(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)
General Hospital
Cody tells James, no more riding without a helmet, but James says, Cody’s hat is cooler. Cody says, James can’t even see with it on, and gives him a smaller version of the hat. Excited, James runs off and Cody takes the helmet and follows him.
Maxie tells Natalia that Lois has been making the rounds as Deception spokesperson, but this will be her first time as an on-air presence on Home & Heart. Natalia says, Lois does have the gift of gab, and Lucy says, they’ll see if she can pull off selling on camera to the home audience.
Lois asks Brook if she looks too demure, but Brook says, she looks beautiful. Is she nervous? Lois says she’ll be talking to people already interested in the product. It’s in the bag. She goes to get her earrings from the makeup artist and overhears her saying that Lois’s Brooklyn accent gives her a headache.
Molly puts a spray of flowers on the casket, and people begin to come into the church. Kristina comes in with Sam (played by Lindsay Hartley) and Alexis on either side. TJ asks if Molly is okay, and she says, yeah. Him? He says, yeah. Stella lights a candle, and hugs TJ. Molly runs out of the church. Outside, Ric arrives and hugs Molly.
Sonny says, Ava deserves to pay for what she’s done, and his face should be the last thing she sees, but he’s not here to take her life. He’s here to save her life. Let’s go. Ava says, he assumes she’s going to walk out with him no questions asked? Does he think she’s that gullible? He says, she’s not seeing the whole picture, and she tells him to give her the layout. He says, Jagger Cates wants to end her life, not him.
Molly says she didn’t know Ric was coming, and he says he and Alexis agreed he needed to be here. He’s so sorry. It’s a horrible loss. She says she’s glad he’s here. She feels so alone. He hugs her.
Kristina says, they shouldn’t have to make coffins so small, and Alexis gives the minister the baby’s name. She warns Sam that Ric is coming for Molly. Kristina says she called the baby Adela. She knew it was going to be a girl, but she didn’t tell anyone. When she was lying awake at night, thinking of the baby’s future, that’s what she called her. Dante says, Sonny’s mother’s name.
Tracy says, Maxie can’t be happy about Sonny being a part of Deception, but Maxie says, he’s just investing. Tracy says, he’s forcing them to take on Natalia as CFO, and Maxie asks how many meetings she sat in on where Natalia negotiated Blaze’s contract. She went over everything and was never satisfied. Isn’t that what they’re looking for in a CFO?
Brook reminds Lois to hold up the product and asks, what’s wrong? She has weird energy. Lois says, last minute stage fright, and Brook asks, since when? Lois says, since she heard her accent gave someone a headache.
Sonny tells Ava that Jagger is going to try and frame him for her murder. The only thing Jagger wants is her dead.
Josslyn sees Trina at the church and keeps walking. Stella asks Trina if everything is okay.
Jordan says, TJ is bearing up well, and Curtis asks how she’s doing. She says, it’s hitting her harder than she thought it would. Portia says she’s sorry for their loss. If there’s anything she can do, she’s here.
Sam asks, where’s Sonny? and Alexis says, Molly had a meltdown and blamed him for everything. Out of respect and to avoid a scene, he stayed away. Sam says she wishes he was here for Kristina’s sake, and the minister says they’re going to begin the service. Sam says, they have to wait for Molly, and the minister asks if Kristina isn’t the mother. Alexis says, she’s the surrogate. The parents are Molly and TJ. Ric brings Molly back in, and Alexis says, that’s Molly.
Brook asks, who’s talking smack? She’ll make sure they’re transferred to late night. Lois says she doesn’t want trouble, but be honest. Is it that bad? Brook says, it’s part of her charm. Their different dialects are what makes them cool. Just focus on her and remember everyone in Bensonhurst is watching. She called them.
TJ thanks Ric, and Sam tells Alexis, it’s nice of him to come for Molly. She hopes they don’t regret it. She can’t remember a time when he didn’t make things worse. Alexis says, good thing Sonny’s not here.
TJ and Molly sit down, and Ric tells Alexis that he came as soon as he could. Good thing he was late, since he met their daughter outside.
The minister says, they gather to celebrate a life and honor the memory. This life was too brief, but Irene Marie loved, gave love, and had an impact. They grieve not just for what was lost, but for what could have been. They mourn Irene Marie and the life she could have had.
The director (Debbie Matenopoulus) asks if Lois is ready, and Lois asks if she’s ever worked in the music business. Was she in music videos? The director says she’s been on TV for years, but prefers the view from behind the camera. Is Lois ready for her debut? Lois says, as ready as she’ll ever be, and Brook tells her, break a leg.
Sonny says he’ll take Ava where Jagger can’t find her. Doesn’t she want to be around for Avery? She says, that’s why she’s not going with him, but he says, if he wanted to take her out, would he be here today trying to convince her to go with him? She says, it’s the baby’s funeral, and he says he needs her alive to do the right thing when the time comes. She says, Scotty would never go for it, and he asks if she’s talked to Scotty lately. She says she and John are closer than he knows. John would never hurt her. He says, Jagger just put handcuffs on Kristina when she was in a wheelchair. Ava gave her statement and now she’s a liability. She says, John is protecting her, but Sonny says, he’s using her. She asks why she should believe him when she knows for a fact that he’d kill her if given half a chance.
The minister asks God to hold Irene Marie in His everlasting love and light. Amen. Now Irene’s grandmother will give a reading. Kristina says she has something to say and goes to the front.
Coming back into the stable with James, Cody says, he looks great. He’s a real natural. His grandparents are horse people and will be super proud. Is he okay? James says, yeah, and Cody says, James knows he can tell him anything, especially now that he’s James’s uncle. James wonders why Grandpa Mac was so mad at Cody, and Cody says he thinks Mac was more mad about the time they didn’t get to spend together when Cody was a kid. James says, that’s not Cody’s fault, but Cody says, Mac has a good reason to be mad at him. James asks what he did.
Haven meets Lois, and Tracy asks if Maxie is sure Lois can do this. Maxie says, if Tracy had seen any of Lois’s trunk shows, she wouldn’t ask. Lois is popular wherever she goes. Tracy says, success in one venue isn’t necessarily success in another. Maybe Lois is too much for TV, from her shoes to her fingernails. Television magnifies things, and she’s not sure if a magnified Lois wouldn’t overwhelm the audience. Maxie says she doesn’t agree, and if Tracy was concerned, she should have said something weeks ago, not just before Lois gets on camera.
Brook tells Lois to imagine she’s talking to the same people that she does at department stores, and Lois says she’ll try. Brook tells her that she’s got this, and looks at Lois’s hand. She says she told Lois to break a leg, not a nail, and Lois says she can’t go on. Her nails are her brand. Brook says, no one will notice, but Lois says she will. Brook says, take a breath. It will be okay.
Haven says, their favorite brand Deception Cosmetics is introducing an exciting new product. She welcomes Lois, and Lois says she’s so… happy to be here, but then just stares at the camera.
Sonny says, let’s go, but Ava says, no deal. She doesn’t need Sonny to save her. She’s a wealthy woman and can disappear on her own. He says, not really, because she’s damn sure not going to take Avery. Jagger’s got her cornered. He doesn’t care where she runs. She can’t hide unless she’s with him. He’s her way out.
Kristina tells everyone that the minister said something that resonated with her, and she wanted to share that. Even though Irene’s life ended just as it was starting, she had impact. He’s so right. She did, and even though none of them had a chance to meet Irene, they knew her. Anyone who felt her kick knew she was destined to be a US Women’s Olympic champion. She laughs, then starts to cry and says, for eight months they shared every second together. She felt her move and watched her grow. They breathed together and she learned about her, what she liked and didn’t like. She used to love walks in the park and was so peaceful after. She liked pastilles and peanut butter, not together, but liked when Kristina ate them. She liked being sung to. Now everyone is crying, and Kristina touches the casket. She says, even though Irene isn’t physically with them, her memory is. The feeling, the weight of her, her impact will stay with Kristina and she hopes with them forever.
Stella says, her wish is for TJ and Molly to find strength and comfort in each other, and she prays they have the family they so deserve. She tells Kristina that she knows Kristina doesn’t have the same connection, but she carried Irene in love and felt her loving spirit, and that makes them eternally grateful. They can’t know what Irene would have become, but with the support of her loving parents, it’s not hard to imagine she would have been a happy girl and gone far in life. She takes comfort in knowing Irene is in the hands of her namesake, Stella’s sister.
Cody says he didn’t tell Mac the truth about something important, and James says, he lied? What about? Cody says, something that wasn’t fair to Grandpa Mac and he regrets it. James says, you’re not supposed to lie, and Cody says he wishes he hadn’t. James says he’s lied before. He said he brushed his teeth when he hadn’t, and he got caught. His toothbrush was dry. Cody says, rookie mistake, and James tells Cody that he said he was sorry, but he’s lied about other dumb stuff. Sometimes it’s easier to lie, but he feels bad and regrets it. Cody says he knows exactly how James feels.
The minister says, they’re going to move to the gravesite, Irene’s final resting place. Kristina begins to sob, and TJ tells Molly, we can do this. Willow says she doesn’t think she can go, and Michael suggests they see Jonah instead. Josslyn sees Trina sitting alone, and Portia asks how Trina is doing. Does she want to ride with them? Trina says she’s okay, but she wants to sit for a while. Portia says, let her know if she needs anything, and leaves. Josslyn asks if she can sit with Trina.
Dante finishes with a phone call, and Sam asks if it’s the station, but Dante says, it’s Laura. He’s got to go. She says, Lulu? and he says he’ll let her know when he gets there, and leaves.
Haven says, the new serum used with the Deceptor is a game changer. She can’t believe all the money she’s wasted on serums that don’t do half of what this does. She asks Lois to tell them how to get firmer, younger looking skin, and Tracy says she guesses Lois isn’t going to overwhelm the viewers after all. Brook nods to Lois, and Lois says, everyone watching should take out their cellphones and credit cards before this product runs out – Deception’s newest serum, The Deceiver. Brook encourages her to smile, and she asks if the viewers have spent a small fortune on their neck, eyes, and lovely faces. Is their bathroom counter covered with half-used products they tried, but didn’t cut it? Haven asks if Lois has sneaked into her house and checked out her bathroom (same), and Lois says, clear that clutter because this product does it all. It plumps and rejuvenates the skin from below the surface. Deceive your skin one drop at a time with Deceiver serum. Haven says, they’re offering it at a special price which will be gone at the end of the day, but she has the feeling they’ll be sold out before then. Lucy tells Maxie, kind of a rocky start, but Lois is watchable. Lois explains how to use the product, and Lucy looks at her phone says, Scotty is out of town on a lucrative, promising new case. She has to call him. If he leaves them high and dry, they’ll need a new lawyer. She leaves, and Maxie says she heard an earful from Tracy about Natalia joining Deception. Now she’d like to hear from Natalia. Natalia says, ask her anything, and Maxie says, Sonny was willing to invest to secure her a position and she’s more than qualified, but what’s in it for her? What did he promise her?
Sonny says he’s glad Ava came to her senses, but she says she’s not going with him. Unless he’s planning to shoot her in the back, why doesn’t he go so she can lock up. She can find a place to hide herself. He says, she’s playing into Jagger’s hands, and she says, he needs to work on his sales pitch. She’s not buying. He tells her to do it for Kristina and the baby. She needs to recant her statement. They don’t have time. Ava tells her to leave him alone and pseudo hero John comes in and tells Sonny, get away from her.
Josslyn says she hates the way they left things, and Trina says, her too. She apologizes for being so defensive. Ava is her friend, but Josslyn is her best friend. She doesn’t know what she’d do without her. Josslyn says, her neither. She’s sorry too. She has no right to tell Trina who she can be friends with, even if she doesn’t like them. Trina says she understands why Josslyn feels the way she does, and why Spencer felt the same way. Ava is complicated, but they’ve always been honest with each other. Maybe she still has hope for Ava. Josslyn says, Ava is lucky to have a friend like Trina, and Trina says she wouldn’t ask Josslyn to change her mind, but don’t ask her to change hers. She puts her head on Josslyn’s shoulder.
Sonny says, Ava isn’t going anywhere with John, and John asks if he thinks she’s better off with a dangerous criminal. Sonny says, she’s safer with him than Jagger, and John says, let him guess. Sonny offered Ava his protection. Funny how the how the ones he claims to protect are the ones who end up suffering the most. Like Karen, like his brother, even Sonny’s own children. Sonny is toxic and radioactive to anyone he gets close to, and no one knows that better than Ava, right?
Natalia says, Sonny just gave her a chance, that’s it. After her incredibly regrettable words that ended up being run in The Invader, she wanted to run, but Sonny wanted to help her just because they’re friends. To be honest, she thinks it’s a convenient excuse for him to be able to back Brook because he really cares about her. Maxie says she appreciates Natalia’s candor, and Natalia says she’s spent some time going over the books and one thing is abundantly clear. Maxie is the beating heart of the company, the one constant that keeps this business going. She has no interest in challenging that. She’s here to help support Maxie and thank Sonny by giving him a good return on his investment. She looks forward to working with Maxie. Maxie smiles.
Michael says he’s glad they came to Jonah’s grave, and Willow says she feels terrible for Molly and TJ, but Kristina’s speech was touching. The little details rushed back and how she felt, even though she was giving Jonah up for adoption. It’s hard loving someone you know you can’t have. Michael says he understands because of the time he believed Wiley was Jonah, but now they have two healthy happy kids. Maybe Jonah brought them together. Willow leans on him, and he says, she can share anything with him. Her memories, fears, ideas, whatever it is, good or bad. They’re in this together. Willow looks troubled and says she wants Michael to know something… Jonah liked Mozart.
Each person places a pink rose on the grave, and TJ puts a teddy bear that says for a special boy with them. He says, daddy loves you, and Molly says, mommy loves you too. She hugs Ric, and Kristina puts her rose last. She says, I love you my sweet Adela, and Molly says, what did you just call my daughter?
Haven answers a call from Myrna in Indiana, and Myrna says, she’s been using Deception for years and she’s been watching Home & Heart for even longer. She has some advice for Lois. Lose the accent. She had to mute her television. If Deception wants to sell their product, they need a spokeswoman who can speak properly. (I wonder if it’s Lucy on the phone.)
Kristina says she had to call the baby something, and TJ and Molly just named her this morning. Molly says, Kristina didn’t. It was her baby, and Kristina says, the baby was a part of her and she was part of the baby. She knows Molly can’t know what it feels like… Molly says she knows she’ll never feel what it’s like to carry a child, but she refuses to watch Kristina’s grieving Madonna act for the rest of her life. Kristina says she’s not playing anything. She’s devested. Molly says she hopes so. Kristina is the reason the baby is dead.
Ava tells John and Sonny, let’s keep a cool head. There’s expensive artwork to consider. John calls another agent to come in, and she introduces herself as Linda Boyle. John says he’s sure she recognizes Sonny and tells her to take Ava to the car. He’s bringing her into protective custody. Sonny tells Ava, don’t do it. She knows he’s right. Ava asks if John is sure this is necessary, and John says, trust him, it is. She goes with Agent Boyle, and John tells Sonny that he’ll take it from here, and follows them.
Kristina asks how Molly can say that, and Molly says, it’s true. Kristina never should have gone to that hotel room. Kristina says she had to talk to Ava. Ava was making her testify against her own father. Molly says, she had a choice. To protect her unborn child or her criminal father, but Kristina says, it’s not like that. Molly says, it’s exactly like that. In order to protect her father, Kristina sacrificed her baby’s life.
Tomorrow, Lois says she needs Brook to be honest; Jordan tells Curtis that Kristina and Alexis were planning on stealing her son’s child; and when Maxie asks Dante what he’s doing here, he says, it’s Lulu.
🪞 Life Imitating Soap…
First a MetroCourt beach towel. Next, the Deceptor
Every week, I watch this again, and every week, I wonder why, since it just aggravates me. While there are some close seconds, the most aggravating thing is the return of Alexis. I barely remember her from the seasons she was on previously, although I remember Tamra picking on her ad nauseum and feeling badly for her, as well as her husband being no prize. This time around, she’s making up for it, coming fast and hard for Shannon from the jump. It’s no secret that I’m not a Shannon fan, but this is bordering on harassment. She keeps talking about how Shannon is doing Johnny J. wrong, but other than fighting the lawsuit, there’s no clarification as to what it is she’s doing. Yet Alexis is doing plenty and threatening more, kicking someone who is clearly down. Not exactly the Christian she claims to be.
Tamra follows closely behind, saying she’s coming from a place of love, yet her words about Shannon’s drinking are nothing but loving. Tough love doesn’t mean badgering and cruel words. I, too, think Shannon has a drinking problem. I’m not saying she’s an alcoholic – only Shannon can make that judgement – but her drinking has definitely been problematic. So has Tamra’s, but one thing Tamra is right about is that she hasn’t drove her car into a house. Shannon’s problem with alcohol mirrors her problems in general. She can’t seem to take responsibility for anything. Her issues are always because of someone else. That being said, apparently, Tamra is unaware that hassling a supposed alcoholic does nothing to lead them to help. She needs to put her time where her mouth is and attend a few Al-Anon meetings if she’s that concerned.
As for the videos Alexis is hanging over Shannon’s head, while Alexis has remained not at liberty to disclose their content, Katie claimed that Shannon had nearly run over Johnny J.’s daughter while drunk. Yeah, that’s bad, but why is he hanging onto this as a blackmail item? Hasn’t it been a while now? Shannon may have done something more than stupid in a blackout, but extortion is never a good look, and Johnny J. is looking more rotten by the minute, while he hides behind the jugs of Alexis.
If someone even has to ask why it’s wrong, there’s something wrong with them. Again, I’m no fan of Shannon’s, but I’m not liking what Alexis and Johnny J. are doing one bit. And maybe he should pay for her facelift since he took quite a few years away from her.
Is she trying to top Abby Lee’s talent for being insensitive? Or is she that out of touch with human emotion? Even worse is the how the viewers didn’t even get the connection.
This sounds intriguing. One of the reasons I love zombie films/shows is because they’re never really about zombies. The zombies are nearly always an allegory for something else, and ultimately, they’re about us being our own worst enemy.
Mine isn’t entered because it wouldn’t be fair to the other contestants.
El Wray the Rescue Chi
🎣 Keeping It Reel…
Join me tomorrow for the usual soap and Friday mixed bag. Until then, stay safe, stay using what you’ve learned to help others going through similar struggles, and stay never making fun of someone’s accent. Our different dialects are what make us cool.
(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)
General Hospital
Both Cody and Sasha couldn’t sleep and found each other on the patio. He wondered if it was the excitement of the party keeping her awake, but she said, maybe it was him.
Valentin brought Anna champagne and she said it was unnecessary, but he said, there was no such thing as unnecessary champagne. She told him that his apology was also unnecessary, and he said they’d had plans for dinner, and he bailed. She said, work was a valid excuse, but it cast doubt on his claim that he could compartmentalize his life. He said he was getting the hang of it.
John went to the coffee warehouse and told Jason that he was finally free. John knew who was running Pikeman – Anna Devane. Jason said, it wasn’t possible, but John said, it was and he had proof.
Carly saw Sam at the pool and said, Sam was too late for the party. It had been fabulous, mostly. Sam said, Dante had to work, and Danny was out with his friends. She’d wanted to stay home in case he needed her, but he hadn’t. Now Danny was home with Scout and Rocco, and she wanted to ask Carly, mother to mother, to help her son.
At Bobbie’s, Lucy told Scotty that she hoped the umpteenth revision of Blaze’s contract was the charm. When they gave Natalia what she wanted, then she’d find something else she didn’t like. They’d been bending over backwards. Scotty said, they still had no final contract, but Lucy said she thought he liked it. He was loving the billable hours. He said, working with her was enough. He saw it as a collaboration. She asked if that meant he wasn’t charging her, but he said he wouldn’t go that far.
Sam told Carly that Jason posed a physical danger to Danny. When he came back after he was shot, he held up in the Quartermaine boathouse. Danny found him, and Jason got Danny to help him. Carly said, Danny was Jason’s son and Jason had a bullet wound, and Sam asked, what son should help his father with a gunshot wound? On top of it, Jason asked Danny to promise not to tell her. If Carly was in her place, and he’d done that to her kid, how would she feel? Carly said, if it was anyone else, she’d be furious, but she trusted Jason. She might not like it, but she had to trust it. He’d never let harm come to their kids. Sam said, it was Jason’s line of work and would always happen with his lifestyle. He followed danger and didn’t even try to avoid it. He was the last person who could guarantee Danny’s safety. Carly said, Jason would take a bullet for Danny, and Sam said, it sounded heroic, but Jason was why he’d be in the line of fire in the first place. She was asking as a friend. Carly asked if they were friends, and Sam asked if Carly couldn’t accept that she felt differently, that her concern was real, and help her.
John said he’d gotten into Anna’s email account, and there were emails back and forth with Jack dating back five years. Jason asked if John would be able to shut Pikeman down, and John said, soon. Jason said, then John didn’t need him.
Anna said, Valentin could have called, emailed, or texted, and he said, next time, he’d send a singing telegram. The problem with those methods of communication was, they were from a distance, and he liked being next to her. She told him that dinner was up to him, since he was a busy man, but he said, other than Charlotte, she was always his priority. She asked if he’d choose her over the nefarious schemes he had going, and he said, no contest. She asked if they should be playing at this, and he asked if they were playing. She said they both knew it hadn’t worked for a reason, and she was wondering if it was wise. He said he didn’t know, but it wasn’t something he’d change, and kissed her.
Cody asked if Sasha was saying he kept her up at night, and she said, he’d been on her mind. He asked what he was wearing, but she said, not like that. She’d been thinking about his smile. He said he did some thinking about hers too, and she said, it was sad sometimes. Not all the time, but after James came back from his riding lessons or when the kids grilled him. He would be all smiles until there was a breather, then it went away. Not entirely, but in his eyes. He seemed lonely. The kids adored him, and the grown-ups trusted him. Even Tracy relied on him. He was surrounded by a family he didn’t have, except of course (🍷) the one he belonged to. He said, a big part of him wanted to come clean, and she asked what was stopping him, while I got distracted by her earrings. He said, Mac was still out of town, and he didn’t know how to admit he’d lied in the first place. It wasn’t for a noble cause. He lied to protect himself from getting arrested and prosecuted because he tried to defraud someone. Sasha said, the worst case, Mac would be disappointed and angry. How long did he think it would last? Cody said he didn’t want to find out. That’s why a big part of him was relieved Mac was still gone. As long as Mac was away, he didn’t have to decide. He was a coward. She said she thought that sometimes we got comfortable in our own discomfort, living without the thing we were missing, even though it’s what we really needed. He asked how he moved forward, and she said, if what he was doing wasn’t working, try something new.
Sam said she needed Carly to ask Jason to leave Danny alone and keep his distance, and Carly asked, why do that to Danny? Sam said she had to, and Carly said, Danny adored Jason. He was just like him. Sam said, that was the problem. Danny had no idea how dangerous Jason’s life was. He thought his father was smart and cool and got him. He wanted to be just like Jason, which was the worst possible thing that could happen to him.
Valentin said he’d make dinner for Anna tomorrow, and she wondered how she could say no. He said he’d see her tomorrow, but she said she hadn’t told him yes. He said he liked his chances.
John told Jason that the email was circumstantial. There were no details or direct mention of Pikeman. Jason said, then he got nothing, but John said it pointed to Anna and Brennan being collaborators. Clearly Jack was out of commission, so Anna was running the show. She’d been pointing him in the wrong direction. Jason said, clearly, somebody was, and John said he’d put too much faith in his brother’s connection to Robin. Anna had been obstructing him at every turn, keeping him out of the loop and away from the evidence. If she was running Pikeman, it made sense. Anna trusted Jason, so he needed Jason to get him clear proof of the connection between Anna, Brennan, and Pikeman. Jason said, the sooner he got out from under the FBI, the better, and John said, if Jason warned Anna and she was able to cover tracks, Carly would go to prison.
Lucy thought the reason Natalia bothered her was that she was so damn smart. She was intelligent, organized, and laser focused on getting every advantage for her daughter. She wished Natalia worked for Deception. Natalia knew they had to formalize the contract before they could launch the campaign. Scotty said he thought he found something that would work.
Cody asked how Sasha knew where to find him, and she said he wasn’t in his room. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who was lonely. Maybe she wanted to try something new too. And she kissed him.
Sam said, it was one thing for Jason to live the life he did, but she didn’t want that for Danny. Carly said, it’s not like Jason was going to recruit Danny into the mob, but Sam said, it would still be something dangerous, and Jason wouldn’t protect Danny unless someone else got through to him. He wouldn’t listen to her, and it had to be Carly. Carly said, Sam wanted her to ask Jason to break his own heart, sending away a boy who loved and needed him. And what about Danny? The rejection and abandonment would break his heart. Sam said, Jason just got back, so it was better to do it now, and Carly said she got that Sam was doing this out of love, but it would devastate Danny. Sam said, at least he’d be alive. He was in more danger around Jason than not being around him. Carly said, if Sam didn’t want Jason to be her kid’s father, why had she made such a big deal about having baby with him?
Jason told Anna that John thought she was running Pikeman. How close was she with Brennan? She said, not close. They trained together and worked together on a failed op Jack sabotaged to pocket the money for Pikeman. He asked if she was sure it was Jack, and she said she wasn’t positive enough to prove anything. He asked if they’d kept in touch, but she said she’d barely seen or spoken to him in decades until he turned up in Port Charles. Jason said, the emails indicated they’d been meeting in secret for the last five years.
Lucy asked what her genius, sexy lawyer had come up with, and Scotty said he was working on Heather’s case. Lucy said, none of his hours would be billable now, and Deception wasn’t paying for his pie and coffee. He said, back to Heather… and Lucy said, Heather had murdered people and attempted to murder several others. He said, there were mitigating circumstances, and she said, he sounded like Laura. But Laura was a goody two-shoes do-gooder, and reopening cases was just the naïve, stupid thing good people tended to do. She expected worse of him. She relied on him to be the lesser person. He told her that cobalt poisoning was real and there were documented cases, and she wondered if people with faulty hip replacements were running around slaughtering people. He said, it affected behavior, and he thought he could convince a jury that’s what made Heather so violent. She said, so Heather would get a new trial and be released to kill again? and he said, there could be a lot of money in this for Heather.
