Tag Archives: Haley Pullos

Jul31

July 30, 2024 – An Arraignment Surprise, Soap Bubbles, Messy New Jersey, Ramonacoaster Return, Ending the Feud, New Freedoms, Where’s Whitney, Last Of the Shadows, Super Rescue & Suddenly

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Anna goes to the WSB and introduces herself as the Police Commissioner of Port Charles, New York. She asks if the desk agent can point her in the direction of someone who knows what happened to Jack Brennan and why he was removed from Pentenville.

Wiley is celebrating his birthday at the pool and tells Willow that he thought daddy was coming. Willow says, he wanted to, but had to do something with grandma. Wiley says, Grandma Nina! but Willow says, no, his other grandma. Wiley says, no. Grandma Nina is here at the pool.  

John tells Sonny, Carly is going to lose her children, her hotel, and the restaurant left to her by her deceased mother. Jason is going to talk. Sonny says, no one has anything to say to John, and John says, Jason is going to testify against him, and Sonny is going to be in that courtroom with all his money while John is beside him listing all the crimes he’s committed. John ends his tirade with calling Sonny a miserable son of a bitch, and Sonny is ready to punch him, but Michael grabs him and says, calm down. Sonny says, let him go, and John tells Michael to listen to the guy who’s not his real dad. Listen to the one who blew his real dad away. For once, he took care of it himself. Michael tells Sonny not to give John the satisfaction. Donna may lose her mother. Does Sonny want her to lose her father too?

Michael tells Sonny, just walk away. It’s not worth it. His family needs him. Sonny says, Jagger finally showed his true colors, and John says, same for Sonny. Sonny laughs, and John says he’s looking forward to seeing more of Sonny. Michael and Sonny step away, and John says, nice uncle. She’s an officer of the court. Why is she protecting him? She says she’s not, and he says, it’s a point of integrity for the county. She tells him to make a formal request. Fill out an official form, and she’ll have it processed. Then if he wants to drag Sonny to court and put him in prison, he’s more than welcome. He’s been waving his badge around, making demands, and using his power to service his own vendetta. He says, she has more than enough to go on and is hiding behind bureaucracy instead of serving justice, and she says, be her guest. Have Sonny arrested and prosecuted, but if he wants assistance, fill out an official request. He accuses her of being in bed with Sonny, and she tells him to request a court order. Until then, their business is done. Good day.

Nina hugs Wiley, and James says, greetings and salvations (not a mistake; he gets Spinelli’s hello a bit wrong). Willow says she’s happy that James’s mommy brought him to the pool, and Maxie says, no one needs to remind them whose birthday it is. Nina looks at Willow, who nods, and she says she brought something for the birthday boy. Spinelli tells Maxie, so far, so good. Wiley is happy to have one of his grandmas at the party. Maxie says, they all know Carly has to appear in federal court, but they don’t know why, and Spinelli says he found out Cates is using the incriminating evidence he has on Carly as a threat to coerce Jason into working for him. Maxie says, that snake, and Wiley thanks Nina for his gift. He tells James that they can show Nina how fast they can swim, and the boys get in the pool. Nina asks Willow if that was okay, and Willow says, Nina has great taste, as always. Wiley definitely liked it. (I think it was a truck, but I wasn’t totally paying attention.) Nina says she’s in the middle of a workday, so when the boys are out of the pool, she’ll be on her way, but Willow asks if she’s sure she has to leave.

On the phone, Dante says, Jack Brennan was at the hotel in December of 2023… Then go up the chain of command to the co-owner Olivia Falconari. Tell her it’s Dante Falconari… Right. He’s her son. He thanks them for their cooperation. Molly comes into the station looking for Anna, but Dante says, she’s out of town. Molly asks if he knows when she’ll be back, but he says he doesn’t. Is there something he can help her with? She says, there’s a rogue FBI agent roaming the courthouse and Dante’s father is hellbent on tearing him limb from limb.

Michael asks if Sonny is okay, and Sonny says he’s fine. Michael is right. Jagger’s not worth it. Diane joins them with Josslyn and Jason, and asks if everything is all right. Michael says, it’s fine, and Sonny looks at Jason then walks into the courtroom. Diane asks if she needs to worry, but Michael tells her to focus on their mom. She says she can multitask, and he says, they all rely on that. Josslyn asks if Jason is sure Sonny is taking his meds, and Jason says, Carly checked. Josslyn says, it’s possible they stopped working, and John lurks behind them. He stares at Michael and moves on. Jason asks what they missed, and Michael says, he can probably guess. How’s Donna? Josslyn says, she keeps asking where her mom is and they keep saying she’s on a business trip where there’s no cell service. She’s going to grow up to be a cop or detective. Pilar has her at Wiley’s birthday party. She’s sorry Michael is missing it, but they’ve got to figure out what to tell Donna if Carly doesn’t make bail. She asks if Jason thinks she will.  

Anna tells the desk agent that Brennan’s time in Pentenville was completely wiped out, as well as the PCPD records of him. That only happens when someone high up wants it. Whoever that is, is who she needs to speak to. He says, she probably knows what he’s about to say, but she says she needs to hear it. He says, the information she’s seeking is probably highly classified. Without a federal court order, they can’t and won’t provide it. Anna says she’s not a civilian, she’s a Police Commissioner, but he says, she’s local law enforcement. She says she’s a former WSB agent, but he says, all that gets her is in the door. She needs a special clearance. She suggests he get ahold of Mia Granahan, the Deputy Director. She’ll be happy to wait. Brennan was arrested for crimes in her jurisdiction. She arrested him herself and won’t sit by and allow the WSB to disappear him. She’s not leaving until she gets an answer. Brennan comes out of a nearby office and asks, must she always make a nuisance of herself? (I love Jack. He’s so much fun.)

Dante asks, how bad was it? and Molly says, words were exchanged, but John was way up in Sonny’s face. He wanted more to happen and almost got it. Sonny took a swing at him. Dante says, but there was no assault? and she says, the punch never landed. If it weren’t for Michael, Sonny would be in federal custody.

The kids play in the pool, and Willow thanks Nina. Nina says, of course (🍷), and Willow says, not just for the present, but for arranging for Michael to meet Congressman McConkey. Nina says, it’s her pleasure, and Willow says she’s sure it was as difficult for Nina to say yes as it was for Michael to ask. He considered asking Monica or Tracy, but Nina has a closer relationship with McConkey. Nina says, wise move, and Willow says, she wasn’t sure, considering how things are between Nina and… Nina says, Willow wasn’t sure if she would go to bat for Carly, but Willow says, no undue influence. They just want the congressman to look into Agent Cates’s abuse of authority. She thanks Nina, and Nina flashes back to Michael saying that she owes his family one and can make it right with one phone call. When his mom is free, he’ll make sure Willow knows all the credit goes to her. Nina tells Willow, spoiler alert. She may be shocked by why Nina did it. No matter what their differences, she knows how important Carly is to the family. How could she say no?

John wanders around the hallway and runs into US Attorney Wilcox. He tells John that he read the files and asks if there’s anything else he should know. John says, plenty.

Carly is brought into the courtroom and hugs Josslyn, but the officer says, no contact. She asks how Donna is, and Josslyn says, she thinks Carly is away on business. John comes in and Carly stares at him, but Diane says, look at her. From this point on, she’s not to look at Cates. Not a glare, not a side-eye, not looking backwards when she tosses her hair. Carly says she never tosses her hair, and Diane says, she’s not to speak to him. Carly says, she’s not an idiot, but Diane says, she’s impulsive. Carly says, Diane made her point, and she can hear Jason agreeing. Diane says, the most important thing to remember is, once the arraignment starts, no words. Not a peep, not a noise, no audible breathing until she argues for dismissal. Josslyn asks if she thinks it will work, and Diane says, no, but the court expects it and it starts the road to acquittal. Michael says he’s meeting with McConkey and asking him to look into Cates’s conduct, and Carly says she hopes they turn over every rock to find something. If she’s going down, Cates is going down with her. The bailiff says, all rise.

Alexis comes to the station and says she’s dropping off some paperwork for Anna. Dante says, it’s official, and she says, once again she’s a licensed and practicing attorney. Dante says, now they can have a different picture on their dartboard instead of hating on Diane. Sam wanted to have them over for dinner, and he thinks this would be a good excuse to celebrate. Alexis says she looks forward to it, and Dante takes the paperwork and leaves. Alexis asks if Molly’s got a minute, and Molly says, she must have spoken to Kristina. Alexis says, yes, she did.

Anna goes into the office and says, it’s good to see Jack, especially since every trace of him has disappeared. He says, there’s a reasonable explanation. He was never there. She says she kept a hard copy of his intake arrest record, and he says, damn. Now he’ll have to burn down the police department – again. He swore it was the last time. Anna tells him to stop whatever game he’s playing. He’s won. He says, what was that last bit? and she says, he won. He’s out and free, and she, the lowly, local Police Commissioner, can’t touch him. What’s going on? He says, sorry, she has no clearance, but she says, that’s never stopped her before. Or him. He says, the Bureau found a use for him. It’s as simple as that. Why does she ask? Was she worried about him? She says she was really worried… that he wouldn’t pay for the crimes he’s committed and that’s exactly what happened. He’s been rewarded for them. He says, he’ll be running a local station in the hinterlands. Some reward. She says, the WSB needed to divorce themselves from Pikeman. It did a good job for them, but things were getting conspicuous. The FBI wasn’t on board, so the WSB let them take Pikeman down and walked away clean. Is she close? He shrugs.

Maxie tells Spinelli that she knows she said she was okay with it, but she wants to know what happened. He says he can’t divulge his methods, and she says, but he could deny them in detail. He says, for instance, he absolutely did not access the evidence Cates is using against Carly, and Maxie says, of course (🍷) not. How would he do that? He says, not by having Sam distract Cates and borrowing Cates’s digital ID. She wonders why he couldn’t use the ID to get rid of the evidence and throw it away, but he says, even The Jackal couldn’t pull that off.

The judge says, the defendant is charged with racketeering violations, and Diane says, they can waive the reading. Wilcox has no objection, and the judge asks if the defendant understands the charges. Diane says she’s making a motion to dismiss. The prosecution hasn’t shared the evidence, which consists of a single recording. There’s no eyewitness testimony, just one audio file recorded by an FBI agent. A guy comes in and whispers something to Wilcox, and Diane says, Carly is a long standing pilar if the community and the charges are lacking in merit. She voluntarily turned herself in hoping to get this whole thing over with. It reeks of malicious prosecution, and she hopes the court sees it for what it is. The judge says, it always pleases her to hear Diane argue a motion, and Wilcox says, the people don’t oppose the motion to dismiss. We all go, whaaat?

The judge bangs her gavel and asks if she heard correctly. Are they agreeing to dismiss the case? John jumps up and says, they’re not, and Wilcox asks, who the hell is he? The judge says she’ll ask the questions. Who the hell is he and what business is it of his? John says he’s Special Agent Cates. He brought Carly in and the US Attorney is making his job impossible. The judge asks the attorneys and John to approach the bench, and John says, they have an iron clad case, but Wilcox says, the audio file is gone. It no longer exists. (I laaaaugh.)

Anna says, the FBI was closing in on Pikeman and Jack got himself arrested knowing he’d never face trial. The WSB left him in Pentenville until everyone forgot about him. He says, everyone but her, and she says, now he’s a free man. And Valentin his scapegoat is also fine? Lounging with his daughter on some extradition free beach? Jack says, she’s right. There. He said it. It’s all true. Anna says, but none of it will see the light, and he says, that’s how the game is played. Speaking of games, he doesn’t think she came to the nation’s capital just to badger the WSB into divulging his whereabouts. She wants something. Anna asks, what kind of leverage does he have against John? and Jack says, John is FBI and he’s WSB. Why would she think he has pull? She says, because you’re you. You have connections. Jack says he’s flattered, and she says, John is off the rails and targeting Jack’s friend Carly.

John says he has an official summary on his phone, but Diane says, in this day and age of deepfakes, evidence isn’t evidence unless there’s a chain of custody. John says, there is, and accuses the DA’s office of being incompetent. Maybe they should look for the file. Wilcox says, they did, and the last time it was accessed was by John. The judge says, so they have no evidence, and Wilcox says, none. She thanks them, and Carly asks Diane, what’s happening? Diane says, wait for it, and the judge asks if the prosecution wishes to proceed. Wilcox says, they’re not moving forward with the case, and the judge says, case dismissed. Carly looks at Jason and everyone looks stunned. Sonny smiles. (I can’t stop laughing.)

Carly asks, what happened? and John says, it can’t be gone. The judge asks if he didn’t hear the dismissal. One more word, and she’ll hold him in contempt. He’s stopped talking? Good. Now listen. For the record, she recommends he take his questions, accusations, and excuses to his superior. His conduct is not for court. Understood? John nods, and she says, good. Now they’re done. Court is adjourned. The bailiff says, all rise, and the judge leaves. Carly hugs Josslyn and Michael, and everyone is happy. John says he doesn’t know how they pulled it off, but it’s not going to work. It’s evidence tampering and he has a good idea who’s behind it. He flashes back to Diane assuring him that this is going to blow up in his face, and Anna telling him to ignore the evidence. Carly says she’d love to send a thank you note to whoever did this, but Jason says, it’s not over. Michael says, it is, and John tells Sonny, enjoy his reprieve. It won’t last. He’s going to put Sonny behind bars for the rest of his life, and make sure Jason and Carly are rotting beside him. He stomps out.

In the interrogation room – where everyone goes to talk – Alexis says she spoke to Kristina and has one question. Molly says, hit her with it, and Alexis asks, what was Molly thinking? Molly says, nailed it, and Alexis says, she jumped the gun and tried to force Kristina to sign the termination of parental rights on the spot. Molly says she just presented Kristina with documents she’d always intend to sign, but Alexis says, it wasn’t a formality. By Molly’s own admission, she said Kristina was being cagey. Molly says, it was obvious that Kristina wanted to keep the baby, and Alexis says, Kristina said she tried to explain that she was protecting Molly and TJ’s privacy. Molly asks if Alexis buys that, and Alexis says, Kristina didn’t want to discuss Molly’s fertility issues without permission. Molly says, then Kristina should have asked her before the interview. How could it not come up in the prepping? The obvious assumption is that Kristina and Blaze are having a baby together. A message Kristina perpetuated.

Nina says, Wiley and James are fast, and Spinelli says, especially for children with their mass and density. Wiley asks if Nina wants a hot dog, but Nina says she has to go back to work. Spinelli goes to get hot dogs for the kids, and Wiley thanks Nina for coming. He hugs her and everyone smiles. (Oh wow. This episode is way too happy. An asteroid is surely hitting Port Charles soon. Or the Ice Princess. Or something.)

Carly hugs Jason and says, it’s over. He’s free. Jason sighs, and Josslyn and Michael hug Carly. Sonny flashes back to Carly telling him about the recording, and Josslyn says, the look on Cates’s face… Michael says, priceless, and Jason asks if she knows how it happened. Carly says she has an idea, but Diane strongly suggests they keep their theories to themselves forever. Michael says, it’s a solid plan, and Wilcox says, Diane had an excellent argument. She says, it’s a pity they’ll never know, and he says, almost. He tells Carly, on behalf of the US Government and the Justice Department, their sincerest apologies, and Carly says, they were just doing their job. He says, it’s come to their attention that Agent Cates has been less than professional on other fronts, and they’ll be looking further into his conduct. Carly says she hopes they take a long hard look, and Wilcox leaves. Carly asks if she can walk out, and Diane says, unless she has a burning desire to stay. She strongly suggests Carly go to the PCPD and pick up her personal items. Michael says, it’s cause for celebration. He knows of a party already in progress. Carly wonders if it’s still going on, but Josslyn says, if it’s not, they’ll get the party started again. Michael asks if Sonny wants to come, and Sonny asks, what’s wrong with you people?

Alexis says she doesn’t think Kristina’s reasoning is up to par. Her body is flooded with hormones that are telling her to protect the baby and keep it. But she wants Molly to have it. Molly asks if that’s why Kristina is claiming she and TJ are breaking up. It’s like she wants it to happen for an excuse just to keep the baby. Alexis says, they both have her genes. Molly has the ones that want justice, law, and order, and Kristina’s got the ones that make her think she’s right, she’s the smartest one in the room, and her ideas are better. Lucky you. She has another great idea – back off please. Just talk to her and accept her explanation. Trust her to be honest. Molly’s impulse was to have Kristina sign the termination on the spot. If she pushes back, Kristina will push harder, double down, and dig in. Molly knows she’s right.  

Jack says he’s sorry Carly is experiencing difficulty, and Anna says, she’s been charged with RICO violations. He says he doesn’t see her as a racketeer, and she says, Cates is targeting her ex-husband and using it for extortion. They have an agent running roughshod over the law in town. He’s a wrecking ball and she’s not letting him play out his vendetta. Jack says, a code of honor and actual honor are very different. If anyone knows… She says, it’s them. How many people’s lives has he destroyed in his performance of duty? Does he keep track? Does he care? Jack says, she has a tendency to jump to conclusions. It’s a bad habit for a spy… She says, ex-spy, and he tells her, try to have patience. She may discover that he’s not in the business of ruining people’s lives if he can help it.  

Sonny says, this did not have to happen. Carly should have told him what was going on before it was too late. Jason should have called him three years ago and told him what Jagger was up to. He could have stopped it. Jason says he tried to explain what he could, but Sonny says, Jason didn’t trust hurt him. None of them did, but that’s all right. He’s going to take care of Jagger himself. He walks out, and Jason looks at Carly.

This was a great episode.

Tomorrow, Anna tells Jason that she has a debt to repay; Molly apologizes to Kristina; Ava tells John that she has every reason to believe she’ll get the outcome she wants; and Dante tells Sonny that he can only push everybody so far, even him.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

A blast from the past returns.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/emma-samms-returns-to-general-hospital-2024

So many of the soap stars love cooking, the Food Network should create a show for them. I miss Soap Net… sniff…

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-kirsten-storms-shows-off-her-incredible-cooking-skills

Sounds like she had a pretty normal life, but still, it must be weird.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-kimberly-mccullough-on-growing-up-on-tv

She should thank her lucky stars that she practically skated. Uber. It’s called Uber.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/general-hospitals-haley-pullos-sentenced-for-dui

This sounds like a good time. I actually considered going for a hot minute, but couldn’t think of anyone I could force coerce into going with me.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/dont-miss-the-2024-general-hospital-fan-celebration

👠 What Happens In Jersey…

I love Marge sending Teresa a funeral bouquet in memory of her dignity. Apparently, she has tea to spill.

