(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
There was no GH today because maybe, kinda, sorta we might have breaking news. I thought I was losing my mind when I put it on, and Carly and Josslyn were talking about Trina getting back into PCU. I thought, wasn’t she just making a big deal about a paper for class? Then the lightbulb came on…
People laugh at me, but I loved their music and they put on a great show. Back in the day, their concert was one of the few things I ever watched using pay-per-view.
That whole thing with Dorit still annoys me. Knowing how rescue works, Dorit was in the wrong. Period. And the constant chatter about it wasn’t coming from Her Majesty. If anyone could single-handedly end the dog meat trade, it would be LVP.
Take a break tomorrow for some soap (I think) and what I hope is the end of OC season. Until then, stay safe, stay not raining on anyone’s Halloween parade, and stay not hanging out with Vicki and Tamra if you want to curb your drinking.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
On the phone in her office, Lucy says, no comment… No. She doesn’t have a comment on that either. She slams the phone down and asks Maxie why they’re so rude. Maxie asks why they won’t leave them alone, when Scotty walks in and says, there’s blood in the water. Lucy says, but they’re not dead yet. If they can just come up with a product as fantastic as The Deceptor, they’d be fine. Maxie says, that could take months, even years. Why won’t Lucy just take Tracy’s deal? Scotty says, bite your tongue. Lucy’s got a sliver of the ELQ pie; she’s got to hang on to that. Maxie says, oh, okay. She hopes that sliver of pie keeps Lucy fed when Deception goes under, because after years of breaking their backs and building this company from the ground up, she and Sasha will ultimately be left with nothing.
On the phone headed for her and Chase’s apartment, Brook says she can totally guarantee the venue is perfect. She guarantees the venue will be sold out, and can even throw in an opening act if they want. She goes inside to find Chase sitting in the dark and says, she’ll have to call them back.
Gregory walks into Alexis’s office and says, here’s everything Molly was able to dig up on Judge Kim. She says, here’s everything Diane was able to dig up. They have a lot of work ahead of them. He says, good. He’s ready. Let’s nail this bastard. She says, isn’t he all fired up, and he says he’s cultivated a go-for-it attitude, hoping it translates to skydiving. She says, researching papers to skydiving; that’s quite a leap. He says, really? when Finn walks in. He says he’s sorry to interrupt the fun, but he was hoping he could steal his dad away for a cup of coffee.
The guard brings Cyrus into an empty visitor’s room, and Cyrus asks, what’s going on? Why is he being brought here outside of visiting hours? The guard says, he’ll find out soon enough, and the warden comes in. She thanks the guard for bringing down Mr. Renault. He can leave them alone now. Cyrus asks if he should be worried.
Sonny comes through the curtains to the seating area on his jet, and Nina says, there he is. She’s all set and ready to get this wedding going. What about him? He says, just about, and she asks if they’re waiting on something. He says, yes, they are. She says, something for the wedding? and he says, she’s got to be patient and wait a while longer. She says she is the bride, so shouldn’t she know what they’re waiting on? Besides, he said the staff in Puerto Rico was handling everything. He says, this is something he could only get in Port Charles, and the wedding wouldn’t be complete without it. She asks, what is going on? and he laughs. Kristina comes out from behind the curtains and says, perfect day for a wedding. Michael and Willow follow her out.
Alone with Lucy, Scotty says he doesn’t want her to worry. He’s seen her attorney in action, and besides, she’s like a gladiator. She’s got her sword out ready to conquer. She says, thank you… I think. But they could really lose this case. Or Deception could go under financially before they even get to court. Like he said, she’s a gladiator. She really will be fine. She can survive anything. It’s just Maxie. She’s raising three little kids without any support, just her, so if she did take Tracy’s deal, at least Maxie would have a job. He says, she can’t let Tracy put the screws to her because of Maxie, but she says she can’t do that to her very best friend in the world, to her daughter and her grandchildren. She can’t do that to Felicia. What is she saying? Maxie has become her very best friend in the whole world too, and if she lets Maxie down, she couldn’t live with herself. She doesn’t feel she could do it to Maxie either. He asks if she has her noggin screwed on straight. She can’t let go of the ELQ stock; it’s the tie-breaking vote. Maxie walks in.
Brook asks Chase, what happened? and he says he got some pretty bad news at the hospital today. She says, okay… and he says, it’s the last thing he would have expected or imagined. He’s just sitting here trying to make sense of it. He’s trying to figure out the little things he missed. His dad is dying.
Gregory tells Finn that he and Alexis are in the middle of something. Instead of coffee, can they maybe grab dinner later upstairs at the MetroCourt? Finn says he was really hoping they could go now, and Alexis says, they don’t need to do this now. Go with his son; Finn needs him. She can sort through it and organize it. Gregory says he feels bad about leaving her with all this drudgery, and she says, drudgery to him. Interesting to her, because she’s going to find the little nugget that will blow this story wide open. Go, go, go. Gregory says, coffee it is, and Finn mouths, thank you, to Alexis as they leave.
Nina says she’s in shock. She’s so thrilled. She can’t believe they could make it on such short notice. It wouldn’t have been the same if they all weren’t here with her and Sonny. Michael says, Wiley and Donna are settled in. Wiley’s got enough books and games to keep him occupied for the rest of the flight. Willow says, they loved the takeoff. Wiley was glued to the window the entire time. Nina asks if Avery wasn’t able to come, and Sonny says, Pilar called. Something is wrong with Avery’s stomach. She’s sick, so she can’t come. He’s disappointed, but… He shrugs, and Nina says, that’s so sad. She hopes Avery gets better soon. When did he arrange for everyone to come? He says he made the rounds this morning and extended some invitations, and she says she knew he was up to something when he left the penthouse. He says, Dante sends his best wishes and congratulations, and she says, they’ll miss him, and miss the family that couldn’t come, but she’s going to focus on the family that could. She’s thrilled they’re here. This is the best wedding present she could ever ask for.
Alexis looks at the papers all over her desk and says, it looks like Judge Kim doesn’t miss an opportunity for a high-profile case. Her phone rings, and she says, send her in. Carly walks in, and Alexis asks, what brings her here? Carly says, Sonny told her that he asked Alexis to look into the judge who gave Drew that ridiculous sentence, and Alexis says, that’s all here, indicating the paperwork. She’s been researching it for most of the day. Carly says, great. Full disclosure, she’s the one who asked Sonny to reach out to Alexis. She also asked Diane to share any information she’s discovered on Judge Kim with her. Alexis says she’s glad Carly did. She has a vested interest in Drew as well. He’s the father of her granddaughter and she’d like to see him to come home to Scout. Carly asks if she’s had any luck, and Alexis says, from what she can tell so far, there’s a strong possibility there’s been a miscarriage of justice.
Cyrus sits down with Warden Garten and says, this is a rare and special privilege, just the two of them in this spacious room. She says, it’s private. The cameras are off except during visiting hours. There’s no record of this meeting like there would be if he came to see her in her office. He asks why she requires such privacy. Just what is it she has in store for him?
The women sit together, and Kristina asks if Nina’s visited the island yet, but Nina says, no, but Sonny told her all about it. He put in for them to go to the island, but when Willow went through what she went through, she wanted to be with Willow. Willow says, even though Nina knew she didn’t want her there? and Nina says she knew where she had to be. Kristina says, both of them are going to love it; it’s gorgeous. Willow asks what it’s like, and Kristina says, there’s a hotel and a casino, but there’s a private wing just for the family, and the gardens are just breathtaking. Nina says, Sonny told her about the gardens, and Kristina says, the smell from the flowers is just everywhere. Willow says, it sounds like the perfect spot for a wedding.
Sonny says he wants to thank Michael for getting Willow to come to the wedding, but Michael says, actually, this was Willow’s decision.
Alexis tells Carly, Judge Kim’s judicial record is solid. He’s an intelligent and effective jurist. Carly says, that’s not the news she was looking for, and Alexis says, but he has a way of interpreting the law in a way that lines up ideologically with special interests, who happen to be the ones who influence who sits on what bench and who gets promoted. Carly says, so Judge Kim rules the way these influential people want and in turn, he moves up the career ladder, whether or not his ruling is right or not. Alexis says, very good. Carly gets it. However, she hasn’t been able to prove there’s been any quid pro quo of Judge Kim accepting any favors or being unduly influenced by special interests. Carly says she can help with that. She just found out there’s proof and she can get it for Alexis.
Warden Garten says she’s offended. She’s just doing her job, checking on Cyrus’s welfare. After all, he’s such a beacon of light to the other inmates. The spiritual ministry he delivers? She’s surprised they managed before without him. He says he does provide a valuable service, which reflects quite well on her legacy here at Pentenville, and she says, it does, doesn’t it? He asks if she knows how many inmates are engaged in self-improvement as a direct result of his guidance, and she says, spare her the campaign speech. They’re alone. He says, spare him the false concern for his welfare and get to the point. Why did she want to see him? She says, because, she’s out of here.
Maxie apologizes for her outburst, but Lucy says, Maxie doesn’t have anything to apologize for. Maxie says, okay, then let’s prepare for our staff meeting. They at least have to pretend they have a plan moving forward. Scotty says, on a happier note, Cody Bell’s out of custody and Sasha’s home recuperating from all her mental problems. Maxie says she got some of the details from Mac, and Lucy says, that is good news. Did Maxie get a chance to see Sasha? Maxie says, no. She’s been giving Sasha some space. She figured Sasha needed some quiet time. Lucy says, that’s a very good idea after this ugly situation, and Maxie says, yeah. She can’t seem to catch a break. Scotty says he hears Gladys hightailed it back to Westport… Bridgeport… some port that she’s from in Connecticut. (I have the feeling Kin Shriner made a mistake here and adlibbed.) He guesses they have work, so he’ll bid them adieu. He leaves, and Maxie says, they need to prepare an agenda for their meeting, but Lucy says, that can wait. Maxie says, for what? and Lucy closes the door. She tells Maxie that she really has something she needs to say.
Brook asks if Gregory is in the hospital, but Chase says, no. She asks where he is, and Chase says, honestly, he doesn’t know. She asks if she needs to call Finn. Does he know what’s going on? He says, Finn knows… So does her grandmother. She says, what? and he says he’s the only one who didn’t know his father was dying. They kept it from him like he was a child or didn’t know how to handle it. She asks, what’s Gregory’s diagnosis? He says, his father has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS. Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. There’s no cure. It’s going to kill him.
In the park, Gregory says, this isn’t Kelly’s. He thought he and Finn were going for coffee. Finn says, it’s the first thing that came into his head. He needed to talk to Gregory in private. They sit down, and Gregory says, all right. Finn has him. Just say it. Finn says, Chase knows.
Lucy says she’s been doing a lot of thinking today, and Maxie asks if she can go first. Lucy says, sure, and Maxie says, maybe they should just find a buyer for the 25% and call it a day. At least then they’d end up with something. Lucy tells her, hold that thought. They’re calling the staff together for a meeting and no agenda necessary.
Chase tells Brook, when he got home, he got his phone out to research ALS. He wanted to see how this disease was going to take over his father’s life. How it would progress. He wanted to know how much time left he had with his dad. She says, that’s understandable, and he says, then he started scrolling through all these photos on his phone and these great shots of his dad; us camping together, tea parties with Violet, hanging out in the stands at a Chuck game. And there are all these random shots of us, at dinner… just watching sports on the sofa. And he looks so great in all of them, so vital and young for his age. It’s like there was nothing wrong with him; like nothing could ever be wrong with him. And now all he can think about is that young, vital man, his hero – he starts to cry – his dad; he’s going to be in a wheelchair, and he’s not getting out of it.
Gregory says he should have told Chase. Learning he had ALS should have come from him. How did he find out? Finn says, it was by mistake, and Gregory asks how a mistake like that happens. Finn says, Chase was arresting someone and got pepper sprayed. He came by the hospital to get his eyes flushed out, and afterwards, he told Chase to wait in the lounge. His eyes were all sort of bloodshot and teary, and Tracy Quartermaine saw him. He thinks she kind of jumped to the wrong conclusion. Gregory says, Tracy told Chase? and Finn says he’s not sure what was said initially, but whatever it was, it made Chase suspicious. He saw them talking across the Hub, but by the time he knew what was going on, it was too late. Tracy had told Chase. Gregory says he can’t believe this. So obviously Chase knows he already told Finn. Finn nods.
Carly tells Alexis, there’s a regular that comes into Kelly’s and she’s been talking to him lately. He’s a pilot for a private jet that belongs to a billionaire named Ascher Alexander. The pilot told her, the downside of his job is, whenever Mr. Alexander wants to go on a trip, and for however long he wants to stay, the pilot must go with him. Alexis says, tough life, and Carly says, the last trip they went on was to the Caribbean. He took a group of guys down there to go deep sea fishing. Guess who one of the passengers was? Alexis says, Judge Albert Kim? and Carly says, that’s right.
Willow asks, what made Nina and Sonny decide to elope? and Nina says, it started with this whole big stack of wedding materials that Olivia delivered to her from the MetroCourt. It got a bit overwhelming, and she kept putting off going through them. Kristina says, thank you. She’s the queen of procrastination, so she finds it quite reassuring to find that super organized Nina also succumbs to procrastination sometimes too. How about Willow? Is she as organized as she seems, or is she a secret procrastinator like Nina?
Michael tells Sonny that he and Willow discussed whether they should attend the wedding or not, but ultimately, he left the decision up to her. Here they are. Sonny says, they both know it’s not that simple.
Cyrus asks if the warden is going on vacation, but she says, no. She’s out permanently. She gets up, and he follows her, saying, this seems sudden, but she says, there’s nothing sudden about it. She’s been working toward this for a while, and it’s finally happening. She can’t wait to see Port Charles and its Corinthosness, this whole infected place, in the rearview mirror. He asks where she’s headed, and she says, Texas, land of the free. He says, another prison? and she says, all of them. She’ll be overseeing all of the federal prisons in the state. He says, what about him? and she says, you’ll get yours.
The staff files in, and Maxie thanks everyone for coming. She knows this hasn’t been the easiest time for them. She and Lucy really appreciate the staff sticking by them and working hard. As soon as Lucy gets here, they have an important announcement to make about the future of Deception. A woman suggests Maxie save time and just give them the bad news, and Maxie checks her phone to see where Lucy is. She says, Lucy must be on her way, so they’ll just give her a few minutes. Scotty joins them, and Maxie asks what he’s doing here. He says, beats him. Lucy told him to come back. Maxie says, what? when Lucy walks in.
Alexis asks if Carly is sure the pilot said it was Judge Kim on the fishing trip, and Carly says she wanted to make sure, so she looked up Judge Kim’s picture on the court website and the pilot confirmed it. Unfortunately, the pilot signed a non-disclosure agreement, so he can’t say who flies with him on the record, but… Alexis says, non-disclosures are her specialty; there’s usually a way around them. What she wants to know is, did the pilot give Carly a date for this trip? Carly says, dates and times, handing Alexis a paper. Apparently, they all went down there to go fishing. Alexis says, the next thing they do is check Judge Kim’s calendar, see if the dates match, and see if he disclosed his destination.
Gregory asks if Chase blames Finn for not telling him, and Finn says, everything happened so fast, but he was definitely upset when he left the hospital. He doesn’t blame Chase for being angry at him. He handled this all wrong. Gregory says he’s not going to let Finn blame himself for this. None of it. This was all on him. This is his disease and he’s Chase’s father. It was on him to tell his son. It wasn’t Finn’s responsibility. He was selfish and shouldn’t have waited so long and delayed the inevitable for as long as he did. Now, because of him, Chase is paying the price.
Chase tells Brook that he can’t help but think about the time he spent in a wheelchair. He hoped and prayed one day he would recover and walk again. That day he stood up for the first time was one of the sweetest moments in his life. But for his dad… he won’t get that recovery. Brook says, this has to be crushing Gregory. How much does Chase know about ALS? He says, very little. He did that ice bucket challenge a few years ago. At that time, he learned that it’s degenerative, that there’s no cure, there’s no stopping it. She says she’s going to help him find out everything they can, so they know exactly what they’re dealing with. He says he can’t, not right now. He can’t even imagine what he’s going to have to say to his dad the next time he sees him.
Willow says she’s always been one of those annoying organized people, and Kristina says, admit it. How often is she making to-do lists? Willow says, almost every night. She feels comfortable knowing what she has to do the next day and then being able to check it off as she does it. Which is why she and Michael are so perfect together. Kristina asks if she’s serious; Michael is the complete opposite. He’s a mess. Michael is a great businessman – he’s brilliant – but organization? Not his strong suit. Willow says, busted, and they laugh. Willow wonders why doesn’t she put her organizational skills to good use, and Nina asks, how? Willow says, by helping Nina with the wedding. What can she do?
Sonny says, it would have been simple enough to refuse his invitation when he asked Michael, but Michael says, the invitation was for both of them. He wasn’t going to speak for his wife. Sonny says, but Michael could have made it clear to Willow that she could go to the wedding, but he wasn’t going. Why didn’t he?
Warden Garten says, Cyrus always finds a way of making it all about him. He’ll be fine. Does he want to know why? Cyrus says he’s sure she’ll tell him, and she says, because she has great trust in his ingenuity. He’s like a cat; he always finds a way to land on his feet, but now she doesn’t have to clean up his messes. Her promotion came through, and she’ll be in Texas. He says, she’s welcome, and she says, he always takes credit for everything. He says, God helps those who help themselves, and she says, he definitely helps himself, doesn’t he? She starts to leave, and he says, there’s just one more thing before she goes.
Lucy tells the group that she and Maxie want to thank each and every one of them for their hard work. That hard work has made Deception the incredible company it is today. She’s sure they’ve all heard and been talking about how they’ve been hit with a very frivolous lawsuit, one that threatens the very future of Deception. In saying that, that means they have to make some very difficult decisions. Those decisions will affect everybody’s lives in this room. So on the table is a deal where they would completely relinquish control of Deception, and they would only be left with 25%. Obviously, that’s unacceptable. Look at them. They’ve worked so very hard and sacrificed so much to just give in to some corporate bully. So, in talking to several legal advisors, and at a fairly significant personal cost, there is another deal on the table, one where they’ll retain 49% of the company. What that means going forward is that Deception can go on in perpetuity, improving and growing and being amazing for decades to come. She tears up and tells them that she guesses what she’s trying to say is, she feels that Deception is a lot more than beauty. They’re sustainability and innovation and inspiration, but what they also are is family. They’re her family. One she’s grown to love and cherish, and she’s not going to let that get away from her. She’s keeping it forever. What she’s trying to say is, nobody is going to be allowed to take anything else away from them, because they are family – fierce, fantastic, and anybody who tries to battle them, they will fight them. And they won’t win if they all just stick together. Everyone applauds, and Lucy and Maxie hug.
Brook tells Chase that she’s so, so sorry. It’s terrible news. She loves Gregory. He’s so smart and funny, and he was so welcoming and accepting of her. The thing she loves most about his dad is how much he loves their family. He and Chase have such a sweet bond; they’re so close. Chase says, just not close enough for Gregory to have told him his diagnosis, but she says she’s sure he intended to. She has to apologize. He says, for what? and she says, Tracy. She inserted herself where she has absolutely no business. He says, if she hadn’t, he still wouldn’t know his dad has ALS. Although if he’s being honest, he kind of wishes he didn’t. She asks if it would be okay if she stepped out for a little while. There’s something she wants to take care of. He says, sure, and she asks what he’s going to do. He says he’ll probably just sit here, collect his thoughts, and maybe do a little research. She says, okay, kisses him, and tells him that she loves him. So, so much. He says he loves her too, and thanks her for listening. She kisses him again, and leaves. He picks up his phone.
Gregory says he feels like such a coward for not telling Chase that he has ALS, but Finn says, he’s not a coward. Don’t do that to himself. He’s going through a lot. Gregory says, it was bad enough admitting the truth to himself, then to Finn. He imagined sitting down and telling Chase, seeing the look of fear and pain on his face, watching that perpetual optimistic smile just fade away, and dreading it. Maybe he’s just been protecting himself, because as long as Chase didn’t know, then some little part of him could stay in denial. Finn says, there’s no right way to do this, but he does know one thing, Gregory is a hell of a father. He’s the best. And Finn knows he’ll do whatever Chase needs.
Alexis hangs up the phone and tells Carly, bingo. Turns out Judge Kim was on vacation the exact dates the pilot provided. Carly says, that’s great, and Alexis tells her, what it doesn’t say on the calendar was that he was on a fishing trip in the Caribbean or that he was with a politically influential billionaire. If she was a betting gal, she would say he didn’t put it on his tax returns; it was a gift. Carly asks if it’s enough to put pressure on Judge Kim to reduce Drew’s sentence, and Alexis says, depends on one thing. How it’s presented to him.
Nina thanks Willow for her offer to help, but Sonny insists all they have to do is show up. The staff in Puerto Rico is going to take care of everything. Kristina says, the staff is amazing. They’ll want for nothing, and the food? The chef has a Michelin star so they’re both in for some incredible meals and desserts. Nina says, and he is taking care of the wedding cake, and Kristina squeals. She says she can’t wait. If Nina needs any help on the actual day – needs someone to zip up her dress or the old-new-borrowed-blue thing… Nina says, that’s not needed here, but she’d like it if both of them would help her get ready. Kristina says, okay, and Willow says, it would be her pleasure to help.
Michael says, when he told Willow about Sonny’s invitation, he let her know that the choice to attend was completely up to her. Sonny says he sees, and Michael says, but she wanted to know how he felt. Sonny asks what he told her, and Michael says, that he wanted to come. He knows they’re family, and family should show up for big moments in life like getting married.
The warden tells Cyrus not to worry, and he says he’s not worried, but their business isn’t finished yet. She says, everything they discussed is still happening. He just needs to sit tight and be patient. He says he can trust her? but she says, trust doesn’t mean anything now. She’s erased all of their interactions, eliminated any trace. They’re done. He asks, who’s replacing her? and she says she doesn’t know and frankly, she doesn’t care. She’s done her part, and now he’s on his own.
Michael buckles in next to Willow and says, they’re almost there. She says she’s really looking forward to it and she thinks Wiley is going to have a great time on the island.
Sonny says, tomorrow, Nina is going to be Mrs. Sonny Corinthos. They’re going to start a new chapter in their life, and he can’t wait to see where it leads them. She says, her too, and takes his hand. She says, he’s made her the happiest woman on earth.
Cyrus says he’s actually sorry to see Warden Garten go, and she says she wishes she could say the same, but she can’t. She turns to go again, but he says he has one final question. She says, one more is all he gets, and he asks if there’s any word on his friend Drew Cain. She asks, why in the world would he care about Drew Cain? and he says, the man saved his life, like Daniel was saved in the lion’s den. She says, it’s a hard den out there, and not everybody is as lucky as Daniel. But rest assured, Drew Cain will be taken care of. And this time, for good. She leaves.
Carly thanks Alexis and says she really appreciates this and knows it’s going to mean a lot to Drew. Alexis says she’s happy to help and asks if Carly still has the contact information for the pilot. Carly says she does, and Alexis says, use it. See if she can find out anything more. Anything she can find out would be helpful. Carly asks if Alexis really thinks the judge is going to take the bait, and Alexis says, from what she knows about the judge so far, he’s going to have a real hard time not talking about himself and bragging about his accomplishments to the press. She needs to get him in here for an interview, get him talking, and hopefully he won’t stop. Carly says, just give him enough rope, and Alexis says, then they’ve got him.
Chase puts ALS into the Spyder-Finder search engine on his phone, but ends up looking at pictures instead. Pictures of Gregory with him, with Finn, with Violet. He cries, and there’s a knock at the door. He wipes his eyes and opens it. Gregory is there.
Maxie tells Lucy, that was a great speech, and Lucy says she knows. But seriously, she couldn’t let Maxie and everybody else sink because of horrible Tracy Quartermaine. Not on her watch. Maxie thanks her and says, she’s a great friend. Lucy asks if Maxie happened to see where Scotty went, when he walks in behind her. He says, this decision is crazy… but it’s his kind of crazy, so let’s celebrate. He holds up a bottle of champagne and glasses, and Lucy laughs.
A woman looks at The Sun headline: BLQ BOOTED – DECEPTION SCANDAL – PC PRINCESS FIRED. We see she has quite a manicure, and I’m guessing it’s Lois.
Tomorrow, Curtis says he doesn’t think he can tell his daughter what to do or who to be with; Portia says she had a change of heart; Gregory apologizes to Chase; and Tracy asks, what exactly does Brook think she did?
Below Deck Mediterranean
Genoa, Italy. Backtracking a little, Tumi tells Natalya, the organization’s a sh*tshow. Natalya’s part is impeccable, but the boat isn’t set up the way she’d like. It’s just her opinion. Natalya wants to continue giving her opinion, but Tumi says, that’s it. Natalya is offended by Tumi talking with her hands, and Tumi asks to see the laundry. In Tumi’s interview, she says, Natalya did a great job, but how would she like it if someone went off right at the beginning? Her mum told her to stand up for herself at a young age. When her mum cracks the whip, run. When Tumi was in high school, the boys made fun of her race, and she put them in their place. Be kind, but don’t let anyone walk on you. Tumi says she’ll ask if she needs Natalya, and Natalya tells Luka and Jessika, she’s a bitch. Luka says he loves the drama, and Jessika says, maybe Tumi is just trying to adapt, but Natalya says, she has no warmness. In Natalya’s interview, she says, the boat is in a good place, and the way to respectfully hand it over would be to come in with good energy, but Tumi didn’t. Tumi talks to Jack about Natalya, and Captain Sandy calls Jack, Tumi, and Luka to the crew mess for a preference sheet meeting. Natalya lingers around a beat too long, then jets.
The captain says, the primary is Mecca Mamore-Henson and is the publisher for Pink magazine. Husband Antoine will be with her, along with some successful friends who like to see their wealth by enjoying luxury vacations. One of the guests owns a plant-based wellness brand, and in Jack’s interview, he says he tried veganism. He thinks it was a Tuesday. It lasted two hours. Captain Sandy says, the weather is going to be bad, so they might have to stay on the dock. She’s hoping only one day. She reads, the vibe must be immaculate, and Tumi says, got it. She’s doing better than I am, since I don’t got it. Jack reads that the guests want a Diamonds Are Forever dinner, and Tumi says, they want a pajama party with late night snacks. She loves a pajama party. After the meeting, Tumi texts Kyle, saying that Natalya had a diva moment, and she’d have no problem firing her. We flash back to Natalya having diva moments with Kyle. Natalya calls her boyfriend, and in her interview, she says, an open relationship is new to her, and they’ve never discussed rules or guidelines. She doesn’t see staying with one person for the rest of her life, but it doesn’t seem right to sleep with someone else when you’re in a relationship. She suggests he at least meet her halfway, and he tells her to get some sleep. This seems to be the way all of their conversations go, and she’s a dummy if she stays in this situation.
Captain Sandy says, the storm is six miles big. Tumi thinks they should finish the cabins, then have a meeting. Jack tells Tumi that he’s doing a buffet style lunch, and in Tumi’s interview, she says she’s lucky to have had great relationships with the chefs she’s worked with. She gets them; they’re nutcases. She worked with Aesha, who was a first-time chief stew, and learned not to let people walk on her. We see a Down Under flashback, and Tumi says, one thing she knows, don’t piss off the chef. Natalya complains to Luka, and says she wants to be in laundry for the whole trip. Kyle arrives, and in his interview, he says, you thought you were done with me? I’m back. Yay. I like Kyle.
Kyle and Tumi are excited to see each other, and he hugs Captain Sandy. In Kyle’s interview, he says, it’s an honor to be working under Captain Sandy again. You’ve got to be special to be wanted back by her. We flash back to Kyle last season, and he says he’s wishing he was coming back as chief stew. He wants to reach the next level, and he’ll get there, but people will still look at him as the service queen. Kyle meets everyone, and Lara says, he smells like a dream. He says he feels like broken memories and I literally lol. He and Natalya greet each other enthusiastically, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, her relationship with Kyle was rocky last season. We flash back to that, and she says, Kyle is good at lightening up the situation. They had a lot of fun moments. We see another flash back, and Kyle tells Natalya that she’s gorgeous and skinny. She says, it’s called stress. In Haleigh’s interview, she says, it’s hard to hang out when she’s used to exciting parts on the ship. A yacht is like a floating hotel, and if they’re not moving, she has nothing to do other than hose the charter guests off. She wants to do cool boat sh*t. In Tumi’s interview, she says, her management style is relaxed. Before she got into yachting, she managed a restaurant and a club, and had to find models for the club. She knows there will be a learning curve, but she feels prepared. Tumi passes out the stew’s ranks, and says, Kyle will be her second. Obviously. In Natalya’s interview, she says, why obviously? Tumi says, Natalya is third, and will do breakfast, and Jessika is fourth. In Tumi’s interview, she says she based her decisions on their CVs. Kyle is good with people, and Natalya is very good at housekeeping and laundry. In Jessika’s interview, she says, it’s a relief to be at the bottom of the food chain. There’s less stress, and the drama at the top makes her uncomfortable. Natalya bitches to Jack, but he doesn’t want drama. Deckhand Max arrives, and he has a French accent that the others struggle to understand. In Max’s interview, he says he’s been fired from all the jobs he’s had since he was 18 because he’s misunderstood. Yachting is like a big casino. They only thing you need to know is when to get out. He meets Captain Sandy, and in his interview, he says he has four years’ experience. It’s a crazy environment. To survive the pressure, you need to be Godzilla. Fortunately, that’s who he is. The provisions come, and Captain Sandy says, teamwork makes the dream work. I can’t. The crew gets into their whites, and in Kyle’s interview, he says, how things are starting is good for no one, and he’s in the middle. Anyone who knows him, knows he prefers front or back. He tells Natalya that Tumi said she’d have no problem firing her, so she’d better watch herself. Tumi calls for a masseuse to come to the boat, and the guests arrive. Captain Sandy says she can see they’re not happy, and yep, they come out of the taxi whining. In her interview, Tumi says, the guests look pissed off. It’s not ideal.
Captain Sandy says, this is going to suck. They welcome the guests, and the captain says, she was hoping they’d bring sunshine. Unfortunately, they’re going to have to stay on the dock today. It’s rough offshore. Primary Mecca asks about tomorrow, and the captain says, we’ll see, like she’s their mom. The guests are given champagne, and Tumi does the tour. She promises, even if they don’t get off the dock, they’ll be spoiled. Jessika wonders how Natalya felt about stepping back, and Natalya relays what Kyle said about Tumi having no problem firing her. Jessika asks if she doesn’t think Kyle might have said something to spark that which is an excellent point. I love Kyle, but he’s not just the service queen; he’s the gossip queen. The guests reject the cheese board, saying, they want food. We don’t want no cheese. Mecca says she’s real hungry, and Tumi tells Jack. She says she tried offering them snacks, but they weren’t keen on that. He tells her, 30 minutes, and in his interview, Jack says, he doesn’t like to be rushed and throwing the food on the plate like a caveman. It will look better if he’s not rushed. Luka says he doesn’t know WTF Max is saying, confirming Max’s assessment of himself. In Tumi’s interview, she says she knows it sounds crazy, but her ideal charter guest is a chaotic guest. She grew up with six siblings and gets bored on small boats. She brings out fresh baked bread, and Kyle tells Natalya that Tumi doesn’t like the chef. Natalya says he’s amazing. That’s on Tumi. In Natalya’s interview, she says she can’t bite her tongue, and thinks it’s unfair. She once kicked the Bunsen burners off her science teacher’s desk when the teacher was rude to her. Tumi came in with a bone to pick and picked the wrong bone.She tells Kyle that she’s not assisting if Kyle is being told she’s getting fired.
