t see Olivia getting over it. JT says, it burns him that Austen is the biggest liar. He was just sitting there like a coward. Rod says, he was thankful he wasn’t on the skewer.

Austen meets Olivia at the park for coffee. He says he was thrown for a f***ing loop about Taylor sending Whitney the nude pic, and Olivia says, it was a strange decision. She doesn’t know what Taylor was thinking, sending it to Whiteny. She asks if Austen got one, but he says he never got a nudie from Taylor. She says she and Taylor haven’t talked about it. They’ve talked about everything else, and Taylor’s been there for her, but she just wants to be happy with their friendship like she is with Austen. In Olivia’s interview, she says, Austen stepped up for her after the funeral. He dropped off some food and she talked to him, and they hugged. Having someone who understands how it feels to lose a sibling come through and be there is comforting. Austen tells her that he’s been talking to a therapist and thinks maybe he doesn’t make it clear to the people in his life how important they are. The talk that he and Olivia had at Shep’s dinner – we flash back to Olivia telling him that he didn’t know how to be a friend – made him aware. She thought he didn’t care about their relationship, and he doesn’t want it to be that way again. He wants her to know how important she is. Olivia says she wants to trust him, but doesn’t know how. She has a mental blockage. Yeah, it’s called repeatedly being kicked in the ass, or in more concise terms, experience. In Austen’s interview, he says, he’s trying to take the mature approach and let Olivia work out her feelings. But he’s going to continue to push through the ice wall if it kills him. He tells her that it always goes back to proper communication. He’s heard it from other people. Yes, when more than one person is calling you a donkey, check the mirror for long ears. Olivia says she’s not talking to Taylor anytime soon about her feelings. At the time, she told Taylor that Austen said he loved her, and she’d given him a chance, but he f***ed up. Austen says, that was the truth. He loves her and knows he hurt her, but he also knows they’re supposed to be in each other’s lives. Olivia says she wants to lean in to what he’s saying, but she’s in a bit of a funk. It’s nice to be around him and not be daydreaming about how to kill him. Austen says he’ll continue to text her movie quotes and things like that. Olivia says she appreciates the direct line of communication, and Austen says he wants to keep it going. She says she looks forward to it. Dare I say it? There might be hope for Austen yet, but I think the key here is therapy. He was on Watch What Happens Live and said he’s doubling up on his sessions. Alex Cooper also told him to go outside the  friend circle, which is great advice. It’s definitely part of the problem with this group. Even though Criag is technically seeing someone from outside, she’s still in the God-awful Summer/Winter House.

Shep meets Whitney at a beach bar for lunch, and brings along Little Craig, so of course this is the highlight of the show right here. Little Craig also sits at the table with them. Whitney says, dogs work on a reward system. Their dogs are spoiled, feral animals. Shep says, Whitney should have told him about the nude photo, but instead, he showed it to everyone else. That’s not cool. Whitney says he thought it was just a joke; he wasn’t concealing it. (Sigh. Really?) Shep says, they’ve known each other for a long time. He wishes Whiteny had told him, especially since he was showing the photo to their friends. It sucks. Whitney says he deleted it, and Shep asks if it was explicit. Whitney says, no, and Shep tells him that Taylor said it was dark. Whitney says – wait for it – he doesn’t remember. Gets that many nudes, does he? He says he was joking about it with his mom, and thinks it’s been made more serious than it was. Shep says, Taylor needs support, an ally. Taylor’s a f***ing island, and he hates it for her, and feels guilty. In Shep’s interview, he says, it pains him to see Taylor morally and spiritually lost, and he feels responsible. We flash back to Madison ripping into Taylor, and Taylor saying she just went through a breakup that crushed her. In his interview, Shep says, they were in love, and he hurt her and he has guilt. He tells Whitney that he needs to get out of town, and tells him about the trip to Linville. Whitney isn’t able to make it, and Shep says, they’re just going to cook steaks and fish. He knows JT is a lot to deal with; he’s kind of nerdy. Whitney says he thinks JT is cool. He’s amusing. My take on these two. In some ways, Shep can be a really good friend, oddly enough, to women; he’s too competitive with other men. And to give him credit, he never lies about wanting to get married. At least not on camera. As for Whitney? Pffft. He’s Whitney and lives with Patricia. What more can be said? They’re a force unto themselves.

Taylor’s Penny has to wear a panty, and I understand since I had a female unneutered Peke. Luckily, she enjoyed wearing clothes, and Penny doesn’t seem to mind either. Taylor calls mom Leslie, who asks how she is. Taylor says, there’s been little things going on with a lot of people, and she thinks she wants to come home; get out of the house. Leslie asks if she’s okay, and Taylor says, she will be. In Taylor’s interview, she says, when things are difficult, she wants to be with her family. They’re so loving and want her to grow. No matter what she does, they love and care for her. She tells Leslie that she feels like everybody is against her, and Leslie says she’s sorry. Taylor says she’s working on it. Leslie says, she screwed up like we all do, and Taylor says she breached Olivia’s trust. She wants to move past it, but with Connor passing, they put the conversation on pause. She’d like to invite Olivia to the lake house, where they can revisit it if Olivia is ready. Leslie thinks it’s an outstanding idea, and in her interview, Taylor says, where to begin with the lake house. She’s been going there since she was three. Her grandparents and aunt and uncle live down the road. It’s a happy oasis. Leslie says, it’s a perfect place for healing, and Taylor says she’ll always love and value Leslie. Leslie says, Taylor will do the right thing. Now these girls. Olivia seems to be overreacting, but it’s not about Taylor being with Austen when he was telling Olivia that he still loved her. She knows Austen is a lying liar who lies. It’s about her BFF not telling her. I think they’ll eventually work it out.

The guys pack for Linville, and driver Jacob pulls up to Shep’s in an RV size van. Rod brings bourbon, and Craig calls it the bang bus because he’s five. In Austen’s interview, he says, it’s not normal to be confined in a small space with someone who’s trying to date your ex. Strap him to the roof of this bus. JT gets out of the car, and whoever brought him (probably his mom) drives off with his stuff, and he has to chase the car.

Six hours to Linville. Shep says, they’re going fly fishing, and JT says he’s never caught a fish. Craig complains that he paid extra to get Valentine stuff delivered to Paige, but it’s not there yet. He asks for everyone’s relationship status, and Rod says he’s openly dating, Austen and JT are single, and Rodrigo says, tied down. Craig says, Austen doesn’t know how to be alone. On the road, Taylor calls Shep, who tells her, happy Valentine’s Day. She asks if he was going to ask her to be his Valentine, but he says, Valentine’s Day is for losers and weak people; he hates it. He asks how she is, and she says she’s good. She’s going to Asheville tonight to spend time with her parents. Then she’s hoping Olivia comes tomorrow, and they can have a talk has. He says he’s having a caterer come tomorrow and they have extra room. It would be awesome if she came up. Taylor says she’d love to, but they’ll see. Keep her updated. Shep tells the guys that Taylor will be 45 minutes from them, and Rod says, there will be a lot of testosterone in the house. They need some pretty girls.

4 hours to Linville. The frat boys swig bourbon.

3 hours to Linville. The frat boys are sleeping.

2 hours to Linville. Shep points out that the topography is changing. Craig looks at his phone and wonders why a signature is required for flowers.

1 hour to Linville. Craig wonders if pandas are real, and JT tells him that they are. In Shep’s interview, he says he thinks Craig’s got a screw loose, and we flash back to Craig screaming about walking backwards the rest of his life if he gets a crazy government shot. I assume he means the covid vaccine. Rodrigo asks Craig why he doesn’t think they’re real, and Craig says, there’s no evidence. In Craig’s interview, he says, pandas are definitely not real. They’re people in panda suits.  Um… I saw the pandas. They don’t look like people in suits. They look like pandas.

Olivia arrives at the lake house bearing wine, and gets lots of hugs from Leslie and dad Rick. They hug Penny too, Leslie saying how much she’s grown. In Olivia’s interview, she says, it’s a mountain oasis. When they’re there, they hang out, build a fire, drink wine, and relax. They used to not have a TV and really unplug, but now they have TV and WiFi. Olivia’s grandparents Marshall and Baba come over, and in her interview, Olivia says, her grandparents have been married nearly 70 years and that’s wild. She can’t think of 70 years of her own life, much less spending that much time with someone else, but it’s what she wants. Her brother Worth joins them with girlfriend Caroline, and Worth points out that Penny is wearing a diaper. Olivia says, she’s a woman now. Worth wonders when everyone stopped using the word courting, and Olivia says, now you have to DTR, define the relationship. She asks how long Marshall and Baba have been married, and Marshall says, 67 years. Baba says, she’s now reaping the rewards. He’s doing everything she says. But you have to wait until 65 years before they start obeying.

The frat boys arrive at the Linville house, and Shep gives out rooms. The house is so huge, it could be a hotel. In Shep’s interview, he says his family has been going to Linville since the 50s. His grandfather built the place, and his mom went there as a kid. The surroundings are beautiful, with streams and golf and fishing; all the stuff that makes him happy. They get fires going outside and inside, and Shep says his mom stocked the house with food. He and Rodrigo make burgers, and Rod texts JT from upstairs, asking him to bring a White Claw. Rod tells JT that Austen is proving zero benefit of all doubts, and he’s pretty sure something happened between him and Olivia. Meanwhile, Craig wants to talk to Austen, and they go to Craig’s room. Rodrigo tells Shep, welcome to ADHD kitchen. Austen tells Craig about meeting up with Olivia, and Craig tells him that Rod thinks something happened. Rod tells JT that he was out with a girlfriend that Austen’s dated here and there. After they saw each other, she went by Austen’s since he was around the corner. She saw Austen’s ottoman had a bra on it. Since Austen had Olivia over, he’s assuming it’s hers. I feel like I just typed a scene out of Mean Girls. Or CSI.

Austen tells Craig that he and Olivia met for coffee, talked, and went to lunch. Olivia wanted to watch a movie with him like it used to be, but they sat on opposite sides of the couch. Then they watched three-quarters of an Ashton Kutcher rom-com, his favorite. Craig asks if it was Friends with Benefits. Again on WWHL, Austen said he thought it was Just Married, but wasn’t sure. Andy was skeptical that he wouldn’t remember, but I’m not, since they’re basically all the same. Austen says, guess who left their bra on the pouf? I wonder, who calls it a pouf?

JT rants to Rod that it’s not okay behavior. Austen is getting away with murder. Rod says he went to Austen like a gentleman to tell him he wanted to pursue Olivia. Why do these boys always talk about women like they’re prey? Rod says, now he’s watching Austen f*** with her feelings, and JT says he’s sure if the bra came off, something happened. Let me interject this. Not necessarily. JT knows nothing about wearing a bra – at least I don’t think so – but it often comes off even before the shoes after a long day. Craig asks Austen if he and Olivia hooked up, and Austen says, no. In Craig’s interview, he says he thinks it’s crossing the line. It’s not the right time to invite Olivia over, but Austen’s an idiot. I love how everyone knows what’s good for Olivia more than she does. Austen is actually looking like the shining star in this episode.  Austen says he would tell Craig, but nothing happened, so it’s not worth bringing up. Craig says, Austen shouldn’t tell anyone but him.

Rod says he’s disappointed in Austen, and in his interview, he says he could be upset at Austen, Olivia, or both, but he doesn’t know what to do with it. He’s nervous that Austen wants her again. Hello? Olivia has a say. What’s with these guys? JT says he can’t keep quiet, and Rod says, when Austen looks at him wrong, he’s going to bring it up. Shep goes outside to grill, and Rod and Austen come back downstairs. Shep says, mac and cheese and burgers are a euphemism for his childhood. It’s his happy place. JT keeps baiting Austen, and in JT’s interview, he says he’s getting upset. He can’t watch Austen get away with murder. Austen thinks he walks on water, but JT sees everything, and Austen is hurting people. Now I want a burger. Ooh, mushrooms! Now I want mushrooms on that burger. Craig says, the burger process never looks clean, but the end result is pretty great. They toast to friends, and we get a lesson from Shep how, in the town where sriracha is made, fumes hang in the air and everyone goes around coughing and teary eyed. In his interview, Austen says, there’s so much sh*t going on, the last thing he needs is JT chiming in like a mosquito in his ear. They talk about cooking, and JT says he loves to stir a pot. I’m not sure if he’s trying for a double meaning or it’s a Freudian slip. Rod says he was going to enjoy his mac and cheese, but he has to be blunt. He heard Austen and Olivia hung out, then one of his girlfriends came over later. Austen says, so what? and Rod says, she told him there was a bra on the ottoman. Shep asks, whose bra? Do they realize how ridiculous they are when they see this later? Probably not.

Craig says, she got comfy, and JT says, you take your shoes off when you want to get comfy. What I said. Austen says, nothing happened. They cuddled, she hugged him and kissed him on the chest, and left. Craig thinks Austen and Rod should talk in private, so they go outside. At the table, Rodrigo says, enough, since he’s the only sane one, and JT says, enough of Austen getting away with murder. Craig says, Olivia is just as guilty, but JT says, they don’t hold Austen accountable. Shep says, that would cause a disturbance in the force, and in Shep’s interview, he says, Austen doesn’t know how to be accountable. He wants Austen to change, but doesn’t think it will ever happen. Outside, Austen says he was hoping to speak to Rod, and Rod says he let his imagination go wild, but in what world would they not have made out. Austen says he has nothing to hide. He admits it brought back feelings, but he can’t answer why he did it. In Rod’s interview, he says he wants Austen to admit he did more than he realized and he’s hurting people. That’s not what being a gentleman is about. Austen tells Rod that he’s not trying to get Olivia back. He would only hurt her again. Rod says he heard the story, but doesn’t believe Austen is telling the truth. He thinks they made out. Austen says, that’s not what it was. If Rod wants to be head over heels for someone, he’s not getting in the way. Rod says he hears Austen and his subtone, and I laugh. Subtone? What?

Inside, Craig says, JT’s not Olivia’s boyfriend, and JT wails that she has feelings. Craig says, they didn’t hook up, but JT says, there was a bra on the chair. Pay attention, JT. It was an ottoman or pouf, not a chair. Rod tells Austen that the chemistry is there, and Austen says he’s not against it. He doesn’t want to see it, but he’s not trying to sabotage Rod. He’s trying to change every aspect in his life. That’s why he’s in therapy, and that’s it. Rod says he’s not rushing things, and Austen asks, what’s his plan of action? Rod says he’s going to sleep on it like a mature adult, have a conversation with her, listen, and go from there. Then, who knows?  

This season, a boat trip; an island trip; snorkeling; waterfalls; Craig wants a wife and family; Madison wants a baby, but not bedrest; Shep says, Austen doesn’t give a f**** about anyone but himself; JT says he would marry Taylor tomorrow; Shep feels trapped; and tinfoil hats.

🧸 Gummi Bear’s Picnic…

Join me tomorrow for soap, enough tea for a proper Englishwoman, quotes, and a musical moment. Until then stay safe, stay remembering the clock change this weekend (fall back), and stay understanding that just because people make bad decisions, that doesn’t make them bad people.

Nov2

November 1, 2023 – Charlotte Doesn’t Burn the House Down This Time, PK Makes Dorit a Pretty Woman & Dia

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Dressed like Einstein (Albert, not my dog), Leo trades math equations with Lois. Who knew she was a math wiz? Leo tells her that she’s pretty good and they high-five. Eddie/Ned comes in and says, looks like this is where the fun is. He asks what they’re playing, and Leo says, some math stuff. He says, that’s his cue to exit. Carry on. Lois calls him a scaredy cat, and he says, uh-huh. She and Leo continue, when Brook comes in and asks if they’re still at it. Lois says, of course (🍷). Brook leaves, and Lois stumps Leo.

In the foyer, Tracy asks why Brook isn’t looking for some new musical protégé, and Brook asks, what’s it to her? Tracy says, everything in this house is something to her.

Outside Kelly’s, the courtyard is all decorated in pumpkins and haystacks, and there’s a closed sign on the door. Carly is doing last minute touches, when someone walks in. She says, sorry, they’re closed, and Cyrus says, trick or treat.

Ava meets Lucy at the Bistro, and Lucy says she’s glad Ava could make it. She has some mega, mega exciting news. Ava says, Lucy told her it was important, and Lucy says, it’s very, very important. As in… Ava says, don’t keep her in suspense, and Lucy says, as in, this is Ava’s golden ticket. This is her chance to unload wicked Windymere and spooky Spoon Island. But they have to act fast before the prospective buyer changes their mind.

Scotty tells Robert, this is a textbook case of misunderstanding, so why don’t they just cut to the chase and drop these charges? Robert says, in his dreams. They have some very interesting footage that the jury will just love. Scotty says, what footage? Nothing’s been entered into evidence. Diane approaches Robert’s office door, and listens. Robert says, Scotty should tell his client to cease with the intimidation tactics, and Scotty says he’s not going anywhere until he sees this alleged footage. Robert says, the only thing Scotty is going to see is him throwing Scotty out of his office when it goes viral, and Scotty asks if the District Attorney is threatening him. Diane walks in and tells Scotty, now might be the time to make a tactical retreat. He seems to have worn out his welcome. Take the hint. Anything he was hoping to accomplish here ain’t going to happen. Scotty says, Lady Justice herself, coming to the rescue of Crocodile Dundee (ha-ha). There’s a first.

Anna approaches Valentin’s door, the porch adorned in harvest décor. She knocks on the door, and Valentin invites her in. She says, he’s gone all out on the spirit of the season thing, and he says, it’s his first Halloween with Charlotte in a while. He figured he should make some effort. Anna says, something smells really good, and he says, that would be Charlotte. She’s inspired in her new kitchen. That, and a rivalry with Jake Webber’s little brother has lit a competitive fire. She says she’s sure Charlotte will accomplish whatever she sets her mind to, when Charlotte comes in. She says, Anna’s just in time. Does Anna want to be her guinea pig?

Diane says, with all due respect, Scotty’s made his argument, the DA’s not having it. Exit, stage left. Scotty says he knows when he’s being double-teamed. His wallet is already fat. All Robert is doing is wasting the taxpayer’s money. Robert asks, since when did Scotty care about anyone but himself? Scotty waves his hand dismissively and leaves. Diane asks why Robert lets Scotty get to him, and Robert says, history. He thanks her for being his noble wingman, and she says, anytime.

Charlotte tells Anna that she’s making pumpkin bars. The first batch just came out of the oven. Anna says, sounds good. Since when is Charlotte a baker? Charlotte says she’s not, but Jake’s brother Aiden sure is. He always brings these amazing creations to school, so she thought she’d try it before her friends come over. Anna asks if they’re having a party, but Charlotte says, they’re all meeting here before going trick-or-treating. Papa is going to drive them, and then drop them off. Anna says she’s thinking of buying herself some candy in case there’s any trick-or-treaters at her door, and Valentin says, at the hotel? but she says, no. That’s why she’s here. She’s no longer staying at the MetroCourt. She’s taking over Maxie’s flat. She shows them the keys, and Charlotte says, Georgie’s old apartment? Valentin says, she’s kidding. When did this happen? Anna says, it happened this morning. Felicia’s idea, and then when she had a look, it just seemed right. Charlotte tells Valentin, isn’t this great? She congratulates Anna and says she’s so glad Anna has a place of her own. Anna thanks her, and Valentin sort of smiles.

Brook says, there’s the granny she knows. Godmother of the Quartermaine clan. Tracy asks, to what do they owe the honor of this visit? and Brook says she just came to see Leo’s costume. Tracy asks what he’s going to be, and Brook says, Albert Einstein. Tracy says, good choice. He’s the smart one in this house. Brook asks if that’s a general dig, or just for her? Her mother told her about Tracy’s gift of Deception. She gathers she’d be stupid to pass it up. Tracy says, she could do worse, and Brook says she doesn’t want it. Tracy asks, why not? She seemed to be happy there. Brook says, so Tracy noticed. Her, surrounded by her best friends, working on a project they loved, until Tracy poisoned it by blackmailing her to betray them. Tracy says, but she’ll be the boss, giving them incentive to mend fences. Problem solved. Friends again. Brook says, wow, Tracy knows nothing about friendship, and Tracy says, maybe not, but she knows about family and loyalty, and the sacrifices they make to take care of one another.

Eddie comes back and asks if math class is over, but Lois shushes him. She and Leo are bent over papers, solving a problem, and Leo finishes. Lois says, rats! Congratulations, kid. He holds out his hand, and she takes some money out of her bra, giving it to him. Leo says, see? He knew money was in math. He runs off, and Lois says, he’s a wonder. He rattled off the heights of the tallest buildings all over the world. She hates to tell Eddie, and she’s very sorry, but he’s going to have to take Leo to play the banjo at the top of the Burj Khalifa. She thought knowing the length of the Brooklyn Bridge was impressive. Eddie remembers kissing Lois there on their wedding day, and she asks if he’s okay.

Ava says, Lucy is a miracle. Windymere and Spoon Island have their charms, but they’re hardly the Maldives. People with the means to buy a private island, typically are drawn to warmer climates. How in the world did she find somebody who’s interested? Lucy says, Ava doesn’t have to act so shocked, because she has kept her finger on the pulse of the high-end real estate market. She just picked up the phone, put the word out, and given her track record, the referrals started rolling in. She just had to pick the most promising one. Ava asks, who is it? Who wants to buy Spoon Island? (Um… Nikolas perhaps?)

Cyrus says he likes what Carly’s done to the place, and this décor really captures the holiday season. She says, get out, and he tells her, don’t be so inhospitable. She says, this is her place, and he’s not welcome here. He says he just thought with their history, she would at least hear him out, and she asks what he wants. He says, a job, and she asks if he’s serious. He says he has experience as a cook, and she says, from the prison kitchen detail? That’s not what they do here. He says, touché. Many incarcerated do learn valuable skills in prison, however, he’s been cooking since his youth. When he had to fend for himself, he was living out of his car… She says, that’s touching. If he has to impress his parole officer by getting a job, he’s barking up the wrong tree, because he will not be working here. He says he never expected her to be someone who discriminated against ex-cons. Her beau Drew will be one eventually. She says, half the people she cares about have rap sheets. So him being an ex-con is not why he’s not going to be working here. It’s because she knows who he is. He’s a monster.

Brook says she doesn’t need a caretaker, especially not one with Tracy’s manipulative tactics. Yeah, she loved working at Deception, but it’s not one of her passions. Tracy says, passion doesn’t pay the bills, and the ups and downs of the music business – mostly downs – will not support Brook in the style to which she’s become accustomed. Brook says she can make sacrifices if she has to, and Tracy laughs. She says, been there, done that. She thought she could subsist on the great love she had for a pauper. It didn’t end well. Brook says she’s not Tracy, and money’s not everything. Tracy says, no, but it’s far from irrelevant, and Brook would be foolish to think otherwise.

Eddie says he’s fine, and Lois asks if he’s sure about that. It looks like he’s seen a ghost. He says, they were married, right? and she says, yes, they were. He asks if that was at the Brooklyn Bridge, but she says, no, it was at St. Ignatius, but after the wedding, they went to the top of one of the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge. He says he has to go, and jets. Leo comes back, and asks where Eddie is going, but she says she has no idea. He asks if she wants to play Suduko, and she says, you’re on, kid.

Charlotte tells Anna and Valentin, watch out; they’re hot. Anna says, they’re delicious. Really good. Not too sweet, nice texture. Charlotte says she’s so glad, and Valentin says, these really are good. Anna says, quite delicious actually. She thinks Aiden’s going to be impressed. Charlotte says, that’s the plan. Another batch is in the oven. It could be a housewarming gift for Anna for her new place. Anna thanks her, and Valentin says, her new place that he didn’t even know was on the horizon. Anna says, it all came about because she needed a caffeine transfusion. She needed some coffee and met with Felicia at Kelly’s. She said Maxie was subletting her apartment because she and the kids were moving into a new house. The smoke alarm in Valentin’s kitchen goes off, and I nearly jump out of my chair it’s so loud. Charlotte runs to the kitchen, and tells Valentin, the oven’s on fire. Anna tells her not to worry about it, and she and Valentin go into the kitchen.

Diane tells Robert that she has ticket to a fundraiser for a cause near and dear to her heart, Animal Advocacy, and she was toying with the idea of asking him, but ever since that time… He tells her, just say no more. He is in. Where? When? What’s the dress? Cocktail attire? Maybe a tux. She says, yeah.

Ava says, a holding company? That’s the impressive buyer Lucy selected? Just a faceless LLC? Lucy says, that’s how it’s done these days. Important buyers use holding companies. (It’s gotta be Nikolas, right?) Ava asks if Lucy verified this company’s financials. Just because they made the offer, doesn’t mean they have the 25 million in cash to back it up. Lucy says she’s in the final stages of verifying all their assets, and Ava says, if they don’t put the whole amount in an escrow account, there’s no deal. Lucy asks if she understands they could lose this sale. Putting the whole amount in escrow is not standard practice. Ava says, why get herself mired in some drawn out real estate mess? and Lucy says, what Ava needs to understand is, sellers of private islands in upstate New York can’t really be too picky. Ava shrugs and says she’s not just any seller, and she can afford to wait for the buyer who meets her exact terms. So if Lucy wants her big, fat commission, she’ll get this buyer to put up the whole asking price, or there’s no deal. She gets up, and Lucy asks where she’s going. Ava says, people and places, and leaves.

Diane says she’s loving Robert’s enthusiasm, and yes, definitely a tie, black tie. He says he so kills a tux, and she says she’s seen him in a tux, and yes, he does. She’s off. That’s enough for now. He says, wait. She’s going to leave him in suspense? She says, suspense is the spice of life. Details to follow. She leaves, and he says, a tux… Oh, a tux. He puts tuxedos near me into Spyder Finder, and says, there we go. Freddy’s Formals. He calls the shop and asks what time they close.

Cyrus says he understands Carly’s position, but she should know, he turned over a new leaf. He’s here to set her mind at ease. She says she was there. She held the line while Sonny was gone and protected their territory from him. He says, that white dress she wore. He remembers that… She says, remember this. She knows who he is. He’s a predator and he’s dangerous. Those spots don’t change. He can walk around town telling everyone he found the Lord, but she knows better. He’s lying in wait and seeking out vulnerability, but that’s not going to happen here. So he can take his phony humility and sob story and get the hell out, because Kelly’s is off limits. He says, she’s every but the fierce woman he remembers. That hasn’t changed but he has. Ask Drew. That man she described would have let Drew die, but he saved Drew. He tells her, farewell, and leaves.

Tracy says she didn’t do all this to sabotage Brook’s friendships. She worries about Brook. Brook says she never asked Tracy to worry, but Tracy says, she doesn’t have a choice. Brook has no stake in ELQ. And they’ve all seen firsthand what the music business did to her mother. Years of hard work and nothing to show for it. Brook says, her mother’s overseen four Grammy nominated albums, and countless national and international tours. Tracy says she’ll be sure to look all that up when she surfs the net. The point is – the truth is – she wants Brook to have something real, something stable, something lasting. That’s Deception. And yes, maybe she let her disdain for Lucy Coe color her approach. Brook says, ya think? and Tracy says, everything she did was to secure Brook’s future. Brook says she gets it. In her own twisted Tracy way, Tracy thinks what she’s doing is best, but it’s not. Accepting Tracy’s gift would be like declaring herself and her dreams a failure. It would rob her of any confidence she had, confidence she sees in Tracy. Something she’s still trying to build. Do not sabotage her. Tracy says, sabotaging Brook is the last thing she wants.

Eddie brings his guitar into the nook to work on his song.