RHONJ Season 14 Finale Will See Margaret Josephs ‘Drop Bombs’ on Jackie Goldschneider

Danielle’s take.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1405006/rhonjs-danielle-cabral-confirms-the-season-14-finale-is-just-as-shocking-as-youd-expect

The uncivil war rages on.

https://okmagazine.com/p/rhonj-season-14-finale-war-revealed/

Seriously, Andy, reboot that thing or get rid of it.

https://people.com/andy-cohen-teases-rhonj-reboot-heres-the-truth-exclusive-8685366

What happened last week.

Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 14, Episode 12 Recap: Marge’s Funeral for Teresa’s Dignity

🗽 And In a Surprise Crossover…

Come on. What does anyone expect from this clueless throwback? If she was a dude, she’d be one of those guys from Manhattan who wouldn’t date you if you lived in Queens. A word about New Jersey. It’s like any place else. It has its good points and bad points. It’s geographically beautiful, there are tons of things to see, and the food is fantastic. On the other hand, the taxes are high, the government is corrupt, and it’s way expensive to live here. But best of all, you’re highly unlikely to run into anyone like the cast of RHONJ. Or Ramona.

Ramona Singer Faces Backlash for Shading State of New Jersey
Melissa Gorga Claps Back After Ramona Singer Shades New Jersey, as Fans React to “Offensive” Post & Call RHONY Star “Out of Touch,” Plus Margaret Pokes Fun at Ramona

🛟 Making Up Off Deck…

Hannah is a mom now. She’s too tired to argue.

Below Deck Med’s Captain Sandy Reveals How She Ended Hannah Ferrier Feud

🚜 They’re Moving On…

Interesting how both Barry and Ethan can’t let go of their respective relationships, yet their exes are moving on quickly. No crying and eating ice cream for them.

‘Welcome to Plathville’ Recap: Kim Cries Hugging Ethan During Reunion

🪄 Looking For Fabulous…

Note: As of this posting, there was no recap for My Big Fat Fabulous Life, but I did watch it and it was very touching. The episode revolved around the Thores’ second Christmas without matriarch Babs, and the first time actually celebrating. Shopping for a tree, a Christmas costume party, the family together – including Hunter’s new girlfriend Karen – and Goosie in a Christmas sweater. There was nothing not to like. Hopefully tomorrow will bring a recap.

🧛🏻‍♀️ Fading Shadows…

The beginning of the end airs October 21st.

https://ew.com/what-we-do-in-the-shadows-final-season-preview-exclusive-photos-8676830

🐕 Best In Pool…

If you take nothing else away from my obsession with this dog, remember that a rescue dog (or other pet) can be the best thing that’s ever happened to you, and you to them.

https://people.com/all-about-dogpool-the-canine-rescue-star-of-deadpool-and-wolverine-8685503

📝 The Back To School Slippery Slope Arrives…

Join me tomorrow for soap and new Listings. Until then, stay safe; stay keeping dirt/grass outdoors and not tracking it inside; and stay remembering that a code of honor and actual honor are very different, and choosing wisely.

May16

May 15, 2024 – The Wedding Begins, Lots Of Suds To Unpack, They’re the Top, Westminster Win & 16th

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Tracy looks at a photo of Edward and Lila, when Ned walks in. She asks if the coast is clear. He asks, if what she means by that is, are Gloria and Carmine on their way to the church? and she says, that’s precisely what she means. He says, then yes. He sent them with a flower arrangement, so they’d think that they were doing something. She says, good. She’s very glad to have some time alone with him. He says, uh-oh. Is he in trouble? Her voice breaks and she says, no. He’s a very good father, a wonderful father. He says, thank you? and she laughs. She asks if it’s that unusual that she gives him a compliment, and he says, she caught him by surprise, that’s all. He thanks her for saying so, and tells her that he hasn’t always been perfect, but he does try. She says, and it shows. The upcoming nuptials have her thinking about all the other milestones she missed, and the most glaring of them of course (🍷), was his wedding to Lois. She’s so sorry she wasn’t there. It was her loss. He says he’s glad she’s here now, and she says, her too, and they hug. He looks at the photo over her shoulder. (I love Tracy so much.)

Sonny looks around the MetroCourt Garden and tells Olivia, this looks great… Not as great as the owner. She says, co-owner. He’s looking pretty great himself, as always. He thanks her and asks if everything is set. She says she hopes so. She’s so over the moon happy for Brook and Chase. He says, they’re great together, and she says, the best. She knows Tracy is picking up the tab for the reception, but this is her hotel, so her gift to the happy couple is, everything’s got to go off without a hitch.

At the church, Sam says, the guestbook is in place, and Willow says, excellent. Josslyn says she can’t believe the wedding day is finally here, and Sam asks if anyone has talked to Brook. Michael says, Brook texted him earlier, and she’s getting ready with her mom. Someone yells, Dante! and Dante says, speaking of the Cerullo side of the family. He goes over to greet the guests coming in.

Outside, Portia tells Jordan that her dress is absolutely beautiful. Jordan thanks her and says, hers is gorgeous too. She stopped by Drew’s office at Aurora Media the other day. She doesn’t want to spread any rumors, but she understands there may be an announcement for a new division. Curtis says he can neither confirm nor deny, and Jordan says, just in case, congratulations. She leaves, and Portia says, Curtis can tell her. When are he and Drew making the big announcement? He says, they want to build anticipation, so they can just let the rumors start flying, and she says, he’s going to be great. He says, with her by his side, how can he be anything else? She tosses her hair, and they kiss. Jordan is about to come back, and sees them.

Violet practices her flower girl thing, and Chase asks Finn how he’s looking. Finn says, pretty good, and Chase says, high praise. Thanks. Finn asks if it isn’t part of his best man duties to prop him up no matter what, and Chase suggests Finn brush up on his propping techniques. Elizabeth says, don’t listen to his brother. He looks extremely handsome. Violet says she agrees, and he thanks them both so much. But he doesn’t think it’s going to matter that much because all eyes are going to be on his gorgeous bride.

Brook looks in the mirror, and Lois says she doesn’t think anyone’s been more beautiful. Brook says, they haven’t even finished her hair yet, but Lois says she’s talking about the glow. Brook is literally radiating happiness and it makes her heart want to burst. Brook says she is happy. She’s the happiest she’s ever been, and she owes it all to Chase. Lois says, no. She owes some of it to Chase. She wants Brook to look into the mirror and say thank you to herself, for knowing what she wanted, for waiting until she found it, and fighting to hold onto it when things got rough. Because here she is on the brink of forever with the man she loves. Brook says, can Lois believe it? She’s getting married today. Lois says, yes, she is. Let’s get you ready.

Sam hugs Kristina and says, she looks beautiful. Kristina says, yes, they do, don’t they? Blaze says, aw, and Kristina says she was talking about her and the baby. Blaze looks great too. Blaze thanks her, and Dante comes out. He says, welcome to the wedding of the century, from what Maxie tells him, and Sam asks how they are. Kristina says, good, and Blaze says, can’t complain. Dante says, it’s crazy, kind of. The first time he met Blaze, he was getting an autograph for Rocco, and now she’s dating his little sister. Kristina says, his little sister who’s getting bigger and bigger by the minute. Where’s her hug by the way? Dante says, it’s right here, and hugs her.

Outside, Dex approaches Michael and Sam, and Michael says he didn’t know Dex would be here. Dex says, Chase invited him, and Sam says, welcome. Anna joins them, and Sam says, Brook wanted everyone to sign the guestbook. Anna asks if Dex wants to do that, and he says, yeah. They go inside, and Michael says, incoming. A woman yells, Mikey! and Michael says, hey, Patty. Patty says, last night was so much fun, and Michael agrees. (Wish we could have seen that.) She says, don’t forget, he said he’d save her a dance, and he says he did. He’s got to go find his wife. He’ll be… He goes inside, and Patty asks what he said. Sam says she doesn’t know, but he is a good dancer.

Kristina says she’s glad there’s so many people from the old neighborhood here, and Dante tells her, she’s only saying that because she doesn’t know any of them. She says she’s serious. It’s important their dad sees he has friends that aren’t Ava Jerome. Wait. Dante doesn’t think he’s inviting Ava, does he?

A young man walks in with a violin case, and Josslyn says, groom’s side or bride’s side? but he says, neither. The bride is his cousin. Giovanni Palmieri. Josslyn tells him, Josslyn Jax. Nice to meet him. They shake hands, and she says, he doesn’t want to sit with his family? He says he has no problem sitting with them, but he’s going to play. She says, another musical solo, and he says, that’s kind of the family business. That, and fixing cars. She says she can show him where to set up, and he thanks her. He asks if she knows if Sonny Corinthos is going to be here today.

Olivia adjusts a floral arrangement and says, that looks better, doesn’t it? Sonny says, it kind of looks like it did before, and she says, don’t make fun of her. He says, who’s making fun? but she says, he’s making fun of her. What’s he doing out of the church anyway? He says he’s picking up his plus one, and she says, really? Do tell. Natalia comes in, and Sonny introduces her to Olivia. He says, she knows Blaze? and Olivia says, of course (🍷). He says, that’s her mother, and Natalia says, guilty. Olivia says, her daughter is so incredibly talented, and Natalia thanks her. Olivia says, and she and Kristina make such a beautiful couple, and Sonny says, they seem happy. Natalia says, they do, and Olivia says she hates to cut this short, but she’s got to run. The party isn’t going to throw itself. She leaves, and Sonny asks if Natalia is ready. She says she is, and if she didn’t mention it earlier, she thanks him so much for including her. They head out.

As she curls Brook’s hair, Lois says, Brook always had the most beautiful hair as a toddler, and Brook says, there were times you wouldn’t have known it with all the hairstyles Lois gave her. Lois says, all those styles were cutting edge, and Brook tells her, if you say so. Lois tears up, and Brook says she’s sorry. She loved all her haircuts. Lois says, it’s not that. This is the last time she’s going to be doing Brook’s hair like this. Brook says, Lois can come over whenever she wants. She knows how much Brook hates blow-drying her hair. (Same.) Lois says, no, like this, like Brook’s all hers. Today, she’s going to be a married lady. Brook says, yeah, but she’ll still have hair, and Lois laughs. She says, it’s always the wisecracks with Brook, and Brook says she made Lois laugh, didn’t she? Lois says, yeah. She did.

Elizabeth asks Finn how his dad is doing today, and Finn says, he seems good, upbeat. He says he’s buoyed by the adrenaline of the wedding. She says, seems? and he says he’s worried Gregory wouldn’t tell them if he wasn’t up for officiating. She says, because this means so much to him, and Finn says he wants more than anything for this to work out, for his dad and for Chase, but his dad’s stamina hasn’t been good the past few days, and Finn doesn’t know if he can make it through the ceremony.

Finn asks Chase if he wants to check on their dad. They should probably get going soon. Chase says he’s on it, and goes in the back. Finn takes a folder out of a binder and gives it to Ned in the hallway. Ned says, all set? He’ll see Finn at the church. Finn goes back in, and Gregory asks if the famous flower girl is in their midst. Violet says, that’s her, and he says, she looks absolutely stunning. She thanks him and says, he looks Debbie Downer. He says, what? and Finn says he thinks she means debonair. Violet tells them, that’s what she said, and Elizabeth says, very debonair. And she has the final touch. She pins a boutonniere on Gregory’s lapel.

Spinelli tells Anna, precious greetings, and she asks how he’s doing. He asks if she’s just arriving or in need of a breather, as they say, and she says, taking a breather, not in need of one. He says, it’s a beautiful day for it, and she says, it is. Is he waiting for someone or…? He says, just gathering courage, and she says, for? He says, Maxie invited him as her date, which he’s clearly delighted about… She says, but he’s a little nervous? and he says, more than a little, which seems silly because they were almost married once upon a time. She says she can understand that, and he says, she can? She says, yeah. He and Maxie are rediscovering each other and that can be scary. It can also be fun and exciting. He says, all the feels, as Georgie would say, and she says, exactly. He says, she’s Maxie’s godmother, and as such, he wants her to know his intentions are nothing but honorable. She says she has no doubt.

Drew tells Jordan, happy wedding day, and she says, back atcha. He says, she looks very nice, and she thanks him. He says he doesn’t mean to interrupt. She was in the middle of texting someone. She says she was just checking work email. Is that terrible? He asks why that would be terrible, and she says she feels like she should be focused on love and fun, not government business. He says, she can be focused on anything she wants. Is she here solo? She says, free as a bird, and he asks what she thinks about these two birds sitting together. She says, so he’s saying he wants to join her flock? and he asks if he passes muster. She says, he’ll do.

As they walk toward the church, Sonny stops and says, whoa. Shame on him. Natalia asks what he did, and he says he hasn’t told her how great she looks. She thanks him and says, he looks very handsome. Dex walks by, and he and Sonny exchange a look. Natalia says, is that a friend of his or…? and Sonny says, an ex-employee who violated his trust. Shall we? He offers her his arm, and she says, yes, we shall. They begin walking, but Anna comes by, and Sonny says he wants to introduce her to Natalia. He tells Natalia, this is the Police Commissioner of Port Charles, and they shake hands. Natalia asks if she should call Anna Commissioner, but Anna says, no. She’s off the clock. It’s nice to meet her. Natalia says, it’s nice to meet Anna, and Anna tells them, have fun. Sonny says, her too, and they continue walking.

Blaze asks if Kristina is ready to go inside, and Kristina says, yeah, sure. Oh my God. Look. Sonny and Natalia walk up.

Brook says, perfect, and Lois asks if she’s sure. Brook says, again with the tears, and Lois says she can’t help it. Does Brook remember when she was trying on wedding dresses and Lois said it was like a snapshot? This is another one. She’s all grown up and ready to walk down the aisle. Brook asks if Lois is sad that she’s getting married, and Lois says, sad? No. Nostalgic for Brook’s childhood? Yes. Is she insanely proud of the beautiful, accomplished woman Brook has become? Absolutely, but never sad. She’s so happy for Brook. She’s happy for all of them. Brook tells her that she said that last night, and Lois says she means it. Being Brook’s mother is the best thing that ever happened to her. She’s loved every second of it. Brook says, every second? and Lois says, yeah, every second. She’s so lucky. Brook says she’s lucky too. And yes, she’s marrying Chase this afternoon, and hopefully, someday they’ll start a family of their own, but just for the record, she will always need her mom. Lois asks if she promises, and Brook says she does.

Blaze asks if she can talk to Natalia for a quick sec, and Natalia says, sure. They step away, and Kristina asks what Sonny is doing. He asks what she means, and she says, really? He just showed up with her girlfriend’s mother on his arm. He says, it’s not what she thinks, and she asks what she’s thinking. He says, Natalia wanted to come. He had a plus one and he brought her. Why is she upset? Kristina says, just be charming, and he says he’s always charming. She says, extra charming. Amp it up a little. She could use all the help she can get.

Natalia asks if Blaze is surprised to see her, and Blaze says she shouldn’t be. Natalia always gets what she wants. Natalia says, Blaze should hope so, because she only wants what’s best for her baby girl. Hopefully, someday she’ll see that. Blaze says she told Natalia that she was coming here with Kristina, and Natalia says, she did. But now she’s here too. Isn’t that great? Now they can all celebrate this beautiful event together.

Curtis asks if Portia is thinking about their wedding, and she says, it was the most incredible day, until it wasn’t. He says, yet here they are, over a year later. They made it. She says she’s grateful. She just doesn’t know what she would have done if she’d lost him. He says, she’s never going to have to find out, and kisses her.

Ned comes up behind Olivia and says, stress levels, on a scale of one to ten? She says, surprisingly, not off the charts. She’d say a solid six. He says, that’s impressive, and she says, everything is done at the MetroCourt. At least – she blesses herself – it better be. How is he? He says he got what he needed from Finn, and she says, they’re going to remember this day forever now. He says, yes, they will, and she says, something else happened. What? He says he had a moment with this mother, and she says, a good moment or a Tracy moment? He says, it was surprisingly good. He thinks her relationship with Brook has affected her for the better. His mother is much more open with her feelings these days. She says, you see that? That’s the power of love. She kisses him.

There’s a knock at Brook’s door, and she says, come in. Tracy walks in, and she says, hi, granny. Tracy says she guesses Brook gets to call her that, with her blessing, today and today only. The bride makes the rules. Brook says, Tracy looks stunning, and Tracy says she’s got nothing on Brook. Nerves? Brook says she feels surprisingly peaceful, but Tracy says, it’s not surprising. Brook says, it’s not? and Tracy says, no, because Brook believes in herself. She believes in her instincts, her convictions. It’s one of the things she admires most about Brook. Brook says she didn’t know Tracy admired anything about her, and Tracy says, well, she does, and she’s unbelievably happy for Brook. It took her a long time to find Luke, the man that she loved, and she’s thrilled Brook found Chase so early on and he sees all of her. Brook says, and he loves her in spite of it, but Tracy says, no. He loves her because of it. Brook, her darling granddaughter, is just spectacular, inside and out. Brook tells her that she doesn’t even know what to say. Thank you, granny. Tracy says, ugh, and Brook says, Tracy told her that she could. Tracy says she knows, but she’s regretting it already.