Carly said, Jason hadn’t been sure he wanted to have a baby with Sam, for all the reasons she just said – the risks, the danger, the life he was leading – but Sam wanted it, so he gave in, and Sam got what she wanted, a boy like Jason. She didn’t get to change her mind now. Sam said she was in love with Jason then, but she grew up, and Jason didn’t turn out to be the man she thought he was. He disappeared on them, on his children, twice. Carly said, so there it was. Sam wasn’t doing this to protect Danny. She was doing it to punish Jason.
Anna told Jason that she hadn’t spoken to or emailed Jack in decades, not until she arrested him. Jason said, John had gotten into her personal email account, and she asked if he had a warrant. Jason told her, he said he did, and Anna said, it was a WSB tactic. Doctoring or forging emails, then planting them to divert attention or incriminate. In this case, both. Valentin did this. Jason said, Valentin was framing her.
Sasha and Cody kissed their way to the boathouse. They heard someone plucking a violin, and Cody said, wasn’t Gio just at the party? And now’s the time to practice? Sasha thought Gio probably didn’t want to wake anyone, and Cody said, the property was the size of Rhode Island, and he picked this spot?
Scotty told Lucy, think product liability. If Heather’s faulty hip caused her behavior, the company was responsible. Lucy said, so maybe Heather would be entitled to compensation, and he said, Heather’s pain and suffering and everything she was going through when she wasn’t in her right mind. Lucy said, Heather was never in her right mind, but Scotty said, Lucy didn’t know her back then. She said, what about the victims and their families? and he said, the manufacturer was liable for that. Lucy said she got that he had a soft spot for Heather. Their relationship had resulted in a son who he’d lost, who was allegedly not responsible for committing murder because of a medical condition. Like mother, like son. He said, those were different circumstances, and Lucy said, the tumor that was removed from Franco was real, and once it was removed, he became a decent, albeit flawed and complicated, human being. What if before Heather’s stint as The Hook, she also committed murder? He said, Heather did a lot of horrible things in her day and had a lot of half-baked ideas. Kind of like Lucy back in her day.
Anna asked if Jason had seen the email, but he said, no. John had said there was nothing concrete, just references to meetings and things discussed. She said, so it wasn’t enough to build a case, and he said, not really. She said, so Valentin wasn’t framing her per se. He was using her as a decoy. Jason asked if she was making excuses for Valentin, and she said, no… maybe. Valentin knows pointing Cates toward her with no solid evidence to incriminate her was something she could handle. Jason asked if it didn’t bother her, and she said, it did, very much, but how she felt was irrelevant. Valentin loved her and would never risk sending her to prison, but he wasn’t above using her as a pawn, so she’d get investigated while he was doing things. It was a win for him. Jason said he understood where she was coming from all too well, but Cates was a real problem. Anna said, it would only keep Cates busy. The emails would impede the FBI’s investigation of Pikeman. She wasn’t in any danger of prosecution because there was no real evidence. Jason said, John ordered him to get the evidence to indict her, and if he didn’t, Carly would be prosecuted. Anna wasn’t in danger, but Carly was. He was going to have to tell John that Valentin was head of Pikeman.
Lucy asked how Scotty dared compare her to Heather, and he admitted he shouldn’t have said it. Lucy said she’d run schemes and scams a lot with him. Heather proved invaluable when she helped Lucy and Franco escape from Ferncliff, but Lucy never killed anybody… Victor Jerome swallowed her locket on his own; she didn’t force him. She never killed anyone and never switched, stole, or did anything to anyone’s baby. Scotty said, if Lucy needed a hip replacement and it poisoned her and made her do weird stuff, would she like to be written off and locked up with no one to help her? Lucy said, of course (🍷) not, but did he really believe it turned someone into a different person or just magnified who the person was? If Heather was a dangerous person, was it fair to the people she harmed to let her go free? He said, no one was talking about Heather going free, and she asked if it wasn’t a possibility. He said, everything was a possibility, and she asked, what about the person who murdered Franco? If they weren’t responsible because of a condition, would he believe it was justice? He said, she had a point, but put her hat on it and cover it up. She said she loved that he saw dollar signs, but let someone else make bank from Heather. He had to steer clear of her. He said, maybe she should be charging him, and she said, maybe she’d take it out in trade. He took a bite of her pie.
Gio continued to play, and Cody wondered if they could politely ask him to leave, but Sasha said, Gio was family, and they were staff. He said he just thought they were going to finally… and she said, that was the plan. He said, she had a plan? and she said, Brook’s cousin was 20 feet away, but it was actually nice, romantic even. A private concert just for them. Not bad. Cody said, maybe even perfect.
Sam said she wasn’t trying to punish Jason. She was keeping her kid safe. Carly said, it wasn’t like Jason was in the Bahamas. The first time he disappeared, he was shot and nearly died. The second time, he was taken into custody. Sam said, that was what happened in Jason’s life, and Carly said, Sam knew about his life before. She didn’t get to change her mind. Sam said, of course (🍷) she did. She didn’t want her son to end up like Morgan, end up dead. Carly said, it’s not about that. Sam was doing this to Jason because he didn’t devote his life to her and didn’t change who he was to fit in the life she wanted once she grew up. She was taking away his son to punish him. Sam said she knew she shouldn’t have come to Carly. Carly didn’t want Jason to change because he might not put her first. If anything happened to her son because his father wouldn’t stay away, Carly was just as responsible as Jason. Sam walked out. (Um… I think Sam and Jason are the ones responsible for their own kid.)
Anna said, Jason couldn’t tell John about Valentin. They had no evidence to prove he was running Pikeman, and she didn’t trust Cates to do the job right. He’d arrest Valentin prematurely, Valentin would escape, Pikeman would stay in business, and Cates would never let Jason loose. She was having dinner at Valentin’s house and would get the evidence he needed to hand over to Cates. Valentin would be arrested, and Jason would get his life back. Jason said, okay, but he wanted to make something clear. He was going to take Valentin down himself before he’d let Cates hurt Carly.
Tomorrow, Josslyn can’t believe Gio is worried about taking advantage of Sonny; TJ tells Felicia that she thought of everything; Diane tells Alexis, the future awaits, handing her an envelope; and Chase tells Brook that he knows exactly who to talk to.
It’s not like we didn’t know it could always be a possibility. No body, no dead. Sometimes even when there is a body. I’m still expecting Faison to show up again, even though his brain is in a jar somewhere.
So, I’m kinda sorta watching this. I’ve liked Caroline Stanbury since Ladies of London (RIP), and I’m enjoying her friendship with Ayan. Here’s hoping it lasts and they don’t go middle school on me. I figure we’re also safe from fistfights, since they don’t go for that stuff in Dubai. This week, from out of the blue and probably because she was drunk, Brook called Caroline a see-you-next-Tuesday for no apparent reason. This caused a disinvite to a party by Caroline’s husband, but probably really Caroline. A lot of the cast was like, you can’t disinvite someone, but you’d better believe if someone called me that, they’d get a disinvite and possibly a smack in the face. Are you kidding?
Join me tomorrow for soap and finding out what Chef ends up on Top. Until then, stay safe, stay getting permission before taking pictures inside someone else’s house, and stay trying something new if what you’re doing isn’t working.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Jason finds Anna in his office and asks if she talked to Carly. She says, yeah. They’ve got trouble.
At the MetroCourt, Valentin tells the bartender that their regular wine list is somewhat lacking tonight. Didn’t the previous owner keep a supply of more interesting wine for the more discriminating customer? He slips some cash into the wine menu and slides it across the bar. The bartender says, that’s still the case. Special occasion? Valentin says he’s hoping to rekindle an old flame, when his phone rings. The caller says, this is Clemont, the pharmacist, and Valentin says he’s aware. Clemont says, their deal is off, and Valentin says he’s going to need him to clarify that. Clemont says he’s done messing with Sonny Corinthos’s medications. His wife is onto them.
Alexis reads, the basis for my disbarment was an accusation of perjury based on hearsay evidence. No one involved with the accusation was present for or affected by the statement in question. She sees Gregory looking at his phone and says, that bad, huh? He says he’s sorry. He got distracted by pictures of the rehearsal dinner in Coney Island. She asks him to let her see, and he shows her. She says, it looks like they’re having a good time. How long does he think it will be before Lois convinces Tracy to go on the Cyclone? He says, anything’s possible, and she says, nothing compares to their parachute jump. He says, nothing at all. He didn’t mean to get them off track. Let’s get back to your pitch for reinstatement at the bar. She says, it’s fine. Let’s take a breather. He says, absolutely not. If she’s going to spend her evening babysitting him, at least let him make himself useful.
Jason asks, how bad? and Anna says she thinks the severity of this situation all hinges on whether or not he can handle Carly before she blows this entire operation and gets herself sent to prison in the bargain.
Drew shows Jordan plans for the esplanade and tells her to think of the Conkey Esplanade like the High Line in Manhattan (ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! sure, Drew). The plan is to transform something that’s run down and flat out dangerous into something that’s beautiful and safe and clean. A place where pedestrians can gather in large numbers.Redo this right, and it should vastly improve the city’s fortunes. She says, and alter the perceptions people have of Port Charles being a haven for organized crime. He says, that couldn’t hurt. So what does she think? Is this kind of what she pictured? She says she’s definitely impressed. It’s a bold and imaginative idea and a big investment for the future of Port Charles. He says, that’s great news. He’s glad they’re in agreement on that. She says, but it’s not big enough. The way he has it laid out, this proposal won’t even get off the ground.
Gregory says he knows Finn asked Alexis to watch over him while everyone was off at Coney Island, but she says, he did not. He is worried about Gregory’s well-being while he’s away, but her coming here was her idea, because A, she really does want his help, and B, he’s her friend. Not her charge, and certainly not someone she needs to babysit. He says, maybe that was a poor choice of words, but his point remains, and she says, Finn just wants him to be okay, and he agonizes about how to do that without stepping on Gregory’s autonomy. He knows Gregory’s time is limited and he doesn’t want to waste any of it with the two of them being at odds with one another. He says, sounds like they had quite the emotional conversation. He’s guessing Finn also told her that he lost his temper and dredged up his little tryst with Jackie on their wedding eve. Of course (🍷) Finn was hurting and she’s his friend. He got frustrated and just wanted to be left alone by himself for a few hours. When Finn argued against it, he retaliated by laying a hell of a guilt trip on him. It was cheap shot. As cheap as they come.
Valentin says, tell him exactly what’s happened, and Clemont says, Sonny’s wife came to his office earlier today asking him a lot of questions about Sonny’s prescription. She knows he’s not on the full dose of his meds. Valentin says, okay, and? and Clemont says, and what? Isn’t it bad enough she knows? Valentin asks if she threatened him. Have the police been contacted? Clemont says, no. Valentin’s not listening to him. Valentin says he is listening. He heard everything Clemont said. He said, a woman claiming to be Mrs. Corinthos approached him, claiming she knows he’s been prescribing Sonny a lower than prescribed dose of his bipolar medication. And rather than going to the authorities, she turned and walked away.Does that sound about right? Clemont says, more or less. Why isn’t Valentin as upset about this as he is? Valentin says, if this wife of Sonny’s wanted him to be arrested, he’d be in handcuffs by now. Can he describe her? Clemont says, she was blonde, beautiful… Honestly, that’s all he remembers. It happened so fast. Valentin says he can identify her. In the meantime, stay the course and continue to deliver Sonny the lower dose. Clemont says, what if Sonny’s wife actually does report him? but Valentin says, Sonny doesn’t have a wife, not currently – he sees Nina come in – but he does have several beautiful blondes in his orbit. He’s familiar with all of them and will identify the woman who approached Clemont, and he will deal with her appropriately. He looks at Nina.
Anna says, Jason was right. Carly was listening in on his conversation with John and she took it upon herself to go visit Brennan in Pentenville, where she preceded to inform him that Cates was looking into Pikeman. So now that means this operation is blown. Because Brennan is going to reach out to whatever allies he has left at the WSB to obstruct this investigation.And if the FBI can’t build a case… Jason says, his deal with Cates is blown, and Anna says, and Carly will be prosecuted. He says, it can’t happen, and she says she’s been thinking. It stands to reason that the first person he would reach out to is ostensibly the same target they’re after. He says, whoever’s running Pikeman, and she says, right. So if they can find out how Brennan makes contact with his successor, then actually, they could use Carly’s mistake to their advantage.
Valentin approaches Nina’s table and says he was thinking about her, and here she is. She says, good timing. What’s up? He says he heard from Charlotte and has an update on that equestrian event in Normandy, and she say she does want to hear about that, but unfortunately, she has a meeting to get to. She gets up, and he says, then another time. She says, okay, and he says, just one question. She hasn’t reconciled with Sonny, has she? She says, no. Where did he hear that? He says he thought he heard somebody say that. Obviously, he was mistaken. She says she and Sonny aren’t together and they’re not getting back together either. She and Sonny are done for good. He says, she knows how he feels about Sonny. His loss. She says, and Ava’s gain, and he says, come again? She says, Ava’s worming her way into Sonny’s house and his life, and she’s somehow made it that she’s one of the very few people Sonny feels he can trust. They’re very close now and Ava wouldn’t have it any other way. He says, then he guesses she’s well and truly out of it, and she says she is. She has to go. She’ll see him. She touches his face and leaves.
Nina walks into the gallery and asks if Ava can spare a few moments for a friend.
Jordan tells Drew, projects of this size need so many approvals from regulatory bodies in the government, and they’re all just looking for a reason to say no. The environmental review will be particularly tough, but their chances will increase exponentially if they have enough powerful friends in Albany and DC. He says he’s assuming she knows how to win them over, and she says she thought he’d never ask. Let’s start with the parking lot. That’s incredibly valuable real estate and he has so much space allocated for them. He says, people have to park, and she says, only if you drive in. There’s an abandoned railway ending right at the waterfront. It may be old, but it’s still viable. What if they get it back into workable shape? Then connect it to the existing light rail network, and voila. Now it’s not just a waterfront redevelopment. He says, it’s mass transit, and she says, exactly, and they can just sit back and watch the state and federal grants pour in. He says, that’s an amazing idea, and she says, it is, isn’t it? But she’s not done yet. She also thinks they should dredge the harbor at the dock adjacent to the esplanade and make it suitable for ferry service. He says, like service to Canada? and she says, yeah. Think about it. The current drive time to Toronto to Port Charles is three hours. A high-speed ferry will cut that drive time down to one hour. He says, they would be an international tourist destination, and she says, and those tax dollars will pour in. He says, she’s really good at this, and she says she appreciates the enthusiasm. He tells her, how could anybody say no to this? It looks like the next thing to do is just break ground. She says, slow down. They still have to get official approval, and then they can pop the champagne. McConkey walks in and asks, what are we celebrating?
Jason says, so if Brennan reaches out to whoever’s controlling Pikeman, they just need to be ready and watching, and Anna says, okay. She’ll talk to the authorities at Pentenville. Meanwhile, she’s still pursuing the other angle. He says, what was that? and she says, Valentin. She’s meeting with him shortly. He asks if she’s okay with that, and she says, yeah. He claimed to be in Europe, and he was actually here, monitoring the first attempt on Sonny’s life. So that’s proof he’s more involved with Pikeman than he’s letting on. And she really needs to find out just how involved. He says, she is their best chance at getting any information from him, and she says, maybe. She thinks there’s something else they need to discuss. Do they give John a heads up as to what they’re doing? He says, as far as he’s concerned, he doesn’t need to talk to John until he can tell him who’s running Pikeman. He doesn’t want to work with John; he doesn’t want to deal with John. But she’s the Police Commissioner. This is a joint operation, so he’ll take her lead. She says she agrees with him. John’s playing it very close to the vest. So will they.
Ava says, sorry, the gallery’s closed, but Nina says, Ava can make time for her. After all, she never told Sonny how Ava manipulated her into selling her hotel to Jason. Ava asks if that’s what she did, and Nina says she’s sure Ava can appreciate her discretion. On the other hand, she wishes Ava had been more forthcoming in her dealings with Crimson. Ava says she doesn’t know what Nina is talking about. She has nothing to do with Crimson. Nina says, oh really? That’s odd, because her assistant just asked her for approval on a last minute addition to next issue’s cultural calendar. There’s an exciting new African artist making her debut in the United States, and her opening just happens to be taking place in the very gallery they’re standing in. Ava says she’s very successful at what she does. It stands to reason that a talented artist would choose her gallery. Nina says, and to promote said artist, Ava lobbied one of their assistant editors for the mention, and Ava says, all right. Nina’s got her. But the fact is, the artist is extremely talented and their work deserves to be seen. She makes no apologies for that. Nina says she agrees her work is beautiful, and she thinks Crimson should spotlight worthy artists. She has no issue featuring her, despite Ava’s many, many transgressions. She doesn’t like that Ava went behind her back. Ava comes to her first. Next time, she isn’t going to be so generous. Ava says she was protecting the artist. She thought Nina would cancel the mention if Nina knew it came from her. Nina says, Ava is smart to worry, because Ava snaked Sonny away from her, all while lying and pretending to be her friend. If that’s not worthy of payback, she doesn’t know what is. Ava says, there Nina goes again, always looking for somebody to blame. Nina ruined her relationship with Sonny all on her own with her lies. Nina says, and Ava didn’t wait five minutes before she took advantage of their break-up. That’s okay. What’s done is done. She doesn’t have a future with Sonny, she knows that now. She’s finally accepted that they’re over for good.
Ava asks if Nina expects her to believe that she’s suddenly fine with her marriage to Sonny being over, but Nina says, Ava was there when she signed the divorce papers. She imagines Ava delivered those papers to Sonny herself, didn’t she? It’s not what she wanted, but she’s accepted the reality of it. Ava says, that sounds too evolved to be true, and Nina asks if Ava doesn’t think she can grow and change. Ava says, the way she sees it, baby snatching, letting Sonny’s family believe he was dead, and anonymous tips to the SEC are all three sides of the same vindictive coin. So, no. She doesn’t see any evidence of Nina growing or changing. Nina says she never claimed to be perfect. The point is, she’s trying to be better. Ava should know what that looks like. She tried it once. For a minute or two, she and Nikolas sort of had something real, didn’t they? And who knows? If Ava could have sustained it, she might still be married, and he wouldn’t be in prison. Ava says, Nina’s probably right about that. She went to see him… Nina says, don’t mistake her for someone who still cares. They have no friendship anymore. They did. She knows that. It was really nice being able to confide in Ava, but the first chance Ava had to help herself to something that was Nina’s, she took it, and the friendship is over. Professionally, she’s sure the two of them can be mature enough to get the most out of it. That’s all they will ever be to each other now. She hopes it was worth it.
Gregory tells Alexis, things got out of hand. He felt like Finn was ignoring his wishes and wasn’t listening to him. Finn wasn’t seeing him, his father, and just reduced him to this stinking disease again. He should have just stopped the conversation and said, let’s start again when they’ve calmed down, but instead, he lashed out and said the cruelest thing possible. He can’t tell her how much he regrets it. Alexis asks if he has any idea how much stress he’s under. It’s ridiculous. Show himself some grace. Does he know how many times she’s screwed up as a mother? And she had no excuse. Did she ever tell him about the time Kristina came out to her? Did she tell him about how she reacted? He says he doesn’t believe so, and she says, Kristina didn’t get the love and acceptance she was hoping for and deserved. He says, really?That’s surprising. He would have thought… She says, yeah, that she would have put out the rainbow flag, and yeah, she’s always been supportive of the LGBTQ community, but when it was her own daughter in front of her, she got scared. He says, of what? and she says, about how much harder her life could be, and people’s prejudices, and scary moments that could happen to Kristina and she wouldn’t be able to protect her. There she was, so vulnerable, and wanting Alexis’s unconditional love, and honestly, it was one of her worst moments as a mother. He says he’s sorry to hear that, and she says, it became her best moment. One of her best moments anyway. Because you make a mistake, you learn from it, and she did. She self-reflected, she educated herself, and she listened to other people talking to her. She apologized to Kristina and explained to her why she reacted the way she did, and Kristina understood, and they were better off for it. He says he’s glad to hear that, but he doesn’t think their situations are the same, and she says, his situation is exactly the same. He made a mistake. He’s human. And by the way, that’s quite a relief, because him being so saintly is really infuriating. Just apologize to Finn. Don’t let it fester. He says he plans to. He’s just not sure an apology alone will do.
McConkey says he didn’t expect to see Jordan today. It’s been a while. She says, it has. The last time they spoke, she’s sent a group of apartment residents over to his office. He says, sent? Sicced is the word he thinks she’s looking for, and they were mightily disgruntled that he didn’t want to support their affordable housing project. She says, and wasn’t dealing with them worth her return of get-out-the-vote efforts for his reelection campaign? and he says he always knows on what side his bread is buttered. Drew says, Jordan is a valuable ally, and Jordan says, and don’t you forget it. She has to get going, but she thanks McConkey for getting behind the esplanade. They’re very appreciative of his help, and they’ll definitely do good things in his name. McConkey says he appreciates that, and Drew says he and Jordan will talk soon. She leaves, and Drew says, McConkey’s timing is incredible. He’s got a layout… McConkey says, just leave that alone for now. He has another reason for being there. Why does Drew think he should get into bed with a convicted criminal?
Jason hears someone come into the warehouse and walks into his office to see Danny. Jason sighs and asks what he’s doing here, and Danny says he came here to see Jason. Is Jason going to tell him to leave?
Anna finds Valentin at a table and says, he started without her. He says, just a little something to calm his nerves. Good Lord, she’s beautiful. She says she didn’t realize she could still make him nervous, and he holds her chair for her. He says, she can. It’s been a while since they’ve done this. She says, exactly. He should enjoy it. Relax. He doesn’t need to be so serious. He says, with her, it’s always been serious.
Valentin asks how things are at the PCPD at the moment, and Anna says, complicated at the moment. There are rumblings that he Heather Webber case is going to be reopened.Then of course (🍷) there’s the ongoing business with Sonny. He says, ongoing is a good way to put it. He’s been a thorn in the PCPD’s side for decades. She says, it got a bit more complicated recently, because a former employee of his – a young man, Dex Heller – got accepted into the police academy. He says, from mob foot soldier to police cadet. That’s a helluva career change. She says, yeah. The other officers have been very quick to judge because of his former occupation, but she’s more worried Sonny will retaliate because he switched sides. He says, Sonny’s not really forgive and forget, is he?Why would Dex risk his wrath by becoming a cop? She says, it was her doing. She originally suggested he should apply to the police academy because she thought it would be a way to back Sonny off and protect the young man. But now she thinks the drive behind it is Dex and his need to redeem himself. Valentin can understand how powerful that is. Valentin says, Dex could hardly find a better mentor if he’s looking for redemption. Hasn’t she spent her entire career chasing that?
Alexis asks why Gregory doesn’t think an apology is enough for Finn, and he says he honestly doesn’t know. Like her reaction to Kristina’s coming out, he shocked himself with what he said to Finn. He thought he was long over the hurt and anger about what happened with him and Jackie. He was just grateful to have Finn back in his life and to be able to spend time with him and Violet. He was blindsided to realize that he’s holding on to that resentment. She says, explain it to Finn the way he explained it to her. He’ll understand because she knows he still feels guilt about this too. He says he thought they were long past that, and she says, what happened in the past happened. Pretending it didn’t happen is just giving it power. Just acknowledge it and get over it and beyond it. Move on. He says he sees her point, and she says, the fact that the two of them love each other is literally all that matters right now. He says, she makes a very compelling case. Anyone ever tell her that she’d make a great lawyer? That’s her cue to hit him with her opening statement again. She asks if he’s in a headspace for that, and he says, absolutely. Give it a go, counselor. Convince him that she should be reinstated. She says, may it please the court.
Ava says she guesses they’re done here, and Nina says she guesses so. John walks in and asks if he’s interrupting something. Ava says, not at all. Nina was just leaving. Nina tells John, Miss Reeves, and shakes his hand. She doesn’t think they’ve officially met. She did see him at the MetroCourt with Carly. If she recalls, he was wearing a lot less at the time. He says, she seems to have gotten the wrong idea, but she says she doesn’t think she cares enough to remedy that. Enjoy the art. Beware the gallery owner. She’ll take him for all he’s worth if he’s not careful. She leaves, and John says, the two of them seem close. Ava says, it’s been a very long day. So whatever he came here for, can it please wait until tomorrow? He says, no, it can’t. He’s here about Sonny.
Jason says, of course (🍷) he likes seeing Danny, but there are good reasons he didn’t want Danny coming to the warehouse. This part of the neighborhood is very dangerous, especially at night. Danny says, Jason doesn’t have to worry. Yuri is outside waiting, and nobody is going to mess with him. He walks around and says, this place is pretty cool, and Jason asks if Danny’s mom knows he’s here. Danny says, it’s fine. Brook has her running some last-minute errands for the wedding tomorrow, so she dropped him, Rocco, and Scout off at the Quartermaines. Jason says, that’s right. It’s Brook and Chase’s wedding tomorrow. Danny says, that’s why he’s here. Grandma Monica has a message for him.