Lois gets up and tells Leo, pause the timer. She’ll be right back. She dashes out.

At the hospital, Charlotte says, how could she be so stupid, turning on the broiler? but Valentin says, don’t worry about it. It’s just a minor kitchen disaster. It’s not like she burned the house down. (I say, ooh, out loud.) She says, at least the first batch of pumpkin bars turned out okay. Doc comes out and asks them to come in, and Valentin thanks him for seeing them on such short notice. Doc says, it’s his pleasure. Charlotte’s family. Valentin says, full disclosure, this was his idea. Charlotte’s had a difficult year and they’re kind of navigating it alone. It would be nice if she had somebody she could tell everything to. He’ll just be waiting outside. He leaves, and Doc asks if they should have a seat. He and Charlotte sit down, and he asks what she thinks. Does she feel comfortable talking to him?

There’s a knock at Robert’s office door, and he says he swears, if it’s Scotty, there will be manslaughter. He says, come in, and Anna walks in. She asks what he’s doing. Off to save the world? She kisses him on the cheek, and he says, no. He’s finding a tuxedo. The last one finished up with a bullet hole in the lapel when they were in London. He’s still waiting for a call. What’s up? She says she just sublet Maxie’s apartment, and she’s wondering if he can help her move. He says, everything she possessed in the world went up in smoke. What exactly are they moving?

Lois comes into the nook and listens to Eddie play. When he stops to write something down, she says, he’s still got it.

Tracy says, the confidence and poise and smarts Brook’s developed is all her. Nobody can take that away. She wants to build Brook up; she doesn’t want to break her down. Brook says she’s sure Tracy believes that, but in this family, nothing comes without strings. Even when they’re giving, they’re usually taking. Tracy says, they’re flawed. Most people are. Actually, it’s what keeps things interesting. Brook says, interesting is exhausting. (Agreed.) She just wants something mundane and predictable. A little peace and quiet in this house. Tracy says, that’s never going to happen.

Scotty meets Lucy at the Bistro, taking Ava’s seat. He asks, what’s so important that she had to drag him away from his important business? And give him back his pen. (Ha-ha! He’s so me with that.) She asks, what’s so important about the pen? She doesn’t know where it is, and it has bad mojo. She thinks she threw it in the bushes at the Quartermaine’s. Maybe Yuri has it. He says, Yuri? and she looks at her phone and says, this is exactly why she bailed on the cutthroat real estate business. Fussy sellers, slimy buyers, and they just want more and more. You know what? She tries so hard to keep the peace. She tries to broker the peace, but she can’t. All she wants to do is end up with her cut. He says, she’s got to dial R for real estate lawyer. If she wants to dial him, go to T, because he’s a trial lawyer. She says she knows that. That’s not what she wants. Look at her. She needs him to help her break that agreement she made with Tracy.

Avery runs into Kelly’s yelling, Mama Carly! They hug, and Ava says, they’re ahead of schedule. She hopes that’s okay. Carly says, it’s okay; it’s amazing. Avery’s costume. Spin. Mermaid Avery twirls around, and Carly says, it’s great. Does she want to be the first to decorate a pumpkin cookie? Avery says, yes, please, and Carly brings her over to one of the tables and shows her all the cookie toppings. She tells Avery, go for it, and goes back to Ava. She says, Avery seems to be doing great, and Ava says, yeah. She’s very excited about this party. She didn’t even mention trick-or-treating. Carly says, good, and Ava says, it will ease her mind. It’s easier and well out of harm’s way.

Robert and Anna carry a trunk into Maxie’s old building, and he says, it’s not what he was expecting, rubbing his back. She says, it’s heavier than she thought. Robin was holding on to it for her. She guesses it got stuck in storage somehow when Robin moved. She’s been meaning to go through it for years. He asks, what’s in it? and she says, her and Alex’s leftovers from a life she’d rather not dig up. It’s just personal paperwork from her early years at the WSB. Files and journals and even draft mission reports. She’s hoping maybe there’s a clue in there to help her find out who it is that’s targeting her at the WSB. She goes through her pockets, and he asks what she’s looking for. She says, the key. It’s typical. She thinks she’s lost the key to this apartment.

Doc says he wants to assure Charlotte that their conversations are confidential. Whatever they talk about in here is privileged information. She says, anything? and he says, uh-huh. She asks if that means he won’t tell papa what they talk about, and Doc says he might give him his general findings. For instance, if he thinks she’s under significant stress or she needs additional support, he might tell Valentin that. But the details of what they discuss in here, that stays in this room. And he meant what he said; she’s family. His only goal is to help her. And if she’s uneasy about it, it’s fine. He can always recommend someone else. She says she’ll talk to him; it’s okay. It’s not like there’s a big secret or anything. Papa’s overthinking this. She did miss him when she was away, but nothing terrible happened when she was at boarding school. He suggests they start there. Why doesn’t she tell him about her experience at boarding school?

Ava asks Carly if Nina and Sonny are bringing Donna, and she says, yes. They’re going to take Avery home with them, and the girls are going to be spending the night. (Revolving kids!) Ava says, nice. It’s too bad really. Windymere would have made the perfect backdrop for a Halloween party. Just the right amount of spooky. Carly says, it really would, once they’re old enough not to have nightmares; when they’re like 13 or 10. Ava says she’s hoping Windymere will be someone else’s problem long before then.

Scotty says, there’s no such thing as an undo button when it comes to signed contracts, and Lucy says she knows. She just can’t take it. She can’t take Tracy having 51% of Deception, and Tracy is sabotaging her creative vision. She has to do something. She has to get Tracy out. She wants to get her out. Scotty asks what she’s going to do about that, and Lucy says, her? He’s the smarty pants lawyer. He has all the legal expertise. There has to be something like… Wait a minute. A loophole. Some sort of loophole they didn’t see. She thinks that contract is not written in the right kind of font – he holds his head in his hands – or what about this? There was none of that blue paper, that stuff on the back of the pages… He says, come on, man. She’s got to get in the twentieth century. All of that went out with electronic signing. And if – and it’s a big if – what if she could nullify the contract? Tracy would just reinstate the lawsuit and Deception would go down as fast as the Titanic did. She says, over her dead body.

The super lets Anna in, and she says she’s so sorry. She doesn’t know what happened to the key. She must have dropped it in the chaos of moving. The super says, it happens to the best of us, and hands her a key, telling her to make sure she returns that after she makes a copy. She says she will and thanks him. She says she really appreciates it, and the super leaves. She tells Robert, shall we? and he says, of course (🍷). They lift the trunk, and go inside. I have to give them this. They made that trunk look heavy. I hate when a character is carrying a grocery bag or to-go coffee, and it looks like it’s empty by the way they hold it. Kudos.

On the way out, Charlotte tells Doc that she made pumpkin bars for her friends. He says, great, and Valentin asks, how was their chat? Doc says, Charlotte was just telling him about her trick-or-treating plans for this evening. Charlotte says, papa is the chauffeur, and Doc says, have a wonderful time, and he’d like to continue this next week if that’s all right. Valentin asks how she feels about that, and Charlotte says, it works for her. Doc’s easy to talk to. Valentin says, they’ll sew up the details later, and Doc tells them, happy Halloween. Charlotte thanks him, and she and Valentin leave.

Lois tells Eddie, that’s really good. Play the rest for her. He says, no can do. That’s all she wrote. He puts his guitar on the table, and she says, come on. Her and him, they go way back. There’s no reason for stage fright. He says, seriously, it’s a work in progress, and literally, it’s only half-baked. She says, he’s in the zone. She doesn’t want to mess with his mojo. She gets up, but he says, no. No mojo. Just a creative dead end. She sits back down and says, he’s got something there, so don’t trash it, but he says, easier said than done. She says, listen. The same fire that got you there will also see you through. Okay? Trust her. Leo yells, the clock’s ticking, and Lois says she forgot. Sudoku showdown. She’s got to go.

Tracy tells Brook, all right. She’ll back off. No more pressure from her. Brook says she appreciates that, and Tracy asks if Brook will think about her offer. Brook says, think, but no think. She’s on a new course, one Tracy inadvertently helped to set. She really wants to make a go of it, and she has a new musical protégé. She signed a rising star named Blaze. Tracy says she’s heard of her, and Brook says, she has? Tracy says, yeah, and she has every confidence Brook is going to make her a household name. Brook says she’ll do her best, and Tracy says, of that, she’s sure. She goes back in the living room, and Brook smiles.

Scotty tells Lucy, Tracy’s always had the upper financial hand. That’s why she agreed to the deal in the first place. Lucy says she’s very well-aware; she knows. He says, so she can just ride it out until Deception is bankrupt, and Lucy says she can’t let that happen for Maxie or Sasha. You know though, she is quite the dynamo at real estate. She could just pivot back to that. He says, like a rat deserting a sinking ship, but she says, no rats, no sinking ship. She would never do that to them. Maxie needs Deception for her future, and that ridiculous Gladys almost took everything Sasha has. He asks why she doesn’t just become a silent partner, but she says, no way. And let Tracy run her company? She doesn’t think so. She won’t let that happen with the last breath left in her body. She won’t… let that happen. She picks up a piece of muffin, showing it to him, and he says, she’s going to poison Tracy’s muffin? She’s better off poisoning Tracy’s cognac. Lucy says, as tempting as it is to poison her, she thinks she just got it. Think about it. She doesn’t need to get that 51% back, does she? No. If she can wiggle just a teeny tiny 2% out of Tracy’s greedy hands, then she’s the major shareholder again, and Deception is hers. All hers. She eats the piece of muffin.

Avery asks if she can have Ava’s phone to take a picture of her cookie, and Ava says, of course (🍷), handing her the phone. Avery runs off, and Ava tells Carly, isn’t it lovely how kids can find joy in the simplest things? We adults are burdened by adult things. Carly says, adult things. Like selling Windymere? Ava says, yeah, like selling Windymere. She has to move on, but she can’t do that while she’s anchored to that place. And after what happened with Austin’s cousin Mason, she’s determined to sell. Carly wonders what kind of buyer she can get for that place, and Ava says she has no idea, but Lucy assures her that she’s found one. Carly says, really? Who? Ava says, that’s vague, but if Lucy can get confirmation that the buyer has the money, Windymere and its torturous memories will be in her past.

Anna open the trunk, and Robert says, whoa. Someone’s a bit of a packrat. (Not really. It’s not even full.) She says, you never know what type of information could be handy down the line, and he says, in this day and age, all of that goes on a thumb drive. She says, that can be hacked into in a heartbeat. He does realize this stash is completely off the grid, and no one has any idea this information even exists. He asks if she’s sure about that.

Speaking into a recorder, Doc says, subject, Charlotte Cassadine, session one. Charlotte displays a maturity that belies her years. She’s both insightful and evasive. We see Valentin and Charlotte going back to their house, and Doc says, she’s already mastered the art of camouflage, presenting only what she believes people want to see and hear.

Valentin and Charlotte go inside, and Charlotte says, it still stinks in here. How are her friends going to be smelling burnt pumpkin bars? Valentin says, don’t worry. He’ll open the windows in the kitchen and air the place out. He thanks her for meeting with Doc. He knows it wasn’t her first choice, and he appreciates it. She says, a deal’s a deal. She kept her side of the bargain because she knows he’ll keep his. He says he loves her – he kisses her forehead – a lot. She says, papa? and he says, what? She says she’s sorry, and he asks what she’s sorry for. She says, for… burning the pumpkin bars, and he says she worries to much, and goes into the kitchen. Charlotte flashes back to reading Victor’s letter: Anna Devane is not who she seems. Do not trust her.

Doc continues, she is anchored to her father, a relationship that seems almost symbiotic. Charlotte takes Anna’s key out of her pocket, and Doc says, he is very protective of her and in return, she feels a great responsibility to protect him. Charlotte looks at the key and smiles.

Tomorrow, Anna finds something important; Valentin asks what Charlotte is doing; Halloween continues; and Josslyn tells Adam, it looks like he’s seen a ghost.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

I get irritated at Erika before it even starts. Over that hair flip at BravoCon.

Erika meets with Dorit, since Dorit is apparently still irritated about it too. Dorit tells her that it sucks she had to ask for an apology. Erika acts all contrite and says, what she did was wrong and Dorit means a lot to her. In her interview, Dorit wonders where this was on the retreat. She tells Erika that it had a bigger impact because of the year she and PK had. In Dorit’s interview, she says, it was 14 months since the home invasion, and she took $10K out of the bank for Christmas gifts. (Yeah, I know.) She had her handbag in the shopping cart and walked away. When she came back to the cart, she realized it was gone. I want to feel bad, but why do that? And I know women do this. I have told complete strangers, don’t leave your bag like that. Seriously, bad, bad, bad idea. She says, the surveillance footage showed she was followed by three men, and it threw her back into throes of PTSD. Erika says she wants to repair the friendship because she doesn’t have many friends. (No surprise.) She wants them to move forward together and they hug. How long this will last is anybody’s guess.

Sutton calls Garcelle, who’s bummed about Jax leaving. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, she and Sutton are planning an amazing weekend in Vegas for Crystal’s 40th birthday. They want her to have fun and hopefully get the stick out of her ass. We flash back to Sutton and Crystal butting heads, and in Sutton’s interview, she says she hopes they can start fresh.

Matchmaker Alessandra visits Sutton, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, dating apps not working for her. She’s getting a callus on her finger from swiping left. She’d rather meet in person. Alessandra is known to be the best in Beverly Hills, and Alessandra is her only hope, like Obi Wan Kenobi. Sutton tells Alessandra that she doesn’t click with people, and usually doesn’t get a second date. In her interview, she thinks she can be slightly intimidating. She’s highly intelligent, nervous, acts strangely, and wears things like cat sweaters. Alessandra asks about her ideal man, and Sutton says, tall, handsome, and a college grad. They’ll talk about the wealth part later. Alessandra says she’s a believer in letting the men lead, but Sutton gives a hard no, which is funny since she sounds like she’s waiting for them to ask her out if she’s not getting a second date. Or is she asking and they’re turning her down? It’s not clear. In her interview, Sutton says she’s a first child and an overachiever. She wants to win with Alessandra and needs to get to a second date. Alessandra says she’ll bring 3 men (I assume she means their profiles) and Sutton can decide which she wants to meet.

Crystal and Rob meet Crystal’s brother Jeff for dinner, and in Crystal’s interview, she says, she and her brother are close, but even though he’s older, she’s the more mature of the two. He’s a pop star and is known as the Bieber of China. He’s like a little kid who happens to have money. He was engaged three years ago, but before the wedding, the pandemic happened. She and her mother begged him to come home, but he couldn’t because his fiancé only had a Chinese passport. It led to the breakup, and Crystal thinks he blamed them. The food comes and I want what they’re having. Jeff asks if Crystal would be okay if he was with someone younger, and in his interview, Jeff says, when he first met Rob and found out he was twenty years older than Crystal, he said, oh no. Rob and Crystal determine that if his girlfriend is fabulous like her, she’ll welcome her with open arms.

Kyle picks up Dorit, who thinks they’re going to lunch for her birthday, but PK intends to recreate Pretty Woman for her at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. In Kyle’s interview, she wonders what message PK is trying to send. Dorit asks Kyle, what’s up with her, since she’s sensing a heaviness. We flash back to the retreat, and Kyle saying things weren’t exactly in sync with Mauricio. Kyle tells Dorit that she thinks it will pass, but in Dorit’s interview, she says, she and PK used to go out with Kyle and Mauricio, but haven’t seen them as a couple in a long time. Something is up. Dorit tells Kyle, even on Instagram, it seems like they’re apart a lot, and Kyle says she needed some freedom. Dorit asks if she means specifically away from her husband.

Kyle says she wanted to get away from everything, but Dorit feels like Kyle isn’t telling her something. In Dorit’s interview, she says she needs to respect Kyle’s boundaries even if she suspects something’s up. When Kyle brings her to the hotel, she wonders what’s going on. Meanwhile, Garcelle visits Sutton, and asks about the matchmaker. Sutton says she thinks she was a bit hard on Alessandra. Traditional doesn’t work with her. In the beginning of her marriage, she gave up her power. In Sutton’s interview, she says she wasn’t invited to the boardroom in her marriage. He made decisions about the finances and the kids, but the one thing she got to do was plan summer vacations because he didn’t come until the end. She tells Garcelle that she’s holding on to her power now. She asks what’s going on with Garcelle, and Garcelle immediately tears up. She says she Jax thinks she’s doing it wrong. We flash back to last week on the beach, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says she thought Jax was being a brat, and the realization is now hitting her. She tells Sutton that being a mom is the most important thing to her, and Sutton says, teenage boys are kind of a-holes. Garcelle says, when Jax asked to live with his dad, it hurt her, and in her interview, she says, during the summer, Jax was hinting around. She thought he was punishing her, but also seeing how much he could get away with. In Sutton’s interview, she says, people don’t understand why she and Garcelle are friends, but they’re both single moms dealing with an ex.

When they get to the hotel, Dorit nearly freaks out because Kyle won’t tell her what’s going on. When they get to the room, which Dorit complains is not the presidential suite, there are tables with everything on the menu, a la Pretty Woman, but it takes Dorit a while to get it. In her interview, Dorit says, plating her own food doesn’t scream, it’s your anniversary. She suddenly panics about who’s taking care of the kids, and goes out on the balcony for some air. Kyle calls PK, who tells her to tell Dorit that it’s a surprise the whole family is in on. Dorit calls her kids, who tell her to stop stressing. They’re fine and with Winnie the Dog. Their exchange is very sweet and cute. In Kyle’s interview, she says, the control is out of Dorit’s hands and is freaking her out. Dorit’s stylist Justine arrives with a rack of red dresses, and now more relaxed, Dorit gets all into it.

In Dorit’s interview, she says, like in Pretty Woman, she’s leaving reality behind for one night and living out her movie fantasy. She’s excited now. PK awaits her wearing a tux, and in her interview, Dorit says, they’re good at surprising one another and big grand reveals. We flash back to some of those, and she says, she needs to do some work to get back to surprises or hang up her grand reveal hat. PK presents her with a Peter Marco necklace that’s on loan and worth $5 million. He puts it on her, and they go to an incredible suite. He tells her that he wanted to take her breath away as they walk in, and singer Berlin is there. She sings, You Take My Breath Away, and they dance. The text below reminds us that the song is from Top Gun, not from Pretty Woman. It’s not my fantasy, but I’m happy for her. In PK’s interview, he says he likes the idea of switching the soundtracks of movies, and suggests taking the Jungle Book soundtrack and putting it in The Godfather. He and Dorit have an incredible dinner, and she says, it was a difficult year, but this is so much better. It’s not that she doesn’t love surprises, but a lot of effort goes into looking a certain way. In their dual interview, Dorit says she doesn’t like someone else choosing what she’s wearing, and PK says, sometimes she needs to let her husband take control. PK says that he struggles to understand her PTSD. The concept of her not being in control is unusual. In Dorit’s interview, she says, she doesn’t need a grand gesture. She needs him to step up and help with the kids, house, and daily stuff, but it’s not in his personality.

Oh no. Mauricio is on the Lovebean train again. I’m not a huge fan of pet names, but that’s especially annoying. Maybe because it almost seems forced. In Kyle’s interview, she says she and Mauricio have always been in sync, but now it doesn’t feel that way. She thinks his heart and soul is in the agency. It’s the other woman. It’s Portia’s birthday, and they have a huge Mexican food spread. Kyle’s MIL Estella asks her about the rumors of trouble in their marriage, but Kyle says, it started because she was seen without her ring. In her interview, Kyle says, it had nothing to do with them having a hard time. It was one time when she was lifting weights. It’s not what she wants to hear at her daughter’s birthday dinner. She tells Estella about her tattoos, and Estella doesn’t think it’s a big deal. Then as a joke, she tells Estella that Mauricio has one, but when she gets zero reaction, she says, not really. She tells Mauricio about it, and he gets all pissed off. She says she thought it was funny in the moment to see Estella’s reaction, but she didn’t care. Mauricio stomps off and says he doesn’t want to talk about it. I don’t get this. Doesn’t he smoke a lot of weed? Where’s his usual mellow?

Oh I misunderstood. I thought only Garcelle and Sutton were going to Vegas, but they were just the ones planning it; everyone is going. This probably won’t end well, since no Housewives vacations do. They get on a private jet, and I say a prayer: Please God, let me one day make friends with someone who has a private jet. They give Crystal a $3K necklace, and Erika says she’s taking Crystal to Magic Mike. She wonders if Channing Tatum will be there. Sutton says they’ll all bond and have fights, but Erika says she’s given up fighting with them for Lent. In Erika’s interview, she says, a higher power told her that she needed to give up fighting with them for Lent, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, that could have come in handy a while back. I don’t need to tell you that the hotel is magnificent and so are the rooms. They’re met with champagne, and the rooms even have personalized pillows on the beds. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, Sutton’s assistant went on ahead and unpacked her clothes. She just gets a corner of the closet.

4 hours later. The women are at Magic Mike, and Erika gyrates on stage with the dudes. There’s some kind of altercation that we really don’t see, but my interpretation is that Erika was not wearing underwear. Crystal says Sutton is upset and they’ve got to go. Kyle calls Sutton a bitch, and Erika says, Sutton is being Judge Judy.

To be continued…  

💀 Sugaring My Skull…

Join me tomorrow for soap and Charmers too old for their behavior. Until then, stay safe; stay getting your holiday act together, since it will be here before you know it; and stay finding joy in the simplest things even when you’re burdened by adult things.

Nov1

October 31, 2023 – Halloween Begins In Port Charles, Celebrities In Costume, Vintage Creepy, The Best, Fear Explained, Dead Coming Up, The Cost Of Scary, Halloween Pets (!) & Double Feature

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Trina is in the gallery, when Cyrus walks in. She tells him stay away from her, but she turns and he’s there. He grabs her, and she tells him to let her go. Spencer walks in, and she asks him to help, but Cyrus says, no need to intervene. He needs a hostage. Spencer says, Trina’s his girlfriend, and Cyrus asks if he doesn’t love Esme. He drags Trina across the room, and Spencer says he’s sorry, but his uncle is right. Trina wakes up screaming. (Told you so.)

Esme cuddles Ace and tells him that he’s the cutest card in the deck. She says she has to take him to daycare and needs to find her purse, but there’s a knock at the door. She opens it to Cyrus and asks if she can help him. He says, nice to see her again. They met at Pentenville. He’s Laura’s brother, Cyrus. This must be little Ace. He moves forward, but she backs up.

At Pozzulo’s, Sonny says, Laura is always a good start to his morning, and she thanks him. She says, this way, she gets to congratulate him in person on his wedding, and he says, she already congratulated him on the phone. She says, this way, she gets the free coffee, and he says, she can have coffee anytime she wants. She says, to tell him the truth, there’s something she wanted to talk to him about, and he says he knows what it’s about, and wants her to know he’s sticking to the deal they made on the phone. He’s been keeping an eye on Cyrus, from a distance. He promised he wouldn’t take any action, and he’s not, but if Cyrus makes a move, he’s going to be all over him. She says she appreciates he has respect for her wishes, but it’s not what she wanted to talk about actually. It’s another family member. It’s Spencer.

Maxie runs into Kelly’s and says, to say she’s thrilled about Carly having a Halloween party is an understatement. Carly asks if she’s that excited about carving pumpkins, but Maxie says, not at all. It means she doesn’t have to go trick-or-treating. James is thrilled to come here, which means she doesn’t have to walk miles with him, since that kid insists on stopping at every single door. She’s not kidding. The kid spends ten minutes at every single house. She thinks he has a future as a traveling salesman.

Anna meets Felicia at Kelly’s, and says, caffeine now. Felicia says, good morning to her too, and Anna says she’s sorry. She’s very tired and not able to function right now. Felicia asks if she slept badly, but Anna says, that would imply she slept, which she didn’t. Not a wink. She’s still at the MetroCourt and has Sonny’s bodyguard, which should give her peace of mind, but it doesn’t. Felicia says, that break-in would rattle anyone. Maybe she would feel better someplace else. Anna says she’s been thinking about that, but the timing isn’t right for her to move in with Valentin. She thinks he and Charlotte need some space. She’s wondering if she should find a place of her own, and Felicia says she has a brilliant idea.

At the bistro, Charlotte tells Valentin that she’s old enough to go trick-or-treating on her own. She’s 15 (which is when most of us stop), and he’s still watching her. He says he knows she’s disappointed, and she says she’s not disappointed; she’s embarrassed. The next thing he’s going to tell her is that she has to wear a coat over her costume, so she doesn’t get cold. She’s not a baby. He says, she’s been through a lot lately and he’s not okay with her going out alone. End of story. She says she’s not going to be alone; she’ll be with her friends. He says, and with him. He’s joining the group. The more, the merrier, right?

Finn wakes up and sees Elizabeth painting at an easel. He says, there’s a sight worth waking up to, and she says, look at his cute little bedhead. He says he thought the haircut might fix that, but he guesses he was wrong. She asks how he slept, and he says, never better. Her? She says, so well, thank you, and he says, it must have been the maple syrup. (Seriously, what did they do with that?)

Esme asks what Cyrus wants, and he says he’s here to see his sister of course (🍷). He closes the door, but then Spencer comes in. Cyrus says, great to see him. He was just about to get acquainted with his other great-nephew. Spencer asks what he’s doing here, and Esme tells him, he says he’s here to see Spencer’s grandmother, but she was just about to tell him that Laura’s not here. Spencer says he’ll tell Laura that Cyrus dropped by, but Cyrus says, he came all this way. He might as well take the opportunity to get to know this little guy, and he and Spencer barely talked the other day. They should maybe catch up? Okay?

Josslyn asks if Trina is okay, and Trina says, sorry if she woke Josslyn. Josslyn tells her, don’t apologize, but what happened? and Trina says she just had the worst nightmare. Adam knocks at the door and asks if everything is all right, and Josslyn opens the door. He asks, what’s going on? and she says, nothing. Everything’s fine. Trina had a nightmare. He says he’s had his share of them, and Trina says, sorry if she woke him, but he says, that’s okay. He’s been up for hours studying for midterms. He was about to head out on a coffee run. Does Josslyn want anything from Perks? She says, no, she’s okay, and he says, maybe he’ll see her later? She says, yeah, bye, and closes the door. She asks Trina to tell her about this dream.

Sonny asks if Laura has proof Nikolas is alive, and she says, irrefutable. Not only has Nikolas been in Geneva, his banker said his employees saw Nikolas there and he showed her withdrawals for a significant amount of money that Nikolas has taken from his accounts. Sonny asks if she gave this information to Spencer, and she says, yeah. He didn’t react the way she thought he would. She thought it was just going to be more anger, but he was so sad and so disappointed. She thinks it was like a final confirmation that his father has abandoned his life here, and his two sons. She knows Spencer would probably never admit it, but she thinks he was holding out hope that his father wasn’t missing by his own choice. He says, just when you think Nikolas couldn’t sink any lower. He’s sorry. He knows Nikolas is Laura’s son. It’s just that he feels for Spencer. She says she does too, but as a mother, she feels there’s more to this story. There’s probably some extenuating circumstances they don’t know about, some real reason he had to leave. But she knows, at this point, he’s really forfeited his right to be a father to Ace, and she doesn’t think Spencer would even want him back. Sonny says, Nikolas doesn’t realize the damage he’s doing to Spencer. Sonny was abandoned as a kid, and he was bitter and resented his father for a long time. He knows what Spencer is going through. She says, that’s exactly why she’s here. Can he please help Spencer?