Gregory looks at his notes, and Finn asks if he thinks the fifth time’s the charm. Gregory says, cut him some slack. It’s been a while since he’s been up in front of a crowd. Finn says, he’s going to do great. All those years of lecturing college students, a wedding should be a walk in the park. Gregory says, it’s not just a wedding. It’s his son’s wedding. He doesn’t want to let Chase down. Elizabeth says, he could never, and Violet comes out with Chase. She says, the car’s here, and Finn says, that’s their cue. Are the ladies ready? Violet says she was ready yesterday, and Elizabeth says, Violet’s been wanting a wedding day for months as she recalls. Violet says, then she was ready months ago, and Finn says he appreciates the accuracy. They leave Chase alone with Gregory, and Chase says, so much build up. Now it’s finally here. Gregory asks how he feels, and Chase says, really excited, but really calm at the same time. Gregory says, it’s the perfect combination. Can he give Chase some advice? Chase says, please, and Gregory says, try to take it all in. The sights, the sounds, the smell of the flowers, especially though, the feelings of joy and hope, because that’s what all of them in the church will be experiencing. Try to take a mental picture he can keep with him forever. He knows he will. Chase thanks him, and not just for the tip, but for being the best dad a kid could ask for. Growing up, he was always surrounded by love and support, and he knows not everyone can say that. He loves Gregory so much. Gregory says he loves Chase too, and they hug. Gregory says, now, let’s get you hitched.

Brook asks what Tracy’s got there, and Tracy hands her a jewelry box, saying, it’s for her. Brook opens it, and there’s an exquisite, vintage bracelet inside. Brook says, it’s beautiful, and Tracy says, it was Brook’s great-grandmother’s. Brook says, it was Lila’s? and Tracy says she’s cherished it for years. Now it is Brook’s. She puts it on Brook’s wrist, and Brook says she’s honored. Tracy says, Brook’s a lot like Lila, and Brook says, in what way? Tracy says, Brook sees the glass half full. Her mother was like that. Not that she didn’t see reality. She looked at reality and saw a reason to hope, to see the best in people. That’s not a quality Tracy possesses, but her mother did and so does Brook. And while Brook has been, and will continue to be, she’s sure, a colossal pain in the ass – Brook says, right back atcha – she adores Brook beyond measure. Brook says she loves Tracy, and Tracy says she’s so grateful for Brook in her life. Brook says she’s so grateful too, and they hug.

On the phone, Spinelli tells Georgie, have no fear. He’ll take copious pictures of the bride and her gown… Of course (🍷) he’ll tell mom how beautiful she looks… He sees something, and says he’ll call Georgie back. He loves her. Jason is standing there, and Spinelli says, at long last, he sees Jason in the flesh. Jason says, Spinelli, and Spinelli throws himself into Jason’s arms, hugging him. Spinelli says, the fact that Jason is here, his gratitude knows no bounds, and Jason says, okay, and peels Spinelli off. He’s sorry. Spinelli says, for what? and Jason says, this is the first time he’s seeing Spinelli. He wanted to reach out, but things have been so complicated. He didn’t want Spinelli involved. Spinelli says he expected as much. Welcome home, Jason. Jason thanks him, and Spinelli moves in for another hug, but Jason puts his hands up, and straightens Spinelli’s lapels. Spinelli tries to do the same, but Jason bats his hands away.

Dante tells Sonny that he’s looking sharp. It’s good to see him. They hug, and Sonny introduces Natalia. Dante says, they can find a seat and he’ll see them later. Sonny sees Michael, who says, hey, dad, and Sonny says, they’ve got to find a seat, brushing past him. He says he should probably explain, but Natalia says, only if he wants to. He says, that’s his other son, Michael, and she says, they’re not close? He says, they used to be. Michael disappointed him deeply. She says she understands. Her kids have sometimes disappointed her too.

Gregory says he should go straight in, conserve his energy, and Elizabeth says she’ll go with him. She asks if Violet wants to check out the decorations in the church, and Violet says, yeah. The three of them go in, and Finn asks how Chase’s sweaty feet are doing. Chase says he’ll have Finn know, his feet are the perfect temperature, and Finn says, big day. Chase says, one of the biggest, and Finn says he’s honored to be standing by Chase’s side for it. Chase thanks Finn for standing up for him. It means a lot. Finn says, there’s nowhere he’d rather be, and they hug.

Lois joins the group outside the church, and Ned asks Lois where Brook is. Lois says, she’s doing her finishing touches with Maxie, andNed says, Lois didn’t want to go with her? Lois says, of course (🍷) she did. Brook said she was… She asks Leo, what was it? and he says, her vibe was making Brook nervous. Olivia says, those pesky vibes of ours. How is she doing? Lois says, she’s perfect. She’s the picture of calm. Olivia says, on her wedding day. That is impressive. Gloria says, that’s exactly how they know it’s right. Their Brook has found her happily ever after.

Dex and Josslyn see each other in the church, then take seats on opposite sides of the aisle. Tracy goes over to Gregory, and he says, there she is. Where has she been? She says she was at the house getting ready, and he says, she was supposed to be taking notes for him at the rehearsal. Where are his notes? Where does he stand? How does he make the day perfect for Chase and Brook? She says, him being here makes it perfect, and he says, that’s nice and all, but he was hoping for some detailed instructions. She has nothing for him? She says she’s got nothing because there is nothing. Just say what he’s written and speak from the heart. He says, that he can do.

Jason and Spinelli approach the church, and Ned says, Jason. Jason says, Monica asked him to come, and he and Drew look at each other. Willow says, it’s nice that he could make it. Brook is almost ready, so they should probably take their seats. They go in, but Ned, Olivia, and Leo stay outside. Olivia tells Ned that he’s the most handsome father of the bride ever. She loves him. He says he loves her too, and she says, their son’s not so shabby either. Ned says, no, he isn’t. Looking good. Olivia and Leo go in, and Ned straightens his tie. Lois comes out and says, can he believe it? Ned says, no, and she says, you think about this day when you have a child, right? Especially if that child is your daughter. It seems so far away, like it’s never going to happen. He says, look at them now, and she says, Brook takes her breath away. She’s so smart and she’s so beautiful, and she’s hilarious. He says, she’s a lot like her mother that way, and Lois says, he’s no slouch either. He puts his arm around her, and they head into the church. He says he made a lot of mistakes with Brook, and she says, they both did. He says, there have to be some things they did right, and she says, the proof is in the pudding. Maxie comes out and says, please don’t tell her they just referred to the bride as pudding. Lois says, you had to be there, and Maxie asks if they’re all clear. Ned says, it’s just them, and Maxie says, Brook can come in now. Lois gasps, and Brook says, don’t cry. She just touched up her mascara. Lois says, is Brook kidding her? It’s gonna be Niagara Falls in there. Brook asks what Ned thinks, and he says he thinks she’s a sight to behold. Brook says, in that case, let’s get this wedding started.

Giovanni plays the violin, and Gloria says, he’s just like his mother. He plays like an angel. Finn tells Chase, the rest of his life is about to start. Is he ready? Chase says he’s never been more ready for anything, and Finn says he loves Chase. He’s really happy for him. Chase says he loves Finn too. Dante comes in with Lois and takes her to her seat. (For a moment, I wonder why she’s not with Ned, then I go, duh.) Violet tosses petals as she walks down the aisle, followed by bridesmaids Willow and Maxie. Little hearts pop out of Spinelli’s eyes when he sees Maxie.

Ned says he doesn’t tell Brook enough how proud he is of her, and she says, he tells her plenty. He says, the woman she’s become, the story she’s already written for herself, he can’t wait to see how the rest of it unfolds. She says, her too. She bets there will be some curve balls though. He says, no doubt, and they laugh. She asks if he’s ready to give her away, and he says, he’ll walk her down that aisle and hand her over to the man she loves, but he can’t give her away. Because she’ll always be his little girl. The music changes to the Wedding March, and he says, all right. Here we go.

Everyone stands, and Brook comes in with Ned. We finally see her dress, which is gorgeous – a lace bodice and long lace sleeves, with a tiered skirt – but I’m not sure where Lila’s dress fit in with this. (See picture below – there were none of Brook’s dress published yet.) Brook joins hands with Chase, and he says, it feels like forever since he’s seen her. She says she saw him last night, and he tells her, like he said, forever. Gregory tells them to let him know when they’re finished, and he’ll get started. Everyone laughs, and Gregory says, welcome, family and friends of Brook and Chase. I know I speak for the bride and groom when I thank you for… being a part of this… His breathing becomes labored as he continues, this most special and moment… momentous day. He clears his throat and says, we are gathered here today to wit… witness and celebrate the marriage of these two beautiful young people… Everyone starts looking concerned, and he says, Brook and Chase… are you ready – Elizabeth takes Violet’s hand – ready to enter… in… into this holy state of… He has trouble getting out the word matrimony, and Chase says, dad? Gregory looks frozen and makes grunting sounds.

Tomorrow, Tracy tells Gregory that she can finish this like she promised him; Sonny says, Natalia isn’t leaving, is she; and Drew says, the fact Jason is asking that question, pretty much answers itself.

Lila’s Dress

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

This was not the dress they used – like they would have shown it ahead of time – but the skirt tiers were the same fabric as this skirt.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/amanda-setton-previews-brook-lynn-and-chases-wedding-on-gh

Chief Mac is back.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/john-j-york-is-back-at-general-hospital

So who did he really audition for? It remains one of life’s mysteries.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-adam-j-harrington-didnt-originally-audition-for-jagger

Who’s up for a Lois/John paring? Let’s do this.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/adam-j-harrington-reveals-he-and-rena-sofer-worked-together-before-gh

Not much new info, but at least you’ll know what movie to look for.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kathleen-gati-reveals-the-title-of-her-new-movie

She’s scored the ideal gig. She can show up in her robe and slippers if she wants.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-lydia-look-has-an-exciting-new-role-in-star-wars

It looks like you’ll have to go to Netflix to actually see her, but kudos on dating a recipe creator.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/steve-burton-introduces-his-new-girlfriend

Um… I don’t think a phone call is the same as visiting her in prison. The whole thing sounds like a nightmare. Don’t drink and drive. For Pete’s sake, call an Uber.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-nancy-lee-grahn-shares-an-update-on-haley-pullos

The only real 24/7/365 job.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/general-hospital/soap-stars-share-mothers-day-love

🔪 This Week In Chefs…

My takeaway: cranberries are grown on vines, and don’t actually grow while in the water.

‘Top Chef’ season 21 episode 9 recap: ‘The Good Land’ honored Native American cuisine, so hands off the dairy!

🐩 It’s Sage For the Win…

Do you think she knows she has that silly haircut?

https://people.com/sage-miniature-poodle-wins-best-in-show-westminster-dog-show-2024-8648544

🦥 More Fun Than a Barrel of Three-Toed Sloths…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and snide comments about the awful people who inhabit Summer House. Until then, stay safe, stay not deciding what to order at the counter, and stay remembering the bride makes the rules.

May2

May 1, 2024 – Drew Presents Curtis With an Official Offer, Soap Suds, Here Comes Jersey, They’re the Top, Survivor Loss, On Broadway, Amore & First

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis goes to Drew’s office, and Drew thanks him for coming by. Curtis asks if they’re talking about Aurora’s potential move into wellness, but Drew says, it’s not potential anymore. They’re doing it. His people ran the numbers and they’re doing a dual launch. An online lifestyle website, and they’re doing brick and mortar. The flagship gym is going to be right here in Port Charles. It’s going to be huge. All they need is somebody to run the division. So is he interested?

At the hospital, Aiden brings a big plastic container of cupcakes to the reception desk and asks if he can leave it for Elizabeth. The nurse says she’ll make sure Elizabeth gets it, and Aiden goes back to the elevator. Elizabeth sees him and asks if he’s not going to say hello.

In her office, Maxie tells Scotty that he’s got to help them. Lucy insists on being their on-air pitchwoman for Deception. He says, for cryin’ out loud, they know Lucy. She gets one whiff of fame, and it’s off to the races. There’s no stopping her. Maxie says, they have to because Home & Heart said they’re not giving Deception another spot if Lucy insists on being on camera. He says he could threaten to sue, but it’s their show. They can put on who they want. She says, they don’t want another lawsuit. They want to sell their products, and if they lose this opportunity, they lose exposure, which translates to lost sales. So please just talk to her. Convince her they need someone else… Lucy walks in and says, they wouldn’t believe all the people staring at her as she walked through the lobby. It’s very gratifying, although she is just a very humble, working gal, but she has thousands of followers. Did they see her post? So many likes. Scotty looks at Maxie, who says she rests her case.

Kristina says it’s so nice of TJ and Molly to have her over for breakfast. She’s surprised the baby is so quiet. It was practically kicking field goals yesterday. Molly says, sorry they missed it, and Kristina says, her too. He or she is probably sleeping now because they tired themselves out. TJ asks if she’s sleeping, and Kristina says, usually she manages six or seven hours a night, never less than five. Why? TJ says, Molly mentioned she stopped by pretty late the other night… after a fight?

Natalia knocks at Alexis’s office door and says she’s sorry to just show up at her doorway, but Alexis’s assistant wasn’t at her desk. Alexis says, if this is about the editorial… but Natalia says, no. She’s Natalia Rameriz, Allison’s mom. Kristina’s friend? Alexis says, yes, of course (🍷). Come on in. Natalia says she knows Alexis is a busy woman, as is she, but she just thought it was time they met. Alexis says, absolutely. Nice to meet her. They shake hands, and Alexis says she’s heard a lot about Natalia. Natalia says she’s sure, probably not all of it good. Is she right?

Natalia says she and Kristina had a bumpy start, because when she first met Kristina, she was in Allison’s bed, which was a surprise, as Alexis can imagine. Alexis says, she had no idea they were together, and Natalia says, no. Alexis says she understands Blaze hadn’t come out to Natalia yet. She hopes it wasn’t too much of a surprise. She gestures for Natalia to sit down, and Natalia says she had the pleasure of meeting Kristina’s father, and Alexis says, she met Sonny. Natalia says, and from what he told her, they have a really good relationship. Alexis asks if he said that, and Natalia says, and she knows Kristina is very close to her dad. Alexis says, she is. Kristina loves her family. Natalia says, that’s obvious. She said she’s carrying her sister’s baby.

Molly says she told TJ that Kristina came over around midnight. She just wanted to talk. Kristina says she was pretty worked up, which she knows isn’t good for the baby. She just needed some sister time. Nobody calms her down like Molly. These hormones are no joke. And as for the fight, Josslyn apologized to her, and they worked things out. TJ asks if she minds if he asks what the argument was about, and Kristina says, just Josslyn being Josslyn, complaining about her dad. He asks if Sonny did something wrong that they should know about, but Kristina says, nothing like that. It’s just that ever since Carly and her dad broke up, Josslyn totally turned on her dad and she’s always saying negative things about her dad whether they’re true or not. In this instance though, it turned out to be true. Molly says she’s sorry. But parents are human. Sometimes they disappoint us. TJ says, family is difficult. That’s one more reason to be careful. Kristina says, careful? and he says, about keeping her safe. Even if that means keeping her away from that side of her family. (Does he really think that suggestion will go over well?)

Aiden says he dropped off the cupcakes Elizabeth wanted for Amy’s birthday, and Elizabeth thanks him. She says, everybody is going to love them. What does she owe him? He says, they can settle at home. His free period’s almost over. He needs to head back to school. Tell Amy, happy birthday. She asks if he’s forgetting something, and he says, is he? She says, give his mom a hug? and he hugs her. She sees a pink smear on his backpack and asks, what is this? Why is there paint on his backpack?

Drew says, that’s why he wanted Curtis from the very beginning. He’s got experience in management, he has incredible talent for leadership, he has practical knowledge in the fitness industry. He’ll be able to tailor everything to meet their customers’ needs. He hands Curtis some paperwork, and says he really hopes Curtis considers being on board. Curtis says, this is? and Drew says, that’s the official offer. His proposed salary, stock options, benefits, a whole slew of perks, and of course (🍷) his stake in the company. Just take a look and let him know what he thinks. Curtis says he’ll do that – Nina approaches the office – but it’s going to be a huge change to his life. Drew says he gets that. It’s going to be a huge change for Aurora. That’s why he wants Curtis at the helm. There’s nobody he trusts more than Curtis to take charge. Nina says she completely agrees with that. Take charge of what?

Aiden tells Elizabeth, that happened in art class. He wasn’t looking where he put his backpack. Maybe it’ll wash out. She says, maybe, but that’s a lot of paint. He says, or he could switch backpacks, and she says, it reminds her of when he came home with paint in his hair, but he says, it’s art class. There’s a lot of paint. He tells her that he’s got to go and gets in the elevator. Elizabeth goes over to the desk, and Portia says, rumor has it that Aiden made cupcakes for Amy’s birthday, and Elizabeth says, yeah. Portia asks if Elizabeth not to tell her that they’re for nurses only, because she wants one. She knows what an excellent baker he is. Elizabeth says, yes, he is.

Natalia says, Allison told her about Kristina’s pregnancy. It’s a brave new world out there, isn’t it? Alexis says, it is, and it continues to be. Her daughter Molly was having fertility problems, really struggling to have a family, and Kristina wanted to help her out. They love each other and Alexis is very proud of that. Natalia says, of course (🍷) she’d be, but their choices present some complications for Kristina and Allison. Alexis asks, how so? and Natalia says, pregnancy in and of itself is a complication. It’s a disruption in a woman’s life, in a couple’s life. And that’s under the happiest of circumstances. Alexis says she was under the impression that Blaze was nothing but supportive, and Natalia says, she is, of course (🍷). That’s her Ally. (You know, it would help if everyone didn’t call Blaze a different name.) But there’s also public perception to consider. Alexis says she’s very happy to meet Natalia and she’s also glad Natalia came by, but she can see this might be more than a meet and greet. If there’s something on her mind, please feel free to share that. Natalia says she’s really glad Alexis is open to an honest discussion. She’s concerned for her daughter. She thinks she’s entitled to a private life, but as Blaze, that can’t happen. Alexis says, the cost of fame. Her point being? Natalia says, two women seen together, one of them pregnant, people are bound to ask whose baby it is and most people are going to assume that it’s theirs. (Huh? I can’t imagine even thinking about it that hard.) Alexis says she’s not sure why that would be anyone else’s business. Natalia says, Alexis runs a newspaper. She has a gossip column. If the girls are out and somebody shoots a picture of them in public and posts it, Alexis knows better than anybody that one photo can change somebody’s life. For better or for worse.