McConkey says, when he ran a search on Drew, what does Drew think was the first thing that popped up? and Drew says, his conviction for SEC violations. McConkey asks if Drew thought he wouldn’t find out. Popular assumptions aside, politicians do their own research. Drew says he wasn’t trying to hide it from McConkey, and McConkey says, because Drew wouldn’t want to open with that when he’s trying to sell him on the esplanade. Drew says, it wasn’t relevant to the deal, and yes, had he brought that up, it would have been the only thing McConkey was thinking about, and he would have gotten an immediate no on the esplanade. He had to make McConkey fall in love with the project first. McConkey asks, what makes Drew think he won’t pull out now? and Drew says, because it’s a great idea for Port Charles, and if his name is an obstacle, they’ll just leave it out. He’ll delegate everything to his nephew Michael, so there isn’t even a hint of scandal. McConkey says, really? He’d do that even though it’s his idea? Drew says, of course (🍷) he would. It’s not about him. This is about doing something great for Port Charles. McConkey says, sounds like a campaign slogan, and Drew says, this is his home. It’s where his daughter is growing up. And if he has the chance to make it an even better place, why would he sacrifice that to stroke his own ego? McConkey says he’s glad to hear Drew say that. Fun fact. You can still be convicted and serve in the US House of Representatives.
Jason asks, how is Monica? and Danny says, she’s pretty good. She still has pneumonia, but she says she’ll be back to normal by the summer. She has to stay in bed and rest up until then though. Jason says he’s glad she has Danny as her messenger, and Danny says, that’s why he’s here. She needs Jason to represent her at Brook’s wedding.
Anna says, if her career has been all about redemption, what’s at the heart of Valentin’s? and he says, crippling self-doubt. She says, that’s funny. No. She thinks it’s the opposite. She thinks he’s always believed her was smarter than everyone else. (Isn’t he?) He says he doesn’t feel the need to analyze what motivates him. He doesn’t think he’d like what he finds. She says, that’s disappointing, to be honest. She thinks self-reflection is very good for the soul. Others have always found plenty about him to like, love even, herself included. He says, she knows the whole story, doesn’t she? and she asks what he means. He says, the chip on his shoulder. How badly he wanted to fit in at the WSB, and when that didn’t happen, he went his own way and hurt a lot of people, did a lot of bad things for a long time. She says, which she knows he regretted, and he says, Charlotte came along. She made him want to be a better man. But he doesn’t think you can ever close the door on your past, not entirely. So he compartmentalizes to ensure that whatever he does, or feels compelled to do, doesn’t affect the things and the people he loves the most.
Ava asks, what is it that John wants to know? and John asks if Sonny has received any overtures from the other crime families. Does he have any theories on why he’s being targeted? She says she doesn’t speak for him. John is going to have to ask Sonny these questions. He says, Sonny won’t talk to him, and she says, Sonny doesn’t talk to her either, not about that kind of stuff anyway. He says he finds that hard to believe. She was glued to Sonny’s side the night of the warehouse shooting and barely left it since. And she’s a member of the Jerome crime family. She had mob ambitions of her own a few years ago. She says she doesn’t know what he’s getting at, but her business here is totally legitimate, and he says, that’s good to know, but he’s more interested in her relationship with Sonny. Is she in love with him, or is she setting him up for a takeover? She says, how dare he? and he asks, what’s her endgame? Is she planning to walk away with control of Sonny’s organization? She says, her endgame is co-parenting a child she and Sonny both adore, and he says, she needs to live with Sonny to do that? She says, not that it’s any of his business, but she’s between residences. Sonny offered his place, and she took him up on it, because she wants to keep her daughter safe since somebody keeps shooting at her father. Crimes he hasn’t been able to solve, by the way. He says, she can try to turn this around on him, but it’s obvious she knows more than she’s saying. So consider herself on notice. Sonny’s a person of interest for the FBI, and now, so is she. So if she gets the feeling she’s being watched, it’s because she is.
McConkey tells Drew that he has Stage IV lung cancer. Hearing those words, getting his ticket punched, makes him wonder just what he wants to leave as a legacy. He got into politics to help people and he wants his seat to go to someone who desires to serve their country. But the people in his party want him to endorse somebody who is either a crook or a moron or sometimes both. (Well, that fits right in with mostly what we have now.) Drew says, that’s a tough position to be in, and McConkey says he liked what he saw when they were talking before. Drew has convictions (no, just one – ha-ha) and he’s not afraid to stand up for them. He believes Drew would use the office to do good things. Drew says, that’s very kind of him, but he doesn’t think he has the pedigree for politics, and McConkey says, clearly he can handle tough situations, which is good, because politics is not for the faint of heart. Not to mention, Drew is rich, which means of course (🍷), that he won’t have to bow down to the lobbyists to get something done. Drew says, it may be technically legal for an ex-convict to run for Congress, but who’s going to vote for him? and McConkey says, the world loves a comeback, and Drew is kind of a cowboy hero. He thinks Drew is a good fit for it. Drew says, even so, you need more than just a good story to win an election, and McConkey says, that’s true. Drew needs him.
Alexis reads, and so, after presenting all the evidence, I’m asking you to render the only verdict that respects the law and precedent and overturn my disbarment. Thank you. What does Gregory think? He says, with the caveat that he’s obviously not a lawyer… and she says she’s asking for a rhetorical review, not a legal analysis. He says he thinks she’s off to a really good start, but it could definitely use some streamlining. His guess is, because it’s so personal to her, she’s gotten caught in the trap of restating her argument too many times in the hopes of winning them over. She says, that’s a good note. She’ll take a look at it. What about the logic? Did she make her case? He says, she has a really strong argument to overturn her disbarment. She’s clear and articulate. She has a great command of her subject matter. As far as he’s concerned, she has all the elements necessary to triumph. All except one.
Alexis asks, what element of her summation was missing? and he says, luck. She says she wasn’t expecting him to say that, and he hands her a medal, saying, he got this medal in 7th grade. She reads, debate, first place, and he says, winning this changed the course of his life. It gave him the confidence to pursue the things he wanted in life. He’s had it with him ever since, every debate, every big lecture, every public engagement. Even when he was defending his dissertation. It will fit right in her pocket, and it’s guaranteed to bestow good luck on whoever holds it, which is why he’s giving it to her. Because no one deserves a win more than her. She kisses his cheek, and they hug. She looks at the medal behind his back.
McConkey tells Drew, no one wants to say no to a dying man. How would that look? If he endorses Drew, the rest of his party will fall in line. Then he’ll put his considerable resources to work, making sure Drew gets elected. Drew tells him that he can’t say how flattered he is at McConkey’s belief in him, but he’s never even considered a career in politics. McConkey says, get considering and fast. It’s already May. They’ve only got a few months before the election. If Drew’s not interested, he understands and he’ll move on, but he thinks Drew’s making a huge mistake. He could do some great things and has a real chance at winning. He might also want to change his name to Quartermaine. He gets up and they shake hands. He says, they’ll talk, and he leaves.
Valentin asks if Anna would care for a nightcap, but she says, not tonight. Maybe next time? He says he’s happy to hear there will be a next time. His place? He’ll cook for her. She says, really? What? He says, if she wants to find out, she has to show up, and she says she looks forward to it.
John says, Ava dropped her daughter off at school, she went to the hospital where she spoke to the chief pharmacist, then she went back home, and then she finally came here to work. It’s a wonder the gallery is so successful, given the odd hours she keeps. She says, bastard. You stay the hell away from me. He says he’s been tasked with uncovering why Sonny’s being targeted. So he’ll be using the full weight of the FBI to investigate whomever he wants until this case is resolved.
Danny tells Jason, Monica said she’s not well enough to attend Brook’s wedding, so she needs Jason to go in place of her. She knows he doesn’t like wearing a suit and tie, but she said he can handle anything for a few hours. Jason says, all right, he’ll go. He can’t argue with Monica, and now Danny. It’s late. He’ll give Danny a ride home. Danny says, what about Yuri? and Jason says he’ll explain to Yuri that he can give his son a ride home. They leave together.
Tomorrow, Ned asks Tracy if he’s in trouble; Spinelli tells Jason, welcome home; Olivia tells Sonny, everything’s got to go off without a hitch; and Chase says he’s never been more ready for anything.
Vanderpump Rules –Reunion Part 1
We see Sandoval whining about wanting Ariana to talk to him, and Ariana says she just wants Sandoval away from her and gone.
Then, 7 hours earlier…
Everyone gets ready to go out on stage. Andy says, this group is in desperate need of a mediator, but Ann wasn’t available tonight, so he’s going to try. We flash back to various points in the season and last year’s Reunion. We see a clip where Katie says, by the time this Reunion airs, the sandwich shop will be open, and I wonder if it’s even opened by now. Andy says, Ariana is breaking box office records in Chicago, and having the time of her life. I want to know how she’s breaking those records since there has been a rotation of actual stars for years. We find out Lala bought a new house just in time for her new arrival due September 1st. Scheana also bought a house near Lala in… the valley. Brock gets kudos for being Brock, and James says his fashion (a pink suit) is bringing the Kennedy Kennedy. Andy says, most fans were floored that Ariana and Sandoval were still living under the same roof, and we flash back to that. He asks, what’s happening with Ariana’s petition to force the sale? but she can’t talk about it since it’s ongoing. She says she’s been living in an Airbnb in NYC, but didn’t even spend last night at the house in LA. Andy asks about the LEGO art, and Scheana says, they never saw what she did. We see clip of her covering it with a blanket, and Andy asks, what happened with Schwartz’s proposal to be Sandoval’s roommate? I notice Sandoval just keeps looking down for most the part. Schwartz says he goes back and forth, which is no surprise, since he can never pick a lane about anything. He says he also has reservations given the house’s history. Lisa wonders why they want to be roommates when they’re grown-ups, and Sandoval says, his dad is in his 60s and has roommates. I guess I could understand not wanting to live alone, but that still sounds weird. Schwartz says, they’re thinking of an investment property, and Lisa asks if they want to buy something together. Scwartz says, maybe. Again, no surprise.
Andy says, Rachelopted out of the show, and Lisa says she can understand that, but the podcast where she’s denigrating everyone is ridiculous. Andy asks Sandoval if he thought she was coming back, and Sandoval says he encouraged her to take time with any decisions, which I guess is Sandoval speak for, she’s not talking to me anymore. Lala thinks if she had come back, there could have been a productive conversation, but she stands by what she said at the Reunion. Ariana says she does too. She had the courage to stand up to her perpetrators. Lala says she gives Raquel and Sandoval credit for showing up, since Ariana had a support system. She considers herself a tough bitch, doesn’t think she could have done it. Sandoval busts out with, he thinks Raquel is a f***ing coward. She says she’s moving on, but she’s still talking about everyone. Schwartz says, she calls herself the victim, and Sandoval says, they were both responsible. Lala and Sandoval argue over the word groom. Sandoval says it refers to pedophilia, but Lala explains that it’s exerting power over an impressionable person. She says, only Sandoval and Raquel know what was going on, and they both have different versions. She tends to lean toward the chick’s version, but she doesn’t like that Raquel is targeting the women who helped her. Sandoval says, they both pursued it, and I’m bored with him at this point. Andy mentions that Raquel is suing Ariana and Sandoval for revenge porn, and asks the status of that. Again, it’s a verboten topic, but Scheana says, it’s ridiculous. Ariana wasn’t distributing anything, and didn’t Raquel put her through enough? Ariana says she’s constantly brought back into it, and Sandoval says he’s questioning if Raquel has a soul. My how things have changed since the last Reunion. Andy asks for James’s take on it, and James says he’s exhausted just talking about it. Andy says, he brought Raquel into the group, and James says, sorry. Like it’s his fault and he should have kept her on a leash.
Andy says, Sandoval told Lisa that, in the aftermath, he was having suicidal thoughts, and we flash back to that. Andy asks how he’s doing now, and Sandoval says he has his ups downs. Anything he says or does is scrutinized. He’s not perfect and not the smartest guy – truth! – and it can be difficult. Andy says, Scheana and Lala seemed to change their thoughts about Sandoval, and Lala says, if she claims what Sandoval is saying isn’t true, then something happens, she didn’t want it on her. Scheana talks about a friend who committed suicide, and how at the end of their last conversation, she’d said they brought on their own problems. She feels guilty and it’s tough for her not to be affected by that. Ariana says she chose not to be part of the conversation to crucify Sandoval (she probably didn’t have time), and Sandoval wants to know how he weaponized her thoughts about suicide. Scheana says, they talked about this, and we flash back to Sandoval telling her that Ariana threatened to kill herself if he ended the relationship. Sandoval says, he thought it was a textbook manipulation tactic, but Scheana says, if he wanted to call bullsh*t, he should have walked out, and he didn’t. Ariana smiles. Andy says, Sandoval compared the affair to George Floyd and OJ Simpson. Why should they believe he’s grown and changed? He’s obviously made inroads with some of the cast and faced an incredible amount of backlash. Sandoval says he was talking about the absurdity between the affair and the big things in the news. Lala says, those things were newsworthy, where his story wasn’t, and he says he was sandwiched between the Ukrainian war and something else. Why was CNN talking about it? Lala says, everyone was talking about it, but it was a joke compared to real world problems. Katie says, what he meant doesn’t matter. What matters is the impact it made.
Andy congratulates Lala on expecting a baby girl, and we find out the father is the donor selected at the party. We flash back to that, and Lala says, Ocean is excited. Andy asks about her custody agreement, and she says she doesn’t see an end to it any time soon. She tears up and says she’s giving Ocean consistency and a sibling. Randall’s other kids are older and can understand why they’re going back and forth. Andy asks if she talks to Randall’s ex-wife, and she says she and Amber are very close and get the kids together when they can. Andy asks if she dates, and she says, the men are a-knockin’now that I’m knocked up. She overshares about being horny while pregnant and says, no man or woman is safe. Andy asks, how old is Summer Moon now? and Scheana says, she’ll be three next month. Gaby and her mom are still doing the babysitting duties. Andy says he never heard of post-partum OCD, and she says she hadn’t either, but sometimes it’s mistaken for post-partum depression. The joy she feels makes her sad. We see a clip of her fretting about either her or Brock dying one day. Andy asks if Scheana’s concerns about Brock and Lala were from the OCD or what happened with Scandoval, and she says she thinks Scandoval was what triggered it. At times, she also lives in the comments section, and gets distressed by what people are suggesting. Lala says she makes Scheana a promise, that will never happen. She feels a certain way about Brock because Brock stepped up to the plate when there were no men around to help her navigate, but that would never happen. We find out Brock and Scheana took a trip to Australia, but Brock didn’t see his other kids. He’s been up to date with his child support since just before the pandemic, and says, his ex isn’t keeping him from the kids, but the kids didn’t say they wanted to see him. Evidently, she’s not encouraging it either. Shame on her. Lala says he’s showing respect and being a great dad to Summer Moon, and Brock tears up about having a second chance at being a dad. Scheana says, there’s some guilt, but he’s an incredible dad. Katie says, he makes her eat her own words, and we flash back to Katie questioning why he couldn’t see kids and why he’s not sending support. She says, he’s an amazing father, and I check outside to see if pigs are flying, since Katie admitted being wrong. Everyone is so emotional over this, Andy breaks the mood by saying he appreciates how committed Brock is to his Speedos.
Andy says, Ariana bounced back from an earthshattering break-up to land on top of the world. He lists the many things she’s been offered and did or is doing (she finished third on Dancing with the Stars) and says, there’s also a new leading man in her life. He asks, how’s the relationship? and Ariana says, being across the country is difficult, but now that she’s in NYC, it’s been fun. Andy asks if she’s living with Dan, but that’s a no, and he asks if either of them have considered moving. Ariana says, Dan’s family is in New York, and her life is here, but it would be nice to be bicoastal. Andy asks if it helped or hindered Ariana’s mourning of her loss, and Ariana says she thinks it’s going to be a long time before she’s fully processed it, but she’s not putting her life on hold until she’s fully healed. Who knows when that will be? Andy asks James why he thinks he and Ally were more scrutinized for getting into their relationship so soon after his break-up with Raquel, than Ariana and Dan after Scandoval. James says, Ariana is the It Girl. He and Ally are just people who are still around. But he knew with time they would love Ally. Andy says, Sandoval has a new girlfriend, and Sandoval says, it’s going great. She doesn’t watch the show and has successful modeling career of her own and a house. We find out she dated Leonardo DiCaprio, and James gets very animated talking about the wallpaper in Sandoval’s washroom being a mural including DiCaprio. Ariana says, it’s her house and she picked it. Alrighty then. Andy asks if Lala and Schwartz were flirty this season, and we flash back to some scenes where that seems like a stretch. Lala says, that’s why she’s mean to people. If she’s kind, it comes across as flirting. She’s just not ripping him a new one. Katie says, it was mostly on Schwartz’s end, and Lala says she would never do that because of Katie, and if she did, she’d eat him alive. Schwarz says, she would devour him.
Someone has to pee, causing a ripple effect of most of the cast either going to the bathroom or to get coffee. Andy weakly says, but they’re not taking a break, reminding me of Donald Sutherland in Animal House, trying to get the attention of his students. No one cares, and Lala tells James that she has pregnancy brain. She doesn’t even know what anyone is saying.
Andy says, after a decade of parties, Pumptinis, and panic attacks from Schwartz, Lisa closed PUMP for good. He asks if she thinks it was the right decision in retrospect, and Lisa says, being open 10 years means it was successful, but they couldn’t turn a profit after the rent increase. Andy says, she moved some of the operations to TomTom, and wonders why she didn’t consult with the Toms first. She says, it was in mid backlash, and they were even talking about changing the name. Andy asks if the Toms felt Lisa imposed on them, and Schwartz asks if he means diluting the brand. That’s a no. Andy asks what the brand even is, and Schwartz says, it’s ever evolving. So, in other words, it’s no brand. Andy asks, why the delays with the sandwich shop? and we flash back to Katie saying it would be open by the end of May. Katie says, they didn’t know how much red tape there would be, but Lisa says, it’s a multitude of things. Andy says, Schwartz & Sandy’s took a lot of grief for it’s slow opening, and asks if Schwartz is mocking them. Schwartz says he feels their pain, but James says he noticed a smile. We flash back and yep, Schwartz smiled. Sandoval says, it’s more like, now they get it. Andy asks how Ariana felt about Lala interacting with Sandoval. Did she want to take a step back from Lala? Arian says she hasn’t watched the show this season like she did with previous seasons. She didn’t want to get dragged back when she’s trying to live in the present. Lala says she’s been transparent, and Ariana says she appreciates that about Lala. She was aware Lala was working through stuff. Andy says, there was something between Lala and Katie, and we flash back to them butting heads. He asks what they think is at the root of why they’re not connecting, and Katie says, it started with her and Scheana getting close. Lala says she treats her enemies like enemies, and wants to choose her words wisely when she talks to Katie. It’s what Katie put in the DMs, talking about her custody battle. Katie said she should get rid of her lawyer and that she needs a f***ing therapist. She’s a f***ing clown.
Katie becomes a total idiot and says she doesn’t think she said anything about Lala’s custody battle, like Lala doesn’t remember every detail when it comes to her child. Lala says, that’s why they were on rocky ground. Then on girls’ night, Katie jumped down her throat. We flash back to Katie accusing Lala of making Ariana’s situation about her. Lala says, she was giving Ariana a heads up. She would have paid money for someone to say they’ve been where she is and this is what they did. She doesn’t like what Katie is doing. Behind the scenes, Katie complained about Ariana and said, basically Ariana abandoned her and the sandwich shop. Katie denies, denies, denies, and Scheana asks if she didn’t complain when Ariana left for NYC with no heads up. Katie says, that’s the one time. She didn’t find out until after it was happening, but her issues have to do with her own insecurities. Lala says, they’re both truth tellers and wants to know why she’s the enemy in front of the camera. Andy asks if she’s saying Katie is different on and off camera, and Lala says, a few people are living in the comments section. Katie is one, and Scheana. James maybe. James says, don’t throw him in there, and Lala says, it’s no secret that Ariana is a fan favorite, and you don’t f*** around with that. Katies says she didn’t want to guilt Ariana, and Lala says, Katie lost her mind on her. Katie says, Lala wanted her to throw Ariana under the bus, but Lala says she wants to film the show honestly. Katie insists she’s been the same person the whole time, and Lala says, Katie told her that she wasn’t saying anything because she’d put money into the shop. Katie told her that if Lala f***ed with her business, she would f*** with Lala’s business. The difference is, Katie has no business – it’s Nothing About Her – but Lala’s business is her livelihood.
Next time, Ally and Jo join the group; Sandoval says he’s keeping his mouth shut about things he’s heard; Katie says she was dealing with a lot of sh*t and the last thing she needed was Jo; and Ariana says, Lala talks louder so she must be right.
📺 This Is What Happened Live…
One of the best episodes of Watch What Happens Live ever. Lisa, along with Puffy (!) and Gordon Ramsay. Lisa was immediately on the funniest roll ever, and while he was a man of fewer words, Gordon was no slouch either. I couldn’t possibly explain it, so just watch.
🔥 Putting Out the Proud Mary Fire…
Join me tomorrow for soap and finding out what Chef is on Top. Until then, stay safe, stay making introductions sooner than later (the later it gets, the more awkward it is), and stay not pretending what happened in the past didn’t happen. Acknowledge it and get over it and beyond it. Move on.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Anna answers the door to Jason, who says, Agent Cates came to see him about Pikeman. She says, he’d better come in.
Sam sits on the bed, waking up Dante, and says she wanted to be here when he got home from work, but don’t leave her in suspense. How did Anna take it when he told her that he was quitting the force? Did she want him to give a notice or something? Like a month? That seems kind of fair. He says he didn’t resign.
At the MetroCourt, Doc says, they should do this more often, and Laura says she agrees. He says, barely eating and barely talking. What’s up? She says she’s sorry. She knows they’re supposed to be out for a nice meal, but she’s a million miles away. He says, this has to do with her visit with Heather. He takes it that it didn’t go well. She says, just the opposite. It went really well, and that’s why she’s troubled.
Chase goes to Finn’s office, and Finn asks what brings him by. Chase says he just wanted to say hi, unless this is a bad time, but Finn says, it’s actually a perfect time. He’s in between patients right now. He’s surprised Chase has any free time at all, considering it’s almost his wedding day. Chase says, they’re really in the homestretch, and Finn asks how he’s feeling. Chase says he’s excited. He can’t wait for Brook to walk down the aisle. There’s just one big problem. Finn says, only one? and Chase says he really doesn’t want their dad flying to Coney Island for the rehearsal dinner. The last thing he wants is for Gregory to be tired and wear himself out before the wedding. But how does he tell that to Gregory when he knows how much their dad is looking forward to it? Finn says, he doesn’t.
Walking into Bobbie’s, Brook thanks Lois for helping her pick out the gifts for the rehearsal dinner. She hopes everyone likes them. Lois says, Chase’s family is so gracious, they’re going to love what they bought them. And even if they don’t like it, they’re never going to say anything. Now Tracy on the other hand… Brook says, oh please. She thinks Tracy is secretly looking forward to going to Coney Island. She just won’t admit it to herself. They sit down, and Brook looks at a table near the window and says, no way. Lois says, what way? and Brook tells her not to be obvious, but that guy over there is that dirtbag FBI agent who tried to question Danny without Sam present. Lois looks over to see John and says, oh my God. That’s Jagger Cates.
Jack walks into the Pentenville visiting room and sees Carly. He says, well, well, well. This day just got 100% better.
Lois says she hasn’t seen Jagger in years. Brook said he’s with the FBI? Brook says she can’t believe Lois knows that jerk, and Lois says, that jerk happens to be a very nice man. Come on. Let’s go say hi. She grabs Brook’s hand, and Brook says, ma, no, but has no choice but to follow. Lois says, Jagger, hi, and John gets up and hugs her. He says, Lois Cerullo. He can’t believe how long it’s been. It’s so good to see her. She hasn’t changed. (Truth!) She says she doesn’t even care if he’s being nice. She’s going to take that compliment. Brook asks if she doesn’t care about what this guy did to Danny, and Lois says, she knows John knows her daughter, Brook Lynn. He says, they’ve met. Unfortunately, not under the best of circumstances. Brook says, that’s putting it mildly, and he says, actually, he’s been meaning to find her. She asks why he’d want to see her again. Does he want to interrogate her too? John says, not at all. He owes her an apology, and his thanks.
Laura tells Doc, Heather was so much more rational this time. She was more clear-headed than Laura’s seen her in years. It’s like she had a glimpse of the old Heather from way back when. He says, that makes sense now that she’s getting the medical attention she needs, and Laura says she gave Heather a picture of Ace. She was so grateful. It clearly meant so much to her. She loves that little boy. He says, of course (🍷) she does, but honestly, who wouldn’t? and she says, then they talked about Esme. He asks if Heather happened to say anything upsetting, maybe about Spencer? and she says, she did mention Spencer, but it was actually in the context of her regrets. She just realized in talking to Heather, that despite all the crimes she’s committed and her crazy outlook on life, she’s really just another grieving mother who’s missing her child. He says, of course (🍷) she can empathize with that, and she says she does. Can he see why she’s distracted? She’s empathizing with a serial killer.
Dante tells Sam that he went to Anna’s office to talk to her and put his resignation letter on her desk, and she refused to accept it. Sam asks, what exactly did Anna say? and he tells her, Anna said resigning from the force is not going to solve this conflict he’s having, that it was going to open the door to further overtures from Sonny, but the boundaries would be gone. Without his badge, Sonny would see no reason to have distance between Dante and his business. She basically said, to get out of Sonny’s orbit, he’d have to leave Port Charles. He’s not going to do that. He got to thinking, and realized he was running away from his duty. He’s a cop. It’s what he loves to do and kind of what he’s good at. It just means he can’t be on a case that Sonny’s a part of. Like right now, he’s involved in a criminal investigation… Can she say something? She’s quiet. She gets up and says she just doesn’t want to say the wrong thing, but he says, she can’t say the wrong thing. He wants to work through this with her, so just say whatever she wants to say. She says she should have known better than to get her hopes up.