Elizabeth thanks Finn, and he says, for what? She says, for this trip. She feels so relaxed, like she’s a million miles away from Port Charles. He says, that was kind of the idea, right? Just getting away and leaving everything behind for a few days. She says, he needed this more than he realized. He’s been so consumed with his dad and his illness, he really needed to take a break and get out of his mind, even if it was just for a day or two. He says, she’s the one who told him to enjoy every moment in life. That’s what he’s doing. He looks at her painting and says, this is really good, and she says she hopes it’s okay she used paint she found in the closet. She couldn’t resist. He says, of course (🍷) it is. Maybe she should get back into painting when she gets home. She says she’d like that. It used to be such a passion of hers. Then kids and life took over… He says, she’s really talented – we see it’s a painting of a tree-lined path – and she says, waking up to the beauty that surrounds them inspired her. She wanted to capture it. It’ll remind her of what a special weekend this is. He says he loves it… He loves her. He has for the longest time.

Maxie says, Georgie is at the age where she wants to go trick-or-treating unsupervised, and Carly says, that’s a tough one. She remembers when she and Josslyn went through that. It was quite the battle. She’s just happy Donna has a few more years before she reaches that stage. (What’s up with these parents? We were going out by ourselves by 6th grade. Although no mob bosses lived in my neighborhood… I don’t think.) Maxie says she doesn’t want to smother Georgie. She remembers what it was like at that age, but she did get into a lot of trouble. You know what they say about the apple and the tree. Carly says she does, but listen to her gut. How many kids does she want to go with? Maxie says, three, and two of them are boys, so that’s a plus, and Carly says, or a minus, depending on how you look at it.

Felicia asks what Anna thinks of a sublet. It might be better until she figures out her long-term plans. Anna says, ideally, she would move in with Valentin and Charlotte, but the truth is, this person, whoever’s after her, she doesn’t know when they’re going to make their next move. She doesn’t want Charlotte anywhere near that. So she has to keep her distance. Felicia says, makes sense, but a furnished place would be convenient, right? and Anna says, of course (🍷). Felicia says, a furnished place in a nice neighborhood, a secure building with lots of families, but Anna says she doesn’t think a place like that exists. Felicia says, that’s where she’s wrong, and calls Maxie over.

Charlotte tells Valentin that she’ll be the only one with a chaperone. Jake, Danny, and Georgie are all going in a safe neighborhood. They’re going to Harbor Vista. He says he’s a highly trained agent. She won’t even know he’s there. She says, this isn’t funny. The whole point of the night is to be on their own. She doesn’t need him holding her hand like a little kid with a pumpkin flashlight. He says he’s not changing his mind and she asks if he doesn’t trust her.

Maxie says, so Anna wants to sublet her old place, and Anna says, it wasn’t her idea; it was Maxie’s mother’s brilliant idea. What does she think? Maxie says she thinks it’s a great idea. She tried to sublet it already, but the woman go transferred out of town at the last minute, so it’s just been sitting there empty. Not empty exactly; her old furniture’s still in there. She bought all new stuff for her house. Anna says she needs furniture; she doesn’t have any. Maxie says, okay. Then Felicia’s a genius. Felicia agrees that she is.

They go to Maxie’s old apartment, and Felicia tells Anna, welcome to her new home.

Trina says, the dream was definitely triggered by Cyrus showing up at the gallery yesterday, and Josslyn says, she must have been so shocked to see him there. Trina says, her mom warned her that Cyrus was released, but she didn’t expect him to track her down. Josslyn asks if Cyrus threatened her. She can talk to Sonny; he can handle it. Trina asks, what happened to her grudge against Sonny? A few weeks ago, Josslyn wanted nothing to do with him, and now she’s willing to reach out to him? Josslyn says she thinks Trina’s safety is more important than any issues she has with Sonny, and he’s well-equipped to handle Cyrus and he will. She just doesn’t want Trina to worry. Trina says she’d appreciates that, but Cyrus didn’t threaten her. It was the opposite. He apologized.

Esme thanks Spencer for getting diapers, and he says, not a problem. He thinks she should get to work. She knows how Alexis is when she’s late. Cyrus says, so she works for Miss Davis? and Esme says, Miss Davis was nice enough to offer her a job even though she has no experience. Cyrus says he doesn’t know her well, but she seems like a formidable woman. She runs that paper… Spencer says, The Invader, and if Esme doesn’t get going now, she’s not going to have that job very much longer. He walks Esme to the door and gives Ace to her. He closes the door and asks if Cyrus wants to tell him what he’s really doing here. What does he want?

Sonny says, Laura knows he’d do anything for her. It’s just that he’s had so many difficulties with Nikolas in the past, he can’t be neutral on this subject. Even if he talks to Spencer, he doesn’t really want to trash his father. That wouldn’t be healthy for them, and it wouldn’t be fair to her. She says, he doesn’t have to justify his feelings about Spencer’s dad. She just wants Sonny to be there for him in case he comes to her for advice. It would ease her mind. He says he’ll always be here for Spencer, and she thanks him. Spencer really admires and respects him, and he can get through to Spencer in a way she and Doc can’t. She has to be honest, she’s kind of worried about him right now. She’s afraid he might do something rash, something he might regret in the future. He says he’ll do whatever he can to make sure that doesn’t happen. She takes his hand and says, thank you.

Walking through the woods with Elizabeth, Finn says, this is the best apple he’s ever had. She says, it’s his second one. If he has any more, Aiden won’t have enough for his pies. (Highly unlikely, since they’re both carrying full baskets.) He says, Aiden’s got enough for ten pies, and she says she has to account for multiple attempts. He says, Aiden’s a wiz in the kitchen, and she says, he is, but baking is very precise. It’s a science. Finn says, it is, although he doesn’t remember seeing a single pie in organic chemistry class (what about a pie chart?), and she says, following the recipe is key. It’s not like any barbecue. He says, excuse me? and she says she’s not knocking his culinary skills. It’s just seeing him at the grill, there were spices and sauces flying everywhere. He says he guesses that’s a fair assessment. It still tastes pretty good, right? She says, it does. She guesses they should get back. She didn’t know how far this orchard was. He says, if they’re tired when they get back to the cabin, they can just take a nap.

Sonny asks how Spencer is doing with Ace, and she says she’s so proud of the way he’s stepped up. He’s really trying to be a surrogate father to that little boy. He even took parenting classes with Esme. Sonny says, that’s impressive, and she says, the only thing is, it causes a little bit of friction between him and Trina, and he’s very much in love with Trina. She’s worried his devotion to Ace and the time he spends with Esme could hurt his relationship. Sonny says, he’s in a tough spot, because if he backs away from Ace, he’s going to feel miserable, and if he doesn’t put Trina first, he could end up losing her. She says, exactly. It’s a lot for someone his age. He didn’t ask to be a father, but he’s doing his very best to fill the role. Anyway, she just wanted Sonny to know what’s going on in Spencer’s life in case Spencer does come to him for guidance. His phone chimes, and Sonny says he thinks she’d better get home. She has a visitor.

Cyrus asks if Spencer is implying that he has an ulterior motive, but Spencer says he’s not implying anything; he’s stating it outright. Cyrus must want something. Cyrus assures Spencer that his motives are purely altruistic. He wanted to see his dear sister and thought he’d save her the embarrassment of a newly released convict showing up at the mayor’s office. Spencer says, she’d be far more concerned knowing he came here where Esme and Ace were vulnerable, but Cyrus says he had no intention of intimidating Esme or Spencer’s brother. Quite the contrary. He was pleasantly surprised to find them home, and he enjoyed the little time he had with them. He meant them no harm. Spencer says, Esme may have met him before, but she has no idea how dangerous Cyrus truly is, and Cyrus says, like the Lord Himself, he comes in peace, and he’s very disheartened to find Spencer so unwelcoming. He thought they’d come to an understanding in Pentenville.

Josslyn says, she did not, but Trina says she sure did. Josslyn says, she screamed at Cyrus, told him to take his apology and shove it? and Trina says, yeah. Josslyn says, good for her, and Trina says she surprised herself. She wasn’t sure she had it in her. It was such a release to unload on him. She was terrified the night he held her and her mom hostage, and she’s not going to be a victim again. Josslyn says, clearly, she’s stronger than she thinks. Trina says, maybe, but Cyrus is free. If he sees her again, he might not apologize. Josslyn says, it’s no wonder she’s having nightmares, and Trina says she thinks the scariest part of the dream wasn’t Cyrus. It was Spencer. Renault was holding her, and she was screaming for Spencer to help her, but he just stood there. Josslyn says, let’s hope that never becomes a reality, but Trina says, it won’t because Spencer was so protective of her when Cyrus came to the gallery. He stood up to Cyrus and told him to leave, so it’s not a thing. Josslyn says, good. That makes her feel better. Trina says, just one thing though. Spencer told her that Cyrus protected him at Pentenville, and it’s unnerving to think he must be grateful to Cyrus.

Elizabeth rinses the apples, and telsl Finn that she didn’t know how much work went into all this. It was a long walk. The baskets were heavy, and they have to wash them all. Finn wonders if he can help, and stands behind her, washing the apples like they washed their hands together. I guess this is supposed to be reminiscent of Ghost? She says she doesn’t know about him, but all this washing has worn her out. He thinks they should take a nap, and she says, totally, and they kiss.

Valentin says he trusts Charlotte, but she says, it doesn’t seem like he does. He says, she’s been through a lot these past few years, her mother’s condition, boarding school. She says, but boarding school taught her to be independent. He’s the one who always says, independence is a good thing. He says, stability’s a good thing. She was on her own for a while. She came back and was bounced back and forth for a while between her grandma’s and Sam and Dante. She needs a stable home life. She says, but that’s not a problem anymore. They finally have a house of their own, just the two of them, the way it should be. He says he knows she loves the house, but it doesn’t change anything she’s been through. And he’s worried for her. He thinks she’s putting on a brave face because she thinks he’ll be disappointed if she’s unhappy. He wants her to tell him the truth, not what she thinks he wants to hear.

Maxie says, Anna doesn’t even need to buy a bed. Everything she needs is already here. All right. Full disclosure, there are a few quirks. The bedroom floor is a bit uneven, the doors in the kitchen kind of stick, and the oven… uh… the oven is broken. Anna says she barely cooks. The microwave works though, right? Maxie says, yes, and Felicia says, they should be pointing out the positive features. Maxie says, the microwave works, and Felicia says, the clawfoot tub is amazing, the hot water never runs out. The walls are fully insolated, so you can barely hear your neighbors… Anna says she’ll take it, and Maxie says, what? Anna says, this is really perfect, and Maxie says, Anna’s not just saying that so she can help Maxie out, but Anna says, Maxie is helping her out. This is exactly what she needs.

Trina walks into Kelly’s and Carly asks if Joss sent her over. Trina says, no, why? and Carly says, because she needed Josslyn to come help her decorate for the kids’ Halloween party, so she assumed she enlisted Trina for back-up. Trina says, no. Josslyn didn’t mention anything to her, but please put her to work. She needs the distraction. Carly asks, what’s going on? and Trina says she’s sure Carly heard Cyrus Renault was released. Carly says she was visiting Drew in the hospital, and he walked right into Drew’s room. She couldn’t believe it. Trina says she’s pretty freaked out that he’s back on the streets, and Carly says she doesn’t blame Trina, but she does know they’re watching him carefully, so hopefully, he doesn’t try anything.

Maxie hands Anna the keys and says, the place is all hers. Anna asks if she shouldn’t fill out some paperwork or something or give her a security deposit? but Maxie says, minor details. They’ll get to that at some point. Anna should just enjoy the apartment. Anna hugs her and thanks them both. She asks if she can move in right away, and Maxie says, whatever she wants. Felicia says she can help Anna pack up her things at the MetroCourt, but Anna says she doesn’t have anything really. It will just take her a second to move. Felicia says she’s really glad this worked out, and Anna says, this feels like the first positive thing that’s happened since her house burned down. It feels like a new beginning. Only good things from now on.

Charlotte says, Valentin wants to know how she really feels? She feels like she needs to go out with her friends tonight – no supervision. He says, okay. She wants to go out with her friends alone, then she has to do something for him. She says, anything, and he says he wants her to see Kevin Collins (who Lucy and I call Doc). He wants her to tell Doc everything she’s going through. She asks why she has to talk to Doc. She’s perfectly happy. He says he feels like there’s something going on; something she doesn’t want to tell him. She says she tells him everything… If he really wants her to do this, she will. He thanks her and says he’ll drive her and her friends, and he’ll drop them off and let them trick-or-treat alone. She says, thank you, and hugs him.

Spencer says, Cyrus looked out for him while he was in Pentenville and it would have been a lot tougher without his protection. Cyrus says, so Spencer sees his motives are only for the good of their family. And as he warned Spencer, the only person he needed protection from was Victor Cassadine and not him. No need to be so suspicious of his visit today. Spencer says, Cyrus turned out to be right about Victor, and he did turn out to be who Cyrus said he’d be; ruthless, sadistic… Cyrus says he’ll take that as a thank you, and Spencer says he knows he owes Cyrus for the way he was looked out for in Pentenville, but he still knows Cyrus is a very, very dangerous person. He held Trina Robinson and her mother at gunpoint. He shot Curtis Ashford, and he wants to know why Spencer is leery when he comes around? It’s because he’s a threat, and he doesn’t want Cyrus anywhere near his little brother. Cyrus says he’s not going to deny his past deeds were heinous, but those were acts of a desperate man, a caged animal, and that man no longer exists. He has seen the Light, and that Light is their Lord and Savior, and He has forgiven Cyrus’s sins, and his life is now devoted to helping others. Spencer asks if Cyrus expects him to believe he’s repentant because he can spout some rhetoric about finding God, and getting louder, Cyrus says, Spencer can believe whatever he wants – Spencer says, calm down – but don’t forget, people gave Spencer a second chance after he got out of prison. He’s only asking for the same courtesy. Laura comes in and asks if Spencer will give her a moment alone with her brother.

In bed, Elizabeth and Finn kiss, and she says she thought the purpose of a nap is to actually sleep. He says, she’s right. No more napping. She tells him that she was only making an observation that they’re not very good at it, and he says, they’ll just have to continue practicing until they get it right. They get busy.

Cyrus says he’s sorry, and Laura says, coming over here unannounced and uninvited, but he says, it wasn’t a calculated move. He was released a few days ago. He thought it would be nice to pay her a visit. She says she doesn’t appreciate it, and he says, then she’s certainly not going to appreciate that not only did he spend time with Spencer, he had the pleasure of meeting his great-nephew Ace. He and Esme crossed paths at Pentenville, but this is the first time he saw Ace. What a delightful baby. She says, he has no business being around children, and he says, but he does when they’re related to him. Like it or not, dear sister, they’re my family too.

Spencer goes to Kelly’s and asks Trina if everything is okay. She says, it will be once they start decorating, and he says, that’s what this is about? This is a decorating emergency? She says, yes. They have to decorate for the kids’ Halloween party. He says he thinks Ace still might be a little too young for it. He cried when he saw a jack-o-lantern. She says, the concept of Halloween doesn’t sink in until they understand they get free candy, and Carly says, that’s right. And Trina volunteered his help because they need someone tall. He says he’s happy to help. Where would she like him to start? She hands him a box and tells him to spread these in all the corners. Trina laughs.

Josslyn opens the door to Adam, and he asks if she wants to head over to the library or stay here. She says, stay here. She’s got to cut today short. She has to head over to Kelly’s and help her mom decorate for a Halloween party. He says he’ll just head over to the library, and she asks what he’s talking about. It’s Halloween. Isn’t he doing anything? There must be lots of parties on campus. He says, it’s the perfect time; the library will be empty. She says, he could study tomorrow, but he says he’s taking four extra credits this semester and it’s a lot. And he’s not really big on dressing up. She says he doesn’t have to dress up to decorate. Why doesn’t he come to Kelly’s with her?

Sonny’s phone rings, and he asks how Anna is holding up. She says, pretty good. First of all, she wants to say, congratulations on his wedding. Is he a happy groom? He says he is, and she says she can almost hear him smiling over the phone. She wants to wish him and Nina all the best. They really deserve it. He thanks her and says, it means a lot to him. So what can he do for her? She closes the door so the bodyguard can’t hear and says she’d like to return her gift. He asks if she bought him something for the wedding, but she says, he was kind enough to give her a bodyguard, and now she’s sending him back. He says he’s not sure that’s a good thing, but she says, her circumstances have changed. She says she feels like she has the key – she picks up the keys Maxie gave her – to a new beginning. She’s taken an apartment. Before he says anything, it’s very safe. It’s small, a doorman building, 24-hour security. It’s mostly families, and she doesn’t need a bodyguard. The biggest threat she’s facing is maybe being caught in the elevator door while trying to dodge all the strollers. He says, it sounds great, but she shouldn’t let her guard down. She should maybe keep Trey until everything is settled. She says she really appreciates his concern, but she doesn’t want a bodyguard. She needs her privacy. She feels like she just really wants to get her life back, and this is the first step.

Finn puts the book he’s reading down and watches Elizabeth paint. She asks if he isn’t supposed to be reading, but he says, she’s much more interesting. She says, this, coming from the man who wanted to listen to a dengue fever podcast on the way here. He says, to be fair, the doctor on the podcast has a very soothing voice – he goes over to her – but still, he’d rather watch her paint. She asks him to thank Dan for her, not just for the cabin, but for all of this. They have to send him something. He says, let’s do that, and she says, it’s so beautiful here. The view is amazing. He says, yes, it is, looking at her, and she says, he’s not even looking out the window. He says he knows.

On the phone, Carly asks if Willow is still bringing the kids to Kelly’s Halloween party… Okay. They’re starting early so the little ones don’t crash… Okay. She can’t wait to see Wiley and Amelia’s costumes… No. Don’t tell her what it is. She wants to be surprised. See her soon.

Trina says, Spencer still has a lot of webs, calling him Spiderman, and he says, he’s sorry, what? She asks if he’s all right, and he says, yeah. He was just thinking about Pentenville. She says, that’s a dark thought, but he says, not really. He was just thinking about the day he was released. They were so far apart then. Now they’re a lot closer and she loves him, and he feels like the luckiest guy in the world. She says, he is the luckiest guy in the world, and he kisses her.

Charlotte asks if she can get a scone, and Valentin says he loves her so much. She’s the most important person in the world to him. She knows that, right? She says she feels the same way about him. It was hard at boarding school. She missed him so much, he has no idea, but none of that matters now. She’s back where she belongs, with him, and nothing’s going to change that. he says he has so many regrets. He would change so much, but he’s going to fix everything. She just has to keep her end of the deal and meet with Doc, okay? She says she will, she promises. She leaves to get her scone, and he looks worried.

Cyrus says, like it or not, and it’s quite clear she doesn’t, he and Laura are siblings. She laughs and says, what’s that saying? You can’t choose your family. He says he prefers the words of the great Bishop Desmond Tutu. He said, you don’t choose your family; they’re God’s gift to you, as you are to them. She says, spare her the sermon, and he says, they are connected by blood, and he cares about her. just as he cares about Spencer and Ace. He treasures all of them. He used to be obsessed with money and power, but they pale in comparison. She says she’s just not buying that, and he asks how he can prove it to her. He protected Spencer when he was in Pentenville. he will continue to keep all of them out of harm’s way. She needs to give him a chance. Is she willing to do that? She says, if they’re going to do this, they’re going to do it with ground rules, and that means he’s going to respect her boundaries when he wants to see her and those boys. That means he doesn’t come here unless she calls him and invites him. Is that clear? He holds up his hands, and she says, this visit is over. She opens the door, and he says he’ll wait for her call, handing her his number, but he hopes it’s soon. She closes the door, and the phone rings. She asks Valentin if everything is okay, and he says he hopes so. Charlotte’s finally agreed to talk to Doc. He’d like to set something up for this afternoon. Could she talk to him? He thinks it’s probably better if it comes from her. She says, of course (🍷). She would do anything for her granddaughter. He says he’s very worried about Charlotte. He thinks she really needs help. Charlotte is on her way back and hears him.

Tomorrow, Lois tells Eddie/Ned, the same fire that got him there will also see him through; Tracy tells Brook, it would be foolish to think otherwise; Charlotte sees Anna; and Carly tells Cyrus that he’s not welcome at Kelly’s.

🦚 Celebrity Treats…

The celebrities turn it out.

https://ew.com/celebrity/best-celebrity-halloween-costumes-2023-photos/

The Queen of Halloween. The worm is actually 2022. Shame on them for getting that wrong.

https://ew.com/celebrity/heidi-klum-halloween-costume-2023/

https://people.com/heidi-klum-looks-back-at-her-iconic-halloween-costumes-exclusive-8348154

👽 It’s Not Halloween Without…

Seriously, what the blip?

https://www.boredpanda.com/scary-vintage-halloween-creepy-costumes/

🪦 Best Of All Hallows TV…

A matter of opinion, but still, a good list.

https://ew.com/gallery/best-halloween-episodes/

⚰️ About That Fear…

Spoilers if you haven’t seen it.

https://ew.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-showrunners-explain-shocking-death/

🎊 Next Up…

All about the Day of the Dead.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/dia-de-los-muertos-what-it-means-honors-dead-mexico-tradition-rcna122749

https://theconversation.com/day-of-the-dead-is-taking-on-halloween-traditions-but-the-sacred-holiday-is-far-more-than-a-mexican-halloween-212686

https://artsandculture.google.com/project/dia-de-muertos

💸 Halloween Ain’t Free…

What we spent this year.

https://www.npr.org/2023/10/31/1209521178/halloween-spending-candy-pet-costumes

🦄 Last But Never Least…

All the pets.

https://big1059.iheart.com/featured/doc-reno/content/2023-10-31-best-pet-halloween-costumes/

https://www.buzzfeed.com/celinadejesus/21-dogs-who-already-won-best-costume-for-halloween

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/celebrity-pets-best-halloween-costumes-over-the-years/ss-AA1jb9C6

Get ahead for next year.

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/pet-halloween-costumes-ideas

Hannah Barbie sez: Happy Halloween!

👻 Tricking and Treating…

Hang up your costume and join me tomorrow for soap and Beverly Hills talk. Until then, stay safe, stay being anything you want to be every day, not just on Halloween, and stay believing, only good things from now on.

Oct31

October 30, 2023 – An Old Friend Goes To See Sonny, Pirates Of the Mediterranean On Deck & Cat

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At Pozzulo’s, Gabe knocks at Sonny’s office door and says he has a visitor. She told him to tell Sonny that there’s a broad here to see him. Her word, not his. She wouldn’t tell him who she was; said it would spoil the surprise. But she said they were old friends. Sonny goes into the restaurant and sees a woman with her back to him. He asks if she’s the broad who wants to see him, and Lois turns around, saying, hello, handsome. They hug.

Brook sees Eddie/Ned in the solarium, and says, there he is. She’s on her way to sign a new major client, Blaze. He says, congratulations, that’s great, and she says she’s meeting Blaze at Charlie’s. Would he like to come? She’s super nice and down to earth, especially for someone that special. She sings all different genres of music. Maybe she’d be interested in that new song he’s working on. He thanks her for the invite, but he thinks he’ll pass. And when he finishes writing that song, he’ll be the one who sings it. She says, suit himself – Tracy walks in – but as for her, she’s going to go make music history. Tracy says, or Brook could stop hiding from her and sit down and discuss her future.

Austin sits at Charlie’s bar, when Blaze walks in. Kristina says, look who it is. She’s back. Blaze says, maybe she couldn’t stay away.

Finn and Elizabeth make dinner together in the cabin. As she makes salad, he tells her, a few more minutes of marinating, and the steaks will be ready to grill. She says she didn’t tell him. Cameron is dating a girl from college. She doesn’t think he’s completely over Josslyn yet, but it’s a step in the right direction. He says, wow. He knows she and Cameron are close, but it still surprises him that Cameron would tell her about the girl he’s dating. She laughs and says, he didn’t; Jake did. She still can’t believe she has two kids old enough to date, and he says he’s dreading the day Violet is old enough to date. Teenage boys, run! She tells him to prepare himself. It’s going to be here before he knows it. He says he’s not comfortable anymore with this conversation. Let’s grill. He tells her, fifteen minutes, and she says she can’t wait. He asks her to wish him luck, and she says, good luck. They kiss, and he says, she’s amazing.

TJ walks into Charlie’s and joins Austin at the bar. Austin says he’d buy TJ a drink, but the bartender seems busy, and TJ says he didn’t come here for a drink. They need to talk about Austin’s cousin Mason.

At the gallery, Ava and Laura hug, and Ava says, welcome home. Laura says, it’s good to be home, and Ava says she’s glad Laura survived her journey to Chechnya. Laura says, it was hard, but she’s glad she did it. By the way, she heard about the kidnapping. She’s so glad Ava is safe and got through that ordeal. Ava says she prefers not to think about it. It’s just so fortunate that she was rescued by Sonny’s bodyguard and Dante. She’s focused on getting her life back to normal. Laura says she hates bringing Ava more bad news, but she wanted Ava to know they weren’t actually able to find Nikolas. Ava says she’s so sorry. She knows Laura will never stop searching for her son. It must be so frustrating to exert all that time and energy and hope, and come up with nothing. Laura tells Ava that she wouldn’t say nothing.

On the phone, Elizabeth says she really appreciates her gram staying with the boys for her. Tell Aiden that tomorrow they’ll bring him apples for his pies, and they promise to pick them themselves. Finn comes back in, and she says she has to go. Dinner’s ready. Love you. Finn asks if everything is okay at home, and she says, yes. She was just calling to check in. He says, him too. He called Chase when he was outside. He said Violet is great. Everything is well there. She says, good, and he says, now that they’ve checked in at home, maybe tonight could just be about them. She says, it sounds really nice.

Ava says she doesn’t understand what Laura is trying to say. Either she found Nikolas, or she didn’t. Laura says she doesn’t mean to confuse Ava. She doesn’t actually know where Nikolas is today, but she and Doc did find definitive proof that he’s alive and well, and she thinks he’s living somewhere in Europe. Ava asks if she talked to him on the phone, but Laura says, no. They found out he was making financial transactions. Ava asks if there was any proof it was actually Nikolas doing that. Anybody could have hacked his accounts and been doing that. Laura says, it’s nothing like that. They went to Geneva and met with his personal banker, who told them that Nikolas had been in the bank in person several times this past month.

Austin says he doesn’t give a damn about his cousin Mason, but he’s very grateful to TJ. Austin flashes back to TJ running into Mason’s room as he’s smothering his cousin. TJ runs to the bed, telling him, stop, and pulling the pillow away. Austin says, this doesn’t concern him, and TJ says he doesn’t give a damn about Austin’s cousin’s life – he yanks the pillow away – but he cares about Austin’s. There’s a cop right outside. Mason’s not worth it. At Charlie’s, Austin says he was about to throw his whole life away, but TJ stopped him. Thank you.

Brook says she’s not hiding from Tracy. She just doesn’t live in this house, so they’re not going to run into each other anymore. And she has zero interest in discussing her future with Tracy because of the way Tracy’s treated her. Tracy will have no part in her future. Brook walks out, but Tracys follows and says, Brook can avoid her now, but sooner or later, Brook is going to need her. (She calls Brook missy, and I swear I’d deck her if I was Brook. I hate that.) And when that day comes, Tracy will forget this day ever happened, and Brook will sit down and discuss her future with her at Deception. Brook leaves, and Eddie asks if Tracy really thinks threats and blackmail are the most effective way to influence her granddaughter. Tracy shrugs and says, it always worked with him.