Kristina says, if TJ is referring to her father, she has no intention of staying away from him. She loves him very much and he always has her support. TJ says he understands that, but he also knows his Uncle Curtis was just shot from simply being in the same vicinity as Sonny, so he’s just suggesting she keep some distance during her pregnancy. Kristina says she made it crystal clear that this baby’s well-being is her top priority, and Molly says, she has, and they appreciate that. Kristina says she’s been eating healthy, she’s been taking her vitamins, staying hydrated. She’s been going to all of her doctor’s appointments. She even paused working at the Corinthos-Davis Center for this pregnancy. She’s taking extremely good care of herself and seeing her friends and her family is included in that. She doesn’t think separating herself from them is necessary or healthy. If they’ll excuse her, she has a full day ahead of her. She gets up, and Molly says, no, please don’t go, but Kristina says, no, really, she should get going. She would hate to have to rush and get home past her bedtime. Molly says. Kristina hasn’t finished her breakfast, and Kristina says she does know how to feed herself. She does manage a restaurant. She tells Molly, love you, and leaves. Molly tells TJ, really? What was that all about?

Drew says, he and Curtis were discussing an upcoming project, and Nina asks if that means Curtis would be joining the Aurora family.  Drew says he’s working on it, and Curtis says, they just started discussing all the details. Nina says, that’s great. As he knows, you don’t just jump on the first offer. Drew is a very smooth negotiator. If they shake on anything, make sure he counts his fingers afterward. Drew says he hasn’t heard her complaining, and she flashes back to them getting busy. Nina says, well, he drives a hard bargain. She’s just giving her good friend some sound advice. Before he gets in bed with Drew, make sure he knows what he’s doing.

Lucy asks what Scotty is doing here, and he says he came to talk to Maxie. Lucy says, really? He doesn’t need an excuse if he really just wants to see her. Why don’t they go to her office, and they can watch a replay of her segment on Home & Heart? He says he doesn’t think that’s a good idea, but she says, it’s a great idea. She knows she did really well. It’s just that she thought maybe she could take notes on her performance so she can hone her craft a little bit. There’s always room for improvement. She’s been reading up on Marilyn Monroe. She studied with Lee Strasburg. The method acting technique says, you should infuse your own experiences to make the audience feel… Maxie says, the pitchwoman for Deception is not supposed to be acting. They’re supposed to be selling. And they do that by projecting sincerity and approachability. The audience needs to feel like this person is a friend whose recommendations they trust. So when the pitchwoman says, Deception’s Disruptor Nourishing Cream really refreshens your complexion, the audience believes them. And they buy the product. But the first thing the pitchwoman has to do is actually mention the product. Lucy says she agrees. Of course (🍷). That’s why she still thinks her name should be in the title of their new skin care line. Lucy’s Luminous Skin Serum or Lucy’s Luminous Luscious Lotion. Which one does she like? Maxie says she actually can’t, and tells Scotty, please stop this madness and just tell her. Lucy says, tell her what? and Scotty says, her appearance on the Home & Heart show, it was a disaster.

Lucy says, disaster? She was an unqualified success. Maxie says, it was a dumpster fire, and Scotty says, go easy on her. Maxie says, someone has to tell her the truth, and Lucy says, the truth is, she completely crushed it. She takes out her phone and says she has all the comments right here to prove it. Maxie says, Lucy talked about herself on live TV for a solid hour. She recapped her greatest successes, real and imaginary. She barely mentioned their product or Deception. She was clearly there to sell herself. Lucy says she is Deception. She created Deception and Deception’s her baby and their audience knows that. Maxie says, yes, she has a following, but that doesn’t automatically translate to sales. She was there to introduce their new face cream, not inflate her own ego. Lucy says, that’s just rude, but Maxie says, rude is trying to one-up Haven. Lucy says, Haven is jealous of her and can’t stand the competition, and Maxie says, Haven calls the shots. She wants sales, not self-promotion. Lucy says, exactly. And the bottom line is Haven is a businesswoman, and she will forget all the envy and anything about Lucy because the sales are skyrocketing and it’s because of her. Maxie asks what Scotty is doing. Tell her. Scotty says, all those skyrocketing sales… Lucy says, they are skyrocketing because of her, because the numbers do not lie. Maxie says, she’s right. The sales are great, but they’re not because of Lucy.

Curtis says, Drew has given him a lot to think about. So if Drew will excuse him, he’ll get to it. Drew says he looks forward to hearing from Curtis and they shake hands. Curtis counts his fingers says, meanwhile, the two of them play nice, and leaves. Nina says, Curtis is her friend, and Drew says, his too. Nina tells him, so he says. Curtis is just getting back on his feet. She doesn’t want Drew to take advantage of him. Drew says he’s not taking advantage of him. He’s offering Curtis an opportunity that benefits both of them. Nina says, it’s a wonder how Drew can keep all these plates spinning in the air without dropping one of them, and he says he guesses it’s just a talent of his. What did she want to see him about? She says, her daughter. She didn’t get a chance to ask why Michael and Willow were in his office yesterday before that lapse of sanity overtook them again. He says, lapse of sanity. Is that what they’re calling it? She says she really wants to know. Why was Willow here?

Portia asks if everything is okay, but Elizabeth says, she’s not sure. Aiden had pink paint on his backpack. He said he just set it down in the wrong place, but it looked like somebody deliberately did it to him. (Actually, it looked more like he brushed up against something.) And last week, he came home with paint in his hair. It wasn’t a lot, but it definitely looked like somebody flicked a paintbrush at him on purpose. Portia says, and she’s worried about bullying, and Elizabeth says, yeah. This happened before when he was younger. The thought has definitely crossed her mind, but whatever is happening, he thinks he just wants to handle it himself. Portia says, yeah, but sometimes their kids think they can handle it themselves, but they can’t really. Elizabeth says she doesn’t want to hover, and Portia says she gets that. She hates that term helicopter mom. It makes you feel like you’re second guessing yourself when you’re concerned or involved in your children’s lives. Elziabeth says, there’s being concerned and there’s wanting to control your son’s life, and she doesn’t know where this falls on the spectrum. Portia says, maybe Elizabeth could chat with his counselor. Talk to his teachers. See what they know, what they don’t know. They see so much more than we do sometimes. At the end of the day, they just want what’s best for their kids, right?

TJ asks Molly to talk to him, and she says, he doesn’t want to hear what she’s thinking right now. He says he gets that she’s angry, and she says she’s frustrated and disappointed, and she can’t for the life of her understand what he thought he was doing coming for Kristina like that. He says he was thinking of their baby’s well-being and Kristina’s too. He commends her for living a healthy lifestyle and following the guidelines, but is it not common sense to want to stay out of the line of fire? She says, believe her. She has no illusions about Sonny, but he’s highly unlikely to put his pregnant daughter at risk. He says, tell that to his Uncle Curtis. Things happen. She says, okay, but let’s have a sense of proportion. She can’t ask her sister to stay away from her father. He says he just did, and she says, he saw how well that went. He says he expected pushback and he’s not sorry he tried. And that’s not going to stop him from speaking his mind to the woman carrying their child, even if she’s the daughter of a dangerous man.

Alexis tells Natalia, as a now responsible journalist, she doesn’t really approve of policing social media sites. She thinks people have the right to think and say whatever they want, regardless of how despicable or ridiculous it is, as long as it’s within the law. Natalia says, that’s commendable, as a journalist. What about as a mother? Alexis says she would hate to see Kristina or Blaze dragged through the mud. That would be painful to see. On the other hand, she didn’t raise a shrinking violet and she’s pretty sure Natalia didn’t either, so she’s confident they’d be able to weather whatever came at them. Natalia says, that’s very supportive and sane, albeit a little idealistic. She’s just sort of a pragmatist, and she can’t help but realize that the fallout for Allison would be a lot different than for Kristina. Alexis says, how so? and Natalia says, isn’t it obvious? Allison is a star with a huge fanbase and following, and Kristina is a… bartender.

Alexis says, if Natalia has an issue with Blaze’s public persona, then that is something she should probably take up with her daughter. She doesn’t really see how she can help her. Natalia says, please understand, she’s not disparaging Kristina, and Alexis thanks her so much for coming by, but she runs a newspaper and she’s getting a lot of calls coming in while they’re having this conversation. You never know when it’s going to be breaking news. So again, she thanks Natalia so much and appreciates her stopping by. Natalia says she’s really glad they got a chance to finally meet, and Alexis says, it’s always good to put a face to the person. Natalia tells her, have a nice day, and leaves. Alexis makes a call and says, how dare Diane not be there when she needs to vent? She just met Blaze’s mother and it wasn’t pretty.

Molly tells TJ that Kristina is doing something incredibly generous for them. She’s giving up nine months of her life to give them a child. The last they can do is not police her every move. He says he doesn’t like how she’s making him out to be some kind of control freak, and she asks, what else he would call the constant questioning about what Kristina eats, how much she’s sleeping, and whether she can see her father until after her delivery date? He says, fine. If wanting the best for their baby makes him a control freak, he’ll wear that as a badge of pride. (I’m thinking now would be the perfect time to throw a pie in his face.) She says, be proud of himself. Just lay off Kristina. He says he doesn’t think it’s unreasonable to want her to stay physically safe, and Molly says, it is if he drives her away. He says, if it does, then that’s on her, not on him. He understands Kristina is hormonal, but taking off in a huff just because they’re asking questions? He’s a doctor. She says, yes, but he’s not Kristina’s doctor. He’s not even the baby’s doctor. If there were concerns, Dr. Navarro would have raised them, but she hasn’t. He says, Dr. Navarro is only evaluating Kristina based on what she sees in front of her. She’s not factoring in Kristina’s connection to Sonny. Molly says, and that’s a good thing. Because Kristina has somewhere she can feel safe, not judged. He says he’s not judging her, and she says, isn’t he? He says, they’re supposed to be in this together, all three of them. They should have some say in how Kristina is living her life. It’s their baby. She says she knows this, but it is Kristina’s life. They can’t monitor her every move. He says, because she’s Molly’s sister. If they’d gone with a surrogate, in a few months from now, they’d have their baby with no strings attached, but now they… She says, no, go on. Say it. Now they’ll never get rid of her?

Portia meets Curtis at the MetroCourt and says, not that she’s complaining, but why did she have to drop everything and meet him here? All his text said was, it’s nothing bad. They sit at a table, and he says, aside from wanting to see his beautiful wife, he has a major decision, and he needs her to weigh in. She asks, what kind of decision? and he says, The Savoy’s been doing really well and he’s thinking about diversifying. She says, like a franchise or making it a brand? but he says, The Savoy is unique, and he wants to keep it that way, but it does involve branding. He and Drew have been talking about him wanting to move Aurora into fitness and wellness. So Drew is starting a new division and wants him to head that division. Portia says she guesses she wasn’t expecting anything like that. Wow. He says, they had a preliminary meeting a few weeks ago and he just now confirmed they’re moving on and Drew wants him in charge. This is the kind of opportunity that only happens once. What does she think? Should he go for it?

Nina says, okay. Drew wants Willow to go public with her medical history. She doesn’t know if that’s a great idea. He says, she’d be talking about her leukemia and her lifesaving transplant. It could help a lot of people. She says, and Aurora is involved in this why? and he asks if she thinks he’s making money off of this. She’s wrong. He’s working with a non-profit who finds donor matches for stem cells and bone marrow. Willow’s story is so inspirational. She’d make such a great spokesperson. She could jump start the whole project. She says, and he presented all of this to Willow like that, and he says, absolutely. And he made it very clear that the ultimate decision is up to her. She says she can’t ask for more than that and thanks him. By the way, she’s rescheduled her interview with Congressman McConkey for this afternoon if he’s still interested in tagging along. He says he is, and not as her chauffeur. He’d like to meet the Congressman and have a chance to talk to him. She says, that’s what she’s offering, and he says, why so accommodating all of a sudden? What’s in it for her?

Portia says she appreciates Curtis for including her, but she’s not sure. The Savoy was his dream, but he seems really excited about this new endeavor, so she really doesn’t know if she should influence him either way. He says he’d still love her opinion, and she says, okay. He’s just now finally recovering, right? He’s literally getting back on his feet. And between the club and Aurora, she just thinks he’s taking on way too much way too soon. He says, the club doesn’t need his full-time attention anymore. The Savoy survived for months after he was shot and in recovery. He’s lucky to have a great staff. N’neka is an absolute rock star, and he’s been getting great help from his dad, chatting it up with the crowd and the musicians. Curtis knows how much he loves that. She says, that’s kind of her point. The Savoy was his dream, and he feels comfortable leaving it in other people’s hands. He says, it’s not like he’s never going to set foot in that place again, and she says, but he’ll have to split his time between the club and Aurora. He says he’ll build time in his schedule to make sure The Savoy remains on track, and she asks if he thinks Selina Wu is going to respect his schedule. Because she thinks Selina still wants to take The Savoy. And what if she uses his absence to make her move?

Lucy says, her social media blew up after she was on H&H, and Maxie says, cyberbuddies and heart emojis don’t translate into cold, hard cash. And speaking of cold, hard cash, when Lucy was on camera, they were way under their minimum of 300 units per minute, but as soon as Sasha stepped in, they were hitting 650 per minute and on their way to selling out. Lucy says, that’s because she laid the foundation and her audience just waited until she was off the screen to start buying. Maxie says, that doesn’t make any sense. Why would her fans wait until she was finished to buy the product? Lucy says, obviously because they were enthralled, spellbound by her narrative. It’s a pretty incredible story, her long, hard road to success. They listened. Maxie says, let’s say there were 1000 diehard Lucy fans that were hanging on her every word. There were 10,000 audience members who were waiting to change the channel until Sasha stepped in and saved her bacon. Lucy says, so Maxie is giving Sasha credit for all her sales. They were her sales. She looks at Scotty and says, tell her. Tell Maxie they were her sales. Tell her. Scotty says, humma, humma, humma, Lucy, and she says, don’t humma-hum Lucy nothing. He was there. He felt the positive energy in the room. She had all those people eating out of the palm of her hand. They couldn’t wait to buy. Scotty says, actually, they did wait. They waited until Sasha showed up.

TJ takes Molly’s hands and says he’d never want to get rid of Kristina. That’s impossible. That’s her sister. His only problem is all the baggage that comes with her. She says, believe it or not, she understands his concerns. Sonny being Kristina’s father and the fact that she may end up prosecuting him, does he know how much she’s dreading that possibility? He says, probably as much as he dreads the idea of their child’s biological grandfather being a mob boss. It’s not all about Sonny. He has his concerns about Kristina too. She says, he knows she had her hesitations at first. But she and Kristina came to an understanding, and she thought that he did too. That’s why they accepted Kristina’s offer to be their surrogate, and she genuinely wants to help. She has said from the very beginning, she will be Aunt Kristina to their child the same way she is to Danny and Scout. He says, but she didn’t carry and give birth to Danny and Scout. There’s a big difference. How long before she’s second guessing them? (Not long if he doesn’t knock it off.) Judging their parenting styles and inserting herself into their lives? She says, Kristina has her own life. She has two jobs and a new girlfriend. He asks if she doesn’t think that could change with her being pregnant, and Molly says, of course (🍷) she’ll reach a point where she’s got to slow down, but he says he’s talking about Kristina. Everyone keeps telling him what a beautiful gift Kristina is giving them, but that gift comes with a cost. Kristina is more than a surrogate. She’s biologically and emotionally invested. Tell him that she can see how potentially difficult this is. She says she understands, but she’s still choosing to be hopeful. She’s seen Kristina really come into her own these past few years. She’s changed. For the better. He says he guesses they’ll see. They have no choice at this point.

Kristina walks into Alexis’s office, and Alexis asks, what brings her here? Kristina says, to see her mom, and Alexis goes over to her, saying, oh, oh, oh. What’s going on? Is she okay? They hug, and Kristina says she came from Molly and TJ’s place, and apparently, she’s doing this entire pregnancy wrong. The wrong diet, the wrong sleep schedule, the wrong everything. Alexis says, it can’t be that bad, but Kristina says, no, it is that bad. It’s worse actually. They think her dad is a physical danger and they want her to keep her distance from him. She’s sorry, but she’s not going to do that. She’s not going to abandon her dad, especially not now, especially when he needs her. He’s pushing everyone away from him, everyone except for Ava, who is camped out in his living room. Alexis says, got it. Breathe. Kristina takes a deep breath, and Alexis says, have a seat. She’s going through a lot. Internally, externally, the hormones are at work. They’re working for the baby and they’re working for Kristina’s hair, she might add. And she’s emotional. TJ and Molly are also emotional. She’s sure they meant well. Would Kristina like her to talk to them? Kristina says, yes, she would. She feels something and cringes, clutching her stomach, and says, guess who just woke up? Alexis says, the baby, and Kristina says, they can really stretch out and then, pow. Alexis says, that’s what they do, and Kristina says, that hurt. Her baby has a real kick. She gets up.

Alexis sits in Kristina’s chair, while Kristina stands in front of her. Alexis feels Kristina’s bump and says, whoa. She wasn’t kidding. Kristina says, funny. It was so nice when it was little butterflies and flutters. Now it’s a totally different ballgame. It’s like a soccer game. Alexis says, Kristina was just like that. She kicked so hard, Alexis thought she was going to leave bruises. Kristina says, really? Maybe the baby takes after her.

Molly tells TJ, it’s a little late for buyer’s remorse. They made a decision to trust her sister, and she for one intends to do that. She’s got to go. She’s got a deposition. He says he doesn’t want to fight. It’s just the two of them, right? He wants this to be the best thing that’s ever happened to them. She says, her too. You, me, and baby makes three, right? They kiss and she leaves for work, but neither of them look like this is the best thing ever.

The reception nurse says, if Elizabeth wants one of the cupcakes, she’d better get to the breakroom, because they’re going fast. And Amy said to be sure and thank her son. What a sweetheart. Elizabeth thanks her and says she will. The nurse leaves and Elizabeth goes behind the desk. She makes a call and asks for the counselor’s office… This is Aiden Webber’s mom. She needs to make an appointment.