In Jessika’s interview, she says, her responsibility has decreased a bit, but she’s going to keep conflict away from her at all costs. When she was in school, the bickering caused her anxiety. She did cheerleading in the ninth grade, and there was so much pressure, she lost confidence and quit. The guests complain about not eating, and lunch is finally served, along with a vegan alternative. They pronounce it delicious, and I pronounce it… food porn! Luka sees Natalya in the laundry, and says, she’s living the dream. In Natalya’s interview, she says, if she was in a monogamous (a word she can’t seem to pronounce) relationship, she wouldn’t flirt, but she’s not, so hello, Luka. But she’s still confused. Vegan guest Adjula gives her dish a six, and says, Jack’s got to be more creative. Mecca tells Tumi that she just wants more. She has high expectations, and they expect something grand. Tumi tells Jack, the vegan guest wants a 10, and he says he was a bit rushed. The masseuse arrives, and in Tumi’s interview, she says, when you’re stuck on the dock, this is the type of thing that distracts guests and makes them happy. She tells the captain that the guests are difficult, but she’s had worse. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, Tumi is very approachable. There’s an energy about her that’s an expectation of perfection, and she likes it. The guests look at the menu and want it totally changed. Kyle asks if Tumi’s seen his boyfriend; he’s an American Italian. In Kyle’s interview, he says, after leaving the boat, he got a one-way ticket to meet Frank in NYC. We flash back to that, and Kyle says, they had no connection, so he went to a dating app. He found Zachary, Doctor of Love, and they’ve been dating ever since. He tells Tumi that they’re super in love. They’re going to South Africa, and he’d like get engaged with his family there. Natalya tells Jack, with Tumi in charge of everything, they’re f***ed. She repeats the now getting old story about Tumi messaging Kyle and saying she’d have no problem firing her.
Tumi says, this is not how she expected this to go, and guest Samantha says, it’s lovely to see a Black women in the industry. Tumi says she’s not here changing the world, but Samantha says, Tumi is changing her world. To every person who comes in and sees a fellow Black woman, it’s a big deal. In Tumi’s interview, she says, there’s massive lack of diversity in the industry. There are People of Color working in it, but they’re usually in positions that aren’t seen. They’re not given the opportunity, but if you fight hard, you can do it. Here I am, bitch. They guests get ready for dinner, and the table looks gorgeous and romantic. In Luka’s interview, he says he hopes they leave the dock. He’s recently out of a long-term relationship and has been given an amazing position. He can’t be distracted by girls. It’s affected his work environment. Natalya gets the pajama party ready, and Adjula gives her vegan dinner a 10. Tumi tells Jack, and says, seafood is key. Tumi radios Natalya to turn in, and when the radio is off, Natalya says, go bugger yourself. There’s a whole big deal over guest Bobbi getting the wrong starter or first course or something, and Tumi tells Jack, they’re drunk and misunderstood when they read the menu. In Jack’s interview, he says, if there’s anything wrong with the boat, it’s on the captain. Anything wrong with the food is on him. And anything wrong with service is on Tumi. Tumi tells him, if the guest is confused, it’s not their problem. In his interview, Jack says, it’s always the guest’s fault. Tumi needs to have accountability. His first impression of her is really bad. Tumi tells Kyle that Jack doesn’t respect her.
Tumi tells Jack that she never wants him to fail; he’s phenomenal. But she’ll always be honest. He says, we’re good, although it doesn’t sound like it. Tumi says, he’s had someone in his ear, but she would like a fair chance. He says he makes up his own mind up, and she says she’s just making sure. The guests get into their PJs, and Luka asks if Kyle is excited to party with the guests, but Kyle says, it’s the last thing he wants. Jack makes little pizzas and some other tasty looking snacks, and Kyle makes drinks. Poor Antoine is the only dude, and I feel sorry for him. The ladies give Kyle a hat and chain, and he poses with Antoine. Mecca says, itlooks like me and my Black friend, and we all laugh. The guests go to bed, and Kyle decides to clean up in the morning.
When Natalya gets up, she sees the mess, and isn’t happy. In her interview, she says, the morning person should just have to give a quick wipe down, not clean up from the night before. She asks Haleigh for help, and Captain Sandy says, they’re leaving the dock. Jack just describing the breakfast he’s going to make is… food porn! Natalya tells Tumi about the lack of clean up, and Tumi says she wants Kyle in bed by 3 am. It’s okay for him to leave the clean-up if it means he’ll be going to bed too late. No surprise, Natalya argues, and Tumi says, she’s fine with it. End of story. Natalya tells her to stop doing things with her hands, and in Tumi’s interview, she says, it might be her first time as chief stew, but she knows what she’s doing, and Natalya has no respect for her. Natalya reminds her of a chihuahua. She’s territorial, combative, and talks all the time. I laugh because I have a chihuahua. He’s not like that, although he does tend to fear anything bigger than he is, which is most of the world. Natalya wants to have it out now, but Tumi says, they’ll speak another time, and tells Natalya, goodbye. Natalya yells, don’t talk to Kyle; talk to her, ending this show about the same as last week’s, except louder.
Didn’t like Natalya last season; don’t like her now.
Next time, Lara wants Max to work more; Tumi and Natalya butt heads; Captain Sandy calls Natalya and Tumi to the bridge and says she’s ready to put them both off the boat.
🙌🏽 Hip Hop Hooraying…
Come see me tomorrow for soap and whatever rabbits I can pull out of the internet. Until then, stay safe, stay not complaining about the cold when you complained about the heat five minutes ago, and stay not picking the wrong bone if you come in with a bone to pick.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sonny goes to Michael’s office, and Michael says he wasn’t expecting to see him. It must be important if Sonny decided to come all the way down to his office. Sonny asks if it’s a problem, but Michael says, no, just unusual. Sonny says he’s trying to be a little more spontaneous in his old age, and Michael asks what brings him here. Sonny says he knows he shouldn’t be asking this, but he has a favor that only Michael can do for him.
Moving right along, Sonny sees Anna at the MetroCourt bar, and thanks her for meeting him. She says she was a bit surprised by the invite, and he says he’s been looking out for her since the shooting at the MetroCourt. She says she appreciates that. She’s being very cautious, one eye looking over her shoulder, because apparently, she’s got a target on her back now. He asks if any threats have happened, but she says, no, and he says, that’s good to hear. She asks if that’s why he asked to see her, to check up on her, but he says he just wanted to let her know he’s going to be gone for a few days. If she needs anything, he’s just a phone call away.
Alexis says she can’t remember how long it’s been since they’ve visited her at her office. It must be important. What did she do to deserve this visit? We see it’s Sonny, and he says, it’s not what she’s done; it’s what she’s going to do. She says, typically, when someone wants her to do a favor for them, they ask her nicely and say please. What does he need? He says, put this paper to good use, and save a man’s life.
Setting a cup of coffee on the bar at Charlie’s, Kristina says, just tell her when and where, and she’s there. Sonny says, that’s my girl, and she says she’s actually pretty excited about it. After all he’s done for her lately, how could she possibly say no. He thanks her, and says he knows he can always count on her. She says, that’s not something she hears every day and it’s so nice. She hugs him, and Dante walks in.
Carly leaves a message for Diane to call her. She just wants some kind of update as to when they’re taking Drew back to Pentenville. Sonny knocks at his old kitchen door, and Carly says she just needs to know. She tells Sonny, hey, and he says he knows this must be difficult for her. Nobody wants Drew to go back to prison. She says she keeps hoping Diane is going to call and tell her they’ve figured out something, some kind of loophole to stop Drew from going back there. They’re looking into the judge to see if they can find some sort of bias, but it seems to be a longshot, so she doesn’t know. He says, she’s doing everything she can. There’s nobody more tenacious than Diane. She says, the girls are in school, and he knows that, so he must be here to see her, and he says, she guessed right. That, and to see the moss bowl🎍. She says, please tell her this isn’t bad news, and he says, it kind of depends on her perspective. She says, that’s cryptic. What’s going on? He says he and Nina are eloping.
Valentin is working on his laptop, when a message pops up with the number for a therapist in his area. He picks up his phone, but there’s a knock at the door. He opens it to Nina, who says she came by to see if things were any better with Charlotte. He invites her in, and she says, this place is so beautiful. Charlotte must be so thrilled to be in her own home with her dad… What’s wrong? What happened?
Robert meets Anna at the MetroCourt and asks, who’s the suit? She says, it’s a gift from Sonny, and he asks if she can send it back. She says, no, and he asks where Sonny gets off sending a goon over here to keep an eye on her. She says, he has a very caring side, and he says, so did Attila the Hun. She says, Sonny was worried about her and wanted to offer her protection, which she refused first of all; she didn’t think she needed it. He says, but now she does, and she says she changed her mind. He asks if something’s happened, and she says, other than the recent disturbing events, no. Nothing has happened in the last 24 hours since she’s had protection. He says, so she’s living in the MetroCourt, and she says, yes, until she moves into the new place. Valentin has bought a house for them. He asks when she went house hunting, but she says she didn’t. He bought the house on his own. Robert says, Valentin could have at least made her part of the process. Unless ofcourse (🍷) she thinks he’s hiding something. She says, he’s always hiding something, but the house isn’t part of that. It was indeed meant to be a surprise. He says, Valentin is nothing if not full of those, and she says, he certainly is.
Gregory comes into Alexis’s office and asks how it went with Sonny. She asks how he knew Sonny was… Esme has to quit sharing every visitor that comes into her office. It’s not that she has anything to hide, Esme just needs to learn a little discretion. He says, Esme’s not to blame. When a notorious coffee importer shows up here, people tend to talk, and usually in hushed tones. Sonny’s good fodder for the water cooler. Alexis says, they’re going to be very disappointed. He just came to ask for a favor. Gregory says, he hopes nothing illegal, and she says, Sonny wanted to see if The Invader could help leverage Judge Albert Kim. He’s the judge who sentenced Drew Cain to three years in Pentenville. Gregory asks what outcome Sonny is hoping for, and she says, Carly thinks the judge’s sentence was unnecessarily harsh, and they’re hoping maybe they can get the sentence reduced or at the very least, have him moved to a safer facility. He asks just how Sonny suggests she do that, and she says, that’s what they have to figure out.
Carly says, eloping? What happened to the big blow-out wedding Sonny and Nina were planning? He says he wasn’t planning the wedding. He just told Nina that she can do whatever she wants with the wedding. Carly says she knows Olivia was helping, and he asks if that’s tough for her, but she says, no. She’s a big girl. Olivia can do what she wants, and they’re way too close for her to let something like that bother her. Sonny says, there were just so many details and things like that. A wedding should be about a celebration, not a deadline. She says, it’s just surprising considering all the noise Nina was making about her big wedding celebration, and he says, they’re just going to fly down to the island. It’s not going to be a big deal; just a small ceremony. It’s just going to be him and Nina, and whatever kids are able to go. She says, kids. That’s why he’s here. He says he would love if Donna could go. It would mean everything. If she’s okay with that.
Valentin tells Nina that he’s totally lost. He and Charlotte used to be so close, and now he feels like he doesn’t even know her. She says she knows this must be so difficult for him, but he says, not just him. Charlotte’s going to need professional help. He’s trying to find her a therapist. (I guess Montague is out.) She says, it might take him a while to find someone. Charlotte’s in a very serious situation, and he’s going to have to find the doctor who’s the right fit. He says he’s always been able to talk to her, hasn’t he? No matter how raw it gets. She knows him, maybe better than anybody; maybe even Anna. He doesn’t know how it got this way. This is his little girl they’re talking about. Nina says, they’re going to figure this out together. Where is Charlotte now? He says, she went on a bike ride. That’s why he’s doing research and making phone calls. Nina asks if he hasn’t said anything to Charlotte, and he says he just doesn’t know what he’d say if she lied to him, if she denied it. He doesn’t know how he’d react. Why is this happening? Did he do something to make her act out like this?
Kristina says, he told dad what? and Dante says he explained he couldn’t go to the wedding, but he’d go to the next one. She says, that’s not even funny, but he says he’s just kidding. She says, so he is going to go, but he says he’s not kidding about that part. She says, he has to go. Dad asked Dante to be his best man, didn’t he? Dante says, he did, and he’s honored. He just can’t go away right now. She says, that, she does get, because the PCPD softball team really need their star pitcher, and he says, they probably do, but he’s just got a lot of stuff going on here. She says, what stuff is more important than dad’s wedding? and he says, Charlotte was living with them; she’s moved out. They’re dealing with the fact Scout’s father Drew is behind bars, and it’s tough on her. His job… She seems more annoyed than Sonny did. He took this a lot better than her. She says she just thinks it’s important they be there to support dad, and he says he agrees. Dad knows he supports him. They’ve had their ups and downs, but he knows Dante’s behind his and Nina’s relationship. She says, nothing can keep her away, and he says, that’s good. She’ll be representing. She says she doesn’t think she’ll be the only one actually. Dad asked Michael to come. Dante says, that’s big. What did Michael say?
At the hospital, Michael looks for Willow, and a nurse tells him that she thinks Willow’s still on break. She’ll check. He sits down and remembers Sonny saying he wanted to tell Michael in person. Michael tells him, usually when somebody says that, it’s not good news, but Sonny says, it’s good news, for him at least. He and Nina are eloping; they’re going down to the island. Michael says, congratulations are in order, and Sonny says he knows times have been tough this year, but he thinks they’ve moved past that, and Michael says, with everything that happened with Willow, he realizes how important family is. Sonny says, Nina is Michael’s family. He knows there’s been a strain between them… Michael says, that’s an understatement, and Sonny says, she’s tried to make an effort between Michael and Willow. What makes her happy is spending time with Amelia and Wiley. Michael says he has to admit things have been better with Nina, and he knows she’s trying to respect their boundaries. Sonny says, nothing would mean more to Nina than to have Willow at her wedding, and it would mean a lot to him to have Michael there. So is there any chance he’ll go?
Nina says, this is not Valentin’s fault. She wishes she had the answer. Charlotte is a teenage girl, and teenage girls can be very complicated. He says, she’s a Cassadine. Cursed, isn’t it? None of this godforsaken family gets to be happy. Nina says, please, don’t go there. This has nothing to do with a curse. Charlotte isn’t doomed. She’s an adolescent who got herself into trouble. She’s struggling, but they will get her help. He says, it’s so overwhelming, and she says she’s sure Anna’s been supportive. What does she think? He says he hasn’t told her. How is he going to tell her that his daughter is the one who’s been tormenting her? Charlotte’s the one who set the fire; she’s going to be facing very serious criminal charges. Nina says, they have to just be very grateful no one was in the house. If Charlotte did do this, she made sure of that. He asks if that’s supposed to make him feel better, but Nina says she’s just making the point that Charlotte isn’t trying to hurt Anna. She’s not a murderer; she’s just crying out for help. He says, it’s more than that. Charlotte’s terrorizing the woman he loves, and he’s trying to keep that from escalating, but is he doing the right thing by not telling Anna?
Carly says, Sonny knows how much Donna loves weddings. Of course (🍷) she can go. Sonny thanks her and she says she knows how happy Donna was at Michael’s wedding. Hopefully, both girls can go. He says, that’s the plan, and she asks if he’s called Ava, because Avery wouldn’t want to miss it. He says he called Ava, but she hasn’t gotten back to him yet. He hopes there’s no problem there, because it would not be the same without Avery. She says, it looks like he’s thought of everything for his tropical ceremony, and he says he’s trying. He thinks he covered all the bases. Oh no, wait. The favor she asked for Drew? He’s working on it. She says, let’s hope it comes in time to save Drew.
Gregory asks if Alexis is sure she wants to get into this. He’s heard a lot of stories about people who do Sonny’s bidding and sometimes it doesn’t end well. She says, ya think? She’s very well aware of the methods Sonny uses to handle things. This time, he would like it handled legitimately. He asks if she’s sure that she and Sonny don’t share any similarities, and she says she thinks she’s offended. He says he doesn’t know Sonny well, but from what he hears, Sonny has reputation for ruthlessness. He knows firsthand how ruthless Alexis can be… when it comes to the pursuit of truth in journalism. She says, really? Do go on. He tells her that he’s just saying she’s a force of nature when it comes to business, and that’s a good thing by the way. She says, this is really very entertaining. Trying to compliment her after calling her ruthless. That is some fancy footwork. He says, unfortunately, that’s the only footwork he’s capable of these days.
Kristina tells Dante that she knows Michael wants to make peace with dad. There’s definitely been a lot less tension lately. Dante says, yeah, but that’s a far cry from Michael attending the wedding. They have to start somewhere to get back to where they were. She says she doesn’t know if they’ll ever get back to where they were, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. He asks, so is Michael going to the wedding or not? and she says, she doesn’t know. She hopes so. She’ll tell Dante one thing. She’s not excited to be on an island with him and Nina for the next few days. He says he thought she was Team Nina, and she says she is. She likes Nina a lot. Most important, dad loves her, but she hasn’t forgotten what Nina did to Michael and Willow. That’s some serous damage, and they both know their brother holds a grudge. He says, kind of just like… and they both say, dad. Blaze comes in, and Kristina introduces her to Dante. Blaze says, we meet again.
Michael remembers telling Sonny that he can’t give him an answer now. Not without talking to Willow first. Sonny says he gets it. He just hopes Willow does this for Nina, because the ceremony wouldn’t be the same without Wiley there. She wants Wiley to be the ring bearer, like he was at Michael’s wedding. He’s a pro now. Michael says, Willow has a lot going on right now and she just got back to work. He’s not sure she’s going to want to drop all that and get on a plane. Sonny says, okay. He just wanted Michael to think about it. In the present, Willow dashes over to Michael and says she heard he was waiting for her. Is everything all right? Did something happen with the kids?
Valentin tells Nina that he just doesn’t know what to do. They can’t involve the police. She says, no. They’re not bringing the police into this. She’s a teenager; she’s fifteen years old. If she did do this, and the police find out, they will send her away. He can’t let that happen. They’re just going to have to handle this themselves. He asks how they do that, and she says, they’re going to find a way to get through to Charlotte. They’re not giving up on her. He says he’s always appreciated her support, and she hooks her arm in his and says, even though they went their separate ways, she’ll always care about him. She loves Charlotte. He says he doesn’t know what he’d do without her help, and she says, about that. He’s going to have to deal with this on his own. That’s what she came by to tell him. She’s leaving town.
Anna tells Robert that she thinks Valentin feels this house is a way for him to focus on his daughter. He feels Charlotte needs a more stable environment. She’s had a very rough year. Robert asks if she didn’t tell him that Victor was keeping her at the boarding school, and Anna says, when she finally did come home, she’s been bouncing from house to house. First she was at Laura’s, then she lived with Dante. That’s not to say they weren’t there for her. They were very supportive, but Charlotte is fifteen, and along with that age comes anxiety and insecurity. He says, Mac was having a problem with Robin like that, and she says, Charlotte needs her father’s undivided attention. She totally understands that. She thinks maybe Valentin feels that buying a house for her is the first step in putting her on more solid ground. He says, in the meantime, Anna’s roughing it in the hotel, but she says she doesn’t call room service roughing it. She thought Robert didn’t want her with Valentin. He says he doesn’t. However, she should have the final choice in where she lives. She suggests they agree to disagree when it comes to the subject of her relationship with Valentin, and says she asked him here because she needs his help. He says, with? and she says, something crucial.
Sonny tells Carly that he pretty much politely demanded Alexis use that paper and her investigation skills to look into Judge Kim, because they have to figure out why he gave Drew such a harsh sentence. Carly says, they need to do more than look into Judge Kim. They need to get the judge to commute Drew’s sentence, or at least send him to a safer facility. Does Alexis understand that? He says, Alexis knows that the goal is to get Drew out of Pentenville, but it’s not going to happen overnight. The first thing she needs to do is a deep dive into Kim’s record. They have to figure out what makes him vulnerable. Then they have an opening. She asks if he thinks Alexis is going to come through, and he says he’s confident she’ll deliver for them.
Gregory apologizes to Alexis and says, that was meant to be a joke, but clearly it didn’t land. She says, he has every right to handle his disease any way he sees fit. If he wants to joke about it, joke about it. Go for it. He doesn’t have to edit his words with her. She’s going to follow his lead. He says he feels like he’s constantly thanking her for being understand, but thanks her again. She says, he doesn’t need to keep thanking her or apologizing. What’s that quote from that movie? Friendship means never having to say you’re sorry. He says he thinks that’s, love means… (Actually, I think her version makes more sense.) She says, he just doesn’t need to keep thanking her, and he says he still hasn’t told Chase. He knows she keeps telling him to wait until he’s ready, but when will that be? He can’t keep hiding behind his work here. He wakes up some mornings and he’s so determined to tell Chase the truth. Then he finds himself here instead. He used to lecture his students about procrastination. He’d tell them, putting off that term paper won’t make it easier. She says, this is a little bigger than a homework assignment. He’s going to tell Chase when he tells Chase. He says he’s just being selfish. He just wants more time with his son before his son looks at him with pity. Before he sees the disease, not his father. She says she thinks he’s wrong. She doesn’t think Chase is going to react that way at all, but Gregory will do what feels right for him and she’s not judging him. He says, speaking of judges, how are they going to handle Judge Kim?
Dante says, good to see Blaze again, and she says, good to see him too. She tells Kristina, Dante was her hero at the Nurses Ball, and he says he doesn’t like to brag. Kristina says, since when? and Blaze says, after Brook outed Linc on stage, Dante grabbed him and dragged him out of the MetroCourt. Nice work, detective. He says, just doing my job, ma’am, and Kristina says, that’s great. She almost forgot; her brother, the knight in shining armor. Blaze says, don’t think she’s forgotten how nice Dante was the day they ran into each other at Kelly’s, and he says, that was a few months ago. He saw Blaze at Kelly’s and Rocco had been watching her music videos; he’s a big fan. And they saw her at Rice Plaza years ago, and she was so gracious to them. Thanks. Blaze thanks him, and Kristina says, they’re practically BFFs. Who’d have guessed that?
Michael says, everything’s fine. He didn’t mean to worry Willow. She says, it must be something important for him to come all the way to GH, and they sit down. He says he wanted to tell her that Sonny paid him a visit earlier and apparently, he and Nina are eloping in Puerto Rico. She says, okay. The last time she spoke to Nina, Nina was knee-deep in wedding planning. It sounded like a huge event here in Port Charles. He says he guesses Nina changed her mind, and Willow asks if this means they get out of going to the wedding, but he says, no such luck. They’re definitely on the guest list. Sonny wants them to fly down to Puerto Rico.
Valentin says, she’s leaving town? but Nina says, it’s just for a few days. Don’t worry. She feels silly talking about it, given everything Valentin is going through, but she and Sonny are going to Puerto Rico; they’re eloping. He says he thought she was having a big wedding at the MetroCourt, and she says, that was the plan, but it got complicated, and it was really stressful. They just want to get married as soon as possible and the best solution was to have a small ceremony on Sonny’s island. He says, if that’s what she wants, he’s happy for her, and she says, he can always call her, but he says he’s not going to call her. He’s not going to interrupt her wedding. Unless she wants Sonny after him. Besides, Laura’s coming back from London. They’re going to figure out what to do about Charlotte together. Charlotte walks in and asks if Valentin is keeping things from her.
Robert says, Anna will do whatever she wants, so what does she need? She says, let’s just look at the recent events, starting with the shooting at the pool. She thinks that bullet was meant for Sonny, not her. Robert says, he’s got his fair share of enemies, and Anna says, so does she, but she thinks she’s being targeted in a completely different way. He says he doesn’t follow, and she says, after the shooting at the pool, her house was torched. Then her room here was vandalized. What does that tell him? He says, that her enemy is toying with her. They’re trying to break her down. What is she going to do about that?
Charlotte says, Valentin didn’t tell her Nina was coming over. She was putting her bike away, and she saw Nina’s car out front. She’s so happy to see Nina. They hug, and Nina says, it’s so nice to see Charlotte. How is she? Charlotte says, much better now that she’s living with papa, and Nina says, it’s a beautiful place. Is she settling in okay? Charlotte says, everything’s perfect. Can Nina stay and have lunch with them? Nina says, no, she’s so sorry. She just came over to tell Charlotte’s dad that she was leaving town for a few days. She and Sonny are going to Puerto Rico. Charlotte says, cool. She wishes she and papa could take a trip with Nina someday. Nina says she’s not sure Anna would be so thrilled with that, and Charlotte says she knows. She was just thinking how great it would be if they could go to Europe. Remember how they used to always talk about doing that? Nina says, that’s right. How about this? They plan a girls trip, just the two of them. Maybe she can convince Maxie to allow Georgie to come with them. She likes Georgie, right? (The way she says this, she may as well have been saying, Charlotte’s not going to set fire to Georgie, is she?) Charlotte says, yeah. She used to see Georgie a lot when her mom was still with them. But she’d rather just go with Nina if papa can’t come with them. Nina says, it’s a deal, and Charlotte says she loves Nina. They hug, and Nina says she loves Charlotte too.
Alexis tells Gregory, it looks like Judge Kim has a number of high-profile cases. His opinions that he wrote for his decisions read like bait for a promotion. Gregory asks, can you elaborate on that for those of us who didn’t attend law school? and she says, from what she can tell, it sounds like he’s trying to impress the Judicial Board in hopes of a higher appointment. Gregory asks how he goes about that, and she says, when judges are trying to climb the ladder, they set new precedents. And they do that with their opinions. And what they want is for those precedents to be appealed and upheld. So in simpler terms, it looks like Judge Kim is trying to get the attention of those above him. And if that’s the case, then maybe they can help him do just that.
Carly thanks Sonny for everything he’s doing for Drew’s case, and he says, Drew’s a good man. He doesn’t deserve what’s happening to him. And Drew being in prison affects her, and no matter what’s happened between them, she’s the mother of his children and he just wants her to be happy. She says, that means a lot. So from all the research Diane has gathered, it looks like Judge Kim is hoping for a promotion to the Federal Bench. She’s thinking he’d be more than happy to meet with the press and cooperate. He says, that gives Alexis a way in, and she says, that’s all they have for now. Sonny says, do him a favor and tell Drew to sit tight, because he’s doing everything he can behind the scenes to get him out of there. Carly says she will and asks if he ever found out who Austen was visiting in Pentenville.
Gregory tells Alexis, from the look on her face, he’d say she has a plan. What is she thinking? She says, her guess is, this guy has an ego; most judges do. He says he hears the same about lawyers, and she says she’s not sure who’s worse, but what she thinks is, this guy is really career oriented. He wants to get ahead which means he’ll be very susceptible to the lure of publicity. Gregory says, and that’s where she comes in, and she says, they call him in for an interview. They pump him up. They tell him that they’re interested in doing an article about his decisions, take some pictures, and hopefully he’ll eat it up. Gregory says, and then, she goes in for the kill and ask him about Drew’s sentence. She says, mm-hmm, and he says, good plan of attack. Like he said, ruthless.
Sonny tells Carly, unfortunately, they have no information on that yet. They don’t know who’s pulling the strings when it comes to Austen and Mason. She says, trailing Betty didn’t turn up anything? and he says he had Dex watching her every move, thinking she’d lead them to the boss, but that didn’t happen. They have someone watching Austin, and his guys are doing everything they can until he gets back from the wedding. She says, that’s what he should be concentrating on right now, and he says he knows. She says she’s going to have Donna packed and all ready to go. She can’t wait to see Donna’s face when she tells her. Please take a couple of pictures of Donna for her. He says, okay, and she says, let her know if he hears from Ava. She can just bring Avery here and he can pick up both girls at the same time. He says, thanks, that means a lot, and she says, it’s been a painful couple years. He agrees, and she says, and she just wants him to be happy too. He says, yeah. He feels the same way. They soap stare at each other for a moment, while the moss bowl🎍 yawns, and Sonny says he’ll see her.
Kristina says she’s flying down to Puerto Rico later for her dad’s wedding, and Blaze says, a destination wedding. How exciting. Dante says, they’re eloping, thank God, and Kristina says, Dante. He says he’s just telling it like it is. He thinks they’re being smart by keeping it a small, family ceremony. (Is that really eloping then?) Kristina asks why he says that, and he tells her, because he thinks if they had a big wedding in Port Charles, they’d be asking for trouble.
Anna says, this is where Robert comes in. She needs his help. Because she’s almost certain this threat is coming from inside the WSB. Or someone with access to the Bureau’s resources. He asks if she thinks this is the same person who outed her for being a double-agent, and she says she has her suspicions. Look at the timing; think about it. None of this started until she was exposed in the press. It has to be connected. It can’t just be a coincidence. He says, this is revenge from someone she’s wronged in a past case? and she says her actions hurt a lot of people who might want payback. He says, she hasn’t been an active operative in years. Could somebody hold a grudge that long? She says she doesn’t know. She just really needs his help to get some information from inside the Bureau. He tells her, as he said, since Frisco left, his influence there is limited. As for this new director, whatever influence he might have is going to be limited at best. She says, limited is better than non-existent. Please. Will he help her find out what is going on and who is after her?
Nina says, it was so good to see Charlotte. Does she remember their handshake? They do a fancy pattycake thing, and Nina says she has to go to the gallery. She’s been trying to get ahold of Ava with no luck, so she thought she’d try her there. Charlotte says she misses Nina so much. Please come over after her trip. Nina says she will, and kisses Charlotte’s forehead. Valentin walks her to the door, and outside, he thanks her for coming. It meant a lot to Charlotte. It’s good to see her smile. Nina says, they’re going to figure this out when she gets back, okay? and they hug as Charlotte watches. He tells Nina, have a nice trip, and Charlotte half smiles.
Willow says, fly to an intimate wedding? It would be one thing if it was 200 guests at the MetroCourt. They’d be able to blend into the background, but this… Michael says, yeah. It would just be family, so they’d be front and center. She says she knows she’s been pushing him lately to accept Nina, but this is a lot. He’s finally made peace with his dad and Nina, and it’s so new. He asks if she really wants to put it to the test.
Alone outside, Nina looks at a picture of Charlotte as a young child. She says, Charlotte, what happened to you? As she starts to go down the walk, her phone rings. Sonny asks, how is his bride-to-be? and she says she’s okay, but he says she doesn’t sound okay. What’s wrong? She says, it’s just been an emotional day. Where is he? He says he’s been all over town doing things, but he’s finished now. He’s all hers. She says, that’s all she’s ever wanted, and he says, then she better get packing. We’re getting married. She says, yes, we are.
On Monday, Nina says, this is the best wedding present she could ever ask for; Gregory tells Finn, now because of him, Chase is paying the price; Carly tells Alexis that there’s proof, and she can get it for her; and Cyrus asks what someone has in store for him.
🚗 Enjoy the Ride…
We say goodbye to Gladys. Her last scenes with Sonny were so much fun!
She must be doing something right. She looks amazing. And what I said yesterday. It really is ridiculous how they all just keep circling the same dating drain.
That holiday we jump over between Halloween and whatever December holiday you celebrate now has its own slasher film. If Eli Roth is involved, it’s bound to be good.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. – Lao Tzu
Expecting life to treat you well because you are a good person is like expecting an angry bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian. – Shari R. Barr
Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great. – John D. Rockefeller
The deeper the truth in a creative work, the longer it will live. – Sir Charlie Chaplin
It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it. – Abraham Lincoln
He ain’t no Christian; he’s a dope fiend. – Judge Mathis
Great things are done by a series of small things brought together. – Vincent Van Gogh
True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us. – Socrates
October is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen. It is the distant hills once more in sight, and the enduring constellations about them once again. – Hal Borland
🦖 Main Character Energy…
Join me again on Monday really Tuesday for soap and yachting with awful people. Until then, stay safe, stay treating and not tricking (take that however you like), and stay making parties celebrations not deadlines.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Valentine is about to call Nina, when Anna walks in and says, so this is where he’s been hiding out. He says he hasn’t been hiding; he’s been making a home. For us. Charlotte walks in and asks why the door is open, and then she sees Anna.