Blaze says she’s here to sign the final contract with Brook to manage her music career, and Kristina says, that’s so exciting. She won’t keep Blaze. Blaze says, the meeting’s not for a little while. She came in early, hoping Kristina would be working. Kristina says she works every day, so Blaze could have texted or called to see if she was here, but Blaze says, what’s the fun of that? Besides, she decided to leave it up to chance. She figured if Kristina was working, that would be a good omen. Blaze’s phone chimes, and Kristina asks if everything is okay. Blaze says, it’s Lucy Coe – again. She won’t stop texting about the offer her and Maxie Jones made her to be the new Face of Deception. Sasha walks in, and Blaze says, uh-oh. That’s her. Sasha Gilmore, aka the woman she’d be replacing.

Sonny says he knew Lois was in town. He was figuring out when she was going to visit him. She says, same old Sonny. He never misses a beat. Always knows what’s happening. He asks what she’s in town for. Not that he cares, because he loves seeing her. She says she’s here to see Brook. Tracy screwed her over on a business deal, so she wanted to make sure her daughter was okay. He says, Brook is tough like her. She’ll be able to take care of Tracy. Trust him. Lois says, she shouldn’t have to, but she doesn’t want to talk about the Quartermaines. She wants to know what’s happening with him, because she heard he eloped. Carly must have loved hearing about that. He says, Carly’s fine. They’re trying to get along for the family. She asks how that’s working out for him.

Sonny and Lois sit down to some biscotti and coffee, and he asks, how’s the old neighborhood? She says, it hasn’t changed a bit. Everything is exactly the way he remembers it. He says, that’s what he likes to hear, and she says, although old Mr. Coluso the butcher, he retired and his grandson took over, and all of a sudden, the cuts of meat weren’t up to their expected proportions. So she had to take him out back and show him what’s what. Sonny says he’s sure she terrorized him when she took the clever out of his hands, and she says she did. And she never even had to touch the clever. He says, it’s nice to see things haven’t changed, and they laugh.

Eddie asks why Tracy is making this so much harder than it needs to be. Just offer the company to Brook, and if she turns it down, take no for an answer. She says, there are so many things she finds annoying now that he’s decided to live his life as Eddie Maine. Middle-aged man running around like a frat boy, his music, but most of all – Olivia walks in – his intentional naivete. Olivia says, Mother of God. Will Tracy give it a rest? Stop badgering Eddie. Tracy says she knows Olivia isn’t responsible for her son losing his memory, but she is responsible for how she’s handling it. She’s his wife. She has a legal right to have him committed. And if she doesn’t think shock therapy is appropriate, at least get him some intensive psychotherapy. Unless of course (🍷) she’s starting to prefer Eddie over Ned. (I know I do.)

Kristina introduces Sam and Sasha to Blaze, and Sasha says, she looks so familiar… Oh! She saw Blaze perform at the Nurses Ball. She sang a duet with Chase, right? Blaze says, guilty as charged, and Sasha says, she was incredible, and the way she stood up to her manager was really inspiring. Blaze thanks her. She appreciates Sasha saying that. She tells Kristina that she has to go take care of something and asks her to tell Brook that she’ll be right back. Nice meeting Sam and Sasha.

TJ says he remembers seeing Mason in Austin’s office a while back. At the time, TJ said he thought he’d met him before. Austin says he remembers, and TJ says he finally made the connection. Does Austin have any idea what Mason did to him? Austin says he doesn’t, but knowing Mason the way he does, he’s reasonably sure it’s something terrible. He’s sorry for whatever Mason did to TJ. TJ says, Austin was willing to smother Mason, so he must have done something pretty bad to Austin. Didn’t he have any other alternatives? Austin says he doesn’t think he could have done anything else. Except maybe he could have turned his cousin in to the police. That probably would have saved a lot of grief for everybody. TJ says, right, and leaves.

Laura asks if Ava is okay, and Ava says she’s sorry. She just needs a moment to absorb Laura’s news. Laura says she’s really sorry. Let her apologize for her son. She knows he treated Ava unconscionably during parts of the marriage and certainly the divorce. Ava says, if it makes Laura feel any better, she gave as good as she got, and then some. Laura says, it’s just such a shame, because she knows how much Nikolas really loved Ava, and she believes Ava loved him too. Who knows? Maybe after enough times passes, he’ll change his mind and come back to Port Charles and maybe they’ll be another chance for them. Ava says she doesn’t know. If Nikolas ever did love her, he doesn’t anymore.

Lois tells Sonny, so then, her Aunt Kiki – who’s had one too many glasses of chardonnay – falls flat on her face after toasting the bride and groom. But without even missing a beat, she jumps up on the bar, does a full split, grabs the bartender by the face and kisses him right on the mouth. Sonny says, tall, blonde, she was a character, and Lois says, she was, but this was before she married Lois’s uncle, who was a fireman. She had a thing for firemen. He says, they were all wilder back in the day. Speaking of which, has she seen Ned, or Eddie? He doesn’t know what Ned’s calling himself these days. She says she has and it’s so bizarre. All of the Quartermaines, every one of them, has a different theory about what’s going on with him. He asks, what’s her take? and she says she honestly doesn’t know. She’s still trying to figure it out.

Olivia tells Tracy, as she’s said repeatedly, she’s not having her husband committed. And she can’t believe Tracy would use the term shock therapy, which they have done in half a century because it’s considered barbaric. Tracy says she’s just trying to motivate Olivia into doing something, and Olivia says, that’s Tracy’s problem, because she’s not going to force him into therapy he does not want to do. If he wants to strum his guitar and be Eddie Maine for the rest of his life, she’s going to make peace with it. Tracy says, of course (🍷) you are. Why should she accept an executive husband, a responsible father when she can have Eddie Maine, a permanently arrested development adolescent rock and roller. Tracy storms out.

Cody and Dante join Sam and Sasha, and Cody says, sorry they’re late. He got stuck helping Dante run some errands. They were working on some home improvement project, and this guy is impressively useless at a hardware store. Sam asks if they were able to a stud finder, and Dante says, if that’s what it’s called. Sasha says, it sounds totally made up to her, and Dante says he knows maybe Cody has done some odd jobs in construction, but how did Sam know what a stud finder is? She kisses him and says, there are a still a lot of things he doesn’t know about her.

At the PC Grill, Lucy tells Martin that Blaze is going to be here any minute. What is she supposed to say to her? Hey there, guess what? Our majority shareholder had a temper tantrum and overruled her great idea. Martin says, let him understand something. All she wanted to do was rescind her offer to Blaze to be the new Face of Deception. She could have just called. Lucy says, no, no, no. She’s not going to rescind her offer, because she’s not bowing to Tracy. Blaze is the perfect spokesmodel now for their company and it wouldn’t hurt Sasha. Every success Deception has is a success… She’s here. Blaze comes over to the table, and Lucy says, she looks lovely. She introduces Martin, who says, it’s a pleasure to meet Blaze. Lucy speaks incredibly highly of her. Blaze says, it’s nice to meet him too, and Lucy tells him to grab a chair. She asks Blaze to join them, but Blaze says, no. She doesn’t want to drag this out. While she’s flattered by Lucy’s offer to be the new Face of Deception, she’s thought about it, and she’s going to have to pass. And not that Lucy’s asked for her opinion, but for what it’s worth (🍷), she thinks they should stick with the face they’ve already got. She leaves and Lucy looks sad.

Brook asks if Kristina has seen Blaze; they’re supposed to meet here. Kristina says, Blaze told her to let Brook know that she had to run a quick errand, but will be back shortly. Brook thanks her, and Kristina asks if she can get Brook anything. Brook says she’ll take a club soda. She needs a clear head for what she’s about to do.

Looking at her phone, Laura tells Ava, sorry. Duty calls. Ava says she totally understands, and Laura says she has to get going, but it’s so good to see her back in her gallery, safe and sound. Ava says, as bad as it was, she knows the worst is behind her, and it’s time to focus on her future. Laura says, that’s very smart of her. They’ll talk soon. She leaves, and Ava sits down, her head in her hands. She calls Austin who’s still at the bar, and he says, finally. He’s happy to hear from her. She says, her gallery. Now.

Finn says, you’d think he would have diagnosed his own OCD years ago, and Elizabeth tells him, you know what they say; doctors make the worst patients. She never stops learning new things about him. He says he doesn’t think having OCD is that interesting. He thinks she’s the fascinating one. She’s this amazing artist, but she’s also this compassionate healer who happens to be the Head Nurse at a major metropolitan hospital. She says, he’s just being nice, and he says he’s been described a lot of ways over the years, and nice is never on the list. Trust him. She tells him that she doesn’t care what anyone says, because she knows he’s nice… and handsome, and so, so smart. The whole backgammon thing, she can take it or leave it, but she also knows he’s a really good friend, an amazing father, and an excellent doctor. He says he can’t stand any more of these compliments. It’s making him very, very uncomfortable. So he’s going to kiss her now before she can say anything else about him. She says her plan worked, and kisses him. There’s a song part, and they go to the bedroom and get busy.

Sonny shows Lois pictures on his phone. He says, those are his grandkids. That’s Rocco, Dante’s son. She says, he’s so grown-up and he’s handsome, just like his grandpa. He says, and that’s Michael’s kids, Amelia and Wiley, and she says she can’t wait until Brook has kids. She and Chase would make beautiful children. She thinks Chase is a good guy. Does Sonny know him? He says, yeah, he works at the PCPD with Dante, and she says she knows, but cops aren’t his favorite. He asks what she’s talking about. He loves everyone. She says, he does? What about the Feds? She heard they called him in last month. What was that about? He says, a simple case of mistaken identity, and she says, uh-huh.

Eddie says he owes Olivia a big thank you, and she says, for what? He says, she accepts him for who he is, and she defended him. She defended his right to be himself. She says she’s not going to try and make him be someone he’s not. He’s a spectacular musician. He’s a wonderful, kind-hearted man. He thanks her, and she says, but she’s never going to stop missing her husband, and leaves.

Lucy tells Martin that they don’t even know if Sasha still wants to be the Face of Deception after the hell she went through. She really is still recovering. They don’t know if she’s camera ready or will ever be camera ready. Lucy has lots of classic products she needs to rebrand and new products she wants to launch, and Blaze would have been absolutely perfect. Martin says, except for the part where she doesn’t want the job, and Lucy says, the reason they can’t do this is because of Tracy. She really did bulldoze everybody so she would get her way. She didn’t even have the chance to do her full court press to win Blaze over. She could have had Blaze signed up, locked down, and she wouldn’t even have time to reconsider. He says, so Lucy wanted to trap her, but she says, no. What she wanted was to not take this lying down. You know what she’s going to do? She needs to show Tracy exactly who she’s dealing with. She jumps up, kisses Martin loudly on the cheek, and dashes out.

Cody says he took a look at Dante’s renovation plans for the family room, and if they really made a push, they could probably finish it in four days. Sam asks if he’s offering to help, and he says he is. Sasha says, count her in too.

Blaze tells Brook, sorry to keep her waiting, but Brook says, don’t worry about it. Kristina says she’ll give them some privacy, and Brook says, so let’s get down to business.

Austin arrives at the gallery where Ava is waiting for him. He says, she’s beautiful, and he’s just so glad she’s okay and that she called… She says, he’s drunk, and he says, yeah. It’s been a hell of a day. She says, yes, it has, because she just found out that Nikolas is very much alive.

Laura meets Martin at the Grill, and he says, there she is, his baby sister. They hug, and he says he’s so happy she’s back. He missed her so much. She says she missed him too, and they sit down. She says she’s really sorry she didn’t reach out sooner, but he says he can only imagine how she has to manage the city and their wacky family. She says, what are they going to do about their wacky brother?

Austin says, Nikolas is alive? and Ava says, yes. Laura tracked him to Geneva. While she didn’t see him, his banker told her that he’d been to the bank several times in person. He says, that’s great. Isn’t that great? No more blackmail. She says, yeah. It occurred to her, for months now, she’s been following orders from him, Mason, and their mystery boss, because if she didn’t, they’d deliver Nikolas’s body to the police. But if Nikolas is alive and well in Switzerland, she just needs to know one thing. Did he know about it?

TJ goes into Mason’s room, and Mason says, what’s up, doc? Did TJ come to finish what his cousin started? TJ says he’s a doctor. He took an oath to save lives, not end them. Mason says, so he guesses TJ expects a thank you for saving his, but TJ says, no. He came back here to explain why. He would never condone murder, even for someone as despicable as Mason. Sure, Austin would have most likely been caught, and it would have wrecked the rest of his life. That was a factor, but the biggest reason he stopped Austin was, it would be letting Mason off way too easy. Once Mason is convicted for his many crimes, he’s going to spend the rest of his life in prison. Sure, it will be for what he did to Ava, not what he did to TJ, but as long as Mason is locked up forever, he sees that as a win.

Lois says, in some ways, Sonny is different, but in a lot of ways, he’s the same old Sonny that she knows and loves. He says, different how? and she says she doesn’t know. Maybe he’s more… confident, if that’s even possible. She knows what it is. He’s more centered. Hey, she doesn’t know about him, but she’s starving, and that biscotti’s just not doing it for her anymore. He says he’ll get the chef to make something for her, or he’ll make something for her, and she says she’s Gloria’s daughter. Don’t insult her like that. He says, kitchen’s in the back, and she thanks him, and heads for the kitchen.

Brook says, here it is, giving Blaze a folder. The official contract for her to become Blaze’s manager. As she promised, it’s everything they discussed and agreed upon, but she encourages Blaze to read it again. They both made the massive mistake of signing contracts with that sleaze Linc Brown. She’s learned her lesson. She will never again not read the fine print and advises Blaze to do the same. She also had her attorney keep the legalese to a minimum, so she’ll know what she’s signing. Blaze thanks her, and says she appreciates Brook has been where she’s at and that Brook has her best interests in mind. But just in case, she’s going to read it through anyway.

Sasha says, just to be clear, she wants to help, but has zero experience with carpentry or any kind of home improvement. But she’s a hard worker and willing to take direction. Cody asks what Sam and Dante say, and Dante says he feels bad accepting their help. It’s a lot of hard work. Sam says, and at the end of the day, all they’d be getting is beer and a couple of pizzas, and Cody says he knows they mean well, but if they don’t cut it out, they’re going to start hurting his feelings. They’re offering to help because they’re Dante and Sam’s friends.

Basking in the afterglow, Elizabeth says, everything about this is magical, and thanks Finn for planning such a special trip. He says, she doesn’t have to thank him. It’s amazing. She says she had so much fun today. She loved tapping those maple trees. He says he’ll never think of maple syrup the same way again, and she says, her neither, kissing him. (I wonder what they did with it…)

Lois serves Sonny a pasta dish, and says, just for you, old friend. Although she’s got to tell him something. That kitchen in there needs work. He says, oh really? and she says, he should be happy he has a friend who tells him the truth. He asks if he told her how happy he is she’s back, and she says she’s happy to be back. They eat, and now I want pasta.

Cody says, Dante has been a good friend to him, and Sam, in the short time he’s known her, has proven she’s someone he can count on. So he’d offer them his help even if they hadn’t just put themselves on the line to help take down Dr. Montague. But they did, so as a friend, he’s doubly motivated to help them. Sasha says she feels the same way as Cody. They saved her sanity. They saved her life. Sam says she’s just glad that whole nightmare is over. Dante says, time for a fresh start, and Sam raises her beer mug. She asks if they’re doing this, and they agree, clinking glasses.

Blaze says, this contract seems pretty straightforward. She’s about to sign, when Brook says, hang on. They need a witness. She asks Kristina to join them for a second and tells her that they need a witness to Blaze signing this contract. Kristina says, happy to help, and Blaze signs. Kristina signs, and Brook says, that’s it; they’re official. Blaze thanks Kristina for being her witness, and Kristina says, anytime. She goes back to work, and Brook says, congratulations, client. Blaze says, thank you, manager, and they shake hands. Kristina tells them, wait. It’s time to celebrate. She brings over two bottles of beer, and says, here’s to making beautiful music. Brook and Blaze clink bottles.

At the Quartermaine mansion, Tracy says, Lucy wanted to see her, and Lucy says she did. Okay, Tracy wins. Sasha will continue to be the Face of Deception, and there will absolutely be no contract for Blaze. Tracy says she knows. They decided this days ago. Lucy says, but Tracy should know, that’s the last decision she gets to make for Deception. Her dream, her vision, and it’s her company. She leaves, and Tracy says, that she owns 51% of.

Martin tells Laura that he has to admit when Cyrus had that coronary, he worried. Isn’t that somethin’? No matter how angry he gets at their brother or how little he trusts him, he couldn’t help but care. She asks if he believes Cyrus’s religious conversion is genuine, but he says he’s not sure. She knows better than anybody how suspicious he was when all that started. Now he’s not certain after seeing him in that hospital bed. He nearly died; that changes a person. She says, one of the arguments for his release was that he’s an old man in poor health, and therefore couldn’t hurt anyone. Does that sound like Cyrus to him? He says, no. It sounds like he’s playing possum. She says, that’s kind of what she thought too. His heart attack might have brought him closer to God, but it definitely bought him his freedom. It kind of makes her think their brother is just as shrewd as he ever was.

Ava says she asked Austin a question. Did he know Nikolas was alive or not? He says he had no idea. None. He thought she’d go to prison for murdering Nikolas. That’s why he did everything Mason asked him to do. He had no idea Nikolas was alive. And Mason is a liar who lies all the time. He lies to everyone about everything. She has to believe him. She says, does he know what really scares her? She really wants to believe him.

Finn watches Elizabeth sleeping in his arms. He shuts off the light, and kisses her forehead.

Tomorrow, Charlotte asks if Valentin doesn’t trust her; Anna says, it’s exactly what she needs; Josslyn asks Adam to come to Kelly’s with her; and Cyrus takes Trina hostage – again. I think that’s possibly going to turn out to be a dream because I doubt he’s that stupid.

Below Deck Mediterranean

The captain sees the lack of communication between Lara and Max, In her interview, she says, there’s a language barrier, but she thinks it’s how Max uses the radio. He needs to slow down, and Luka needs to figure it out. He’s never been a bosun, and managing personalities is the hard part. Anchor is home, and Tumi tells Jack, happy birthday. In his interview, Jack says his birthdays are always on a yacht, and Tumi reminds him that he’s doing pizza with the kids today. In Luka’s interview, he says, Sandy is a great teacher. He’s learning new skills, and they’re feeding his adrenaline addiction. His mom ripped around on a sports bike when she was pregnant with him. Her craving was petrol, and he thinks that’s where it came from. Lara tells Kyle about Max wanting to know how much experience she had, and they both speak in Afrikaans. In her interview, she says she likes cursing in Afrikaans. It makes her feel better. She lets out a string of curses, and I laugh because the bleep is so long. In Kyle’s interview, he says he and Natalya are like brother and sister. They tease each other, but she has a constant I-can-do-better-than-you attitude, and it’s annoying. She talks and he hears absolutely nothing. Luka explains to Max how to use the radio, and in his interview, Luka says, Lara doesn’t have calm and patience. In Lara’s interview, she says, her mom told her, since she was born she’d get blackout angry. She’s been alone with her mom since the age of two, and her mom grifted to keep them alive. It taught her not to be lazy and work toward what she wants. She never wants to be in that situation again. Luka flirts with Natalya, who would be fun if she wasn’t an a-hole. Her boyfriend AJ texts that he’s going to Thailand with some friends, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, last night, he had five girls over and she wonders what he’s doing over there. Lara tells Haleigh that she hates when guys get all macho, and Haleigh says she has a list of things she hates. She’s scared of anteaters; they look prehistoric. And why don’t pockets in women’s garments make sense? Personally, I think there aren’t enough pockets in women’s garments, and there should be a law about that. Anchor is dropped in Cinque Terre, and the kids make pizza with Jack. In Jack’s interview, he says, besides being a chef, he was also an English teacher. The kids were three, and he was basically a babysitter, so that’s the approach he’s taking. Natalya helps with the pizza, and it reminds me of my first job, short order cook in an Italian restaurant. I used to literally dream about making pizzas. Kyle tells Tumi that she’s lucky she doesn’t room with Natalya; Natalya can talk. We see a clip of her going on and on, and Kyle telling her to go to sleep. In Tumi’s interview, she says, if Kyle is talking sh*t about Natalya, that means he’s talking sh*t about her. She doesn’t know what’s going on, but it’s not genuine. Toppings are put on the pizza, and it goes in the oven. The kids dump flour on Haleigh’s head, but she takes it in stride because, tip. Lara gives Max instructions about a cable and starts to get frustrated since he listens to nothing. In Max’s interview, he says, it doesn’t matter what Lara’s title is. He feels like she doesn’t respect him and he doesn’t care.

In his interview, Max says he feels that Lara needs to be exercised [sic], and a producer corrects him, since what he means is, she needs an exorcist. Natalya complains, and in her interview, she says, she gets triggered by laziness. In childhood, her house was immaculate. Her mom was in charge of the inside and her dad was in charge of the outside. It was like a yacht with an interior and exterior crew. That’s why she’s like this. The pizza is served, and Natalya reminds everyone that tomorrow is the last day of charter, and the guests want them dressed as pirates all day. Jack has made an Italian lunch, and in his interview, he says, he’s good at cooking Italian food and loves to eat it. Lunch is served and it’s total… food porn! Luka radios Max, and in his interview, Luka says, it’s like having a toddler. He has to explain everything, and when Max isn’t happy, he throws a tantrum. He tells Max to help Haleigh, and the guests say the lunch is amazing and delicious. In Tumi’s interview, she says she loves chaos. If it gets still, she destabilizes. She needs to go, go, go or not go at all. If you’re still in your pajamas at 10 am, the day’s ruined. Tumi calls Natalya to the crew mess and tells her that she’s going on a hiking excursion with the guests. In her interview, Natalya says, she doesn’t like hiking; it’s a living hell. Who likes walking up a cliff? No one. Well, probably hikers do. Luka tells Haleigh that she’s going as well, and they leave in the tender. Max has wandered off his post, and Lara tells him to never leave the stern alone. She puts him on a break, probably just to get him away from her. She tells Luka that Max is now an irritation, and in Luka’s interview, he says, one things he’s noticed about Max is, he doesn’t like being told off. He calls Max to meet him on the bow. On shore, the guests climb up to an observation deck, where there’s a statue of St. Francis and a dog. In Natalya’s interview, she says, maybe if she prays to him, he and his dog will help her figure out what’s happening with her love life. It’s an amazing view, and when they guests are finished sightseeing, Natalya calls for the tender. Tumi tells Luka that Natalya is ready, and Jack makes lunch. On a side note, I heard cheffy has now been included in the dictionary. Ugh. It sounds so silly, and since when are pet names in the dictionary? As they pull up to the boat, primary Roy says, all that walking worked up an appetite. Tumi meets them with drinks, non-alcoholic for the kids, and he says, this is the greatest vacation ever. In her interview, Natalya says, everything feels like it’s last minute, and her relationship is affecting her work life. It’s causing anxiety, and she vents loud. Her truce with Tumi is a small step she’s taking toward no violence.

Captain Sandy calls Luka and Lara to the bridge and tells Lara that she’s going to be driving when they haul anchor. In the captain’s interview, she says, Lara works really hard, and she cares. She wants Lara to see how good communication is when she’s at the bow maneuvering. Max and Luka haul anchor, and Captain Sandy instructs Lara on steering. In Lara’s interview, she says, it’s her dream job to be captain and this is giving her the shivers. In her interview, she says, when she was young, she had a vision of herself as a captain with a little monkey on her shoulder, like Captain Hook. She thanks the captain and says she’ll never forget this. The captain tells her to make a turn, then go back to center. Lara follows instructions, and the captain says, excellent work. Lara says she’s a bit stressed, and in Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, Lara is like a little Sandy back in the day. She thinks Lara would make a good captain. Everyone gets ready for dinner, and AJ texts Natalya to call him before she goes out tomorrow. Food porn Dinner is served, and Roy says, eating while moving is like music. I don’t get what that, since it seems like it might be more annoying than musical. In Lara’s interview, she says, it’s like a light switch went off. Max is completely in outer space. Natalya mumbles, and in Kyle’s interview, he says he feels she’s being stable since the reset, but she’s not past regression. She’s always convinced something is wrong when no one else sees anything. The drama girl. Anchor is dropped, and Lara says, what a good day. She’s taking that in since it’s rare. Roy and his family play Yahtzee, and Natalya makes up clues for the treasure hunt. In Tumi’s interview, she says, they’ll most likely never be best friends. Unfortunately, she saw the demon first. We flash back to that, and Tumi says, goddammit. The best guests in the world go to bed, and in Luka’s interview, he wonders what Natalya wants. Is it on or off? She’s his type, but trying is getting harder. Who is he to Natalya? A side piece?

Final day of charter; Pirates of the Mediterranean. In Lara’s interview, she says, hop on the fun train; they’re having fun today. Natalya goes over the treasure hunt with the interior, and everyone dresses up. Luka tells Lara, Natalya is shy about her boyfriend, and Lara says she thought they were in an open relationship. Jessika calls Captain Sandy and says she’s much better. The captain says, they’ll see her on the dock in Genoa. Breakfast is served; otherwise known as… food porn! Tumi tells Natalya to start getting ready for the treasure hunt, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, she used to be a nanny to three boys. She’s got the pirate party down pat. Captain Sandy gathers the guests and says she needs help finding the lost treasure. She gives them the first clue; near the piano, they’ll see a cannonball clue near a key. They go to the piano, and find the next clue; outside the doors, there’s a cannonball game. They need to score 3 for the next clue. After they play the game, the next clue says to have a pirate fight with Captain Sharkbites. Max plays the captain, and the kids duel with him. Obviously, he lets them win, and the next clue is, find the cook with a hook for the final clue. Jack gives them the last one; find the pirate flag and secure the bag. They find a bag with a bunch of fake jewels and treasure in it. Guest Asa tells Captain Sandy that it was so fun, and in Tumi’s interview, she says, that’s why she wanted Natalya to do it. She knew Natalya would enjoy it and it’s up her ally. Plus, she doesn’t have to since she couldn’t care less. Natalya put so much love into it and Tumi is proud of her. Natalya says, it lifted her spirits. Anchor is home, and in Luka’s interview, he says, Max is more productive when he’s encouraged. He’s finally learning how Max works instead of getting frustrated. Roy asks if tiny guest Beau is thankful for their good time on the boat, and they get ready to dock. It’s a seriously tight squeeze, and in his interview, Luka says, the gap looks smaller than the boat. He doesn’t know how Captain Sandy trusts him to bring this thing in.

As they dock, guest Ehren says, this is intense, and guest Erika says, Captain Sandy is amazing. Ehren says, look how f***ing tight they are, and the lines are thrown. The captain says, good job everyone, and Max says he’s not doing any push-ups today. It’s time for goodbyes, and Roy says, they’re so lucky. Asa says, it’s the best vacation ever. The treasure hunt warmed her heart. Roy says, they know they’re safe in the captain’s hands and always have a good time. He gives her the tip envelope, and they leave. In Luka’s interview, he says, the game’s been going on too long. Hopefully tonight.