Anna asks what Cates said about Pikeman, and Jason says, he asked a lot of questions about the ties between Pikeman and Sonny, and they talked about that guy up in Pentenville. Anna says, Jack Brennan, and shows him a file box labeled J. Brennan. He says, John talked about how Brennan was director of the WSB, and the alleged head of Pikeman. The funny thing is, he didn’t even mention Valentin. He doesn’t think Cates or the FBI are aware Valentin’s involved. She says, that’s interesting. Did he mention Valentin to Cates? He says, no. His deal with the FBI is to take Pikeman down. He doesn’t trust Cates. He’s not going to give him any more information than he has to. She says she can’t fault him there. If they’re going to do this, she feels that they should have full transparency. She needs to know what it is the FBI is holding over him and what evidence they have against Carly.
Jack says he certainly never expected Carly to show up, and she says she’s been thinking about him. (She’s wearing an orange top and I wonder she’s being ironic.) He says, that’s encouraging, and she says she’s been thinking he lied to her about who he is and he tried to abduct her from her own restaurant. He says he never had any intention of abducting her, and she says, he had zip ties. He says, yes, he did. He apologizes if she got the wrong impression, but the zip ties are… were standard in his profession, so he always carries them. He never had any intention of harming her in any way with zip ties. She says, they just happened to be in his pocket, and he says, and sadly she jumped to the wrong conclusion and nearly took off his head with that tray – she laughs – but no hard feelings over here. She says, just chalk it up to miscommunication, and he says, that works. She says she also remembers the night that Anna and Dante came in with their guns drawn and they arrested him. It’s still a little blurry, but she thinks Anna said something about him being involved with a company or organization named Pikeman. He says, Anna’s said a lot of things about him, but not all of them are true.
Sam says, while Dante was talking, she was running through all of these options in her head, and she has to tell him, there are no easy answers. He’s right. They can’t leave Port Charles because it’s their home. Their families are here. They’re happy here. He says, they are, and she says, and that thing about him being a cop, yes, if he gave up his badge, he’d probably get dragged in deeper into Sonny’s business. He says, they don’t know that, but they don’t really want that, and she says, when he told her that he wanted to give up his badge, she had this huge wave of relief come over her. It was like she could finally breathe for a second, because there was this tiny little glimpse into what their future could look like if she didn’t have to worry every time he went to work and walked out that door.
Finn tells Chase that he doesn’t think it’s safe for their dad to be flying right now either (what is it? a half hour flight?). He’ll go to him, and from a medical standpoint, he’ll break the news to him. Chase says he can’t let Finn do that. It’s going to be hard, but he owes it to their dad to have this conversation with him, especially after the huge effort he made to be a part of the wedding. Although telling him that he can’t be part of the fun the night before is a hell of a way of saying thank you. Finn says, just be honest with him. Just remind him that by staying home from the rehearsal dinner and resting, it ensures that he’ll be well enough to be there and enjoy Chase’s actual wedding day. Chase says, that’s true, but he doesn’t know if their dad is going to see it that way. Finn says, their dad wouldn’t want Chase to spend the most important day of his life worrying about him. And he’ll know it will put Chase’s mind at ease. He’ll understand because Chase has always been the devoted son. Chase says, Finn is a good son too, but Finn says, they both know that’s not true.
Brennan tells Carly that his arrest was purely political. He made a lot of enemies on his rise to director of the WSB. His rivals framed him just to get him out of the way. She says, he was locked up because people were jealous of him? and he says, mm-hmm. And there were also allegations – completely untrue, by the way – that he was secretly head of Pikeman. As if one could secretly head up a major arms manufacturer. So here he sits, a prisoner of his own ambition, one might say, framed for crimes he didn’t commit, so someone else can run the WSB. She says, that’s a sad story, and he says, it is sad. That’s why he tries not to dwell on it, so he suggests they talk about something else. Distract him from his misery. Tell him all about her.
Brook says, John wants to thank her? and he says he was wrong to question Danny without a parent present. It may have been technically legal, but he shouldn’t have done it. And she had every right to call him out, and he’s grateful she stopped him from doing something he would have regretted. Brook tells him, that’s very nice of him to say, if he really means it, and he says, once he walked away, he realized how furious he would have been if somebody had questioned his son when he was Danny’s age. She made him see that. Lois says, he has a son? and he says he does. His son is the best thing that ever happened to him. His name is Stone. Lois says, he named his son after his brother? What a beautiful way to honor his memory. John thanks her. He just wishes they could have met. Brook says, this is the perfect timing. She has to go meet Chase down at the station, so they can catch up. Lois says, whoa, whoa, whoa. She thought they were having coffee. Brook never said anything about meeting Chase earlier. Brook says she’s so sorry. She completely forgot. John says, if her daughter has to leave, please join him. Coffee’s on him. Lois says she would love that, and Brook thanks Lois for helping her shop. Lois says, she’s welcome, and they hug. Brook says goodbye to John and leaves. Lois says, they have so much to catch up on. (Yes. Lois and John. Let’s do this.)
Jason says he needs Anna’s word that she won’t use anything. That whatever he says stays between them. She says, of course (🍷). This is the FBI’s case; it’s not hers. She’s under no obligation to act on any information he might give her. Not that she would anyway. Whatever he tells her is between them. He has her word. He says, okay, and sighs. The FBI has a recording of Carly at a meeting with other heads of organized crime families, saying that she’s in charge of the Corinthos organization, and saying she controls all the business that goes through the Corinthos territory. Anna says she had no idea Carly was involved with the mob so deeply, but Jason says, she wasn’t. It’s when they thought Sonny was dead. His business was completely under siege. They were doing everything they could to hold it together and make it look as strong as possible. He was supposed to be at that meeting, but he’d been shot, so Carly went instead. She says, against his wishes she’s sure, and he says, yeah. He didn’t want her to go, but she didn’t have a choice. She had to protect herself; she had to protect her kids. She knew that any sign of weakness, somebody would try to eliminate her and target her kids. Anna says, so Carly’s best defense was to present herself as part of the mob, and he says, and the FBI has it all on tape.
Sam tells Dante that she can’t deny a part of her will always want that, but a cop is who he is. It’s who he was when she fell in love with him. She knew what she was getting herself into and she can’t try to ask him to change or be something he’s not. She can’t ask him to be another man. The only thing she can control is her response to his choices. He says, so will she stay with him if he’s still a cop?
Doc tells Laura, metallosis, cobalt poisoning, manifests differently in different patients. In Heather’s case, it seems to have tipped her from transgressive behaviors to a pathology that led to rampage. Laura says, okay. Then what’s next? Is it right to just leave Heather in prison for the rest of her life to pay for crimes that were actually brought on by the metallosis? On the other hand, what about all the victims and all of their loved ones? Their loss, their pain is still very real. Would it ever be appropriate to show Heather leniency?
Finn says, Chase is the reason he has a relationship with their dad today. Chase was tireless when he was trying to reconcile the two of them. He wanted nothing to do with their dad, and Chase refused to accept that. Chase says he knew Finn would regret it later, and Finn says he does. He hurt Gregory. He was so stubborn and self-righteous at the time. Chase says he knows Finn still feels guilty, but that was a long time ago. He and their dad are good now. Doesn’t he think it’s time to leave it in the past? Finn says he lost so much precious time with him because of his pride and his anger. Time he’ll never get back. Chase says, Finn’s got to stop beating himself up. Their dad has always loved Finn and he always will.
Anna asks why Jason doesn’t call the FBI’s bluff. Let them proceed against Carly. She has an excellent lawyer. She may well beat the charges. He says, but no guarantee. He couldn’t take that risk. At first, he thought it would just be three months, six months, but now he’s three years in. He’s in too deep. He doesn’t want Carly to know all of this was just to protect her. She says, why not? She’s a strong woman. She thinks Carly deserves to know what the FBI has on her. He says, because if she ever finds out, he knows exactly what her reaction is going to be. She’s going to try and save him. She’s going to do something crazy and wind up sending herself to prison.
Jack says, before things went sideways, he really looked forward to talking to Carly. He suggests they pretend he’s in her restaurant. He’s just ordered a coffee and some eggs, sunny side up. How’s the world been treating her? She says her daughter just had her first dance recital, and he says, soccer girl. She says, that’s the one. And she nailed her solo, so she’s a proud mom. He says, that must be a good feeling, and she says, it is. She recently went through a break-up. That’s been tough, but she’s getting through it, mostly because her best friend is back. He was missing for two years and now Jason is back in Port Charles, and all is right in her world. He says, Jason Morgan has gotten a lot of news coverage. At first, he was a fugitive, then he was exonerated, or at least the charges were dropped. She says, you can’t believe everything the news says, right? Jason didn’t do any of the things he was accused of. And enough talk about her. Let’s get back to him. He says, that’s right. She came here because she wanted to know about Pikeman, and she says, right. Is he sure he’s not involved with them? He says, if he was, he’d have their fleet of lawyers to secure his freedom instead of him paying his own little attorney out of his own little pocket. She says, so it would mean nothing to him if the FBI is investigating Pikeman.
Anna says, it was such a hard choice Jason had to make. Carly’s safety versus him having to allow the people he loves think that he was dead. He says he just weighed what he had to lose against what Carly had to lose. It just came down to her kids. He knew Jake and Danny would be okay. They have great moms and stable homes. But Donna is just a kid. She needs her mom. Anna says, that’s very admirable of him, and he says, there’s another reason. He chose to work for Sonny. He chose to come back into this life knowing the potential consequences. Carly never chose that. He and Sonny pulled her in. When Carly went to that meeting, she had no criminal intent. She was just going to try and protect her family. She says, he got Carly into this, and he says, it’s on him to get her out.
Brennan says he just doesn’t see Carly being tight with law enforcement. How would she know who the FBI is investigating? She says, because she’s friends with an agent, John Cates. He comes into Bobbie’s to eat sometimes. He says, and they struck up an acquaintance? and she says, they have people in common. John is originally from Port Charles and recently moved back. He asks, why?To work a case against Pikeman? She says, why the interest? Does he have a problem with John Cates being in town? He says, should he have a problem?
Lois says she’s been talking John’s ear off. Enough about her. Tell her about him. How did he wind up at the FBI? He says, after his first marriage to Karen broke up, he was kind of reeling, and that’s when he joined the Bureau. She puts her hand on his and says she was really sorry to hear about Karen’s death. He thanks her and says, it took him a while to make his peace with losing her. She tells him, they say that the ones we love never really leave us, but enough about that. Let’s talk about something happy. She wants to hear about his son. He says, talk about time flying, he’s 21 now. Stone’s on the spectrum, so he lives in a group home outside of Quantico. It’s the perfect place for him and he’s really happy there. She says, it’s got to be so hard for John though, being so far away, and he says, it is. He wishes he could see Stone more, but this is the way it has to be for now, so there’s a lot of texts and videochats. She says, thank God for cellphones, and he says, what about her? How’s it been coming back to Port Charles?So much has changed. She says she knows. All of their old hangouts are all gone, except for this place, but it used to be Kelly’s. He says, places aren’t the only thing that’s changed. They have too. He guesses he should only speak for himself, but he knows he’s changed. All the dreams he had when he was young turned out to either be wrong for him or slip through his fingers.
Doc says he does believe Heather’s metallosis was a major factor in her crimes, but it’s impossible to say if that was the only cause, and Laura asks if there couldn’t be some middle ground, at least from a legal point of view. He says, philosophically speaking, he believes that Heather should have a shot at building a better life, but not with absolving her of everything she’s done. His phone rings and he says, it’s the hospital. He needs to take this. She tells him, go ahead, and he leaves. Valentin approaches the table and says he hopes she doesn’t mind if he imposes. She says, that depends. What is it about?
Finn tells Chase, it’s settled then, right? He’ll go to dad and talk to him about staying home and resting during the rehearsal dinner, and Chase can just focus on getting married and having the best day of his life. Chase thanks Finn and hugs him, saying, he doesn’t know what he’d do without him. Finn tells him to remember that and be forgiving when he stumbles through his best man speech. Chase says, okay, and leaves.
Sam says, the only thing she knows for sure is that she loves Dante, and they have a family and a life together. Is something like this worth breaking up for? She’d have to tell him and Rocco to leave. What would be the point? To separate their children when they would be miserable apart while they’re still missing each other? He says, so she doesn’t want him to leave? and she says, it’s not like she would love him any less or be any less afraid for his safety if they weren’t together. All she would lose is him. So she’ll just have to learn to live with the fear. He says he’s sorry. He’s sorry for making her feel that way. He hates it, and if he could take that fear away from her, he would. She says she knows, and he says he’s really sorry he gave her this false hope that he was going to resign. She says she can’t pretend she’s not disappointed. She’s going to have to feel these emotions and learn to work through it. He says, whatever she needs, however he can help her, and she says, probably just a little time so she can process it all. He says, whatever she needs. He promises he’ll never take her for granted and what she’s sacrificing. He loves her. She says she loves him too, and they kiss.
Brook comes into the squad room, and Chase asks what she’s doing here. He thought she was going to spend the day with her mom. She says, her mom ran into a friend, so she came here to distract him from his very important work. He says he only just got here. He actually went to speak to Finn and he agreed to talk to their dad about not coming to the rehearsal dinner. She says, that was nice of him. She’s really sad that Gregory’s not going to be there, but she really thinks it’s what’s best. And now he’ll be well-rested for the actual wedding day. He says, that’s the idea, and she says she thought her mom was crazy for wanting to have the rehearsal dinner in Coney Island, but now that it’s here, she’s actually really excited. She can’t wait to show him all her favorite places and have cotton candy with him on the boardwalk and to ride all the rides together. He says, they’re going to be so busy, they won’t have time for any pre-wedding jitters, which everyone keeps warning him about. He keeps waiting for them to happen, but so far, nothing. She says, really? Because she’s a total wreck.
Lois says she totally gets what John is going through because she feels it too. Being back in Port Charles is harder than she thought it would be. He asks, what’s that saying? You can never really go home again. She says, ain’t that the truth? But don’t get her wrong. The last few months she’s spent here with her daughter, before she gets married and starts a family and doesn’t have as much time for her ma, has been amazing. It’s a gift she’s always going to treasure. But it’s like he said, being back here is a constant reminder of what her life was, what she thought it would be, and how it actually turned out. But different is not necessarily bad.
Valentin says he thought Laura might like to hear how Charlotte’s doing in Switzerland, and she says, that would be lovely. She always loves to hear about her granddaughter. He sits down and says, she’s busying herself with school, and she’s checking in with him once or twice a week by text or phone. They actually videochatted the other day and he saw her room, so she’s thriving. Laura says she didn’t realize how much she needed to hear that. That’s so great. Charlotte sent her a couple of emails, but not on a regular basis. He says, she’s a teenager. They take what they can get. She says, that’s true. She did talk quite a bit about how much she missed that school of hers, so she’s glad Charlotte is happy to be back there, but does he think now that she’s in Switzerland, she’ll be able to put everything that happened in Port Charles behind her?
Anna tells Jason, say this all goes according to plan, and he’s able to deliver to John whatever the hell it is he wants on Pikeman. Does he think the FBI is going to hold up their side of the deal? With her experience with intelligence agencies, she’d say it’s very hard to believe they would ever destroy that evidence. They might bury it for a time, but they’ll always have it to use against him and Carly. He says he plans to honor his part of the deal and help the FBI take Pikeman down, but after that, that’s it. He’s done. He has no intention of taking orders from John Cates or the FBI for the rest of his life.
Sam says she feels so lucky to have Dante, and he says he doesn’t know what he would have done if he’d lost her. They kiss and I’d bet the farm they’re about to get busy.
Finn pushes whatever is in front of him off his desk. He gets up, picks up his phone, and sits on the floor. He hits AA meeting near me on Spyder-Finder.
Brook says she knows they put so much work into planning this wedding, but there’s still so much that could go wrong. What if the flowers aren’t what they wanted? What if her dress gets ruined? He says, that’s not going to happen, but she says, don’t be so sure. She read this post about this custom designer gown. The bride was about to put it on, and somebody had left a black felt pen open, and there was a big, black blob in the middle of the dress. He says, no. Did they postpone the wedding? She tells him, the girl didn’t say, and he says, if that happens – she says, God forbid – then she can get married in blue jeans. She can get married in a bathrobe. She can wear the dress, ink stains and all. He doesn’t care. It doesn’t matter to him. She tells him, that’s so sweet of him to say. But that’s impossible because their wedding day has to be perfect. But there is one thing she’s not nervous about, and that’s marrying him. She can’t wait to be his wife. He says he can’t wait to be her husband, and she says she shouldn’t kiss him in the squad room. He backs up and says, no, she shouldn’t. It would be a bad idea. He takes her hand, brings her into the interrogation room, and closes the door. Inside, they kiss.
Anna says, the FBI made a deal with Jason, and they need to stick to it. If they don’t and they continue to abuse their power, frankly, in her book, they’re no better than Pikeman. He says, but they have to take Pikeman down first. She looks at the flowers from Valentin, and says, it seems to her that the FBI are not onto Valentin at all, but she still thinks he’s a key player in Pikeman. And luckily, he invited her out to dinner, and she accepted. She thinks it will be an opportunity for her to work him. He asks if she thinks Valentin will give anything up, and she says, the date on the photo Dex gave him proves Valentin was in Port Charles when there was the shooting at the MetroCourt, but he doesn’t know he was caught in the lie, so he has no reason to have his guard up. She thinks if she plays it right, he could lead them to whoever is in charge of Pikeman.
Laura tells Valentin that she’s delighted Charlotte is happy back at school, but she can’t help wondering if it might be too soon for her to be so far from Port Charles and all of her family. He says he was worried about that too, but as it happens, he has a new business venture that will be taking him to Switzerland quite often. He can keep an eye on her. That should ease both of their minds. She says, it does actually. So what’s the new venture? Is it something for ELQ? He says, something for ELQ.
Lois says she thinks John is looking at this all wrong. He’s achieved so much. Becoming an FBI agent, it’s so impressive. Does he like the work? He says, for the most part, yeah, and even when he doesn’t, he can tell himself that he’s accomplishing good things by enforcing the law. (Since when is blackmail enforcing the law?) His phone dings, and he says, speaking of his job, he’s so sorry, but he has to make a phone call. She says, absolutely. You go save the world. She gets up and says, it was so great running into him and catching up. They hug, and she says, don’t be a stranger. He says, her neither, and she leaves. He makes a call and says, Brennan’s got a visitor?… What is Carly Spencer doing there?
Brennan tells Carly that the only problem he has with this Agent Cates is, he still has his badge, his freedom, and most importantly, he gets to enjoy the pleasure of her company. The guard tells Brennan, time’s up, and Carly says, that’s her cue. Brennan says, time flies when a beautiful woman comes to see him, and Carly gets up. She says she’s sure he could have done a lot worse to her that day than some zip ties. For whatever reason, he didn’t. Thank you. He says, her visit really brightened up his day. Maybe she could come back sometime. She says, we’ll see, and he says he’ll live in hope. She leaves, and he says, watch your back, Valentin.
Tomorrow, Blaze thinks it’s going to be her best one yet; Sam asks Jason to promise her someone won’t be walking into something dangerous; Ava asks Sonny, how dare someone throw her daughter’s murder in her face; and Gregory tells Finn, by all means, lecture him on proper wedding etiquette.
🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…
It’s so ridiculous that this poor woman has to worry about how she looks during a tough time. Have they ever seen a British soap? They actually look like real people. As for weight, I met the so-called fat girl from One Life To Live when she was on Broadway. I was at my fighting weight and felt like a giant next to her.
There was a lot to unpack from the Vanderpump Rules finale last night, but it was late, and I needed to process. TBH, I’m not so sure this show is going to come back, at least with Ariana. It could just be the continuing recovery from Scandoval, but this finale seemed a little too final. And the Reunion probably isn’t going to help anyone. Reunions might be cathartic, but I wouldn’t call them healing.
For whatever reason, it left me feeling sad. Maybe because Lala was right when she said – and I’m really more rephrasing than paraphrasing – what happened to Ariana was horrible, but now she thinks she’s a demi-god, dictating how everyone must behave. Other than Sandoval himself, I don’t think anyone in the cast would argue that what happened to her was horrible. But I can honestly say, if that happened to me and I was suddenly given the consolation prize of Dancing with the Stars, Chicago, hosting Love Island, and just about every other media possibility, I’d be laughing my ass off at Sandoval who could barely sell a ticket to his concerts. I would never tell someone else how to feel. Only you know what’s best for you. But somehow, I don’t think this anger is helping her. Even when she grey rocks him, the hate is coming off her in waves. Seriously, I would pat him on his stupid head and rub his nose in it every chance I got. They say living well is the best revenge, and she was handed that on a platter. We were all thrilled to see the karma unfold before us. I’m now holding my breath, wondering if it’s going to backfire since she can’t contain her visible anger, even in public, probably feeling that since the world backed her during this tragedy, they’ll back her no matter what. Au contraire. The public is fickle, and this isn’t a good look. As Lala said – again rephrasing – no one died.
Yeah, he probably does just want to apologize for show, and if she doesn’t want to hear it, that’s fine. But, as several of the cast members pointed out, they’re on a reality show, like it or not, he’s in the friend group, and if you can never film with him, that makes it difficult for everyone. No one is saying she has to be friends with him or even forgive him, just reel it in for the group events. And expecting the others not to be friends with him – even when she’s not around – is unreasonable. They’re not five years old and all of the original cast members have a history with him. Katie was always a little free with her sarcasm, but the hate is now slopping onto her and she’s taking it out on people like Jo, whose only sin was to act on her feelings for Schwartz after he and Katie separated. And Katie wanted out. It’s painful to watch. I also think Jo could do better. That guy has always been commitment shy. That’s why he needs Sandoval to tell him things like what socks to wear.
On the plus side, one of the reasons I’ve stuck with this show – besides she who can do no wrong, LVP – is that it’s interesting to see how people grow over the years. That’s why I didn’t think they should have fired Stassi and Kristen. While I think Kristen has less growth potential, I would have liked to see how Stassi matured. In the early years, they were all kids. I read a review where someone said they wanted to cry when they showed the early clips. Same. After all these years, it’s like we know them. Some we might want to hang out with all the time; others are like those cousins you tolerate at family gatherings. (Hint for Ariana if she wants to continue with the show.) Apparently, Brock has been very grounding for Scheana, who had a revolving door of losers she fell in love with. She found her Prince Charming and is nearly living her best life. Kudos. She does still need some help with that anxiety, but I think she’ll get there. Whatever James is doing is working for him, and I hope he gets his dream of a family with Ally. We’ve seen him go from an unreasonable, nasty drunk to a man with a plan. Honors to him for staying California sober. IMO, Lala was the MVP of both last night and the show in general. She went from being a mean girl, calling out people for not working on their summer bodies, to being a wise and maternal woman. Confetti parade for her. Color me impressed.
Here’s hoping the Reunion isn’t the final nail in the VPR coffin. But if it is and VanderWorld breaks up, I’d love to see Lala and Scheana move to The Valley. God knows that show could use a VanderBoost.
Join me tomorrow for soap and a jab at those awful Summer people. Until then, stay safe, stay pushing in your chair when you leave the table, and if your life turned out differently than what you thought it would be, stay remembering, different is not necessarily bad.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Brook bangs on Chase’s door, and says, open up. She knows he’s in there. He’s got a big… He answers in his boxers, and says, a big what? She squeezes the to-go cup she’s holding, and her drink squirts out the straw and spills over top. And I can’t believe they just did that, even though I’m laughing.
Valentin wakes Anna up, and they speak in French. He kisses down her body.
Victor sits down to visit Spencer. Spencer comes in, looking scruffy and wearing a too big shirt. Victor says, my God, what happened? Excuse me if I think this is the best Spencer has ever looked.
Nikolas approaches Finn at the hospital, and Finn asks how he can help Nikolas. Nikolas says he can start by minding his own damn business. Finn says, which is what he was doing before Nikolas stopped him, and keeps walking, but Nikolas grabs his arm. Finn breaks away, and says, whoa. Nikolas says, Finn’s been talking to his wife about their private matters. That was a big mistake, and it will cost him.
Elizabeth comes to Ava’s room, as Ava is packing to leave. She says she hears Ava’s being discharged, and Ava says, not a moment too soon. She’s grateful for the care she received here of course (🍷), but she’s glad to leave. Elizabeth says she’ll put a rush on the paperwork, and they’ll get Ava out of here. Ava says, there’s something she and Elizabeth need to settle first.
Alexis sees Gregory in the waiting area, and asks if he’s slept at all. He asks, why? Does he look exhausted and bedraggled? She says, they were at The Invader until the wee hours, so she thought he’d slept in, and he says, he knew she’d be pulling a literal all-nighter with the op-ed, so he came back here. He wanted to keep an eye on her friend.
At the MetroCourt, Sonny looks at the headline on his phone: Port Charles’s Spirit Is Stronger Than A Hook. Nina comes along, and asks if he’s okay, hugging him. He says he’s fine; he’s just worried about everybody else. She asks if there’s any word on Diane, and he says, he’s going to check on her at GH later. He asks if she’s seen The Invader, and she says, Alexis took a brave stand, letting that psychopath know that Port Charles is not a community to be messed with. What does he think? He says he thinks she’s doing it because she thinks the attacker is targeting people connected to him, and she says, and he and Alexis have a daughter who happened to see the killer in action. She’s sure he has eyes on both Josslyn and Kristina. He asks, how’s her bodyguard? and she says she’s getting used to it, but she did feel safer having him there last night. She thanks him, and he says he hopes it doesn’t last too long. She asks if he knows who’s behind these attacks.
Glad to see they’ve changed some of the photos in the opening, in particular Ava.
Still in bed, Valentin and Anna kiss. He says he wants to remember all of this, and she says, name three things. He says, being in her bed… She says, that’s one, and he says, being in her bed with her. She says, that’s two, and they’re very general. He says, all he wants to remember is the two of them doing this… always. They begin to get busy, but his phone dings. He asks if she minds, and she takes it from the nightstand, giving it to him. He looks at it, and places it face down on his chest. She asks, what’s wrong?
