What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
As we sniffle our way through the week, working up to a full-on ugly cry…
Sonny tells Carly that he came as soon as he could. He’s probably the last person she wants to see. He should have kept his distance. He’ll keep his distance. Can she please give everybody his condolences? He starts to leave, but she calls him back and hugs him.
At the station, Ava tells Dante, here she is at his invitation, or should she say, his insistence? She’s a busy woman. She’s prepping for a new show at the gallery. He says he’s sorry to interrupt her evening, but he thought she’d like to know the person who broke into Windymere is here, and they’ve confessed. She says, honesty? How about that? Why does she need to be here though, if they’ve confessed?
In the interrogation room, Laura asks Esme to stop pacing and sit down. She’s doing the right thing by coming forward and admitting she’s the one who broke into Windymere. Esme says, is she? Ava despises her. Laura says, she’s not doing this for Ava. She’s doing it for herself. Come, sit. Esme sits down, and Laura says, she’s taking responsibility for her own actions right now, and Laura knows that seems daunting, but once she’s told the truth, she’s going to feel so much better. Esme says, not if Ava demands her head, when Dante comes in with Ava.
Gregory goes to Alexis’s office and asks if she’s busy. Dumb question. She’s always busy. He doesn’t want to bother her. She says, he’s not bothering her, and flashes back to their kiss after the airplane jump. She says, actually, she’s really glad he’s here.
Dr. Martel tells Curtis that he’s a great candidate for the surgery. He’s glad Portia submitted him. He’s been stabilized to the point of no movement or sensation in his legs and he has seven centimeters of healthy spinal cord below the injury. Portia says she’s been meaning to ask, how many patients have undergone the surgery at this point? The doctor says, as she knows, it’s still in clinical trials, and she says, yes, but how many operations have they had since Curtis signed up? He says, they’ve had 25 operations so far, and she asks, how many were successful? He says, three, so far.
In the waiting room, TJ says, Portia was lucky to get Curtis into that trial, and Stella says, yeah, but it’s only been six months since he’s been shot. He’s still healing, physically and emotionally. What if the procedure doesn’t work? Marshall says, what if it does? They need to stay positive for Curtis. She says, it’s Curtis she’s thinking about. Do they remember how depressed he was when he heard about his prognosis? She just hates to see him fall back into that. Marshall says, the man is about to go under the knife. This is not the time for doubt. If she can’t be all in, then don’t be here at all. He gets up, says, excuse me, and walks away.
Gregory asks why Alexis is glad to see him. Aside from his editorial wizardry and sparkling personality, of course (🍷). She says, because she wanted to show him these, and picks up a stack of photos. She says, look at this… look at us… look at me. They’re jumping out of a plane. He says he saw the photos. He didn’t feel the need to print them out. They’re not exactly flattering… of him. Of her, she looks fantastic. She says, nice save. She has a thought. Hear her out. She says, they get certified and learn to jump solo. That way they can jump without having somebody strapped to their back. Is he in? He says, as tempting as that is, he’s going to have to pass. He did it once, and he’s got more on his list. But he really appreciates her diving into the blue, or the proverbial twilight as it is. She says, it was a pleasure actually, and he says, on that note, he thinks they need to talk about what happened on the tarmac. She says, the kiss. Right. She was wondering if he’d bring that up. He says, how could he not? It’s all he could think about.
Laura thanks Ava for coming. It would mean a lot to both of them if Ava could just hear Esme out. They’re hoping to come to some sort of an agreement instead of going before a judge. Ava says, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, and sits down. If Esme has a tale to tell, she’s more than willing to listen. But for Esme’s sake, it better be convincing.
Brining some coffee to a table, Carly asks how Sonny knew she was here. Did he go by the house first? He says, no, just the opposite. He thought he’d check here first. He saw that Kelly’s was closed, but the light was on, so he figured she’d be here. She says she thought of opening up, but she couldn’t do it. Not before the memorial service. He says, if there’s anything she needs, anything he can do for her, don’t hesitate. She says, Drew is taking care of a lot. Lucas is helping him. Sonny asks, how are the kids? and she says, Michael and Josslyn are heartbroken. They’re doing the best they can. She hasn’t told Donna and Avery. He says, Bobbie was wonderful to those girls, and she says, they used to have sleepovers and make breakfast. How is she going to tell them Bobbie’s gone?