Trina and Spencer go into their hotel room (why didn’t he get a suite?), and she says, the Met was amazing. He asks if she was really surprised, and she says she knew they were going to the Met, but didn’t expect a private tour of the archives. He kisses her and says, it makes him happy to see her so happy. She says she can’t believe he did that for her, and he says, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her, gently pushing her onto the bed and kissing her.
Finn washes Chase’s eyes out at the hospital and asks if it feels any better. Chase says, some. His eyes were really starting to burn. Finn says he knows they teach gun safety at the academy, but what about pepper spray safety? Chase says, that’s funny. He’ll have Finn know that he was able to defuse a volatile situation without gunfire. It was worth the collateral damage. Finn says, good. No driving for a half hour, doctor’s orders. He gives Chase his shirt, because of course (🍷) it’s off, and says he’ll see Chase in the lounge when he’s done.
As Finn goes to the desk, Tracy comes out of the elevator and tells him to congratulate her. He says, congratulations. Who’d she fire now? She says, sadly, no one, but she did just get reinstated on the hospital board.
Gregory goes to Alexis’s office and says he knows she’s swamped, but did she get a chance to read his op-ed piece? He emailed it to her. She says she’ll check her box as soon as she gets a chance, but he says he has a hard copy here. It’ll save her some time, and he’d love for her to read it. She says she’s almost done, and as soon as she finishes this, she’ll read it. He leaves it on her desk, but as he leaves, it slips off. She goes around the desk to pick up the papers and sees his bucket list is among them. She says, sky dive… go to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam… take Violet to Disneyland… do hot yoga… read Anna Karenina… hike Machu Picchu… going to racing school. She shakes her head.
Sonny says, let him ask Gladys one question. How is she going to pay for this trip? Because he already knows she stole Sasha’s money to pay back her gambling debt to Selina Wu. She says, that’s not how it went, and he says, shut up. He doesn’t want to hear any more lies. He’s going to make sure she’s not going to lie again. Does she understand what he’s saying? She says, please… but he says, no. What does she want? Does she want him to listen to more lies? Does she want him to ignore she betrayed his trust, dishonored her own son, and robbed his widow? She says she never meant… and he yells that he doesn’t care what she meant. He knows exactly what she did, and now she’s going to pay for it.
Mac tells Officer Daniels that he wants Cody brought to interrogation room one.
Montague throws Sasha on the bed, and is about to inject her, when the door slams open and Cody is there. Montague asks what the hell he’s doing here, and Cody says, drop the syringe and let Sasha go. Montague says he’s sorry. He doesn’t take orders from mental patients wanted for assault and kidnapping. Sasha says, Cody tried to save her from him, and Montague says, they are coocoo birds, pulling Sasha up. He’s walking out of here and he’s taking her with him.
Anna says hi to Charlotte, and Charlotte asks how she likes their home. Anna says, it’s lovely, and Charlotte thanks her. She tells Valentin that Jake asked if they could meet at the skatepark. He wants to show her a trick, and she finished all her homework at school. He says, fine, have fun, be careful, and she says she always is. She runs back out saying acknowledging Valentin, but not Anna, and Valentin says, sorry about that. She’s enjoying the new house and attention from Jake. Anna says, sure, and they go back inside. Valentin says he owes her an apology.
Back in bed, Spencer kisses Trina and says he hates that they have to leave the bed. She says, their time here went by so fast, but she’s going to remember every single moment. He says, it was amazing watching her at the museum today, and she says, watching her? He was supposed to be looking at the art. He says, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was so in her element, and she seemed so happy. She seemed so intense. She tells him, be careful. He’s going to make her fall in love with him even more. He says, she’s in love with him? and she says, he knows she is. He says, it works out because he’s crazy in love with her, and they kiss some more.
Gregory comes back to Alexis’s office and asks what she thinks. She says she’s sure it’s perfect, and hands him the folder. He says, that’s great, but he was hoping she’d read it. He always respects her opinion. She says she will. She’ll read it on her phone during one of her endless circulation meetings. He says, okay, and starts to leave, but drops the folder. As he picks the papers up, he sees his bucket list is in them, and Alexis smiles at him.
Finn tells Tracy, that’s a lot of work. What on earth possessed her? She says, her family has donated a great deal of money to this hospital, and she thought it would behoove her to make sure their investment isn’t mismanaged. He says, since she’s technically one of his bosses, he probably should pretend to be working. As he’s walking away, he says, backgammon Thursday? and she says, definitely.
Sonny tells Gladys, it’s time to come clean. She stole from Sasha, then when Sasha was ready to get her money back, Gladys hired a doctor to mess with her head. Sam says, actually it was worse than that, and Sonny asks, what could be worse than that? Sam says, the doctor was Gladys’s poker buddy and he put Sasha on a medication that made her hallucinate when taken in combination with her antidepressant. Sonny says, and that’s when she stabbed Cody? and Gladys says she swears she never asked him to drug Sasha. When she found out what he was doing, she tried to make him stop. She did everything she could to set Sasha free. He yells, another lie!
Daniels tells Mac that Cody isn’t here. He left in the custody of Detective Falconari. He said he was taking Cody back to Ferncliff. Mac says, come on. Let’s go.
Montague says, get away from the door, but Cody says, no. This can never work. Montague says, it can work. There’s enough propofol in this syringe to turn Sasha into Sleeping Beauty. Only all the Prince Charmings in the world won’t be enough to wake her up. Or if she’s lucky, it will kill her. Is this how Cody wants this fairytale to end? Sasha says, don’t listen to him, and Montague says, shut up. He has nothing to lose now, and that makes a man brave. Does Cody want to gamble? Cody walks toward them and tells Sasha that it’s going to be okay. Montague walks her past Cody and asks if she heard him. Everything’s going to be just fine. Janice comes to the door, and Montague says, oh good. He’s going to need her help.
Cody tells Janice, call security, but Montague says, don’t listen to him. Cody kidnapped Sasha and assaulted him. Janice asks what Montague is doing, and Sasha says, he’s been drugging her since before she even got here. Janice says she’s going to call security, but Montague says, she’s not going to move… unless she wants Sasha’s death on her hands. Now listen to him. She’s going to make sure every security door is open, so he and his friend here can go out the back entrance. If he hears any alarms go off when they walk out, she dies. And Mr. Bell is going to stay here or she dies. Now, Janice. Sasha elbows him and runs. Janice takes off, and Cody pushes Montague against the hallway wall, slamming his hand against it until he drops the syringe. Dante pops out from around the corner, aiming his gun, and says, Cody.
Sonny says, if Gladys wanted to set Sasha free, she would have come to him and told him what she did. That would have been thinking of Sasha’s safety instead of trying to save her own skin. Sam says, when has she ever cared about anyone else? and Sonny says, never, but Gladys says, that’s not true. Brando was… Sonny says, she told everyone Brando was dead so she could collect the insurance money. When his father got Alzheimer’s, she wanted to worm her way into the family. Gladys says, no. She loved Mike. Sonny says, do not lie to him again.
Trina asks how Spencer was able to get them a private tour through the archives, and he says he pulled a few strings. He had no idea she was going to like it as much as she did though. She asks if he’s kidding. Seeing the artists’ work at its different stages and hearing the tour guide talk in such great detail, she loved it. She feels like it’s going to make her see art in a different way now. She feels like she’s been looking at paintings with her eyes, her perspective only, and after learning about such amazing works of art – the process and the politics of the time, the materials – she feels like it helped her see art from another perspective; like she’s seeing it from their eyes. She knows it sounds ridiculous. He says, it’s not ridiculous at all. It makes perfect sense. He kisses her again.
Alexis says, sorry, it was in with the article, and Gregory says, that’s all right. He guesses he was trying to decide what should be next on the list, and the page got mixed up in the article. She says, it’s a very impressive and diverse list, and he says, she said she’d him get rid of one of them. She says, okay, what’s next? and he says, skydiving. Does she want to help him knock another one off the list? She says, of course (🍷) he’d want to pick that one first, and he smiles.
On the phone, Tracy tells Monica, yes, it was pointed out to her that the hospital board is a lot of work. Chase sits in the waiting area, and Tracy says she has to go. She’ll see Monica at home. She goes over to Chase and asks if he’s all right. He says he’s fine, and she says, he’s clearly not fine. Did something happen to Brook? He says, no, and she sits down and says, is it his father? Did he fall down again? Is Gregory in the ER? She was just talking to Finn; they should go get him. Chase tells her, slow down. What is she talking about? She says, he was crying, so she thought… He says, that his father fell? He got hit with some pepper spray; it was nothing. She laughs and says she didn’t think he had to use that stuff. She hopes he feels better. She starts to walk away, but he says, oh no. Not so fast. She’s not going anywhere until she tells him what’s going on. She says, nothing’s going on. She was mistaken. He says he can see she knows something he doesn’t. Now tell him what it is.
Trina asks if Spencer thinks she really makes sense when she talks about art, and he says, yeah. When she looks at a painting, she doesn’t just see brush strokes and style. She sees the artist’s intent, and she sees the passion and the underlying intent of the painting. It doesn’t even come as a surprise to him because he thinks that’s just who she is. It’s how she’s been since the day he met her. She’s an empathetic person and she’s completed parts of him that he didn’t even know needed to be completed. He’s glad they were able to share this weekend because it’s all he ever wanted.
Valentin says he’s been keeping secrets, and Anna laughs. She says, so she sees, and you know what? So has she. She thinks that’s the pattern in their relationship. He says, after the fire, she was so despondent, he went looking for another home and he found this place. The deal was difficult, so Martin stepped in and finessed it. She says she knew Martin was involved because she followed Valentin here one day. She didn’t know who it was he was meeting, but then she remembered Martin had come to their hotel room with paperwork for him to sign, so then it kind of all made sense. He says he’s given her far too many reasons not to trust him, and she agrees. Sneaking around inside, Charlotte listens at the door, and Anna asks why he’d feel the need to keep this secret.
Sonny says, Gladys never loved his dad, and if he hadn’t gotten Alzheimer’s, he’d have seen that. She saw it as an opportunity to worm her way into the family; saying how great family is and that she believed in family. And he went along with it because it was his dad’s last days, and he wanted them to be good days. Maybe he just believed it a bit. He doesn’t know. She says, it was true, but he says, it was a lie, like everything else. She starts to cry, and he says, she used his dad like she used her son and she used Sasha. He’s going to tell her right now, the days of her using anyone are over.
Dante tells Cody to let Montague go, and he does, stepping away and raising his hands. Mac joins them with Janice and Daniels, and asks, what’s going on? Montague says, thank God he’s here. Cody tried to kill him and Mac’s own officer witnessed it. Sasha says, that’s a lie, and Montague says, of course (🍷) she’d side with him. She’s very sick and he broke her out of here. Mac asks if Janice saw what happened, and Montague says he called her for assistance. Before she was about to call security, this officer stopped Mr. Bell. Mac asks if that’s what happened, but Janice says, no. Dr. Montague was holding that syringe on Miss Gilmore. He threatened to kill her if Janice didn’t let him escape. Mac tells Daniels, cuff him, and tells Dante to make sure he reads Montague him his rights. Dante says, will do, and Daniels takes Montague into Sasha’s room. Dante follows them in and starts giving Montague his rights. Cody tells Sasha, it’s finally over, and she thanks him, hugging him.
Trina tells Spencer that she’ll never forget this weekend. And not just because of the beautiful necklace he gave her. He says, this is actually a selfish gift, because whenever she wears it, she’ll be reminded of the incredible weekend they had together, which he needed. It’s been so nice getting some time away from Port Charles and all the distractions there. It’s made him see so much clearer just how much he loves her. She says she loves him too, and he says, they still have time before they leave. Should they go out for one last meal? She says, he’s making it sound like they’re going before a firing squad, and he says he’s just trying to be considerate. He knows she hasn’t eaten since breakfast, and she pointed out that one restaurant near Lincoln Center. She says she is a little hungry, but she’d rather eat here. (I will not make a joke. I will not make a joke…) He says, at the hotel dining room? But she says, in bed. He says, that sounds pretty good. Room service it is. They kiss.
Valentin tells Anna, at first he kept it a secret because he didn’t know if they were going to close, and he didn’t want to disappoint her. She says, he didn’t want to disappoint her? and he says he bought the house for her. For us, so we could move in here with Charlotte. We can start a life together. Still hiding, Charlotte shakes her head.
Mac tells Daniels to leave Montague handcuffed to the bed while he gets the nurse’s official statement, and Daniels leaves. Mac says, so Dante thought Cody should come to Ferncliff for some official reason? Dante says he thought it would look good for the department if Cody was evaluated, and Mac says, very clever. Dante says, technically… and Mac says, Dante covered his ass. So how did Cody end up confronting Montague? Dante says, Montague was leaving Ferncliff. Cody wanted to follow him, but he told Cody to stay here, and he followed him. He looked like he was going to leave and took a turn on a dirt road near the entrance, ditched his car, and came back here. Mac says, and Dante got back here just in time to stop Cody, and Dante says, yeah. This guy’s been drugging Sasha for months. He nearly killed her. They have a solid witness in that nurse. Montague glares at them, and Dante says, Cody did good. Mac agrees and says, the doctor’s going away for a long time.
In the hallway, Cody gives Sasha some water and she thanks him. She says she was so afraid this was all going to blow up in their faces and Dr. Montague would get away with it. But he didn’t. Cody says, yeah, and Gladys won’t either.
Sonny asks Sam to excuse them for a second, and Sam says, sure. Gladys says, don’t leave her here, but Sam says she’s sure Sonny’s going to do exactly what needs to be done, and leaves. Gladys tells Sonny that she’s sorry. She’s so, so sorry. It was the gambling. It’s a disease, an addiction. She had no control over it. She got in over her head and there was no way out. None of this was supposed to happen. He says, but it did happen – he takes his jacket off – and now you’re going to pay.
Tracy says she thinks Chase should speak to his father, and he says, about what? His father only puts up with her because of Brook, so how could she know something about his father falling that he doesn’t know? She tells him that she didn’t say she knew anything, and he says, dammit. Tell him what’s going on. Finn comes down the stairs, and Tracy says, oh God. His father has ALS. She turns around and sees Finn, and Chase says, oh my God.
Alexis says, pick something else, and Gregory says, Machu Picchu will have to wait. She says, definitely, and he says he’s got it.
Alexis sweats in hot yoga class, and she and Gregory look at one another.
Trina wishes they could stay like this forever, and Spencer says he wishes the world worked that way. But there are people back in Port Charles who miss her, like her mom and her dad. He kisses her hand, and she says she’s thinking about when her dad made her realize how fragile life is. She’s thinking about what he’s going through and it makes her feel guilty for being so happy. He says, her dad would want her to be happy, although her mom might not be terribly pleased with the person who’s making her happy. She says she thinks her mom is just being protective. Deep down she knows Spencer is a good person. (Does she?) She knows he loves his little brother and he’d do anything to protect him. He says he just doesn’t want his brother to feel abandoned, and she says, he won’t. There’s knock at the door, and a voice says, room service. Spencer tells her to stay where she is; he’ll get it.
Anna tells Valentin, it certainly is a very beautiful house, in a gorgeous location. It’s perfect. He says he should have talked to her about it. He just wanted to ride in like a White Knight and say, here’s her wonderful new home. Come live with him. He should have asked her what she wanted. But she can’t blame him, because all he ever wanted was a life with her. Charlotte flashes back to receiving the package from Victor, opening it, and taking out the cards and letter. She reads: My dearest Charlotte, it is with a heavy heart that I must write to you and share my concerns about our family’s future; a family I cherish and would give my life for. My concern centers around your father and the path I believe he’s headed down, one filled with unhappiness and danger. I’m afraid your father has gotten weak, Charlotte. I had so much hope for him, but he’s forgotten how truly important family is since he’s fallen in love with Anna Devane. Anna has completely manipulated your father. She has taken advantage of his infatuation with her. God knows, her charms escape me, but she’s used them to control your father. Her extensive training in espionage has afforded her to mask who she really is. I tell you this: Anna Devane is not who she seems. Do not trust her, not for a minute, and it’s imperative you never forget, you are strong, Charlotte. Cassadine women are often the most formidable. Even if Valentin brings Anna further into your life, I know you’ll never succumb to her so-called charms. You won’t let her destroy what our family stands for. She is a liar, capable of treacherous deceit. Be wary and be warned. Be armed. You must stay strong. You must use any weapon you can to defeat Anna, because your father clearly will do whatever she asks. And she will use his feelings. She will use your father. She’ll lead him into danger. She will lead him to his death. My dear Charlotte, you are the only one who can protect your father from Anna Devane. You, his most cherished possession, must save him. To guide you, I’m giving you these very special tarot cards. They are powerful tools, Charlotte. You’ll find them helpful. Use them wisely. Use them to protect and save your father, a man we both love dearly. Your loving grandfather, Victor Cassadine.
The yoga instructor thanks everyone for coming, and thanks the newcomer. Namaste. Alexis says, nama-hot, and Gregory laughs. He says, that was a lot better than he ever thought it would be, and she says, he’s kidding, right? He thanks her for enduring the class, and she says she’s glad he enjoyed it. He says he really did; he feels great. She says, good. Actually, it wasn’t that bad. He says, so she’ll be back? and she says, no. What’s next? He guesses a shower, but she says, no. She means, what’s next on his bucket list. He says, oh. He’s going to wait to decide until after he tells Chase. She says, he hasn’t told Chase yet? and he says, Chase has been so happy with Brook, and he knows when he tells Chase that he has ALS, it’s going to break both of their hearts.
Chase asks Finn, is it true? and Finn says, yes. Chase asks if he’s here, but Finn says, no. He knows it’s difficult. Try to stay calm. Chase says, their father is dying, and Finn says, Gregory was going to tell Chase. Chase asks how long Gregory has known, and Finn says, a few months. Chase says, what? And Finn has too? Finn says, no. Gregory only told him a couple of weeks ago. Chase says, a couple of weeks? How could he not know, but his father tells his son who cut him out of his life for twenty years? Finn says, this has been very difficult for him, and Chase says, Tracy knew? but she says, it wasn’t like that. Chase says, like what? Like she and his brother knew his father was dying, and nobody cared to tell him about it? He starts to leave, and Finn says, wait, reaching for Chase’s arm, but Chase says, don’t even think about it. He thanks Tracy for being honest with him, and she says she’s so sorry. She really thought he knew. Looking at Finn, he says, obviously, she was mistaken, and leaves. He goes outside, leans against the building, and sinks to the ground.
Sasha says, Cody saved her life. He believed in her. He says he wasn’t the only one, when Dante joins them and says, the only one what? Cody says, who believed in Sasha, and Sasha says, he’s right. If Dante and Sam hadn’t believed in her, she could have been locked in here for the rest of her life, or worse. Dante says, Cody made a compelling case, and Sam believed in Sasha from the beginning. She knew from the start something was wrong and she was determined to prove it. And when she’s determined… Cody goes into the room with Montague and says, not a good feeling, is it, doc? Now he’s the one in Sasha’s place; trapped, helpless.
Sonny tells Gladys, sit down, and she does. He sits opposite her and says, in these situations, he thinks it’s best for people like her to get everything off their chest before it’s all over. She says, over? and he says, tell him everything without whining and excuses. This is something she needs for her soul. She says, the gambling debt was to Selina Wu. She threatened Gladys, so she paid her with Sasha’s money. She ended up owing Selina more, then Sasha wanted to end the guardianship, so she made a deal with Montague to make Sasha look unfit. He gave her medication that was just supposed to confuse her, but she swears… Sonny says, stop whining. He told her to stop whining. He smiles and says, she used Sasha. She took advantage of Sasha’s love and trust and locked her in a living hell. Just say it. Gladys says she used Sasha and took advantage of her love and trust… She cries, and Sonny says, finish it. She says, and locked her in a living hell, and he says, that’s good. But now she’s going to have to see what it’s going to cost her. He stands up and calls for Frank. Frank comes in and Gladys looks terrified.
Spencer says, boarding passes are downloaded, and the bellhop has the bags, and Trina says she’s glad Spencer left room in his suitcases. She could have never fit all the stuff she bought here. He helps her zip up her bag and asks if she’s all set. She says, goodbye, room. Thank you. They smile at each other and leave.
Anna says, Valentin might not have handled this beautifully, but she thinks the sentiment is beautiful. He says, unfortunately, now that they have the house, the circumstances have kind of changed, and she asks, what’s happened? He says, after the fire, he lost focus on what was going on with his daughter. Anna says, she’s had a lot of adjustments this year, and Valentin agrees. Boarding school, living with Laura and then Sam and Dante and their kids. Charlotte continues to listen in, and Anna says, she seems very happy now though. He says, but it’s made him realize he has to give her his undivided attention right now, and she says she gets that. He says he’s so sorry. He bought this house for Anna and now he realizes it’s not the right time to ask her to live with them. She says she understands. Charlotte needs some time alone. He says, she does, and she says, his love for his daughter is very beautiful. He promises, as soon as everything is right, they’ll move in together, and kisses her. Charlotte peeks out from around the door, and hears Victor’s voice say, you must use any weapon you can to defeat Anna.
Gregory hopes at some point, Alexis reads his op-ed piece, and she promises to do it as soon as humanly possible. He thanks her for everything, and she thanks him back. She says she’s got a question, and he says, shoot. She says, he never read Anna Karenina? He says he’s starting it tonight.
Tracy follows Finn into his office and says she’s so sorry. She saw Chase was crying, and she naturally… He says, not her fault. It’s been way too long. They should have told him. He should have told Chase; he had a right to know. Tracy says, Finn was just trying to respect his father’s wishes. There’s no good way to handle a situation like this. Finn says, but he handled it the wrong way, all wrong.
Montague says, Cody really screwed up this one, didn’t he? Assault? Kidnapping? He’ll explain it away as just a misunderstanding. He was just defending himself. Cody says he doesn’t think that’s going to happen, but just in case… He punches Montague in the stomach, and Montague doubles over. Dante and Mac come in, and Dante tells Cody, let’s go. Mac asks if everything is okay, and Montague says, this man assaulted him again, and the officer saw it. Mac says, Dante? and Dante says he didn’t see anything actually. Mac tells Daniels to transport Montague to the station and book him on attempted murder, among other things. If looks could kill, Montague would see all them dead.
Janice tells Sasha that she’s so sorry, but Sasha says, it’s not her fault. He had a lot of people fooled. Cody comes out, and Janice leaves. Cody asks if Sasha is ready to get out of here, and she asks Dante if they can go. Dante says, absolutely, and Sasha thanks him. They all leave.
Sonny says, Frank’s going to take Gladys on a little ride, and she says, Sonny, please. He says, to Bridgeport. Back to her old life. And if she leaves Bridgeport, he’ll know about it; and if she tells anybody they’re related, he’ll know about it. If she even puts a quarter in a slot machine, he’ll know about it. She does any of those things, and Frank will take her on another ride (ha-ha-ha!), which will be her last ride. She says she understands. She doesn’t know how to thank him for everything… He says, don’t thank him. Get out of his sight. She moves for her suitcase, but he says, don’t touch that luggage. Sasha paid for that luggage. It’s not hers. Frank leads Gladys out of the apartment.
Tomorrow, Kristina says, tell her when and where, and she’s there; Anna asks for Robert’s help; Nina tells Valentin that she’s leaving town; and Sonny asks someone for a favor.
Southern Doubtful Charm
When we left, Olivia was weeping in her car over Austen and Taylor. She and Taylor drive their separate ways, and Olivia calls Leva. She tells Leva about her conversation with Taylor, saying Taylor and Austen had considered dating, and Leva says she’s shocked. Olivia says she and Austen had been talking about fixing things between them at the same time he was talking with Taylor, and a week later, he had a change of heart. She’d even encouraged the friendship. Olivia is genuinely bummed, and Leva says she’s so sorry. Olivia says, Austen is a POS. She’s not wrong, but for other reasons.
Taylor calls Austen and tells him what she told Taylor. She says she thought Taylor would appreciate the honesty, but it was the opposite. Austen says, there was no good time to tell Olivia, and Taylor says she was well within her rights. No one was dating anyone. In Taylor’s interview, she wonders if Austen and Olivia were ever really together, but at that time, they weren’t speaking. Austen says he’s sick of walking on eggshells.
Patricia says she needs more closets, and Shep tries to instruct Little Craig on using the doggy door. Success! Rod visits JT, and JT says, the one thing covid gave him was Rod. In JT’s interview, he says he and a couple of business partners bought several historical properties in the same neighborhood with the intention of making them an Airbnb called The Inns. They turned a POS building into a clubhouse, and it looks like Gerard Butler’s penthouse is Chelsea. Rod says he talked to Austen, and Austen was smiling in his face as he said he wanted Olivia to be happy, but let Rod know that he’d seen her kissing another guy. JT says, Austen was trying to jab him, and Rod says, he also slut shamed Olivia. JT asks if Rod ever had a sleepover, and Rod says, it was even a forbidden sleepover. JT says, Taylor talked to Olivia about Austen, and Rod says, they’re not in a good place. JT says, it takes two to tango, but it’s always the guy’s fault. That’s right, JT, it is.
Taylor gets ready for the Après Ski party at Republic, and Leva comes in to help. An ice sculpture ski slope with groves for drinking is set up. Austen texts Taylor that he’s skipping out, then calls Shep, asking, what’s his plan? Shep says, Taylor invited him to her event and he hopes it’s a breakthrough. Austen says he’s happy for them and glad Shep is going, but he’s not. Shep asks, why? and Austen says, there’s a lot of sh*t going on. Taylor and Olivia met up, and Olivia expressed extreme unhappiness with Taylor. Shep asks if she said something had happened between them, but Austen says, nothing happened, hand on Bible. Shep says, like Austen’s so religious. Again, not wrong, but for different reasons.
At Republic, Leva asks if Taylor wants to chat, and Taylor says she’s excited for today. It’s her biggest launch and she wants to do a good job, but she’s also nervous. It’s a plethora of things. Leva says, yesterday was crazy. To be honest, Olivia called, and she was having a meltdown. Taylor owes her all of the truth. In Leva’s interview, she says, no one falls on a d*ck or falls into a relationship. She doesn’t know what it was, but she knows there was more to it. Leva says she adores them both and hates this, but Taylor says, today is about the launch. In Taylor’s interview, she says, she needs to separate business and friendship. She’s so right. Never work for a family run business. They will try to drag you into their fights. Even friends who own companies will do this. Sorry, I digress.
Everyone gets ready, except Austen. Shep tells Little Craig that all his ski stuff is in Hilton Head, then chases him wearing a lion head, like you do with dogs. Venita calls Madison, and in Venita’s interview, she says, Taylor could have picked a better theme. She can’t find anything to wear. We live in Charleston and don’t have coats. Madison says, Whitney told her that Austen isn’t coming; they’re hanging out tonight. Venita tells her that Leva said, Olivia didn’t know if she was coming. She and Taylor are on the outs because Taylor told Olivia that for a split second she had feelings for Austen. Their friendship might be done. Madison says she told them so, and in her interview, she says, roll the tape. We flash back to all the times Madison said Austen was low key in love with Taylor, and she says, poor Olivia. Venita says, it’s going to be a fun night. Shep calls Olivia, who says she’s second guessing going. Shep says he talked to Austen and he’s not going, and Olivia thanks him for passing on the message. In Olivia’s interview, he says, the fact Austen isn’t coming is Exhibit A. She knows how to compartmentalize and is supporting Taylor because she cares about the friendship. She asks if Shep wants to ride together, and after she hangs up, she says she guesses she’ll make a drink now. Oh yeah. It’s always good to show up drunk to support someone you hate. What is wrong with these people? That’s not the first time I’ve thought that during the episode, just the first time I’m writing it.
It starts to pour, but Leva tells Taylor not to stress. Tonight will be fun. In Taylor’s interview, she says, if she lets Leva down, it will not be good. She doesn’t know what to expect. The weather is sh*t and she has personal problems, but impressing Leva is her goal. She’s got to show up and show out. The guests drink from grooves carved in the luge, and the usual suspects show up, minus Austen. Craig wears a faux fur like the white with black trim on Cruella de Vil’s coat. In Taylor’s interview, she says she and Craig aren’t quite best foot forward yet. We flash back to Taylor screeching at Craig at Madison’s party, and Taylor says she’s trying to make amends. She tells him that she likes his winter coat a lot; it’s very Dumb and Dumber. Madison thinks it’s more Monsters, Inc, and in Venita’s interview, she says, Craig looks like pimp daddy junior. In Madison’s interview, she says she hates Craig’s coat. Leva says she thinks it’s petty that Austen couldn’t come and show support. He’s being a little bitch. If Olivia and Shep can come and suck it up, Austen can.
Austen goes to Whitney’s bearing champagne. Dogs! Austen hugs Peaches, and I’m envious. Whitney asks, what’s going on with Austen’s foibles in the love department? and Austen says, vodka first, as we all would. Whitney tells him the dog is wondering, what is this poison these humans are imbibing? Whitney asks, what happened that Austen’s not going to the party? and Austen says, Taylor called him crying and distraught. Whitney wonders what’s up with her always crying all the time, but I’d cry to if I was stuck with this friend group. Austen says, some people have feelings. He doesn’t know if Olivia still wants to be friends with him or if she’s going to the party. He wondered if Olivia would react if he hugged Taylor. Whitney says he was thinking Austen and Taylor might have something latent; there was a suspicion hovering. Austen asks, what if they made out? and Whitney asks if they did. Austen says, they didn’t, and Whitney says he’s guessing out of respect for Shep, they didn’t hook up. Austen says, if Olivia hooked up with Shep, does Whitney think Shep would say anything? but Whitney says, Austen is deflecting. He’s getting whipped up. In Whitney’s interview, he says, there have been rumblings that Austen and Taylor are closer than they’re letting on. The way Austen is reacting, he’s kind of smelling a rat. Seriously, these people have nothing better to do at their age? Oh God, Whitney is 55. Well, what do I expect from someone who lives with mom at that age. Although to tell the truth, I’d want to live with Patricia too. Second only to she-who-can-do-no-wrong LVP.
In the car, Shep says he doesn’t know what to expect, and asks Olivia if they just walk in and smile. Olvia asks if that isn’t the Charleston way, and Shep says, it’s the Southern way. He wants to get down to brass tacks, and asks, what the hell happened with her and Taylor? Olivia says, Taylor told her that she and Austen had a conversation about possibly being in a relationship, and the timeline was what knocked the wind out of her. It was after New York, when she and Austen had been hanging out. It’s just messy. Taylor said she went to her brother for advice, and Austen went to his sister. Shep says, if they’re running it by people, there’s more going on than just friendship. He doesn’t know what to say and tells her, maybe Taylor just needed arms to run into. But for Austen to be those arms and considering them as a couple is f***ing reprehensible.
Craig tells JT that his coat is fake, but it’s so absurd, people think it’s real. Pfft. No, they don’t. It’s actually the most fake looking fake fur I’ve ever seen, and I used to have one that looked so real, I stopped wearing it in NYC because I was afraid PETA would dump paint on me. JT says, it rubs him the wrong way that Austen broke brofessional courtesy by having the sleepover. He’s not saying anything nefarious happened. The alibi is that she slept in the guest room. Madison says, the last time she saw the guest room, there was no bed in it. Leva says she thinks someone should check. As Shep and Olivia walk in, Shep asks if people will think it’s weird that they’re arriving together, but Olivia says, they live near each other. Shep says, perception has become reality. Shep, the great philosopher. In Madison’s interview, she says she’s shocked to see Olivia. She doesn’t know a girl in America who would stay calm. She would rip Taylor’s hair out and her nickname would have been Patches. Seriously? What happened to the new Madison? And how old is she? Let’s check… She’s 33, old enough. But Shep. Shep is 43 years old. Why does he continue to act like he’s still in college? Maybe even high school? She asks how Taylor thinks it’s going, and Taylor says, it’s going well. She thanks Madison for being here, and it’s awkward AF. Taylor tells Madison, go grab a Day Chaser, which is the purpose of this whole thing. Rodrigo introduces boyfriend Tyler. They’re both super cute and should probably run if they want to keep their sanity. Olivia tells Taylor that she’s here to support. That’s all this is, and she just wants to let Taylor know. From years of squelching her feelings when she was with Shep, Taylor says, it means a lot to have Olivia here, and gives her a fake hug. Rod tells Madison about asking Olivia out.