At the tip meeting, Captain Sandy says, they were amazing. They were down a person, but she never had concern. She asks them to give Natalya a hand for the treasure hunt, and one for Luka who stepped into the bosun position like he’d been there. And one more hand for Lara becoming lead deckhand. She’s doing an awesome job. She sees what needs to be done and does it. They’re an awesome team. The tip is $28K or $2300 each, and she says, it speaks volumes. She tells them that Jessika is coming back, so they’ll have their support back. They all clink glasses of champagne, and whatever for the captain. In Jessika’s interview, she says she’s 99.9% better. Put me in, coach; I’m ready. They crew goes out, and in the taxi, there’s a lot of random sex talk, and Lara says, this is the most sexual group ever. They go to a bar and do shots. Jack flirts with a girl there, and in his interview, he says, there’s no one on the boat for him. In Natalya’s interview, she says, when she and Luka touch, she feels like a sex addict. Jessika feels left out, and Max and Kyle smoke from a hookah. Everyone dances, and Jack kisses the girl he’s flirting with, calling her the lady in red. I just keep thinking, aren’t they going to eat something? Natalya calls AJ, and she says, she doesn’t know what position she’s in with him… Of course she becomes close with the people she works and lives with… She wouldn’t do that. She wouldn’t lie. Luka and Kyle discuss Natalya’s relationship, and Natalya tells AJ that she has to deal with him while she’s stuck on the boat. How does he think she feels when she asks if he’s been with anyone? In her interview, she says, if he told her to come home, she would.

In Tumi’s interview, she says, there’s sexual tension between Luka and Natalya. She thinks Natalya doesn’t know what she wants. Just do it already. Natalya says, it’s the strangest situation in her life, and Lara asks why she doesn’t want to do it with Luka. Natalya sits on Luka’s lap and asks if they should go to the jacuzzi. In Luka’s interview, he says, the chase goes on, and they head back to the boat. In the taxi, Luka says, AJ can do what he wants, but Natalya can’t, and Haleigh tells them, kiss now and stop being stupid. In Natalya’s interview, she says, it’s so good, but so bad. When they get back, Max does push-ups on railing. Natalya calls Luka into the bathroom, and we hear kissing sounds. Kyle knocks on the door and says, he’s going to… the thing. I don’t even think he knows what he means, since they’re all so drunk. I just think, drunk on a boat where you sleep in a bunk? No, just no. Luka gets in Natalya’s bunk with her, and she says she knows it’s difficult. He kisses her, and honestly, I don’t think I kiss that loud. Why is it always so loud and smacky sounding? Do they amplify the volume? In the bunk below, Kyle says, sweet dreams, angels. As they’re kissing, AJ calls, and Luka says, go for it. It’s going to be funny. Answer it. Kyle says, don’t, and Natalya says she’s confused. Luka says, get in line, and Natalya says, it’s not going be good.

Next time, Captain Sandy says the next charter is all young girls and maintain as much as they’re temped; Natalya talks to AJ; Kyle argues with Jessika and says she’s not on the team; and Captain Sandy breaks her wrist.

🐦‍⬛ Gently Rapping At the Chamber Door…

Come on by tomorrow for soap and Halloween shenanigans. Until then, stay safe, stay driving extra safely on Halloween and take a car service if you’re drinking, and stay being happy if you have a friend who tells you the truth.

Oct28

October 27, 2023 – Mason’s Taking Austin Down With Him, Finn’s Cut, Spending 5 Nights, Dead Stuff, Witchy Sisters, Fearless In Fear, Ushering In a Scare, Pups Of Halloween, Quotes Numbering 9 & Spell

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brattleboro, Vermont. Elizabeth and Finn walk into the cabin, and Elizabeth says she’s impressed. Finn says he really loves it up here. He and Dan interned together. He’s a good guy. Make herself at home; put her stuff anywhere. She flops on the couch and says, this is comfy and perfect. Finn looks around and says, Dan said it would be here somewhere, he just didn’t say where, and she asks what he’s looking for. If he told her, she could help him look for it. He looks under the sink and says, found it, holding up a hammer. She says she never would have guessed that was what he was looking for. What are they doing, hunting vampires? Viewers who watched Port Charles are collectively laughing at the reference.

Esme asks if Alexis has time to talk to Mayor Collins. She’s here to see her. Alexis says she always has time for Laura; send her in. Laura thanks Esme and says, she’s really settled into her role as a receptionist. Alexis says, she’s actually doing a very good job. In fact, Esme caught a mistake she made and saved her a lot of trouble a few weeks ago. Esme says, it’s all part of her job. Let her know if they need anything. She leaves, and Alexis says, welcome home. She hugs Laura and says, it’s good to see her. Laura says, her too, and Alexis asks what she found out about Nikolas. Laura says, before she gets into all of that, she wants to thank Alexis for keeping an eye on Esme while she was out of town with Doc. Esme listens outside the door.

Austin watches as TJ goes into Mason’s room. TJ tells Mason that he needs to check his incision site to make sure it’s healing properly and there’s no sign of infection. He needs Mason to roll over on his side. Mason says, and he needs TJ to make himself useful. He needs some painkillers.

Josslyn calls Trina at the gallery and asks why she left so early this morning. She woke up and Trina was gone. Trina says she’s at the gallery covering for Ava. After everything that’s happened in the last couple days, she wanted to spend the morning with Avery. Josslyn says, that’s sweet of her, and Trina asks if Josslyn can do her a favor. Josslyn says, anything, and Trina says, somebody is supposed to drop off an art book at the dorm for her. Has it come yet? Josslyn says, it hasn’t, and she’s been at the dorm all morning, studying with Adam for Organic Chem. Trina asks if Josslyn can just leave it on her bed when it comes, and Josslyn says, of course (🍷). Trina thanks her and says, somebody’s here; she has to go. Cyrus walks in.

Elizabeth and Finn carry metal buckets through the woods, and she asks if he’s done this before. He says, once, but he has to warn her, it can get pretty messy, and she says she’s not the one who’s afraid to get messy.

Esme continues to listen in, and Laura says she can’t tell Alexis what a relief it was to her that Esme was here working with her and her baby was just down the hall in the daycare center. Alexis says she wasn’t kidding. Esme is actually doing a good job. Who’d-a thunk it? And she loves having that cute little boy down the hall; he’s darling. Has Laura seen how big he’s gotten? Laura says she has. She just wishes Nikolas could see him.

TJ says he’ll let Mason’s surgeon know he’s still in pain, but right now, he is receiving the correct dosage of pain medicine. Mason says he’s really hurting here and needs something stronger. Does TJ think he’s lying? TJ says he believes Mason is telling the truth, but according to his chart, he just received his pain meds. Just relax and let the medicine take effect. Mason tells him to get another doctor in here, but TJ says, any other doctor will come to the same conclusion. They can’t endanger his health by giving him additional pain medicine. Mason asks if TJ needs his ears checked, because obviously he does if he didn’t hear Mason the first time. He needs more drugs – now! TJ says he needs Mason to take a better tone, and Mason tells him to go now. TJ says he needs Mason to calm down, and Mason says, TJ’s ego is running his mouth. He can’t listen to TJ’s whining anymore. He can’t wait for this to be over so he never has to hear TJ speak again. He never used to shut up down there either. TJ says, wait. He knows who Mason is. Mason says, he’s TJ’s patient. Now get him more drugs. TJ says, Mason’s one of the men who was holding him when he was abducted. Mason kept him a prisoner for days. Mason says, then cry him a river. So is that it? The roles are reversed, and now he’s TJ’s prisoner?… He guesses he doesn’t know what he’s saying. He must really be stoned. TJ says, Mason knows what he did to him, doesn’t he? And you’re going to pay for it, you sick son of a bitch. He leaves, and Austin watches him stride down the hall.

Adam tells Josslyn, that’s so old school, handwritten notes. He doesn’t know how she can keep up with what the professor’s saying and write everything down fast enough. She says she doesn’t. She actually records the lecture and then later transcribes it in her own handwriting. Apparently, there’s a lot of research on this. If you actually (WOTD) write things down in your own handwriting, you remember them better instead of like, typing it. (I have actually found this to be true.) He says she’s full of surprises, and she suggests he try it sometime. He says, it seems like a waste of time, and she says she gets it. His grades are already perfect. But it helps a lot with memory retention. It’s the easiest way for her to remember all the details.

Cyrus tells Trina, what a nice surprise. Forgive him for startling her. She asks what he’s doing here, and he says, right down to business. He likes that. He’s not sure if she heard, but he was released from Pentenville. God bless our justice system. She asks what he wants, and he says he’s here to find some artwork for his new place. He thought Ava would be here. This is just a fortuitous accident finding Trina here. She says, there’s no such thing as an accident when it comes to him, and he says he stopped by General Hospital to apologize to Dr. Robinson, and she gave him a stern warning not to seek Trina out, and of course (🍷) he would abide by her mother’s wishes. She says, then leave, and he says, she’s right; he should go. But before he does, he’d like to apologize to her for his past actions, for what he put her and her mother through. She says, for what he put them through? She can’t believe this BS she’s hearing. He held them hostage at gunpoint, and he wants her to forgive him? He’s more of a psychopath than she thought he was. Now get out! Now! She points to the door, and Spencer says, what’s going on? He comes in and asks what Cyrus is doing here. Cyrus says, Spencer, my boy. He really would like Spencer to call him uncle.

Alexis gives Laura some coffee and says, lay it on her. What does she know about Nikolas? Laura says, everyone who told her Chechnya would be a dead end was right. Alexis says, he wasn’t there, and Laura says, right, and no sign that he’d ever been there. The same with Cassadine Island. There was no trace of him. So then she and Doc went to Italy to the Cassadine mansion on Lake Como. Alexis says she knows it well, and Laura says, that was also a dead end. Then she got this gut feeling that maybe she should check in with his banker in Geneva, because eventually he’s going to need money and that’s where his biggest holdings are. Alexis asks if he was there, and Laura says, no, but they just missed him. And she got confirmation that he had been there several times, and one time, he moved a very large sum of money. She couldn’t get the details on it, but the good news is, she walked away from there knowing her son is alive. Alexis says, great. Thank God, right? Laura says, yes, but the bad news is that he doesn’t want to be found.

TJ storms into Jordan’s office, and she asks, what’s wrong? He says he just found out who abducted him and held him prisoner. She says, what? Who? He says, Mason Gatlin, and she says, the man who abducted Ava Jerome? And he’s sure of this? He says he’s never been more certain of anything in his life. It is him.

Austin goes into Mason’s room, and Mason says, if it isn’t the doctor in the family. Austin tells him, says the felon in the family, and Mason asks if Austin missed him. Austin says, not at all, and Mason asks if Austin at least brought him better drugs. Austin says, he’s had enough drugs. What did he tell the cops? Mason asks what Austin thinks he told the cops, but Austin says he’s not messing around here. What did Mason tell them? Mason says he told them that he kidnapped Ava… for Austin.

Spencer says, Cyrus is out of prison, and Cyrus says he is. Miracles do happen if you believe. Trina says she thought Spencer knew he was released, but Spencer says, no. Trina says, he went to GH and harassed her mother yesterday. She called Trina yesterday and said she’s getting a restraining order so Cyrus stays away from them, but here he is, bothering her. Cyrus says he explained this to Trina already. He had no idea she would be here. He stopped in to patronize Ava’s gallery. Trina says, if Ava wants to sell him something, that’s on her, but she refuses to wait on him. He says he doesn’t blame her, and she stamps her foot and says, stop with this disgusting act. She doesn’t buy it. Cyrus says, she’s angry at him and he understands. He did a terrible thing to her and her mother – she says, he’s damn right – and he regrets it deeply. But since finding the Lord, he’s tried to make almonds amends. Spencer knows this; he witnessed it at Pentenville. He did everything he could to make sure no harm came to Spencer while he was there. He did everything to protect Spencer.

Finn says, they have to pick one carefully, and Elizabeth asks, why? He says, sometimes it doesn’t work. She asks if there’s a trick to hitting a vein, but he says, no. A little luck, a little skill. Usually, you don’t get one on the first try, but maybe they will. Let’s see. He checks out a tree and says, this one looks good. He helps her hold the spigot up to the tree and tells her to watch her fingers. She says she’s going to need to watch both their fingers. She’s got it. Let go. She raises the hammer.

Spencer says, Cyrus did look after him while he was in Pentenville. But what Cyrus did to Trina and Dr. Robinson and to his grandmother is unforgiveable. Someone could have been killed that night. Cyrus says he realizes that, and he’s trying to make amends with everyone he’s wronged, and Trina asks if Spencer is buying this. Cyrus sees her desk, and says, look at that, the turtle dove. He gave those to Spencer before Christmas last year in the hope he would share them with her, and he did. That warms his heart. Trina says, he doesn’t have a heart, and Cyrus says he hopes Spencer kept the other one. Spencer says he did, and Cyrus says, good. He reaches for it, saying, may I? but Trina snatches it off the desk and says, no. She’s not going to stand here and make pleasant conversation with somebody who held her and her mother at gunpoint.

Mason laughs and says, Austin should see his face. Oh no, I’m going to prison. He’s an idiot. If he’d given Austin up to the almighty PCPD, he’d be in custody, not walking the halls of a hospital. He’s a joke. Austin says, Mason is certifiably insane. What did he tell them? Mason says he came in with two bullet holes in his back. He didn’t really have time for a sit-down and chit chat. But worry not. He’ll do a tell all when the cops make him a deal. Austin says, they’re not going to offer Mason a deal, but Mason says, if he surrenders up enough details, he’s pretty sure they will. He plans to tell the police that it was him and Austin together in on the Ava kidnapping. Austin says, there’s no proof he had anything to do with it, and they are never going to believe a word out of Mason’s mouth. Mason says he thinks they will.

Jordan asks TJ to tell her why he thinks Mason Gatlin is the one who abducted him, and TJ says he kept running into Mason in his cousin’s office, Dr. Gatlin Holt. And he had this feeling he knew Mason from somewhere. He just couldn’t put his finger on how or where. Today… She tells him, take a deep breath, and he does. He says, today it finally clicked. He was treating Gatlin and it was something Gatlin said to him that made him recognize his voice. It was distinctive. He was the leader of those men who held him captive. It was him. She says, he was abducted to force her cooperation, and he says, now they can both get justice. They can make sure Mason Gatlin is prosecuted to the full extent of the law. She says, no, they can’t, and he asks, why not?

Alexis says she really feels bad for Nikolas, and Laura says, the decisions he’s been making now are affecting every single relationship in his life, and she just wishes she could get him to see that. But out of her three children, he’s the hardest to get through to. Alexis says, the brooding and the stubborn side of him, that’s Cassadine. The light and loving side of him is Laura. But the bottom line is, he did a lot of bad things. He made bad choices in the past year, and they just compounded to the point where he felt the only alternative was for him to run and hide, which is exactly what he did. Even if it meant leaving Spencer and Ace. Laura says, from a legal standpoint, if Nikolas were to come back to Port Charles today, how severe would the charges be against him for holding Esme hostage? Alexis says, Esme doesn’t remember being held hostage, so at the moment, that would work in his favor. As far as the rest of it, that’s up to Robert Scorpio the DA to decide whether he wants to prosecute or not. She knows the only thing they have right now is the statement from Elizabeth Baldwin. Laura says, she’s a very credible witness, but Alexis says, they still need corroborating evidence, and they need Esme’s testimony. Without that, she doesn’t think he’ll face criminal charges. Laura says she wishes Nikolas knew that, and Alexis says, the truth is, even if he did, it wouldn’t matter.

Elizabeth gets sap out of the tree, and Finn says, wow. She asks what he said about not getting it on the first time, and he says, beginner’s luck. She tastes it, and he asks how it is. She sticks her finger in the bucket, and says, see for himself. He puts her finger in his mouth to taste it and says, amazing, and they kiss.

Laura tells Alexis that she wishes there was a way for her to get ahold of Nikolas. Although she knows when he makes up his mind, there’s usually no changing it. Alexis says, Nikolas prides himself on being the good son, the good father, and he was all those things, until he wasn’t. He blew it and he knows that, which is why he ran. He doesn’t want to face the people he disappointed. Laura says, that’s why she feels it’s so important for her to reach out to him, to let him know she loves and supports him, even though he made some bad decisions. Alexis tells Laura that she’s sorry to say this, but Nikolas has resources the rest of them don’t have. And when a Cassadine wants to disappear without a trace, they do. She thinks the only choice they have is to let him figure this out and come back on his own time. Laura says, but he’s got a beautiful little boy he’s never even met, and he’s missing moments in the baby’s life he’ll never be able to get back again. She just wishes he’d come to his senses and come back. Alexis says she wishes that too, for Ace’s sake. Spencer believes he’s very independent, but he needs his father. Laura says, it’s so ironic that she can’t bring her son home, but her brother’s back, whether she wants him or not.

Josslyn asks Adam a question about alkanes, and he says, is that the best she can do? She moves his phone out of his hand with her foot, and says, no cheating. He answers her question with a bunch of science stuff (not my forte), and she says, it’s official; he’s a genius. That’s why he gets such great grades. He says he has to. The competition is fierce to get into any med school, let alone the ones his parents have on their approved list. ( I get confused for a moment, because Sonny is his father IRL.) She says, his parents have a list of medical schools? and he says, they want him to either go to Harvard, Stanford, or Johns Hopkins. He’s leaning toward Harvard. He really loves Boston. She says, Boston’s beautiful in the fall, and he says, what about her? What medical school is she leaning toward? She says she doesn’t know. She hasn’t really thought that far ahead. Her goal right now is to just do well in undergrad and then move on to the next thing; take it in manageable steps. He says, her parents are okay with that approach? and she says her parents are okay with anything as long as it’s reasonably productive and she’s happy doing it. He wonders what that’s like.

TJ asks what Jordan means that Gatlin can’t be prosecuted for what he did to him, and she says, yes, he was a victim of abduction. But let’s look at this the way DA Scorpio would. He was blindfolded, correct? He says, yes, and she says, disoriented? He says, yeah, and she says, his account of the situation and the details around it are unreliable at best. And they have no supporting evidence to corroborate his statement. They don’t even know where he was held. He says, this is ridiculous, and she says, he’s right. It is. But with her experience in law enforcement, this isn’t a case she’d ever bring to the prosecutors. TJ says, Mason did this to him. He knows this. He knows it was him. That voice. He has no doubt about this. She says she believes him, but it’s not up to her. She hates that this happened to him, but if there’s any consolation in this, it’s that Mason Gatlin is going to be charged with abduction and attempted murder for what he did to Ava Jerome. He says, that’s so great for Ava. He’s happy she’s getting her justice, but what about him? Where’s his justice? He throws up his hands and walks out.

Trina says she’s not going to allow Cyrus to waltz in here and pretend he didn’t hold her hostage at gunpoint. He threatened to shoot her if her mother didn’t tend to his gunshot wound. And if Laura hadn’t offered to take their places as his hostage, he would have killed them. Those words came out of his mouth. So he just wants her to forget all that? He says he never asked anyone to forget what he did. He asked them to forgive, like the Good Book says. She says, so let bygones be bygones? He expects her to accept his pathetic, meaningless apology just because he’s Spencer’s uncle? But guess what? She doesn’t forgive him. And she doesn’t care if he did protect Spencer in Pentenville. If he comes near her again, she’ll call the cops.

Mason says, come on, cuz. He and Austin have been seen together plenty of times in plenty of places by plenty of people, especially his co-workers here at General Hospital. Face it. When it comes to masterminding an abduction, who’s better at being the boss? Who’s better to play the henchman? He can play dumb. He’s going to tell the cops that he was just doing what his big, smart doctor cousin told him to do. Austin asks, why? Really. Why? Implicating him isn’t going to make Mason less guilty. He’s already going to go down for this, he knows that. Mason says, yeah, he knows, but he’s going to take Austin down with him. Austin’s been a pain in his ass for years. Always being so high and mighty, thinking he’s better than Mason because he has a piece of paper from a college? He wants to see how high and mighty Austin is when they’re sharing a prison cell. Austin says nothing and walks out.

Finn starts to tap another tree and asks Elizabeth, how many tries is this? She says, there was that time he hit his finger and then he hit the tree. And the other time… She doesn’t know what he was aiming for. He says, let’s just call it four times, and she says, good luck. He says, what? and she says, ten times is the charm. She watches him, and he says he thinks hunting vampires would have been easier. I get this, since sometimes I think a real zombie apocalypse would be easier. She says she has enough for both of them and takes down her bucket. He says, beginner’s luck, and she says, they can put this on their pancakes tomorrow morning. He says, speaking of which, is she hungry? She says, starving, and he says, let’s go make some dinner. They walk back hand in hand.

Back at the cabin, Elizabeth says, this was so much fun, and thanks Finn. He says, it’s nice to be out of the city. It’s nice to be out of the hospital. It’s nice to be out here in nature with her. She says she couldn’t agree more. Her fingers are so sticky. She runs the water and asks if there’s any soap. He finds some and puts a blob in her hand, and then in his own. He asks if she minds if he joins her, and she says, of course (🍷). He gets closer, and they wash each other’s hands. I guess that’s romantic, but it’s weirding me out a little. They gaze into each other’s eyes, and he kisses her. Better now.

Adam asks Josslyn for an example of a functional group, and she asks if she can use her notes. He says, no, she may not. By memory only. She says, a functional group is a specific structural arrangement of atoms or bonds that forms a… I give up at this point because now it’s getting too complicated, but she gives him the answer. It has something to do with molecules, and he says he knew she’d get it. She says she feels like she just ran a marathon – me too – and now she needs a break. They should maybe go down and get some food… There’s a knock at the door, and she says, that’s probably the art book getting delivered, but as we’ve all guessed, it’s Dex. She throws her arms around him and says, he’s just in time to save her. Adam looks disappointed. Aww.

Esme is still listening. Doesn’t she have work to do? Alexis says she wasn’t going to bring Cyrus up, but Laura says, that’s okay; she’s fine. Alexis says, it’s baffling to her that a miscarriage of justice, to that extent, could happen and Laura agrees. She says, leave it to Cyrus to finagle a hardship release. Alexis says, it’s really unbelievable. She doesn’t know how Laura deals with it. He is Laura’s brother, but still… Laura says she’s very, very conflicted. She does believe in rehabilitation, but that would mean restoring somebody to a normal state that’s acceptable to society. She doesn’t know that that’s possible with Cyrus, and after all the things that he’s done, does he even deserve that? Alexis says, the judge felt he did, and Laura sighs. She says, then she guesses she’ll do her best to believe that the judge is right, and Cyrus can become a productive member of society. But between her and Alexis, it’s going to be a really long time before she trusts her brother.

Cyrus says he can understand why Trina doesn’t trust in him, and Spencer puts his arm around Cyrus and says, it’s time for him to go. Now. Cyrus says, okay. Spencer follows him to the doorway, where Cyrus turns around and says he owes Trina a great debt. If she ever needs his help for any reason, she only needs to ask. She says she will never ask him for anything. Does he hear her? Never! Now get the hell out! Cyrus leaves, and when he’s gone, Spencer comes back to Trina. He tells her, it’s okay, he’s here, and holds her.

Elizabeth says, she and Finn should wash their hands together more often (please don’t), and he says, definitely. He’s filthy all the time. They kiss again, and he says, maybe dinner can wait, but she says she doesn’t know… He kisses her, and she says, okay. Dinner can definitely wait. There’s more kissing.

Dex asks what he’s saving Josslyn from, and she says, organic chem. She was just telling Adam that she was going stir crazy in here. Dex asks how long they’ve been studying, and she says, a few hours. Adam says, with their midterms coming up, they could probably use a few more hours, but Josslyn says, oh God no. She’s done. Adam says, they didn’t go over the identification of hydrocarbons though, and Dex says, if she needs to stay, he can come back, but she says she needs fresh air. He says, that he can do. He has to take Sonny’s speedboat upriver to drydock it for the winter if she wants to come. She says, okay, and gets her jacket. She tells Adam, it looks like hydrocarbon structures are going to have to wait, but if she aces this midterm, it’s thanks to him. He says, pick up later this evening? but she says she can’t. Thursday? Adam says, perfect. Their midterm is Friday. Josslyn says, cool, and Adam gets his stuff together. He says, what about Trina’s art book? Does she want him to stick around here and wait for it? She says, that’s really sweet of him, but it’s no big deal. She’s sure the delivery person will leave it outside the door. He says he doesn’t mind, but she says, it’s totally fine. He leaves, and Dex tells Josslyn, if there’s time after, they could get lunch at Kelly’s. He knows the owner. They leave, and Adam comes out from around the corner and watches them.

Alexis tells Laura, they say that trust is built over time. See if Cyrus can earn her trust. Does she believe his religious conversion is sincere? Laura says, to be perfectly honest, she’s not sure. She wants to sit down with her brother Martin and compare notes with him and get his take on it. There’s a knock at the door, and Alexis says, come in. Esme says, sorry to interrupt, but Alexis has a video conference call in fifteen minutes. Does Alexis want her to reschedule it? Laura says, absolutely not, not on her account. She’s going to let Alexis get on with her business day. Alexis thanks Laura for coming by and catching her up, and they hug. Alexis says, before Laura goes, she has a question. Does Laura know Judge Kim, the judge that sentenced Drew Cain? Laura says she doesn’t know him. She’s sorry. Alexis says, thanks anyway. It’s good to see her. Laura says, her too, and says she’ll see Esme at home tonight. Maybe tomorrow morning they can all wake up and have family breakfast together? Esme says, okay, she’d like that, and Laura leaves. Esme says she knows Alexis has a video conference call to prep for, but she has a quick question if Alexis doesn’t mind. Alexis tells her, go ahead, and Esme says she doesn’t really know how to ask this. Alexis says, just ask, and Esme asks if she can have a raise. Alexis says, she wants a raise? and Esme says, yes. She wants to move out of Laura and Doc’s apartment. With them back, it’s just all so crowded. Alexis asks if that’s the real reason, and Esme says, yeah. Alexis says, Esme… and Esme says, okay. She’s starting to… have feelings for Spencer.

Spencer brings Trina some water, and she says she shouldn’t have given Cyrus that much power over her. Nobody should have that much power over anybody. She’s not going to let him make her a victim again. Spencer says, she did really good. She practically kicked him out all by herself. She asks if he can promise her something, and he says he’s never going to let Cyrus come near her, but she says, that’s not what she means. She knows Spencer would never let Cyrus do anything to her. She needs him to promise he’ll never tell anyone she lost it like that with Cyrus, especially her mom and Curtis. Because her mom is already angry and terrified that he’s been released. She doesn’t want to add fuel to the fire. Curtis is in a wheelchair and feels he can’t protect them from Cyrus. He says he promises. He’s not going to tell anyone. Clearly, she can take care of herself, but know if she ever needs back-up, he’s here. She says she knows he is, and hugs him.

Austin goes back into Mason’s room, closes the door, and shuts the blinds. Mason says, if Austin is here to beg and plead, save his breath. He’s going to take Austin down with him. Austin says he’s done begging for things in his life. Besides, how would he be begging? There’s no one in this shell of Mason that’s remotely human. He puts on surgical gloves, and says, there’s no reason. Mason wouldn’t help him, would he? Mason says, not on your life, and Austin says, then he guesses it’s time to help himself. He pats Mason’s shoulder, turns off the machine Mason is hooked up to, and takes a pillow from the chair. He slowly walks over to Mason, and Mason says, he doesn’t have the guts. Austin smiles.

TJ walks past Mason’s room, and peeks through the window. The slats are open enough that he sees Austin smothering Mason.

On Monday, Brook tells Kristina that she needs a clear head for what she’s about to do; Sasha says, count her in too; Lucy tells Martin that she needs to show Tracy exactly who she’s dealing with; and Eddie/Ned asks why Tracy can’t take no for an answer.

✂️ Feeling Trim…

I had the feeling it was a crew member. And if you notice, usually when one of the cast gets a new hairdo, many of them do. It’s like picture day in school.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/meet-the-hairdresser-behind-finns-trim

🧸 Loves a Good Scare…

I’m actually looking forward to seeing this one.