TJ asks if Marshall is okay, and Marshall says he had no right to lose his temper like that. He’s got to apologize to Stella. TJ says, without a doubt, but first, why doesn’t Marhsall tell him what’s going on? Marshall says he’s a hypocrite. Stella was just saying all the things he’s been trying not to say. TJ says, but? and Marshall says he’s terrified. All he can think about is the last time Curtis was on that operating table and his heart stopped. What if something else goes wrong? He’d rather have his son in a wheelchair than not have his son at all.
Stella tells Trina that she shouldn’t have been so negative. If Curtis and Portia are okay with this procedure, who is she to second guess them? She’s here; her role is to be supportive. That’s what family’s for. Curtis is going to have that surgery and they’re going to be here when he comes out and when he wakes up and see him through his recovery. No matter what the outcome. She asks, what’s going on with Trina? and Trina says she did something terrible.
Dr. Martel says, as they know, three of his patients have had great success with therapy. Of course (🍷) he has to be clear; he makes no assurances. Portia says, he’s preparing them for the possibility it might not work, and the doctor says, and preparing them that there might be a risk of complications. He wanted to review the medical liability waiver; it details the risks. Complications, and continuation of paralysis, infection, leakage of spinal fluids… Curtis says, they went over all the risks in their consultation. They’re fully aware and they signed all the paperwork. Dr. Martel says he’ll give them a few minutes, but if Portia is having second thoughts, now’s the time to voice them. He leaves, and Curtis looks at Portia.
Sonny says, Carly doesn’t have to talk to the girls alone. She was there when they had to tell Avery about his dad. Donna was too little to remember, but Avery knew Mike. Carly says, she was crazy about him, and he says, it was a hard conversation, but Carly was here for him, he’s going to be there for her. The girls are resilient, and they’re going to be okay. He’s just concerned about her. How is she doing? She says, it’s her mom. It hurts and she can’t breathe. She came here because she wanted to be closer to her. She misses her so much. She cries, and he says he gets it. Bobbie was a force of nature. They both laugh, and he says, she wasn’t always his biggest fan, but she was fair-minded, and she welcomed everybody who came into Kelly’s. She says, Bobbie liked him. (News to me.) She liked him because he was friends with Luke and was his occasional business partner. So that got him into her good graces. He says, she didn’t want Carly to be with him, and Carly says, she didn’t want her daughter near the danger that came with him. And she didn’t like how volatile they were together, and she didn’t want to see her daughter hurt, but Carly ran straight toward him. He says he thinks more so that Bobbie wanted her daughter to have a happy life, and she didn’t think Carly would have a happy life with him.
TJ tells Marshall, Curtis suffered a cardiac event during emergency surgery. The surgical team had to go in and remove the blood from Curtis’s spine as quickly as they could, so he was barely stabilized. This elective surgery is entirely different. It’s planned with a highly specialized team. There’s no comparison and way less risk. Marshall says, but there’s still risk, right?
Stella says, Paris? and Trina says, yes. She submitted herself on a whim, and Spencer convinced her to go. Actually, he’s coming with her. Stella says, oh, obviously not thrilled, and Trina says, and she’s always wanted to study at the Sorbonne. Stella asks if she can defer it, and Trina says, she could ask, but she’s not optimistic. And next year will be her senior year, so she has to be at PCU for her final year. So that’s what’s happening with her. Stella says she understands. Trina has a hard choice to make. How can Trina possibly run off to Paris when part of her is saying she needs to stay here and help Curtis through his recovery? But she knows what she would do.
Alexis says, the kiss. They could chalk it up to a lot of adrenaline, a lot of exuberance… It surprised her. She certainly wasn’t expecting that to happen. He says, neither was he. Not to say he hadn’t thought about it before. She’s an engaging and intelligent woman. She keeps him honest and on his toes. She holds him to a higher standard and makes him want to reach it. Not to mention, she’s extremely easy on the eyes. She says she’s flattered. He certainly keeps his cards close to the vest. She never would have guessed that. So what comes next? He says, an apology.