Austen tells Whitney, the bad thing about alcohol is nothing, and Whitney says, author Martin Amis says, alcohol kills the past. Everything else, back, forward, everything is inconsequential. It made Austen more loveable to him. Austen says, they’re celebrating being men. He tells Whitney decides to call Craig, and Whitney says Austen is pissing him off. Austen calls, and Madison answers, House of Beauty. Whitney says he’s missed her, and Austen tells Craig to join them. Craig says, he can be there in 15, and Whitney says, bring Madison. Craig asks if it’s an open invite, but Whitney says, it’s not, just bring Madison.
Craig tells Shep about the call, and Shep says he and Olivia discussed what she and Taylor had discussed, and it’s not good. Taylor and Austen talked to their families about whether a relationship was a good idea or not, and it wasn’t a drunken moment. Craig says, if they had a conversation with their families, it crossed the line. Who makes up these rules? In Craig’s interview, he says he thought it was inappropriate that they were hanging out as friends, let alone friends with benefits. If they hooked up, it would be an insane betrayal to Shep. Shep says, it’s sickening, and calls Austen a sociopath. I wonder what that makes Shep? Craig says, Shep doesn’t have to talk to Austen, but he thinks Shep should come along. Shep says, give him ten minutes, and Craig says he will if Shep is coming, but he’s not waiting for Shep to make up his mind. Shep says he wants to think about it, and Craig says, let him know in five. Shep orders a tequila shot and a beer – a real beer, not a seltzer. Shep says, JT started this, and Craig says he’s leaving. Shep says he’s coming and tells JT that Taylor and Austen contemplated being in a relationship and he’s going to talk to Austen, but he’s not going scorched earth. JT says, it’s really f***ed up, and Rodrigo tells Shep, go talk to him. Shep says he hasn’t seen Whitney since he’s been back, and Taylor comes by. She tells Shep that he should be drinking the product, and Shep says, someone handed the beer to him. Taylor’s talk with Olivia shook her a little bit. He doesn’t want to upset her on her night, but he needs to talk to Austen, and he wants honesty. Taylor says he can get honesty from her too, and Shep says he’s surprised that she and Austen talked about whether they should see each other so quickly. Taylor says, they were never close to hooking up, but Shep says, they talked to their families. Taylor says she talked to her brother and Austen talked to his sister. He says, Taylor was upset with him about some girl, and we flash back to the Reunion when Taylor cried over Shep sleeping with a random shortly after they broke up. He says, meanwhile, she and Austen are wondering if they should do this. He thinks it’s a double standard. Maybe in Bizarro World. What is wrong with these people? Taylor says, right, but she hadn’t cheated during their relationship. Shep says, they spent six nights a week together for two and a half years, and Taylor says, she and Austen were both broken people. Shep says, they used to laugh about Austen’s behavior. She knows everything about Austen, and yet she thought, let’s give this a shot? She says she’s known Austen as long as she’s known Shep. Austen’s a good friend, but horrible at relationships. Leva breezes past, telling Shep, this is a work thing. Shep leaves, and tells Craig, it was a heavy-ass encounter. Craig says he hopes it was, since he stood in the rain waiting. Madison says, the worst case would be if Austen and Taylor actually want be together.
Craig says, let’s do this sh*t, and they get out at Whitney’s house. He tells Shep not to be a p*ssy. Do what he came to do. Whitney says, Shep looks stressed, and asks how tonight went. Shep says he’ll have some red wine, and Craig says, Shep had a heart to heart with everyone. Shep says, Olivia told him about her discussion with Taylor, and Austen asks how that went. Shep says, it went interestingly. That’s the nicest thing he has to say about it. He’d like to talk with Austen in private. Craig thinks they should talk now. He’s curious about what happened between Austen and Taylor. Whitney says, they should address this now, but Shep says he want to eat. Austen says he already ate, and suggests they go talk. In Craig’s interview, he says, Shep is usually the bad guy. Now Shep’s the victim and it’s hard to process all this stuff. How is Shep a victim? It’s not like anyone cheated on anybody. What’s wrong with these people? Clutching Peaches for comfort, Madison tells Austen, just say he’s sorry and he used protection, and Shep and Austen go to another room. In his interview, Craig says, the way Austen is making him feel sympathy toward Shep is crazy. Shep says, Austen told him nothing happened with Taylor, but in reality, Taylor might not have told him everything. Olivia told him that Taylor said she and Austen had a conversation about maybe getting together. Crickets chirp, and Shep says, that takes things to another level, and it’s difficult for Olivia to fathom. Craig asks Whitney what he thinks happened with Austen and Taylor, and Whitney says, there was probably an exchange of fluids.🤮Shep says he always thought Austen and Taylor were super tight and close, but he never thought it was anything more. Austen says, there was a lot of outside chatter, and Shep says, Austen is always vague. In vino veritas. Austen says, in wine there’s truth, and Shep says, speak the f***ing truth. Would Austen tell him if it was true? Austen says, if what was true? and Shep says, if Austen and Taylor hooked up. Austen says, define hooked up.
To be continued…
💭 This about that. To be clear, I have little sympathy for any of the players here, and care not at all if Austen and Taylor got busy, did the nasty, hooked up, or any variation thereof. But I can’t blame Austen for asking Shep to define hooked up. It seems to mean anything from meeting someone to making out to all the way home, depending on which day of the week it is. And wow, what a bunch of babies, especially Shep, trying to shame Taylor with the hypocrite label. I have no doubt he hooked up while he was with her, and what she was talking about at the Reunion was casual sex for him. While I don’t particularly like Austen, she has a point saying she’s known him just as long and he’s been a friend to her. That’s two totally different things. And really, this bunch needs a hobby. Getting down from the soapbox…
🐺 Honing My Howl…
Join me tomorrow for soap and a cornucopia of Friday amusement and knowledge. Until then, stay safe, stay always leaving room in your suitcase for stuff you’ll buy on your trip, and stay making your bucket list impressive and diverse.
Oh good God, this has been on for 17 seasons. Andy wants to take us somewhere, and we hit the virtual beach. He asks Tamra how it feels to be unpaused, and she says, great. She was a little nervous. That’s why she drank so much. Already the excuses start. We find out Emily lost 40 pounds, and Andy points out that Heather Fancy Pants is wearing all black. Now an official realtor, Gina says she has two homes in escrow. Jen doesn’t think she did enough meditation to prepare, and when Andy wonders how many pounds of hair Shannon has on her head, she says, not as many as Teresa did at her wedding. I don’t think I like this look on her. It’s like she’s trying to be a teenager from the 1970s. Andy says, Tamra came in hot and burning rubber, literally on a motorcycle, and she wasn’t afraid to burn a few bridges. We flash back, and the first clip is Tamra claiming she’s back with a different perspective. She doesn’t have to call everybody out. Funny how she did nothing but call people out. Andy asks where she and Shannon are and she says, great. They have their ups and downs and are definitely like sisters. He asks, how’s Eddie? and she says he started a supplement company that’s going to be launching soon. I will never be able to reconcile how shrew Tamra landed Eddie, who seems to be a decent guy, but then again, I only see bits and pieces of him. Maybe he’s a freak or a weirdo or both. A viewer asks how Fancy Pants feels about a friendship with Tamra, and Fancy Pants says, Tamra talked against her, and it makes her feel sad. Tamra says, she never did it on purpose, and Fancy Pants says, there wasn’t one episode where Tamra didn’t say something unkind about her. Tamra accuses Fancy Pants of running to Andy with that, but Fancy Pants says she did no such thing. She’s just a tiny cog in the Andy Cohen machine. When she does get a precious minute with him, they’re not talking about Tamra. Andy says, Fancy Pants never brought it up, and Tamra whines that Fancy Pants had said there was no place for her on the show. It’s time to move on, and Andy says, Tamra and Jenn had a friendship so messy, even a flying napkin couldn’t clean it up. We flash back to Tamra being absolutely abusive to Jenn, ending with her screeching that Jenn ruined her whole family, and it annoys me all over again. Andy says he thinks it’s admirable that Jenn has fostered kids, and Jenn says, it fulfilled her. Ever twisting even good things around, Tamra wonders if Jenn was a foster mom because she was lacking love. Gina says, Jenn didn’t destroy her family. Gina had the same situation in her life, and it’s okay to shift family dynamics. Andy says, they invited Ryan to the show, but he declined. Geez, I wonder why. Jenn says, he has a history with Tamra and Eddie, and felt if Tamra goes at him, he’d look like an a-hole going after a woman. It was a no win for him. Agreed. Andy asks if she thinks there’s a proposal in the future, and Emily asks if Jenn thinks he was ring shopping for the show? We flash back to Ryan’s shopping trip, and Jenn says, they’ve talked about marriage a lot. He’s ready, but waiting on her. She knows they all think she was doing all kinds of things she wasn’t, and they rehash the whole Ryan and Jenn thing. Tamra says she wants better for Jenn, and Jenn says, it’s none of her business. She thought Tamra was her friend. Tamra says she was until she found out Jenn cheated. Jenn says, no, you, and they call each other POS cheaters. It didn’t take long for me to hate Tamra all over again. Andy takes a break because I beg him to with a brain wave.
Jenn says, Tamra’s a cheater, and Tamra says she and Eddie have been married 13 years, like this means anything. Jenn says, Tamra is a sh*tty friend, and Andy says, the perception was, the minute Tamra came on, she went for Jenn. Tamra says she gave Jenn advice beforehand to be honest. Tamra rehashes Ryan texting whatever-her-name-was, and Jenn says, for the millionth time, that she’s seen all the texts. Andy asks if Jenn thinks whatshername and Ryan were messing around when they were together, but Jenn says, it was only the one time when they were on a break. Tamra squeals that Ryan texted her for three months, and when asked if she was in a committed relationship. Then later she sent him risqué pic. Jenn says she saw the pic and told him that she wanted this be done. Shannon says she told Tamra that it was too much, and Tamra shoots back that when they were at the pool party, Shannon asked if they could dig up more. Emily agrees Shannon wanted to dig. She said it was so juicy, they had to get it on camera. Shannon insists she didn’t, and Gina suggests they look at Shannon’s track record. Shannon says, no, you, and then the d*ck pic gets rehashed. Jenn wonders why they’re all still talking about it (thank you). It was a personal moment and no one’s business. Gina says, Jenn chose to forgive him, move on, and give it a go, and Jenn says she loves him and she’s happy with him. Gina says she feels like Jenn is being the bigger person. She’s the scapegoat in her own story, and doesn’t chuck anyone under the bus. Tamra says she’s sorry she upset Jenn, but she knew Jenn would protect him and make her out to be a liar. She says sorry again, but that doesn’t sound like an apology. Jenn says, they’ll have to agree to disagree, and Tamra says, Jenn deserves happiness. She’s an amazing person. I guess Tamra ran out of steam.
Taylor comes out, and Fancy Pants whispers to Gina that Taylor’s been sh*tting on her all over the place. Andy says, Taylor is now fighting hard from a different zip code, and asks how it feels to be the first Housewife to cross over? She says, it feels like home and she’s finding friendships. Andy doesn’t spend much time here before he tells us that Fancy Pants has the perfect cure for empty nest syndrome; trade in the nest for 55 million. We flash back to all that, and Andy asks about Terry having a stroke. Fancy Pants says, in front of her, but he didn’t realize it happened, and argued with her about going to the hospital. She literally chased him down with them both in Ubers. She finally got him to go, and the doctor confirmed he’d had a stroke. Andy asks about Taylor being in her first movie, and she says, because of the strike, they haven’t been able to finish. A viewer agrees that Fancy Pants sounds condescending and asks if Taylor thinks she’s unaware of it. Taylor says she thinks it’s just how Fancy Pants talks, and she is unaware. She told Fancy Pants they were filming in Oklahoma, and she asked, where’s Oklahoma? Fancy Pants says she’s not Magellan, and if she offended Taylor, she apologizes. I’m no Magellan either, but I know approximately where Oklahoma is. Fancy Pants says she felt terrible that’s what Taylor thought during the season, but she wasn’t trying to be condescending. Since the pot isn’t stirred enough, Andy points out that Tamra was the one who said Fancy Pants hadn’t worked since the 1900s. Tamra says she wasn’t making fun; she just got her years mixed up. Fancy Pants says, when Tamra and Eddie closed the gym, what if she’d said, they were only in business nine years; it’s not the Equinox. Andy says, Gina warned Taylor that Tamra was two-faced, and Taylor says, Tamra likes to stir the pot. If she had something to say to Fancy Pants about her, she should have said it in front of her. Tamra says she literally followed Fancy Pants to the bathroom while she was talking. Fancy Pants reapplies her lipgloss, and Taylor says, Fancy Pants said she was anti-female, but she works tirelessly for women and children of domestic violence. Heather says, then don’t put down another woman’s career, but Taylor says she thought she was supporting it by suggesting Fancy Pants go for a role in the film. Tamra says, Fancy Pants is the one who ran into a producer and said, get her off this f***ing show. Shannon pipes up that she was there, and Andy asks if Fancy Pants thinks she’s better than them. Shannon says, sometimes, and Fancy says, it was the producer of That’s Life, the series where she was most recently a regular. She wondered if it was a sign, since they’d been trashing her career. She didn’t mean she wanted off the show or was putting it down. She’s grateful for the platform and came back because of it. Emily says, Fancy Pants doesn’t put her down, but she didn’t stick up for Emily when Tamra said she wasn’t an attorney. Tamra says she meant Emily reached out to her as a party planner, but Fancy Pants says, Tamra said, Emily was a party planner, not a real lawyer. We flash back to that, and she kinda, sorta did. Tamra tells her that she said Emily wasn’t a practicing attorney, and Emily says she’s tired of hearing she’s not a real attorney. Gina suggests Fancy Pants is tired of hearing she’s not a real actress, and Emily says she understands. She feels the same way and wishes Fancy Pants either told her at the time or defended her. A viewer says, Fancy Pants said she didn’t want to tell the group about the sale of her home because she was afraid the press would find out. Then she said it was because no one would be happy for her. Which was it? Shannon says, nobody wasn’t happy for her, and Tamra says, they did find out about it from the press. Heather says she didn’t want that to happen. She wanted to tell them in Mexico. Tamra says, they were all happy for her, and Fancy Pants admits that’s true and looks like she’s going to cry. Andy says, Fancy Pants claimed she got picked on because the others are jealous, and wonders if she still feels that way. Fancy Pants says she does think she self-actualizes, and wants to be a better person, human, mom, wife, friend. Shannon says she needs to go to the bathroom badly, and Fancy Pants tells Andy that she doesn’t know; she’s sad. Resident psychologist Emily says she thinks Fancy Pants feel isolated because she’s offended all the time about everything that everyone does. Fancy Pants says she does not, but Emily says she thinks the problem is that Fancy Pants needs to laugh at herself more. Andy asks who thinks Fancy Pants has a sense of humor, and it doesn’t look good, but Gina and Tamra both say she does. Taylor says she’d hoped they’d moved past everything in Tulum, and she’s here for Fancy Pants. Fancy Pants says she thought they’d had a nice conversation, but everything Taylor says about her is punitive. She would like Taylor to stop doing that. Taylor says she’d like to review what things those are in a separate conversation from this one. Andy tells us that it’s time to say goodbye to Taylor, probably because she showed some smarts instead of saying, let’s discuss this right now in an inappropriate venue, and broke Housewife Rule #1. We take a break. Not like Ryan and Jenn’s break though.
To his credit, Andy says, we’re back, instead of welcoming us back like we were the ones who left. He says, Gina’s life was in an upswing, but she had some friendships in need of renovation. We flash back, and when the clip is shown where Shannon brings up Gina’s DUI, I think, they’re going to get mad about this all over again. That’s what I hate about these Reunions. They stir it all up again when I’m over it. Gina says, Matt’s infidelity hurt worse than the domestic violence, and Emily says she thinks it’s because that was an isolated event. Gina says, it wasn’t Matt that night, and she doesn’t look at him like that person. A viewer asks why Fancy Pants had a problem with Gina sharing her problems with Travis, and Fancy Pants says she’s had no boyfriend for almost 30 years. In her day, you didn’t talk about your ex. She wasn’t talking negatively against Travis. Emily says, blended families are different, and Gina says she knew Fancy Pants meant well. She still has to process something that changed the course of her entire life. Andy says, Shannon promised not to talk about Gina’s DUI again, so why did she? Shannon says – wait for it – she didn’t realize she said it. When she made the statement, she wasn’t saying Gina’s kids would be taken away, but if she had been arrested and another adult not there, they wouldn’t have been left alone. Gina asks Shannon what the names of her kids are, and Shannon is hard pressed to get it right. Gina says, never talk about her children. She’s known Shannon for six years, and Shannon doesn’t even know her kids’ names. What she said was completely inaccurate, out of bounds, and wrong. She shouldn’t have anything other than I’m sorry. Shannon tells Gina, yes, what she said was unkind, and Gina says, Shannon is worried about people talking about the same things she’s saying about other people. Shannon is talking about her children. My children! Shannon tells her to keep screaming, and Gina says she will. My children.
Andy asks Shannon what her reaction was to the seeing herself, and she says she was horrified, and she spoke to Gina. Emily says, when she knew she said it, that was an opportunity to say she was wrong, and Shannon says, it was established at the table she’d said it. I don’t know if Shannon is being deliberately dense or she’s stupid, and Gina explains that it would have been an opportunity to be a kind person. Shannon says she could present a list of things she’s done for Gina, and Gina says, Shannon gave her a phone number four and a half years ago. Andy asks if Shannon doesn’t think she’s beaten that one to death, but Shannon repeats she has a list of things she’s done for Gina. Gina says, of course Shannon makes a list, and Shannon says, before Gina met Travis, she invited Gina out, then Gina kept painting her out to be a horrible person. Andy reminds Shannon that she said Gina had been talking about her and John, yet she talked about Travis. We flash back to Shannon’s remark about Travis’s teeny penis, and Shannon says she was repeating something she’d heard three years ago. Emily asks, why bring it up now? and Shannon says, Gina was saying horrible things. Gina says, so instead of coming to her and asking if she’d said those things, Shannon chucked her and Travis under the bus. Shannon only worried about herself. Shannon says she apologized for the Travis comment, and Emily says, there’s nothing more detrimental as mom to hear someone say you’re a bad mom. It feels like Shannon is being defensive instead of saying she was completely wrong and crossed the line. Gina says, she and Shannon went out and had a little fun years ago. Her kids are close to being on social media, and for them to see that about being taken away would hurt them and scare them, and Shannon doesn’t even know names. This wound will stay with her, and she doesn’t know if she can continue to do this. It’s unclear whether she means her friendship with Shannon, the Reunion, or the show.
Next time, the Reunion concludes, Fancy Pants confronts Shannon; Emily says, Fancy Pants has no sense of humor; Fancy Pants says she hasn’t gone against Tamra because she’s scared of her; and Tamra says, Fancy Pants should be scared of her. I guess that baptism just plain wore off.
💎 Trailing the Hills…
The vault has been opened for the new season of RHOBH. I think I’d handle the trips they go on the way my BFF and I handled CYO trips in high school. Take the bus there with everyone, “get lost” somehow, and then conveniently find the bus again when it’s time to go home.
Set a spell tomorrow for soap and questionable Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay taking a mint if someone offers it, and stay not being defensive when you are completely wrong and crossed the line.
While this isn’t exactly a Halloween themed song, the video is pretty weird.
It’s not the Halloween season without foisting a costume on a dog, and this woman has it down. Good dog for sitting in front of that bucket of KFC without sampling.
Taking advantage of a free evening, but come on by tomorrow. There won’t be any soap, but there will be tea and smack talk about the OC. Until then, stay safe, stay not handing out any candy on Halloween that you wouldn’t eat yourself (but don’t, give it to the kids), and stay looking forward to finding out just what Sonny has planned for Gladys.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Geneva, Switzerland. Laura is on her tablet, when Doc asks if she’s ready for a break. They have those dinner reservations. She says, in just a minute. She’s almost done. Doc says, of course (🍷). Even in Europe, the Mayor of Port Charles can’t stop working. How are things stateside? She says, this is not work, and he says, right. Nikolas. She says, exactly. She’s narrowing down where to travel next to continue the search. He says, yesterday, they found out Nikolas is alive, and there couldn’t have been better news, but it also made something else crystal clear. Her son doesn’t want to be found.
Valentin lets Martin into his new house, and Martin says, wow. Now that this place is fully furnished, he’s impressed. Valentin thanks him, and Martin says he’s sure Valentin didn’t call him over to compliment his decorating. Valentin says, this isn’t a social call, and Martin says, the meter is running. What’s on his mind? Valentin says, first he wants to know whatever he tells Martin is covered by attorney/client privilege, and Martin says, of course (🍷). It always is. Valentin says, even if it’s about somebody else? and Martin says, it depends on who he’s referring to. Valentin says, it’s his daughter. Charlotte’s future depends on their conversation today.
At the Bistro, Anna’s phone rings, and she says, good morning, Sonny. He asks, how’s the security team he gave her? and she says she has no complaints. The guard is outside doing an excellent job of seeming unobtrusive. He says, that’s exactly what he wanted the guard to do for her, and she thanks him for the extra layer of protection. She knows she was highly resistant initially, but she finds it’s making her feel better. He says, that was the plan. He knows she doesn’t like to ask for help. He doesn’t like to ask for help, but he’s got her back. Call him if she needs anything. She says she bets she’s not the only person he’s looking out for, and he says, she’s right about that. There’s one person in particular.
In her cell room, Sasha says she can do this. She’s going to be okay. A nurse comes in, and says, according to Sasha’s chart, she was unfocused when she was readmitted yesterday. So as a reminder, she won’t be able to leave her room without permission, and at least for the time being, she won’t be allowed any visitors. Sasha says, okay, but what about her doctors? and the nurse says, she’ll still continue to receive the absolute best care here, but if she wants to leave Ferncliff, she’s going to have to do her part. Sasha says she plans to do just that.
On the phone and packing again, Gladys asks if there’s going to be a car to pick her up in San Jose… There’s no check-out date; it’s an open-ended stay at the hotel… Okay. Perfect. She looks at the coat in her hands, and says she bought it for when they’d be in New York. There are no cold days in Central America. There’s a knock at the door, but she continues packing. The knob begins to rattle, and Sam walks in. Gladys asks what Sam thinks she’s doing, breaking into her home, and Sam says she guesses Gladys didn’t hear her knocking. Or did she?
Laura tells Doc, Nikolas is her son, and she go to the end of the earth to save him, just like she would for Lucky and Lulu. He says he’s not questioning her commitment as a mother, but they have to face facts. Nikolas has been taking money out of his accounts; they know that. She asks what his point is, and he says, it proves he doesn’t want any contact with her. He hasn’t contacted Spencer or even Esme about his new baby son Ace. He’s sending every possible signal that he doesn’t want to interact with his family. She says she thinks if her son was in his right mind, he wouldn’t be doing that. She doesn’t want to abandon him in his hour of need. He says he mostly agrees with her. Personally, he feels Nikolas could and would benefit from her guidance right now, but there are extenuating circumstances. When he imprisoned Esme, he knew that he was breaking the law. So her son is running away from potential criminal charges and his responsibilities as a father. If a newborn son isn’t enough to bring him home, what could she possibly have to offer? She says, what more could she possibly offer her son? How about redemption?
Sasha dreams about Dr. Montague giving her an injection, and wakes with a start. At the desk, Janice says she wishes there were another way for Montague to help Sasha, and he says, so does he, but his relationship with Miss Gilmore has been compromised. She says, he means because of Cody Bell attacking him and kidnapping Sasha? and he says, yes. As a result of that, Sasha was left with a conflation of traumatic events. She can’t even see him without recalling the abduction. He doesn’t know if that’s because of the drugs or her brain is confused. She thinks Cody Bell was trying to rescue her, and he’s the bad guy. Janice says, anyone who knows him knows that can’t possibly be true. Sasha’s truly delusional. He says, which leaves him no choice but to remove himself from her case. He hands Janice some paperwork, and she thanks him. He says he was only working at Ferncliff to take care of Sasha. Now that’s no longer the case, she won’t be seeing him here again. She says, he’ll definitely be missed, and he thanks her. He says he’s sure she’ll be seeing him around town again, and leaves.
Gladys says she knows her front door was locked, and Sam isn’t even trying to hide her little lock pick tool. Breaking and entering is a serious crime. She should call the cops on Sam. Sam says she thinks calling the cops is a great idea. Call away. Gladys says, oh right. She forgot. Sam is shacked up with Detective Falconari. Of course (🍷) he’s going to take Sam’s word over hers. Sam says, they don’t have to involve Dante in this. Call anyone at the PCPD. Although she thinks calling the cops might delay Gladys’s trip a little bit. Where is it Gladys said she was going? Gladys tells Sam that she didn’t say, and she’s not going to. Sam isn’t welcome in her home. Sam laughs and says, Gladys’s home. Last time she checked, this was Sasha’s apartment. Gladys says, Sasha’s not well. She’s not here. Sam can just beat it. Sam says, that’s interesting, considering Gladys’s daughter-in-law is not well and she’s still going on a trip. How does she think Brando would feel about that? Gladys says she doesn’t have to take this from Sam, and Sam says, that’s fine. She sits down and says, but she’s not going anywhere. Not until Gladys exonerates Sasha.
Doc says, Nikolas is Laura’s son, and he knows she’ll never give up on him, so hear that first please. But also hear him when he says, at the end of the day, redemption is the last thing Nikolas wants. She says she wouldn’t disagree with him there at all, but what we want and what we need are two very different things. He says, she couldn’t be more right. Most people can’t reconcile or admit that this is what I need in my life. Believe him. Nikolas is fortunate to have her on his side. She says she knows right now it appears Nikolas is just running from his problems. Her brain knows he committed a crime and can’t face up to it, but her heart loves him exactly the same. So she’s going to love and support him until he gets his damn head on straight. He says, of course (🍷) she is, because that’s who she is, and he hopes that happens. But he also knows that’s not going to happen until Nikolas is willing to put aside his immediate desires and focus on his responsibilities and the needs of his children. She looks away, and he says, too harsh? but she says, too accurate. She knows Spencer is suffering from the absence of his father and Ace will too eventually, but that’s why she needs to find him. She needs to shake some sense into him. (I’d like to see that.) He says, Nikolas has the money and resources to stay hidden a long time, and it breaks his heart to see her chasing after someone who doesn’t value the love and attention she’s willing to shower on him. She says, okay. She hears him. She’s not giving up her search.
Jordan meets Anna at the Bistro, and Anna asks if everything is all right. Jordan says, it’s fine. She’s just juggling a lot at the same time. What else is new? By the way, she noticed a man lingering outside. She knows most people wouldn’t take a second glance at him, but her cop instincts are shouting at her pretty loudly that he’s no random innocent. Anna says, would that be the super serious guy, kind of tall, definitely not smiling, very focused? Jordan says, that would be the man she’s referring to, and Anna says, that would be her bodyguard. Jordan asks when Anna started hiring bodyguards, and Anna says she didn’t. He’s on Sonny’s payroll, part of his security team, which she thinks is pretty generous. Jordan says, it’s kind of a big deal. When did the most self-reliant spy decide she needs outside protection?And not from the WSB, but from Sonny of all people? Anna says, desperate times call for desperate measures, and Jordan says, meaning? Anna says, meaning someone is trying to dismantle her life and drive her insane.
Valentin says, before he gets into the issues with his daughter, he wants Martin to know he take full responsibility. Charlotte’s mother has been in a coma these last few years, and he’s allowed her to be raised by her stepfather and grandmother lately, and he thinks maybe she’s lost her way. Martin asks if Valentin is speaking to him as his lawyer or his friend, and Valentin says, both. Martin says, hit him with some facts, and Valentin says, a couple of nights ago, Charlotte claimed she was hanging with Jake Webber at Kelly’s, like a couple of typical teenagers. Martin says, and he learned otherwise? and Valentin says, Nina showed him some security footage from the MetroCourt Hotel that night. Martin says, and he saw Charlotte doing what exactly? and Valentin says he watched Charlotte letting herself in to Anna’s hotel suite. The same suite that was later found ransacked, Anna’s clothes covered in ink, a cryptic message written on the bathroom mirror. Martin says, and Valentin’s worried she’s fallen in with the wrong crowd, that she might have witnessed what happened in that hotel room? Valentin says he thinks she’s the perpetrator, and Martin says, okay. If that is the case, she’s definitely troubled about something and it appears to be some kind of growing pain, but even so, he doesn’t think there’s a court in the country that will think of that as anything but a cry for help. Even with the state of the room, the clothes, and the message on the mirror, it’s just the folly of misspent youth. Valentin says, Martin may be right, but he thinks she’d face a stiffer sentence if the court knew she set fire to Anna’s house.
Sasha looks out her door window and tries the door, but it’s locked. She says, dammit. She doesn’t know how much longer she can do this.
Gladys tells Sam that she wishes she could help Sasha. What’s happened to her is absolutely tragic. She lost her son and husband within months of each other. But why does everyone forget Gladys lost her grandson and then her son, her only child? Her heart breaks for Sasha, but it also breaks for herself. Sam says she’s sorry. She knows losing Liam and then Brando was horrible for both Gladys and Sasha. Gladys thanks her for at least acknowledging that, and Sam tells her, focus on helping Sasha. Gladys says, face it. Sasha’s situation only got worse after Cody Bell abducted her. She completely lost touch with reality. It was not her decision to send Sasha back to Ferncliff. The police and Sasha’s doctors made that choice. There’s nothing else she could do for Sasha. Sam asks what she’s talking about. Gladys totally took advantage of Sasha’s situation. How does she think her son would feel about that? How does Gladys think her son would feel, knowing she stole from Sasha? Not to mention, Gladys undermined Sasha’s sobriety and her sanity. Gladys says she doesn’t have to listen to Sam’s garbage. Get out. She opens the door, and Sonny is standing there. I laaaugh.
Laura says she carries around a lot of guilt about Nikolas and his childhood, and Doc says he’s aware. Let him remind her that she was a prisoner on Cassadine Island, and when she saw her chance to escape, she took it. She says, yes, but without her son, and he says, she saved herself. She says, yes, she saved herself and she abandoned her son at the same time. She left him. She left him to be raised by the Cassadines. So she’s every bit as much to blame for how he turned out as the Cassadines are. He says, Nikolas is an adult. He’s a man who has responsibilities. Sooner or later, he’s going to have to stop blaming his childhood for the mistakes that he’s made as a grown man. She says, thanks. That was a really nice try, but he knows better than anyone we’re a product of our childhood. Thank God Stephan was there, because Stavros and the rest of the Cassadines could never possibly be any kind of a role model for him. But they were there. They were manipulating him and forming his point of view about the world in which he lived. His tendency to get angry so quickly and make these rash, crazy decisions. She doesn’t think he was born like that. She thinks he was taught that. Doc says, he’s never even met his new son, and as much as they both know he loves Spencer, Nikolas has abandoned him. Again. What does that say about Nikolas? She says she thinks it says he believes his children would be better off without him, which she knows is not the case. Because despite all his flaws, deep down inside there is a very good man with a good heart, and she just has to believe those good qualities will triumph over this darkness that he’s going through right now, and he’ll make his way back to her and his kids. She just thinks he needs to be reminded that he has the ability to do that. Doc says, if anyone can get someone to listen to their inner angel, it’s her. So where does she want to look next? She says, London.