Jophielle Love’s Scary New Movie!

⚰️ News Of the Dead…

The latest in Fear.

https://undeadwalking.com/2023/10/27/fear-walking-dead-season-8-episode-8-photos/

https://screenrant.com/madison-not-rick-grimes-fear-walking-dead-season-8/

What the live ones are about.

https://undeadwalking.com/2023/10/23/walking-dead-ones-live-about/

For those who prefer the game.

https://undeadwalking.com/2023/10/21/walking-dead-destinies-release-dates/

🧹 Hocus That Pocus…

About yet another Sanderson sequel.

https://people.com/hocus-pocus-3-writer-anythings-on-the-table-for-sequel-8383552

It was cool until it wasn’t.

https://ew.com/movies/hocus-pocus-stars-stuck-in-air-flying-scenes/

👠 Ladies of Horror…

They could have spent a little more time on Kiki Palmer and Jurnee Smollett. And while more sci/fi than horror, Octavia Spencer was amazing in Snowpiercer.

https://www.essence.com/entertainment/14-black-women-horror-movie-roles/

🔥 Falling For Usher…

If you haven’t seen this yet, stream, don’t wait. It’s incredible.

https://ew.com/tv/tv-reviews/the-fall-of-the-house-of-usher-review-netflix-mike-flanagan/

🐕 Uncanceled Pups…

Dogs and Halloween. There’s nothing better.

https://people.com/dogs-costumes-2023-nyc-halloween-dog-parade-photos-8374321

🐘 Quotes of the Week

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive. – Dalai Lama

Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. – Desmond Tutu

To thrive in life you need three bones. A wishbone. A backbone. And a funny bone. – Reba McEntire

Dare to be true: nothing can need a lie: A fault, which needs it most, grows two thereby. – George Herbert

The first to cry is the first to fry. – Omarosa, House of Villains

Happiness can exist only in acceptance. – George Orwell

Love your enemies, for they tell you your faults. – Benjamin Franklin

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself. – Harvey Fierstein

A mask tells us more than a face. – Oscar Wilde

🎭 Masking My Mask…

Stop by on Sunday for a little Fear. Until then, stay safe, stay springing for the good candy, and stay forgiving, but not forgetting. Especially if they’ve held you hostage.

Oct27

October 26, 2023 – Felicia Makes an $11,000 Mistake, Not Very Charming Dinner Conversation & Bad

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth goes to Finn’s office and finds him getting a haircut. She says, bad timing? but he says, not at all. He’s almost done here. He lifts his head to talk to her, and the hairdresser pushes it back down. Yep. They do that when you move around. He asks, what’s up? but she says, it can wait. She’ll talk to him later.

While he shares carrots with Trigger, Cody says, I get it. People have to look out for themselves sometimes. That sometimes means starting over somewhere new. It just really sucks when someone who cares leaves someone behind. He hears the door and turns around to see Sasha. She asks if he’s busy, and he says he’s just feeding Trigger. (What happened to Comet?) Did she come to say goodbye? She says, no. She came to say she’s staying. He says, that’s great, and she asks him to look at her. He turns around, and she says, it’s okay for him to ask why she’s not leaving. He says he’s glad she brought that up because he’s dying to know why she’s staying.

Stella asks what brings Jordan to GH, and Jordan says she’s happy to report she’s been cleared by her nephrologist. Stella says, so no more appointments with Dr. Simon? and Jordan says, considering she only has one kidney, she has to check in with him every six months, but he’s pleased with her latest ultrasound results. Stella says, this calls for a celebration. No champagne in the vending machines, but can she buy Jordan a coffee? Jordan says, no thanks, but Stella can give her an update on Curtis. How’s he doing? She and Stella walk, and Stella says, Jordan knows Curtis as well as she does. He’s tough as nails, and he’s determined to make the best out of this bad situation. Jordan says, it took him a while to get there, and Stella says, yeah. He was feeling sorry for himself in the beginning and pushing people away🍼, but she thinks he’s made a lot of progress. Jordan says, something tells her that Stella gave him a tough love speech, and Stella says she certainly did. He wasn’t too happy at first, but he came around. Jordan says she just wishes she had an update on a case for him, and Stella says, no word on who did this? Jordan says, no. Unfortunately, they have no answers yet. Stella says she keeps praying to God to help her understand why this happened, but like Jordan, she hasn’t gotten any answers yet.

Portia comes home, and Curtis says he’s glad she’s back, because her lunchtime visit wasn’t nearly long enough. But he does understand why she rushed off, and he wants to say, thank you. She says, for what? and he says, because clearly, she told Laura it was a good time to come by and he appreciates it. She says, Laura’s been an amazing friend to him, and they haven’t seen each other since the shooting, so she’s glad they got to spend some time together. She pours a glass of wine and starts chugging it, and he asks if everything is okay. She says, not really. Cyrus Renault was released from prison, and she’s guessing he already heard that. He says he just found out. He didn’t want to call her and stress her at work. He figured they’d talk about it at home. Who told her? She says, TJ and of course (🍷) she was furious they actually let this monster go, but she said, that’s okay. She’s going to take some time to process it. Lo and behold, guess who shows up? Cyrus decides to approach her at GH. He says, that son of a bitch.

Carly dashes into Kelly’s, telling Josslyn that she’s so sorry. Josslyn says, that’s okay, and Carly thanks her for covering. She was in Sonny’s office and they were in the middle of something, when Katrina called and said she couldn’t finish her shift. Josslyn says, it’s really no problem, but why did she need to see Sonny?

Dante walks into Sonny’s office and tells him that Gabe said he was busy, but he thought he’d interrupt Sonny anyway. Sonny says, not at all; come in. Dante says he wanted to give Sonny this, and hands him an envelope, saying, for the bride as well actually. Sonny opens a card and takes out tickets. He says, ringside seats to all the boxing matches? He loves it, but this isn’t a wedding gift for Nina, is it? Dante says, she’s going to love it too, and Sonny laughs and asks him what he means. Dante says, it gets Sonny out of the house, so she can have a few nights to herself.

Michael says, this is all Nina gets. Take it or leave it. There’s a knock at the door and Willow comes in. She says, Nina’s assistant said Michael was in here. She hopes she’s not interrupting. Is this a bad time? Michael says, not at all. It’s actually a perfect time, because he and Nina were just discussing something that concerns her. Weren’t we, Nina? Nina says, yes, they were, and Michael asks if Nina wants to tell Willow, or should he?

Sonny thanks Dante and says, this is better than a toaster. (Ha-ha!) Dante asks if that’s what Michael got him, and Sonny laughs. He asks, how was the wedding? and Sonny says, the wedding was exactly what they wanted it to be. It was small, intimate, just family. Two people missing, Avery and his best man, but… Dante says, Sonny knows he wanted to be there. He did it last minute, and Dante couldn’t drop everything at work. Dante sees the new photo of Wiley and Donna, and says, the kids are cute. Did they have fun? Sonny says, they loved it, and Dante says, good. Did Michael fill in for him or what? Sonny says, Dante’s brother stood by him and that meant the world to him, but he’s not going to forget that he asked Dante to be his best man.

Nina says, she and Michael were talking about how much fun they had at the wedding and on the island. Maybe they should go back there. She glances at Michael, and Willow says, that’s exactly why she’s here. This morning, Wiley told her that he wants to go to grandpa’s island with Nina and Sonny. Michael asks if the rest of them are invited, and she says, they’re included, but he wants Amelia to come this time. He did make a point of saying he wants to sit next to Grandma Nina on the plane. I remove the knife from my heart, and Willow says, Halloween is coming up, but she thought, the following weekend would be perfect, so they’ll all go down together. Does that work for Nina? Nina again looks at Michael.

Carly says she went to see Sonny because Drew was moved back to Pentenville this morning, and Josslyn says, Drew was almost beaten to death, and they’re not going to let him finish recovering at GH? Does Diane know they sent him back? Carly says, she does, but unfortunately, the transfer had already been approved, so there’s nothing she could do about it. Josslyn says, that isn’t fair, and Carly says, no, it’s not. Then she went to go see him, and they wouldn’t let her in (she did not – she called). Josslyn asks, why? and Carly says, that’s why she went to see Sonny. She wanted to figure out what the hell is going on. then she finds out Drew was put in solitary confinement. Josslyn says, that’s awful, and Carly says, except it’s not. It’s for his protection, and they are making some progress with getting him released. It just hasn’t happened yet.

Finn goes to the reception desk, and Elizabeth says, look at him. His hair looks good. Did she miss the memo that they opened up a salon at GH? He says, it looks okay? She really likes it? She says, yeah, she does. Does he always get his hair cut in his office? He says, no. It’s the first time. His barber Angelo is doing him a favor. She says, when she hears the word barber, she thinks of some dude named Joe in a white smock, and he says, Joe was booked. He didn’t have any time to go out – he was backed up with patients – and he guesses he wanted to look nice for their trip. She says she’s not going anywhere until she gets this done, so he’d better let her get back to work, and he says he’s sorry if his hair was a distraction. He’ll see her later. She watches as he walks away.

Curtis wonders, how does this happen? Portia wasn’t notified of Cyrus’s release, and now he’s allowed to confront his victims? This is outrageous. She tells him, Cyrus said he was there to apologize. That he was a different man back then, and now he’s found God and he’s seen the light. Of course (🍷) she doesn’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth. Curtis asks if she tried to contact the hospital security, but she says, no. She wanted to stand up to him on her own. She told him that she’d get a restraining order if he approached her or Trina ever again. She put on a brave face, but she’s not going to lie; he got to her. Mainly because she was thinking about Trina. What if he approaches her? They can’t protect her in that dorm. She’s going to have to move back home, at least for a little while. Curtis agrees and says, they’re going to have to protect their daughter. And he knows just who to call.

Stella tells Jordan that TJ and Molly said their surrogate was pregnant. She’s so happy for them. Jordan says, it’s so exciting, and Stella says, and Jordan is going to be a grandma. Jordan says she’s not ready to be called that yet. She’s working on an alternate name. They laugh, when Felicia comes over and says, Stella has to help her. She made a big mistake. Jordan’s phone rings, and she excuses herself. Felicia says she doesn’t know what to do, and Stella says, tell her what’s wrong. Felicia says she made a costly mistake with a patient, and Stella says, calm down and tell her what happened. Felicia says, as Stella knows, she completed her patient advocate training last week. She was feeling very confident with herself. She was sure she could do the job, but today was a very big disaster. She was helping a patient fill out some insurance forms to get an approval for an MRI. The papers are very complicated, and she thought she filled them out correctly, and she told him it was approved by the insurance. So off he went to radiology, and she looked at the paperwork again and realized she’d made a huge mistake. He’s got to pay out-of-pocket $11,000 (talk about outrageous). She knows him and his wife are on a limited income and don’t have that kind of money. What is she going to do? Stella says, write a check.

Felicia asks if Stella can repeat that. Write a check for $11,000? She sits down, and Stella says she was just kidding. A little patient advocate humor. They deal with difficult situations like this all the time, and they’ll figure this out. Take a deep breath – Felicia does – and give her the forms and she’ll see what she can do. Felicia asks if she should come with Stella, but Stella says, no. Just sit tight and she’ll try to figure this out.

Curtis says he told Jordan that he and Portia are concerned about Trina. He doesn’t expect them to have someone watching Cyrus 24/7, but he does need to be on PCPD’s radar. Portia says she doesn’t want Trina to be worried, and certainly doesn’t want her to be paranoid, but she’s got to keep her eyes open. She’s going to call Ava. She doesn’t want Trina working at the gallery alone anymore, especially at night. He says, Jordan told him that Portia was with her when she found out how Cyrus was being released, and she says she was. He got a hardship release because of a heart attack he had a while back. He says, that, and she said the warden cited his good behavior, and Portia says she couldn’t believe it when Jordan told her that. Why would a warden do that, knowing what a criminal Cyrus is? He says he’s more suspect of the doctor. Who would testify on Cyrus’s behalf? She asks if Jordan told him who the doctor was, but he says he didn’t ask. He knows Jordan and knows she wouldn’t give up a name, especially to him because she knows he’d track this guy down. She asks, what kind of doctor would put this animal back on the street?

Jordan asks if Felicia is okay, but Felicia says, oh no. She messed up really big. She’s hoping Stella can help her. Jordan says, don’t worry. If anyone can fix it, it’s Stella.

Elizabeth goes to Finn’s office and says she just remembered what she wanted to ask him. What does she pack for Vermont? He says, a toothbrush and… a sweater? She says, he’s no help, and he says, it’s cold in the mountains, so maybe hats… and those… Don’t worry about it. Dan already stocked the cabin. They’ll have everything they need. She says, but what are they planning? Does she need hiking boots? Rain gear? He says, right. They’re going to go for some walks in the woods, but nothing too crazy. It should be relaxing, not an episode of Survivor. She laughs and he says, it’ll be fun, he promises. She says she can’t wait. So what time are they leaving tomorrow morning? He says he was thinking about 6, and she says, 8? He says, 7? and she says, 7:15? He says, deal. He’ll pick her up at 7:15 sharp. She says she doesn’t think so.

Sonny says he knows Dante didn’t grow up with him in his life, but they’ve always had a special bond. Dante says he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t tough growing up without a father. His mother did her best, but seeing his friends in the street playing stickball with their dads was something he wanted too. Sonny says he’s sorry about that, but Dante says, it’s not his fault. Sonny didn’t know he existed. Sonny says, when Dante found out he was his father, Dante could have turned his back on him, and he didn’t. Dante says he could have, but you know what? They lead different lives and he made peace with that a long time ago. Sonny says he just wants Dante to know there’s no one he respects more than him. Dante thanks him, and says, it means a lot. Sonny says, Dante always supported him and Nina from the beginning, and always had his back. Dante says, the feeling’s mutual because if it wasn’t for Sonny, he doesn’t know if he’d be standing here right now.

Nina tells Willow, that weekend, she happens to be out of town. She’s going to Paris to meet a designer they’re doing a feature on for his spring line. Willow says, no worries. It was just an impulsive idea. They can do it another time. Michael says, with the holidays coming up, it might be difficult. He thinks they should shoot for next year. So she didn’t stop by for nothing, why doesn’t Nina give Willow that gift? Nina says, what gift? and Michael says he’s sorry. Sonny ruined the surprise. He saw Sonny earlier and he said Nina had a gift for Willow. Why doesn’t she give it to Willow now? Nina says, that’s okay; she can wait. She’ll just bring it by the house this weekend. Michael says, it will save her a trip. Besides, he knows how busy she is with work. Who knows the next time she’ll be able to see the kids? I hate him. She says, great idea, and hands Willow a giftwrapped box. Willow thanks her, and Michael says he’s going to head out, but let him walk Willow to her car. Willow says, that’s okay. She wants to catch up with Nina. Michael says, okay, and gives Nina a last look before he closes the door.

Sasha tells Cody, while she was packing, she came across a photo of her and Brando. It was taken the weekend they got married. She debated for a really long time. She thought she was going to take it with her, and finally she decided to leave it there. He asks why she didn’t want to take it with her. He was her husband. She says she guesses it was symbolic. If she didn’t take it with her, she was leaving the past behind. All the pain and suffering would stay here in Port Charles and wouldn’t come with her. (That is even stupider than love means never having to say you’re sorry.) But when she was in the car on the way to the airport, she asked the driver to go by the lake so she could see it one last time. And when she was looking out over the water, she realized that despite all the loss – Brando and Liam and her mind – and despite the betrayal of Gladys, there are many good things about this place. She has people who care about her. He takes her hand and says, put him at the top of that list.

Finn asks if Elizabeth just changed her mind. She doesn’t want to go? She says she absolutely has not changed her mind. She’s really looking forward to it. She just doesn’t think a five-hour car ride with luggage and a cooler is practical in his Mini Cooper. He says she doesn’t like the Mini Cooper? but she says she loves the Mini Cooper; it’s a great car. She just thinks hers makes more sense since it’s bigger. He says, okay, but he doesn’t want her to have to drive the whole way, and she suggests they split the driving. He says, deal.

Curtis says he’s thinking whoever testified on Cyrus’s behalf had to be paid off, and Portia says, so Cyrus used his connections to get out. The hardship release was just an excuse. They need to find the name of this doctor. At the very least, he needs his license revoked. Curtis agrees, but says, she doesn’t need to get her hands dirty. Cyrus is still a dangerous man, so just leave it to the PCPD… for now. She says she’ll back off, but if Cyrus comes near her or Trina, she won’t hesitate to take the first shot. He says, that’s his wife. Not only a healer, but a warrior. She says, he’s got that right.

Stella says she spoke to the insurance company, and Felicia asks if they were able to cover the cost of the MRI. Stella says, unfortunately not; they would not budge. It’s just unfair for the patient to have to cover the cost. Felicia says, since it’s her mistake… and Stella says, exactly. Jordan says, there has to be something GH can do, but Felicia says, this is her responsibility. She intends to pay for it.

Dante says he owes Sonny his life. When he was with the WSB in prison, Sonny came over there and brought him back. Sonny says, Dante would have done the same thing for his son, and Dante says he came back with a lot of baggage. He struggled to get out of bed and was on the verge of losing everything that mattered to him. He was able to rebuild his life, thanks in large part to Sonny. Sonny says, Dante has to give himself a lot of credit; he worked hard. He knows it wasn’t easy. Dante says, if he learned anything from that time, it’s leave the past alone and just move forward, and Sonny says, he’s done that. Dante moved forward and even found love with Sam. Dante says, like Sonny did with Nina. He couldn’t be happier for him.

Michael goes to Kelly’s, and Carly asks if he’s here to pick up some take-out cookies for her grandson. Michael says, no. It does sound good though. He asks Josslyn, what’s going on? and she says, it’s time to put out the Q signal, like the bat signal in Batman. He needs to use some of his Quartermaine influence, because he has connections and ELQ has clout. He asks what she needs him to do, and she says, mom was telling her that even though they’re making progress in getting Drew released, it’s stalled. So maybe he can help unstall it. He asks Carly, what’s going on? and she says she really appreciates Josslyn wanting Michael to help, but she doesn’t want him any more involved than he already has been. It’s too risky. It’s too close to the insider trading incident. He says he’s afraid she’s right. Way too close.

Willow looks at the photo frame and tells Nina, this is so thoughtful. She loves it. Look at how handsome their boy is. Nina says she’s really glad Willow likes it. She made one for Carly too. Willow says, it means a lot to her, and thanks Nina. They really had such a great time at her wedding. Wiley has not stopped talking about it. She thinks this can be a new beginning for all of them. Nina flashes back to telling Michael that she’ll explain it to Willow, and Michael saying, Drew saved her daughter’s life and she got him sent to prison. He was beaten so badly, he almost died. Does she think Willow’s going to forgive her for that?

Elizabeth goes into the elevator and Finn is there. He says, they really have to stop meeting like this, and she says she’s glad she ran into him. Please don’t let her forget apples. He says he won’t. Why apples? She says she promised Aiden that she’d bring him back apples from Vermont because he’s totally into making pies right now. He says he loves a good pie, and she says she learns something new about him every day. What’s his favorite? He says, everything… but rhubarb. What is that? A root pie? He doesn’t get it. She says she doesn’t either. She’ll tell Aiden, no rhubarb, like ever. So are his dad and Chase all set for babysitting? He says, absolutely, and Brook is joining them. Violet is so excited, he doesn’t think she’ll even miss him. He doubts he’ll even get a text message. So no responsibility, no work. Just us. She says she likes the sound of that, and he says, him too. They kiss, the elevator doors open, and they go their separate ways.

Cody asks, what’s next for Sasha? and she says, calling the movers. They have to bring everything back, and they’re somewhere between Austin and here, so she’ll have to stay at the MetroCourt a few nights. He says, if she wants, he could ask Mama Q if there’s a spare room in the main house, just until her furniture comes back, but she says, no. Some of the Quartermaines are just too intimidating. Cody says, and by some, she means Tracy, and she says, yeah. Tracy’s just a lot to take on and she’s not up for the challenge these days. She hasn’t even gathered the courage to return Maxie’s calls. He asks, why not? Maxie’s always had her back, hasn’t she? Sasha says, oh yeah, but Maxie never really said why she came over last night and she just has a bad feeling it had something to do with work. Maybe her future as the Face of Deception won’t last very long. He says, don’t go jumping to conclusions. Maxie totally supports her. She’s a good person; she’s raised a great kid. He’s gotten to know James a little. James cracks him up. He tells it like it is. She says she’s not surprised he got close to James. He’s family.

Sonny says, although he missed Dante at the wedding, he’s glad Dante stayed. Dex told him what happened with Ava. Dante says, that was crazy. That Mason Gatlin guy abducts her, and luckily, they found them before Mason could hurt her. Sonny says, if not for Dante, Ava and Dex would be dead, and Dante says, Dex, Josslyn, Spinelli. Without them, they wouldn’t have found Mason’s location. Sonny says he’s glad Dante saved Ava, because the last thing he wants to do is tell Avery that her mother died. So Dante does all this, and what does the PCPD do? They put him on leave? Why is that? Dante says, it’s just procedural stuff. It’ll clear itself up. What he’s concerned about more is Cyrus Renault being released from prison. Sonny says he heard, and Dante says, just don’t do anything he might normally want to do, okay? Sonny says, yes, detective, and they hug. They exchange I love yous and Dante leaves. Sonny looks at the tickets and smiles.

Carly tells Michael that Alexis agreed to help them by cornering Judge Kim. She uncovered proof that Kim was taking kickbacks and gifts. So Alexis and Gregory Chase called in Judge Kim for an interview. They said they were doing a profile on his landmark cases. Michael asks if it worked, and Carly says, they confronted him about a trip he took on Ascher Alexander’s private jet. Josslyn asks if he isn’t the billionaire, and Carly says, yeah. Apparently, Kim went on some Caribbean fishing trip with him. Kim denied it and stormed out of Alexis’s office. She thinks it scared him. Alexis heard through a contact that he requested Drew’s case file. So they’re thinking he’s either going to reduce Drew’s sentence or commute it altogether. No matter what, she just wants to lie low. She doesn’t want Michael pushing anything before they see what Kim’s next move is. Michael can still pursue his connection at the SEC because she wants a name. She’s not going to stop until she finds out who blew the whistle on her and Drew.

Nina says she just wants to tell Willow that she has so many regrets about things she’s done and her behavior in the past. She’s made so many mistakes. She’s made mistakes with Willow, and if she had one wish, she wishes she could take them all back. Willow says, they can’t change what’s happened, but they can learn from it and try to do better. She’s willing if Nina is. Nina says, yes. She’s so thankful she has Willow in her life. She hugs Willow, and Willow says, she’s wearing the bracelet. Nina says she hasn’t taken it off since Willow gave it to her. She loves and cherishes it. Willow said it was Harmony’s? Willow says, it was. It’s so strange. She’s been dreaming about Harmony lately. Nina asks what she’s been dreaming, but Willow says she can’t figure it out. Harmony is trying to tell her something, warn her, and when she asks Harmony what it means, she talks, but Willow can’t hear anything. She’s sure it’s just her subconscious working overtime. She’s sorry. Does talking about Harmony make Nina uncomfortable? Nina says, no. It’s nothing like that. Sometimes she gets overwhelmed when she realizes how much she has. She wants to hold onto it. She’s so grateful their relationship is so good now, she just sometimes feels it’s going to be taken away from her. She’s sorry. She’s just had so much loss in her life. Willow says, Nina’s not going to lose her.

On the phone, Stella says, thank you. The next dinner is on her… No arguing. She owes her big time. Felicia runs up and says she’s got a check. Who does she make it out to? Stella says, no one, and Felicia says, they don’t take a personal check? She can go to the bank tomorrow and get a cashier’s check. Stella says, she doesn’t have to get any check. It’s taken care of. Felicia says she doesn’t understand, and Stella says, the patient agreed to letting GH use the MRI results in a major research project the hospital is sponsoring. Jordan joins them and says, see? She told Felicia that someone would take care of it. Felicia wonders what Stella did, and Stella says, her friend Tanya coordinates research for clinical trials, and she gave Stella a few contacts and she made some calls and that was it. Easy peasy. They laugh and Felicia hugs Stella.

Portia says, Curtis is back at the books? and he says he’s looking over the numbers for August. This is their worst quarter ever. It’s going to take some time to get out of this hole. She says, that was when he was still recovering. Now that he’s back, it’s all going to be fine. He says he sure hopes so, and she says, why doesn’t he put all of this stuff away for now – she sits in front of him on the desk and takes his glasses off – and start thinking about what he wants for dinner tonight. She can cook. She thinks she has some steaks in the refrigerator. He says, she needs a break. So why doesn’t he take his beautiful wife to dinner. What does she say? She says she wants to get sushi.

Cody tells Sasha that Maxie and her kids aren’t his family. Technically, they kind of are, but he’s the only one who knows, so it doesn’t really count. She says she knows, and he says he knows she knows, and so do Sam and Dante, but he trusts them. He knows they won’t tell anyone. She says she’s honored that he would put her in the same category as Sam and Dante, but he says, no. She’s in a category all by herself. She asks what that would be, and he says, it’s so unique, so je ne sais quoi. it defies categorization. She laughs and says she’s actually been thinking about why Cody hasn’t been honest with Mac. She’s the last person who should be giving any advice, but for what it’s worth (🍷), she wouldn’t be standing here today if she hadn’t realized what she would miss if she walked away from the people she cares about. And Mac cares about Cody even though he doesn’t even know he’s Cody’s father.Can Cody imagine how amazing Mac would feel if he told Mac the truth?

Michael tells Carly that his contact is still working on it, but he’ll keep her posted. Willow walks in and hugs Carly and Josslyn. She tells Michael that she just came from Nina’s. She’s still on Cloud 9 from the wedding… She tells Carly she’s so sorry, but Carly says, it’s okay. They were just talking about the wedding. Donna’s version of the wedding. Willow says, she’s now a pro at being a flower girl. She threw out those petals with confidence. And she has to say, Donna wasn’t the only one who rose to the occasion. Michael really stepped up, and she’s so proud of him for the way he’s accepted Sonny and Nina.

Nina looks at her bracelet, when there’s a knock at the door. Sonny comes in with roses and a take-out bag and says, hello, bride. She says, hello, groom. What is he doing? He already sent her flowers. He says, the new Mrs. Corinthos can’t have too many flowers. It’s a special occasion. She asks what that would be, and he says, it’s their first night back in Port Charles as husband and wife. So let’s celebrate. They kiss and hug, but Nina looks miserable.

Elizabeth says, work done, check, and Finn says, haircut done, check. She tells him that they won’t be listening to podcasts on infectious diseases, but he says he’s been saving them, and she tells him, stop. She’ll take care of the music. She hits a song on her phone, and he says, okay. She says she’ll see him at 7:30, and walks off. He tells her, they said 7:15, and runs after her.

As the song plays, we see Sasha and Cody feeding Trigger carrots; Stella going over things with Felicia; Portia and Curtis leaving for dinner, and Curtis popping a wheelie; Willow and Michael sharing a milkshake, and Michael trying to get Josslyn to eat a French fry dipped in it; Sonny and Nina having dinner in her office, and Sonny kissing her.

Tomorrow, TJ tells Jordan that he’s never been more certain of anything in his life; Adam tells Josslyn that she’s full of surprises; Alexis asks what Laura found out about Nikolas; and Cyrus pays a visit to Trina at the gallery.