Victor says he’s worried about Spencer. It looks like he hasn’t eaten since he got here. Spencer says, this is the work of his fellow inmates who go out of their way to make sure that he never has the right clothes. Victor says he was assured Spencer would be protected, and Spencer says he is… physically anyway. Victor says, go on, and Spencer tells him, on his second day here he had a run-in with a guy. He said he wanted to rearrange Spencer’s face. Fortunately, a guard arrived before the he could do that, and that was the end of that. Victor asks, what’s this business with the clothes? and Spencer says, the other inmates know he’s a rich kid who’s under protection from important people, and whose cop friend got him a cushy job, so they find other ways to mess with him, like not having a uniform that fits. Stealing food and supplies he buys from the commissary, and threatening him with all manner of horrible fates. Victor says he’ll speak with the warden, but Spencer says, please don’t. It will only make things worse.
Finn says, if Nikolas is referring to him being with Elizabeth when she told Ava that Nikolas lied about his alibi… Nikolas says, Finn had absolutely no right, and Finn says, Nikolas lying to his wife is none of his concern. By which he means he literally does not care. Nikolas says, why should Finn care? and Finn says he won’t let Nikolas take advantage of Elizabeth. So find someone else to give him a fake alibi. Finn walks away, but Nikolas follows, saying, he gave himself and Elizabeth an alibi, because Elizabeth can’t account for her whereabouts when Ava was attacked. He did what he did to protect her. Finn says, Nikolas was covering his own ass. Him giving Elizabeth an alibi was just working in his favor. Nikolas says he doesn’t care what Finn believes, but does he have any idea the amount of damage he could have caused by telling Ava the truth? It’s like he doesn’t care about Elizabeth at all.
Ava says she just wants to thank Elizabeth for telling the truth about Nikolas’s so-called alibi. She knows Nikolas is one of Elizabeth’s closest friends, and knows it couldn’t have been easy. Elizabeth says she should be grateful Nikolas gave her an alibi, and Ava asks if she thinks he would have if it hadn’t provided him with one as well. Elizabeth says, the Nikolas she grew up with would have done it in a heartbeat, and Ava says, what about the Nikolas as he is now? Elizabeth says, after Ava was attacked, and everything was so uncertain, she did have her doubts about his motives. Ava tells her not to beat herself up about that. None of them were sure about Nikolas. Elizabeth says, exactly. They are now.
Nina says, from what she read the police are hoping Diane makes it through surgery to see if she can identify her attacker, but if Sonny’ s learned something new… He tells her, let’s just say, he’s working on it, and she says she heard Michael went to Pozzulo’s last night. He says, what about it? and she says, did they come to some kind of truce? He says, they just talked about what happened with Brando, and… How’s Sasha? She says, fragile, and he says, and Gladys? She says, Gladys is Gladys. She’s in a lot of pain, but she’s enduring. He says he admires that, and she says, Gladys actually convinced Sasha to start making funeral arrangements for Brando, but Sasha’s credit card was declined. He asks how that’s possible, and she says, because Sasha’s not in control of her finances right now, and it’s still unclear who is. He says, if she’s having financial problems, he’ll do what he has to do to help, and she says, she knows he will, but he doesn’t have to worry about this. She already put her credit card down for the deposit. Sonny says, let Sasha know he’s going to help her, and Nina says, Sasha does know that. Right now, she’s more concerned with Sasha’s state of mind. She’s already carrying so much, and now with this guardianship, Nina doesn’t want this to be the straw that breaks her. He says, Sasha is going to be okay, and she asks how he knows that. He says, because Sasha has her.
Alexis asks how Gregory was able to get updates if he’s not family? and he says, he has a secret weapon. She says, Finn, and he says, Diane’s still in surgery, and she says, still? He tells her, Finn says, sometimes these things can take a while, and she says she hopes that’s all it is, because she needs Diane to be okay. She guesses now they just wait and see how their op ed page pans out, and if it brings the killer out into the light. He asks if she’s eaten, and she shakes her head. He says, let’s get her some sustenance, and while they’re at it, maybe they can track Finn down and finagle another update. She says, lead the way.
Chase cleans up the mess, and Brook says she really needed that caffeine. He says he’ll make them some coffee, and she says, he can definitely make her some coffee, and she’ll definitely thank him for it, but he can’t have any caffeine. He asks, why not? and she says, because it’s murder on your vocal cords. Didn’t his vocal coach ever teach him that? Tonight, he needs to be in peak form. He asks if she’s saying he’s not, and she says, vocally. They need to get him ready. Everything they’ve been working toward is all riding on tonight. He says, all right, peak form, and moves closer to her. She says, good, but it’s really important that they stay focused. He moves even closer, and says, he’s laser focused. Is she?
We see a picture of Charlotte on Valentin’s phone, with a text that says: Bonjour, papa. I miss you. Je t’aime. Anna takes it from him, and says, she looks happy. He says, Charlotte still has no idea she’s being used as leverage. She misses him. She can’t understand why they’ve been apart so long. Anna says, he will see Charlotte again; trust her. He says, more than anyone, and she says, damning her with faint praise. He says he trusts her implicitly, and she says, believe her when she says they’ll bring Charlotte home. He says, Victor’s playing the long game; so far, he’s winning, but she tells him that she didn’t say it would be easy. Victor is a formidable opponent, and Valentin has carried this alone far too long. He has her now, and they’re changing the game, together. Is he with her? He says, to the ends of the earth, and kisses her. He asks, what’s the move? and she says, unfortunately, the best way to get to Victor is through Lucy, but he says, she’s proven to be a wild card, in every sense of the word. Anna says, the sooner they find another way, the better. He says, any thoughts on what that might be? and she says, no, but that’s okay. They’ll figure it out together. They kiss some more.
Victor says, as head of this family, it’s his responsibility to make sure Spencer is taken care of, and Spencer says, he and Uncle Sonny have people who are taking care of him, but they can’t be around him 24/7. This place is like 15 times bigger than Spring Ridge, and it’s full of angry, violent people. The best thing he can do is keep his head down and stay out of everyone’s way. The best thing Victor can do… Victor says, assassinate anyone who looks at Spencer cross-eyed. He’s sure Spencer’s Uncle Sonny would agree. Protecting Spencer is probably the only thing they agree on. Spencer says, what part of don’t is unclear? but Victor says he can’t just sit back and watch Spencer suffer at the hands of… convicts. Spencer says, Victor owes him, and Victor says, all right, but if Spencer changes his mind… Spencer says he won’t, and asks, how’s life in Port Charles?How’s Ava’s recovery? Victor says, she gets discharged today. Spencer can ask about him. Spencer says, who? and Victor says, his father.
Finn tells Nikolas, let’s get one thing clear. Elizabeth is her own person, and she decided to tell Ava that Nikolas’s alibi was a lie. She thought Nikolas might pose a danger to his wife, and decided to err on the side of the truth, a concept Nikolas isn’t familiar with. Nikolas says, Finn is the only person who’s a danger to Elizabeth. This whole thing started with him. Alexis and Gregory come out of the elevator, and Nikolas says, Finn is the reason Elizabeth is so messed up. Finn tells Nikolas, say it again, and strides toward him, but Gregory holds him back. Alexis asks Nikolas, what is he doing?
Ava says, as long as there’s a lunatic running around with a hook, she doesn’t think she’ll be sure of much, and Elizabeth says, at the risk of overstepping, at the Quartermaine picnic, Nikolas told her that the two of them were having trouble. She’s under the assumption they worked things out, but in case she’s wrong, can she say something? Ava says, of course (🍷), and Elizabeth says she’s sure Ava knows that Nikolas went through some really dark times growing up. He’s not an easy person, but he is capable of love and devotion. And honestly, she’s only seen him in love one other time before he met Ava. Only Ava can decide what she’s willing to accept, but as for Nikolas, it’s not always pretty, but it is love, unwavering love.
Nina tells Sonny, she has to get to the hospital because Ava is getting discharged. She wants to make one last pitch for Ava to stay with her. Sonny asks why Ava’s not going to Windymere, and Nina says, Ava wants to go to Windymere, but she’s worried that living with Nikolas too soon will be stressful for her. He says he wishes Ava would kick Nikolas to the curb. Nikolas is not a good person. She says, it’s okay. Nikolas and Ava have a powerful connection. He says, she calls it powerful; he calls it toxic. She says, Ava and Nikolas’s marriage is more complicated than they know. Wish as much as he wants, but she wouldn’t assume they’re done. He says, she can’t tell him that they’re good for each other, and she says, a lot people think they’re not good for each other.
Brook says, stop it, and Chase says, stop what? She says, being all sexy. They need to stay focused on the plan. He says, sexy? and she says, he needs to perform flawlessly tonight. He says, right. The more successful he is, the more Linc will want to sign him. She says, and the angrier Linc will be with her, and it will make him want to sign Chase even more. Then when they’ve got Linc exactly where they want him… Chase says, he fires her, signs with Linc, retires, and leaves Linc high and dry. She says, looking like the loser that he is, and Chase says, hopefully, he can be a cop again someday. If they’ll have him. She says, they will. He’s the best guy that’s ever been on the force, and one day, they’ll wise up to that. He says, she thinks so? and she says she knows so. He says, how? and she says, she just does. They kiss, and head for the bedroom. I think, so much for being focused, but Brook breaks away, and says, as much as she wants this – he says, they want this – they need to take this energy and put it into the show. He says, huh? and she says, and all the leftover energy will fill other arenas. Go get dressed, and they’ll talk strategy. He holds up his hands, and leaves to get ready.
Elizabeth says she’ll go get Ava’s paperwork, and Ava asks if Elizabeth is all right. Nikolas mentioned to her that Elizabeth blacked out the night she was attacked, can’t remember where she was or what she was doing. Elizabeth says, sorry. She probably should have told the police all that. Ava says she doesn’t blame Elizabeth for anything; she’s just asking if Elizabeth is okay. Elizabeth flashes back to Reiko at the bottom of the stairs. She says, she just has way too much on her mind, and leaves.
Alexis says, this is a hospital, for Pete’s sake, and Nikolas says he knows. He’s on the board. She says, really? Because he’s acting like he’s on the playground. Come with her – now. I laugh at how she orders him around. Gregory asks if that isn’t Alexis’s nephew, Nikolas Cassadine, and Finn asks how Gregory can tell; the overwhelming smell of jerk in here? Gregory says, and he’s a friend of Elizabeth’s? and Finn says, the word friend might be a little subjective. Gregory remembers Finn said he didn’t think Nikolas had Elizabeth’s best interest at heart, and Finn says, he’s only got his own best interest at heart. Gregory asks why they were going at it about Elizabeth; did Nikolas do something to her? Finn says he doesn’t like Nikolas, and doesn’t trust him. Maybe in his own ultra-privileged narcissistic way, Nikolas does actually care for Elizabeth; he said he was looking out for her. Gregory asks if Finn is taking Nikolas at his word, and Finn says, for now.
Spencer says he’d rather discuss literally anyone else, and Victor says, like his stepmother? He didn’t know Spencer cared so deeply for Ava. Spencer says he doesn’t, and Victor says, she’s the first person he asked about. Spencer says, because she’s important to people he does care about. Victor says, like his father, who Spencer refuses to discuss? but Spencer says, like Trina. Victor says he sees, and Spencer says, speaking of Trina, how is she? Victor says, Spencer should probably as his friends, and Spencer says, he would if they’d visit. Victor says, they haven’t? and Spencer says, Victor’s his first. Victor says he’s sorry, and Spencer says, why? What did Victor do this time? Victor says he should have been here sooner. He got wrapped up in other time-sensitive matters. He’ll try to do better. Spencer says he brought this on himself. The only people who care about him are Victor, maybe Britt, and his grandmother. Of course (🍷) she’s in Italy still. (Um… He left out Sonny.) Victor says, nothing is more important to him than family. If he’d only known what Spencer was going through… Spencer says, it’s not Victor’s fault, but Victor says, let him make it up to Spencer. He can get a message to Trina if Spencer would like him to.
Nina says, granted, their history… Sonny says, is nothing like Nikolas and Ava, but she says, their cheering section is roughly the same size as theirs. Sonny says he doesn’t care what people think; they’re good for each other. She says, he doesn’t have to convince her of that, and they kiss. Selina comes in, and says she was so sorry to hear about Sonny’s cousin’s passing. He thanks her, and she says she understands Nina is close to his widow. Nina says she and Sasha are very close, and Selina says she can’t imagine what that poor woman is going through, especially when her husband’s killer still roams free. If she can be of further assistance in these trying times, please let her know. Sonny says he will, and Selina says, in the meantime, she was wondering if she’d see him at The Savoy tonight. The young talent Sonny mentioned to her is performing, Harrison Chase. He says he was thinking about it, and Nina says she’s got to go. She tells Selina, it was a pleasure to see her, and she’ll see Sonny later. She leaves, and Selina tells Sonny, she’s quite lovely. He smiles, and says, she is. Selina asks if he’s convinced he can keep her safe.
Selina tells Sonny, Diane is a formidable woman. She’s confident this is not how Diane’s story ends. She sits at the bar, and she says she supposes he has a guard watching Nina, and he says he does. She says she hopes her supposition doesn’t offend him, but it would seem these attacks are related to him. He says, it’s crossed his mind, and she says, and the police? He says, it’s crossed theirs too, and she says, it could be bad for business. Since they share a bottom line, her resources remain at his disposal. He thanks her for her cooperation, and says, anything else? She says, just one more thing. In keeping him apprised per their arrangement, there’s a game scheduled for tonight. Sonny says, she knows the place is going to be crawling with friends of the PCPD; Chase was a cop. She says, it provides her players with a convenient cover, and as an added benefit, they can watch the entertainment. Word of the game has spread, attracting even more influential players and raising the cost of the buy-in. Would he like a seat at the table? He says, it’s an interesting offer, but he already gets a cut of the door. She says he stands to gain so much more. From what she hears, he’s quite a skilled player. Can she deal him in?
Spencer says, thanks, but no, and Victor says he doesn’t know if it’s pride or obstinance, but they both know Trina is important to him. Spencer tells Victor, he never said she wasn’t, and Victor says, if he didn’t want to reach out to her, why bring her up? Spencer says, because he read an article in The Invader that there was another attack by that psycho with a hook, and he wanted to make sure she was okay. Victor says, Spencer needn’t worry. The prevailing wisdom is that these attacks are related to Sonny. Spencer says, Uncle Sonny will take care of and protect his family. He just wishes he could help. Victor tells him to just focus on helping himself. As for these gruesome attacks, there is some good news. His father is no longer… Spencer says, for the last time, he doesn’t want to hear anything about his father. He told his father that he was done with him, and he meant it. If his father is capable of betraying him the way he did, Spencer doesn’t want anything to do with him. Victor says, come on, and Spencer says, where is he? He hasn’t even tried to visit. Victor says, he takes it Spencer wants Nikolas to visit, only so he can turn Nikolas away. Maybe Nikolas is doing Spencer a favor by skipping that part. Spencer says he told Nikolas to stay away, but the man he grew up with, the father that raised him, he wouldn’t have listened. Victor says he’ll talk to Nikolas, but Spencer says, don’t waste his breath. He thanks Victor for visiting him. He has to get to the library. He doesn’t want to be late for his work detail. Victor says, very well. He’ll be back soon. In the meantime, keep his chin up, and watch his back. Spencer hangs up the phone, and leaves.
Alexis reminds Nikolas that her best friend is in the OR fighting for her life, and he says he’s genuinely sorry to upset her, especially when she’s worried about Diane. Has there been any news? She says, Diane is still in surgery, and will be there a while, and he asks if there’s anything he can do to help. She says, he can not brawl in the hospital for starters, and he says, done. Anything else? She says, there’s nothing anybody can do, and he says, he saw The Invader, her op ed, a united front in Port Charles. She says, too much? but he says, it’s perfect. She’s showing this monster that they can’t be intimidated. She thanks him, and says she needed that. He asks if she thinks the attacker is going to answer the challenge, and she says, they’ll find out soon enough. She hopes her instincts are right, and his ego is his downfall, because if it doesn’t work, she’s poked the bear, and set the bear on this path of destruction that’s going to put everyone in danger.
Gregory asks how Elizabeth is doing, and Finn says, good. All things considered, he thinks she’s making progress. Gregory says he’s glad to hear it, when Finn’s phone dings. Finn says he’s sorry, but he has to check on a patient, and Gregory tells him, go save lives. He asks if Finn is going to be at Chase’s show tonight, and Finn says, of course (🍷). He’s coming with Elizabeth, and they’re bringing Terry. Chase is going to be great, but if he bombs, it’s okay to tease him, right? Gregory says, always the supportive brother, and Finn says, always.
Now dressed, Chase calls to Brook. She comes out with a garbage bag, and he says, what’s all this? She asks if he knows how much hidden sugar is in his food, and he says he knows how much he spent on it. She says, that’s beside the point, and he says, she’s throwing out his oranges? She says, does he want to pepper spray his vocal cords; citrus is too acidic. He assumes she got rid of his peppers, and she says, nothing spicy, come on. He looks in the bag, and says, yogurt? She says, a dairy, and he says, eggs? She tells him, she said no dairy, and he says, eggs aren’t dairy. She says, they’re in the dairy section (yeah, I don’t get it either), and he says, his soy milk? She says, don’t even get her started with soy milk and singers; the phlegm. He says, so this bag basically contains everything in his kitchen, and she says, he’s right. There’s nothing in this house for him to eat. She’s got to stop by Deception, and then she’ll treat him to breakfast. Is he coming or not? She pulls him out the door, and I wonder what he’s going to eat for breakfast, since pretty much everything is out. Dry toast?
Valentin and Anna sit down in the MetroCourt restaurant, and Valentin says, he considered bugging Victor’s room, but he takes extensive precautions and would have found it immediately. If he’s learned anything, it’s that Charlotte would have been put in greater danger. They need to get Victor to lower his guard. They need to get someone he won’t see coming. Nina walks over, and says she didn’t know they’d made it official. Valentin asks if it would kill Nina to act a little jealous, and Nina says, oh yeah, and tells Anna, get your hands off my man. Anna says, no, and Nina says she’s glad she ran into Valentin. She’s been thinking about Charlotte. He says, that’s funny. He just heard from her this morning. He shows Nina his phone, and Nina says, look how grown up she is. He says he can hardly believe it himself, and Nina says she knows Charlotte is busy with her fancy school and her friends, but she misses her. Valentin says he misses her too, and Nina says, tell Charlotte to give her a ring. He says he will, and Anna tells Nina, congratulations on being the new co-owner here. Nina thanks her, and says, it’s an adventure. Valentin says, it suits her. She looks happy. She says, he looks happy too; both of them. Anna thanks her, and she says she needs to go. It was good seeing them. Nina goes to the elevator, and Valentin says, he thinks she’s the answer
Sonny tells Selina, it’s an interesting offer, but with everything going on, he doesn’t think he can make that game. She says, the seat is always available to him, when Chase walks in. She says, Mr. Chase. She’s looking forward to hearing him sing tonight. She leaves, and Sonny says he heard about Chase’s gig; congratulations. Chase thanks him, and asks if Nina’s around. He was hoping to thank her. Sonny says, for what? and Chase says, for putting in a word with Curtis about getting him an audition at The Savoy.
By she, Anna hopes Valentin is referring to Lucy and not Nina. Valentin says, Lucy’s already got an assignment. Nina’s the one. She can help them get to Victor.
Alexis asks how things went with Ava. Did Nikolas figure out what to do for her? Nikolas flashes back to Ava reading his confession letter, and says he took Alexis’s advice. He gave Ava total and complete power over him. She says, that wasn’t her advice. How did take a risk and show you care turn into, I’m turning all my power over to you? He says, it was the right thing. It was the only thing he could do. She says, never mind. She doesn’t need to know. She hopes it works. He says, there’s only one way to find out, and they get up. Alexis tells him, good luck. He’s going to need it. He says, it never hurts with Ava, and they hug. Alexis sees Victor, and says, oh look, her cue, and jets. Victor comes over to Nikolas, and Nikolas asks, what brings him by? Victor says, Ava of course (🍷). She is family. He’s here to support the both of them, and Nikolas’s son. Nikolas says, his son’s not here, and Victor says he knows; he just came from visiting Spencer. Nikolas asks, how is he? and Victor says, a visit from his father would do him a world of good. Nikolas says, Spencer made it very clear he doesn’t want to see him, but Victor says, it’s time Nikolas stepped up as a father. His son needs him more than ever.
Elizabeth looks at folders as she walks through the hospital, and flashes back to Reiko again. She nearly walks into Gregory, and says, sorry. She was… He says, somewhere else? and she says, yeah. Between work and everything else, she has a lot going on in her mind. He says he understands. He knows she’s been going through a rough time lately. Finn hasn’t told him any details or betrayed Elizabeth’s confidence, but he wants her to know Finn cares about her a great deal. She says she cares about Finn too, and he starts to leave, but she stops him, and says she needs his help.
Nina says she’s here to spring Ava, and Ava says, thank God. She needs a long hot bath and a big strong drink. Nina says, both of which Ava can get at her place. Come on. Nina knows Ava can go wherever she wants to from here, and Ava believes she can co-exist with Nikolas at Windymere, but she’s worried it’s more challenging than Ava thinks. Ava says, things are definitely still less than ideal, but she hates the idea of being thrown out of her own house. She didn’t do anything wrong; she didn’t screw up. Nina says, that is right, and she’d be more than happy to put Ava up at her place for however long she needs. Nikolas and Victor are at the door, and Nikolas says, that won’t be necessary. He and Ava are going home together.
Spencer puts some books away in the library, and the guard walks out. An inmate comes in, rolls up his sleeves, and looks through a book on the table. As Spencer walks by, he slaps the book Spencer is holding out of his hands. Spencer says, what the hell? and the inmates says, it was long overdue.
Spencer tells Sonny, remember, at the pool, Nina said she was going to talk to Curtis about booking him at The Savoy? Then the two of them left, Chase thought to go talk to Curtis. Sonny says, they went to The Savoy, but he doesn’t think Nina had a chance to talk to Curtis. Chase says, maybe she spoke with him later? but Sonny says he doesn’t think so. He thinks Nina would have told him if she’d asked Curtis to book him. Chase says, if Nina didn’t talk to Curtis, how did his gig get arranged? Sonny flashes back to talking to Selina about Chase, and Selina smiles at him as she gets into the elevator.
Elizabeth says she was hoping Gregory could answer a question, and he says, absolutely; he’d be happy to. She says, how well did he know Finn’s wife Reiko?
Finn sees Alexis, and says he was looking for her. He has news about Diane.
Anna says she has no intention of including another civilian in this, but Valentin says he’s not going to put Nina in harm’s way. But she can help them without being put at risk. She asks what he’s thinking, and he says, to save Charlotte, they need access. Nina could be the key.
Nikolas says he’s made arrangements for every comfort and amenity to await Ava at Windymere. Shall we? Nina folds her arms, and stands next to Ava, and Ava says she’s not going with him. He says, Windymere is her home, and she shouldn’t be driven away because of something he did. She says she has no intention of giving up her claim to Windymere, but she’s not ready to live under the same roof as him… yet. He says he thought after everything they’d discussed… and she says, they’re not there yet. An orderly comes with a wheelchair, and Ava says, perfect timing. She’s ready to go home. Nikolas tells her, he just said… and she says, her old home. Her first home in Port Charles, where she felt safe before she got mixed up with him. If Nina’s offer still stands. Nina says, it certainly does, and Ava says, then let’s go. Nina struts out next to Ava, and Victor puts his hand on Nikolas’s shoulder.
The inmate says, pick it up, but Spencer says he’ll get it later. The inmate repeats, pick it up, and Spencer says, dude dropped it. Pick it up himself. The inmate whacks Spencer in the head with a book, and Spencer falls to the floor.
On Monday, Trina asks why Josslyn is so interested in Dex; Elizabeth tells Finn, the connection never really goes away; and Robert wishes he’d find this guy before he does it again.
📋 Interim Manager…
When someone uses the phrase scene partner, you know they went to acting school.
The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself. – C. JoyBell C.
The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all. – Walt Disney Company (Did you expect someone like Gandhi, the way I did?)
The healthy being craves an occasional wildness, a jolt from normality, a sharpening of the edge of appetite, his own little festival of Saturnalia, a brief excursion from his way of life. – Robert MacIver
The final test of a gentleman is his respect for those who can be of no possible service to him. – William Lyon Phelps
Love is never wasted, for its value does not rest upon reciprocity. – C. S. Lewis
Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work. – Gustave Flaubert
In oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, the door is there and the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either the key or the door to open, except yourself. – Jiddu Krishnamurti
The healthy man does not torture others – generally it is the tortured who turn into torturers. – Carl Jung
Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul. – Mark Twain
🌫 Sensing Kenneth’s Frequency…
Meet me for a condensed recap of Dead people Walking on Sunday, really Monday morning, or two days from now if you’re counting. Until then, stay safe, stay willing to look at things from a different perspective, and stay remembering only you can decide what you’re willing to accept.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
At Pozzulo’s Brick tells Jason, it’s bad news; really bad. Jason says, so it’s more than one lost shipment, and Brick says, it’s way more than that. Carly walks in, and hugs Brick, and tells him it’s great to see him, but not so great circumstances. Did he have to deal with much fallout for his part in Jason’s escape? He says, the lawyer ran interference, and the PCPD stopped calling. It would have gone a lot smoother if Jason had jumped into the car the first time, like they planned. Carly says, that’s what she told Jason, and Jason says he’s sorry he caused Brick extra trouble. Brick tells him not to worry about it. He gets it; Jason had to go back for Britt. He was just defending the original escape plan, which would have worked. Carly says, no question, but that’s not why Brick’s there. Any word on the missing shipment? He says, the shipment has been located, and she asks why it didn’t arrive on schedule. He says, one of her people sold her out.
Brook goes out on the terrace to talk on the phone, and asks Maxie, what’s going on? Has she heard from Peter? She says, no, thank God. Ellie and Spinelli just took Georgie and James to the pool, so she had a minute to call. How’s Louise? Brook says Maxie’s baby is doing great. She has a healthy appetite, and good lungs. Maxie doesn’t have to worry. Maxie says she’s coming over. She has to see her baby.