Martin says he understands how upset Valentin must have been seeing actual evidence that his teenage daughter broke into a hotel room. He gets Anna isn’t some random person. Valentin loves her, and if Charlotte has a problem with that, that’s trouble. But breaking and entering, even vandalism, is a hell of a long way from arson. Valentin says he has every faith in his daughter’s intelligence and capability. She was at camp that night, less than an hour from Port Charles. She could have taken a Ride Share. She’s familiar with Anna’s house. That fire was intentionally set while he and Anna were away. Martin says he refuses to believe Charlotte would intentionally hurt Anna, but Valentin says, not physically. She wanted to take away Anna’s home. Martin says, for what purpose? and Valentin says, she wanted Anna scared; she wanted Anna insecure. Martin says, wait a minute. If he remembers correctly, didn’t Anna says she thought a professional had done it? Valentin says, she assumed it was the WSB, and Martin says, Anna’s no fool. She’s been around the block a couple of times. She knows what she’s talking about. How on earth would a teenage girl know how to set a fire that looks like a professional did it? Valentin says, the internet. It’s a dark place. If you look for something hard enough, you’ll find it. (Preach!) He’s almost certain his daughter is responsible for Anna’s house fire, and he wants Martin’s help protecting her from herself.
Anna tells Jordan, even though the PCPD haven’t determined whether she or Sonny were the target for the shooting at the MetroCourt pool, she believes that the bullet that ricocheted and hit Curtis was meant for Sonny, not her. Jordan asks, what makes her so sure? and Anna says, the fire at her house, the writing on her mirror. Those things were aimed specifically at her. That’s where she was living; it was personal.Whereas the shooting at the pool was a public attack. Those are two totally different psychological profiles. Two distinct and conflicting motives if you look at it. Jordan says, okay, but the rifle that was recovered in Curtis’s shooting was previously in WSB custody. Anna has way more connections to the WSB than Sonny. Anna says, yes, and they were standing next to each other. So on the surface, that does make the issue murkier. Jordan tells her, let’s just say the shooter was after Sonny. Then who burned down Anna’s house and vandalized her suite at the MetroCourt? Anna says she doesn’t know, but whoever they are, they do seem to know what they’re doing.
The nurse goes back into Sasha’s room, and says, time for her morning meds, but Sasha says, no. Absolutely not. Those pills are what got her in trouble in the first place. The nurse asks if Sasha didn’t tell her that she wanted to work hard to get out of this place, and Sasha says, of course (🍷). That’s her goal. The nurse says, then Sasha agrees with her. If she really wants to get out, she’s going to have to play by the rules. Sasha says she tried that. It almost killed her.
Gladys says, it’s really not a good time, closing the door, but Sonny stops it with his hand and walks in. He says he’s sorry to hear that, because in his book, there’s always time for family. He didn’t expect to see Sam here. Sam says, congratulations on having the most impeccable timing ever. She hasn’t been able to get through to Gladys. Maybe he can do better. Sonny asks Gladys, what’s the problem?
On the phone, Doc says, excellent. Thank you. He tells Laura, all right, they’re set. Two tickets to London. She says, great, and thanks him. She takes his hands and thanks him for being by her side through this whole thing. At any point, he could have said, it’s time to quit. He has to go back to Port Charles and resume his life. But he didn’t, so she thanks him for putting his life on hold to see her through this. He says he’s arranged for his patients to see other therapists, and the hospital can always reach him in an emergency. He knows how important her children are to her. With Lucky living abroad, and Lulu… It’s no wonder Nikolas has taken center stage, and if he hasn’t said it already, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her. She says she loves him with all her heart, and they kiss. He says he loves her. Now let him finish packing. He goes in the other room, and she calls Jordan. She says she thought she’d check in with her Deputy Mayor. Tell her. How are things going in Port Charles?
Sam asks if Gladys wants to tell Sonny what’s going on or should she? and Gladys says she’s happy to explain what’s going on. Sam here showed up at her door and then picked her lock and broke into her home. Can he believe that? He says, Sam didn’t knock? and Sam says, ofcourse (🍷) she knocked, but Gladys didn’t answer so she had no choice but to pick the lock. Gladys says, some people understand if you don’t answer the door, you’re not in the mood for company, and Sam says, either that, or they don’t want their escape plan interrupted. Gladys asks if Sonny hears that. Not only does Sam pick her lock to break into her home, Sam’s throwing around wild accusations about her. And it’s all because she’s cuddled up to that thief Cody Bell. Sam says, the charges against Cody were dropped, but Gladys says, that doesn’t mean he’s not guilty. It just so happens Selina Wu allegedly found some… Sam says, really, Gladys? Selina Wu and Cody Bell? Is that really the road she wants to go down, because Sam doesn’t think that’s going to end well for her. Gladys says, the way she’s defending that two-bit thief Cody Bell, it makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Why? The obvious reason is that she’s stepping out on Sonny’s son Dante to have an affair with Cody. Gladys is just trying to protect his son because they’re family, and she knows that’s what Mike would want. He just has to ask himself, why is Sam so desperate to help Cody Bell? If she’s not sleeping with him, what possible reason could there be?Cody was a virtual stranger to Sam when he came to town, and now she’ll do anything to help him, even jeopardize poor Sasha’s sanity. Sonny says he and Sam have known each other for a long time, and asks Sam, is anything Gladys is saying the truth, and does Cody have anything to do with hurting Sasha?
Montague calls Janice at Ferncliff, and says he’s so sorry to trouble her with this, but he just pulled into his driveway at home and realized he left a file at Ferncliff. She says, no trouble at all. She’d be happy to check on the file for him. Does he remember where he thinks he left it? He says he thinks it’s in the doctor’s lounge. It’s one of his patient’s files from General Hospital, so it should be easily recognizable. Is it too much trouble to ask her to check for him? She says, no trouble at all. She’ll check and call him back whether she finds it or not. He thanks her and says, she’s the best. She leaves the desk, and Montague walks in.
Martin says he knows how much Valentin loves and adores his daughter. He witnessed first hand what Valentin is willing to sacrifice to be the father she needs. Is Valentin telling him that he believes his daughter is capable of burning Anna’s house to the ground? Who else has he told this little theory? Valentin says, Nina. She’s the only other one. They watched the footage and saw Charlotte break into Anna’s hotel room. Martin says, so what? There’s video evidence that Valentin’s daughter may have committed a crime. Valentin says, there was evidence. Nina removed it from the server; it doesn’t exist anymore. Martin says he’s going to ask Valentin a couple of questions, but he’s not judging him or Charlotte. He just wants to make sure he gives Valentin the best help possible. Valentin says he appreciates that, and Martin says, Valentin told him that Nina’s the only other person who knows this happened. He assumes Valentin hasn’t said anything to Anna yet. Valentin says he loves Anna, but Charlotte has to be his primary focus, and Martin says, good. Does he have any idea what this would do to his relationship? Valentin says he doesn’t know and he’s not ready to tell her, and Martin asks, where’s Charlotte now? Valentin says, in school. Other than that, he hasn’t let her out of his sight until the room was broken into. Martin says, as Valentin’s attorney, he’ll be of service any way he can, but he’s not sure what Valentin is asking him to do. Valentin says he needs Martin to be ready to defend his daughter in the event of an arson charge if it comes to that. Hopefully, this can be avoided, and it all goes away, and he can get her the psychological help she needs. He’s asking Martin to cover contingencies. Martin says, okay, picking up his briefcase. He’ll start brushing up on crimes committed as a juvenile. On a personal note, as Valentin’s friend, he can’t tell Valentin how sorry he is that he has to go through something like this with Charlotte. Valentin thanks Martin, and says he appreciates that. He was so obsessed with his sociopath of a father, he didn’t pay enough attention to Charlotte and what she was capable of. It’s a lonely place, but he wants to do what he has to do to help her. Martin leaves.
Laura says she’ll let Jordan know as soon as she’s back in Port Charles. She thanks Jordan again for stepping up and taking care of everything while she’s out of town. Doc comes back and says, yes, he went to the business center and printed out their boarding passes. Yes, it makes him a bit old school, and yes, a little old-fashioned, but he doesn’t care. She laughs and says she wouldn’t call it old-fashioned. She’d say, practical. He asks if she has any idea where she wants to start looking in London, and she says she does. He says he knows she’s disappointed they haven’t found Nikolas yet, but maybe they’ll have better luck there. She says she hopes so, when her phone rings. She asks if they have time for her to take this call; it’s Valentin. He looks at his watch and says, yeah. They’re ahead of schedule. See what he wants. She answers, and Valentin says, any sign of Nikolas? She says, yes and no. They’re in Geneva actually, and were just on their way to the airport. They’re going to fly to London next. Valentin asks if she thinks Nikolas is in London, and she says she’s not sure, but she did find proof Nikolas is alive. He says, that’s great. It’s got to give her hope, huh? She says, yes. There must be a reason he called. He tells her, she says she’s flying to London. Any chance she’s stopping in Port Charles? She asks, why? Did something happen? Did Spencer do something? He says, no. Alexis hasn’t said anything about Spencer, and she says, good. What’s the problem? He says, it’s Charlotte, and she says, what about her? He says he thinks her granddaughter is in serious trouble.
Anna tells Jordan that she’s trying to figure out who’s out to get her, and she can’t rule out the fact that the WSB is at the top of that list. Jordan asks if Valentin is helping her out, and Anna says, he’s determined to protect her, but… Jordan says, but what? She doesn’t believe him? Anna says she believes he would never harm her, but he has his own past and ties to the WSB and other affiliated organizations with less than stellar reputations. Jordan says, which means… and Anna says, honestly, she doesn’t know what secrets Valentin is keeping, and she thinks it’s past time she found out what those secrets are.
Gladys asks if Sonny doesn’t see the pattern. The guy is a wannabe gold-digger. He targeted a wealthy doctor and the Chief of Staff at GH. When that didn’t work out, he moved on to Sasha. While she was struggling with mental health issues, he saw his next target, a rich, troubled widow. Cody took advantage of her grief. Sam tells Sonny, none of this is true. Cody is on Sasha’s side. Gladys says, no. Don’t believe her; she’s his accomplice. She has been in with Cody from the very beginning, but what else could you expect? She’s a grifter too. Sam asks Sonny to please tell her that he’s not buying what Gladys is shoveling, and Gladys says, Sonny’s her family. Of course (🍷) he’s going to believe her. She tells Sonny, all she’s tried to do since Brando died is take care of his widow, but then Cody started whispering in her ear. And eventually it became too much, and she snapped. She went back on whatever drugs she was taking and wound up stabbing Cody with a knife. You’d think that would make him back off, but no. Somehow, he got himself admitted to Ferncliff and that’s when he kidnapped her. And he got arrested, and poor Sasha made her way back here to the apartment. It was heartbreaking. She was disoriented and not making any sense at all, and it broke Gladys’s heart to have to call the police. Sonny says, what happened to Sasha was worse than a tragedy. It was downright criminal.
Sasha sits on the bed and does some deep breathing. She says, okay. That’s a little better. This isn’t going to last forever. You’re going to survive this. Montague walks in, and she says, no. She sees the syringe in his hand.
Laura asks, what happened? and Valentin says he can’t get into it on the phone for legal reasons. Laura says, my God, what is he saying? and he tells her that he’s saying he needs her help. And so does Charlotte, desperately. She says, then he’s got it. She’ll take the first flight to Port Charles. She’ll get there as soon as she possibly can.
Valentin is about to call Nina, when Anna walks in. She says, so this is where he’s been hiding out?
Sonny looks at the suitcases, and says, it looks like Gladys is headed somewhere. She says, with everything going on with Sasha, her own nerves were shot, and she needed a break. She’s taking a little vacation. Sonny says, that’s a lot of luggage for a little vacation. Where is she going? She stammers and says, just some quiet spot. Take a beat and calm down. Sam says, that is not true; she’s clearly running away. Sonny asks what Gladys is running away from, and Sam says, she’s trying to get out of town before the truth about Sasha comes out. Gladys says, Sam is partially correct, but she’s always got to put a negative spin on things. She tells Sonny that she’s leaving town, but it’s only because she can’t bear to stay here and see the disaster Sasha’s life has turned into. Sonny says, she’s Sasha’s legal guardian; she’s obligated to stick around. Gladys says, not while she’s in Ferncliff. She can’t do anything for Sasha while she’s in there. That’s why she thought this was the perfect time for her to go somewhere and get her own head on straight. Sonny says, that sounds perfectly reasonable to him, and Sam says, tell her that he’s not buying this BS. He wonders if he can ask Gladys one question. How is she going to pay for this trip? Because he already knows she stole Sasha’s money to pay back her gambling debt to Selina Wu. Gladys begins to stammer, that’s not what… Sonny says, shut up. He’s done with her lies. And he’s going to make sure she doesn’t lie again.
Sasha tells Montague, stay away from her, but he says, she’s confused. He can see the agitation in her face. This medication will help her calm down. He holds up the syringe, and she screams for somebody to help her. Dr. Montague is trying to inject her with something. He says, no one can hear her. And no one is coming to save her. Sasha leaps over the bed and throws a pillow at Montague. Heading for the door, she throws a chair, but misses him by a mile. She pulls at the doorknob, screaming, and he grabs her, throwing her on the bed. As he’s about to inject her, the door opens.
Tomorrow, Anna asks why Valentin would keep this secret; Gregory asks if Alexis wants to help him knock another one off the list; Sonny says he knows exactly what Gladys did and now she’s going to pay for it; and Montague says, he’s getting out of here, and taking Sasha with him.
Below Deck Mediterranean
Italian Riviera. Captain Sandy finds out she can’t get new crew members for weeks, and she says, unbelievable. It’s f***ing crazy. This has never happened to her, but she guesses she’ll figure something out. Natalya takes breakfast orders, and Lara deals with the tender. In Lara’s interview, she says, Luka is beautiful and has the greatest qualities. He’s God’s gift. The water is too rough for the jet skis, and guest Cameron says he feels sad and wants to leave the boat. Breakfast is served, and Primary Kian says, the chef is apparently mortal. He’s talented, but can’t cook eggs for crap. Maybe he needs a picture guide. The captain tells Luka, this will pass, but maybe the guests should go ashore. Natalya tells Jack about the egg complaints, and in Jack’s interview, he says he hates eggs; they’re overrated. Now he’s got to redeem himself. Natalya tells him, Americans invent new egg styles every day. I dunno about that, but personally, I think eggs are God’s perfect food. Kian talks to Captain Sandy about being bummed and that some of the guests are throwing up from the boat rocking. She suggests the guests go to shore, and in her interview, the captain says, these are friends, and she feels bad. They’re down team members, but they have to find a way to make the charter good or she may have to find a new doctor. In Natalya’s interview, she says she and her boyfriend have been together four months and they’re in an open relationship. She’s always been with guys who cheated, so she’s glad to be honest from start, but she loved him before this style of relationship was mentioned. She’s half okay with it. Looking is fine; touching is a no go. Captain Sandy tells Luka to take the guests to shore, and as they’re about to get in the tender, guest Nathan asks Luka if they have in case one of them vomits. Luka says, do it overboard, and in his interview, he says, it’s not an airplane. They don’t get a bag. You have to chuck in the sea. As they get in the tender, Captain Sandy says, they’ll feel better on shore. Immediately one of them (probably Cameron) throws up over the side of the boat. In Luka’s interview, he says, the tender moves more than the yacht. It’s going to be ten minutes of torture before getting to shore.
Portofino. In his interview, Luka says, Portofino is a rare place. If the guests are lucky, they’ll see dolphins. He hopes they don’t puke on them. In Natalya’s interview, she says, it’s going to be difficult to step down when the new person comes in. Even though she’s been sh*tting herself on this charter, it’s a great opportunity to show the captain that she’s an amazing chief strew. She reminds Jack that the guests want a Michelin Star meal, and says, afterward, they’ll be doing an EDM party on the sundeck. The guests stroll through town, do some shopping, and go sightseeing. They go to an old-world church that’s just gorgeous. Norma texts Captain Sandy that she still doesn’t have a bosun, but has an experienced deckhand. In Jessika’s interview, she says she thinks Natalya is stressed about the new chief stew coming, but maybe it’s a good idea. She’s hoping they have a better way to delegate, so all the work is equally divided. The guests come back, and the wind has died down, so the water toys are put out. There’s a new davit (a crane used on ships) for the slide, so they’re able to put it out much more easily. Most of the guests get on the inflatable banana, while Luka drives the tender, pulling them. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, the day turned out spectacularly. She’s impressed at how quickly they got the slide out, and the clients are having fun. Jack goes over dinner with Natalya, and in Jack’s interview, he says he worked in a Michelin Star restaurant, but he wasn’t ready. It’s an emotional position. Dinner is going to have Italian and Asian influence. It’s like a biography on a plate. A line is caught in the propeller under the tender, and Lara radios Haleigh to keep watch while she swims underneath it. She needs someone to know she’s there. She finds out that it’s wrapped around the propellor, and in Lara’s interview, she says, if a line gets caught in the propellor, you can’t maneuver the boat. It’s very dangerous.
Lara gets the line off, and in her interview, she says, f*** yes. She handled it like a boss. The guests go down the slide, and take photos. Natalya gets the party stuff out, and the slide is brought back up, which doesn’t look quite as easy as putting it out. Natalya tells Kian, there’s going to be a fiesta, and tells the stews, they’ll all wear wigs and stuff. Lara says she loves Luka; he’s never screaming at anyone. Real chief stew Tumi texts Captain Sandy and says, she and Kyle got their visas, and are on the way. In Jack’s interview, he says, the side effect of being a wizard. You know so much good stuff, you forget some of it. But he trusts Natalya to help. Luka tells Captain Sandy that the guests are loving it, and she tells him that Ruan isn’t coming back, and she can’t get a bosun. She asks if he’d like to be the full time bosun, and he says he’d love to. She says, by the next charter, he’ll have a new deckhand, and in Luka’s interview, he says, he thought Ruan would take his position back. He hasn’t even docked yet. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says she’s confident in Luka. Captain Jason highly recommended him, and he’s smart, quick, and knows his stuff. He does everything without resistance, and it was all those little moments that made her say, he’s a leader. Luka tells Haleigh about becoming bosun, and she calls him, Daddy Bosun. He likes it. I hope they give him the stripes to go with it. The guests are happy with dinner, and guest Tito says, if he could stand, he’d give the food a standing ovation. Natalya asks Haleigh to help with the party, and Haleigh says she doesn’t know how decorate well. The captain hears, and says, teamwork makes the dream work. I’d pay money never to hear that saying again. In Haleigh’s interview, she says, she’s never decorated for a party. She went to a rave once, and knows it’s beads, neon lights, and Ecstasy. She’s had one of the three. The food keeps coming, and food porn! Food porn! Brooke does housekeeping, while Haleigh wanders around with decorations. She tells Natalya that she’s trying. Natalya wonders where Brooke is, and Brooke finally shows up, ten minutes late for decorating. Oh, the horror. In Natalya’s interview, she says she’s used to working late nights. She runs on coffee. Her blood is coffee. This bitch going to have to pull it off.
Natalya asks Jessika to lead service, and in Jessika’s interview, she says, Natalya is chief stew; she should lead. She’s a raver, and it’s too much pressure to lead. Don’t do that to her. Natalya tells Jessika that the sundeck’s not set up, and she needs to lead service. Jessika radios the crew that she needs help. She needs hands for clearing. Natalya says, it can’t be an extravaganza if there’s nothing. Tito is served the wrong wine, and in her interview, Jessika says, please, Natalya, come back. Luka says she’s got this, and Kian says he doesn’t know how the chef is doing it all by himself. Natalya says, this is crackhead energy, and puts on a blue wig. She tells the crew, it’s crazy, but they’re doing it. Shots on her tomorrow. Literally on her. Luka says, tomorrow is going to be great. One of the guests says, the chef put heart and soul in this food, and in Jessika’s interview, she says, this sh*t is scary, but if they’re happy, she’s happy. Kian says, it’s time to party, and they go up to the sundeck, bathed in a black light, and decorated with glowing everything. Shots are poured, and Natalya says, there are little ships and big ships, but there’s no ship like friendship. Zzzz… In her interview, she says she’s solid being the chief stew. When the new one gets here, fingers crossed they have a dream team. We flash back to her and Kyle bickering last season, and she says she’s just taking it day by day. The guests dance, drink, and finally crash at 2:58 am. Cameron has fallen sleep in one of the lounges, and Natalya covers him with a blanket. She talks to her boyfriend, and says, if the chief stew is a f***ing nightmare, she’s off. She asks if he’s had sex with anyone, and he says, she’s got to stop asking that question.
Final day of charter. Natalya keeps telling herself to wake up. She tells Jack that they nailed it, and in Jack’s interview, he says, over easy, over medium; potato, potahto. He’s making quiche. A monkey with no eyes can make quiche. I’d love to see that. Breakfast is served, and Tito asks if they have more French donuts – what you call croissants. They try to haul anchor, but Lara says, a brick is attached to the anchor. More specifically, it’s a cinder block. She says, WTF? Captain Sandy wonders if there’s a body attached to it.
Luka says he’ll have to jump down and cut it off. He gets a knife from Jack, and in Jack’s interview, he says, butter knife, steak knife… there it is. A brick knife. Luka is successful, and in the captain’s interview, she says, so far, the deck team is a pleasant surprise. Her ETA to the pilot station is one hour, and the guests all thank Kian. One of them asks, when’s the next one? In Lara’s interview, she says, if they still had Ruan, it would have been a different deck crew. Luka makes her wish she was straight. They dock, and in Luka’s interview, he says, it’s the first time he’s docked, and he wants to make sure Captain Sandy knows he’s calm, and not the dude going, we hit the f***ing dock. The docking is a success, and he says he’s sure he’ll have grey hairs by the end of the season. He tells the captain that the girls are smashing it, and she radios the crew to meet on the dock. As the guests leave, there are lots of hugs, and they want to take Jack with him. Kian says, the crew was incredible, and Captain Sandy is the coolest captain ever. He wants to recognize Jack’s skills as a chef, and thanks Natalya for treating them special. The envelope doesn’t look fat, but the jury’s out. The crew gets in their reds and the captain radios them to come for the tip meeting. The captain says, the first charter wasn’t what she expected. Unfortunately, Ruan didn’t have the correct paperwork. She’s been paying attention, and there have been crews she’s had to correct, but this time she didn’t have to. Luka is now their bosun, and she’s happy there are women on deck. They dug in and worked as a team. She tells Jack that he set bar, and now he can’t go below it; and thanks Natalya for stepping up, and now stepping back. In her interview, Natalya says, they were being thrown into it, and they were successful. They smashed out of the ball cart [sic]. The tip is a surprising $20K (I guess it was big bills), or $1818 each. They clink glasses, and the boat is turned over.
Natalya asks Luka for some shampoo while only wearing a towel, and in his interview, he says, she’s in interior; she knows where the shampoo is. The one thing that gets him in trouble on yachts is the ladies. We flash back to Down Under, and he says, Natalya is definitely potential trouble. Lara tells Haleigh that South Africa isn’t very open, but her family is fine with her sexuality now. In her interview, she says, it was when she was in covid quarantine that she realized she likes women and does not like men. When she came out, she felt comfortable, like she had wings. When she goes home, she feels the need to hide herself a bit. Her parents love her, but it’s like stepping on eggshells now. The crew goes ashore and takes a taxi van to a restaurant. Lara tells Natalya that she loves a girly girl, and Natalya says she’s not sitting in the backseat on the way home. As they walk to the restaurant, Lara literally picks up Natalya and carries her. When the drinks come, Natalya says, they couldn’t get a better first charter. After dinner, they move on to another bar. Luka asks Natalya if she has any tattoos, and she says, a secret one. She tells him that she’s in an open relationship, but she doesn’t know what that means. In her interview, she says she has lust for Luka, but she loves her boyfriend.
They dance and drink and fall down. Haleigh flashes whoever’s in the vicinity, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, Haleigh is a surprising person. She seems so shy, then she flashes everyone. Interesting. They go back to the boat and surprisingly, go to bed. And everyone’s in their own bed. Natalya texts her boyfriend, who asks if there were any hot guys. She says, actually, yes, and tells him, goodnight. In the morning, she says she feels like a walking bottle of alcohol. She tells the stews that they’d best make the boat perfect before the chief stew comes. Captain Sandy calls Tumi and says she can’t wait to meet in person. Luka is excited about having two extra hands. Brooke says goodbye to the captain, who says, she’s amazing. She wishes Brooke could stay, but she needs a stew with more experience. She has nothing but praise for Brooke. In Brooke’s interview, she says thinks yachting is the career path for her. Stews do hard-ass work. She gives them credit. Tumi arrives, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, it was a successful first charter as chief stew. And the way she’s set up the yacht is close to perfect.
In Tumi’s interview, she says she’s been ready since last season, and we flash back to Down Under again. She says she’s always wanted to work on the Mediterranean. Captain Sandy says, they’ve missed her, and Tumi says, Kyle is coming later. The captain says she’s heard great things about Tumi. She trusts Captain Jason. In her interview, Captain Sandy says she’s committed to Tumi. Being hung up in immigration wasn’t her fault. She was highly recommended by Jason. He said she was ready to be chief stew. She’s focused, determined, works hard, and she cares. She tells Tumi that Natalya bailed them out. She’s a team player, and the captain thinks Tumi will like the team. She shows Tumi her cabin, and Tumi meets the crew. In her interview, Tumi says, she’s worried about walking onto a new boat; there’s always self-doubt. She guesses it’s that way when you’re when passionate about something and don’t want to f*** it up. She’s been in the industry a long time and it scares her. She wants the crew’s respect and believes it’s important to set boundaries in the beginning. She met Kyle, who said he had his ups downs with Natalya. Tumi doesn’t want to be disrespected, but she doesn’t want to demand respect. That’s where her struggle comes in. Jack says, they need more testosterone to balance things out. Natalya shows Tumi around and points out where she likes to keep the sunblock stuff. Tumi says, that’s not where she’d prefer it. Natalya says they were two crew members down during the first charter, but they smashed it. The chef is amazing and chill. She asks what Tumi thinks of the boat, and Tumi says, it’s interesting. It reminds her of Harry Potter; the organization is a sh*tshow. Natalya asks if she means the boat itself or how she’s organized things, and Tumi says, the boat itself; the way it’s set up. She tells Natalya, don’t get defensive. Natalya’s part is impeccable, but it’s not the way she would want to come on a boat. Natalya continues to take it as an insult, and Tumi says, it’s just her opinion. The way it’s set up isn’t the way she would set it up. Natalya says, she thinks it’s great, and Tumi says she’s just giving her opinion. That’s it. Natalya says, don’t do this with her. Don’t put the hands up at me please.
To be continued…
📻 Walking On Your Wavelength…
Stop in tomorrow for soap and some internet brew. Until then, stay safe, stay always pushing in your chair when you leave the table, and stay not blaming your childhood for the mistakes you make as an adult.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
New York City. Trina and Spencer are seated outside at an upscale restaurant, and Trina says, thatwas amazing. The set, the costumes, the music. She felt like she was actually at the Moulin Rouge, Didn’t he love it? He says he did, although he did have a little bit of trouble paying attention, because there was a pretty girl next to him who he kept stealing glances at. She says she’s definitely not as exciting as the Can-Can, but he says he disagrees. She says she’s not sure Toulouse-Lautrec would agree, and he says, it made him happy to see her so happy. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She says, how could she be anything but happy? She’s in the city with the most incredible guy. He says, who’s incredibly hungry, and she says she’s starving.
Nina lies in bed sleeping, surrounded by papers, when Sonny comes in. She says, hello, handsome, and he says he didn’t mean to wake her. She says, no apologies necessary. She loves waking up to him.
Drew dreams about the attack and wakes up with a start. Willow is sitting next to his bed, and she says, bad dream? He says, this kind of dream is his reality.
There’s a knock at the gatehouse door, and Michael opens it to Carly. He asks what she’s doing here at this hour, and she says she needs his help. She saw Willow at GH; she’s with Drew. He says he stayed behind with the kids. How is Drew doing? She says, he made it through surgery. He’s lucky to be alive. They almost beat him to death. Michael says, he shouldn’t even be in Pentenville. He doesn’t know what that judge was thinking. She says she does. Judge Kim used Drew to advance his career, and she needs Michael to help her prove it.
Finn asks where Elizabeth has been all night. It’s the first time he’s seeing her. She says, it’s been so busy. She’s been assisting in surgery for the past three hours. Why is he here so late? He says he couldn’t leave without saying hi to her.
Ava comes into Windymere, and butler Giles takes her umbrella. She asks, why is it only raining on this godforsaken island? Not a single drop anywhere else. Giles says, Spoon Island is in microclimate, and she thanks him for the science lesson. (Personally, I’d like to hear more on that, since I think I live in one too.) She says she’s obviously not meant to be dry today, so in keeping with the wet theme, she’s going to take a long, hot bath. He says, no, she won’t, calling her madam, and she tells him, stop it with the madam and tell her why she can’t take a bath. He says he’s sorry, but the hot water heater isn’t working due to intermittent power outages on the island from the storm. She says, like the microclimate, and he says, precisely. She says, please tell her the vodka and olive situation hasn’t been affected by the storm, and he says, not to his knowledge. She says, hot dog. Then fix her a martini. She’s going to get out of these wet clothes. He asks how she’d like her martini, and she says, dry, very dry.
Geneva, Switzerland. Laura and Doc walk into an office, and a man says, welcome, Miss Spencer. She shakes his hand and says, actually, it’s Collins now, and introduces Doc. The man says, Hans Mueller. Pleased to meet you. He and Doc shake hands, and he tells them to have a seat. Hans says he’s known Doc’s lovely wife for years, and Laura wonders how long they’ve been doing business, then says, don’t answer that. She doesn’t think she wants to hear that number, but Hans has been a friend of the family for a long time. Hans asks what he can do for her, and she says, he can help her find her son.
Elizabeth says she’s not buying it. There has to be another reason Finn is still here. His shift ended hours ago. He says he’s insulted. Okay, maybe he’s waiting around for some lab results, but seeing her is incentive for sticking around. She says, he won’t be seeing her around here at night anymore. The kids are done with camp and she’s switching back to days. He says he likes seeing her any way he can, but he has to admit these nights have been kind of special. She says she wouldn’t exactly call a 12-hour shift special, and he says, seeing her has been kind of nice, and their talks on the roof. She says, when he stole her spot, and he says he thought they cleared this up. She’s the interloper. She says she doesn’t think she’s ever been described that way, and he says, if the shoe fits. She says, whoever gets there first, okay? and he says, it sounds like a challenge. She laughs and says she should go. Goodnight, Dr. Finn. He says, goodnight, Nurse Baldwin.
Sonny asks how things went with Charlotte. He’s sure she was excited spending the night at Nina’s place. Nina says, she was, but things are difficult for her right now. She’s been acting out. He says, she’s what? Fourteen? Nina says, it’s hard for her to believe this, but she’s fifteen, and he says, acting out comes with the territory at that age. You’ve got to have patience. She says she is, but when she and Valentin were together, she was Charlotte’s stepmother for a while, and even though they’re not together now, she still thinks of Charlotte as family. He says, family is very important. It’s the most important thing. She says, since they’re on the subject of family, they need to talk about his.