Southern Charm

Whitney calls Austen and invites him over for a little reprieve. Taylor brings Penelope to meet Little Craig for the first time, and Shep calls the dogs, children of divorce. They walk with the dogs on the beach, and Shep says he’s going to get Little Criag’s nasal passages fixed. In Shep’s interview, he says, some people think it’s unfair of him to have a nice relationship with Taylor that’s not romantic. He’s inexperienced in this territory; it’s uncharted waters, but he wants to. They talk about Olivia, and Taylor says, the hard part is, when everything dies down and reality sets in. (Truth!) Shep says, Taylor needs to figure out her relationship with Olivia. Just say she’s sorry, she should have told Olivia immediately, and it will never happen again. In Taylor’s interview, she says she’s watching one of her good friends go through one of the worst moments of her life, and she can’t be there for Olivia fully because Olivia doesn’t want her to be. Shep asks, what’s happening otherwise? and she says she’s learning how to navigate a friendship with him. He says he thinks there’s still value in them as friends because they know each other so well, and she agrees. She says, blue skies ahead, and Little Craig throws up.

At Patricia’s house, Whitney gets a fire going, and puts out an amazing charcuterie board, along with lots of liquor. Craig arrives first and goes through the canes in the umbrella stand. He finds one that contains a flask and another with a sword inside, which he’s a little too free in waving around. Austen comes in, followed by Rodrigo, who asks what they’re doing. Whitney says, sword fighting, and Rodrigo says, classic. In Whitney’s interview, he says his mom taught him how to be a good host. Have hors d’oeuvres and cocktails when the guests first arrive. Except for Craig, whose residue is still on the carpet. We flash back to Craig spilling red wine on Patricia’s $45K white sofa. Craig marvels at how it came out, and Rod arrives, Whitney tells him that he smells effervescent. JT is next, and says, it’s his first time in the castle. In JT’s interview, he says he thinks he and Whitney had the same upbringing, but Whitney’s is a little bit more posh than his. Rod says he’s nervous around white furniture, and Austen tells him about Craig spilling the wine. Rod says he wants to be invited back, so he’s doing his best not to spill. Austen suggests Whitney put in a den, since the sitting room is for tea and crumpets. Whitney brings up Rod hitting on Austen’s girl, and we flash back to Rod telling Austen about kinda, maybe, sorta going out with Olivia. Whitney asks why Rod needed to tell Austen, and Rod says, it’s a respect thing. (And like he wouldn’t find out anyway.) Rodrigo asks if Rod (yeah, I hate that their names are so similar) had talked to Olivia, and he says, a little. He brought her some food and they hugged. JT says he’s postponed the clubhouse launch, and in his interview, he says he’s not sure how he can have a party for his business when Olivia is in mourning. So he’s just having a dinner to bring everyone together. Craig and Austen talk in the kitchen, and Austen says he went to therapy, since what Olivia is going through is bringing up memories. We flash to Austen telling Chelsea about his sister’s death. He says he can’t help feeling connected and wants to be there for Olivia. She texted him that she hates they share this awful pain, but it comforts her to know he’s here with her. In Craig’s interview, he says he knows they share familiar feelings, but Austen doesn’t realize talking to Olivia is not what’s best for her. Craig’s an a-hole. I’m not saying it’s a good thing or it isn’t – only Olivia knows that – but Craig is like an old lady busybody.

Madison asks if Brett is packed, and he says he’s bummed that he missed her parents. In Madison’s interview, she says, people ask how they make a long-distance marriage work, but it just is what it is. They make it work like everybody else. Hudson comes in crying and hugs Madison. He tells her that some kid bit him, and it looks like he got knocked around a little. Brett takes him upstairs to clean up, and Madison cries. In her interview, she says, being a parent is one of the hardest, most rewarding things she’s done, and it’s about the only thing that can make her lose control of her emotions. Brett says he wants to talk to the parents, and Madison says she’s shaking. Why would someone do this? She’s going to bite them back. Brett hugs her, and in her interview, Madison says, the fact that she has Brett helping her is a game changer. He stays neutral and keeps them all together. She makes a call, and Hudson asks Brett for a Shirley Temple.

Olivia meets Rod at the beach, and thanks him for getting her out of the house. They go for drinks at a beachside place, and he asks how she is. She says, obviously she’s upset. It’s Connor’s 33rd birthday, and the whole thing is becoming more of a reality. In Olivia’s interview, she says she hasn’t been out. She’s been cooped up and constantly reminded of what’s going on. She needed to get out of the house, and Rod is a calming presence. She feels comforted. She tells Rod that she appreciates all the support. Austen stepped up as a friend; they all did. She asks if he’s been looped into what’s going on with Taylor, and Rod says, for the most part, but the goalposts keep moving. With every person, the story changes. She says she expected it of Austen, but not Taylor. It might seem weird that she’s forgiving him, but the cut isn’t as deep. So she’s trying to put her and Taylor’s friendship back together. Rod says he likes to live by a code and handle himself a certain way. Austen sounds like he’s doing that, but he sneaks around. In Rod’s interview, he says, Austen’s decision making is always about him. He’s always the victim in his own eyes, when he’s the cause of the problem. Olivia says she appreciates Rod taking it slow, and he asks if she’d like to go to JT’s dinner with him. He promises he won’t make out with Taylor, and Olivia says, he makes her laugh. IMO, that makes him three-quarters of the way there.

JT oversees the preparations for his dinner while bartender Corey sets up the bar and a violinist tunes up. JT says, a wireless violin is like a mariachi band with swagger. Craig goes over his wardrobe choices with Paige on the phone. Taylor puts on a cut-out dress with a short blazer, and says she thinks she looks like a stripper on her way to a business meeting. Austen calls Taylor and says he thinks Olivia is excited to see everyone. Taylor tells him about Venita’s get-together for Olivia, and how she’d told Venita it had been a week of a whirlwind of emotions. We flash back to that, and she says, Venita told her it wasn’t a good idea for her to come over. Austen says, that’s f***ing ridiculous. She doesn’t think one of Olivia’s best friends should be there in her absolute moment of need? Taylor says, today is about Olivia feeling comfortable and loved.

At JT’s clubhouse, Shep says he remembers the space as a late-night spot, and JT says, during covid it was like a speakeasy. In JT’s interview, he wonders how Shep could throw the perfect catch back in the sea. If he’d caught that particular catch, he’d never let her out of the boat. The usual suspects show up, and Madison is impressed. They make fun of Whitney’s yellow suit, and Venita grabs Madison, pulling her aside. She says, they had a powwow with Olivia, her, and Leva. Taylor called and Ventia said she was sorry, but she thought Olivia needed her real friends around. Madison wonders how Taylor could be a real friend when she was just kissing the guy Olivia liked. In Madison’s interview, she says, if Taylor is being protective of Olivia, it’s a little too late. She thinks Taylor should shut up. Venita says, they’re not macking on Olivia’s boyfriend. Taylor isn’t practicing what she preaches. Madison says, Taylor was sending nudes to Whitney, and Venita acts like she’s 14, twirling around and then making throwing up gestures. I hate these people.

Madison says, Patricia told her, and we flash back to that. Venita is all over-the-top shocked, and Taylor comes in. Madison says she needs a refill, and in Venita’s interview, she says, if Taylor’s not going to make an attempt to be a good friend, she’s tired of trying. Madison gives Taylor a fake side hug, and Craig says, JT was the most popular during quarantine because they had parties here. Leva comes in, and says, everyone looks dapper, since she just stepped out of the 1930s. Olivia arrives, and Madison makes a face when Olivia hugs Taylor. Everyone wonders if there’s going to be food as they stuff themselves with hors d’oeuvres, and JT says, they’re having filet mignon. He asks Taylor if she’s dating, but she says she’s good as is. Venita tells Craig that she has to leave today for Fashion Week, and in her interview, she says, as an influencer, brands extend invites to her. It keeps the relationship going and allows her to be in the forefront of the brands. Olivia thanks Austen, and says she thanks them all for everything. She saw them in the church all sitting together. Austen says he told Craig that she’d laugh, and in Olivia’s interview, she says, it’s nice to see Austen trying. Unfortunately, he knows how she feels. It’s a sad comfort and she hopes they figure out a way to be in each other’s lives. Austen says, it’s a sh*tty club to be in. Craig tells JT, when Olivia moves to the next stage of grief, she’s going to remember Austen’s bad sh*t. Leva asks why Venita’s eyes are super wide like Venita wants to tell her something, and Venita says, Bible beater, holy art Thou, praise the Lord Taylor is sending nudes to Whitney. Leva’s mouth falls open and I just want to knock their heads together for acting like middle schoolers. Leva says, Taylor is officially that girl, and Craig tells Shep to intervene. Leva says that she feels like she no longer knows this person, and Venita looks for food. Are these people bottomless pits? Madison tells Shep that Taylor sent provocative nude pics nude, and knowing how to confuse me, Shep says, Taylor went through a tempest, and he was part of that. She didn’t know how to behave when things fell apart, and she was trying to hurt him any way she could. Madison says she’s been there and done that, but she’s a different person. Olivia was crying on Taylor’s shoulder, so Taylor’s lying is disturbing. I’m doing a not-so slow burn at this point.

Shep tells Taylor that Madison claims she sent Whitney a boob pic, and Taylor admits she did, but says, it was completely dark. He says, it’s her right to text a dark boob pic. He didn’t see her sending it to Whitney, but doesn’t fault her. She shrugs, and in her interview, she says, God created the naked body, and she believes we should all be naked (oh God no). Jesus isn’t going to hate me just because I sent a nude (which I’m putting on a bumper sticker). She tells Shep that she’d flash her boobs right now, but he says, don’t do that. JT suggests sit down to a nice meal, and they gather at the table. He clinks his glass and thanks them for coming. It’s obviously been a tough couple of weeks, and it’s nice to have them here. They can lean on each other. He hopes for smoother waters. Everyone applauds, and food porn! is served. Olivia says she appreciates everyone, and Rod says he’s never had a salad in his life. Both Olivia and I are astounded, and he says, she’s gluten free, and he’s salad free. Venita says she has to catch a flight, and Rodrigo says he doesn’t need fashion week when he’s here with these fashionable a-holes. They discuss JT’s proper powder room, and Criag says he used to pee in the bushes. Olivia likens this to Thanksgiving dinner, and Shep says, time for daddy to have a scotch. Shep tells Madison that Taylor said the photo was dark and not explicit, but Madison says she’s not buying it. Taylor watches them talking, and says she wants to divert the conversation about something brought up earlier. She sent Whitney a nude pic, but you couldn’t see anything. She was upset with Shep, and was f***ing around with Whitney, so he’d cause Shep to be f***ed around with in turn, but you couldn’t see anything. Madison says, she saw it, and she could see Taylors t*ts and vagina. The silence is deafening. There aren’t even crickets. I’m not totally sure I’m believing Madison because it’s the first time she’s said that. Taylor asks what she saw, and Madison says, there was caption that said, come one, come all. Leva says, awkward, and I’m disappointed in her too. In JT’s interview, he says, who hasn’t sent a nude? In Madison’s interview, she says, of course she’s sent nude pics, and Austen’s interview, he says, she didn’t send him a nude. In Craig’s interview, he says, send all the nudes you want… but don’t send them to Whitney. In Shep’s interview, he says, there are so many other people to send pics of your new boobs to. Why Whitney? Taylor says, nothing was seen, and Craig says, he saw the photo – it was put in his face – and he said he shouldn’t be seeing this. Whitney says, it was a joke and it’s been deleted. JT says he’s going to take the high ground. Taylor is a good person who made a bad decision, but the genesis of the bad decisions are male related. Taylor says she hasn’t been the best version of herself, but she’s working on it. She went through a terrible break-up and it crushed her. Madison asks if that gave Taylor an excuse to do what she did to Olivia, kissing the guy she likes. It’s disgusting. Rod scores points by asking if Olivia is all right, since obviously no one really cares about her feelings. She tells him that she’s okay.

In Madison’s interview, she says, she had to be held accountable, while Taylor gets a pass. If you’re going to be a hoochie, be one; own it. Olivia says, clearly she and Taylor have stuff to talk about that’s being discussed around them. She’s pissed at Taylor, but they’ll deal with that. She appreciates the support, but they’ll figure it out. They don’t need to pile up on Taylor. Now let’s eat some f***ing steak. Taylor says she’s done being the topic of conversation, and Madison tells her to practice what she preaches. They thought she was a unicorn girl, and they’re seeing a side of her that’s unrecognizable. She’s fake and phony. Taylor thanks Madison for stepping in, and Madison says, Taylor can’t pretend to be better than thou, because she’s not. Shep says, Madison perceived her that way, and I almost fall off my chair at his astuteness. He says, ten minutes ago, Madison said she did the same sh*t, and Madison says, she never claimed not to be a slut; she’s just retired now. Taylor is sitting here saying she’s not. The definition of slut must have changed, since I thought you actually had to sleep with a lot of people to be one.

In Leva’s interview, a producer asks why Leva thinks the guys shield Taylor, and Leva says, she’s young, naïve, sweet, Southern, and polite. Leva thinks the boys go after Madison, and we flash back to various Madison moments that she brought on herself. I don’t think it’s so much what she does as how she does it and the nastiness that comes along with it. Leva says, there’s something innately in the culture where guys handle certain women with white gloves. Shep basically tells Madison to back off, and Madison tells him, read a Scripture and go to bed. He says Scripture isn’t his thing, and she tells him, then STFU. Shep says, she yells like a banshee. Stop. She says she’s not his whipping bitch, and he’s not going to speak to her like that. JT suggests Shep be respectful of the ladies (WTF?) and be the bigger man. Be chivalrous. He’s the oldest guy in the room. Grow up. Actually, the oldest guy in the room would be Whitney, who has willed himself to disappear. And I know I’ve slipped into Bizarro World where Shep becomes the voice of reason, defends someone who tried to hurt him against a shrew, and gets accused of being unchivalrous for his efforts. Shep says, everything always comes out in the wash, and Madison thanks JT for hosting. Craig wonders if there’s any dessert.  

Next time, Austen tells Olivia that he loves her and knows he hurt her; Olivia doesn’t know how to trust Austen; a mountain weekend with the guys; and Craig wonders if pandas are real. He is so the comic relief this season. Maybe NYC is rubbing off on him.

👻 Haunting My Own House…

Ring the bell tomorrow for soap, tricks, and treats. Until then, stay safe, stay not raining on other’s parades if you don’t celebrate Halloween, and stay knowing you can’t change what’s happened, but you can learn from it and try to do better.

Oct26

October 25, 2023 – Michael Confronts Nina, Beverly Hills Has Frozen Over & Hand

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Ava meets Trina at the Bistro, and they hug.

On the phone at Kelly’s, Carly says she’d like to arrange a visit with a prisoner… Drew Cain… Why? Is he okay? He was just transferred back there from the hospital… Then when can she see him?… Then she’d like to speak to the warden… Okay. She’ll speak to someone else.

Outside, Maxie asks James, what does he mean he wants a new Halloween costume? She just bought him one; he picked it out. He says he knows, but he found one that would be way cooler. She says, great, he can wear that next year, but he says, it won’t be cool then. Besides, Halloween is the most important holiday of the year. She asks who told him that, and he says, oma, and smiles.

At the hospital, Obrecht hugs Willow and says she looks marvelous. And she’s back to work. Willow says she wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Obrecht, and Obrecht says, it was nothing. Willow says, Obrecht saved her life, and Obrecht says she’d do it again. Willow says, they haven’t heard from her in so long. Where has she been? Obrecht says, purging her demons and reinventing herself.

In her office, Nina looks at flowers Sonny sent to her, when her phone rings. She says, send him right in, and Michael walks in. She says, it’s good to see him, and he says, those are beautiful flowers. From his dad? She says, yes, they are. She’s so lucky, isn’t she? He says, very lucky. Too bad luck runs out.

At Pozzulo’s, Brick (looking very hip, I might add) shakes Sonny’s hand and congratulates him. Brick says he thought Sonny was supposed to have his wedding at the MetroCourt, and Olivia was supposed to be planning it. And he was supposed to be invited. Sonny says, that was the plan, but he just couldn’t wait any longer. Brick says, no surprise there. He could see how in love they are. Did he have the wedding on the island? Sonny says, yeah, and Brick says, beautiful. Just him and Nina? Sonny says, Michael was there, Donna was there, Kristina and Willow, and his grandson Wiley. Avery didn’t come and Dante was busy taking down Mason Gatlin.

Dante finds Cody at the stables, and says, look at him; back on the job. Cody says, as a matter of fact, he still does have a job, thanks to Dante’s mom. Dante says, of course (🍷) he does, and Cody says he kind of just figured he’d get fired after going AWOL for a couple weeks, but Mama Q wouldn’t have it. Dante says, that’s his mother, and Cody tells him, she said, there’s no way Cody is getting fired for trying to help save Sasha’s life. Dante says, Sasha will be happy to hear Cody didn’t lose his job either, and Cody says, she’s probably gone by now though.

We see Sasha’s empty apartment.

Nina asks what Michael said, and he says, after everything Willow’s been through, you can’t always count on luck. She says, no. Of course (🍷) not, and she doesn’t intend to. She’s going to do everything in her power to make sure this family, she and Sonny, have the happiest life possible. And she’s so sorry that he, Willow, and Wiley had to leave so soon after the ceremony. Then again, she and Sonny had to cut their honeymoon short, since he had business to attend to. Michael says he heard. He just came from Sonny’s office. He seemed as happy as she is. She thanks him for saying that, and tells him that they can’t wait to get back to the island for an extended stay. And they were hoping he, Willow, and the kids would join them. He says he doesn’t see that happening, and she says, they haven’t actually picked out specific dates, so they’ll work around his schedule. He says, no. What he’s saying is, he has to look out for his family’s best interests, and that means they’re not going to be spending too much time with her in the future.

Obrecht and Willow walk down the hall, and Obrecht says, of course (🍷) the ice baths came after the eight mile hikes and before the daily colonics. Willow says, and she actually paid to be put through that? and Obrecht says, only $10,000 a week. It was heaven. Willow says, sounds kind of pricey, but Obrecht says she would have paid double after that horrible time in Greenland with Victor, then giving her bone marrow to help Willow. She was a shell of herself. Willow says, she looks great now, and Obrecht says she does, doesn’t she? (She does!) Because she’s back to 100%. She flips her hair and they laugh, and she says, now that she’s home, she was thinking how wonderful it would be if she, Willow, and Nina could go back to the spa together. Willow says, that sounds great, but she’s not sure Nina will go anywhere with Sonny now that they’re married. Obrecht says, what? and Willow says, she didn’t know?

Brick says he’s glad to hear Ava’s all right. It sounds like Dex and Dante did their jobs. Sonny says, they did. Too bad Mason Gatlin survived. Brick says, and Renault was released from prison early the same day, and Sonny says, that’s one of the reasons he had to cut the honeymoon short. Brick says he found out the judge responsible for letting him go is the same guy that’s on the board of a foundation to reduce recidivism. It turns out they’re proponents of rehabilitation rather than incarceration. Sonny says, supposedly, Cyrus has given a lot of money to his cause, and Brick says, the cause or whatever behind the scenes dealings that were going on doesn’t matter at this point when he’s out. Sonny says, they just have to figure out what Cyrus is going to do next.

Trina asks why Ava didn’t tell her when she asked Trina to cover for her at the gallery, and Ava says she didn’t want to scare Trina. Trina says, Joss told her that Ava was almost killed, and Ava says she’s sorry. She should have realized Trina would talk to Joss. Thank God for her and Dex. Trina asks if Ava’s sure she’s all right now, and Ava says, yes, and Avery’s fine. It was wonderful to see her and hold her when it was all over. Just like it’s wonderful to see Trina. Trina says she can’t lose Ava.

Maxie and James are seated at a table, and Carly says, it’s nice to see their faces. What can she get them? James says he’d like an ice cream sundae, like the one he split with Cody before. Carly says, for dessert, but would he like his dinner before his dessert? He says he’s having a backwards dinner. Ice cream sundae first, then grilled cheese. Maxie says she’ll have a backwards dinner too; chocolate pie and then a chicken Caesar salad. Carly says she loves it. Two backwards dinners coming right up. She leaves, and Maxie and James high-five.

Dante says, Sasha was all packed up, and Cody says, so Dante went to see her. Dante says he wanted to say goodbye before she took off, and Cody says, he tried to talk her out of leaving, right? Dante says he did, but she’s got to make her own decisions, and Cody says, this one’s the wrong one. Dante says he can understand her wanting to start fresh. She has some bad memories here. Cody says, she has some good ones too, and Dante says he guesses she has to weigh the difference between the good and bad ones, and wait and see. Cody thanks him for going to see her, and Dante says he just wanted to make sure she was okay. Cody asks if he thinks she is, and Dante says he hopes so. What about Cody? Is he okay?

Carly says, first course. One piece of chocolate pie and one sundae. Maxie and James thank her, and she tells them, enjoy. Maxie says, so James doesn’t want to wear the Halloween costume they ordered? and he says he has to wear a different one. She says, he hasn’t even told her what it is yet, and James says, she’s not going to like it. (I’m intrigued. Is it Cyrus? Gladys? Trump?)

Lucy meets Martin outside Kelly’s and hugs him. She asks why they’re eating here. They do not serve wine, and right now, she could really use a glass of wine. He says he’s sorry. He thought this would be a little more intimate, but never mind that. Where did she wander off to? He was waiting for her at the MetroCourt. She says she had that contract she had to sign giving 51% of her Deception to Tracy, so she decided she would go to the Quartermaines. She would look Tracy in the eye, and she wanted to take that contract and just cram it down Tracy’s throat… but she wasn’t there. He says, that was a blessing, and she says, now, not only did Tracy blackmail her out of control of her company, Tracy’s completely trying to derail her great decision.

Ava says, Trina is never going to lose her, but Trina says she almost did. Joss said she was kidnapped by some horrible man. Why? Ava says, none of that even matters now. He’s in police custody and he’s going to get the punishment he deserves for what he did. Trina asks how she can be so calm about it, and Ava says, believe her. She wasn’t so calm when it was happening. If Dex and Dante hadn’t shown up when they did… Trina tells her, Joss said Dante shot the man, and Ava says, he survived of course (🍷), the way men like him usually do, and he’s being treated at GH. Trina says, it must have been awful, and Ava says, it was, but she has to move on. Move forward for Avery’s sake and put it behind her. Trina says, she’s so strong, and Ava says, maybe not as strong as Trina thinks. Trina says she thought about Ava so much when she was in New York City, and Ava says she hopes Trina had a wonderful time. Trina says she did, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as good if it weren’t for Ava. Ava changed her life forever.

Brick says, after much digging, he found this, handing Sonny a paper. It confirms what Sonny already knew. Renault was Mason and Austin’s boss. Sonny says, good. Then he has proof Cyrus is pulling the strings. Brick says, so he’s the guy responsible for Ava’s kidnapping and he’s the one who planted Betty in Sonny’s house to dig up information. Sonny says, and he turned over the information she gave him to the Feds, and Brick says, if Sonny wasn’t a step ahead, he would have been going into prison just as Cyrus was being released. Sonny says, and Port Charles would have been wide open for Cyrus to take over, but Brick says, no matter. Sonny’s still here. He’s not in any position to take over any territory whatsoever. Sonny says, that’s true, but he’s still a threat.

Obrecht says she can’t believe Nina wouldn’t contact her only aunt to let her know she was getting married. Does she mean nothing to Nina? Willow says, actually, the whole thing was totally last minute. Nina and Sonny eloped. Obrecht – who actually knows the meaning of the word – says, so it was just the two of them? and Willow says, not exactly. Obrecht says, be exact please, and Willow says, a few people were there. Obrecht asks, how few? and Willow says, Michael, Kristina, Wiley, Donna, and her. Obrecht says, that’s more than a few. Willow and Michael went to the wedding? She has missed a lot. Willow says she’s sure Nina wanted Obrecht there, but she was at the spa, and Nina probably didn’t want to bother her. Obrecht says, Nina could have given her a choice, but she didn’t… No matter. She should move on. If she learned anything in Gdansk… Willow says, Gdansk? and Obrecht says, that’s where the spa was. And on her hikes and meditation, she learned, we must not spend time lamenting the past; we must stay in the present and be thankful and curious about what is going on in the here and now. Willow says, that sounds like a good philosophy, and Obrecht says, so tell me, my beautiful grandniece, how is you’re here and now? Willow says, it couldn’t be better.

Nina says she doesn’t understand. When Michael said he’d bring Willow and Wiley to the wedding, she thought they reached a new agreement. Michael says, that’s because it’s what his father wanted, and Willow agreed to go. Nina says, he was happy for them; he was happy for both of them. So was Willow, and Wiley had a wonderful time at the wedding. Michael agrees he did, and she tells him, he said his father is happy. Michael says, he is, and she says, Michael wasn’t pretending. She saw his face when he was watching her and his father after the ceremony. She knew he knew how much that moment meant to them. And she felt that animosity between them was finally falling away. She felt so… He says, lucky? That’s because she was lucky. Because Sonny, Willow, not even he knew what she did, but now he knows. Her luck has run out.

Cody says he’s fine. If that’s the only reason Dante came here, then he has work to do. Besides, Dante was always useless in a barn. Dante agrees, unless there’s some menial task he can do. Cody says, Trigger could use an apple, and gives one to Dante. Cody leads Dante to a gorgeous brown horse, and asks if Dante minds telling him why he thinks Cody is so screwed up. Dante tells Cody that he never said he was screwed up, and Cody imitates Dante, what about you, Cody? Are you okay? Dante says, so a guy can’t just ask his buddy if he’s doing okay? Cody asks why Dante would think he’s not okay, and Dante says, maybe because he pretended to be crazy to get institutionalized so he could save Sasha. Then he saves her, and she decides to move to Texas. Cody says, that’s her choice, and Dante says, it’s okay to admit he misses her and likes her and all that kind of stuff. Cody says, he’s going to miss her, and Dante says, that’s a good first step. Cody says he’s sure Dante is going to tell him the next step, and Dante says he is; he’s going to tell Cody both next steps. Cody is going to tell Mac that he’s his kid and stop pretending he’s not. Cody says, they’ve been through all that, and Dante says, they have. He’s actually glad he’s not the only one who knows anymore. Cody asks what that means, and Dante says, Cody told Sam, he told Sasha. He’s no psychiatrist, but he thinks Cody kind of wants Mac to find out he’s his kid.

Martin says he doesn’t understand. Lucy likes Sasha. She says she loves Sasha. She’s told him that many, many times. She adores Sasha, and she still has an interest in Deception. So wouldn’t he think it was in her best interest if their company was as profitable as possible and as soon as possible? He says he supposes, and she says, but Tracy doesn’t see that. She is mandating that Sasha remain the Face of Deception, but they haven’t even asked Sasha, does she want that?

Sonny tells Brick that he spoke to Selina Wu and let her know who’s in control. She’s definitely going to be cooperating when it comes to Cyrus. Brick says, she’s not a stupid woman. She understands the power structure. Sonny says he knows, but he needs Brick’s expertise. Cyrus has given a lot of money to this foundation. He wants to know where the money’s coming from. Brick asks if Sonny really thinks a guy like Renault would give all his money away? and Sonny says, not likely; he probably has a stash somewhere else. But they have to figure out who else he’s working with. Brick says, Cyrus seems like a renegade to him, but he’ll check it out. Sonny says he’s made a lot of enemies in this town. Cyrus isn’t going anywhere. He’s got a lot of connections in Port Charles. Brick says he’ll do a deep dive on Cyrus’s finances; see where the money leads. There’s a knock at the door, and Carly flies in. She hugs Brick, and he says, a bonus. He gets to see his favorite girl. He asks how she’s doing.