Gregory says he doesn’t know what he was thinking. He never should have kissed her. Alexis tells him, like she said, the adrenaline rush, right? They don’t have to make it more than that. He says, she’s getting defensive, but she says she’s not… Maybe she is defensive, but he’s the one standing there apologizing for a kiss, that she reciprocated by the way. It’s not like he dragged her to the cave by her hair. He says, hers was a sympathy kiss, and she asks if that’s what he thinks. He asks if she would have gone skydiving if he wasn’t sick, and she says, probably not. He says, neither would he. Ten years ago, it never would have crossed his mind. He did it now because now is his last chance. He won’t be around in ten years; maybe not even in five. Which brings him to that kiss. Would she have kissed him back if she didn’t know he was running out of time? She says, that’s impossible to answer. She can’t unknow what she knows, and she can’t tell him her feelings under hypothetical circumstances. He has ALS and that directly led to them jumping out of a plane, which led directly to that kiss. He says he never should have put her in that position. He really hopes she can forgive him.
Curtis says he gets the feeling Portia wants to call it off. Does she? She says she can’t be the one who decides whether or not he has this surgery. Ultimately, this is his decision. He says, they make their decisions together, hence, they both have input. What’s hers? She says she doesn’t want to burden him… but he says, the burden is knowing she’s holding back. He wants to know what she’s thinking. She says, up until now, she’s been looking at this like a clinician, and as a doctor, she would have no problem recommending this surgery because it has the best outcome for a recovery. But now she’s not looking at this as a doctor. She’s looking at it as his wife. As his wife, she’s scared.
TJ tells Marshall, bottom line, Curtis is strong-willed and determined, so if he wants to walk again, and he’s willing to do the hard work of rehabilitation, he thinks Curtis deserves that chance. Marshall says he’ll still breathe a lot easier when Curtis is out of surgery, and TJ says, they all will. They hug, and Marshall says he guesses he’d better get started on that apology. TJ asks if everything is all right between Marshall and Aunt Stella, and Marshall flashes back to them almost kissing. He tells TJ, they’re fine. Just suffering from nerves, that’s all. Plain and simple. TJ looks like he’s not buying it.
Trina tells Stella that she knows family comes first. She knows she can go to Paris some other time. Stella asks if those words came out of her mouth, and Trina says, no. Stella says, exactly. Go to Paris. They’ll be fine. She’s been where Trina is. She gave up a lot to raise Thomas and Curtis when they were kids, but stepping in then was the right thing to do. No regrets, but she’ll always wonder what might have been had she had the freedom to go after her dreams and ambitions. Trina asks if it wouldn’t be selfish of her if she didn’t make the same sacrifice, but Stella says, these are very different circumstances. At the time, she was all Irene had. There were other relatives around, but nobody knew those boys like she did. That was her choice, but now it’s different with Curtis. First of all, he’s a grown man and he’s got a lot of family around him – Marshall, Portia, TJ, her. We got this, girl. She better go to Paris and have a wonderful, life-changing experience. They hug.
Esme tells Ava, all she knows is that last Christmas, she was pregnant and locked in the tower by Ace’s father. She couldn’t even remember that. Suddenly, she was desperate to get her memories back, and she thought if she went to Windymere, she might remember something, and if she did, it might unlock another memory. At some point in her life when she wasn’t so alone. When there was someone who cared for her, loved her. She wasn’t thinking straight, but she thought if she returned to Windymere, she might get something back. But it wasn’t right, and she so sorry for invading Ava’s space. Dante wonders why she just didn’t ask Ava if she could have access to Windymere, and Esme says, considering what she knows of their history, she didn’t think Ava would allow it, especially if Ava thought she was trying to remember her past. Ava asks if that’s what Esme wants, to return to form, but Esme says, no. She heard more than enough about the kind of person she used to be. But all she wants is to be the best mom she can be to Ace and be worthy of everyone’s trust. Laura says, and in addition to proving she’s a reliable and good mother, she’s also taken a job. She’s working at The Invader now for Alexis Davis. Ava says, so, did breaking into her home achieve the desired result? Did she remember? Laura says, just tell the truth, and Esme says she still doesn’t know who she is. She’s just as lost as ever.
Carly says, she and her mother went back and forth about Sonny so many times over the years, but her mind was made up and Bobbie accepted it. And she accepted him. He says, with a raised eyebrow and a sharp tongue, and Carly laughs and says, all the time. She welcomed him into the family and how could she not? He’s the father of her grandchildren. She loved them fiercely, so how could she not love him? Sonny says he cared about her. He never wanted to let her down. Carly says, every time they got divorced, she never once said, I told you so. She was the most sensitive and open-minded person Carly ever met. She was always willing to change her mind about someone. He says, she accepted people for who they were. She never tried to make someone who they weren’t. That’s why she was so loved. It’s harder to accept certain people than other people, but he’s sure she was very relieved when Carly and Drew got together. Carly says, Bobbie was happy for her. Thank God Drew showed up when he did, because it was a really bad night, especially when… he says, Nina showed up.