Drew says, not that he doesn’t appreciate the company, but what is Willow doing here? She says, she and Michael heard about the attack. They were so worried about him, she had to come and see him, so Michael stayed home with the kids. He says, that’s very sweet, but she didn’t have to come, and she says, it’s the least she could do. He literally saved her life. If he hadn’t rescued Liesl, she wouldn’t have gotten the bone marrow transplant, and she wouldn’t be here. A visit from her certainly can’t compare, but she wanted him to know she’s thinking about him. He thanks her, and she asks if there’s anything he wants or needs to talk about? He says, no… Well, there is one thing he needs to know and it’s pretty important. She says, anything, and he says he needs to know how Wiley’s T-ball team is doing.
Laura tells Hans that her son has been missing for months now, and she’s afraid something’s happened. Hans says, he hasn’t contacted her at all? and she says, no. And he left behind two sons. One of them is just a baby, and she doesn’t believe he’d just abandon them. So she’s afraid maybe he’s being held against his will. She and Doc have been searching for him for weeks now, but they haven’t come up with any leads. Doc says, they’ve been to the Cassadine properties in Russia and Greece, but there’s no sign of him, and Hans says he’s happy to help in any way he can, but what makes them think Nikolas is in Geneva? Laura says, because his money is here.
Ava thanks Giles for making the fire. She knows it’s a bit early, but it was so damp. She feels better already, and she’ll feel even better when she gets that martini. She turns around to take the martini from Giles as there’s a clap of thunder, startling her. The martini sloshes onto her, and Giles says he’s so sorry. Let him get her a napkin. She says, no, no. It’s quite all right. She told him she wasn’t meant to be dry tonight. He hands her a manila envelope, saying, this came from the real estate agency. She thanks him, and he says he’s off this evening, but there’s plenty of food in the kitchen. She says she’ll be having a liquid dinner. Thanks so much, and get home safely. He leaves, and she sits on the sofa. She opens the envelope and takes out pictures of a house interior. She says she can’t wait to get off this island.
Trina says, what a beautiful night, and thanks Spencer. He says, no need to thank him. All he did was place a few phone calls; to the hotel, to the restaurant, and then the concierge. It’s not a big deal. She says, everything has been wonderful, but she wasn’t talking about the reservations. She knows how hard it is for him to get away. He has to deal with Esme and be there for Ace, and she wants him to know how grateful she is that he made time for them. He says, I love us, and she says, me too. And she loves him, so very much. I’m not sure why. He’s really good looking, but he talks too fast and too loud, and he’s still an entitled snob.
Carly tells Michael that she can’t believe it. This is all her fault. He says, it isn’t, but she says, it is too. She’s the one who insisted on investing in Aurora. She’s the one who took a chance and put all her money into that stock. That’s what led to the insider trading charge. Michael says, she had no idea that was going to happen. Someone is to blame, but it’s not her. Whoever called the SEC, they’re to blame. She asks if he still thinks it was Ned, but he says, there’s no way to know. Now Ned thinks he’s Eddie Maine and they may never know, but he’s working on it. She asks what he means, and he says he may have a lead on the whistleblower, but it’s not going to get Drew out of prison any sooner. He’ll tell her about that later, but right now they have to focus on getting Drew home. She says she spoke to Diane, and she thinks their best strategy is to put pressure on the judge; either get him to reduce or commute Drew’s sentence. He asks how they do that, and she says she has some information on the judge and she’s going to use it.
Willow shows Drew her phone, and says, these days, all the kids get a trophy. Wiley didn’t understand it at first, since they lost every game. He said he thought only winners get trophies, so she told him, everyone is a winner at T-ball. Drew says, has he maybe tried soccer? but she says, young Mr. Corinthos wouldn’t even consider it. She’s afraid Wiley takes after his dad. He is so stubborn. He’ll argue about it no matter how many times he strikes out. Nina came by last week, and she can’t believe how committed their slugger is. He says, wow. That must mean she and Nina are getting along. She says, it’s going better than she ever imagined. Nina’s respecting boundaries. She always calls to see if it’s okay to come over. She’s great with the kids. Wiley loves his grandmother. He lights up when he sees her. He says he’s so happy that things are going better. That’s great. How is Michael doing with all this? Has his opinion of Nina changed? She tells him, like she said, Michael’s stubborn.
Sonny asks if something happened between Nina and Michael, but she says, no. It’s not Michael, it’s… Gladys. He says, what’d she do now? and Nina says, she’s in serious debt. She owes a lot of money to Selina Wu. He says, that’s somebody you don’t want to mess with. How did Nina find out? She says, Gladys came to her. Gladys asked her for money. She wanted Nina to bail her out because she was too afraid to approach Sonny. Sonny says, let him guess how she got into this hole – gambling. Nina says, she lost a lot of money. Apparently, she’s been playing for months. He says, dammit, getting out of bed. What the hell is wrong with Gladys? Didn’t she see what gambling did to Mike? It pretty much destroyed his life. What was she thinking? Nina says, that’s the point; she wasn’t thinking. And she hates to tell him this, but it gets worse. Before Gladys came to her, she found another way to get the money. He says, how? and she says, Gladys was stealing money from Sasha.
Thunder rumbles as Ava raises her glass and says, here’s to the end of the Windymere era. Good riddance to this place and everything that happened here. She sips her martini, and flashes back to the argument she and Nikolas had that ended with her cracking him over the head and thinking he was dead.
Doc tells Hans, we have a saying in the US; follow the money. That’s what led them here. Laura asks if there’s anything Hans can tell them, and he says, Nikolas indeed has a substantial amount of money with them, but it’s separate from the Cassadine estate. Nikolas has several separate accounts. A large amount was sent to him by his Uncle Victor. His condolence on Victor’s death. Both Doc and Laura are like, no, and Doc asks if there’s been any recent activity in Nikolas’s accounts. Hans says, as a matter of fact, there’s been quite a bit. There have been several withdrawals. Laura asks if Hans has seen him, and Hans says, no, but he’ll print out the records for them. Laura thanks him, and Hans leaves. Doc says, this could mean Nikolas is alive, and Laura says she hopes so.
Spencer says he can’t believe it, and she says, that she’s in love with him? He’d better believe it. He says, no. That it took her so long to say it. He was just professing his love to her back in the hotel room and she didn’t say anything back, so he just assumed… She says, that she didn’t feel the same way? and he says he didn’t know. Why didn’t she say anything then? She says she learned a thing or two from Aunt Stella. She said, good things come to those who wait. He says he would have waited an eternity for her to say those words and he’s so glad she did. He doesn’t know if she’s noticed, but he’s not the most patient person in the world. She says, him? What is he thinking about? He says, that he’s the luckiest guy in the world, and takes her hand. He says he’s loved her for so very long. Since the day he met her. She says, that was a long time ago, wasn’t it? They’ve certainly been through a lot since then. We go down Spencer and Trina Memory Lane, but not too far, since it was another actress then, and there’s a song part. He says, the best is yet to come, and kisses her hand.
Sonny says, so Nina is telling him that Gladys is stealing from her daughter-in-law? and Nina says, yeah. Gladys has been syphoning money from Sasha’s bank account for months, until she drained it. And she was desperate because she still owed Selina Wu a lot of money. Then when Sasha came to Gladys and said she wanted to end the conservatorship, she panicked. Gladys doesn’t want anyone to know what she’s doing. He says, Sasha came to him months ago and said she felt stronger and didn’t need a guardian. Gladys told him that she was against ending the guardianship. Is Nina telling him that Gladys tried to make sure this didn’t happen? She takes his hand and says, Gladys did a lot more than just that.
Drew tells Willow that he gets where Michael is coming from. Everyone knows how Carly feels about Nina. But he keeps getting reminded, not only is life short, but it’s so fragile. They shouldn’t waste their time arguing with people and holding grudges. It just takes too much energy. Willow says she knows. After losing her mother, she realized how important family is. Harmony was never really her family, but the Quartermaines are. She feels so blessed to be a part of them. They’re so generous and loving… He says, and crazy, and stubborn, and combative. She says she knows, but she wouldn’t trade their money them for anything. He says, neither would he.
Elizabeth scrubs at her scrubs in the locker room, and sees Finn’s ID hanging from a locker. She looks over to see him in the shower. Since the doors are wide open. She leaves her ID on the table, and walks into the shower stall with him.
It continues to storm on Spoon Island. Ava turns around, and jumps, dropping her martini.
Hans comes back, and says, here are the current records for Mr. Cassadine’s accounts, handing them to Laura. She says, thank you so much. She looks through a folder and says, wow. There are quite a few withdrawals, aren’t there? Doc says, and these dates line up. They started just a few months ago. She says, right after Nikolas went missing, and Hans says, his colleagues tell him the withdrawals were made in person by Mr. Cassadine. As she can see, there’s a recent transfer for a substantial amount. He’ll leave her with these records. He has to attend to another matter. She says, he’s been so helpful. She can’t thank him enough. He says, always a pleasure, and says, nice meeting Doc. Doc says, they really appreciate this, and they shake hands. Hans says, of course (🍷), and leaves. Laura says, he’s alive. Her son is alive. Thank God. She and Doc hug, and he says, this might lead them to him.
The waiter asks if Trina and Spencer would like to see the dessert menu, and Spencer looks to Trina, but she says, no thank you. They have to get going. He says he’ll take the check, and the waiter leaves. As much as I’m not keen on Spencer, I’m glad Trina is looking forward to her first time with him. Usually, there’s all this angst surrounding that, so it’s nice to see the flip side.
Elizabeth goes to Finn, and they kiss. She asks what he’s thinking, and he says he doesn’t want to think anymore. I’m thinking, why is she still wearing her scrubs? They start getting busy.
Nina tells Sonny, Sasha needed to get out of Ferncliff now. She needed to get away from this so-called doctor that was taking care of her. And the only way to do that was to pay this guy off. Sonny says, son of a bitch, and Nina says, a lot of stuff happened, but the bottom line is, Cody Bell broke Sasha out of Ferncliff. He says, Dante’s friend? and she says, yeah. Somehow, he got into Ferncliff, and he took her with him. Gladys said that Cody kidnapped her, but she doesn’t believe that. He says he’s sorry that Gladys put her in this position, but she says, no. She’s sorry she didn’t tell him earlier; she was trying to fix it herself. Anyway, he doesn’t need to apologize. He says, Gladys is family, but he’s put up with this way too long. That’s on him. Gladys will be dealt with. He probably doesn’t know who to go after first, Selina, Gladys, or the so-called doctor.
Drew thanks Willow for coming to see him, and she leaves. In the hallway, a woman turns around and Willow sees it’s Harmony.
Carly tells Michael, Diane said this judge is hoping to get a seat on the Circuit Court, and it’s really important because it’s a steppingstone to the Supreme Court. (The stuff I learn from this show.) He asks what that has to do with Drew’s sentence, and she says, he was hoping to look good. He could have given Drew a harsher sentence because he wanted to look good to the Justice Department. She doesn’t know. It’s all speculation, and it’s going to be really tough to prove actual misconduct. He says, what if they don’t have to prove it? What if the appearance of misconduct is enough? She asks what he means, and she says, let’s say we get the story out to the press. Maybe Drew’s case would gain some traction. She says, they could get Alexis to run a piece in The Invader, and that will put pressure on the judge, but he says, they have to tread lightly though, because Alexis is a former attorney and she’s scrupulous. Alexis won’t run a hit piece on Judge Kim just because Carly asks her to. Carly says, Alexis won’t do it for her, but there’s someone else she’d do it for.
Ava asks what the hell Mason is doing here. Did Giles let him in? He says, the guy in the penguin suit? He’s long gone. She asks what he wants, and he says, it depends. What is she offering? She says, nothing. She said her piece yesterday, so get out of here. He walks closer, and she says she told him, get out of here. She’ll call the cops. He says, go for it. We’ll be long gone before the cops can get here. She says, we? and he says, yeah.
Spencer opens the hotel room door, and Trina sees red rose petals on the bed. She says, Spencer… and goes to him, kissing him. They get busy, and there’s a song part. Another minority I’m in is, no rose petals on the bed please. Wouldn’t they stick to you?
Nina says, Sonny can’t do anything tonight. He can deal with this tomorrow. The only thing that matters is planning their wedding. He says, no. Actually, the only thing that matters is getting married.
Willow asks what Harmony is doing here, and Harmony says she came looking for Willow. Willow asks, why? and Harmony says she came to warn Willow. Willow says, about what? and Harmony’s lips move, but we can’t hear the words. Willow wakes up on one of the couches in the waiting area at the hospital.
Trina and Spencer bask in the afterglow, and he says he has no words for her. She says, wow, and they kiss.
Doc asks if Laura sees anything, and she says she’s looking for a pattern; a clue as to where Nikolas might be now. But it’s this one very large withdrawal. Does Doc think he opened another account so he could maybe hide what he’s doing or where he is? He says, maybe, but they’re not going to figure anything out right now. He suggests they take these back to the hotel for champagne. This is information worth celebrating. She says, it is, and hugs him. She says her son is alive and they’re celebrating. And their search was not in vain. Again, if Nikolas wanted to let her know he was alive, he could have just picked up the phone instead of making her trot halfway around the globe.
Ava says she’s not going anywhere with Mason, and reaches for a fireplace poker. He says he wouldn’t do that if he were her, and she tells him, stay away from her. He says, she ratted them out. She wasn’t smart.
Elizabeth approaches the reception desk and asks if Amy has checked on the patient in 1002. Amy says she did and he’s fine. Elizabeth looks tired. Does she want Amy to get her a coffee? Nothing like a little caffeine to get you through the night shift. Elizabeth says she’ll never sleep tonight if she has one of those. Finn comes out, and Amy says, here are the labs he’s been waiting for, and asks why they both have wet hair.
Spencer tells Trina, you know when I’m happiest? When I’m with you. He means it. They kiss some more.
Someone walks into Hans’s office, and he says he assumes they’re here for more money. Nikolas closes the door and says, yes. He needs to make another withdrawal. Hans says, he just missed his mother, and Nikolas says, did he? Hans says, she was just here with her husband. They’re looking for him. His mother is a very gracious woman. She loves him and his disappearance has given her a large amount of pain. Be a good son and do the right thing. Nikolas says he plans to.
We see the living room at Windymere is empty.
Carly asks why Drew isn’t sleeping. He should be resting. He says he got some sleep. Then Willow came to visit and he’s sure he’s going to nod off again, so he’s good. She should go home. She should be with the girls. She says, Josslyn’s with them; they’re fine. She’s not going to stay long. She just needed to be with him, even if it’s just to watch him sleep. She loves him. She’s so sorry this happened to him. He tells her not to worry. Everything’s going to be okay. She says, he’s damn right, because she’s going to make sure.
Michael asks if Drew’s okay, and Willow says she thinks so. It looks like Drew will recover. The surgery went well. They had a good visit. She’s really glad she saw him. He asks her, what’s wrong? but she says, it’s nothing. He says, if she’s not feeling well, she has to tell him. She says, it’s not that. After she left Drew’s room, she sat in the lounge for a bit and nodded off. He says, she’s pushing herself too hard. She should have waited before going back to work. She says she guesses she was a bit more tired than she realized, but that’s not what’s bothering her. She had the strangest dream about her mother. He says, Nina? but she says, no, Harmony. But it was only a dream.
Nina tells Sonny that she doesn’t care about the dress and the flowers and the – she flips through some of the papers on the bed – cake. It doesn’t matter. He says, it seems like it matters to her because she’s doing a lot of planning, and she says she has, but it’s also insignificant right now. With everything that’s happened these last few months; with Sasha being committed, and Curtis getting shot. She feels really guilty about planning a big wedding because a lot of people that they love are suffering. He says he’s got an idea, and she says, what? He says, why don’t they elope? He’s serious. All they care about is to say their vows and become husband and wife. She even said she didn’t want to deal with this right now. She says, but Sonny… and he says, the planning’s going to be out of control. Olivia is going to keep coming to her with more options, and do they really care what icing is on the cake? (Well… yeah.) She says she doesn’t know, and he says, we will fly to the island tomorrow. We will get married. What does she say? She tells him that she says yes! throwing all the papers in the air.
On Monday, Sonny says, that’s exactly what he wanted him to do; Laura says she’s not giving up her search; Valentin tells Martin that Charlotte’s future depends on their conversation today; and Sasha says she plans to do just that.
👩🏻⚖️ Newest Of the New Mollys…
I didn’t even know how old they were supposed to be, and who cares anyway?
I love their Reunion pic. They’ve dressed like themselves; not like they’re having a quinceañera. One article said fans were angry about the jeans. What’s wrong with people?
I was sad to hear about his death. Although I’m glad they remembered he was in VR5. Blink and you missed it, but it was a great show and it started Michael Easton’s career. I knew he was going places.
No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess. – Sir Isaac Newton
The greatest deception [humans] suffer is from their own opinions. – Leonardo da Vinci
If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try. – Seth Godin
It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up. – Babe Ruth
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. – Mahatma Gandhi
We can’t be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea. Holding onto something that is good for you now, may be the very reason why you don’t have something better. – C Joybell C
Action is the foundational key to all success. – Pablo Picasso
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear. –Mark Twain
They’re not on the same page. They’re not even in the same book. – Jamal Menzies, Pillow Talk: 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days
Crying and throwing a tantrum isn’t going to be a solution to the problem. – Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, My 600-LB Life
🛶 Building an Ark…
Stop in again on Monday really Tuesday for soap and what’s going on in the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay making requests instead of demands, and stay not wasting your time arguing with people and holding grudges. It takes too much energy, and life is short.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Spencer and Trina go into their hotel room, which is pretty swanky, and Trina is suitably impressed. He asks what she thinks, and she says she thinks it’s perfect, kissing him. She can’t believe they had to leave Port Charles and come all the way to NYC to spend some quality time together. Not that she’s complaining. He says, neither is he, and they kiss again. (FYI: people from NYC do not call it NYC. It’s just the city.)
Dressed in a cowboy hat and fringed vest, squirt gun in hand, Josslyn goes into Sonny’s old kitchen where Donna and Avery, also wearing cowboy getups, are hiding behind the kitchen island. She says, stop right there, pardner. Unless you’re looking for trouble. She takes a hit from one of their squirt guns, and Donna says, gotcha. The moss bowl🎍quietly laughs, and Josslyn says, not for long. You can’t get me here. They have a showdown around the island. Ava walks in, and asks, what’s going on? Donna and Avery both squirt her.
A guard says, Cyrus must have pulled some serious strings to get a visitor at this hour, and Cyrus says, the warden owes him one. He picks up the phone, and says, he hopes they’ve come to give him good news about Drew Cain. Across from him, Mason sucks on a lollipop, looking surprisingly like The Rock in this lighting. I actually do a doubletake.
Carly paces in Drew’s room, and flashes back to them telling each other, I love you. She sits by the bed and strokes his arm. She says she’ll get him out of Pentenville. She has to.
Dante thanks Dr. Montague for coming to the station on such short notice, and Montague says, no trouble at all. Anything he can do to assist. Dante says, they just have to get to the bottom of a few things, and Montague says, happy to help. Dante asks Montague to follow him into the interrogation room, and he can take the doctor’s statement. Cody is led into the squad room and sees Montague through the window.
Dante says he hopes Montague doesn’t mind if he records this. Does he want some water? Montague says, no thanks, and outside, Cody says, go on, Dante. Get ‘em.
Sasha asks if Gladys will do it. Will she confess and testify against Dr. Montague? Gladys says, please. If this comes out, Sonny will kill her – literally. Sasha says, like Dr. Montague was planning to kill her, and Gladys says she didn’t know he was going to do that. She never wanted to hurt Sasha. Sasha says, Gladys just wanted her locked up and drugged so she could steal her money, but Gladys says, that’s not how it was at all. She got in a jam. Things got out of control. Sasha’s got to believe her. She would never ever agree to that. She loves Sasha. Sasha says, then prove it. Confess and help her put away Dr. Montague for good.
Spencer tells Trina that he’s going to run and pick up the tickets. She asks if he’s bailing on her, but he says, not at all. He just thought she’d like to decompress after the flight (how long was it? 20 minutes?) She says, that works for her and asks him not to be long. He says, of course (🍷), kisses her, and leaves. She leaves a message for Portia, saying, they got to NYC safe and sound. Tell Curtis and Marshall that she said, hey, and they’ll talk tomorrow. Love you.
Avery says, they got Ava, and Ava says, they did. It’s like the OK Corral in here. Josslyn gives her a towel, and says, they’re going to have dinner soon. She suggests the girls go upstairs and wash up. Donna says, they can ride their horsies upstairs, and they gallop off. Josslyn asks, what brings Ava by? and Ava says she just came to say goodnight to Avery. She knows Josslyn’s mom is at the hospital with Drew; she just came from there. Josslyn says, that’s why she’s here holding down the fort. Is there any news? Is Drew awake? Ava says, not yet, but he’s out of surgery and the doctors seem very confident that everything went well. Josslyn says, that’s good to hear, and thanks Ava. Ava says, of course (🍷). They’re all worried. Drew doesn’t deserve this, and she owes him so much for everything he did to bring Trina home. Josslyn says, Trina really means a lot to Ava, and Ava says, she’s like a daughter. Josslyn says, Ava’s really done a lot for Trina. Getting her that internship at The Chuck. Ava’s taught Trina pretty much everything she knows about the gallery and the art world. She thinks Trina’s really lucky to have Ava in her life. Both the moss bowl🎍and I wonder if we’ve stumbled into Bizarro World, and Josslyn says she knows Trina really appreciates Ava. Ava says she appreciates Trina too. She’d better go up and make sure those cowgirls and their horsies aren’t getting into any mischief.
Mason asks if it isn’t a risk; him and Cyrus meeting here. They’ve been so careful. Cyrus says, relax. The cats are asleep. Mason says he’s not worried about the prisoners, but the warden… Cyrus says, the warden is busy with Drew Cain. So tell him what he’s heard about Cyrus’s friend. Mason says, nothing. All Austin could find out was, Drew Cain was in surgery, and it wasn’t looking good. Cyrus says, there are those of us who become casualties in God’s grand scheme, but when you choose the side of the devil, you willingly stake your life on the losing end.
Deanna goes into Drew’s room and says she’s sorry. She didn’t know Carly was still here. Carly says she wanted to stay until Drew woke up, and Deanna checks his vitals. Carly says, he looks so vulnerable hooked up to all this, and Deanna says, he’s been through a lot. They have to monitor him closely. After the trauma he experienced and the surgery, he’s likely to be out for the night. She tells Carly to let her know if she needs anything, and Carly says, the doctor said the surgery was a success. Deanna says, yes. He’s very lucky. Carly asks if there could be complications at this stage, but Deanna says, try not to worry. Carly says, how is he really? and Drew says, he’s doing pretty good. Better because she’s here. Carly goes to his side.
Walking to the hospital elevator, Jordan says, the warden didn’t need to come all this way to visit Drew. She would have been happy to report his condition. Warden Garten says, not at all. This attack should have never happened. She prides herself on the security at Pentenville, and this is a major fail. She had to make sure for herself that Mr. Cain was okay. Jordan says, she’s brought many reforms to the prison. It’s impressive. The warden says, but they can’t rest on any laurels. Something brutal like this means they have a whole lot more work to do. She’s eager to see if Mr. Cain can shed any light. Jordan says, it’s suspicious though. The severity and duration of the attack suggests there might have been some coordination between prisoners and guards.
Mac thanks Montague for coming in and says, they want to get to the bottom of this. Montague says, as he told Mac’s detective, he’s glad to assist and recover Miss Gilmore. She’s at risk out on her own. Dante talks into the recorder, saying, this is Dr. Damon Montague’s statement on the assault by Cody Bell that happened at Ferncliff, and Montague says he found Cody Bell in one of his patient’s rooms, and Cody attacked him. Dante says, attacked him why? and Montague says he was making his rounds when he heard animated voices coming from a room. When he opened the door to check it out, Cody Bell went crazy and jumped him. Dante asks why he didn’t call security before going into the room, and Montague says, it was the room of one of his troubled patients. (Aren’t they all troubled?) Mac says, Sasha Gilmore, and Montague says, yes. She’s very vulnerable and he was afraid for her life. He’s been treating her for some time and frankly, he’s quite shocked about how much she’s declined since the stabbing episode. Dante says, and he thinks Cody Bell is the one who attacked him, and Montague says, Cody jumped him, and they fought, but Mr. Bell was crazed and knocked him out. When he came to, he was in the bathroom tied up and Cody had taken his clothes. Dante says, when Cody was arrested, he was wearing the clothes Montague says he stole from him, and in the pocket, they found these. He places the bottle of pills on the table and asks if Montague can explain them. Mac sees Cody watching through the window.
Gladys asks Sasha how she can prove it. She didn’t know what Montague was planning to do. Sasha says, but Gladys knew him from her card games. Gladys got him to give her pills that messed with the antidepressants she was already taking. Gladys and Dr. Montague did that to make her look unstable, so Gladys could keep the guardianship going. Gladys says, she was desperate. She’s so sorry. Sasha says, if she’s really sorry, then there’s only one choice; help her put an end to Dr. Montague. He has to be stopped. Gladys says, okay. She’ll do whatever Sasha wants. She’ll go to the police, tell them everything Dr. Montague did. Sasha says she has to wait here, but this is Gladys’s last chance. She’s trusting Gladys. Gladys says, of course (🍷),of course (🍷). She won’t let Sasha down. She feels so terrible. Sasha says, be sure not to tell anyone she saw her. This has to come from Gladys speaking from her own conscience. Gladys leaves, and in the hallway, she takes out her phone. She makes a call, and says she has information about an escaped fugitive. I yell unprintable things at the TV.
Dante asks what Montague has to say about these pills, and Montague says he’s never seen those before in his life, but it makes sense. It appeared Sasha was getting drugs from inside Ferncliff. Maybe Cody was her dealer. (D’oh! Backfire.) Dante says, that definitely helps them clarify some things. He thanks the doctor for his cooperation and says, they may need to speak to him again. Montague says he’s at their disposal, and Mac says, they’ll be in touch. As they come out, Cody says, no. They’re letting him go? and launches himself at Montague, getting him down on a desk.
There’s a knock at the door, and Sasha says, Gladys? There’s another knock, and Sasha opens the door to two police officers. One says, Sasha Gilmore? and Sasha says, no, trying to close the door, but they come in anyway. The officer tells her, please remain calm. They’re only here to escort her back to Ferncliff. Sasha says, they’re making a mistake. She can’t go back to Ferncliff. Please. They lead her out, and she says, why, Gladys? Why? Because apparently, Gladys has no soul.
Deanna says, welcome back, Mr. Cain. How are you feeling? Drew says, good. He’s here. Deanna says, he’s been through a rough surgery. He has to be very careful not to exert himself too much. Drew says, yes, ma’am, and she says she’ll let the doctor know he’s awake. If he needs any help with pain management, just buzz her. She tells Carly to make sure he doesn’t overdo it, and Carly says she will. Deanna leaves, and Carly says she’s so glad Drew is awake. It was so hard watching him lay here like this. She’s so sorry. He says, it’s okay, but she says, it’s not okay. He was only in Pentenville because of her. He says, she’s not to blame. He’s fine. She asks how he can say that. He was only attacked because of her… and Sonny.
Warden Garten asks if Jordan thinks there could have been collusion between the prisoners and her staff at Pentenville, and Jordan says, it’s certainly suspicious. Drew’s injuries indicate a lengthy fight. She’d like an investigation into who was on duty during the attack.
Ava helps the girls set the table, and Josslyn gets a call from Trina. She steps outside to take it. She asks what Trina is doing. Where’s Spencer? Trina says, he went to go pick up the tickets for the theatre. They’re here. Look at this place. She shows Josslyn the room, and Josslyn says, it’s amazing. Tell her everything. How was the flight? She’s assuming they flew first class. Trina says, Joss… but Josslyn says, come on. Enjoy it. Trina says, it was amazing. Spencer has this special key, which meant they got to board first, and they were treated like royalty. They were given heated nuts, and little mints, and fresh baked cookies when they landed. Josslyn asks if a driver was waiting for them, and Trina says, with a sign that said Cassadine. And the driver took them directly to the car, and they didn’t have to wait for the luggage. Josslyn says, wow. Say what you will about Spencer, but that guy’s got game. Trina says, he really does, and Josslyn says, so is she excited? This is huge. Trina and Spencer haven’t really been able to explore their relationship since Greenland, and tonight’s the night. It’s her first time with Spencer. How is she feeling? She knows Trina’s thought about it. Does she still feel ready? Trina says, absolutely. She’s been ready for a while now, and they’re never alone. Josslyn says, they’re alone now, and Trina says she feels really good about Spencer. They’re in a really good place right now. Josslyn says she’s so happy for Trina. Go get ready for her night, but call her tomorrow with every detail… Maybe not all of the details. Know she’s here for Trina no matter what. Seeing Ava through the window, Trina asks if that’s Ava. Is Ava there with Josslyn? Josslyn says, she came by to say hi to Avery. Have a great night. Trina says, you know it. Tell Ava that she said hey. Josslyn says she will. Love you. Trina says, love you more, when Spencer comes back. He says, they’re all set. He picked up the tickets, and everything else is running on schedule. She asks what else he has in store for them, and he says, she’ll see.
Spencer says he could tell Trina, but it would ruin the surprise. She says, don’t ruin the surprise, and he says, that would take all of the fun out of this, but he’ll tell her what. They are in the capital of the Western world. What would she like to do? She says, everything. She’d like to see Soho. There’s a couple of galleries they deal with there. She wants to go shopping, she wants to eat, and she really wants to see the Big Four, MOMA, Guggenheim, Whitney, and the Met. He says he’s so glad she said that, and she asks why he has that smile. He says he thought they weren’t ruining surprises, and she says, he didn’t tell her it had something to do with the museums. He says, okay, he’ll tell her, when there’s a knock at the door. She says, saved by the bell.
Cody is pulled off of Montague, and Mac hustles the doctor away. Cody says, they can’t let him walk, and Mac says, take him to his cell. Sasha is brought in, and Cody says, Sasha. They lock eyes, and Dante looks like he can’t believe it.
Carly says, Drew has to be careful, and he says, she’s not to blame. It was his choice to help Sonny. She says, it’s not his responsibility to fight Sonny’s battles, but he says, it’s not just Sonny’s battles; it’s other injustices too. She says, he doesn’t have to fix everyone’s problems, but he says, she knows he can’t just stand by and watch that stuff happen. The drug problem itself is heartbreaking enough. If he can help root out the corruption, he’s going to do it every time. Jordan comes in with the warden, and says, he’s awake. He had them so worried. Drew thanks her, and she asks how he’s feeling. He says he’s sore, but he’ll be okay. He’s kind of surprised to see the warden here. Carly says, warden? She gets up and asks, how the warden could let this happen to Drew? What kind of prison is she running?
Cyrus says he sent Mason with a message to his nephew’s ex-wife. It’s been more than a handful of days, so what was the dear lady’s response? Mason says, she’s not the one they have to worry about. Betty’s the problem.
Donna asks, what are these? and Ava says, they’re chopsticks; you eat with them. Josslyn thanks Ava for getting the delivery, and Ava says, of course (🍷). How was Trina? Josslyn says, she’s great. She says hi. She and Spencer made it to New York. Ava says, that’s great. She hopes Trina has the time of her life. Josslyn says she’s sure Trina will, and Ava thanks her for being here with Avery. She knows things haven’t been easy. She’ll get out of Josslyn’s hair. Josslyn says, they have way too much food for three people. Would she like to stay for dinner? The moss bowl🎍and I are astounded, and Ava says she’d like that very much, and thanks Josslyn. She tells the cowgirls that she thinks they’ll need more chopsticks because she’s staying for dinner. The girls cheer.
Spencer pops open a bottle, and says, champagne? Trina says, yes please, and he pours them both a glass. They clink glasses and drink.