Nina says she doesn’t know what Michael is accusing her of, and he says, she only wishes he was accusing her. He’s stating a fact. He plays the recording of Martin saying that he told the SEC to investigate Carly and Drew for insider trading under Nina’s direction, and she asks where he got that. He says, it doesn’t matter. What matters is, Martin’s telling the truth. The question is, what is he going to do with it?

They sit down, and Willow tells Obrecht that Wiley and Amelia are both doing so well. And Michael has been amazing. Obrecht says she was very impressed with how loving and supportive he was in her time of need, and Willow says, he still is, and somehow things have gotten better with Nina. Obrecht says, they went to her wedding; that’s a good sign. She’s certain Nina was so happy Willow was there. She loves Willow very much. Willow says she’s actually starting to think they may be able to develop some kind of relationship, and Obrecht says, of course (🍷) they will. It sounds as if everything is perfect. Willow says, not everything. Drew Cain is still locked up in Pentenville. Obrecht says, injustice. That man saved not only her life, in turn, Willow’s as well. Willow says, yes, and she prays he’ll be released soon, and Obrecht says, from her mouth. But there’s something else; she can see it. Please share with her. Willow says she keeps having this dream, and Obrecht says, dreams are important. Tell her. Willow says, it’s Harmony. In the dream, it’s as if she’s warning her not to trust someone. Obrecht says, classic Freudian. After all Willow’s been through, her mind is trying to tell her to stay alert. It’s trying to protect her from her deepest fear, that the struggle and uncertainty she’s been through will return. But it’s a false dream. She must ignore it. Her future, her family’s future, and now her future with her birth mother are all bright and beautiful.

Ava asks if Trina saw the paintings on her list, and Trina says, yes, and they were amazing. Spencer got them a first-class tour of the archives at the Met. Ava says, that’s incredible, and Trina says she was walking through, and she realized that she liked art before she worked at the gallery; she just didn’t understand why or how to appreciate it. Ava says, Trina had a great eye from the moment they met, and Trina says, but Ava opened her eyes to that. Ava helped her realize it’s more than just about the strokes and the beautiful sculpture. It’s something else. Ava says, a meaningful piece of art can give you understanding… No, can give you an actual feeling of what the artist went through to create it. Trina says, yes, and that’s what she felt when she went to the Met. Those paintings made her feel something. Ava says, she’s extraordinary, and Trina says, Ava opened her eyes to all of that. She loves her mom, and she loves both of her dads. She’s so lucky to have both of them, all of them, but she’s also lucky because when she met Ava, it was like she was a second mom.

Martin says, so Lucy hasn’t even spoken to Sasha? and Lucy says, no. Come on. After that horrible ordeal with that barbaric doctor and her crazy mother-in-law, she just thought Sasha needed space. She needed her privacy. Lucy completely understands. He says, but she didn’t know about Tracy’s plan, and Lucy says, no, and according to Maxie, Sasha is leaving town today. But Tracy wants her to somehow track down Sasha and demand. What is she supposed to do, force her to be the Face of Deception? He says, doesn’t Lucy at least owe it to her to let her know it’s an option? Lucy says she guesses. She doesn’t know. She found the perfect choice to be the Face of Deception, to replace Sasha.

James says he can wear the first costume for the Halloween Parade at school, and the second costume for trick-or-treating, and Maxie says, sounds like he’s got it all figured out. He says he does, and she says, he doesn’t need two costumes. Obrecht comes up behind him, putting her hands on his shoulders, and says, of course (🍷) he does. Because Halloween is the most important holiday of the year. He says, oma! and hugs her.

Nina asks what Michael wants, and he says he expected a denial, but she says, there’s no point. Clearly, he coerced Martin into betraying attorney/client privilege. He said he saw his father earlier. She assumes he didn’t tell Sonny or anyone else. He says he hasn’t, but that doesn’t mean he’s not going to tell everybody what she did. She says she didn’t do anything illegal, unlike his mother and Drew, and he says, so she doesn’t care if he tells everyone… She says, just tell her what he wants, and he says he wants her to stay away from Willow forever… but that’s only going to make her suspicious. So this is what’s going to happen. From now on, Nina is going to get his permission before even setting foot near them. She asks why he’d even think that. Willow and Wiley had a wonderful time at the wedding. His father is finally happy. Why doesn’t he just leave it alone? He says, she thinks he’s going to let her off that easy for what she did to his mother and Drew? She says, me get off that easy? His mother kept both of her daughters from her. She didn’t know Nelle was her daughter until after she was dead, but did Carly know? Yes, she did. Nina could have helped Nelle. He says, no one could have helped Nelle, and she says, he’s talking about Wiley’s mother and her daughter, so watch it. And after Carly put her through hell, did she change? No. Carly found out Willow was her daughter too, and did she tell anyone? Did she tell Nina? Did she tell Michael? Did she tell Willow or anyone? No. She waited until Willow was literally dying. Yeah, people are going to be a little angry at her that she turned in Carly and Drew to the SEC for doing something illegal, but that is nothing compared to what Carly has done to her. And she’s telling him this, he is not keeping her away from her daughter. Or her grand- children.

Cody tells Dante, that is crazy. He doesn’t want Mac to know he’s his son. Dante says, then why does he keep telling everybody? (ha-ha!) and Cody says, he told three friends. Dante tells him, he’s just saying, if you don’t want anybody to know something, you don’t tell anyone. Cody says he knew he could trust Dante, and Dante says, and Sam and Sasha. Cody says, yes and yes, and Dante tells him that he’s just saying, people slip up when they know stuff. Cody says he knew Dante wasn’t going to tell anyone; neither is Sam. And Sasha’s on her way out of town. This is ridiculous. Why is he even arguing this? Mac has this tight-knit family; he’s happy. There’s no reason he needs to be stuck with a guy like him for a son. Dante says, Mac trusted Cody. He bent the rules to take down Montague. Cody says, Mac did that for Sasha and he’s thankful for it, but Dante says, he did it because he believed in Cody. He’s seen the side of Cody that can sabotage himself at poker games and such. Cody says, exactly. Who in their right mind would want to be stuck with someone like that as a son? Dante says, because he’s also seen the other side of Cody that does good stuff, like saving Sasha. He saw the way Mac looked at Cody after he did that. He was proud of Cody. He’d be proud to call Cody his son.

Carly says she didn’t know Brick was in town, and Brick says he just got back. He hopes she’s doing okay. She says she’s trying. She’s sorry she had to call him, but she’s glad he’s here. Sonny says, she did the right thing, and tells Brick that Carly was the one who told him Cyrus was set free. Brick asks if he’s harassing Carly, but she says, that’s not why she’s here. She’s here because Drew went back to Pentenville this morning, and when she called to arrange a visit, they said he wasn’t allowed any visitors. Sonny asks if he’s in the infirmary, but she doesn’t know. The GH doctor said he was well enough to go back in the general population, but when she asked why she couldn’t see him, they wouldn’t tell her. Sonny says he’s going to check this out. He’ll be right back. He leaves, and Brick tells Carly, stop worrying. They’ll get to the bottom of it. Carly says she hopes so, and asks how he is. Brick says, life is good. Lots of changes in Port Charles. She says, yes, and she’s still trying to get used to them all. He says he hasn’t been back to Kelly’s since she took over, and she says, he should drop by. She’s made some improvements. He’s says he’s sure she has. She’s usually pretty good with rolling with the punches. Change can be good sometimes. She says, yes, but he says he doesn’t know if he’ll ever get used to calling anybody else Mrs. Corinthos.

Nina says she’s not going to ask Michael’s permission to see her child. He’s not going to play God with her life. The only reason why she turned Carly and Drew in to the SEC for doing something illegal is because she wanted his mother brought to justice. It was impulsive. She’ll explain it to Willow. He asks if she thinks Willow will understand. Does Nina know what Drew means to her? Nina says she knows he helped her, and Michael says, he saved her life. Drew saved her daughter’s life, and she got him sent to prison. She says, no, she didn’t, and he says, Drew’s only there because of her. He was beaten so badly that he almost died. Does she think Willow’s going to forgive her for that? She says she didn’t mean for him to get hurt, and he says, she doesn’t mean for a lot of things to happen, but bad things always do happen when it comes to her. Sonny is going out of his way, doing everything he possibly do to protect Drew in Pentenville. How does she think he’s going to feel when he finds out his new wife is responsible for Drew being in prison and costing his mother everything?

Carly says, Brick is a shameless flatterer, and he admits he is, but he means this. She asks, how many Mrs. Corinthoses has he known? and he says, a few, but she’s always been the one. She thanks him, and says, but she’s not anymore. Nina is, and she wishes them both happiness. Well, she wishes Sonny happiness. Brick says, Sonny wants the same for her, and she says she knows. And she cares about what happens to him. That’s why she’s glad Brick is in town, especially with Cyrus being out of prison. He says, she knows this guy pretty well. He remembers her and Jason facing off against him several times when Sonny was away. She asks if Brick means when his new wife led them to believe he was dead. Did she say that out loud? He says he heard nothing, and she says, she and Jason wouldn’t have gotten through that time without him. Cyrus is vicious. Please look out for Sonny. He says, consider it done, and she thanks him. They hug.

Ava tells Trina that a lot of mothers wouldn’t be so open to their daughters working with her, let alone becoming friends with her. Trina says, Ava is more than a friend to her, and her mom knows how important Ava is to her. She really appreciates everything Ava has done for her. Ava says, when she lost Kiki… Trina says, it’s okay, and Ava says, thank God for Avery. She loves her, and Ava knows Avery loves her, but she’s just a kid. She starts to cry and takes Trina’s hand. She says, there aren’t many people in her life who care about her without an agenda. She feels so lucky that Trina is one of those people.

Cody says, Dante really thinks Mac is proud of him? and Dante says, he does. He wouldn’t have said it otherwise. Cody thanks him and says, it means a lot to him. Dante says, but Cody’s still not going to do anything about it, right? and Cody says he really thinks things are better the way they are. Dante asks how it’s better for Mac, not knowing he has a kid, and Cody says he’s a loner. Dante knows that about him. He also knows Cody is only going to screw things up again. Mac’s happy now. He doesn’t need to mess up Mac’s life. Dante asks what Cody is talking about, being a loner. He thinks Cody has more friends than him at this point. Cody says he did get lucky, and Dante says, why doesn’t he come to the house Sunday and watch the game with him, Sam, and the kids? Providing Scout doesn’t commandeer the TV. Cody says he’ll be there either way, and they bro hug. Dante says, and you know what? Texas ain’t Mars. Cody says he meant what he said. He’s lucky to have Dante as a friend. Dante says he knows, and leaves.

Maxie says, they obviously missed Liesl very much, and James repeats, very much. Obrecht says she’s missed her family, and kisses the top of James’s head. Although her time at the spa was divine. Maxie says she can’t wait to hear about it, and James asks if Obrecht wants half of his grilled cheese sandwich, but Maxie tells Obrecht, sorry. She agreed to a backwards dinner if James ate his entire grilled cheese. James says, mom… and Maxie says, James… Obrecht says, James must listen to his mother, when Maxie notices Lucy talking to Martin outside.

Lucy tells Martin, Blaze is not only beautiful, she’s a fantastic singer. So picture this. They go to Home & Heart. She sings this wonderful song, belts out that tune, knocks everybody’s socks off, and then they sell lots and lots of Deception products. Slam dunk. He says, but Tracy doesn’t see it her way, and she says, no. The answer to digging themselves out of the hole that they’re in is right in front of them, and Tracy will have nothing to do with it. Maxie comes out and says, Tracy is right.

Inside, James asks what Obrecht is going to be for Halloween, and she says, it is a difficult choice. Either an Alpine maiden or a NASCAR driver. He says, NASCAR driver, and she says, okay.

Outside, Maxie says, yes, Blaze would be a fabulous idea, if Sasha wasn’t already the Face of Deception. They discussed this with Tracy. They agreed. Martin says, they did? and Lucy says, Maxie is right, but… Maxie says, but they owe Sasha the option to continue, and Lucy reminds Maxie that she said Sasha was leaving town today. Maxie says, they agreed that they would call her. Lucy knows how important Sasha was in getting Deception off the ground. They owe her another chance.

Cody tells Trigger, Dante has a different life. It’s not their fault, and he doesn’t regret anything he did. He understands people need to look out for themselves. Sometimes, that means starting over someplace else. It really sucks when someone who cares gets left behind. He hears the door open, and Sasha is there.

Ava asks Trina to tell her more about her trip, and she doesn’t mean the museum part. Trina says she and Spencer had a wonderful time. He had so much planned, and it was all so special. They had dinner on a beautiful rooftop. Ava says, it was the first time they were really alone together, and Trina says, yeah, and he got her this. She shows Ava her necklace, and Ava says, that boy has excellent taste, and not just in necklaces. Trina says, the whole trip was just a dream. And now they’re back to reality. Ava says, Esme and Ace, and Trina says, yeah. They still have so much to work out. Ava says she’s glad Trina had a great trip, and if it’s meant to be… Trina says she knows.

Sonny comes back, and Carly asks if he heard anything. He says, the reason Drew can’t have any visitors is because he’s in solitary. She says, why? Drew was the one who was attacked and almost killed. Why is he being punished? Brick says, they might be doing this for his protection, and Sonny says, Brick is right. Brick says, and to cover their butts. They either don’t know or don’t want to know who attacked Drew, but the prison don’t want a repeat. That would be horrible press. Sonny says, the fact that he’s in solitary under their observation means he’s safe, but she says, he’s not going to be safe until he’s out of Pentenville for good. Brick asks if that’s a possibility, and Sonny says, Alexis is working on it. Carly tells Brick, Alexis is looking into the judge’s past cases, and thinks she found some impropriety. Brick assumes Sonny’s helping her, and Sonny says he’s doing everything he can. His main priority right now is to get Drew out of Pentenville. When he’s set free, they’ll figure out what they’re going to do with Cyrus.

Nina tells Michael that she’ll explain it to Sonny. She’ll tell him that she acted impulsively. He says, she’ll explain it to Sonny, and he’ll explain it to Willow. He’s sure they’ll understand how she did what she did in the most underhanded, secretive way. She says, no… and he says he’s sure Sonny will understand why she lied to him this whole time. He’s sure Sonny will understand that, when his mother stood there and accused Ned of turning them in to the SEC, Nina stood silent. After all, Sonny is very understanding about lies and deception. She says, he can’t go to Sonny, but he says he can, and he will. If she doesn’t do exactly what he tells her to. He’s not even sure Sonny should be the one she’s most worried about right now, because once his mom finds out what she did… She asks if he doesn’t understand. He’s not only trying to control her life, he’s trying to control Willow’s. He says he’s trying to protect his family from her. His father is happy right now, so he’s not going to take that away from him. He’s sure his father is going to be happy until he finds out the kind of woman she really is. She says, don’t do this, but he says he doesn’t care. He’s not risking his family. She will only see them when he says that it is okay to see them. And she’s going to do something else for him too. She’s going to sell his mother her half of the MetroCourt back. Nina says, she doesn’t have the money. How’s she going to buy it back? (If I remember right, Nina offered to give it back to her, but Carly didn’t want it.) He suggests she figure out a way, but she says, no, it’s too much. He says, this is all she gets. Take it or leave it. There’s a knock at the door, and Willow walks in. She says, Nina’s assistant said Michael was in here. She hopes she’s not interrupting.

Tomorrow, Stella tells Jordan, this calls for a celebration; Carly says she’s not going to stop until she finds out who blew the whistle on her and Drew; and Michael asks if Nina is going to tell Willow, or should he?

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

We start with the roller coaster about Kyle and Mauricio. We see what’s to come, and it begins looking promising, and then, not so much. There’s a trip to Barcelona, and it shows us – let’s all say it together – all the wrong people have the money.

Dorit has soul healer Eaglewoman coming over, along with her apprentice Blue Raven. Dorit tells Eaglewoman that she and her friends had a rough year, and she wants them to move on. Eaglewoman says she’s a healer of the soul, and PK says he’s concerned about her being able to work her magic on this group. In Dorit’s interview, she says she invited all of them to a retreat, and to her surprise, they all accepted. Eaglewoman says she’s up for the challenge. Dorit has darker hair this season, and I like it. It actually makes her look younger.

There’s lots of discussion about what wardrobe to pack, which is always a first concern when going on retreat. First world problems. Garcelle has decided, no expectations. In Kyle’s interview, she says her relationship changed with everyone last year, and we flash back to Kathy at the Reunion. The retreat is held at a beautiful ranch, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says she thought their first outing would be cocktails at a cool lounge, but they’re on a spiritual retreat with Dorit. In Erika’s interview, she admits to being vicious last season, and we flash back to that. Although she’s vicious every season, so I don’t get why this was any different. She says she had to protect herself, and she’s walking in like a man without an island. Or $750K earrings. Erika says she lost weight because of hormones, but in Dorit’s interview, she wonders if the hormones are spelled O-z-e-m-p-i-c. <snort> They do a drum circle thing, then sit in a circle. Eaglewoman serves sage tea to precede a ceremony to open up the soul. She tells them forget what they know and remember what they forgot. Dorit hopes to move through some issues, heal, and put it behind them, and says she’ll go first. She says she’s been hurt by Erika, and we see a clip of Erika at BravoCon, trashing Dorit’s marriage and wearing an age-inappropriate hairstyle. Dorit says, it was mean spirited and deeply hurtful. Erika tells Dorit that she didn’t want to answer the question and asked not to. We see another clip, but it’s not like she was being shy about it. Dorit says, Erika delivered the answer like she wanted attention, but Erika says she’s a showman, and delivered what the people wanted. Yeah… no. She thought she was giving them the old razzle dazzle, but she came off more like Baby Jane than Erika Jayne. In her interview, Dorit says, that’s not a showman; that’s a bitch. Dorit says she thought Erika would lead with an apology rather than defending her actions, and Erika says, it was an explanation. It was a shady question, so she gave a shady answer. Is Dorit’s marriage strong? This woman is so full of it. In Sutton’s interview, she says, the only rumor she’s ever heard about Dorit and PK’s marriage was when PK was pulled over for a DUI. He may or may not have had a woman in the car. Dorit says, her marriage is very strong. Erika crossed the line as a friend. She’s hurt and lashes out, and she’s mean spirited. Erika says, they all hurt each other’s feelings in this group. I hate any person who avoids responsibility by saying, we were all [put your favorite a-hole behavior here]. The one used most often is, we were all drunk, when the person in question was being an obnoxious drunk. We flash back to the various women basically telling Erika the truth, and Erika being like, f*** you. Erika says she was getting hit on all sides and needed to catch her breath. As a friend, she’d like to apologize. At that point in time, she’d never felt so low or unheard. She loves them and she’s sorry. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, it’s interesting to see Erika emotional and vulnerable, but does she trust that completely? She doesn’t know. She wants to give Erika a chance and see who she is. Maybe she’ll be surprised. We get what we give. Eagelwoman says, they want to keep the circle alive and moving, which I guess means, let’s move on from Erika’s problems. Kyle says, the stuff with Kathy strained all of her relationships, and we flash back to the Reunion; Andy listing things Lisa claimed Kathy said during her rant, and Kyle weeping. The rest of them are either looking down or away. Kyle says she wanted someone to come up to her. It hurt her a lot. In her interview, she says she expected more from Dorit and Sutton. She thinks they just want to go to Kathy’s parties. Garcelle says she was confused as to why Kyle wasn’t going for people coming for her family.

In Kyle’s interview, she says, her sister created this by coming for her family and for her. She tells the circle that she’s not a punching bag, and didn’t want to stir things up, so she kept her mouth shut. Kyle cries, and Dorit hugs her. In Kyle’s interview, she says, her sister loses her temper on the phone, and we flash back to Kyle telling Kathy that she rants. Kyle says, it makes her feel sheer panic when she sees Kathy’s name come up on the phone. She knows she’s an adult, but it affects her like a child. Eaglewoman tells them to take a deep breath. There’s a lot of hurt and pain in the group, but there’s also love. In a moment of clarity, Erika says, we can’t be hurt by people we don’t love, and Sutton says she thinks they all have a lot of regrets. She’d like to see them be better friends collectively. Eaglewoman wants them to move closer, and they group hug. In Dorit’s interview, she says, they got through the day, and now they’re hugging. Hell hath frozen over. Or at least Beverly Hills has.

Sutton discusses putting a horse on her Amex with property manager Avi. In Sutton’s interview, she says she’s half Texan, and grew up riding. She wants to ride again. Santos spoke to her with his eyes… on the internet. I totally get this, since I got my rescue chihuahua the same way. I saw those eyes online. Jennifer Tilly (I love her!) comes to the store where Sutton has a spread for them that screams… food porn!   In her interview, Sutton says, Jennifer has been one of her best friends for over ten years. They travel well together. She tells a story about mistaking Jennifer’s salted caramels for earplugs on a plane, and says, they’re so stupid together. Jennifer tells Avi, we need some alcohol, and I love her even more. They talk about the store having been open four years now, and Jennifer says, Sutton spent the last twenty years raising kids. She’s going through a metamorphosis. Sutton says she wants to show her success to the ex-husband, and in her interview, she says, when they got married, they were both working. When she got pregnant, it was, you’re not going to work anymore. Her power was diminished, and she got an allowance. She’s never going to allow that to happen again. She tells Jennifer that financial autonomy is important, and she especially wants to show her daughter that. When there’s a divorce, there are two words, spousal support, but they come with an anchor. She’s not going to give it up – we see an article that’s says she gets $300K a month – she earned every single dime. But building something for herself is important. In her interview, she says she wants her ex to remember she’s smart and capable. She doesn’t just make lunch and dinner. She hates to quote Cher, but she will; I’m strong enough.

Erika meets with therapist Dr. Mann for the first time in person. In Erika’s interview, she says she’s been in therapy for the last two and a half years. She’s got the tools to organize her emotions. Bad emotions like anger and hurt don’t serve her any longer. The doctor says, Erika had a terrible fall from grace, and in her interview, Erika says, the indictment was everywhere, and we see a news clip where the newscaster says Tom stole the money and spent a lot on his young wife. Erika says, it feels better that she’s not included, but it doesn’t stop people thinking she did something wrong. We see a clip of Crystal’s husband says, Erika wasn’t responsible for stealing it, but she was responsible for spending it. Dr. Mann says, when Tom actually dies, Erika will go through a new process of grieving, and it will surprise her how she feels. Erika asks if she’ll slide back, and the doctor says, not as long as she’s not abusing Lexapro, but Erika says she’s off Lexapro. She tells the doctor, now Dorit is upset about what she said at BravoCon. How can she be a better friend? Dr. Mann says, she needs to have empathy, and Erika asks how she develops that. The doctor tells her to imagine being in a person’s shoes with their background and history; imagine what it feels like emotionally. It’s Erika’s job to take the high road. She did the low and it didn’t work. Try high. I am stunned that someone of Erika’s age and experience doesn’t grasp empathy.

Kyle is coming to Dorit’s for lunch, and PK sneaks a piece of pizza, saying, Kyle isn’t going to want it anyway. In Kyle’s interview, she says, it’s been seven and a half months and she’s had no alcohol. We flash back to Kyle accosting Sutton at Garcelle’s party, and she says, alcohol wasn’t serving her. She wanted to do what it took to make her feel better physically and spiritually. Kyle arrives, and PK makes himself scares. Dorit tells Kyle that she’s serving salad and petrified pizza. She’s glad to see Kyle in a better place. She knows it was probably a sh*t journey, but Kyle is coming out the other side. Kyle says, she won’t be mistreated be anybody. She didn’t deserve what anybody said about her. In her interview, she says, Kathy is used to people allowing her to get away with certain behaviors. She always gave Kathy leeway because she didn’t speak up to her big sister, but she’s not going to continue to allow Kathy to treat her this way. Dorit says she’s been struggling with PTSD and her husband, the one she depends on most, spent a lot of time in London. She felt like they weren’t connected, and for the first time, thought they might not make it. Kyle thinks it’s normal. Life happens, and things can pull you apart or you can pull together. Dorit says, it would be one thing if he’d done something or there was an incident, but there was a period of time when she needed him and he wasn’t there.

Garcelle takes sons Jaid and Jax to the beach for a picnic. In her interview, she says, they’re 15 now, but she remembers when she carried them like footballs. Now they can carry her; they’re huge. She’s been shooting a show in Atlanta and wants to spend time with them. She has to work, so she needs to make quality time when she can. Jaid says he wants to stay with his girlfriend Ashlyn, and Garcelle says, that’s fine as long as his dad is good with it. Garcelle says she could tell they were annoyed that she was gone so long, and Jaid says, three weeks is a year. She says she wishes they would vocalize their concerns more, and now is a chance to say how they feel. Jax says he wants more freedom, and Garcelle says she feels like he won’t let her parent him. Jax says he understands, but he needed that a few years ago instead of now. He already knows how to do things for himself. In her interview, Garcelle says, she feels she’s always been there for them, but not always 100%. Hearing it from Jax is like a knife to her heart. Jax says, there were times he thinks he needed it more. but now he doesn’t need parenting that much. It’s not his intention to hurt her, but it needs to be said. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she’s happy he’s being honest, but it makes her feel like a failure. She apologizes, and Jax says he’s glad they’ve learned from the past and matured from it. She asks, who is he? and in her interview, she says, although Jax and Jaid are twins, they couldn’t be more different. Her mom blanket parented, but she’s parented according to individual needs. She asks what Jaid has to say, and he says he misses Ashlyn. Aww. They’re good kids.

Mauricio does business on the phone, and Kyle asks to talk to him about their calendars. He says he’s going to Portugal during Portia’s spring break, and wonders if she can join them, but Kyle says she can’t go during that window. In her interview, she says, it’s been a challenging year. Mauricio has been working non-stop and she’s been working. When you have to schedule a meeting to go over your schedule, it’s problem. Mauricio says she looks great. She’s working out like a beast, eating healthy, and not drinking. In Kyle’s interview, she says, you have to find an outlet. She feels good about it and hopes Mau does too. Mauricio says she looks amazing, and asks how many tattoos she has. She tells him, five, and he says he only knew of three. She suggests maybe he should be looking at her body closer, and in her interview, Kyle says, it’s a symptom of not being together. Mauricio tells her, it’s a lot. If she wants to get another, he won’t allow it. She says, he didn’t even know how many she had, and he says, she doesn’t need anymore. He keeps calling her Lovebean, and it’s annoying the hell out of me. She tells him that he doesn’t have choice, and in her interview, she says, sometimes they can do no wrong, and sometimes they breathe, and you want to punch them. She tells him that she doesn’t have to please anyone, including him. She went from her mom to being an example for her girls. You can do all that, and things can still go to sh*t. She tells Mauricio that she doesn’t know if it came from dealing with her sister or what, but she doesn’t feel like she has to answer to anyone. He tells her not to become a rebellious person and do it out of rebellion, and she says she’s very f***ing clear, she’s not rebelling.

Next time, Sutton looks for a partner; Erika wants to work on repairing her friendship with Dorit; Mauricio’s family asks about the divorce rumors; and Garcelle feels like she’s failed as a parent when Jax asks to live with his dad.

💭 This show looks good right now, but in the preview, Denise shows up and all those tools Erika said she got from therapy go out the window.

🍫 Putting Chocolate In My Peanut Butter…

Join me tomorrow for soap and Southern shenanigans. Until then, stay safe, stay never ghosting someone, and stay not telling anyone if you don’t want anybody to know something.