Carly gets up and goes behind the counter, and Sonny says he figures she doesn’t want to talk about Nina. She says she doesn’t, but does he need to talk about Nina? He says, no, and she says she realizes the two of them weren’t the only ones hurt by Nina’s actions. What she did affects Sonny, and Carly meant what she said on New Year’s Eve. She wants him to be happy and she’s sorry if he’s not. He says, that right there is Bobbie all over again.
Marshall tells Stella that he’s ashamed of himself. He never should have yelled at her the way he did. He apologizes sincerely. She was just saying out loud all the things he’s been trying to sit on. He was way out of line. Stella says, apology accepted, and he thanks her. She says, people say funny things when they’re scared. Lord knows she’s butted in when she shouldn’t have and withheld information when she shouldn’t have. Sometimes it’s hard to know just what to say in the moment. He says he’s glad they could get back together again. But is it him, or did something spark between them Christmas Eve? He feels like they’ve both been trying to avoid the subject. She says she doesn’t know what he means, but he says, come on. Just tell him one way or the other.
Alexis says, it means a lot to her that Gregory is concerned about her feelings, but – and she really means this honestly – there’s nothing to forgive. She was so grateful that he made her jump out of that plane. It was the most exhilarating, terrifying moment of her life. And the kiss wasn’t bad either. He says he’s glad to hear it. He’d hate to feel like he misled her. He remembers how they struggled when he wasn’t completely honest with her about his health, and she felt deceived by him. She says she doesn’t know if he knows this about her, but she has a tendency sometimes to overreact. Those runaway feelings she has get the best of her. He says he actually admires that about her. When she cares about someone, she cares deeply. And even though they were at odds for a little bit, he realized she was his friend, a truly good friend. That’s why he hopes they can stay where they are. Too much in his life keeps changing. He needs her to be his constant, his friend.
Curtis says, after he was shot, he shut Portia out. He made a big mistake. He promised he would never do that again. So if she doesn’t want him to have this procedure, then that’s it, he won’t. They’ll keep on keepin’ on and go back to their wonderful lives. She says, what about New Year’s Eve? Sweeping her off her feet. He says he’ll think of something. He was… never mind. She says, no. She wants to know. This honesty thing goes both ways. He says he was thinking, this treatment is experimental. Even if, God Forbid, it doesn’t go his way, maybe Dr. Martel can take that information and help the next person after him to walk. But that person’s not in this room right now, and all he cares about is her, and Trina, Aunt Stella, and his dad, and TJ. She says, so this room and the hallway, and he says, exactly. Does she want to help him get dressed? Let’s go home. Dr. Martel comes back and asks how they’re doing. The OR is ready, the team is waiting, and the orderlies are ready to take him. Curtis thanks him, and says, but he and his beautiful wife have decided not… Portia says, not to wait another moment. Her husband’s ready – she looks at Curtis – and so is she.
Esme tells Ava that she’s taken responsibility for her actions and she’s willing to face the consequences, but please do not separate her from her son. Laura says, it would mean a lot to both of them. They’re both hoping she’d be willing to just drop the charges. Maybe they could work something out, make some kind of arrangement where Esme does community service. Ava asks Dante, what’s the average sentence for breaking and entering? but Dante says he doesn’t know. There’re things you’ve got to take into account, like the nature of the crime or any priors. Esme broke in, yes, but she didn’t steal anything, she didn’t have a weapon, she didn’t hurt anybody, she came forward and confessed, and she seems to be showing remorse. Ava says, so they’re talking really less than a year, right? She bets Esme could do that kind of time standing on her head. She’d like to press charges. We’re all shocked, and I’m also disappointed, and Laura says, she confessed. She turned herself in. Ava says she’s sure Laura had a lot to do with that, and Esme tells Ava that she said she was sorry. Ava says, maybe Esme had a hard Christmas. Maybe a little depressed about her unremembered life. Well, she really doesn’t care. Esme is still the girl who drugged Trina Robinson. She filmed and posted revenge porn of Josslyn Jax and Cameron Webber and she never paid for any of it. As far as she’s concerned, a slap on the wrist isn’t nearly enough. But it’s a start. Ava walks out.