Carly says, the warden is supposed to be protecting the inmates, and Jordan says, Warden Garten is on the same page as them about getting justice for Drew. She’s here to help them brainstorm about how they can reopen the case and maybe get it before another judge. Carly says, sorry. She’s really upset about all this. The warden says she understands perfectly and tells Drew that she owes him a deep apology. Jordan says, the warden wants Drew out of Pentenville just as much as they do, and Warden Garten says she’s just as upset as Carly is. Drew ending up in a hospital bed was never the outcome she wanted for him. She feels terrible and wanted to see if he could shed any light on the situation. Carly says, the only important thing is to get Drew out of Pentenville, and the warden says she couldn’t agree more.
Mason tells Cyrus that he’s sorry. He really thought they could trust Betty. She may have gotten too cocky and let down her guard and showed Corinthos her cards. Cyrus asks if that’s what Mason thinks happened, and Mason says, it’s possible she turned on them. Sonny’s a very powerful figure, and persuasive, so she may have decided to strike a deal with him.
Cody asks Sasha, what happened? He sees Gladys and asks what Gladys did to her. Mac says, they’re going to escort Sasha back to Ferncliff, but Sasha says she can’t go back there. Cody says, hold on, and tells Dante, don’t do it. Mac says, they’ll make sure nothing happens. They’re expecting her. Cody says they can’t take her back there, and Sasha says, Dante, please. Ferncliff? Dante says, it’s okay. Just for a little bit, until they can sort this out. The officers lead her away, as she says, no, please. Cody says, it’ll be okay. He’ll get her out of there somehow. Mac asks if Gladys minds waiting. He’ll take Cody back to processing and then get back to her. She says she was just trying to help her poor daughter-in-law, and Cody says, do not trust her. She’s behind all of this. Mac asks Gladys to wait in the interrogation room and goes with the officers taking Cody. Montague looks at Gladys, but she doesn’t turn around.
Trina says, look at all of this. Is that caviar? He says he knows it’s a little bit cheesy, but he just couldn’t resist. Why not go all out? He’s really happy she could come along this weekend. He knows she’s really busy with school starting and finishing that paper. She says, which she finished, no thanks to him. He says he can’t help wanting to spend all his free time with her, and he’s glad Ava was able to give her some time off from her duties at the gallery. She says, of course (🍷). It’s no trip to Turks and Caicos like he wanted, during hurricane season, where probably they’d be stranded on some island before they got rescued. He says, so she discovered his master plan; being marooned, just the two of them on an island. She says, when he puts it like that, it does kind of sound nice. Just the two of them. He says he is sorry it’s taken so long for them to have some alone time with each other, but she says, it’s okay. He says, no, it’s not. He just needed to make sure Esme wasn’t going to run away with his little brother, but he’s glad she turned out to be dependable. She asks if they came all this way just to talk about Esme, and he says, of course (🍷) they didn’t, kissing her.
After more kissing, Spencer says, they do have a dinner reservation to get to, and Trina says, let’s get to it. He feeds her something, like people do before going to eat, and he says, they don’t have to go so fast. They haven’t made a proper toast yet. They raise their glasses, and he says, to the woman he loves. She says, to us, and he says, to us. They clink glasses, and kiss some more. He says, okay, dinner, and goes to take a quick shower.
Jordan says, rest assured, she and Diane are exploring all legal loopholes and case precedents. They’re doing everything they can. Drew thanks her, and says he knows they’re going above and beyond. Jordan says, they’re just doing what has to be done. He shouldn’t be in Pentenville, and they’re going to solve this problem and get him out. Carly thanks her, and Jordan says, they’re in this together. Drew says he’s sorry he can’t tell them anything helpful about the fight, and Carly says, attack. Drew was attacked. Warden Garten tells him not to worry about that; just focus on his healing. She’ll see him soon… or hopefully not. Carly asks if there isn’t something they can do to make sure Drew doesn’t go back to Pentenville; some kind of medical exemption? Jordan says, they’re looking into that, and the warden tells her, don’t worry. They’ll do everything they can to make sure nothing like this happens again. They have her word. Drew thanks them, and they leave. Carly says, thank God they’re not in this alone. Hopefully, Diane and the warden can come up with some kind of miracle. Drew asks her to sit by him please, and she does. He says, they’re alone together. No talking about prison or trials or any of that. He takes her hand and says, just us.
On the phone, Josslyn tells Dex that she was so worried. Why such a brutal beating in the first place? Ava walks in, and Josslyn says, thank God he’s awake. Ava clears her throat, and Josslyn says she’s got to go. She’ll call him in a little. Ava says, the girls are all washed up and ready for bed. The playroom’s still a bit of a mess though. Josslyn says, that’s nothing new, and Ava says, they’re waiting for the bedtime story they were promised. She asks if there’s any word about Drew, and Josslyn says, her mom called. He’s awake. Ava says, that’s a relief, and Josslyn says, Drew shouldn’t have gone to prison in the first place. Who the hell tipped off the SEC? They could have gotten him killed.
Gladys sits with her head in her hands, and Montague asks if she’s okay. She says, how can she be? Thanks to him, her daughter-in-law has completely lost touch with reality. He says, she’ll be taken care of in Ferncliff. He’ll see to it personally. He leaves.
Sasha is led to her room, and she says, Dante, please. He says, they’re going to get her out of here; he promises. She says she doesn’t belong here, as the attendant ties her wrist to the bed. Dante asks if that’s really necessary, and Sasha asks him to do something. The attendant gently pushes Dante out the door, and Dante yells, they’re going to get her out. The attendant straps her other wrist as Dante looks through the window.
Trina comes out all dressed up in an off-the-shoulder cocktail dress, and Spencer says, wow. She looks amazing. She says he doesn’t look so bad himself, but he says, this is one battle she’s not going to win. She’s breathtaking. Can he help her with her necklace? She says, necklace? and he takes out a jewelry box. We can’t really see it, but she says, it’s beautiful, and he puts it on her. He says he wanted her to have something permanent. That way, she’ll always remember their weekend together. She turns around, and he says, perfect, kissing her. He says, dinner awaits, and they leave. It’s so convenient that whenever someone is given jewelry, they’re never wearing any.
Curtis says, so Mason thinks it’s possible that Betty was unable to fool Corinthos and instead chose to join forces? Mason says, it’s possible, but Cyrus says, no, it’s not possible. And he’s an idiot for thinking that. It was an easy job. Betty had no reason to betray him. Sonny accepted her too quickly, which means Ava’s the one who did it. And for that sin, she’ll have to face Divine retribution. Mason says, what about Cassadine? He was very clear about not hurting her. Cyrus says he doesn’t care what his nephew said. He’s not the one running the show. I am. Get it done. He hangs up and leaves.
Ava says she’s glad to hear Drew’s awake, and Josslyn says she’s glad Ava came tonight. She thinks it made things much more normal for the girls. Ava says she couldn’t help but hear Josslyn was on the phone with Dex. How is it having a boyfriend working for Sonny? Josslyn wonders why she’s asking, and Ava says, Josslyn may not remember, but she’s the daughter of a man whose business dealings weren’t always… inside the law. They have more in common than Josslyn thinks, and if Josslyn really wants to know, it’s because Josslyn is Trina’s best friend. And what affects Trina matters to her. And she wants to be sure Josslyn is taking care of herself, that she has her eyes open wide. Because she will need crystal clarity to navigate a relationship with someone in the business… She gets her bag and tells Josslyn that the girls are hoping for Hippity Hoppity the Kangaroo. She says, take care, and Josslyn says, her too. Ava leaves, and Josslyn turns out the light, silently wishing the moss bowl🎍a good night. Outside, Ava calls Nina and says she just found out Drew woke up. So Nina won’t have Drew’s death on her conscience.
Jordan tells the warden that she hopes if any good comes of this, they can get justice for Drew. Warden Garten says, Drew doesn’t belong in Pentenville. She’ll help any way she can to ensure an early release. She thanks Jordan and leaves. Jordan looks skeptical.
Carly lies next to Drew on the bed, and he kisses her forehead.
Cody says, Mac can’t let Sasha stay in Ferncliff. Dr. Montague… Mac says, Dr. Montague isn’t going to do anything to Sasha, but Cody says, she’s not safe there. Mac says, it’s just for a little while. They’ll get Sasha out, but by going through the proper channels. Don’t worry. They’re doing everything they can. I wonder if they’re going to set Montague up.
Sasha cries in her room, calling Cody’s name. Montague comes to the door and looks through the window. She sits up and sees him.
Tomorrow, Trina tells Spencer, good things come to those who wait; Drew tells Willow there’s one thing he needs to know and it’s very important; and Carly tells Michael that she has information on the judge she’s going to use.
Southern But Not So MuchCharm
Madison and I have something in common. We both fold fitted sheets by rolling them in a ball. The guys are hung over, and JT gives himself an injection after swallowing some pills. What? His mom calls, and he says he had too much fun with the boys; he’s a little sensitive. In JT’s interview, he admits to being a mama’s boy. Since he has type 1 diabetes (okay, that explains the shot), his mom helped him focus on health at an early age, but you have to live your life and hopefully sort it out in the morning. His mom is a top interior designer and renovates property, and he develops and renovates real estate. His core business is a string of Airbnb’s in Charleston. His mom shows him Poppyseed, a cute little (I think) Chin mix, and I squee. He says he’d do anything to be in Virginia on a cold rainy day, with Poppyseed in his lap and his mom giving him ibuprofen. In his interview, he says he grew up in Great Falls, Virgina, and had the perfect childhood. There was a stream running through his backyard and a nature conservancy behind his house. He tells his mom, when not so hung over, they’ll catch up more, and goes back to bed.
Craig and Shep get pedicures, and Shep says, this is Craig’s Shangri La. He’s going pheasant hunting tomorrow, so he doesn’t want anything painted. He tells Craig that the whole implication that Austen and Taylor aren’t just friends got to him. It’s messy. Craig says, Austen just sat there while JT was telling the story, and we flash back to that. In Shep’s interview, he says, Austen wouldn’t hold up if he was accused of a crime. If he was a juror at Austen’s trial, he wouldn’t be inclined to find him innocent. He asks Craig what level of certainty he has that they’ve been more than friends, and Craig says, Austen slept with multiple girls he’s date. We flash back to Austen telling Shep that he’s interested in Chelsea, and in his interview, Shep says, they have a history of Austen wanting what he has. Sometimes it feels like it’s personal. Like Austen wants the toy Shep has. I don’t know where to start with how wrong Shep’s thinking is, and Craig says, hooking up doesn’t mean much to Austen. Shep says, it definitely bothers him. It almost seems like it’s the other way around. Shep doesn’t want Austen to have what he doesn’t want anyway.
Taylor visits Austen and says she’s fragile. When she and Olivia were out, she met a very attractive man who meets all three of her requirements; you have to be funny, smart, and love Jesus. He told her that he liked her, but to run for the hills. She might need Austen’s therapist’s number. He tells her, it’s expensive. There’s a knock at the door and it’s at home IV people. Does that really work for a hangover? How much does it cost? They say they’re administering Toradol, Zofran, and B complex vitamins. Can I do this myself? Austen and Taylor do eye patches while they get the IVs, and Austen says, it was awkward last night. Taylor was talked about a lot. She asks, who was there? and he says, him, Shep, Craig, and JT. JT told Shep about Taylor spending the night, and Craig asked if Shep thought his and Taylor’s relationship was inappropriate. She says, WTF does JT know? and he says, apparently everything. In Taylor’s interview, she says, they’re single and have had a long-standing friendship. They should do what the hell they want. Shep did, and he wasn’t single half the time. She tells Austen that’s why she didn’t want to tell anyone about her crashing with him. She wouldn’t even tell Olivia. It would make Olivia feel uncomfortable. He says, she can’t bring it up.
Venita gets ready for a girls get together at her place. It’s outside and casual, which for Venita means, get dressed up. Olivia brings some clothes over to Taylor’s, and Taylor’s dog Penelope is wearing a panty. Olivia tells Penelope, congrats on being a woman. Madison arrives at Venita’s first, bearing champagne. Is that Dom? I wouldn’t be surprised. She tells Venita, good job, and Leva comes with flowers. Leva says her husband was surprised she was dressing up for a girls only thing, and Venita says, they dress for each other (truth!). In Leva’s interview, she says, Venita is the quintessential Southern bell, from her aesthetic to the way she hosts. She loves it. Leva says she’s planning a thing for Taylor. She can use them rallying behind her. She’s younger and it’s her first real breakup; that one shakes you. Venita says, when you date that long, you think you’ll be spending your lives together. Leva says she remembers feeling like everyone was against her, and thinks Taylor needs to hear it from them. Madison says, his friends are going to be his friends, and in her interview, she says she’s been there. If anyone understands crazy, it’s her. We flash back to her screeching that Austen is a p*ssy and he needs to own it. She says, things have changed, haven’t they? but I’m still skeptical. Taylor and Olivia join them, and they’ve brought Charles a Lambchop toy. He takes it out of the giftbag, and the whole thing is too cute. Taylor says she couldn’t bring Penelope. They don’t want puppies. Venita reveals the spread of food, and they eat. Madison asks, who’s dating who? and Olivia says she was casually seeing a guy, and Austen ran into them at a bar. He said, funny seeing you here, making out with a random guy in a bar. He’s a baseball player, and Austen said he never took her for a Triple-A type. We flash back to Craig outing Madison about dating a married ballplayer at the Reunion, and Madison says, blame it on her. I would have slugged Austen. No ballgame pun intended.
They discuss Madison’s party, and agree it was fun. Taylor says, after the martinis, sh*t got whirlwind, and Madison says, she knows Taylor is still hurting, but she would have gone in the opposite direction. Taylor says, she was trying to have a conversation with Craig, and it happened so quickly. We flash back to Taylor losing her sh*t, and she says, obviously, she should never retaliate that way. Leva suggests she be the bigger person and apologize, and Taylor says she misses their friendship. Madison says, woman to woman, she’s been in that situation, and those guys are thick as thieves. She knew from the beginning they’d no longer be her friends. They were going to talk sh*t about her and hide what Austen did. She didn’t just mourn the loss of their relationship, but her friendship with Craig as well. We flash back to Taylor telling Criag, we used to be friends, and Madison says, don’t let them make fun of her reactions. The biggest burn is to let them talk about how good she’s doing. She thinks that’s revenge. Leva says, Taylor is better than that. If she needs to be emotional, let them redirect her. Venita says, her emotions are always valid, but pivot in public. In Taylor’s interview, she says, the girls have all experienced heartache and know how to properly handle it. She wants to heed their advice, but she wears her heart on her sleeve. Venita says, she has people to back her up, and Madison says, she’s not alone. Taylor says she appreciates their female defensive, but she was just seeing red in that moment. Madison says, imagine what it would be like if they all jumped in next time. Leva says, Austen should have stepped in, but he just buried his head. We flash back, and yes, he literally did. Madison says she thinks they’ve all learned, Austen doesn’t have anybody’s back. Taylor thinks he’s better at being a friend than being in a relationship, and Madison says she thinks he’s low key in love with Taylor. Olivia says, no, and Taylor says, when Austen and Olivia broke up, it put her in a weird position, since she’d always had a good relationship with him. Olivia says, Taylor was able to translate their language, and she wanted them to maintain their friendship. No part of it bothered her. Taylor says, she just wants to coexist and be happy. They cheers to the guys kissing their ass.
I have to add my two cents. Yeah, you’re probably not going to keep your ex’s friends as your friends. I’ve always said, the worst part of my breakups was never the actual guy. It was breaking up with the friends, the family, the pets, the apartment…
Craig unloads some pillows in a warehouse. In his interview, he says, Sewing Down South has grown. It’s incredible to have gone from selling out of his living room to an ecommerce site – we flash back to him being on a home shopping network – to a flagship store – we see a clip of the opening – to having enough inventory for a warehouse. Move over Martha Stewart. He’s here to stay. Partner Jerry comes in, and talks about their massive Kroger order, and says, their holiday order will be at least 1800. Craig says he has to talk to Paige. They’ve been trying to split their time. In Craig’s interview, he says, with the warehouse, design room, and Kroger deal, his responsibility is increasing. If Paige doesn’t move to Charleston, they could be long distance forever. We flash back to Paige weeping over the thought of leaving her mom, and Craig asks Jerry if he can’t spend the summer in New York with Paige. Jerry says, no. It’s a different ballgame.
Austen meets Rod at a bar, and says, he’s trying to stick to tequila. I seem to be in the minority who doesn’t see the charm of it. Rod says, Australia was wonderful, but he thought Shep wasn’t coming back. In Austen’s interview, he says he’s known Rod for 7 years. Everyone likes him. He’d rather leave the drama and refers to himself as Switzerland. Rod says he has some weird, awkward news. He may or may not have been out with Olivia, and they might have made out a little. He’s definitely interested and figured he’d tell Austen to his face; clear the air. Austen says, uh, uh, uh a bunch of times, and then, I don’t know. He asks if Rod is going to ask her out, and Rod says, yeah, and there are a bunch of back-and-forth yeahs. In Austen’s interview, he says he thinks he blacked out. Austen says he cares about Olivia, but that being said, she’s not his property. He saw her kissing another guy, and she can do what wants. He thinks Rod is a great guy, but he can’t say it doesn’t affect him to hear it. He wonders if they should take a shot, because that cures all ills for this group. In his interview, Austen says, after the breakup, he knew she was going to date, but he doesn’t want to put a face to it. Now he has to put Rod’s stupid faced to this bullsh*t.
Shep delivers some fresh pheasant to Olivia at her parents’ house. She asks why it’s warm, and he says, because it’s fresh killed. She drops the bag like there are hot potatoes in it and points out there are still some feathers attached. I’m thinking that pheasant seems a lot bigger than when I ordered it once in a restaurant, and then I remember it was quail I looked at and thought, please be an appetizer. She asks Shep to change a lightbulb for her, and in Olivia’s interview, she says she’s the groundskeeper while her parents are gone. Her mom said she liked having Shep down the street; Olivia can give him a call in case of an emergency. Shep is the emergency. She tells him about the get together at Venita’s, and he asks, what’s Taylor’s current disposition? Olivia says, Taylor is single, and Shep is like, what are you talking about? She asks what disposition means, and he says, mindset. Good Lord. Doesn’t she read? She says, it hasn’t been that long, and Shep says, JT went after Austen about his relationship with Taylor. He really dug into it. Olivia says she doesn’t get the vibe it’s anything more than that; they have a genuine friendship. Shep says, Taylor stayed overnight at Austen’s, and JT implied something happened. His mind was swimming, and he wondered if they’d started something he doesn’t know about. Olivia says, doesn’t Shep think if something was happening Taylor would tell her? but he says he doesn’t know what to think. Austen was tongue tied. We flash back to that, and Shep says, he usually fights back. So he has big questions about Austen’s trustworthiness. She says, she would expect to know if something happened, and he hopes nothing did. It’s slimy, and they’d both be disappointed if their friends were in that situation. It would be f***ed up. Olivia says, it makes her stomach turn thinking about it. What’s wrong with these people? Shep didn’t want to get serious, and I thought Olivia broke up with Austen. And it seems Charleston only has about 20 people living there.
Charles has a blue/green tail again, and it makes me want to dye my Pekingese Hannah’s tail, but I’m thinking pink. Olivia calls Taylor from the car and asks if she wants to grab coffee. In Olivia’s interview, she says, Shep’s whole demeanor, how bothered he was, is getting to her. She feels herself wondering if something more is going on. Taylor gets to the coffee shop first and calls Craig to apologize and extend an olive branch. He says, it’s all good and not to stress about it. That’s one thing I’ll give Craig; he doesn’t hold a grudge. She thanks him and says she’s doing a Day Chaser launch at Republic. Olivia comes in, and Craig says he appreciates her call. He thinks after seeing each other and talking in person, they’ll feel better. He’d love to come and support her. Taylor says she likes Craig, but then sh*t happens, and she wants to squeeze his head. In Craig’s interview, he says he texted Shep that Olivia was still healing, but wanted to move forward. Olivia says, during guys night, JT raised the question of Taylor and Austen. Shep seemed shook, and when Austen was confronted, he had nothing to say. Taylor says, to be honest… um….
Taylor says, after New York, she and Austen were both not in good places. They created a bond in the midst vulnerability and brokenness.😐They were being pushed together because of their history. She wondered if being together was something they should explore, and Austen didn’t know either. She called her brother for advice, and he said, why jump from the frying pan into the fire? She had to decide if the feeling was genuine or a crutch. She told Austen they’d just been lost in emotion, and he 100% agreed. Olivia stammers and says she didn’t know any of that. Taylor says she gets that Olivia feels blindsided. She’s going through so much already, Taylor didn’t want to spring it on her. Olivia says she doesn’t think they’d be having this conversation if Taylor and Austen wanted to be together. She’d want Taylor to talk to her about it within a 24-hour period. She asks if Austen talked to his family, and Taylor says, he talked to his sister. In a moment of weakness, she needed her crutch. She starts to cry and says, she wasn’t going to God; she was going to somebody else. She doesn’t want Olivia to think she’s betraying her trust. Olivia says, their friendship is most important, not her and Austen. She asks if anything happened to make Austen go from her brother to them talking to their families. Possibly a drunken kiss or a hookup? Taylor swears on her life nothing happened, and Olivia thanks Taylor for letting her in on it, but she doesn’t look happy. They leave, going to their respective cars, and Olivia cries in her car.
What is wrong with these people?
To be continued…
🛻 Running On Fumes…
Make a return trip tomorrow for soap, discriminating tea, quotes, and music for the end of September. Until then, stay safe, stay determined, but not ruthless, and stay pivoting in public, even though your emotions are always valid.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Eddie/Ned thanks Marshall for booking him at The Savoy tonight, but Marshall says, no need to thank him. He just made a suggestion; it was Curtis who got the PR machine rolling, When Curtis throws a party, people want to come. Eddie says he wasn’t sure after that crowd the other night, and Marshall says, he means lack of crowd, and they’re going to try and keep that a thing of the past. Does he have everything he needs? Eddie says he does. He’s just trying to finalize the set list. N’neka calls to Marshall, who goes over to her, and Eddie says, there’s just one problem.
Out in the club, Olivia tells Brook, look at this. The stage all set up for her father to play. Brook says, it’s surreal watching Eddie Maine’s universe take physical form. Olivia says, he’s so excited about this; she’s getting all caught up in it with him. Brook tells her that she says it like it’s a bad thing, but Olivia says, it’s not that. Brook says, Olivia is still hoping he remembers who she is, who they all are, and Olivia says, not who they are, who he is. She knows Brook thinks she’s crazy, hanging all this hope on a half-finished song, but there was something in him when he played it for her, and talking about muses and everything. She just felt it in her heart that there must be something deeper in there; like Ned was underneath wanting to climb out. Like the song was his way back to them. When he was recording it, there was a minute there when she thought he might remember something. Then Marshall offered him this gig and a challenge to finish the song and play it here tonight. She’s just so afraid she’s getting her hopes up for something. Maybe it’s just a beautiful song and doesn’t mean anything at all. Brook says, don’t worry. At least Eddie accepts them all now. He’s getting to know them in a new way. Olivia says, what if he gets to know them and decides he doesn’t feel the same way about them that he used to?
NuMolly (sigh… see below) and TJ come into the club, and Curtis says he’s glad they could make it. TJ says, they’re looking forward to having a good time. They have a lot to celebrate. Curtis agrees and says he’s glad he gets to celebrate with them.
Blaze comes in, and Brook says she’s so glad Blaze could make it. Blaze thanks her for the invite. She’s never heard of Eddie Maine. Brook says, he was a little before their time, and Blaze says, so he’s a comeback? Brook says, oh, he’s come back all right. Eddie Maine’s actually her father. Blaze says, Brook told her that her father’s a musician, but isn’t her last name Quartermaine? and Brook says, yeah. He dropped the Quarter and just stuck with the Maine.
Curtis tells TJ and Molly to get some drinks on him, and they go to the bar. Portia joins him, and says, look how many people are here. Curtis says he just put some feelers out and talked to some old friends he hasn’t seen for a while, and that was it. She says, when he calls, they come, and he says, dad wanted to pack the house for Eddie Maine’s debut. Marshall asked him to pull out all the stops. She says, and viola. She wishes Trina was here to see this.
Josslyn sits on the bed while Trina packs. Trina wonders where her new pumps are; she just had them earlier. Josslyn takes them out from under the suitcase and says, here you go. Trina thanks her, and Josslyn says, she’s got to calm down. Everything’s going to be okay. Trina says, it’s Spencer’s fault she’s late.
Spencer calls to confirm concierge service for his flight to New York. They will be on time… Okay, perfect. He’ll be there soon. Esme comes out with Spencer’s tablet and says, he left it in the kitchen. She thought he might want it for his trip to New York.
Chase goes into the interrogation room and asks Dante, how’s it going in here? Did he get anything out of this guy? Dante says, they shouldn’t be too much longer, and Chase says, right, closing the door. He sees Sam in the squad room, and she asks if Dante is here. Chase says, he’s in the interrogation room with a prisoner, Cody Bell. Is he expecting her? She says, no, but she’ll shoot him a text and let him know she’s here. Chase says, forget that. He’ll announce her. He goes back in, where Dante and Cody are discussing football, and Chase says, Sam’s here to see Dante. How about if he lets her in and they can tell him what’s really going on here?
Gladys packs frantically, tossing some things aside when the suitcase won’t close. There’s a knock at the door, and she says she’s almost ready. She thought they were going to text. The knocking continues, and Gladys opens the door to Sasha. She throws her arms around Sasha and says, thank God, but Sasha’s not looking too happy.
Chase asks if Dante had a desk sergeant notify Gladys Corbin that Cody was in custody, knowing that she’d show up here and he’d be the one to deal with her. Dante says, yes, but it’s only because he knew Chase could handle her. He’s sorry. Chase says he could barely handle her. That woman is crazy. The only reason she got up and left is because she got a phone… a phone call. But they knew all about that, don’t they? Dante says, they have reason to believe that Gladys has been embezzling from Sasha. That call… Sam says, that’s how Gladys found out that she was being investigated.
Gladys says she’s so glad to see Sasha, and Sasha says, really? It sounded like she was expecting someone else. She walks in, looking at the suitcase, and Gladys asks where she’s been. How did she get away from Cody? The police have him in custody, but no one had seen Sasha and he refused to say what happened. She feared for the worst. She was so afraid for Sasha. Sasha says, really? and Gladys says, of course (🍷). Sasha says, then what’s with the suitcase and all the clothes? Was she going somewhere?
Marshall goes back to the green room, and Eddie tells him that he was just saying how much he appreciates the chance to play. Marshall says, doesn’t he know it. As a musician, there’s no substitute for performing. It’s not only a reward; it’s the greatest teacher. It shows you what’s working and what needs help. It gets all the creative juices flowing and it’s a great way to test new material. Speaking of which, he can’t wait to hear Eddie’s new song. He leaves, and Eddie says, about that… He gives the band the set list and says he decided to put that Idle Rich song there instead… Brook walks in, and he thanks the band for coming in for a quick run through. Get themselves a beer and he’ll see them later. The band leaves, and Brook says, sorry. She didn’t mean to drive everyone away. He says, not at all. You know musicians; any excuse to get a beer. She says she just came to tell him that she knows he’s going to do great tonight. She just wishes her mom was here to see it. She knows he doesn’t remember, but growing up, she heard countless stories about Eddie’s performances, listening to CDs, and now here she is, about to hear it live for herself. She can’t wait. He thanks her, and she almost hugs him, but instead says, break a leg, Eddie.
Olivia congratulates Blaze on being Brook’s first client. She’s absolutely thrilled. Brook is going to do a great job for Blaze. There’s nobody more dedicated than Brook when she puts her mind to something. Blaze says, then that will make two of them. She plans to match Brook’s dedication. So tell her about Eddie Maine. He’s Brook’s father? She was a little vague about it. Olivia says, it’s a long story, and Blaze says, that’s what she said. Olivia tells her, let’s just say, it’s been a while since Eddie has performed for people other than busking in Rice Plaza. So they’re all a little bit on edge tonight.
Portia asks, how are the soon-to-be parents? and Molly says, a little on Cloud 9. TJ says, they wanted to tell his mom tonight, but she had to cancel at the last minute. They’ll tell her soon. They want the whole family to be in the loop. Portia says, all they have to do is tell Aunt Stella, and they laugh.
Willow, Kristina, and Michael come in, and Kristina tells Michael, lighten up. Willow is already back at work. He says, that doesn’t mean she has to charge out of the gate like a bull, and Willow says, coming to a club isn’t charging out of the gate. He says, after her first day back at work, he figured she’d want to stay home and relax after all that exposure and stress. She says, coming to the club will help reduce the stress, and it’s actually good for her immune system. Kristina says, and vodka does wonders to keep things sterile (I concur), but Willow says, unfortunately, just sparkling water for her tonight. Kristina says, Michael, on the other hand, if he isn’t careful, he’s going to become a Type-A as controlling as Molly. She looks at Molly and TJ across the room.
Spencer packs his tablet, and Esme comes out, looking at her phone. He says he wants to go over everything with her before he leaves, but she says, he can’t go.
Olivia asks how Eddie is doing, and Brook says, he’s not nearly as nervous as they are. He was just going over the set list with the band. Olivia wonders if he’s finished the song. He’s being so tight lipped about it. Brook says, he didn’t tell her anything, and Olivia says, maybe he wants it to be a surprise. She’s going to thank Marshall and Curtis. It’s really Marshall’s challenge that made this whole thing possible. She leaves, and Blaze says, Olivia told her the whole big story about Eddie; what a history. Brook says, that history has crash landed right into the present day, and Blaze says, it’s so strange. She guesses Brook knew he had that whole double life back in the day, but now after his head injury, he’s really become this guy, Eddie Maine? Brook says, that’s what he believes, and Blaze says, so he’s Brook’s dad, except he believes he’s a completely different person. How does that even work? Brook says, about as well as you could expect. She misses her dad of course (🍷), but she’s really starting to like Eddie; they all are. Everyone except her grandmother.
Marshall tells Curtis, you see all these happy people here? Does he think they’re here for Eddie Maine? No. They’re here for Curtis. Curtis says, they already went over this, but Marshall says, this club is you; you are this club. When Curtis pulled out all those PR stops, he got this crowd here. It’s because of Curtis they’re all here to see Eddie Maine’s big comeback. Curtis says, they’ll talk about it later, but one thing he can say, it feels good to be back in the mix. Marshall says, another good reason to be glad he didn’t sell this club to that woman, but Curtis says he hasn’t really made a decision on Selina’s offer yet. Olivia joins them and says she wanted to thank them for supporting Eddie tonight.
Michael asks, what’s up with Kristina and Molly? and Kristina says, see for yourself, heading over to them. Molly tells TJ, she’s coming over here, and Kristina says, hello, you two. She hears congratulations are in order. They’re going to be parents. Whether they want to believe it or not, she’s very happy for them both… That’s all. She leaves, and Molly and TJ look like a couple of idiots.
Dante tells Chase, while Cody isn’t innocent, he had to break some rules to break out Sasha. He’s not as guilty as the charges would imply. Sam says, it’s just a matter of getting evidenced to prove it, and Chase says he never would have thought Gladys would do something like that to Sasha. He thanks Cody for figuring it out, and Sam says, they’re all grateful for that. Chase says, Sasha’s a friend, so if there’s anything he can do to help take down the doctor, and prove Cody and Sasha’s innocence, just ask. Cody says, his part’s done. Whatever happens next is up to Sasha.
Gladys says she was packing to go search for Sasha, and Sasha says, really? Gladys says she’d go to the ends of the earth for Sasha, and Sasha asks if that’s where she was going. Or where was she planning to look? Gladys says she thought she’d check out where Cody came from originally, the Finger Lakes region, right? Maybe he had an accomplice. Sasha says, Cody didn’t have an accomplice, but Gladys did.