Sasha puts some flowers in the hospital chapel, when Willow walks in. Sasha says Willow looks beautiful, and Willow thanks her for decorating. It looks beautiful. Sasha says it’s the least she could do. How is Willow feeling? Willow says, nervous, but she knows she’s doing the right thing by marrying Chase. Sasha says, even though her heart belongs to Michael?
Michael brings Anna into the living room, and tells Valentin that he has a visitor. Anna tells Michael that he doesn’t have to stay. It looks like he’s going somewhere. He says, Willow and Chase’s wedding in the GH chapel, and Anna asks how Chase is. Michael says, he didn’t respond to treatment, and doesn’t have much time left. This might be his last day.
Jackie says she can’t believe her son is getting married, and Chase says, marrying Willow is a dream come true. Where it is, not so much. She says, he deserves a long and happy life, and he says he’s sorry. He hates that he’s causing so much pain for everyone. She tells him, stop that right now. Being his mother has been the greatest gift of her life. He brought her a joy she never even knew existed. She says she loves him, and he says he loves her too. She gave him a good life, and he’s sorry to leave it. He just wishes there was a way to beat this thing. Even Finn can’t figure it out.
Finn is running down the hall, and sees Elizabeth. He says he’s been looking for her. Tell him he’s not fooling himself. She says, about what? and he says, about why his cure for Chase didn’t work. Cyrus Renault.
At Austin’s cabin, Dante is looking at a map, when Austin walks in. Austin says, hi; he didn’t knock. He doesn’t know what to do. Please help him manage this. Should he knock on a door of a house he owns? Dante says he didn’t expect to see Austin today, and Austin says he can’t rent the place out when it’s an active crime scene. He thought he’d come by and see if there was any progress with the investigation. He sits down and looks at the map, and Dante says he spoke to the property management. They were unaware there was a hidden camera. Austin says thanks for letting him know. They’re probably worried about a potential lawsuit. Dante should see how they manage some of their other properties. Dante says he knows how to do his job, and Austin says, clearly. If they’re done with all the unfounded suspicions, he’d like to volunteer for the search for Maxie’s baby. He brought Louise into this world, and promised Miss Maxie that he’d do everything he could to help bring her home. Does that sound like something a kidnapper would say? Dante says, actually, it does.
Elizabeth asks if Finn thinks Cyrus had someone tamper with the paternity tests to get back at Jackie. Never mind. Of course (🍷) he would. Finn says he thinks the cure lies in the DNA of Chase’s biological parents. If he’s not Chase’s father, his DNA wouldn’t work. That’s why the treatment failed. She says if Finn prepares another dose with Jackie and Gregory’s DNA, Chase’s body won’t reject it. He says, yes. Is that a reasonable hypothesis, or is he just seeing what he wants to see because he wants to save Chase’s life? She says she thinks Cyrus is petty enough to change paternity test results, and spiteful enough to gloat in Finn’s face while he’s being dragged off to prison. She thinks he might have just given Finn the key to saving Chase. Gregory walks up, and asks if Finn has any news on the… tests. Finn says they can talk in front of Elizabeth. He trusts her, and she knows everything. He hasn’t heard yet. Gregory says they’re running out of time, and Finn says he has a new dose ready to go. He just needs confirmation from the lab. In the meantime, Chase has the wedding to focus on and keep him positive. Gregory says, Chase asked him to perform the ceremony. He said there was a simple way for Gregory to get certified online. Is there a computer he can use? Elizabeth says she’ll help him with that, and Finn says he’s going to check on Chase. Gregory prays the DNA results come back soon.
Brook says she understands Maxie wanting to see her baby, but they have to be strategic about Maxie’s visit. They’re not friends. Maxie says she told Nina that she and Brook bonded during Lamaze class, and thinks she bought it. Brook says, that’s great for Nina, but how are they going to explain it to the rest of the world? Maxie’s baby supposedly got kidnapped by a psycho nurse, and now she’s coming to see someone she can barely stand. Maxie says she doesn’t care. She’s literally aching for her child. She needs to see her. Brook asks if she isn’t worried about Peter. She doesn’t believe he’s given up for a second. What if he’s hiding, waiting for her to lead him to Louise, and Maxie comes there to visit someone she can’t stand, who coincidently just had a baby the same age? He will figure it out, and everything they did will be for nothing. Maxie says Brook is right. The priority is keeping Louise away from Peter. There’s a knock at Maxie’s door, and she says she has to go; she’ll call later. She opens the door to Sam, and asks what Sam is doing there. Sam says she came by because she has a few questions about Louise.
Brick says, the driver made a deal to deliver the shipment to the Novak family. Mr. Novak has offered to pay double for any Corinthos shipments. Carly asks who the driver is, and Jason says, Don Knotts Metz. She says she doesn’t know him, and Jason says he’s only been working for them about a year. Carly asks if he really thought he’d get away with it, and Brick says, that’s the problem. Mr. Novak has been telling people the Corinthos organization is weak now that Sonny’s gone.
Sasha asks Willow what the chair is for, and Willow says, Chase isn’t strong enough to stand during the wedding, so he’ll be in a wheelchair. She didn’t want him to feel self-conscious, so she’s going to sit across from him, and they’ll have the same eyeline. Sasha says, it’s really thoughtful. She’s sorry she brought up Michael. She’s there to support Willow. Willow says she doesn’t have to apologize. If Finn’s treatment had worked, and Chase was recovering, they wouldn’t be getting married, but she still loves Chase. It wasn’t that long ago, she thought she’d be spending her life with him. It’s the last gift she can give him in return for all he’s given her. Sasha says that’s all she needed to hear, and picks up a box, saying, it’s for Willow. Willow opens the box and sees a blue butterfly brooch. Sasha says she thought Willow wouldn’t have had time for the traditions. This covers old, new, borrowed, and blue wrapped up into one. Her grandmother gave it to her on her 16th birthday. She’s had it for years, but it’s new to Willow. She wants it back, and it’s blue. Willow can either wear it or pin it to her skirt.
Finn asks if Chase is sure he’s up for this, and Chase says, hell yeah. Just thinking about promising his life to Willow makes him stronger. If Finn wants to help, he can get Chase dressed. Finn says Chase is a good man. He definitely made Finn a better man. He’ll always regret how horrible he was to Chase when Chase first came to town. Chase says, it’s all part of Finn’s charm, and Finn says, that’s what Chase has always done; accept people for who they are. He makes them want to be better, and Chase deserves better. Do him a favor, hang in there. Keep fighting, and he may get his miracle. Chase says he’s marrying Willow. That is his miracle.
Anna says, it’s devastating that Chase can slip away so quickly, and Valentin says, it’s senseless. Brook comes in, and notes that Michael is all ready for the ceremony. Michael says he knows she wanted to be there, and Brook says, more room for the family and she has her hands full with Bailey. Just give Chase and Willow her congratulations and love. Michael leaves, and Brook says, excuse me, super spies. What are they going to do to find the guy who caused all this suffering? Anna says she thinks she has a lead on Peter.
Dante tells Austin, it’s not uncommon for criminals to insert themselves into investigations. They get a kick out of watching cops try to figure out what they’ve done. Austin says he’s grateful he doesn’t live in Dante’s world, when Dante’s phone rings. Dante crosses something off the map, and Austin says, this map is wrong.
Carly tells Brick, she doesn’t understand. Between her and Jason, they kept things going without a beat. She had a meeting with the Five Families cheese calzones, and they accepted her. Brick says, because there was no alternative; Jason seemed to be out of the picture. Carly says, of all he misogynistic, backward ways of thinking. She was handling things because Jason was unavailable. She’s weak because she’s a woman? Jason says, it’s not because she’s a woman; it’s because she’s an outsider. She says she’s not an outsider. She’s Sonny’s widow. Jason says she hasn’t been involved in the business until now, and Brick says, Jason’s right. They know she has no experience; Jason does. They’re just waiting for him to make his move. She asks, what kind of move? (I’ve never been in the mob, but I have the feeling this isn’t how it works.)
Michael goes to Chase’s room, where Chase sits in a wheelchair, wearing a suit and an oxygen tube. He asks what Michael thinks. It’s the latest in trendy wedding accessories. Michael says he looks great, and Chase says he hopes Willow thinks so too. She deserves so much better than a hospital chapel. (God help me, I almost wrote chat room.) Michael says Chase knows Willow doesn’t care about things like that, and Chase says he does, but he wishes he could give her the world. Michael says he doesn’t blame Chase, and Chase thanks him for coming. Michael says, of course (🍷). Brook sends her love. She’s at home with the baby. She said she wanted to make more room for the family, but Michael thinks she might be jealous. Chase says if he wasn’t so in love with Willow, he’d be flattered, and Michael says, the point is, this is Chase’s big day, and they’re all there for him and Willow. Chase says he’s just glad he didn’t completely throw their friendship away when he and Sasha lied to Michael about the affair. Michael says they’re way past that. Chase is a great man, and he’s honored to be his friend. Chase says Michael is a good man too. He’s happy Michael is going to be there for Willow after he’s gone. Gregory and Finn join them, and Gregory says they should get things started. Michael says he’ll make sure things are ready in the chapel, and Gregory says, shall we? Chase says he can’t get married yet. Someone’s missing.
Anna tells Valentin, there’s a heliport on the roof of GH. On the night Peter disappeared, a helicopter approached the hospital airspace, but didn’t identify itself. Valentin says, and the call sign? and Brook says, the call what? Valentin says, the registration number on the side of the helicopter, and Anna says, they were covered up. Valentin says, that sounds like Peter. Maybe if they can find the pilot, he can tell them where Peter was planning on taking Maxie and the baby. That might be where he is now. Anna’s phone rings, and she says it’s Finn. Finn says he needs her help, and she says of course (🍷). Anything.
Maxie tells Sam, the nurse knocked out Austin, and took her baby like she said she would. Sam says that matches what Maxie said the night Louise was taken, and Maxie says, of course (🍷) it does, but why is Sam making her relive this again? Sam says the police uncovered a hidden camera at the cabin where the nurse was holding her. She and Dante were able to watch it. She just has a few more questions.
Austin points to something on the map, and says it’s reasonably close to where he found Maxie. Dante says he was told the entire area was inaccessible because the drop to the water is too high. Austin says he doesn’t know who told Dante that. They had a winter storm, and lost a bunch of trees, roots and all. They lost the riverbed, and you can cross the creek now. Is Dante telling him no one has looked there yet? Dante says, let’s go.
In the chapel, Willow prays she’s making the right decision. She’ll do anything to make Chase’s final days happy, but God knows what’s in her heart. It belongs to someone else. Michael walks in, and they gaze at each other.
Violet runs in to see Chase, and says he’s supposed to be in bed because he’s sick. He says they’re letting him up for a special occasion. Anna says Violet’s Uncle Chase asked her to bring Violet there because he and Willow are getting married. Violet jumps up and down, saying, a wedding? and Chase says he couldn’t get married without his bestest favorite niece. She says she’s his only niece, and he says that’s all he needs. She says her daddy is going to make him all better now, and Finn thanks Anna for bringing her. She says, of course (🍷), and Chase says he appreciates it and hopes she stays for the wedding. He wouldn’t feel right if she wasn’t there. She says she’d be glad to stay, and Chase asks if Violet will do him a big favor. Would she be his flower girl? She says, yes, yes, yes. She knows what to do; she’s done it before. He wants her to know that he’s loved being her uncle, and Violet tells him not to be sad. He’s getting married; he’s so lucky. He tries not to cry, and says he’s very lucky. He breaks down, and Anna and Finn put their hands on his shoulders.
Michael says Willow looks beautiful, and she thanks him, saying, Sasha helped her get ready. Was he looking for her? He says he was making sure the chapel was ready. He doesn’t have much of a purpose today. She says he has a very important purpose; Chase wants him to be there. He says she’s right. The chapel looks good. She says, again, all Sasha’s doing. He asks if she’s okay, and she says she is. Him? He says he saw Chase earlier, and he’s really excited to marry her. She says, that’s what’s important, when Jackie and Sasha walk in. Jackie thanks Michael for being there. It means the world to Harry/Chase. He says, of course (🍷), and she says it looks like they’re ready. She going to get the groom. She hands Willow a bouquet, and Michael says he’ll join her. Sasha puts her arm around Willow.
Valentin finds Brook on the terrace, and says, if she wants to be alone, just say the word, but she doesn’t have to hide anything from him. He knows how much Chase has meant to her. She thanks him, and says, it’s funny how life changes things up on you without warning. She and Chase had a horrible start; he kept arresting her. He says, it was for assault, wasn’t it? and she says, that’s not the point. After a rocky start, her dad kicked her out of the house, and Chase took her in. He was supportive and accepting. He’s a bit of a neat freak, but nobody’s perfect. Chase became somebody she could trust, and now he’s dying. Valentin says, it’s difficult to lose a friend like that, and she asks when he became a friend expert. He says she’s right. He doesn’t have any friends. At least ones that aren’t on the payroll. She says, first of all, she took a cheap shot when he was just trying to be kind. She apologizes. And second, what is he talking about? He doesn’t consider Anna a friend?
Maxie asks if Sam isn’t on her side, and Sam says, of course (🍷) she is. When she watched the footage, and saw what that phony nurse did to Maxie, she’s sorry Maxie had to suffer through that ordeal. Maxie says she doesn’t know what else Sam wants her to say, but that psycho nurse wanted to force her into labor and steal her child. Sam says she watched the whole video, and it was very clear that nurse was working for Peter, and acting on his orders. How could Maxie be so sure the nurse wanted Louise for herself?
Austin and Dante walk through the woods, and Austin says he walks through these woods all the time. Dante will have to let him know if he wants him to slow down to a city slicker pace. Dante says, it’s cool. Austin’s family owns a lot of property around here? Austin says, it’s not top-of-the-line, but it’s home. It allows them to preserve the woods, and keep the developers out. Dante says, Austin doesn’t like people much, does he? and Austin says he likes people. Let him amend that. He loves some people, he likes most people, he tolerates a lot of people, but in his job as a doctor, he has to deal with a lot of people. He does have preferences, but it’s okay. The Buddhists say it’s okay to have some preferences, and he prefers to avoid people who are jaded and cynical. He gestures for Dante to go ahead, and Dante hopes Austin’s bedside manner is better than his social graces. They continue to walk, and suddenly, Austin shoves Dante to the ground.
Violet tosses rose petals, as she walks past a seated Chase and Willow. Gregory says, let’s begin. Chase takes Willow’s hand.
Brick says, the expectation is that Jason is going to return, and take over the Corinthos organization, and Carly says, that’s exactly what’s happening. Brick says, Mr. Novak doesn’t think so. He’s asking if Jason is in charge or she is. Carly says she was handling things while Jason was unavailable. She’s in the process of handing everything over. Brick tells her, listen to him. The people are used to one boss, not two. They’re expecting one of them, probably Jason, to push the other out. Carly says that’s never going to happen, and Brick says, forgive him for saying it, but it makes Jason look weak. Mr. Novak sees an opening, so others would. Jason says, the perception of weakness will lead to being challenged, which will escalate. Brick says they just ended a war with Renault. Is she ready for another one?
Gregory says he was honored when Chase asked him to perform the ceremony, but he has to admit, this is the first time he’s officiated at a wedding, so he’s out of his element. He thinks the best thing he can do is just speak from the heart. They’re here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. To witness the love between Chase and Willow, and to vow to support their love wholeheartedly. And do they, as witnesses to this day, support and encourage this union? They all say they do.
Maxie tells Sam, her baby is missing and that woman took her. That much she knows for sure. Sam tells her, she’s just saying, isn’t it possible that the nurse met up with Peter after all? Right now, everyone is looking for the nurse and the baby. Maybe they should be looking for Peter and Louise. Maxie says, no. Peter does not have her child.
Dante is like, what the hell? and Austin says, sometimes these boards, they rot, and Dante was about to step on one, so… Dante asks why Austin didn’t just tell him to stop, and Austin says because he didn’t think Dante would listen to him. He’s sorry. Is Dante hurt? Dante says he’s fine. Austin says, there used to be a lot of mining here, and there are abandoned shafts. He moves a tree branch off of the opening, and seeing missing boards, says, from the looks of these broken boards, it’s possible an animal, or even a person could have fallen through. Dante says it’s a long way down there, and Austin takes some rope out of his backpack.
Gregory asks if Chase takes this woman to be his wife, to live together in matrimony, to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold from this day forward, as long as they both shall live? Chase says he does, and Violet says, yay! Gregory asks the same of Willow, and she says she does. I just have to mention, Chase is the healthiest looking terminal patient I’ve ever seen. Other than the circles under his eyes, his coloring is better than mine on a good day. Gregory says, now for the exchanging of the rings. Chase drops the ring, and says he might need some help. His hands don’t work so good. He asks if Michael will put the ring on Willow, and Michael says he’d be glad to. Gregory asks Chase to repeat after him, with this ring, I thee wed, and Chase does. Michael puts the ring on Willow, and Chase thanks him. Gregory asks Willow to repeat after him, with this ring, I thee wed. She does, and Chase says he loves her. She says she loves him too. Gregory pronounces them husband and wife, and says Chase may kiss his bride. They kiss, and Michael looks at the floor. Violet says, yay! and throws petals up in the air. Chase isn’t looking so good, and Willow says she thinks he needs Finn. Chase says his wife worries too much, and Finn suggests they get Chase back to his room. Sasha congratulates them, and Violet asks if she can hug Chase before he goes. Finn gives the okay, and she hugs Chase. Chase says he loves her, and Violet tells him not to worry. Her daddy is going to make him all better. They all leave, except for Michael and Sasha. Sasha says she can stay if he wants, but he says he thinks he needs to be alone for a little while. Sasha leaves, and Michael sits in the chapel by himself.
Sam tells Maxie, she doesn’t understand. Obviously, the nurse was willing to break a lot of laws to get Peter what he wanted. What makes Maxie so sure she wouldn’t hand the baby off to him? Maxie says, the nurse didn’t say anything about taking the baby when they were in the house because she was still following Peter’s rules. Then Maxie hit her with the poker, and ran into the woods. She was angry, and said Maxie didn’t deserve Louise. She could take better care of Louise than Maxie could. Sam believes her, right?
On the phone, Dante says, that’s right. He sees Austin preparing to go into the shaft, and tells him, no. Austin says he’s a doctor. If there’s somebody down there, it’s probably someone who’s hurt. Dante says, it could be a crime scene, which means he has to go down there. One end of the rope is tied to a tree, and Dante tosses the other end down in the shaft.
Valentin supposes Brook is right, and he and Anna are friends of a fashion. She says, please. It’s clear to anyone with eyes, with their secret looks, and coded language that only the two of them can understand, they’re friends. At least. He says he and Anna are working together to bring Peter to justice, because they’re equally responsible for Peter building a home in Port Charles, and for convincing Maxie that she can trust him, when he was nowhere near worthy of that trust.
Jackie and Gregory look into Chase’s room through the window, while Willow paces. Jackie says, at least Harry/Chase got his final wish to marry Willow. Willow says she did make him happy, didn’t she? Finn jets out of Chase’s room, and tells Gregory, the test results just came in, and he dashes off. Gregory says he’s going with Finn, and starts to follow. Jackie says, but this is for Chase, and Gregory says, trust him, this is for Chase. He runs after Finn.
Jason says he appreciates Brick for the update, and looking into the theft. Brick says he has no doubt Jason and Carly will come up with a solution. Until then, if they need him for anything, don’t hesitate. Carly says they appreciate him, and he’s right. She and Jason will come up with a solution. Brick says he knows, and leaves. Carly asks, is Brick right? Does Jason look weak because he’s not pushing her out? Jason says, from Novak’s point of view, yeah. She says she went to the hospital to visit Cyrus before the Feds took him to prison. He said it would be a cakewalk for Jason to eliminate her and take over the Corinthos organization. When she told him that was never going to happen, he said Jason was either devoid of ambition or in her thrall. Neither of which are good for the Corinthos family, right? He says, no, it’s not good, and she says they’re going to have to get ahead of this. They’re going to have to show Novak, and anyone else, the Corinthos family is still the formidable organization it always has been. He says, it’s going to take a little time, but eventually, they’re going to see it. Carly asks, how much time?
Brook thanks Valentin for coming to her today. She knows she’s not the easiest person to get along with. He says she could just as easily be talking about him, and she says she knows he’s here for Bailey, not her. He says, they’re both raising a child. They’re both trying to provide a happy home for their daughter. It would be nice if they could be friends. She says she thinks maybe they already are.
Sam says, of course (🍷) she believes Maxie, and Maxie thanks her, and says she really would do anything to have Louise in her arms again, but she has to face reality. That nurse could be halfway around the world by now.
Austin asks Dante how it’s going. Did he find anything? Dante says, yeah. He’s at the bottom now, and thinks he found their kidnapper.
Anna thanks Sasha for taking Violet home; she feels like she should stay. Sasha says, no worries; it’s her pleasure. Violet says Roxie misses Anna, and she’ll tell her that Anna says hi. Anna says she misses Roxie too, and she misses Violet. She hugs Violet, and Sasha and Violet go down in the elevator.
Finn, Gregory, and Elizabeth gather around the computer, and Elizabeth asks what the DNA results say. Who is Chase’s biological father? Finn looks at Gregory, and says, you are. You’re Chase’s father. Everyone stands there smiling at each other, when they should really be moving to get that serum into Chase. I yell at the TV.
Jackie smooths Chase’s hair, while Willow holds his hand, and he says he’s not scared. He has his mom and his wife. It feels good. Jackie says she loves him so much, and Willow says she loves him too. Jackie kisses his cheek, and he says, lucky me. And flatlines. Once again, no one makes any quick move to do something.
Seriously, never let me check into GH. There’s no security, and they’re slow to react.
On Monday, Dante tells Maxie that he’s found something that could lead them to Louise, Ava prefers to err on the side of caution, Cameron wants to know the truth, and Finn finally gets to Chase.
💣 Gone But Not Forgotten…
Jeff Kober raised the bar on a show where the bar was already pretty high.
Don’t cry over someone who wouldn’t cry over you. – Lauren Conrad (I can’t say I ever thought I’d be using a quote from her.)
I believe the most important single thing, beyond discipline and creativity, is daring to dare. – Dr. Maya Angelou
The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. – John Powell
Sometimes you make the right decision, and sometimes you have to make the decision right. – Dr. Phil
To be inspired is great, but to inspire is an honor. – Stacey T. Hunt
You can’t eat beauty, it doesn’t sustain you. What is fundamentally beautiful is compassion for yourself and those around you. That kind of beauty inflames the heart and enchants the soul. – Lupita Nyong’o
No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. – Nelson Mandela
On this day, June 19, 1865, Black people’s complete personhood was acknowledged on a systemic level for the very first time. It dates the moment African-Americans, Caribbean-Americans, and Afro-immigrants alike could begin to, on some level, participate in and see themselves as part of a whole society. Since the passage of the 13th amendment, Black Americans like Shirley Chisolm have trail-blazed the socio-political world, creating a place for women like me to feel empowered in sharing my voice and stories with the world. As a woman of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and a member of the Divine 9, Juneteenth is also a time for me to acknowledge the ancestry of my founders and the experiences that led them to create our beloved sorority and to fight for the inclusion of black women in every space. I am humbled to share in the legacy of Juneteenth and understand that this becomes my fight to continue. – Brianna Taylor
🎈 Joy Comes In the Morning…
Another weekend is upon us, unless you’re just calling every day of the week day now. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. No Dead right now, so see you on Monday or whatever you’re calling it, for soap and a Sailing reunion. Until then, stay safe, stay inspiring and inspired, and stay not being jaded and cynical, or Austin will avoid you.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
In keeping with the tradition of every long, yet rushed, week, I missed the beginning, but here’s what happened. Dr. Kirk told Franco that he believed the voice Franco was hearing was a leftover memory of Drew’s. Scotty caught Obrecht outside the office, and wondered if she’d escaped from prison. Olivia told Alexis her marriage was just fine, and Alexis asked if she was sure. Tracy interrupted, and steered Alexis away from Olivia, and toward the bar. At one of the tables, Nikolas and Ava were celebrating, and Nikolas said he had a surprise for Ava. It was the post-nup, which he tossed on the table. Sam met Carly at the MetroCourt, and Dante met Olivia. Sam told Carly that she and Jason had separated, and Dante told Olivia that he was thinking about taking Rocco home. Jason and Sonny went to NYC, where Jason thought Spinelli would be able to locate Julian. He told Sonny that he and Sam had separated. Julian knocked on an apartment door, and a woman opened it, but kept the chain-lock on. Julian said he was looking for Kim Nero, and…
The woman says he’s in the right place. This is Dr. Nero’s apartment. He asks if she’s Kim’s roommate, but she says she works there. He says he thought maybe Kim no longer lived there, and she says she knows who he is. He’s Charlie.
Jason tells Sonny, the explosion was terrible. For Sam to think maybe her son could have been in there… He had nothing to do with anything. He dropped Danny off at the Quartermaines, and went to the hospital to talk to Britt. He had no idea what happened until he saw the alerts when he was driving over. He doesn’t know how it felt, standing in the parking lot, thinking their son was dead, waiting to see if they carried his body out. The same way he didn’t know what it was like when Morgan died. He hears Sonny and Carly talk about it, and he grieved when he found out, but he wasn’t there. He didn’t watch it happen. So Sam connected those two things – Morgan’s death could be Danny or Scout’s death – and she doesn’t want that. She’s not wrong.
Carly tells Sam, it’s a big decision, and she knows it cost a lot. Sam says, nothing means more to her than her kids. Standing in The Floating Rib parking lot, not knowing Danny’s condition… Carly says, torture, and Sam says she didn’t want the last memory of her son to be his baseball cap. She wants to watch her kids breathe, grow, and make beautiful lives for themselves. Because of that, it means she can’t be with Jason.