Scotty tells Lucy that he’s sorry, but the numbers don’t lie. Maxie says she knows Lucy gives Deception her all. Maybe at times, too much of her all, but she’s not trying to minimize Lucy’s commitment to Deception or her accomplishments. She’s just trying to remind Lucy that Deception is not only hers. It’s not only Maxie’s. It’s not only Brook’s or Sasha’s or Tracy’s, for that matter. They’re all rooting for it to succeed. But in order to gain success, they have to sell, and she’s the wrong salesperson. Lucy shrugs and says, okay. But what Maxie is forgetting is, they don’t have Sasha and Blaze’s uber controlling mommy won’t let Blaze pitch, so she’s all they’ve got. There is nobody else. Maxie says, well, there is one other person.

Curtis tells Portia, there will be no more threats from Selina Wu. He handled it. She says she guesses the only real decision now is how he’s going to split his time and his focus. This is going to be a major project. He says, no question, and she says, and travel. He says he’s in charge. He can set his own schedule. Are there any more objections? He holds out his hand, and she puts hers in it. She says, just one that she can think of. She’s going to miss him. She really enjoyed him being home, having him all to herself. He says, and he doesn’t want to be away too often or too far from her either, but he believes in this project. He knows he can make it happen and, in the process, build something lasting that he can be proud of. She asks, how she could say no to that? It looks like he made his decision.

Nina tells Drew, let’s just say, there’s a little something in it for everybody. He gets access to Congressman McConkey, and she gets access to her daughter. He says he sees. Quid pro quo. She says, giving something to get something makes more sense than them trying to sabotage each other. He says, so she wants to cooperate, but cooperation takes trust. She says she trusts him to see his advantage in all of this, and he says he can definitely see that. His phone rings and he says, Curtis. Curtis says he hopes he’s not interrupting, and Drew says, absolutely not. He’s always got time for Curtis. Curtis thanks him and says he reviewed Drew’s offer. Drew says, and are they doing this? and Curtis says he’s in.

Tomorrow, Willow tells Michael that she’s starting to wonder if she’s doing it for the wrong reasons; Lucy thinks maybe a screentest was in order; Tracy tells Sasha that after lunch, she has a request; and Brook asks someone to go easy on her.

🧴 A Little Bit Of Soap In Your Life…

The best Nikolas of all the Nikolases has a message.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/adam-huss-special-message-to-general-hospital-fans

I don’t remember him from his previous stint on GH, but I’m intrigued about Fergus. And I’d be remiss in not saying that’s a great name for a dog.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/lane-davies-returns-to-general-hospital-in-a-new-role

Hopefully, there will be somewhere for the general public to stream it.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-cassandra-james-debuts-her-first-film

Well, it was bound to happen. I just don’t get why people don’t use Uber or something if they’re going to drink. It’s not that hard. She’s lucky she didn’t kill someone.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-haley-pullos-to-serve-jail-time-for-dui

👠 Anchor Down Your Tables…

The taglines are in place.

https://people.com/rhonj-season-14-taglines-teresa-giudice-family-drama-wont-tear-me-down-melissa-gorga-happily-burn-bridges-8641547

Teresa claims there’s a plan to take her and Luis down. I dunno. They do pretty well all on their own.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-new-jersey/season-14/videos/where-does-teresa-giudice-stand-with-the-rest-of

Six degrees of The Sopranos.

https://decider.com/2024/04/29/rhonj-danielle-cabral-extra-sopranos-around-time-jenn-fessler-sleeping-james-gandolfini

If you want a head start.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-new-jersey/season-14/videos/start-watching-the-real-housewives-of-new-jersey

🔪 This Week In Chefs…

Risotto, the bane of a competitive chef’s existence.

‘Top Chef’ 21 episode 7 recap: ‘Sausage Race’ was a ball field battle of the wieners

After the knives are packed.

‘Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen’ recap: Who scored the most runs in breakneck ‘Let’s Play Ball’ challenge? [WATCH]

⛺️ Farewell To the First…

TBH, I don’t remember her, but then again, I don’t remember most of the cast from the first one. Except for Richard Hatch and that truck driver. Susan?

https://ew.com/sonja-christopher-dead-first-person-voted-out-survivor-8639973

🏆 Light the Lights…

This year’s Tony nominees.

https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees

🐶 A Girl and Her Dog…

Love her, love the dog.

https://people.com/sofia-vergara-and-her-puppy-amore-photos-8633968

🪰 Everything’s Coming Up Cicadas…

Come on down tomorrow, or up depending on your location, for soap and shade in the House. Until then, stay safe, stay not throwing stones no matter what your house is made of, and stay not jumping on the first offer.

Sep1

August 31, 2023 – Austin Has Been Keeping a Big Secret, Old Is New, Going Back, Revelation, Architecture On the Runway, Last Delay, Clean It Now & Over

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Josslyn clears the outside tables at Kelly’s when Dex comes along. They kiss, and she says she’s been looking forward to the concert all day. It’s pretty soon, but she just needs a couple more minutes. She has to clean some coffee pots in the back. He says he’s really sorry, and she says, oh no, what? He says he has to work tonight, and she says, but he told her that Sonny gave him the night off; Sonny didn’t need him. He says, she knows how it is with Sonny. Things change.

Robert sees Diane walking toward the courtroom and says, counselor, caught in the act of fleeing a crime. She says, he caught her, and he says, indeed he has. She asks who ratted her out, and he says, one of his spies said there’s this suspicious looking redhead in the building, and here he is to investigate. She laughs.

Brook sends a text to Chase: Need you. Everything is falling apart. Leo comes in and says, she looks sad. Does she need a hug? She says she’d love one, and he hugs her. Olivia comes in, and watches from the doorway. Leo asks Brook, what’s wrong? and she says she’s just having a really bad day. He says, it must have been a doozy, and hugs her again. Olivia smiles.

At Windymere, Ava sips a martini and flashes back to Nikolas threatening her, and her hitting him with the statue. She puts the statue in the bottom of a cupboard, and there’s a knock at the door. She opens it to find Austin. He says he thought he’d surprise her. She looks great. She says, knock it off. All she wants from him are answers.

Spencer meets Alexis at a poolside table, and says, it’s good to see her. To what does he owe the invite? She says she just wanted to check in on her favorite nephew. See how he’s feeling; what he’s doing. Since his grandmother and step grandfather aren’t here, she’s the closest thing he has to a parent. Lucky him.

Lucy stands by the edge of the pool, and Martin comes up behind her, grabbing her shoulders. He says, be careful. She’s about two inches from ending up in the water. She needs to watch her step. She says, who cares if she falls in? Maybe she’ll just ruin her hair and makeup, and maybe this beautiful dress, which she happens to like quite a bit. It doesn’t matter though. She’s got a lot bigger problems. She’s about to lose her company and she feels utterly betrayed.

Martin says, as fetching as the thought of Lucy in that wet dress may be, as a jealous man, he doesn’t think he wants to share it with the rest of the patrons here. She says, fine. She’ll sit down. He says, that’s his girl, and pulls out a chair at a nearby table. They sit, and he says, first things first. What is she drinking tonight? She says she doesn’t feel like anything tonight, but he tells the waiter to get this lovely lady a Seabreeze, and he’ll have a whiskey and ginger. (Yes to both.) He asks if there’s anything he can do for Lucy, but she says, no. Doesn’t he get it? She’s really, really, really upset. Really upset. He says he understands. He’s sorry the preliminary hearing didn’t go her way. Surely there must be some way to salvage what’s left. She says, that depends on him and don’t call her Shirley.

Alexis tells Spencer that she has to admit it didn’t start out well, but it turns out that Esme – and she can’t believe she’s going to say this – is actually good at her job. He says he’s shocked, and she says she’s shocked. She knew Esme was smart and knew she was motivated, but she didn’t know Esme was competent. Having Ace there in daycare is an added bonus. Spencer says, she mentioned it was a big benefit, and Alexis says, it’s a benefit for her too. She goes in there all the time to get a boost, because when she sees that little rugrat, it makes her smile. He says, Ace amazes him every day. It’s difficult for him to remember there was a time when he was very, very hurt and very, very angry with his father for getting Esme pregnant. She says, babies make things better, and he says he can’t imagine life without Ace, and he’s very, very grateful Ace is his little brother.

Ava tells Austin that she’s grateful every day that Betty quit and hasn’t been heard from since. She hopes Betty is at the bottom of the harbor somewhere. Austin says, Ava would like that, wouldn’t she? From what he hears, she’s on vacation in Mexico. Ava says, a girl can dream. As long as she stays far away from Avery, and Ava never has to lay eyes on her again. He says he wouldn’t get his hopes up too high about that, and she asks what that’s supposed to mean. Mason wouldn’t have let her go if she hadn’t gotten the goods on Sonny. So she must have given him the proof they wanted about Sonny’s business with this Pikeman. He says, ordinarily, that seems reasonable he supposes, yeah, and she says, don’t do that. Don’t give her that doublespeak. The deal was, once the boss gets the information about Sonny and Pikeman, she was going to get Nikolas’s body back. So where is it?

Diane says, Robert isn’t even going to pretend he was on his way to somewhere else, like the records room or case management? That he’s really here to see little old her? He says, since she neglected to take him to the car show, he thought he’d bring the car show to her. She says, neglected? That’s how he’s framing it? No. He showed no interest, so she chose to take someone else. He says he chose to take her advice. He went out and bought a new car. So would she like to come for a drive in his new wheels? She says as much as she’d love to, and she would, she can’t come right now. She’s here on behalf of Drew Cain. Robert asks, how’s he liking Pentenville? and she says, come on. He’s not liking Pentenville. And let’s face it, that judge handed down a pretty harsh sentence on a pre-agreed upon plea deal. He says he’s not going to argue with her on that one, but what does she think she’s going to do about it now?

Brook tells Leo, thanks, buddy. She’ll be okay. Olivia asks what Leo is doing with that, pointing to I’m not sure what in his hand. Does he remember what he asked her to make for dinner? His favorite, manicotti. He doesn’t want to spoil his appetite, does he? He says, no, and she says, then march to the kitchen and put that back. (I just can’t imagine if a kid was having manicotti for dinner that a cookie or whatever would spoil their appetite. It certainly wouldn’t spoil mine.) He leaves, and Olivia asks Brook, what’s wrong? Did she and Chase have a fight? Brook says she and Chase are fine, but she can’t say the same about her friends. She let them down in the worst possible way. She betrayed them. Olivia asks what she means, and Tracy says she’ll explain.

Austin tells Ava, Betty’s gone. She’s never going to be around Avery ever again. Isn’t that enough for her? Ava says, actually, no. She’d like to see Betty get what’s coming to her. He says he thinks now would be the time for them to just keep a low profile and not make any big waves. She asks if he thinks she should just wait around for Mason to want something else from her, knowing he has the power to have her charged with murder. He says he’s just asking her to trust him right now, that’s all, and she says, trust him? She kept her part of the bargain. She paved the way for that psychopath Betty to have access to Sonny’s penthouse so she could spy on him. She wants Nikolas’s body back. He asks what she’d do with Nikolas’s body if she did get it back, and she says she’d do what she originally was going to do and put him in the Pine Barrens. God rest his soul. Austin says he’ll reach out to Mason. He’ll send Mason a text and see if there’s any way he can help. He thinks she can find a better place than the Pine Barrens, and she says, it’s better than putting him someplace around here. She thought about it and doesn’t think she could live here knowing his body was someplace on the island. It never occurred to her; she doesn’t want to live in this house, period.

Spencer tells Alexis, while he’s very grateful to have Ace in his life, he can never forget who Esme was and what she did to him and his friends. That’s always going to be a part of her past. Alexis says she’d never ask him to forget who Esme was; she certainly won’t. He says he would be remiss not to say she’s being a very good mom to Ace, and Alexis says, she appears to be, after what she’s seen watching Esme with him in daycare. He says he’s just so glad he gets the opportunity to be in his brother’s life, and that he gets the chance to help raise him. Even if it means living with Esme. She says, he’s such a good guy. She’s so proud of him. He says he thinks if he can co-exist with Esme, he can do just about anything, especially if it means giving Ace the happy childhood he deserves. She asks if he knows who he sounds like, and he says he’s afraid he knows what she’s going to say. She says, he sounds like his father, when he was Spencer’s age.

Martin says, they talked about this and decided it was best if he wasn’t involved, but Lucy says, no, no, no. He decided and he completely abandoned her in court. He says, that’s not fair; he explained that. She says, good explanation. Valentin again. Valentin needed him. Well, she needed him too. And he’s never completely explained why he can’t be involved in her lawsuit. He never told her, but now she thinks she knows. Remember when they were having all that pillow talk, and she told him about her idea about getting the idea for The Deceptor? He had an awful lot to say. He looks down, but she says, look at her. Did he steal the idea for The Deceptor from that scheming Tracy Quartermaine?

Tracy says, Brook asked her for a favor, and she did it for her. Brook says, she needed Tracy’s help, and Tracy used it against her, and Tracy says, then she asked Brook for a favor in return. She obliged, then didn’t like the outcome. Brook says, that is not what happened. Tracy blackmailed her, her own granddaughter. Olivia asks if this is true.

Robert and Diane walk into the empty courtroom, and Diane says she’s actually here at Carly’s behest to try and get Drew’s case reopened. She seems to think the judge had some kind of bias against Drew, and she’s trying to prove it. Robert asks what he can do to help, and she thanks him for the offer, but she’s not even sure what she can do at this point. She explained to Carly that it’s within the judge’s purview to ignore the plea deal and hand down a harsher sentence. He doubts Carly went for that, and she says, they’re talking about Carly. Of course (🍷) she didn’t. Hence the bias angle. Let’s face it, Judge Kim practically announced that he was sending a message to white collar crime; no more special treatment. He says, bias is subjective – she knows that – and unprovable. She says, but it’s Carly’s love for Drew that’s fueling this, and she’s a friend. As a friend, she told Carly that she’d look into it. He says he doesn’t know what she can do here, but good luck. He heads for the door, and she says she just wishes there was some way to get concrete proof about Judge Kim’s bias against Drew. He turns around.

Tracy says, like she’s been trying to explain to Brook. This is just business. Brook says, just business? and Tracy says, yes. That’s what she’s been trying to teach Brook. Brook says, since when does Tracy care about business again? She doesn’t even want to say the letters ELQ. Olivia says, that’s all Tracy cares about, and Tracy says, stay out of this. Brook says, despite Tracy’s reptilian exterior, she actually believed Tracy cared about this family, and Tracy says, she’s the glue that keeps this family together. Olivia says, except she was gone for over a year, and Tracy says, stay out of this. Olivia says, it’s my house, but Tracy says, it’s not your house. It’s Monica’s house. Alan’s biggest mistake. Brook asks if she’s done, but Tracy says she’s not. Brook needs to learn how a Quartermaine succeeds in business. Brook says, unbelievable. Tracy puts on this act like she cares. She stays with them. She eats Thanksgiving pizza with them. She mourned with them, and celebrated births with them. And she always saw Tracy as a strong, independent woman. Olivia says, also calculating, conniving, and ruthless, and Tracy asks if she doesn’t have a lasagna to make. Is Brook done? Brook says, no. Out of everyone in this family, she believed in Tracy. She always took Tracy’s side; she thought Tracy was misunderstood. Clearly, she was mistaken. She walks out.

Robert closes the courtroom door, and he and Diane sit down. He says he thinks it’s going to be an uphill battle for her to prove prejudice toward Drew, and she says, which is insane, given the content of Drew’s character. He saved Liesl Obrecht from Victor Cassadine just in time to save Willow’s life, for heaven’s sake. It’s not like he’s some sort of career criminal, sitting around exploiting security codes. Robert says, Drew is known for his integrity, which is why he finds it kind of weird a judge would throw the book at him. She says, so does she, and let’s face it (phrase of the day), that book was Kafka. He laughs, and she says, there is something he can do for her. He says, if it’s within his reach, definitely, and she says, considering Drew’s heroics, could Robert ask the WSB to put in a good word for him? He says, that’s not within his reach, and she asks, why not? He tells her, let’s just say, the Bureau isn’t going to lift a finger to help anyone at his request.

Josslyn says she gets why Dex thinks this was his choice, but it wasn’t, and he says, so now he doesn’t have a mind of his own? She tells him, that’s not what she’s saying. She’s saying, Sonny’s changed their plans. Actually, he’s canceled them. Dex tries to interrupt, and she says she gets that things change last minute, but they haven’t had any alone time together in like a week. He kisses her and says he has to go, and she says, so go. He says, it’ll happen. Things are just really intense right now. She asks when things aren’t going to be intense when it comes to Sonny. She just wishes her mom hadn’t destroyed the flashdrive, and Dex says, that was her decision to make. There’s nothing they can do about it now. She says, but that was their one chance to turn Sonny in to the Feds, and they blew it. She picks up the tub of dishes and goes inside.

Martin says, what? He did not under any circumstances steal the idea for The Deceptor from Tracy Quartermaine. Lucy says, really? So how come every time she tried to give him credit for being her inspiration, he got all cagey with her? Even when they were talking around Maxie and Sasha, she would say that, and he’d shut her down each and every time. He says, because, he could not in good conscience take credit for something he didn’t do. The Deceptor is genius. Tracy Quartermaine? Please. That idea was 100% Lucy’s. She says, apparently, now Tracy is claiming it as her own, and she’s convinced the judge… He’s decided they should have a trial – six months from now. He says, that gives her attorney half a year to prove that the case has no legal merit. She says, six months from now, Deception will be kaput. They’ll be bankrupt.

Alexis says, when Spencer was a baby, his father gushed about him. He was so excited to have a son, and wanted Spencer to have the best of everything. She thinks maybe he went a little overboard, because Spencer was precocious… Spencer says, and spoiled. That’s fine. She can say that. She tells him that she was going to say, maybe willful and indulged, and he says, she’s good at this. He’s seen her argue a case in the courtroom. She says, and there was a sweetness about him, just like his dad.