Sonny says, there’s a lot of Bobbie in Carly, especially as a mother, and Carly says, it’s crazy, right? Bobbie didn’t raise her. They had to work so hard to build their relationship. He says, they came a long way. He probably should have said this a long time ago and he’s sorry that he didn’t, but he owes her and Bobbie. He saw how hard Carly worked for Bobbie’s forgiveness, and then in the end, they had this beautiful relationship. And if he hadn’t witnessed that, there’s no way he could have been there for his dad. So she and Bobbie showed him this was possible. She says she’s so glad he made peace with Mike. He’s such a good son. Hopefully Mike is welcoming her mom right now. He says, she knows how much his dad loved the ladies, and they laugh. He just wishes he could have thanked her mom while he had the chance. But tonight in his prayers, he’ll thank her.
Curtis is wheeled out on a gurney, and he asks if Portia is sure about this. She says she is. Is he? The family gathers around, and Trina says she loves him. They’re all pulling for him. Marshall says, she’s speaking for all of them. They’re all going to be pulling for him. Stella says, and praying. Do good, you hear? Curtis says, yes, ma’am. Would they all do him a favor and look after his beautiful wife? Reassure her that he’s going to be okay. TJ says, will do, and Marshall says, he’s going to be fine. Portia says she loves him, and he says he loves her more. They kiss, the elevator doors open, and Curtis is wheeled inside.
Laura follows Ava into the squad room, and says, wait a minute. She just wants to understand. Ava says she thought she made herself perfectly clear, but Laura says she thinks she saw Ava go out of her way to see that Esme would receive a light sentence. Why did she do that? Ava says she’s not completely heartless, but Trina did suffer at the hands of that girl. She was charged and tried for a crime she did not commit. So it does not seem out of line that Esme be punished for a crime she admits she did. Maybe Esme doing a short stint in the hoosegow is a small comfort in the grand scheme of things, but it’s something. Laura says, she’s got a baby, and Ava says, a baby who is well-loved and has a family eager to care for him. Laura has a generous heart, but trust her. A leopard does not change her spots. And neither does that Esme. She leaves.
Dante handcuffs Esme and asks if she understands these rights as he’s explained them to her. She says, yes, but Laura said they’d let her go. he leads her out, and as they pass Laura, Esme cries and says, she said that they’d let her go. Dante takes her away as she cries, and Laura starts to cry.
Alexis says she’ll always be Gregory’s friend and he thanks her. He says, in that case, he’ll leave her to her work. That sky was incredible, wasn’t it? Diving into twilight. He walks toward the door, and she says, you know, you’re a poet at heart. You should really try your hand at that. He asks, what makes her think he hasn’t? And she really should try skydiving solo. He’ll cheer her on. He says, goodnight, and leaves.
In the OR, Dr. Martel says, okay, people. This is where they give this man a chance to walk. Curtis lies on his side under anesthesia.
Carly thanks Sonny for stopping by. She really needed it. He says, get her coat, he’ll drive her home, but she says, that’s okay. She’s going to stay a while longer. He tells her, if she needs anything, like he said, all she has to do is call. She asks, what happened to his hand? and he says he just lost his temper. She asks if it helped, and he says, no. She says, sometimes it never does. And sometimes, someone shows up who knows you and understands you and makes you feel a little less alone, and that’s what he did for her tonight. She thanks him, and he puts his hand on hers. He says, take care, and walks to the door. She says, get home safe, and he says, her too. And Kelly’s looks great. Bobbie would have been very proud of her. Don’t forget to lock up. She says, yeah, and he leaves.
Carly locks the door and says, I love you, mom.
Tomorrow, the weepfest that is Bobbie’s memorial; Tracy suggests a truce with Lucy for Bobbie; and Carly says, the world’s a very different place without Bobbie.
🏆 Bringing In the Globes…
Just the basics.
https://ew.com/golden-globes-2024-winners-full-list-8423211
Everything you didn’t know you wanted to know.
The fashion. Best, worst, and good Lord, what is that?
https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/golden-globes-2024-fashion-live-from-the-red-carpet
🌧 Stormy Weather…
Signing off early tonight due to inclement weather. Join me tomorrow when the skies have cleared for soap and the endless season of RHOBH. Until then, stay safe, stay using your phone less and personally engaging more, and stay willing to change your mind about someone. Accept people for who they are and don’t try to make them who they’re not.