Sam tells Carly, she had no idea what she said. It all came tumbling out; the regret, the fear, all of it. Carly says she knows; Jason just stood there took it. Sam says, yeah. Part of her wanted him to fight for her so bad. To come up with a miraculous loophole where he could still work for Sonny, but keep them safe. She knows it doesn’t exist, and she can’t keep pretending it does.
Sonny says he’s sorry. He can see how bad Jason is hurting, but he’s not surprised. Something changed in Sam that night. Jason says he didn’t see it. He was caught up in everything else, and didn’t realize. Sonny says, he was blindsided, and Jason says that’s why he was late. He was on his way out, when Sam stopped him, and asked him not to come back. He was standing there listening about her fears, and how it’s not the life she wanted for Danny and Scout. He wanted to comfort her, but he couldn’t. He wanted to fight it, but he said he wouldn’t. All he could hear in his head was that he let this happen. He bangs the steering wheel, and says, he let this happen. He knew better. He knew he never should be a father.
The woman lets Julian in, and he says no one has called him Charlie in a long time. She says Kim showed her pictures, and told her how he helped her through her son’s terrible death. He says he wishes he could have done more, and she says, the way Kim talks, he did plenty. He asks how Kim is, and she says Kim never got over losing Oscar, but she was able to pick up the pieces. She got a job at the hospital. She’s going to be surprised to find him there. Julian says, it’s a surprise to him too.
Ava says she can’t believe Nikolas chose now to throw the post-nup in her face, but he says he’s giving it to her to destroy it. She asks why he didn’t say so, and he asks if she’d like to do the honors. She tears it up, and throws it on the table. They toast to love, and she says how good it is to get rid of it. He says, one less threat to their happiness. They only have to take care of one more.
Tracy tells Alexis that she and Luke started a promising enterprise in Amsterdam, and they need a good lawyer. Alexis says she lost her license, and Tracy asks if that means she lost her knowledge and experience. Alexis says, no, and Tracy says, it pays well, and Amsterdam is a beautiful part of the world. Alexis can start over. She’s offering Alexis an opportunity. Alexis says it doesn’t sound appealing.
Dante tells Olivia, his gut is telling him to take Rocco home, but he’s worried about it. He’s pretty much a stranger to his own son. He hasn’t been there, and Rocco doesn’t know him. He’s comfortable at the Quartermaine’s, and Leo is there. If he hadn’t left, and this didn’t happen, and Lulu and Rocco had been secure with him, this wouldn’t be the case. Olivia asks if he really believes that, and Dante says he sees it in Rocco’s eyes and body language. Rocco knows Dante is his dad, but he doesn’t feel the way should feel, and Lulu isn’t there to bridge the gap. He needs help knowing what to do with his son.
Franco tells Kirk, he’s read the file now. Most of his life he was a seriously messed up person who did seriously messed up things. When the tumor was removed, all that disappeared, and his impulses were gone. Kirk says, so he’s thinking now that the tumor is back, they’ll return? Franco says he’s terrified, and Kirk says, they’ll take it as it comes, but he’s convinced he can help.
Obrecht tells Scotty to keep it to himself and calls him a dummkopf. She says his only redeeming quality is that his son is an amazing human being. He says Franco thinks she’s as guilty as he does, but she says, once she explains the truth, Franco will see the light. Franco comes out, and says he’s all ears.
Obrecht tells Franco and Scotty, she’s been exonerated, but the person who framed her is out there. If they know she’s free, they’ll cover their tracks. She’s staying there until they can obtain proof. Please, tell no one. Kirk says he hates to break up this reunion, but he needs a word with Obrecht. He’ll see Franco tomorrow. Kirk and Obrecht go into the office, and Scotty says, unbelievable. Franco says, yeah, and Scotty says, wait a minute, mister. He’s not buying that hogwash, is he?
Olivia tells Dante she’s sorry. Without even realizing it, she’s been running interference between him and Rocco. She thought she was making it easier, but in doing grandma stuff, she thinks she built a wall. He says, that’s not what the conversation is about. She’s been his touchstone, and he’s grateful. She says she gets it, but thinks maybe Dante needs to be Rocco’s touchstone. It’s the only way they can build a bond. They’ll struggle through it, day by day. As much as she loves having him there, maybe it’s best if he takes Rocco home.
Alexis asks, what’s gotten into Tracy? She dragged Alexis over there, now she’s begging her to pack up and move to Amsterdam. Tracy says Alexis isn’t hearing begging. She’s doing this for her. Alexis laughs, and Tracy asks, what’s funny? Alexis says Tracy doesn’t do anything for anyone, unless it’s a Quartermaine. This is about her and Ned, isn’t it?
Nikolas and Ava stand by Ryan’s bedside, and Ava says, it’s over. Ryan is never going to threaten, blackmail, or manipulate her again. Sonny knows everything, and Julian is dead. He jumped to his death before she could kill him. She only wishes she’d killed Ryan a long time ago.
Julian tells the woman, he was hoping to reconnect with Kim. Let her know he’ll never forget her. She says, it sounds final, and he says he came to say goodbye. Crying comes from another room, and Julian asks if there’s a baby there.
Jason says, he got together with Sam in the beginning because she was pregnant with Sonny’s baby. Looking back, he knows he stepped up for Sam and the baby, but he was also doing for Sonny. Sonny and Carly had just gotten back together, and he wanted them to stay together, for all their sakes. They were his family, and there was no possibility of him turning his back on Sonny, and going away to have something separate with Sam. He knew that about himself, which was why, when Sam wanted to have kids, he should have fought against it. He should have been stronger. He tried for a long time, but he loved Sam so much, and she wanted it so bad. He doesn’t regret Danny exists; he loves Danny. Sonny says he knows, and Jason says he’s proud of Danny. He sees parts of him and Sam in Danny, and would never undo that. Sonny says Jason would die for his son, and Jason says, but now Danny is having his life ripped apart, and let’s be real. It’s on me.
Ava tells Nikolas, there’s nothing there that can hurt them anymore, but Nikolas thinks they should make absolutely sure. He picks up a pillow, and Felix walks in. Felix asks what they’re doing there, and Ava says, just checking on Ryan. They were making sure he was under guard, but there’s no security. (Funny. I’ve been saying that about GH for years.) Felix says, if Ryan regains consciousness, he guarantees there will be guards all over the place. Ava asks if there’s been any change, but Felix says, no. Nikolas asks about the prognosis. If he wakes up, will he be functional? Felix says he’s not allowed to say, but for what it’s worth, he hopes Ryan doesn’t remember his name for what he did to Kiki. He still misses her. Ava thanks him, and says she does too. Felix leaves, and Ava asks if Nikolas was really going to kill Ryan. Nikolas says, no. They were going to do it together. They walk out, and Ryan moves his index finger, and his eyelids flutter.
Scotty tells Franco that he wouldn’t trust Obrecht as far as he could throw her. Dr. Kirk too. Franco says Dr. Kirk is going to help him, and stop the voice in his head.
Kirk says Obrecht took a big risk allowing them to see her. She says it wasn’t her intention, but it happened. He says, it did, but they mustn’t let it interfere with their time together. He sent the staff home, and they’re alone. They can finally be together now. He grabs her, and dips her over his desk.
Olivia tells Dante that he and Rocco should be having this conversation. They’re missing Lulu, and they need each other. He says he wants to be able to make it okay for his son, but he doesn’t know how. She says he won’t until he actually does it. Dante asks if she doesn’t think Rocco will balk at the suggestion, but she says he’s not moving to New Zealand. It’s Rocco’s childhood home, and holds his memories. Rocco can still spend three nights a week at grandma’s house, and play with Leo. They need to get him on a schedule.
Alexis says Tracy knows she and Ned slept together. Tracy says, what?! and Alexis says, knock it off. It was stupid, drunk, and one night; it didn’t mean anything, but Olivia should know. Tracy says Alexis isn’t going to tell her… and Alexis says she has no intention of breaking up their marriage. Tracy says, but she’s drinking. That could lead to loose lips, misjudgments, and blackouts. Is Alexis going to tell her that’s never happened? Alexis says, go to hell. She’s going home. Tracy says she’ll drive her, but Alexis says, unfortunately she’s not drunk. Tracy says, really? and Alexis says, fine. She’ll come back to get her car tomorrow. Tracy says she’s driving Alexis’s car, and won’t take no for an answer. Fork them over. Alexis gives Tracy her keys, and says, in that case… and chugs the rest of her drink.
Carly says she knew Sam was scared, but had no idea she felt this way. Sam says she didn’t either, but she’s had moments in the last couple of days where it hit her so hard. Last night, Jason had to leave, and Danny was really disappointed. They sat down and had a conversation. They talked about feelings, and Danny told her that he was upset when Jason would leave, and he didn’t know when Jason was coming back. He told her that he hated having guards, and the thing that really broke her heart was when he said he couldn’t have friends over because their parents were afraid of Jason. Danny shouldn’t have to deal with that; Scout either. So that means their life with Jason is over. It’s not Jason’s fault; he’s who he is, and never pretended to be otherwise. Carly says, Jason hasn’t changed, but you have.
Jason says he was surprised at the timing, but not that it happened. He’s known all along there was a chance Sam would reach a point where it didn’t make sense for her; all the risks she’d take for herself, she can’t take for Danny and Scout. At that point, he wanted to say he was leaving the business, and taking them somewhere safe, but he can’t do that. It’s not him. If he left, and something happened to Sonny and his family, he couldn’t live with that. So his only choice is to do what Sam wants, and she wants them to be over. He sighs.
Julian looks at a photo of a baby. The woman comes out, and says, it’s all good now. He just needed a fresh diaper. Julian asks if he’s her son, and she laughs. She says, no. She’s the nanny. It’s Kim’s baby.
Dante thanks Olivia for helping him make sense of this, and coming up with a plan. More important, he thanks her for coming to Geneva. It’s the reason he turned a corner; hearing her on the other side of the door, refusing to give up. She tells him, get used to it. She’ll never give up. She knows the kind of man he is. She sees how he struggles every day, and keeps showing up struggling. It’s all they can ask, that he keep doing his best. She loves him so much, and she’s so proud of him. He says he loves her too.
Alexis says she gets Tracy wanting her son to be happy; Ned is a good man. Tracy says, that he is, and Alexis says she told Ned to tell her. Tracy says, what? and Alexis says she told Ned to tell Olivia. Things have a way of coming out anyway. She feels bad about what she did, and for Olivia. Her husband cheated on her, and she doesn’t deserve it. Somebody ought to tell her. Tracy gives Alexis a look.
Sam tells Carly, she’s envisioning a bright future for her kids. It’s what she wants and knows it’s right, but it comes at the price of losing an incredible man she loves so much. She guesses that’s what happens when you grow up and become a parent. You put the kids first, rather than following your own heart. She’s sorry if she said anything offensive, but Carly says she didn’t. They’re very different people from different circumstances, and the choices they make will be different. Sam is doing what she thinks is right for her family, like Carly is doing what she thinks is right for hers.
Sonny asks if Jason thinks Sam is doing the right thing, and Jason says, he told her as much. They’re adults, and they’ll be okay, but the people whose lives are upended are Danny and Scout. No explanation can change the fact that they’re losing their family. Sonny was damaged by his father, and never really healed until he was grown, and Mike just passed away. He doesn’t want that for Danny and Scout, but he doesn’t know how to stop it from happening. Sonny says there’s a big difference between Jason and his dad. His dad ran away; Jason isn’t doing that. It’s hard on Danny and Scout, but they’ll know he acted in honor. They might not know now, but as they get older, they’ll know it meant something. Jason’s phone rings, and he says, it’s Spinelli. He must have information. Jason answers, and asks what Spinelli’s got.
The nanny says, Kim never told Julian she was pregnant? She knew before she left Port Charles. He says they weren’t exactly on the best terms, and asks the baby’s name. She says, Andrew, but they call him Andy.
Franco tells Scotty that Kirk thinks the voice is a leftover memory of Drew’s. Better than that, he thinks he can fix it. Scotty says, that would be great, and Franco says, but…? Scotty says he thinks they have an agenda, and he intends to find out what it is.
Obrecht says, consummating their relationship in Kirk’s office wasn’t the romance she imagined. He says any way they’re together is perfect. She says, it’s not, and he says, she claims to love him, but her actions show him otherwise. He thinks she’s using him to get what she wants. She says what she wants is her freedom. To force her to do sexual favors for it is disgusting. He couldn’t handle a woman like her. He picks up the phone, and says he’s sounding the alarm. Anna needs to know Dante is coming for her and her son. Obrecht puts a pocket knife to his throat, and tells him to put the phone down.
Franco calls Elizabeth, and says he has good news. In the office, Obrecht and Kirk struggle, and Scotty walks in. He asks, what’s going on? and punches Kirk in the face. Kirk falls on the knife. Oops.
The nanny says, it might be a while until Kim is home, and asks if Julian wants to leave a note. An alarm goes off, and Julian asks, what the hell is that? She says, the fire alarm, and he asks if she was expecting a drill. She says she doesn’t know, but to be safe, they should get out of there. In the hallway, Jason hides.
Scotty tells Obrecht, it was a small blade. He’ll be okay, right? She says, wrong. He’s dead.
Olivia tells Dante, it’s so sad to see people buckle. Like Alexis. She’s an admirable woman, but she’s been spewing hate. Dante says he was talking to her earlier, and Olivia tells him, try not to take on her poison. Alexis was drunk, and implying there was something she knew about Olivia’s marriage that Ned wasn’t telling her. Dante says, she has no idea what Alexis was talking about? and she says, no clue.
Alexis is behind the wheel of the car, unconscious. Tracy says, there are those say she’s questionable as a mother. They might be right, but Olivia is the best thing that’s happened to Ned. She refuses to let one mistake ruin his marriage. Since she can’t trust Alexis to keep her mouth shut, she’s doing what she needs to. She gets out of the car.
Nikolas looks in on Ryan, and tells Ava, no signs of life. They’ll make a plan to be free once and for all. Is she sure about this? He should have been there for her when she confronted her brother. When it comes to Ryan, he will be.
We see Ryan’s eyes are open.
The nanny leaves the apartment, and when she’s gone, Jason comes out. On the phone, Jason tells Sonny, awoman just left, but it wasn’t Kim. He’s going in. He draws his gun, and kicks the door open, but the apartment is empty.
Carly says Sam seems at peace with her decision, and Sam says she is. Carly thinks that means she made the right one. She has to say she’s sorry it’s come to this for all of them, and Sam says she’s sorry too. She thanks Carly, and Carly says she’s always there for Sam. Sam leaves, and Carly looks like she’s in pain. She calls Jason, and says she just wants him to know that she loves him, and she’s there. Whatever he needs.
The nanny calls Kim, and says the man Kim warned her about showed up. She got rid of him. He has no idea Kim’s baby is his.
Julian jumps down into an alleyway. He starts to leave, but Sonny is there with a gun. He says, don’t run off, Jules. We have a lot to talk about.
On Monday, Maxie has some bad news, Franco wonders who’s on the other side of the door, Cyrus knew someone would see eye to eye with him, and Sonny tells Julian that the information he’s got is keeping him alive.
While I was perusing Netflix to watch something for my gig athttps://mupoentertainment.com/theresa-krakauskas/, and feeling like Dory from Finding Nemo, I said, oh look! Tiger King! I’d been out of the loop when it was everyone else’s pandemic distraction, and then forgotten about it. So for the next however many hours it took, I watched the entire series, including Joel McHale’s follow-up The Tiger King and I. I’d forgotten how funny he is. If you haven’t checked this documentary out, by all means do. It’s a different kind of horror show, the entire cast reminding me of a tribe of people the Z Nation group would have come across. (And yes, I’m still bitter about Z Nation’s cancelation, and always will be.) Not since Steve Rubel opened Studio 54 have there been so many screwed up people in one place. A tragedy in the making, all I could think about was how much somebody needed to step in for the animals. The documentary of the battle royale between self-proclaimed Tiger King, Joe Exotic, and Big Cat Rescue owner, Carol Baskin – who may or may not have killed her husband and fed him to a tiger – is a horror of the reality kind. Truth is ultimately stranger than fiction. You can’t make this stuff up.
🏞 Another Good One…
Big Sky is coming up to it’s mid-winter finale (whatever that is), but you can see it all On Demand. John Carroll Lynch’s performance alone is worth the price of admission. Warning: This article will either contain spoilers or fill you in if you want to catch up quickly.
There’s no other way to say it. I Love a Mama’s Boy pisses me off. It’s one of those shows I watch with horrified fascination, wondering if these people are for real. From the mother who started crying at a toy store because her son said she couldn’t get her granddaughter an extra toy, to the full-on bitch in this article. Probably a spoiler, but it won’t matter. You will still watch with your mouth hanging open.
Awards shows make for strange bedfellows. While I’m not into the adult film industry, I saw one of these awards shows once when it surprised me in coming on after a non-adult film I was watching late at night. Another thing I watched in horrified fascination, although it was actually pretty amusing, and definitely less offensive than Mama’s Boy.
The one guy who should have been fired long ago for his God-knows-what fueled tirades, homophobia, misogynism, and a whole host of other disgusting behavior.
Tyler is at it again. This time on BET+. There are several ways to stream it; one is through Amazon Prime. I haven’t seen it yet, but this show looks awesome.
The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn’t understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had. – Eric Schmidt
I do believe that when we face challenges in life that are far beyond our own power, it’s an opportunity to build on our faith, inner strength, and courage. I’ve learned that how we face challenges plays a big role in the outcome of them. – Sasha Azevedo
A healthy attitude is contagious but don’t wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier. – Tom Stoppard
This week, Washington State officials announced they had discovered the first known murder hornet nest in the U.S. Inside the basketball-sized hive were 200 queens, which really is just too many. – from Mic.com
As to wishing it had not happened, one can’t help momentary wishes: guilt begins only when one embraces them. You can’t help their knocking at the door, but one mustn’t ask them in to lunch. – C. S. Lewis, From The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume III
Cute is for Chinese babies. – Howard Howe (Michael Parks), Tusk
We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark. – Whoopi Goldberg
What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. – Zig Ziglar
We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. – Maya Angelou
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
🚀 To the Weekend and Beyond…
We made it to the end of another seven-day stretch. Masks on, masks off. But always, stay safe, stay ethical, and stay not letting loose lips sink anything.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
And the GH Flashback roulette wheel says… October 15th, 2015. I heard on an ad that this week is the best of Sonny and Carly, which brings cohesion to the randomness. Sonny surprised Carly with a wedding in the hospital chapel, that Maxie jumped through hoops to put together in record time. Josslyn and Kristina looked like babies, Sabrina attended with Michael, and Josslyn played the Wedding March on the flute. I assumed it was actually her playing, and was impressed, since the flute is very difficult to master.
Paul showed up at the gallery, while trying to set up Anna via text using the name Sloane. Paul told Ava to be prepared for the dismantling of the Corinthos organization. His plan was about to come to fruition. He told Ava that Carrrlos’s fate and Anna’s were going to dovetail (who uses that word, except in reference to carpentry?). Ava asked if it was a coincidence, but Paul said it was careful planning. He wanted Ava to launder some money via art collectors he was going to send, but Ava wasn’t keen on the idea. Paul asked if she wanted to go to prison for Connie’s murder, since he had her confession on tape. Ava said she was afraid of losing Avery, and Paul relented, saying he wasn’t heartless, and Ava would be of no use to him if her mind was elsewhere. He told her to deal with the custody case first.
Old Jordan wanted to talk to Anna about Carrrlos’s disappearance, since Anna was the last one to see him. Jordan said her leads had gone cold, and Mayor Lomax was breathing down her neck.
While talking to Dillon at the pier, Maxie saw a body in the water, and Dillon called the police. Jordan determined it was Carrrlos, which wasn’t hard since he’d had his wallet on him. When Paul showed up, she said Carrrlos had been shot at close range. That explained why he avoided detection for so long – he was dead. Yep. That will do it. Paul suggested Sonny had gotten his revenge.
Sonny and Carly said their vows. Sonny told Carly that she saved his life every day, and he was blessed that she chose him. Carly said she’d had a taste of life without him, and promised that neither one of them was going anywhere without the other. Dante’s phone rang during the vows, and he stepped aside to take it. Bobbie suggested Sonny make a change, so no one else would get hurt. Dante told them that Carrrlos had been pulled from the harbor, and he was dead. Sabrina freaked, and Dante went to the station. Morgan told Sonny and Carly that Carrrlos had gotten what he deserved, and Sonny said he didn’t ask for retaliation. Morgan said they were looking at him like they thought he did it, and told them they could think what they wanted to; it was his wedding gift to them, and enjoy it while it lasted. When he left, Sonny told Carly that he thought Morgan wished he had shot Carrrlos, but he would have heard about it if Morgan had done it. He explained that Ava had let the Five Families (not a restaurant) that Carrrlos had shot Sonny and acted alone. The only one who could dispute it was Carrrlos, and he wasn’t talking. Carly said that was convenient for Ava, and Sonny said she was up to her lying neck in it. Sabrina told Michael that she’d known Carrrlos most of his life, and Carrrlos had done awful things, but didn’t deserve to get shot.
Anna went to the gallery, and told Ava that she knew it wasn’t Carrrlos who shot Sonny, since he was on the run for killing Duke. Why would he escape Port Charles, then come back to shoot Sonny? She said Ava claiming that’s what happened implied she had something to hide, and asked who Ava was covering for. Paul called Anna, and told her to meet him at Pier 54.
Nathan assumed that Valerie was pregnant after Maxie found a positive pregnancy test in the trash, and Valerie gave him the business about jumping to conclusions. Valerie saw Maxie in the interrogation room after she gave her statement, and Maxie told her it was like a scene from a scary movie, and kept playing in her head. She told Valerie that she knew Valerie and Dillon were having sex, and Valerie said Dillon was a great guy, but that was a no, and had never happened. Maxie asked whose baby Valerie was worried about carrying. Valerie said she didn’t know what Maxie was talking about, and didn’t think Maxie did either. Maxie said Valerie had thrown a positive pregnancy test in the trash, and Valerie said Maxie had assumed because she was near the trash can, it must be hers. She suggested the next time Maxie decided to go snooping, get her facts straight. In the meantime, Dante told Dillon to stay the hell away from his wife.
Sonny joked that he and Carly were going to Iowa for their honeymoon, and Lulu told Bobbie that she and Dante were in discussion about expanding their family.
Ava told Paul that Sonny knew she’d lied about Carrrlos, and was asking inconvenient questions, but Paul said he had everything under control.
Carly cuddled with Sonny in his hospital room, and Sonny said it wasn’t the way he’d pictured their honeymoon, but it did feel like Des Moines. She thought it was more like Cedar Rapids.
Top Chef – Finale
The chefs were challenged with cooking the meal of their lives. The final three were Bryan, who the crown had eluded for more than a decade; Melissa, who had more wins than anyone; and Stephanie, the private chef underdog, who had proven she had skills to be feared. The prize was a feature in Food and Wine magazine, an appearance at the Food and Wine festival in Aspen, and $250K. Not bad. I love that magazine, and that’s a nice chunk of change. Bryan said he’d slap them in the face with heart and soul, and we flashed back to the Italian chefs saying there was no soul in his food. Padma tasked them with making the best progressive four-course meal of their lives – no twists. They would be serving it to the best chefs from all over world. Kevin, Lee Anne, and Brian full of Malarkey came out to give their support as sous chefs. Gregory would have been there instead of Brian, but he was still battling back issues. The chefs drew knives for picking order, and Stephanie was first, choosing Brian full of Malarkey, for his enthusiasm and skills. Stephanie also admitted that during Restaurant Wars she fell in love with him. Not literally. Brian chose Kevin, who said, let’s get the band back together, which left Melissa with Lee Anne. Melissa said they’d never worked together, but Lee Ann knew Asian flavors, and was a beast in the kitchen. She thought they’d do well. Padma told them they’d be shopping in the food hub of Florence, and would have five hours to prep and cook back at the Renaissance Tuscany. They were to make the meal as cohesive as possible, and Tom said the judges expected nothing but the best.
Melissa said her mission was to marry Asian flavor with what she’d learned in Italy, bringing Italy to her heritage, so it would portray her adventure. While this isn’t ProjectRunway, I have to mention that Lee Anne was wearing the coolest fried-egg-and-bacon crocheted scarf. If I was crafty that way, I’d be making one starting tonight. Bryan said he and Stephanie were yin and yang; their minds were one. In the evening, the judges turned the tables, and Tom, Padma, and Gail did the cooking. The chefs were met outside by Tom, who was doing some rustic farmhouse cooking on the grill, which gave Melissa an idea for her main course. They all sat down to eat together, and Padma wished them luck, telling them to cook their hearts out. After dinner, Stephanie called best friend Kristen, who was also the Season 10 winner. Stephanie said she thought her chances of winning were one in three. Melissa called her mom, and Bryan called his brother Michael.
After three hours in the kitchen, the judges were served the first two courses. You knew it was good by the way they were shoveling it in, especially one guy who reminded me of the drive-in guy Joe Bob Briggs and was wearing a shirt with steer on it. Later, I found out he was an Italian butcher named Dario. Gail said Bryan was a great technician, but this time showed soul and love in his food as well. Drive-in Bob Dario said, mama mia! and the main course came out. Melissa made grilled squab; Bryan went with blackened monkfish; and Stephanie made a veal dish. Padma said the food was universally wonderful, and food editor Nilou Motamed said she didn’t like squab, but was now a convert. At this point, I was pretty sure Melissa was going to win. Then, OMG THE DESSERTS CAME OUT. They were all to die for, and I’m not sure which one I wanted more; Bryan’s dark chocolate and ice cream thing, to which Dario responded, mmm… cardamom; Stephanie’s sticky toffee pudding (I don’t know what the hell that is, but give me two servings); or Melissa’s tea-infused tiramisu with a crunchy topping. When the dinner was done, the chefs applauded themselves, and then the judges applauded them when they were called back out. During the final discussion, Dario teared up over how Melissa respected the Italian traditions with her dessert. He said, a butcher who cries, how embarrassing, prompting one of the other guest judges to come over and give him a hug.