Ava tells Austin, the only reason she wanted Dracula’s castle was to spite Nikolas. To be honest with him, the place gives her the creeps. He says he’s so glad to hear her say that. She never struck him as somebody who’d like this goth décor. She says she doesn’t; it’s terrible. And now that Nikolas is gone, why should she be stranded out here? This place is full of nothing but bad memories. Right over there is where she and Nikolas had their last fight and he died. Why should she stay here? There’s a knock at the door, and she walks a million miles to answer it. It’s Mason, who says, to what does he owe the invitation? Ava says, it wasn’t an invitation; it’s a demand for payment in full. She wants what he promised her.

Tracy says she doesn’t want to hear a word out of Olivia, but Olivia says, she’s going to. It’s one thing to be mean to the rest of them, but how could she do this to Brook, of all people? She’s Tracy’s granddaughter. Tracy says she knows who Brook is, and Olivia asks if Tracy doesn’t know how Brook looks up to her.

Diane says, if Robert, of all people, doesn’t have sway with the WSB, then who does? He says he’s not at liberty to talk about Bureau business, but he can tell her that once their guy is figures out the housecleaning process, he’s on the outs. She asks, who’s on the ins? and he says, that remains to be seen. They’re not going to lift a finger to help Drew. She says, they’re not going to give assistance to help a hero? He says, Drew, Laura, and Curtis did the one thing in Greenland the Bureau couldn’t do, and it embarrassed them. On that note, they prefer to have Drew where he is rather than help him find freedom. (Didn’t they offer him a job?)

Martin says, Lucy makes things sound so dire. Surely things can’t possibly be that bad. Lucy says, actually, they kind of are and stop calling me Shirley. You know what the worst part of this whole thing is? He says, the lawsuit? and she says, obviously the lawsuit, but she feels gutted. She feels totally betrayed. He says, by who? and she says, by Brook Lynn Quartermaine. They gave her a job, and she’s been masquerading this whole time as a team player, but really she’s been spying for Tracy. She gave Tracy documentation she needed for this terrible lawsuit. He says, she used her own granddaughter. That’s low, even for Tracy Quartermaine. Lucy says, no, not really. The worst part is, now to save Deception, she has to give Tracy 75% of the company.

Spencer says he was actually talking about this to Trina the other day, and Alexis asks, how is Trina? He says, she’s wonderful, and Alexis says, she is; she’s lovely. He says, yeah. She’s been very concerned about her dad. Alexis says she was very sorry to hear what happened to Curtis, and he says, Trina has been worried sick, trying to get everything together so Curtis feels comfortable when he comes home. He just got out of rehab. Spencer thinks maybe it’s the focus on family that has allowed Trina to be so supportive of him being with Ace while Esme is around, especially since his father didn’t stick around for him. She says, he never misses an opportunity to go negative when it comes to his dad, and he says, it’s all his dad’s ever shown him. She asks if he’s ever thought one of the reasons is that deep down, he still loves his dad.

Mason says he can see why Ava is antsy. If it was him and it was his husband – sorry, ex-husband – whose corpse was on ice somewhere from a head wound with his DNA all over him, he’d probably be losing sleep. Ava says she kept her word. She got Betty the run of Sonny’s penthouse, and Betty got the information he wanted. She did her part. Now it’s time for Mason to do his. Mason says, if it was up to him, he’d drop Nikolas’s body off tonight, but it’s not, and she says, then call whoever it is he has to call, and make it happen. Austin says he doesn’t know if it’s that easy, and Ava says, why not? Mason says, because the powers that be decided. And they decided that Ava doesn’t get Nikolas until after the situation’s resolved. Ava says, what situation? Just tell whoever he answers to, she’s done everything they asked. What the hell do these people want? Mason says, just listen to Austin. Relax. It’s all going down tonight.

Diane asks if Robert is suggesting the WSB is manipulating circumstances to ensure that Drew received the harshest sentence possible, and he says, anything’s possible where the Bureau is concerned. She says, then there could be a connection between the WSB and the judge in Drew’s case, but he says, if such a relationship did exist, it would be almost impossible to prove. As she knows, the Bureau does most of its work in the shadows. She says, yeah. Well, she for one is not opposed to looking at every single one of Judge Albert Kim’s cases for the past four, maybe five, years. See if there are other cases of overly harsh sentencing that can prove a precedent. He asks what specific instances she’s looking for, and she says she’s just suggesting – suggesting, mind you – that said judge may or may not be receiving kickbacks for getting inconvenient individuals out of the way for, shall we say, powerful agencies. And if the WSB wanted Drew Cain out of the equation, pursuing an unrelated case could prove the perfect solution to the problem. He asks if she’s looking for instances where the judge handed down an overly harsh sentence? and she says, bingo.

Brook looks at another text to Chase: Going 2 Kelly’s. I really need you. She sits in one of the outside seats, looking like she has a headache, when Chase comes into the courtyard. He says he got her text. What happened? She says, Tracy happened. She had to get out of there. She can’t live with Tracy another minute.

Leo runs in and asks Olivia if Brook is okay. He saw her leave her car. Olivia says, she just needed a little time to herself, and Tracy says, she’ll be fine. Leo tells them, but she said she was having a really bad day. Should they do something? Olivia suggests checking on her in a little while, and Leo says, promise? Olivia crosses her heart, and Leo leaves. Olivia says, well? and Tracy says, what now? Olivia asks if Tracy doesn’t feel the slightest bit sorry for what she did, and Tracy says, for teaching her a valuable lesson? Olivia says, what? That Tracy will do anything to get what she wants? and Tracy says, a lesson she will remember and benefit from for the rest of her life. Olivia asks what exactly is it that Tracy thinks she taught Brook? and Tracy says, that nothing is free. If she hadn’t made Brook pay for the favor she did her, it wouldn’t have mattered as much.

Ava says, they’re done here. The launch is ready to take them back to the mainland. Austin and his cousin need to go. Now. Austin points at Mason and says, don’t put him in the same category as this guy, and Mason says, Austin’s right, he can’t. He’s far more handsome and easy going. Wouldn’t Ava agree? Ava says, definitely not, and Mason says he’s wounded. Ava says, whatever is happening tonight, when it’s over, she wants that body back. Does he understand her? Mason says, loud and clear. He’ll pass her message along. He just can’t promise the boss will be receptive. They leave, and Ava closes the door. Outside, Mason says, still feisty as ever, and Austin says, whatever Mason has going on tonight has nothing to do with him. He’s out. The boss said. Mason says he doesn’t know about that. He still has one night to go.

Martin says he’ll give Lucy this much, Tracy’s offer is appalling. 75% is highway robbery. Lucy says, yeah, it’s appalling. Tracy’s appalling. In fact, she would like to strangle Tracy; just wring her scrawny little neck. Martin says, if, on the other hand, giving her what she wants keeps Deception open for business, isn’t it practical to at least consider it? She says, no, no, no. Do not even say that. She’s not giving one dime of her hard-earned money for one single share in the company she worked so hard to build with her own two hands to that snobby, arrogant, entitled, selfish, spoiled heiress, Tracy Quartermaine. She’s not going to do it, and Tracy can just forget about it. He says, she has herself some strong feelings about Tracy Quartermaine, and she says, he doesn’t know the half of it. Tracy actually one time pretended to like her. Tracy pretended to be her friend to get her to use her one percent share of ELQ, so Tracy could be CEO over her nephew AJ. Alan always warned her about Tracy. He said, she’s a bad apple. Huh. She’s a lot worse than that. Lucy misses Mother Quartermaine. She did not have one bad bone in her body, but she always knew how nasty and mean-spirited and dark Tracy could be. She’s not doing it. She’s not going to let Tracy win. She’s going to fight Tracy to the bitter end. Martin says, what happens if it costs her Deception? What if the company goes bankrupt? What then? She says she guesses it’s a good thing she kept her realtor license.

Spencer says he doesn’t want to love his father. He doesn’t want to love him and he doesn’t want to miss him, because every time he thinks about him, it opens up those floodgates. All the memories and disappointment just come flooding back. Alexis suggests thinking about some of the good moments. There were good moments. Can’t Spencer hold onto those? Spencer says, no, because it always comes back to how his father prioritized Ava and everybody else. Their entire relationship, none of it was real. It was an illusion he made up in his mind. She says, it was not an illusion. It was very real. Spencer’s father has demons he was not able to battle. That happens; it happened to her. People have regrets, and all you can do is learn from them and move on. Spencer says, she’s nothing like his father, but she says, he lost his way. Has Spencer ever thought maybe that’s the reason he ran away? He says, it’s not exactly the first time his father has done this, so please don’t expect him to forgive him. Alexis says she’s not asking Spencer to forgive him. She’s asking Spencer to try and understand him. Spencer says he understands he and his brother are doing perfectly fine without him. That’s what he understands. She asks what he’s saying. That he doesn’t want his father found? That he doesn’t want his father back?

On the phone, Josslyn leaves a voice mail for Dex. She says she’s so sorry for the way they left things. Just please be careful tonight, and whatever time he’s off, please come see her. She just misses him. She loves him.

Brook says, this whole thing is her fault, but Chase says, not entirely. Brook says she betrayed her friends to please Tracy. Now Deception is getting sued and they might go bankrupt. He says, she doesn’t know that. In six months, the case could fall apart, and the judge might dismiss it. Brook says, and if he doesn’t, Maxie, Sasha, and Lucy could lose everything they worked so hard for. And that would all be on her. He says, no, it’s not, but she says she’s the one who set this whole plan in motion. Everything is a mess because of her. And why? Because her hell of a grandmother forced her to do it. She’ll never forgive Tracy for this. He says, honestly, he doesn’t blame her. What Tracy made her do is unforgivable. She says she can’t forgive Tracy, let alone live under the same roof as her. She doesn’t know what she’s going to do. He says, she doesn’t have to go back there, and she asks if he’s suggesting she rent a room on top of Kelly’s. Actually, that’s not such a terrible idea. He says, no. Move in with him. I so smelled that coming.

Olivia says she knows Tracy. There’s something else that’s driving her right now. She’s seen it in Tracy’s eyes ever since she got back. Tracy says, please spare her. Olivia doesn’t know her as well as she thinks she does. Olivia says she knows who does know Tracy – Ned. And if he were here right now, he could get through to her. Tracy says, but he’s not, and they’re stuck with Eddie Maine, the busker. She walks out.

Robert says, Diane could be spinning her wheels for months, trying to find a connection between this judge and the WSB. She says, yeah, but if there is a connection, she will find it. And the payoff could be substantial for Drew. He says, if she does, and she finds a leak, make sure it’s a solid one. (Is that kind of an oxymoron – a solid leak?) She says, to that, good sir, I say, easy peasy, and he laughs. He says he just can’t imagine anyone challenging her in court, and she says, he’s done it. So he knows many have tried, many have failed, and everyone lives to regret it. He says he’ll keep that in mind, and she laughs.

Ava picks up her phone and makes a call.

Lucy tells Martin that she’d sure like to know when and how Tracy started snooping around Deception. How did she get her claws in The Deceptor? He says he doesn’t know how you’d find out something like that, and she asks if he’s sure he didn’t come across any similar products that were in development when she started getting her idea about The Deceptor. Her phone rings, and she looks at it. He asks if she doesn’t want to get that, and she says, Ava Jerome. He says, maybe she should take it, and she answers, saying, this is a surprise. Ava says she hopes she’s not catching Lucy at a bad time, and Lucy says, no. Actually, she’s out with Martin. They’ve been having a very important discussion. What can she do for Ava? Ava asks if Lucy still sells real estate, and Lucy smiles. She says, it depends on the listing, and Ava says she wants to sell Windymere – Spoon Island.

Spencer says, it doesn’t matter, but Alexis says, of course (🍷) it matters. He says, his father abandoned Ace, just like his father abandoned him. He ran away, and he won’t be back.

Austin walks into a house we’re unfamiliar with, and says, he’s back. So how is he feeling tonight? Nikolas says he’s feeling great. Thank you, doc. It’s kind of you to ask. We see Nikolas sitting on the couch, drinking a beer.

Tomorrow, Kristina wants Sonny to be the first to know; Maxie shows the kids their new house; and Carly tells Josslyn that she’s not going to change Dex.

🍺 He’s Feeling Great…

Old, but newer Nikolas is back. I actually liked him best of all the Nikolases, so I’m good.

Adam Huss Returns to GENERAL HOSPITAL!

⚖️ Too Bad She Doesn’t Get Miles…

I’d like to know how she’s pleading not guilty when she blew a .08.

GH’s Haley Pullos Returns to Court

🤸🏾 Full Speed Ahead…

This sounds very cool, and double cool since she’s a founder.

GH Alum Sydney Mikayla Reveals Her Exciting New Project!

🏯 Project Cutting-Edge…

The challenge this week was avant-garde using architecture as inspiration. To get their design juices flowing, the designers were taken to Summit One Vanderbilt – see below and it will blow your mind. I’ve never been to this place before, and now I’m torn between wanting to check it out and fearing I’ll freak out if I do. The guest judges were Steven Kolb, CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and celebrity stylist Law Roach, who I’m somewhat familiar with. They were down to the final four, with the final three going on to the finale. None of the designs were my thing, but as usual, I was still impressed, especially since the designers only had 17 hours to complete their creation. The funny thing is, I can’t count the times they’ve been told not to be costumey, but it’s kind of hard to get around that when doing something avant-garde based on architecture. I fully expected Brittany to be out, which would have been ironic since it’s the challenge that sunk her the first time, but it was Rami, whose downfall was basically choosing the wrong damn fabric that caused the dress to look wrinkled. You can check out the blow-by-blow here.

‘Project Runway’ 20 episode 13 recap: ‘The Sky’s the Limit’ in avant garde challenge that decided the final 3 [LIVE BLOG]

🌟 And Summit One Vanderbilt. You’ve got to see this.

Guide to Summit One Vanderbilt | Tickets, Photos & Views

🧗‍♂️ Slow Going In the Apocalypse…

Let’s hope the new season airs before 2030. For all we know, we could be in a real apocalypse by then.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/the-last-of-us-season-2-delay-strike

🧹 Don’t Leave It For the Next Guy…

Another transport from Peacock, but new to me. I enjoy shows like Hoarders, and this one is kind of on the same spectrum. A Swedish Death Cleaning team helps people pare it down before their kids, family, or friends end up having to deal with it. Not all the participants are on the brink of the afterlife. Some have other reasons, and it’s not depressing like you might think. While I’m not crazy about the extra narration that tries to add humor, the team is interesting and the concept is one to live by even if you’re not dying at the moment. While I tend not to care what happens to my stuff after I die, since I won’t be here, I have been the recipient of a house full of someone else’s stuff, and it was quite overwhelming. I definitely see the point. Not to mention there are some good household hints along the way.

https://www.bravotv.com/style-living/all-to-know-about-swedish-death-cleaning-the-show-and-book

🎪 Rocking the Casbah…

Come by for a mixture of soap, tea, quotes, and music tomorrow. Until then, stay safe, stay not hogging the mirror in a public restroom, and stay learning from your regrets and moving on. It’s all you can do.

Jun30

June 29, 2023 – Trina Walks Out On Spencer, Jackson, Not Guilty, Farewell, On Or Not, Fancy Feud, Andy’s Call, She’s a Tease, VanderNews, Dream Tour & Call Me

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth goes to Finn’s place, and he says, this is a pleasant surprise. What can he do for her? She says, he invited her here, and he looks confused. While she looks for the text, Violet comes out, and says, good. Aunt Elizabeth is in time for her dinner.

While she sips a martini, Ava flashes back to slapping Austin after realizing he took Avery. There’s a knock at her door, and Austin says, they need to talk before she gets them both killed.

Drew asks if Carly is okay, and she says she can’t believe this is their last night together, possibly for three years. It just feels so wrong. He says, it’s the only choice he could make. He couldn’t look at himself in the mirror, he couldn’t be a father to Scout, he couldn’t even hold his head up if he did otherwise.

At the hospital, Portia says she knows it was short notice when she asked Esme to stop by. And she brought the baby; he’s so adorable. He’s really growing, right? Esme says she just came from work, and Spencer was supposed to pick him up from daycare, but he had other plans. Portia says, that’s actually one of the reasons she called Esme over here. There’s something she thinks they should discuss. Esme asks, what about? and Portia says, Esme and Spencer, and how they plan to co-parent Ace.

Walking into the Highsider, Spencer says, Trina and Joss came here alone? She says, they sure did. There was a bar fight, the cops had to come, and they got carded. Hopefully, this visit will be less eventful. He says, Esme certainly picked the right spot to score a black-market phone, and Trina says she’s just hoping they can find a witness who can confirm that Oz Haggerty sold one to her, but he says, this whole thing is convoluted. They already had the evidence they needed. She says she’s talking about real proof. Maybe a bartender or a waitress saw Oz negotiating with Esme; maybe even saw him giving her the phone. He thinks it’s a waste of time, but she says, they need something real. Not some made up evidence that his Uncle Victor left him. Have a little faith. He says, forgive him for not being overly optimistic that they’ll get help or cooperation from a bunch of lowlifes. Josslyn walks in with Dex, and tells Spencer, maybe you’re the wrong person to be asking.

At the bar, Dante says, to us and a well-deserved night out, where no one will ever find us, and they clink beer bottles. She says she doesn’t know, looking over at Josslyn and the others. She hates to disappoint him.

Ava says she doesn’t want to see Austin right now, but he walks in anyway. He pours himself a drink, and she says she doesn’t remember offering him one, but he says he thinks a drink is the least she can owes him after what he did for her today. She asks if he means scaring her to death; making her believe her child had been kidnapped. He says, no. He means staging an incident that got the nanny out of the way without A, getting Avery kidnapped for real, and B, not getting her nanny killed. Because make no mistake, if Mason had thought even for one second that Pilar was inhibiting her ability to spy on Sonny, Pilar would meet up with a very unfortunate accident. That’s something he can’t live with. So he made the call. He thought it was better for Pilar to lose her job than lose her life. Bottoms up. She asks what the hell he’s gotten her into.