Trina asks Josslyn, what is with Spencer? She couldn’t get rid of him before and now he’s late? Josslyn says, Spencer will be here. He wouldn’t miss this for anything. Isn’t she excited? Trina says, of course (🍷). She’s a little nervous, which is to be expected. Josslyn says, it is, and Trina says she doesn’t want to back out. She and Spencer are ready to move to the next step and she really wants to explore New York with him. Did she tell Josslyn that he got them third row center seats to Moulin Rouge? Josslyn says, once or twice, when Trina’s phone rings. Trina says, finally, and asks where Spencer is. He says he’s still at his grandmother’s, and she asks what he’s doing there? She thought he said they had to… He says, they can’t go, and she says, why not? He says, Ace’s daycare called and one of the kids has chicken pox. He guesses Ace was exposed and now there’s a chance that he has it. He’s really sorry. He can’t leave Ace right now.
Eddie writes down some lyrics, picks up his guitar, and sings about the siren of the sea. Olivia comes in and says she hopes she’s not intruding. He tells her, no. Come on in. He’s just doing a sound check. She says she’s sorry; she didn’t want to crowd him. She knows there’s a technical side where he has to work out the kinks. He says, truth. Plus, he’d rather she be there for the full effect on stage in front of the audience. She says she can’t wait. He really isn’t nervous at all, is he? He says, a little bit, but that’s only natural. This is in his blood. It’s what he lives for. She says, it really is, isn’t it? She just came to wish him good luck. She brought him a gift. She holds up a bandana, and he says, dinosaurs. She says, Leo wanted him to have it. He said, tell Eddie to rock the house. Eddie moves closer, taking the bandana, and it looks like they’re about to kiss, but it turns into a hug. He says, it’s such a nice gift, and thanks her for coming back to give it to him. She pushes him back, and he says, what’s wrong? She says she just wanted to wish him good luck, or break a leg, or whatever it is they say. He says, with Leo’s bandana and her great mojo, he’s bound to be a hit. She says she knows he will be, and awkwardly walks backward to the door. She says she can’t wait to hear that song. She hopes he finishes it, and they find out who that siren of the sea really is. She leaves, and he looks at the bandana.
On the phone, Dante says he needs a records check on a Dr. Damon Montague… Priors, prescription history, all that kind of stuff… That’s right. That’s the name. Scotty comes in and tells him, hang up. Dante says, thank you. That’d be great. As soon as they can. He asks what he can do for Scotty, and Scotty says he’s here to see his client, Cody Bell.
Cody asks how Sasha’s doing, and Sam says, she was strong. She was ready to face Gladys. He says he should have never left her alone, but Sam says, she was determined to see this through. She wanted to go with Sasha, but Sasha refused. If she didn’t think Sasha was strong enough to handle this by herself, she would have insisted on going with her. He says he can’t help it. Gladys is dangerous. She’s been able to manipulate Sasha in the past. What if she does it again?
Gladys asks what Sasha is talking about; what accomplice? Sasha says, Dr. Montague, and Gladys says, she must be confused. The court appointed the doctor. It’s perfectly understandable after everything Sasha’s been through. She gets it. Why doesn’t Sasha sit down and she’ll make some tea? Sasha says she doesn’t want tea, and she’s not confused anymore. She knows exactly what Gladys did. Gladys says, all she’s ever done is… Sasha says, steal from her. Gladys used her position as Sasha’s guardian to drain her bank accounts. Gladys sold Brando’s garage behind her back. Her own son’s blood and sweat, and she treated it like it was nothing. Gladys says she told Sasha… and Sasha says, you stop talking right now. She knows everything. Everything that’s happened to her is because Gladys was worried she’d lose her meal ticket. So when she wanted to end the guardianship, when she wanted to get control of her life, Gladys panicked. She might discover everything Gladys stole from her, so she got Dr. Montague to help her cover it up. That’s why he prescribed her those pills; pills that interfered with the medication she was already taking. She started hallucinating. She was paranoid and scared. Gladys drove her to insanity and made her life a nightmare. And you know what the worst part is? She cries and says she actually thought Gladys loved her. How could Gladys do something like this? How could Gladys betray her at her lowest point when she trusted Gladys with her entire life?
Chase hugs Brook and Blaze, and says, it’s great to see Blaze. She says, he’s going to be seeing a lot more of her, and Brook says, Blaze just signed with her. Blaze is her kick-off artist. He says, congratulations to both of them. He can see this. It’s a great partnership in the making. Olivia runs over and says she’s got to borrow her stepdaughter for a minute. They leave, and Brook asks Olivia, what’s wrong? Something wrong with Eddie? Olivia says, Eddie’s fine. She just made a complete fool of herself. Brook asks, what happened? and Olivia says she went into the green room and gave Eddie the bandana Leo wanted him to have. He was saying thank you to her and pulled her in close. She thought he was trying to kiss her, but he just wanted to give her a hug. Then she started babbling about break a leg and made a complete idiot of herself. Brook says, just calm down. What’s the problem? Olivia says, she wanted to kiss Eddie Maine. She feels so guilty. It’s like she almost cheated on her husband. Brook says, she means with her husband? but Olivia says she doesn’t know what she means anymore. She puts her palms together in prayer and looks up.
Willow says, Michael can stop checking on her; she’s fine. Better than fine. He says he just can’t take his eyes off her. She’s too beautiful. He tells her, look over there, and she says, oh my God. It’s Tracy.
N’neka asks what she can get Tracy, and Tracy says, scotch, rocks, make it a double please.
Blaze nearly runs into Kristina, who says, they meet again. Blaze says she’s here with Brook. Brook’s her new manager. Kristina says, that’s fantastic. Congratulations. So that’s what they were so hush-hush about at Charlie’s. Blaze says, Kristina cracked the case. What about her? Does she have a boyfriend? Kristina says, God no. She’s here with her brother and his wife. They have two kids, so they don’t get a lot of alone time. She’s just giving them their space. Blaze says, Brook’s boyfriend just got here, so she’s sort of a third wheel with them too, and Kristina says, sounds like they should stick together.
Marshall takes the mic and asks for everyone’s attention. There’s a bunch of cheering and he thanks them all for coming. He says, they have a lot to celebrate tonight, but first, he wants to send a shout out to his son Curtis. Curtis Ashford, in the house. Everyone whoops and applauds, and Marshall says he knows they all miss seeing Curtis around here, and many of them have come at his specific invitation. Not only did he invite them to the greatest party this side of Port Charles – that’s every night except Tuesdays, private parties, see N’neka. That’s a commercial, but seriously, tonight The Savoy is so pleased to bring them a very special performer. And rumor has it he might even debut a new song. So without further ado, de-bop-shu-bop-shebang (or something like that), let’s give it up for Eddie Maine. There’s applause and cheering, and Eddie says, hello, Port Charles. He missed them. Are they ready for Eddie? Let’s do it. There’s more cheering and he begins to play.
Trina tells Josslyn, obviously, Spencer needs to stay. If Ace comes down with chicken pox, he could never forgive himself for leaving. Josslyn says, it’s totally understandable, and Trina says, besides, she has plenty to do this weekend. She should really do another draft of her essay for her arts seminar and she knows Ava could always use extra hands around the gallery. Josslyn says, Trina knows she doesn’t always have to make the best of everything, right? Yeah, it’s a weekend canceled; it’s not a tragedy. But it’s for sure a letdown and it’s okay to be disappointed. Trina says, even pissed off, and Josslyn says, even throw things. Trina says, like this, tossing a pillow at Josslyn, and Josslyn says, that’s not exactly what she had in mind. Then again, Trina was always more levelheaded. Trina says she was just really looking forward to it though, and Josslyn hugs her, saying, she’s sorry.
Spencer asks if there’s any sign of a fever, but Esme says, he actually seems fine. He’s sound asleep. He says he’s going to take his stuff upstairs and thinks one of them should stay with Ace just in case. They can alternate shifts. Her phone dings, and she says, wait. She just got another text from the daycare.
Dante asks if Cody called Scotty to come down and represent him, but Scotty says he always represents Cody. He got a tip they hauled Cody in and he didn’t get a call from him, so he figured they didn’t give Cody his call, which as Dante knows, due process. Dante says, there’s a lot of phones here. Cody could have used any one of them to call Scotty. Scotty says, yeah, but if Dante denied him the right to counsel, that’s grounds for a heavy lawsuit there. Dante says, almost hefty even. Why doesn’t Scotty come into the interrogation room and talk to his client? Dante tells Cody, his lawyer’s here, and Scotty says, why didn’t Dante tell him that Cody was here?
Gladys says, Sasha’s got it all wrong. Cody filled her head with lies. He twisted everything around. That is not… Sasha asks, how many times did Gladys remind her to take those pills Dr. Montague gave her? And when she started spiraling, did Gladys even think twice? Did she have a moment of remorse? Or was she just so worried that she would find out what Gladys stole, that her falling apart was a relief? Gladys says she was never relieved, and Sasha asks if Gladys has any idea what she put her through. When she was at Ferncliff, Dr. Montague injected her with drugs. He kept her delirious and barely conscious. She couldn’t fight him. When she and Cody escaped, they found an unmarked bottle of pills in Montague’s jacket pocket. She thinks he was going to stage an OD. He was going to make it seem like she’d bought drugs and took too many. Did Gladys know that? Did she know Montague was going to kill her? Was it part of her plans? Gladys says, never. She never wanted him to hurt Sasha. She did everything she could to stop him.
Eddie finishes playing and there’s much applause. Michael says, it’s nice for Tracy to show up for her son’s debut. So what did she think? Tracy says she thinks Michael should mind his own business and go back to his wife, but he says, don’t be that way. It’s a nice night. The family’s here to support Eddie. The least she could do is get in the spirit of things. She says she’s here, isn’t she? And speaking of spirit, why doesn’t he make himself useful and get her another drink; scotch/rocks. He takes her glass and says, with pleasure.
Eddie says he’s sure everyone will recognize this next one because it was originally recorded by the King, Mr. Elvis Presley. We don’t see the song because, commercial. Eddie says, this next one is for someone very special, someone who has helped him find his way back to the stage. She certainly has his back, and she’s the best friend any guy could ask for – Olivia Quartermaine. Marshall says, play the new song, and Eddie says, Marshall’s right. He’s working on a new song, but he hasn’t finished it yet. He doesn’t think everyone wants to hear a tune that’s half-baked, so instead, he’s going to play an Idle Rich classic from his old Eddie Maine days. Are they ready? The audience cheers and Tracy is almost smiling. Eddie plays I’m All the Man You’ll Ever Need. He’s actually pretty good. The crowd responds enthusiastically and Tracy smiles.
There’s a knock at the dorm room door, and Trina wonders if Josslyn forgot her key again. She opens the door and it’s Spencer. He tells her that he booked them on another flight; their car’s waiting. It was a false alarm. The daycare texted again and said it was just poison oak. Ace was never exposed to chicken pox at all. She says, really? and he picks her up, spinning her around.
Scotty tells Cody that he has the perfect defense. Sasha has a history of violence. She attacked the reporter; she stabbed Cody. They’ll just say she kidnapped him. Cody says, no and no. He appreciates what Scotty is trying to do. He wasn’t kidnapped. He broke out of Ferncliff and he took Sasha with him. Scotty says, quiet. There’s a copper here. (Ha-ha! I love how Scotty talks like he’s in a detective movie from the 1940s.) Dante says he didn’t hear anything. Did Sam hear anything? She says, not a thing, and Dante says, they’ll leave the two of them alone. They can talk about anything they want. Cody says, that’s not really necessary, but Dante says he has to. If he doesn’t give Cody the benefit of counsel, it could result in a real hefty lawsuit. Dante and Sam leave, as Cody wails for them to come back. He says, hi, Scotty.
In the squad room, Dante says, the amount of times Cody’s pissed him off, he’s never once wished Scotty on him, but Sam says she thinks he can handle Scotty. She’s more worried about Sasha being able to handle Gladys.
Gladys says she swears she didn’t know what Montague was doing to Sasha. She never would have gone along with it. Sasha’s voice gets louder as she talks. She asks how she can believe anything Gladys says. Gladys stole from her. Gladys lied to her; undermined Sasha’s belief in her own recovery and her sanity. Gladys claimed she loved her. She drove Sasha and Brando home from the hospital the day Liam died. Gladys is supposed to be her family. Gladys says she didn’t mean for any of this… Okay, she had a problem, a losing streak. She got in over her head. She was going to pay all the money back, but she kept losing, and she didn’t want Sasha to find out she was borrowing from her. She didn’t want Sasha to hate her. She just needed the guardianship to go on for a little bit longer. It was that Montague. He’s the one who gave Sasha those pills. And he never told Gladys what they would do to her… and she never asked. She cries and says she didn’t mean for any of this to happen. She’s so, so sorry. She’s so sorry. Sasha says, then prove it.Confess. Go to the police station and tell them everything that she did, and testify against Dr. Montague so he can never do to anyone else what he did to her. Gladys looks stricken.
Text next to a photo says: In Loving Memory Craig Sjodin 1955-1923 (See below.)
Tomorrow, Cyrus says he hopes someone’s come to give him good news; Jordan tells the warden that she wants an investigation into who was on duty during the attack; Carly wonders if there will be complications at this stage; and Cody attacks Montague.
The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Real Housewives of Orange County
Just to clarify, I do make fun of Heather, calling her Fancy Pants, and I think her delivery sucks, but I don’t think she’s malicious. Tamra on the other hand…
Shannon goes to a chiropractor, and in her interview, she says, it wouldn’t be a trip to Mexico without an injury. Emily meets her there and in Emily’s interview, she says, the trip to Mexico was physically exhausting, especially diving 30 feet. She’s happy to get some relief. Emily tells Shannon that she talked to Gina, who was really hurt, and we flash back to Gina saying Heather Fancy Pants was talking behind her back. Emily says, Gina feels she puts in effort, but gets pushed away. Gina goes shopping with Tamra and Jenn for Halloween party costumes. In Gina’s interview, she says, Halloween is her favorite holiday ever. She’s having a party and was inspired by the Cirque du Soliel performance. Her bunch of friends are clowns, so she figured total freak show would be apropos.
Heather’s dogs! In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says, thank goodness Josh and Heather Altman found them a rental. They’re pretty dug into the OC. She complains to Terry about getting dogged in Mexico, and we see the screen split a million ways, each frame showing one of the women yapping at Fancy Pants. Except for the one in the middle of a dog humping a pillow. One of these things is not like the others. Tamra swears she would never call Gina a loser, and in her interview, Gina says, Tamra doesn’t lie. She saves information and reveals it at the least opportune moment for you. Fancy Pants tells Terry that they’re all scared of Tamra, and he says, now the head cheerleader came back. Emily tells Shannon that she thinks Fancy Pants is kind and generous, but she saw another side during the trip. In Emily’s interview, she says, Tamra admits what she says and apologizes. She thinks Fancy Pants would rather shovel sh*t than apologize for anything. Shannon says, Emily needs to have a long, in-depth conversation with Fancy Pants. In Shannon’s interview, she says she’d like to see Fancy Pants accept responsibility. Jenn says she feels like Fancy Pants is protecting her image, and Tamra says, instead of accusing her of saying things about everyone, why wouldn’t Fancy Pants say something to her? In Tamra’s interview, she says, Fancy Pants turned this around and wants to destroy people, and Fancy Pants isn’t destroying her. Fancy Pants gets a text from Gina saying she’d like to sit down and talk about what happened. In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says she values Gina’s friendship, but if Gina can’t see where she’s coming from, it’s bullsh*t. In Gina’s interview, she says she’s been a good friend, but if Fancy Pants won’t admit the things she’s said, take responsibility, and apologize, there’s no moving forward.
In Tamra’s interview, she says, Amare magazine reached out to her, and asked if she’d like to be on the cover featuring the Women of the Year. She and Eddie started a company called Vena CBD, and it’s turned into a multimillion dollar business. Of course it did. Because the wrong people always get the money. She says she’s tooting her own horn, and I wonder, when does she not? Having access to so much CBD, you’d think she’d be calmer or at least not screech all the time. She says, her dad ran his own business, and she always wanted to own her own business. She gets all teary and says, but she didn’t go to college, since she was raising kids. She thought the money would just pour in and she’d be successful, but it doesn’t work like that. Wow. It took her this long to figure that out? You’d think that’s one thing she would have learned by not going to college. She says she feels lucky, and photos are taken of the group of chosen women, all wearing white. In her interview, Tamra says, in the next two years, they intend to sell Vena CBD, and come up with another business. With all the lack of sex she has, she was thinking sex toys. Cannabis and sex toys. Is there anything better than that? I could probably think of some things, but it’s not worth the effort considering who’s asking the question.
Jenn makes a spaghetti casserole, and in her interview, she says she has three dishes: taco salad, spaghetti, and chili. Otherwise, it’s Door Dash. She tells Ryan about all the fun stuff they did in Mexico, and then adds the lunch from hell. She says she needs to know for a fact that nothing else happened. In Jenn’s interview, she says she felt like Tamra was sitting on information she didn’t know about. We flash back to Tamra telling Jenn that she knows things, but she’s not saying anything. If there was something else, there’s no staying together. Ryan says, it was one night, a year and a half ago, and he was doing what single guys do. They haven’t spoken a word in a year. They were talking about moving to the next step, and Jenn hitches her wagon to Tamra, who pulls her in reverse. They’re forging a path, merging their kids, and talking about marriage. In her interview, Jenn says, her fear is that Ryan wakes up one day, realizes this isn’t what he wants, and all those things come to fruition. She knows he loves her, but just hopes he can hold up his end. Jenn tells Ryan that she has an appointment with an attorney. She just has to bring in the retainer and they’ll be good to go. He says he can give her the money, but she says, no, and in her interview, she says, it never crossed mind to understand finances. There’s power in being able take care of yourself, and she has to figure this out on her own. She lists all of her faults, and asks if he’s crazy. He says, crazy for her. Just her. Aww. I guess we’ll see.
John and Shannon go out to eat, and John asks about her meeting with Fancy Pants. Shannon says, Fancy Pants always has an explanation, and we flash back to Fancy Pants saying, the only things she said about John and Shannon’s relationship were things already known by the group. Shannon says, there’s no hope for repairing the friendship if Fancy Pants continues to blame others for her wrongdoing. Tamra told her that Fancy Pants claimed she wasn’t all-in, when she’s told them that she and John are happy where they are right now. The waiter brings Shannon’s watermelon salad and my God does she take a big bite. She tries to get John to take a bite, but he doesn’t want it. She stops short of asking him to do it for her. She says, when she was in Mexico, she was stressed about the kids applying to college. She’s going to lose it when they go. In Shannon’s interview, she says, all the kids will be away and she doesn’t want to live alone. John says, they’ll be visiting, and he thinks it will be an exciting new time for them; just them spending time together and relaxing. It’s overdue. In her interview, Shannon says she and John have a history of bickering and arguing. It’s given her pause, and she wants to make sure they can fix that before going forward. John says, they’ll get through this trial together, and she says, loses kids, gets John. Yep, he’s a real prize.
Shannon arrives at Tamra’s house, and in her interview, Shannon says she never thought she’d be dealing with people’s sh*t, but she needs to develop products to earn money for her kids’ college. Jenn is going to be patient one for the Sitolonic, an at home colonic. When Jenn gets there, they discuss pooping, and Tamra says she goes seven times a day. In Jenn’s interview, she says – let’s say it all together – she knew Tamra was full of sh*t. They move on to talking about Fancy Pants, and Jenn says, the bus ride back was weird. Fancy Pants kept grabbing her feet; she was obsessed with them. In her interview, Fancy Pants says, Jenn’s feet are like model feet, and in Emily’s interview, she says, maybe Fancy Pants has a fetish. She didn’t think Fancy Pants knew who Jenn was. Jenn says she and Taylor were in their room, when Fancy Pants wanted to hang with them. She went to her room to get her soup and said she was coming back, but never did. Shannon sets up the colonic, and it looks like a real project. Tamra announces, it was a win, and I just think, ugh. Why?
Gina and Fancy Pants meet for coffee, and Gina orders champagne for Fancy Pants before she gets there, which is actually pretty nice. Fancy Pants arrives, and Gina says, it’s obvious she’s upset; Gina is too. Fancy Pants says, Gina’s the one who called, so why is she upset? Gina says she values their friendship and feels like she’s been there for Fancy Pants, but Fancy Pants says, it’s hard to believe, since Gina is so quick to believe Tamra. Gina says, Fancy Pants can understand why she’d want the loser thing explained, and Fancy Pants pulls out her phone, putting on a recording of Tamra and Teddi’s podcast, where it seems Tamra is the one who used the L-word. In Gina’s interview, she says, if Fancy Pants is her friend, she should tell her these things. It was probably a joke, but once again, she and Emily are collateral damage in their bullsh*t. Gina says she cares about Fancy Pants, and Fancy Pants says, only reason she’s sitting here is because she cares about Gina. She probably wouldn’t have come if it had been anyone else. She was attacked for things she didn’t do, and thinks Emily is going to the Tamra School of Friendship. We flash back to Emily picking on Fancy Pants, and she says, everyone is scared of Tamra. She’s nasty and takes no accountability. In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says, Tamra is the root cause. Issue number one. We flash back to Tamra initiating the discussion about Fancy Pants’ IMDb. She says, issue number two, and we flash back to Tamra asking if Fancy Pants talked about Shannon and John’s relationship when they were at lunch with the group. She says, issue number three, and we flash back to Tamra screeching that Fancy Pants said they were losers. Fancy Pants says, Tamra has systematically taken her relationships and totally trashed them. Gina asks if Fancy Pants is coming to her party, but Fancy Pants says she doesn’t know. Gina says, she has to put Tamra in her place.
The party looks freaking impressive, pun intended. There are fire eaters, a guy on stilts, unicycles, a whole photo setup, and all kinds of circus accoutrements. Gina is a ringmaster, with Travis in a lion costume as her Mane Man. Emily is the Queen of Pop(corn) and Shane wears a shirt with a stick of butter one it. Taylor is cotton candy with husband John as a ringmaster. Eddie and Tamra are both evil clowns, and in Gina’s interview, she says, It’s an appropriate look for Tamra; like a Chucky doll. Jen is a cowardly lion to Ryan’s lion tamer with no shirt. Shannon is a fortune teller, and John is John in a Suit, although he has money coming out of his pockets and a top hat, so I guess he’s millionaire John in a suit. He and Shannon argue about him wearing the hat, and it’s like the watermelon salad all over again. In Emily’s interview, she says, Shannon’s costume looks like something she’d wear daily. Matt and girlfriend Britt arrive, and in Gina’s interview, she says, they’ve worked through their sh*t from the past, and they’ve never been better. We flash back to some low points, and Gina says, it’s a lot of weight off her shoulders. She tells Emily that she and Fancy Pants should talk it out. She feels like Emily’s been more aggressive than normal. Emily says, Fancy Pants called them losers, but Gina says, Fancy Pants shared a recording, and it was a comment Tamra made on her podcast. Emily says, Tamra’s been saying sh*t about her for years, and when confronted, she’s said she’s sorry. In Emily’s interview, she says she doesn’t understand. If Gina is making excuses for Fancy Pants, that’s their relationship. She won’t do it. Tamra says she’s not talking to Fancy Pants, and Gina says she thinks Fancy Pants is just being hypersensitive. Tamra says, Fancy Pants wants to blame everyone else. She gets information, she twists it – Tamra twirls around like the idiot she is – and presents it. In Tamra’s interview, she says, Gina is Heather-merized. She knows how Fancy Pants works. Fancy Pants and Terry arrive, dressed respectively as an acrobat with a hoop and event staff security.
Terry asks where they’re starting, and Fancy Pants says, at the bar, as we all would. In her interview, she says she wanted to be a dolphin trainer, but there are no dolphins at the circus, so she’s an aerial act. In Emily’s interview, she says, Fancy Pants is a step up from a whale trainer. She’s an intergalactic fantasy nighttime whale trainer. In Tamra’s interview, she says, Fancy Pants is an ice queen, like her heart. Jen publicly pulls out a wedgy as I would do, and in Shannon’s interview, she says, it’s foggy looking at Fancy Pants’ future, since she doesn’t know if she has a future with her. Shannon and Tamra get all mushy with each other, and Shannon says she met with Fancy Pants. She tells Tamra that Fancy Pants said, the head cheerleader was back (although it’s really Terry who said that), and Tamra says, Fancy Pants is intimidated. She proved that when they talked about their highs and lows in Montana. We flash back to Fancy Pants saying, being left out made her sad. In her interview, Shannon says, it’s not a competition. Maybe Fancy Pants thinks it is. She tells Tamra that she’s not letting Fancy Pants get in the middle of their friendship and they hug. In Tamra’s interview, she says, when she thought Shannon ghosted her, she was devastated. Fancy Pants won’t get in middle of them. John complains about having to carry his hat, and Taylor whines about Heather leaving her and Jenn. Fancy Pants just used them when she had nobody else. She babbles about her wealthy friends being down to earth, and in Gina’s interview, she says, Taylor is code red wasted, and talking endless loops of nonsense non-stop. She doesn’t know WTF Taylor is talking about any more. Gina tells Taylor, if she comes at Fancy Pants with anger, she might not get the result she wants. In Jenn’s interview, she says, Taylor is spinning in circles, eyes popping out. They’re at opposite ends of how they want to handle Fancy Pants. She feels like she’s dismissed with Fancy Pants, but perhaps that falls on her and she wants to tell Fancy Pants how she feels. Taylor and Jenn approach Fancy Pants, and Taylor says, they wanted to go dancing, but stayed behind to be supportive of Fancy Pants. Then she went to get chicken soup and never came back. Taylor’s stepdaughter lives in Tulum and was waiting for them. Fancy Pants says she slurped her soup, sat down for one second, and fell out. Taylor says, why not text them? and Fancy Pants says, why didn’t they knock on her door? She fell asleep. This really insults Taylor, who says, when Fancy Pants laid down, she should have thought to text. My mind wanders and I wonder what this party cost.
In Fancy Pants interview, she does a spot on impression of Taylor prattling on. We didn’t go dancing because you went to get your soup and didn’t come back… And? Fancy Pants tells Jenn that she thinks Jenn is a great member of their friend group. She’s glad Tamra brought her in, but she doesn’t understand how Jenn puts up with Tamra’s bullsh*t. Jen says she’s trying to figure things out in the group, and Fancy Pants says she’s enjoyed what little time they’ve spent together. Jenn says, same here, and Tamra talks smack about Fancy Pants, watching her from across the room. Fancy Pants apologizes to Jenn for falling asleep, and Jenn says, that’s all she wanted here. In Jenn’s interview, she says, if she walked in and all she heard about the new person was their boyfriend’s past, she wouldn’t have any interest either. She can’t wait to get to know Fancy Pants outside of the boyfriend drama. Taylor says, her friends who are billionaires are not pretentious. Emily says, Fancy Pants called them losers, and Fancy Pants tries once again to tell her that she was talking about Noella. She says, when they were in Montana, Tamra maligned Emily’s career, saying she’s not a lawyer. We flash back to Tamra saying, Emily told her that she’s a party planner. She’s clearly not done a trial in a year. Tamra looks over, and Taylor says, Fancy Pants thinks she’s better than them. Emily says, her intent isn’t to hurt Fancy Pants’ feelings. She knows she has rough edges. She and her sister threw digs at each other their entire life. It’s how they got through growing up, but it hurt to be called a loser. In Emily’s interview, she says she has an amazing life, but deep inside she carries hurt with her, and when she feels someone is attacking her or integrity, it’s like a physical reaction. She can’t control it. Fancy Pants says she loves Emily and her family. She felt like she was left high and dry, but she wants to move past it. If she gets offended, she’ll tell Emily. Gina comes over, carrying her whip, and asks if she’s going to need it. Across the room, Tamra says she’s boiling, and in her interview, she says, Fancy Pants is rallying the troops. She’s taking each girl and talking sh*t about Tamra. Fancy Pants got caught in her own sh*t, and is trying to turn everyone against her. She seems all nice, but behind the scenes, Fancy Pants is the worst villain of them all. She wanders over, and Fancy Pants goes to the bar. Emily says, Fancy Pants told her that Tamra said she’s not really an attorney, but a party planner. Tamra insists she didn’t say that, and hunts Fancy Pants down. She asks if Fancy Pants is kidding her, but Fancy Pants says she doesn’t want to do this. Tamra has her own version of the truth. Gina tells Emily, poor Terry, and Fancy Pants says she doesn’t like Tamra’s nonsense and spinning things. Tamra keeps repeating, what am I spinning? getting in Fancy Pants’ face. Terry asks Gina and Emily to go help his wife, but Gina says she thinks his wife is very capable of handling herself. Fancy Pants says she played Tamra’s podcast for Gina, where Tamra said they were losers. Tamra says she was mocking Fancy Pants, and Fancy Pants says, Tamra is laboring under the misconception she gives a sh*t. Tamra says she doesn’t give a sh*t either, and Fancy Pants suggest they wrap this up then. As she walks away, Tamra says, goodbye, bitch, kind of like, you can’t fire me, I quit.
Gina says she can’t take this sh*t, and Tamra says, Fancy Pants is a liar. Emily asks Tamra about the podcast, and we hear it again. Gina says she wants a group pic, even if it’s an uncomfortable, really awkward family photo. What family isn’t f***ed up? In Gina’s interview, she says, it’s like when you force kids to take a family photo and it’s been the worst day. Just smile and take the picture. I want the f***ing memory. They take the photo, and Shannon tells Gina that she did a phenomenal job.
In Jen’s interview, she says she’s lived her life pleasing other people. Being in this group makes her want to be more powerful and have more of a voice. Ryan says he loves her, and in the text – because it’s the finale, thank God – it says, Jenn has paid the attorney, and is now taking the biggest gamble, moving in with Ryan.
In Shannon’s interview, she says, when she met John, he said he was her future, but she still doesn’t know. They have some hurdles to jump, but she thinks they’re small. The text says, shortly after filming, Shannon and John broke up… or did they? Shannon denies the rumors.
In Gina’s interview, she says she feels like she’s made progress in her personal life. She tells Travis that she wants to get married like this, and he asks if he has to wear a lion costume. I literally lol. She tells him, it’s the best party ever, and the text says, Gina and Travis are both real estate agents and have added to the family – a dog named Meatball.
Emily thanks Shane for being a good husband, which he corrects to great. He says, it’s hard to take her seriously when she’s dressed like popcorn, and in her interview, she says she wants to be a better person, mom, wife, and friend. Her take away from Fancy Pants and Shannon is that she’s learned about herself. Growth is always good. The text tells us that Annabelle’s modeling career took off. Emily wants Annabelle to be a star so she can retire. She went to Fancy Pants’ birthday party, and there was no sand in the salad.
In her interview, Fancy Pants says, not only does she need to figure out who wants to be friends with her; she needs to figure out who she wants to be friends with. She doesn’t understand Tamra. If she’s looking to be top dog, it’s hers. The text says, she and Terry are looking for their next dream house, assisted by Nicky who’s being mentored by Josh Altman. The HD Network is also growing.
In Tamra’s interview, she says, she thinks Fancy Pants knows she’s not buying into her bullsh*t. The truth always comes out. The text says, Tamra has become closer to John and Shannon. She’s getting her ducks in a row, and Fancy Pants can f*** one.
As the party ends, Gina says, welcome to the freak show… sh*tshow really.
Next week, the Reunion, which looks like the SOS. Gina says she doesn’t know if she can continue to do this. Run. Before it swallows you like it’s doing to Emily.
🥾 Hitting the Trail…
Join me tomorrow for soap and some not always charming Charm. Until then stay safe, stay never correcting someone’s grammar in public, and stay remembering that the truth always comes out.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 