When the chefs were brought out to meet with the usual judges, plus Nilou, for the final time, Tom said he thought they all cooked the best meal of their lives, and Padma said she saw the story of their lives on the plates. She relayed that Hunter Lewis from Food and Wine found Bryan’s beets beguiling. Say that three times real fast. Tom said Bryan had erased the impression that he couldn’t cook with soul and heart. Gail said that Melissa had joined the Asian and Italian cultures, and told her about Dario getting emo over her tiramisu. Melissa said they were all artists who loved hearing that their journeys were understood. Stephanie joked that she was going for fan favorite. She had done damage to people who loved her by being sad, and this showed them that she was okay. Tom said, sometimes the voyage is more important than the destination, because you find out what you’re made of. You have to go deeper, and what comes out is who you are. They all made that journey, but there could only be one Top Chef. Arriving for the announcement were Melissa’s mom, Bryan’s brother, and Stephanie’s husband.
With that, Padma told Melissa, she was Top Chef. In Melissa’s interview, she said it had been a wild adventure, but this time she’d done it for herself, and wasn’t trying to earn her father’s approval. She wanted to prove to herself that she could achieve a goal that she’d set. In Stephanie’s interview, she said she accomplished what she’d wanted to do. She hadn’t felt good about the mental space she was in since her brother died. This would give everyone something else to talk about for a while. In Bryan’s interview, he said he’d learned a lot about himself. There were sixteen Top Chefs, but he was the only one who’d done what he did. He’d been runner-up three times, but was never doing this again. Melissa said, once you believe in yourself, nothing can stop you. She knew it sounded cliché, but the world was her oyster. She could do anything now.
👓 On Watch What Happens Live(@home in the Hamptons – @must be nice), Padma and Tom were guests, and Melissa made an appearance. Padma announced Melissa was also the fan favorite, netting her another $10K. Melissa donated that win to Black Visions Collective, the Trevor Project, and Asian Americans for Equality. And for that, Andy gave the night’s mazel.
While probably none of us will ever have her closet, or will even be able to afford one of her shoes, Sutton sometimes reminds me of how the audience feels. Kind of horrified.
Candyman returns in a spiritual sequel. Tony Todd and Vanessa Williams will be making return appearances, and Jordan Peele wrote the screenplay, so that’s enough for me.
Father’s Day is coming up this weekend, and here’s hoping you have/had a good relationship with yours. My dad was the best. He had a wonderful sense of humor, was ahead of his time, and the fairest person I’ve ever known. Stay safe, stay celebratory, and stay in touch with your family, be they blood relatives or chosen.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Today’s GH Nurse’s Ball flashback was from May 1st, 2015. Britt and Brad watched the red carpet from home while eating ice cream out of the container. Patrick was with Sam, Hayden showed up with Drew (at the time, Jake Doe), and Michael was with Sabrina. Duke was back from the dead, and Anna showed up with who-the-hell-is-that-guy? Felix arrived with Lucas, but told the interviewer that it wasn’t a love match; he was still single and Lucas was very much in love with someone else. Spinelli accompanied Maxie, and Nathan came with adorkable Ellie. Spinelli accidently tripped Maxie, causing a near nip slip, which Brad and Britt put on heavy replay. Old Nikolas, old Jordan with Shawn, and Dante were there, Nikolas bringing Valerie.
Burned in a fire accidentally started by Cameron, Spencer also spent the night at home, wearing a Phantom mask. Seeing Emma with Cameron on the red carpet, Spencer said, what the fudge? but Britt showed up like a fairy godmother to take him to the Ball to claim his ladylove. Carly had a plan to get Ric run out of town, but told Ric she wanted to put their differences aside, wishing him all the happiness he deserved. This time Aveeno got the plugs, and Obrecht crashed the end of the opening number with 99 Luftballons. After Carly outed Ric and Elizabeth for lying to Jake Doe about who he really was, Brad bailed out the ball with, I Want to Marry You, and a proposal to Lucas. Ending the episode, Elizabeth finally told Jake Doe that he was really Jason. Which he ended up not being, but we didn’t know that then.
The Real Housewives of New York City
We ended last week with a three-way hug between Ramona, Dorinda, and Sonja. We’ll see how long that lasts.
Everyone packs for Newport, Rhode Island. Sonja packs her hormones, telling assistant Matthew that they keep her nice and friendly. In Ramona’s interview, she says, Newport is a chichi place with a lot of atmosphere; like South Hampton, but tinier. Dorinda supervises the work on Bluestone Manor, as they’ve starting doing external stuff like painting.
The women – minus Dorinda who’s going separately – meet at the limo, and LuAnn calls Tinsley a child for bringing her own pillow. I think a lot of people bring their own pillows on trips. In Tinsley’s interview, she says the Newport she knows is Palm Beach as well. Whatever that means. Her mom has a place there, and the people from Palm Beach go to Newport in the summer. Leah tells Ramona that she looks twenty-five, and LuAnn tells her, compliments will get her everywhere. Ramona says they’ll have lunch when they get there, and tonight she’s having a lobster clambake. Wouldn’t that be a lobsterbake? She says, Dorinda has been edgy, and LuAnn says it was the anniversary of Richard’s death, and then it was his birthday. She’s been bitchy to everyone. Ramona says they have to show they care for her. She’s probably there already.
Yes she is. Dorinda checks into the Castle Hill Inn, telling the woman at the desk, she used to stay there with her late husband. In the limo, Leah whines, are we there yet? but it’s another two hours. Elyse says she had a humbling moment. She was passing some construction workers, who started yelling that she was beautiful. She turned around, and realized they weren’t talking to her. There was a six-foot tall blond walking behind her. Leah talks about Pita Guy, and says they had their first intimate moment. There was heavy petting, clothed, and the next day he didn’t even text. She told him she didn’t appreciate his aloof and irreverent attitude toward her time. In her interview, she says, even after seven years of therapy, and trying to hide it, the psycho bitch came out, and he saw it. She tells the women that her sister is a new mom with a seven-month old baby, and she’d like to invite Sarah along. Ramona is like, no, and Leah suggests she relax and think about it. In Ramona’s interview, she says she knows who works off who, and it’s a tenuous rope. Bringing a new personality into an already turbulent group might be a mistake.
They reach the inn, receiving welcome drinks at the desk. Dorinda is waiting for them in what looks like an empty restaurant, and they all go out onto the terrace. The waitstaff brings out trays of food, and Ramona asks for two dozen oysters. In her interview, Tinsley says she doesn’t like fighting. She’ll be happy to get a hello, but Dorinda seems approachable. Leah insists she’s not hungry, and I’m guessing she’s in what I call drinking mode, where the last thing you want is people shoving food at you. In Leah’s interview, she says she doesn’t feel good about herself, but here we go. She says she thinks Ramona would love her sister, and Ramona agrees to including Sarah in their dinner tomorrow. Ramona tells Sonja that she doesn’t want Sarah to come, but Leah talked her into it. Ramona decides they should take a vote, but Leah tells her, she already said yes. Plus, Ramona invited Elyse. Elyse says, don’t even talk to her, and in her interview, says she’s known the women for twenty years. Sonja says, guests can’t invite guests, reminding me of Jessie from NYC Prep giving one of the best quotes ever – guests of guests don’t bring guests. Leah says she’d already asked. In Sonja’s interview, she says the trip was meant for their clique of girls, and it should have been discussed among them. Ramona says she doesn’t want Sarah to come, and Leah says she’s being rude. In Dorinda’s interview, she says she thinks it’s important. Leah is in a new group, and she’s a single mom. Maybe she wants to hang around with her sister. Who cares? Leah tells Ramona, Dorinda and Tinsley said yes. What about LuAnn? LuAnn asks what do they care? and Leah says, it’s agreed. She appreciates it. Ramona says she looks forward to meeting Sarah.
They go to where they’ll be staying; cottage type rooms with terraces and gorgeous views. Dorinda tells the attendant unless he wants to be privy to something scary, she suggests he leave. He wisely takes her advice. Sonja says, the sea air feels good, and tells LuAnn, maybe they’ll get their mojo back. Leah calls Sarah, and tells her that she can come. Ramona tells Sonja, if she likes Sarah, she’ll be happy to have her.
Ramona wonders how Leah got her to say okay, and Sonja says she felt pressured. No one gets a plus-one. In Sonja’s interview, she says Ramona should have thought first. This is what she does; she says yes, then rescinds the invite. Ramona says she’s going to tell Leah tonight that her sister can’t come. In her interview, Ramona grumbles that Leah pressured her like a little girl. The dynamic won’t be good. Drinking like a fish already, Leah goes to Tinsley’s room. In Tinsley’s interview, she says she thinks she’s in for a fun time with Leah, but hopes Leah doesn’t get her naked like in the Hamptons. Leah tells Tinsley, in Newport, they don’t burp, or even pee. They head out to meet the other women for dinner.
In her interview, Tinsley says she hopes Leah doesn’t go off the deep end. Dorinda asks what Leah’s been doing while she was taking a nap all afternoon, and Leah says she started early. Ramona directs them to her clambake, down a path lit with white lights, to a table flanked with sheer drapes. Lagging behind, Leah tells Tinsley, it’s a judgement free zone, and Ramona passes out crowns, saying, they’re all princesses. LuAnn says that reminds her of Feeling Jovani, where she sings about a crown, and everyone is like, all right already. LuAnn tells Ramona, she doesn’t understand. She’d thought the more the merrier, but after reflection, Leah should have asked beforehand. In LuAnn’s interview, she says, when she thought about it, it was kind of rude asking at the last minute. Leah should have given more of a heads up. Ramona tells her, she should have said she’d love to meet Sarah another time. Tinsley and Leah finally catch up, and Tinsley screeches over the crown.
There’s a bar and a small outdoor seating area where the women have a cocktail before dinner. Dorinda and Leah want more vodka in theirs, and Ramona tries to stop Leah. In Leah’s interview, she says Ramona barely knows her, and wants to monitor her in a way she doesn’t monitor herself. Dorinda tells Ramona to leave Leah alone, and Leah says it’s her vacation; she’ll do what she wants. Leah asks the bartender for two shots, while Ramona frets, and mumbles something about Leah being a recovering alcoholic. Tinsley says Leah chose not to drink, and there’s a difference. Leah’s not a recovering alcoholic. Dorinda says they’re in a safe environment, like anywhere around this bunch is a safe environment. She tells Ramona, don’t be quick to judge. In Ramona’s interview, she says, Leah is overconsuming too quickly. What? Leah asks what Ramona is saying behind her back, and Tinsley says she told Ramona that Leah isn’t an alcoholic. Ramona says Leah stopped drinking for seven years. Leah says, it was nine, and while Ramona is her surrogate mother, and she respects that, Ramona doesn’t have to worry. In her interview, Leah says she’s feeling suffocated, and she’s worried if she’s not in Ramona’s good graces, Ramona will blow up.
They sit at a beautiful table, white everything, with white flowers down the middle. Tinsley and Sonja talk on the side. Ramona tells Sonja that she doesn’t want to say anything about Leah’s sister. In Sonja’s interview, she says she understands that Leah’s drinking makes her feel more confident. She’s an unconventional girl in a conventional town. But the strategy isn’t working. Leah sits on Sonja’s lap, and asks Tinsley if she’s going to get thrown out of Rhode Island. She’s having more fun than she’s had in an effing month and a half. In Ramona’s interview, she says she thought Sonja would have her back, but now Sonja is frolicking around, playing with Leah, and encouraging her to act this way. Ramona tells Leah to sit in her seat, and Leah says she’s rude. Leah finally sits, and says, sorry. She didn’t mean to make Ramona uncomfortable. In LuAnn’s interview, she says Leah wants to hang with the girls, but it’s been a while, and she can’t drink as much as she used to. Leah apologizes, calling Ramona mom. LuAnn says, stop freaking her out. While this is going on, Tinsley apologizes to Dorinda. Then Sonja chases Leah around the table. Ramona decides she’s going to tell Leah, because now is definitely the time. Dorinda tells Tinsley that she has so much to give. Dorinda is tough, so she was just trying to toughen Tinsley up.
This is the weirdest scene ever. While Dorinda and Tinsley talk quietly, chaos goes on next to the table. Sonja has now grabbed Leah, who falls to the ground, yelling that she doesn’t want to go on the Morgan yacht. Leah rolls around, and has lost one shoe somewhere. Sonja says Ramona has something to tell her, and Leah says she doesn’t want to go on the yacht. Ramona says she’d love to meet Leah’s sister, but at another time. Leah says, don’t go there, and Ramona says, she’s not coming. I swear, I’d just walk off this show. The paycheck can’t possibly be worth it. Dorinda tells Tinsley, maybe she was wrong. It’s Tinsley’s life, not hers. Ramona says they’ll have a cocktails and conversations party and invite Sarah, and Leah says Sarah is already on her way. Tinsley hugs Dorinda, who suggests they have a reset. In Dorinda’s interview, she says she feels like she’s in Groundhog Day, and she just wants to watch Leah destroy the place. In LuAnn’s interview, she says, bad timing on Ramona’s part. Leah is already bonkers. In Ramona’s interview, she says she didn’t expect a reaction like this. No one was murdered. Leah says she wants to talk to Ramona, but Ramona won’t talk. She says Leah is a little out of control, and Leah says, like no one in the group has been before. Elyse tries hug Leah, but Leah says, get off me. She walks over to the drapes, and pulls at them, and I fully expect the whole thing to come down, but it’s barely disturbed. In Dorinda’s interview, she says she was known as the gangster with blue eyes, but Leah is out of control.
Ramona takes Leah, who has moved on to the crying phase, away from the group. Ramona tells her to pretend like it’s yoga. Breathe in and out. LuAnn thinks Leah was rude to ask if she could invite her sister, and Sonja says Ramona was put on the spot. In Elyse’s interview, she says Leah is taking it personally instead of taking the opportunity to get to know the girls on a deeper level. Asking to bring her sister was a bad idea. Tinsley says, Leah can handle herself, but LuAnn says, clearly she can’t. Dorinda says, Leah’s not used to drinking, and LuAnn says, neither is she. Have they ever seen her behave that way? Yes. We have, and we do again, flashing back to LuAnn falling in that bush, and another clip of her just falling. In her interview, Leah says she’s done crazy in the past. She’s new to the group, and they’re not used to her kind of crazy. Ramona tells Leah that she doesn’t want to change the dynamic. Leah says she’s not staying if her sister isn’t allowed to come. Sonja says she can’t invite someone at the last minute, and Leah says, too late. Ramona can’t say yes, then no. Sonja says, they’ve got her. Sonja joins Tinsley and Dorinda in a hug, and Leah cries some more. LuAnn tells her, these bitches aren’t worth crying for. Sonja tells Ramona, it’s making her upset to see Leah upset. Let her bring her sister. They’re going to push her over the brink. Ramona tells Leah, her sister is welcome, and she’s sorry. In her interview, Ramona says Leah is new to the group, and loves her sister; maybe she’s being ridiculous. She apologizes to Leah again, and hugs her, telling her to stop crying. Ramona says she can be a control freak, but realized it mean a lot to Leah. She had to overlook her own feelings and change her mind.
In the morning, LuAnn does stretches on the terrace. Dorinda goes down to the beach, saying, waves, speak to me. She calls Leah, and asks how it’s going. Leah says she’s alive. In Dorinda’s interview, she says she knows how Leah woke up; the guilt, fear, and embarrassment. All those wonderful things that happen after a night of drinking and losing your sh*t. She’s been there. The Inn hasn’t been burned down; she’s good. Leah says she feels great, and Dorinda says Leah is her kind of girl. She asks if Leah got clarity, and Leah says she found her own clarity; her sister is coming. In her interview, Leah says she didn’t come on the trip in the best state of mind. She doesn’t remember what happened, but she feels like she released a lot of energy. Whatever happened was therapeutic. I like Leah, but it’s pretty selfish to intrude on everyone else’s time with your therapeutic insanity. She really shouldn’t drink. It’s not a good look for her.
Sonja tells Ramona, she feels great. Ramona marvels at Sonja being able to drink up a storm, and wake up fresh as a daisy. Elyse comes by, and says, they’re not dressed yet. Ramona says they like to lounge in the morning. Elyse asks how Ramona is feeling, and Ramona says she knows Leah was a little out of control. Elyse says Leah needed an exorcism. She thought Leah was wrong to ask her sister to come; however, once Ramona said yes, she shouldn’t have rescinded it. In her interview, Ramona says, she likes Leah, but Leah has two sides. The crazy side, and the regular side. She likes the regular side. Save the crazy side for your other young friends. She says, maybe Leah’s sister will be a good influence on her. She tells Elyse that they’re going shopping in town. They can work off what they ate.
The women reconvene, and Elyse asks how Leah is feeling. Leah says, good, and Elyse asks if she’s not hungover. Leah says she’s not, and Elyse says, that’s weird; she’s assuming Leah was wasted. Leah says, that’s the way she is, although alcohol fueled it. That’s how she wants to be all the time. Elyse says, and she wonders why guys think she’s a crazy chick. Ouch. In her interview, Dorinda says, who cares? No one should be judged by one night. Look at the whole group. Ramona asks how Leah is feeling, and Leah says, great. That’s actually a theory I have. Many alcoholics don’t seem to get hangovers. Ramona asks if Leah remembers what happened, and Leah says, of course she does. Bring it on. In Leah’s interview, she says, she doesn’t really want to be like that all the time, but she saw how the women were at the orchard – we flash back to the lunacy at lunch and in the corn maze – and the Hamptons. She thought she was allowed to chug ten martinis and lose her mind.
Leah, Dorinda, and Tinsley take one limo; while Ramona, Elyse, and LuAnn take another. Leah asks if they can believe what Elyse said, and Dorinda says, Elyse isn’t the one who should be giving out relationship advice. Ramona wonders why Dorinda is defending Leah, and Elyse says, Dorinda will give out advice, but everyone else better not. She does an impression of Dorinda calling Tinsley a superficial slut, and then yelling at Ramona not to judge Tinsley. I have to admit, it’s pretty spot-on.
Leah says Elyse was hard on her, but Elyse says she’s Leah’s biggest fan when Leah does normal. Leah says she’d never do that in front of her child, and Elyse asks what if she ends up with a mini me? What kind of message is she sending her daughter? Leah says she can do and say whatever she wants, and effity-eff-eff-effs her way out the door. Outside, she tells Dorinda that she and Elyse haven’t had enough interaction to make it appropriate for Elyse to be in her business. Elyse comes out, and Leah says, her daughter is twelve, and Elyse is asking how she’d feel if her daughter gets wasted? Don’t bring up her kid. Elyse promises not to go there, and Leah says, don’t talk about her daughter. Elyse says, that’s fair, and Dorinda asks why Elyse is in Leah’s business so much.
Dorinda says Elyse thinks she’s some great psychiatrist, prowling around, waiting for someone to make a mistake. In Sonja’s interview, she says she knows Elyse was just trying to be helpful. She suggests instead of breaking bread, they all break Bloody Marys. Dorinda toasts to being judgement free. Ramona says she won’t be embarrassed in Newport, and Dorinda asks what about the rest of the states? In Dorinda’s interview, she says, Leah is twenty years younger; give her a break. They should be guiding, not chastising her. Dorinda says, be inclusive, and Ramona says Dorinda is enabling Leah. Sonja thinks Leah should apologize, and Leah says she’s the first person to say she’s sorry, and take accountability. She got drunk, and enjoyed herself, but she’s sorry. Ramona says it was atrocious behavior, and upsetting to her. In her interview, Leah says, going into Newport, she was angry at herself, but instead of getting support, she got jerked around about her sister coming. Anything she does is wrong to these women. Leah says she thinks she triggered something in Ramona about her past, and it kills her. She tears up. Ramona says she’s blocked it out, and in LuAnn’s interview, she says, that’s a crock of sh*t. Ramona has been coming down hard on Leah, when Ramona is no angel. LuAnn tells Ramon that she’s making Leah feel bad for no reason. Ramona says they don’t know how she feels. In her interview, she says Dorinda and LuAnn grew up in loving homes, while hers was a war zone. She read books, and blanked out her dad and brother’s alcoholic rages. She tells Leah that her intention isn’t to make Leah feel bad. She really likes Leah, and doesn’t want to not like her. Leah says she is who she is, but Ramona says she doesn’t like that behavior. Maybe Leah can curb it; they’ll see. To be continued…
Next time, Dorinda wants to be left alone, Leah throws ravioli at Ramona, and Dorinda and Tinsley are back to arguing.
👩🏼🍳 On Top Chef, Karen unpacked her knives to go against Kevin in Last Chance Kitchen. Winner Kevin picked three chefs to go head to head with, and won against Brian full of Malarkey, the other white Bryan, and Gregory. This put Kevin back into the game. Award winning chef, and pioneer of California cuisine, Jonathan Waxman was the guest judge, and for the Quickfire challenge, the chefs were to create a two-course business class dish for an airline. They had to use ingredients found year round, and make the meal to airline tray specifications. Everyone made fabulous meals, but Brian full of Malarkey forgot you don’t get a steak knife on an airplane, making his entrée difficult to eat. Melissa was the winner, for which she’d get an advantage in the elimination challenge. I don’t know if these advantages are some kind of secret or I keep missing them somehow, but I have no clue what it was. Five chefs would be continuing on to the finale in Tuscany, courtesy American Airlines. For the final elimination challenge, they were to produce a dish inspired by Michael’s in Santa Monica, a restaurant owned by another California cuisine pioneer, Michael McCarty. Jonathan was his first chef, and the restaurant was celebrating its 40th anniversary. The chefs were to meet with Michael, and taste his signature dishes, which would serve as an inspiration. They would literally be serving Mike, Jonathan, and alumni from the restaurant.
Melissa was allowed first choice, and picked quail. For Kevin, it was duck; Stephanie, scallops with angel hair pasta; Bryan, lamb; Gregory, monkfish; and Brian full of Malarkey, veal. The idea was to take the dish, modernize it, and give it their own spin, yet keep an homage to the original. The highlight was when half of Brian full of Malarkey’s dishes went to another table, totally throwing him off his game. He stumbled through the long, stupid story that went with his creation, and was annoyed because he’d wanted the food to be eaten in a certain order. When everything had been tasted, Mike said they all took his dishes up to the next level, and Padma thanked them for glorious meal.
Melissa had her best night ever, winning immunity as well. Gail said there was nothing any of them would have changed, which was high praise. Mike told Stephanie that she was right there, and the race was close. Bryan and Kevin were also in, leaving Gregory and Brian full of Malarkey on the bottom. Malarkey said he’d had a great ride, and Padma asked if he was quitting. In his interview, Gregory said, Top Chef messes with you, and thought it was getting to Malarkey. He wanted to win because he deserved it, not because the other chef quit. Gail assured Malarkey that their judgement had nothing to do with the screw-up of his food going to another table. Malarkey said he was upset with the process, since his dishes hadn’t been eaten right. Everyone was like, what? and Gail said he can’t control the food once it leaves his hands. Tom told him that the duo on the plate didn’t talk to each other; there was a distinct clash. Which basically meant the two things he made didn’t go together. Jonathan said it didn’t evoke what Malarkey had babbled talked about. He told Gregory he’d been expecting more, and Padma said there wasn’t enough richness in Gregory’s risotto. I told you that risotto is always trouble.
Tom said, in the end, it comes down to what’s on the plate, and Brian full of Malarkey was told to pack his knives and go. Yay! In his interview, he said he didn’t want go out that way. He had every intention of winning, but his mind melted. He was still proud of what accomplished.
Next time, Italy, a truffle hunt, and making pasta for Italians
📺 Since Andy Cohen is on another one of his numerous vacations, Watch What Happens Live will return on Monday, June 8th. Although after suffering through much of the RHOA Reunion myself – three parts of it, no less – I can’t say he doesn’t deserve this break.
💃🏼 She’s Movin’ On…
Dorinda dishes on getting rid of the old John and chain.
We seem to be moving closer to a new yet old normalcy, and I’m moving closer to the end of what might possibly be the longest week of my life. See you tomorrow for tea and words of wisdom. Not from me. From other people. Until then, stay safe, stay out of fights (unless it’s the good fight), and stay mostly on the straight and narrow.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
As I thought it would be, today was a rerun. At least it was a special one – the April 2nd episode where the characters had a scavenger hunt at the hospital, per the instructions in Gail’s will. Even though it was an enjoyable episode, I chose to watch People’s Court, which I love, but hardly ever get to see. I’m pleased to report that Doug Llewelyn is still just as annoying, sticking his microphone in the defeated litigant’s face, saying, so how does it feel to be a big loser? It always boggles my mind that no one has punched him out… yet.
Vanderpump Rules/Summer House
Tonight, even though the season has ended for Vanderpump Rules, the digital guide said Bravo was airing a new episode, describing it as a mash-up with Summer House. But what was listed as Vanderpump Rules was really a retrospective of the past Summer House season with some of the VPR cast – Stassi, Beau, Katie, and Schwartz coming on the scene forty-five minutes in. I felt ripped off, since it all turned into a two-hour episode of SH, half of which I’d seen already. I was like, yay! I get to hear about new cast member Jordan’s ED problems all over again. Kyle wanted to propose to Amanda, even though he’d cheated on her five minutes ago. Stassi advised against the timing, and Kyle broke down in tears. Carl did give a nice mixed metaphor when he said he got past first base and scored a touchdown. I don’t know much about sports, but I do know bases and touchdowns are from two different types of games. Next week is the finale, which is sure to have an amusing moment when Kyle asks Amanda’s father for his blessing. Her father’s response? Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Looks like there might be more tears coming for Kyle.
🍳 MasterChef will begin it’s 10th season this Wednesday, May 29th at 8 pm, followed by Gordon Ramsay’s 24 Hours to Hell and Back at 9 pm. I need one of those TVs where you can watch more than one show at the same time.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 