Esme tells Portia that Spencer is Ace’s brother, not his parent. Ace’s actual father Nikolas decided to run away rather than face justice for keeping her prisoner. That leaves her as his only parent. Portia says, from a legal standpoint, Esme is absolutely correct, but sometimes the daily realities of raising a child aren’t so cut and dried. In fact, if she remembers correctly, they’re exhausting and messy. She’s been there. She been in Esme’s situation, but knows what it’s like to have somebody who’s really supporting you 100%. That was her ex-husband Marcus Taggert, and for Esme, that appears to be Spencer. He’s clearly extremely devoted to his baby brother. Esme says, Spencer does care a great deal about Ace, but when it comes to actual caregiving, sometimes Spencer is available and accommodates, but sometimes not. It’s like a constant negotiation. Portia says, that’s why she thought it might be a good idea for Esme and Spencer to take a parenting class together.

Josslyn and Dex sit with Spencer and Trina, and Josslyn says she can’t believe this place hasn’t changed at all. Spencer says he can’t believe she and Trina came in there alone, like a couple of undercover agents, trying to get dirt on Esme. Josslyn says, and here they are again, and Trina says, but this time they’re not alone. Dex says, in case they start another barroom brawl? and Trina says, they didn’t start it. Spencer asks if this is the kind of place Dex is used to, and Dex says he’s seen his fair share of place like this, especially in the service. They’re all over the world; they have their advantages. I just have to say, this bar looks nothing like the way they’re making it sound. I’ve been in actual shady bars, and they don’t look like this. Josslyn says, hopefully, they can find something real that ties Esme to Oz Haggerty, and Spencer says, something real? Josslyn says, something not fake, like the evidence his Uncle Victor left him, and Trina says, it just kind of came out. Josslyn says she knows why he’d want to use it. They all know Esme’s guilty. Spencer says, that’s kind of his point. It’s not considered framing someone if the person actually did the crime. He knows his Uncle Victor was insane, but he was also a pro. The evidence Victor gave him would hold up to scrutiny, and he feels like they’re wasting a lot of time when they already have what they need to take Esme down. Trina says, so he’s telling them that he kept the fake evidence.

Sam wonders what those four are up to, but Dante says he doesn’t give a damn. He’s off duty, and he’s with his girl at the bar of her choice. As far as he’s concerned, they’re the only ones here. They clink bottles again.

Carly tells Drew that she should have done more. She feels so responsible. Michael came to her, and he wanted her to flip on Sonny. He had proof, and he said if she testified against Sonny, the Feds would probably back off and keep Drew out of it altogether, but she couldn’t. He says, that’s because it’s not who she is. He’d never expect that. She says, but he’s not culpable. All he did was tell her about the plan to merge ELQ and Aurora. She’s the one who acted on insider information. She’s the one who’s guilty. He’s not; Sonny’s not. Sonny’s guilty of a whole bunch of other stuff… He says he doesn’t care about Sonny. His going to prison has nothing to do with her. She says, it has everything to do with her. He’s going to prison to protect her, and she doesn’t know if she can live with that.

Violet puts a vase of peonies on the coffee table, and Elizabeth says, wow. Those are gorgeous. Finn asks where she got them, and Violet says she ordered them on his phone, but they’re pink, Aunt Elizabeth’s favorite. Does she like them? Elizabeth says she loves them, and Violet says she forgot the candles. You can’t have a romantic dinner without candles. She knows she’s not supposed to light them, and asks if Finn will help her. He says he’ll light the candles, and Violet runs off to get them. Finn tells Elizabeth that clearly he and Violet need to have a long conversation about boundaries, and she says, it looks like they’ve been set up by a pintsized matchmaker. He says he guesses they’re having a date.

Drew says, what if he told Carly that his going to prison isn’t really about protecting her, and she says she’d call him a liar. He says, okay, it is about protecting her, but it’s not only about her. It’s about her children and the extended family that they share. He thinks about it like a cost benefit analysis. (Can he get more boring?) If he goes to prison, it causes the least amount of collateral damage. It’s just the logical choice. She says, this isn’t spreadsheets and algorithms. There’s nothing logical about this.

Austin says, Ava’s in this mess because of him? It’s the other way around. He’s in this mess because of her. Because she killed her husband and left him in the tack room. She says, it was an accident. She didn’t mean to kill her husband. She was just trying to keep him from taking her daughter. Austin knows that. He says, all right, but he’s dead, and she left his body out where any old body could find him, and guess who did? Mason. And now Mason’s got them exactly where he wants them. He’s in this mess because of her. If she goes down for murdering her husband, he’s going to prison as an accessory. He’ll spend the rest of his life in prison for a killing he had nothing to do with. She says, he offered to help her, and he says, because she asked. Now they’ve got all the leverage over him they could ever possibly want, unless they decide to let Mason do his thing and get them out of the way. Ava asks, enough with the they. Who is the they? Who is behind him and Mason?

Violet finishes setting the table, and says, it’s ready. Finn says he thinks she forgot a place setting. Where is she going to sit? She says, not with them. This is a date, just for the two of them. She’s going to be their server. Please have a seat. They sit on the sofa, and Violet says she’ll get the drinks. She goes to the kitchen, and Finn says, it’s been a minute since they spent time outside of work. She says, that’s why, when she got his text, she was thinking that… She knows the text was from Violet, but… never mind. He says he’d like to hear, when Violet runs in with a jar of something that looks like pink lemonade, and Finn says he’ll help her pour, taking it from her. He pours a glass for Elizabeth and himself, when there’s a knock at the door. Violet says, dinner’s here, and Finn says, she ordered dinner from his phone? She says, dessert too.

Dante says he doesn’t think he told Sam, but she did an incredible job officiating at Michael and Willow’s wedding. She asks where that came from, and he says he wanted to tell her, but they haven’t had a lot of time to sit and connect with each other because everything’s been so crazy. She looked so beautiful in that pink dress. She found a way to be appropriate and official, but smoking hot at the same time. He doesn’t know how she does it. She thanks him, and he says she was warm and loving, and made it about them, not her. She says, it was about them; it was their wedding. He says, not to him. They were saying their vows, but all he could think about was her.

Spencer tells Trina that he kept the evidence as Plan B. He saw no reason to get rid of it. Right now, Esme is being marginally cooperative. Should that ever change, or if she should regain her memories again, or revert to being her old self, or worse, take Ace and leave the country, he would at least have some recourse; something to take to the cops. Dex says, in his experience, taking evidence to law enforcement is more complicated than Spencer thinks. If Spencer shows up with this boatload of evidence, the cops will vet it. And if even one piece doesn’t hold up, Spencer will be arrested and charged with obstruction. Spencer asks, what makes you the expert, Mr. Combat Vet? If Dex is so good, if he’s such a talented soldier, why take a job opening doors for his uncle? Dex tells Josslyn, let’s go, and Josslyn says, lovely as always. Spencer gets up and says he doesn’t need Dex’s help. He punches Dex in the face, and caught off guard, Dex falls. Josslyn asks if he’s okay.

Austin tells Ava, these people aren’t like anyone she’s met before. They’re not you’re run of the mill Mafia types. They don’t care about codes or territory. They could care less about family or honor or any of that. They’re going to get what they want by any means necessary. Right now what they want is information about Pikeman from Sonny, and she’s going to get it for them. She says, they’ve made that abundantly clear, but what’s not clear is what they want her to give them. He says, give them what they’re asking for, or they’ll just keep ramping up the pressure. Or worse. They’ll get her out of the way, and come at Sonny from a different angle. She says, he’s afraid of them, isn’t he? She can see it. His fear is real, even though everything else about him has been a lie.

Drew says he knows Carly is scared, and she says she is. She’s guilty, and she can’t stop thinking it should be her. She should take the fall. He says, that would be a terrible idea, but she says, if it were her, they’d probably send her to Spring Ridge. He says, she doesn’t know that. The Feds made it pretty clear they were interested in her because of Sonny. Think about it. To save herself, she would have had to give evidence up against Sonny, which would have torn her family apart. Kristina, Avery, even Donna would have resented her for that someday. And if she didn’t give up Sonny, Joss and Michael would have blamed her for sacrificing herself for a man they think betrayed her. It was a lose-lose. She says, but none of that is his fault. It’s her mess. Outcome of her choices. She’s the one who chose to marry Sonny, to have kids with him, to have knowledge about his business. That’s on her. Why should he have to pay for it? He says, the answer is because he loves her.

Portia tells Esme that GH happens to offer parenting classes, and one starts next week. Esme says she appreciates Portia thinking of her, but she has work, and she doesn’t think Spencer… Portia says, some of the topics are just so practical. Like how to get her baby to sleep through the night, which can be extremely helpful now that she’s working. And also how to tell the difference between common baby ailments and something more serious. Esme supposes that would have come in handy when Ace had colic, and Portia says, the main thrust of the course is just to get partners on the same page, to be able to communicate effectively and set goals for the baby. She thinks that would be extremely helpful in Esme’s case. Esme says, they do have a lot of last-minute changes, and Portia says, having predictable schedules can really help with frustration and disappointment. She gets it. Things come up; adjustments need to be made. But if Esme and Spencer really do plan to work together, they can support each other in a calm and organized way. She just thinks it would be better for the both of them and especially Ace. Esme says, Portia does make some really good points, but she’s not so sure Spencer would want to take a class with her. Portia says, it doesn’t hurt to tell him. Tell him that she’s going either way, and give him the option to attend with her. He might surprise her. She gives Esme a pamphlet.

Sam asks if Dante saw that, and he says, dammit, he did. Dex says, the first one is free. The second one will cost Spencer. Josslyn tells him, relax; let it go. Spencer takes another swing, but Dex is more than ready, punching Spencer a few times before Spencer falls to the ground. Trina runs over to Spencer, and the bouncer comes out, saying, break it up. Dante says he’ll handle it. He’s an off-duty cop, and he knows these guys. The bouncer thanks him (they’re even polite!), and Dante asks if Spencer can get up. Trina tells him, just breathe, and Dante asks, what’s the problem here? Josslyn says, Spencer punched him, and Dante says he saw it. Sam says she saw it too, and Dante says, Dex could press charges on assault if he wanted to, but Dex says, they’ll just go. Dante says, that’s probably the best thing. He doesn’t know how many of them are actually over 21 anyway. Josslyn says she’ll call Trina, and leaves with Dex. Dante helps Spencer up, and says, as an ex-con, he doesn’t think Spencer wants barroom brawl on his record. Spencer, who can’t even speak yet, nods, and Dante tells him, think about that next time.

Ava says, Austin first came to town a long-lost Quartermaine. And when that didn’t pan out, he latched on to Maxie. And when that didn’t pan out, he latched on to her. All of his kindness… He was so solicitous and supportive after she was stabbed by The Hook. Was any of it sincere? Or was he just following orders? Has she ever been anything to him? Austin asks if he’s ever been anything to her, other than just her patsy.

Elizabeth asks if she can help Violet, but Violet says, no thank you. Did she like her dinner? Elizabeth says she loved it. Pizza is one of her favorites. Violet says, daddy likes it too. Sometimes they even have it twice a week. She goes to the kitchen to get dessert, and Finn says, busted. Not only does he allow his daughter open access to his phone, he resorts to bi-weekly pizza. Elizabeth says she’ll tell him a secret. Her freezer is well stocked with tater tots and chicken tenders, because sometimes that’s all you can do. And Jake wouldn’t eat anything green for years. Violet comes back, and says, we have a selection. She puts a plate of cupcakes on the table, and says, they’re not as good as Aiden’s, but they’re still yummy. Elizabeth says, Violet has to pick one first, and Violet studies the choices intently.

Spencer tells Trina, Dex has no idea the kind of havoc Esme has caused in their lives. Dex has no right jumping in and telling him what to do. Neither does Joss for that matter. Trina says, first of all, Joss is her best friend, and don’t forget she has stakes in this too. She had to agree to drop the charges against Esme, and she did it because of Spencer’s baby brother. So if he’s upset that she told Joss, and took it out on Dex… He says, no. He just doesn’t want Joss’s help, and doesn’t want her Neanderthal boyfriend’s help either. Trina says, that’s a very interesting choice of words because the only Neanderthal that threw the first punch was him, after he lied by omission about holding on to the fake evidence. He says he explained, and she says, it’s like everything in Greenland never happened. It’s like he came back and turned into this selfish entitled jerk he’s always been. She can’t stand when he does this. Maybe this is just him. Maybe this is just who he is. He says he’s sorry, but she says, no. She can’t hear another meaningless apology. She runs out, and Dante says, that did not go well. Sam says, no. She says, poor Trina, at the same time Dante says, poor Spencer.

Drew says he loves Carly, and he wishes they didn’t have to spend their last night rehashing all the things they can’t change. He wishes he could sweep her up and take her somewhere exotic and romantic, where they could go dancing all night and maybe walk on the shore at dawn, so he could tell her everything that’s in his heart. He wants them to be together. He wants them to move in together. He wants to wake up every morning with her and go to bed every night together. And instead, they’re here, but that’s okay. The world, the SEC, got in the way, but that doesn’t change how he feels about her and what he wants. They can still have that life together. It’s just getting delayed a little bit. She says she loves him too, so much. She’ll wait as long as it takes for them to have that life together, but they have tonight. Tonight is theirs. They kiss.

Finn asks how Elizabeth is adjusting to her role as head nurse, and she says she’s still finding her way. Some of her teammates are still adjusting to her new title. Sometimes she feels like she’s got this, and sometimes she wonders how Epiphany managed for so long. He says she’s absolutely got it. Their styles are different, but they both mix strength with compassion. Epiphany was kind of this force of nature, and Elizabeth is more soft-spoken, but she has a core of steel. She hopes that’s a compliment, and he says, it absolutely is. He thinks she’s… remarkable. And on top of all that, she’s a really good sport for going along with all this. She says, it’s her pleasure. She hasn’t had any pizza in weeks, so Violet planned the perfect dinner. They see Violet asleep in a chair, and Finn says, she’s exhausted. She really went all out. Elizabeth agrees, and asks if he wants help putting her to bed. He says he’d like that, and asks Violet if she’s ready for bed.

Drew and Carly slow dance as By My Side by The Paper Kites plays. He says he loves her, and she says she loves him too, and they get busy.

Behind bars, Cyrus reads from the Bible: The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusted in Him and I am helped.

Dante says he guesses Spencer and Trina’s table is free, but Sam says, no. Bad juju. She’ll pass on that. Dante says he knows Spencer can be a bit of a brat sometimes, and she says, sometimes? When he was a kid, he was cute, but now… Come on. That is appalling. Dante says he feels kind of bad for Spencer. There’s nothing worse than doing something stupid and pissing off the woman that you love. And then he tries to flex, and gets his ass handed to him instead. She laughs, and he says, then his pride’s hurting and his body is physically hurting. And you know he can’t be comforted by his woman because he’s so deeply embarrassed. And then she gets even more mad, and then he blows up at her. Now he’s got to just try and grovel to her and win her back. She says, that’s very insightful. What happened to him? He says he pleads the Fifth, and she says, maybe from Trina’s perspective, you know that your guy is hurt, but you don’t know how badly, and he’s completely embarrassed himself. And that temper. You’ve got to wonder if that’s something you’re going to have to live with as long as you’re together. But right now, your guy, he’s on the ground. He’s in pain and vulnerable, and you’re torn between wanting to yell at your guy for doing that and yell at the other guy for hitting your guy. So what are you gonna do? Are you gonna… Dante says, walk out? That’s what she did. Sam says, you know what she would do? She would have taken a chair and broken it over the other guy’s back. But she knows she doesn’t have to worry about being in that position with him. She believes he has more sense than to ever start a bar fight. He says he can think of a lot of other cool stuff to do in this place besides start a bar fight, and they start to dance to the jukebox playing.

Outside, Dex says he’s sorry, but Josslyn says, he has nothing to be sorry about. He came with them to help. He told Spencer that if he uses that fake evidence, he’s the one that’s going to get arrested. And he’s right, but what does Spencer do to thank him? He sucker punches him. Again? It’s like the only time he could land one against Dex. Dex says, she’s really mad, and she says, yeah, she’s mad. Why isn’t he mad? Why is he smiling and laughing? Dex says he’s smiling because she’s beautiful, and he’s laughing because she makes him happy. He kisses her, and she says, his lip is bruised. He kisses her for even longer.

At home and obviously in pain, Spencer takes off his shirt. There’s a knock on his bedroom door, and Esme says, what happened to… She opens the door, looks at him, and says, you?

Elizabeth asks if Finn wants help with the dishes, but he says, not necessary. Especially since dinner came from a pizza box. She says, and a cupcake box, and he promises to have a talk with Violet about playing matchmaker. He loves Violet, but they can’t be together just because she wants them to. Elizabeth says, of course (🍷). There has to be more between them than that. She should get going. She picks up her bag, and says she had a really lovely time. Finn asks her to wait, and picks up the vase of flowers, saying, don’t forget these. She says, they look so pretty on his table, but he says, Violet got them for her, and pink is her favorite color. She reaches for them, and their hands touch.

Austin says, Ava thinks he’s just a sucker? Instead of going to the police like a normal person, she does that thing she does, and he just helps her cover it up like a normal person. She killed her husband. She tells him, stop saying that. She didn’t mean for him to die. He says he only has her word on that, and she says she only has his word that she can trust him; that he’s on her side. He says, if he wasn’t, he’d just let them kill her, and she asks why doesn’t he? He says, because he doesn’t want her to die, and she asks, why? He grabs her and kisses her.

Dante dips Sam, and she laughs, saying, he’s one hell of a dancer. He says, that’s easy when he has one hell of a partner. She says, one who, by the way, would never walk out on him. They kiss.

Trina finds Portia at the hospital, and hugs her. Portia says, what a wonderful surprise. It’s kind of late though, isn’t it? Trina says she was going by and decided to stop in and see how Portia is doing with… things. Portia takes Trina’s arm, they walk, and Portia says, that’s very kind of her. She and Curtis are in limbo at the moment, but when that changes, Trina will be the first to know. Trina says, it’s really hard when you have a strong connection to somebody and things happen to make you question it. Portia says she appreciates the understanding, and the visit. She thought Trina might be out with Spencer or something tonight. Trina says she wasn’t feeling it, so she decided to say her goodnights and swing by here. Portia says, lucky me.

Esme says, did Spencer fall? Did someone punch him? He asks if it matters, and she says, he blew up and ran to his room so fast, she got worried. He forgets that she was attacked in this place and Ace was kidnapped. Slams and bumps make her… He says, there’s nothing to worry about. As she can see, he’s fine. Thanks. She tells him, if you say so, and closes his door.

At Dex’s apartment, Josslyn asks if it hurts, and Dex says, a little. She says, here? touching his lips, and he says, no pain at all. She says, she should probably test it out, and kisses him. She tells him, stay down and let her take care of him, and they get busy.

Carly tells Drew, some days and nights drag on forever, but some nights end too soon. Morning’s going to come, and he’s going to be headed to Pentenville. He says, they still have a few hours left. They don’t have to start saying goodbye just yet. She says, he has to promise her that he’s going to be careful. She knows he has the skills to protect himself, and he’ll have to prove that at first, but after that, she wants him to keep a low profile, and stay out of trouble. She wants him to be a model prisoner and do his time, and come home to her. Promise her. He says he’s going to come home to her. He promises. She kisses him.

Cyrus tells the guard, a new prisoner starts tomorrow. Cyrus knows him. He’s a friend. His name is Drew Cain.

Tomorrow, Violet doesn’t want Elizabeth to leave; Ava pushes Austin away; and Sonny wants to discuss Sasha’s future with her.

🫲 Get To Know Him…

Or refresh your memory.

Who Is Jackson Montgomery on GENERAL HOSPITAL?

👨🏽‍⚖️ Good Luck With That…

This seems like a futile effort to me. I can’t see any reason empties should be in someone’s car. Did she say she was taking them to recycling?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/haley-pullos-pleads-not-guilty-to-felony-dui-charges

🥀 Another Star In Heaven…

He was a busy guy. I remember him being in a lot of things.

Stars Remember the Late Nicolas Coster

🧨 Soap Independence…

So does this mean GH is technically on 4th of July? That’s not Monday.

Find Out if Your Favorite Soaps Are Airing on New Year’s Day

🎬 She’s the Expert…

Doubtful she didn’t want to eclipse Taylor. It’s not so much what she says, it’s her schoolmarm know-it-all fancy pants delivery.

Heather Dubrow Discusses ‘Weird’ Feud With Taylor Armstrong on RHOC

📲 One Season Wonder…

I read this three times and still don’t get how she was harassed.

RHONJ Alum Siggy Flicker Reveals Phone Conversation With Andy Cohen, Claims She Was ‘Harassed’ by Production, and Shares Why She Distanced Herself from Cast

💎 She’s Gotta Wear Shades…

Maybe the next season won’t be so exhausting.

Camille Grammer Shades Dorit Kemsley While Teasing RHOBH Return

🍸 Meanwhile, In Vanderland…

She’s raking it in. For once, we got to see people reaping what they sowed.

Ariana Madix Reveals If ‘Scandoval’ Made Her a “Millionaire” & If She’ll Forgive Raquel Leviss, Plus Vanderpump Rules Star Shares Cryptic Post on “Trauma”

Giving you Lala.

Lala Kent on Raquel’s Return, If She Has Regrets About Vanderpump Rules Reunion, and Paying Randall From Podcast Earnings, Plus Biggest Misconception, & Hulu Doc

Jax must be jumping for joy that he was finally able to pass on the title of Worst Human Being On Earth to Sandoval.

Vanderpump Rules Spinoff With Jax Taylor and Brittany is Announced, Find Out Who Else Will Appear on the New Valley-Based Series

🩰 Life In Plastic…

This is one of the coolest things ever.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1377661/allow-margot-robbie-to-give-you-a-tour-of-barbies-dream-house

🪄 Life Is Your Creation…

Make a stop here tomorrow for soap, teatime, words to ponder, and music to end the month. Until then stay safe, stay interacting with an open mind, and stay not doing stupid things and pissing off the [person] you love.

Jun10

June 9, 2023 – No Soap For You, 2 Mollys, Jersey Mess, Vandermath, VanderNew, Sink It, Dead Dates, A Farewell, Star Releases, Sharks, Cuteness, Double 4 Quotes & Love

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Well there was this:

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/general-hospital-preempted-nationally-today-june-9-2023

So I did this:

💼 Ups and Downs…

She’s doing a good job so far. She’s not straying too far from the already established character.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kate-mansi-opens-up-about-taking-over-as-kristina-on-gh

She’s lucky she didn’t kill someone.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-haley-pullos-faces-lawsuit-over-dui-crash

👠 Jersey Devils…

They still don’t totally explain it. So like, what happened the next time Frankie and Louie spoke? Or haven’t they?

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/frank-catania-shares-why-frankie-stopped-working-for-luis-ruelas

Where they are now.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/rhonj-season-13-finale-recap-cast-updates

This one doesn’t live in the real world with the rest of us. I don’t blame Andy for losing his sh*t. It was like, STFU already.

RHONJ’s Jennifer Aydin Shades Andy Cohen for Being “Rude” to Her and Blasts Troll Who Accuses Her of ‘Deflecting’

About that text.

RHONJ: Melissa Gorga Leaks Text From Jacqueline Laurita That Blasts Teresa Giudice & Pokes Fun at Her Appearance, See the Shocking Message Plus When It Was Sent

And the rest.

Joe Giudice Addresses the Gorgas’ Alleged Involvement in FBI Case, Blames RHONJ for Deportation, & Gives Update on Relationship With Rosie, Kathy and Richie

🍸 Trying To Recover…

I don’t think there is a future for her on the show. At least, I hope not.

Raquel Leviss Addresses Future on Vanderpump Rules After Death Threats Over Affair With Tom Sandoval as Karlee Hale Breaks Silence Amid Tom Dating Rumors

I guess, but I can’t imagine she didn’t want to smack Rachel’s bobblehead face. I thought she was restrained.

https://people.com/lala-kent-regrets-attacking-raquel-leviss-at-vanderpump-rules-reunion-7510310

Giving you more Lala.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/raquels-big-secret-on-vanderpump-rules-reunion-lala-reacts

She’ll be fine. She dodged a narcissistic bullet.

https://extratv.com/2023/06/08/ariana-madix-reveals-plans-for-the-future-and-thoughts-on-marriage-after-scandoval/

She was so funny on WWHL.

Amy Schumer Doesn’t Have ‘Raquel Rage’ but Bashes ‘Narcissist’ Tom Sandoval

🎁 Just What We Need…

I still want more episodes of Overserved, but I’ll take what I can get. After I take a million showers to get the smell of the Reunion off.

Lisa Vanderpump Lands a New Spinoff Show Called “Vanderpump Villa” on Hulu! Get the Details, Plus Vanderpump Rules is Renewed for Season 11

⛵️ Aye, Aye, Captain…

She’s right. That boat needs to die. I’m sure Glenn and Colin are having a grand old time holding it together with duct tape and bubble gum, but it almost tanked the season.

‘Parsifal Needs To Die At The Bottom Of The Ocean’ Daisy Kelliher Calls For Yacht’s Retirement

⚰️ Moving Dead…

Updates on both Dead City’s premiere and Fear the Walking Dead’s mid-season finale.

https://undeadwalking.com/2023/05/30/walking-dead-city-updated-premiere-timing-amc/

https://screenrant.com/fear-the-walking-dead-season-8-episode-6-airtime-change/

🥀 She’ll Be Missed…

I love this show, and was so sad to hear this.

https://people.com/bling-empire-anna-shay-dead-7508300

👽 When the Force Will Be With You…

Updates on Star Wars releases.

https://ew.com/movies/star-wars-movie-tv-show-release-dates/

🦈 Doo-Doo Doo-Doo-Doo-Doo…

Cue the music.

https://people.com/sharkfest-2023-how-to-watch-sharkfest-7509679

🦙 Take a Deep Breath…

Some relief from all the nasty, awful reality this week.

https://paradepets.com/pet-news/cute-animals

☄️ Quotes of the Week

Some people think only intellect counts: knowing how to solve problems, knowing how to get by, knowing how to identify an advantage and seize it. But the functions of intellect are insufficient without courage, love, friendship, compassion and empathy. – Dean Koontz

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.  — John Powell

The border to eternity is never ahead of us. It runs parallel to life and can be crossed over at any moment by old and young. – Reinhard Bonnke

A mathematical formula for happiness: Reality divided by Expectations. There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations. – Jodi Picoult (I vote for lowering expectations.)

Even while we kill and punish we must try to feel about the enemy as we feel about ourselves—to wish that he were not bad, to hope that he may, in this world or another, be cured: in fact, to wish his good. That is what is meant in the Bible by loving him: wishing his good, not feeling fond of him nor saying he is nice when he is not. – C.S. Lewis, from Mere Christianity

I can tell you, without diversity, creativity remains stagnant. – Edward Enninful

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. – Plato

That wasn’t karaoke. It was you, a jukebox, and a bar full of angry people. – Mike Biggs (Billy Gardell), Mike & Molly

🕺🏽 Curly Shuffling Away…

Tune in for a chance of Fear on Sunday, and on Monday really Tuesday for soap and double the Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay respecting your elders no matter how old you are, and stay making sure that when you’re singing karaoke, you’re really at karaoke.

May19

May 18, 2023 – Holly Makes a Decision, Like Mother, Write Out, Bad Move, Postponed, Soap Moms, Engaged, Paused, VanderChatter, Oldest Pup (!) & Mind

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Trina says, what happened on the Haunted Star taught her how much she relies on everyone she loves. Even though she values her independence, knowing someone will be there to catch her means the world to her. Portia says, that’s what happens when you become a parent, and a messenger comes out of the elevator. He asks Spencer to sign for the fancyish envelope, and Trina asks what it is. Spencer says, let’s find out. He opens it, and says, it’s an invitation to the reading of his Uncle Victor’s will. Trina wonders what Victor left him, and Curtis says, more trouble.

At the station, Jordan leaves a message for TJ, saying, she feels like she’s spoken to his voicemail more than him lately. She was thinking of him, and hoping she could grab dinner with him and Molly soon. Let her know. Text if he must, but a phone call would be most welcome. She loves him.

TJ waits with Molly in an exam room, and asks if she wants anything. She says she wants him to relax. She’s nervous enough for both of them. He says he’s very relaxed, but she says, he’s such a liar. He asks if she’s kicking him out, but she says she needs him here. Her mind is racing. No matter what she tries to think about, she just comes back to the same question – what if she can’t get pregnant? He says, it’s too soon to go there; they need more information. She says she can’t help it, she’s terrified, and he holds her.

Alexis shows Esme around The Invader, and finds Sam in her office. She says, this is a surprise, and Sam says, so is this. What’s going on?

At The Savoy, Holly tells Robert, what a lovely surprise. He says, nice try, but it’s not going to work. She’s up to something. She asks what he thinks she’s up to, and he says, conspiring with Selina Wu.

Esme says she saw Sam at Spring Ridge. Sam asked her about Maggie Fitzgerald. Sam said Maggie was Esme’s former nanny, and that she was a private detective. Did Sam lie to her? Does she really work at The Invader? Was Sam just trying to get her to say Ryan Chamberlain was her father? Sam says, no. She is a private investigator, and Alexis is her mother. Esme asks if Sam’s last name isn’t McCall, and Sam says, it is. Esme says, Sam’s a Cassadine too, and Alexis says, long story. Maybe some other time. Esme says, she gets it. Sam tried to manipulate her like every other Cassadine, and Alexis wants her to believe there’s no ulterior motive in offering her this job?

Robert asks what Holly is getting involved in here. She knows what Selina Wu does for a business. What’s next? Dropping in on Sonny Corinthos? Holly says, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, but he says he knows her. She likes to play fast and loose with the law. N’neka comes in, and says, excuse me. Who let them in? They’re closed. Robert introduces himself, and says he’s here on official business. Holly says, which is now over, but he says she’s not getting off that easy. Holly says, he’s right. Maybe he does need to be filled in. She suggests they go somewhere more private.

Dr. Navarro comes into the exam room, and says, as they suspected, Molly’s biopsy revealed she has endometriosis. Unfortunately, it’s severe, but Molly hasn’t complained of pain previously. Molly cries, and says, the pain has been more severe lately, but warm baths help, and an occasional missed period, like right now, but she’s not pregnant? Dr. Navarro says she’s sorry. Irregularity is common with endometriosis. Per Molly’s request, they conducted a fertility test, and Molly says she needs all of the information before making a decision about treatment, and she doesn’t want to delay trying to get pregnant. What did the fertility test say? The doctor says she’s sorry. It’s not good news. Molly cries harder.

Portia looks at Spencer and Trina walking away, and wonders if Trina will ever be free from this horrible family. Curtis says, Victor’s dead now, so there’s nothing he can do to harm Trina, but Portia says, in the meantime, Trina and Spencer are closer than ever. He says he knows she’s wary of Spencer, but he witnessed firsthand how Spencer stepped up for Trina in Greenland.

Trina says, Spencer’s his Uncle Victor tried to control him, and when he realized he couldn’t, he turned against Spencer. Nothing in this will is going to be good for him. Spencer says, probably not, which is exactly why he should deal with it now, rather than putting it off until later. If Uncle Victor had succeeded, there would be no need for this will. She says, he planned on ushering in the new age, and Spencer says, this is worst case scenario; this is a contingency plan in case of disaster. In order for this will to mean anything, Uncle Victor would have had to assume he’s A, dead, and B, his plan had failed. She says, then why let him have the last word? and he says, because if this will is Uncle Victor’s last shot at revenge, if it sets something in motion, he has to be the one to stop it.

Curtis tells Portia that Spencer didn’t care about himself; he only cared about Trina. He put himself in the line of fire to protect her. Portia says, so did Curtis, and she’s grateful to him for bringing Trina back home. He says he cares about Trina, and she says she knows he does. And Trina cares about him. She could see the look in Trina’s eye when she looked at Curtis. She thinks Curtis has a permanent place in Trina’s heart. Taggert walks on to the scene.

Trina  runs to Taggert, hugging him, and he asks, how is his baby girl? She says, when she woke up this morning, he was gone, and Portia says, they were up so late last night celebrating her return, her father crashed in the guestroom. Trina says, Taggert wanted to camp out in the living room, like they did when she was little. Sorry for being a party pooper and asking to sleep in her own bed. He says he understands, especially after she’d been gone for so long, but they did do the fireplace s’mores, which is the next best thing. Curtis looks like he feels awkward, when the tech tells them, the lab’s ready for them. Who’s first?

Sam says, Esme works here now? and Alexis says, meet their new receptionist, but Esme says she’s out. She should have gone with her first instinct. I can’t believe I keep getting fooled by you people. She starts to leave, and Alexis says she’s sure Esme must be very scared, and now that she’s lost her memory, she must be so confused. But her nephew Nikolas, the father of Esme’s son, has disappeared. So her only motivation is to keep the rest of her family intact. Whether Esme likes it or not, her son is a Cassadine, and through her son, Esme is now extended family. She’s offered Esme a job so she can financially support her son. Isn’t that something any mother would be grateful for? Esme says, fine. She’ll try. Alexis says, good, and Esme says, for now. Alexis says, that’s all. Esme can go to HR and complete her paperwork, and when that’s done, she can start immediately. Esme leaves, and Sam asks, what’s going on?

Dr. Navarro says, the results of Molly’s hormone testing show that she’d be unlikely to conceive. She’s sorry. TJ says, many women with endometriosis are able to get pregnant; why can’t Molly? The doctor says, in some cases, endometriosis doesn’t mean infertility, but in Molly’s case, it’s different. Molly says, because of her condition is that severe? and Dr. Navarro says, there’s still a lot of uncertainty about how the condition affects some and not others. Her condition is severe because of where endometrial tissue occurs in the body and how far it’s spread. But the condition can also affect fertility on a microscopic level. It can change the hormonal level around the eggs as well as affect the quality. The reasons aren’t well understood. Molly says, so that’s it? She’ll never be able to have children?

Curtis says he’ll go first, and follows the tech. Portia asks if Trina is doing okay, and Trina says, yeah. She wants to do the test. Taggert says, it’s okay to be nervous, and Portia says, it’s totally understandable. Trina says she really wants to take the test and put an end to all the secrets. But what if they find out Curtis is her biological father? How do things not change? Taggert says, no test is going to tell him how he feels about his girl. She is, and always will be, his little girl. She says she hopes so, and he says, she can count on it, and hugs her.

At Pier 54, Holly tells Robert that she does need money, but not for her, for Ethan. Robert asks if he’s in trouble already, and she says, he stole from the wrong people. Robert asks, who? and she says, it’s a long list. Dictators, a hedge fund billionaire or two… Ethan only kept a little bit of it. Most of it, he gave away. He says, worthy causes he’s sure, and she says she can give him the contact information of the orphanages Ethan supports if he doesn’t believe her. He says he believes her. And believes Ethan. Ethan has a larcenous soul, but he’s not greedy. He likes the rush. So did Luke. So does Holly. Holly says, they’re people with obscene amounts of money, and they’re willing to spend it to see Ethan dead. That’s why he’s gone back to Australia to hustle enough money to pay them back. Robert says, that’s a whole bunch of problems in itself, isn’t it? and she says, that’s why she needs a large influx of cash. He asks why she didn’t come to him. He cares about Ethan, and sure as hell cares about her. She says, it isn’t as simple as asking a friend for a loan. She wouldn’t have spoken to Selina Wu. She even inquired about working for the WSB, but that wouldn’t have paid off fast enough. The only way to get these people off Ethan’s back is to compensate them, and she has to do that before they find him. He asks why she didn’t bring this to him sooner; he still could have helped her. They help each other. That’s what they do. She says she’s gotten him in so much trouble already, and doesn’t want to do that to the man she loves.

Spencer leaves to try and get more information about the will reading, and Trina says, he did that so she and Portia could be alone. Portia asks if that’s okay with Trina, and Trina says she’s happy Portia is here. She knows it’s hard on her too. Portia says, the hardest part is that she had to put Trina in this position in the first place, but she’s proud of Trina’s courage. She wishes she was as brave as Trina is in the beginning. When she found out she was pregnant, she should have told Curtis and Taggert that she wasn’t sure who the father was. Then Trina never would have had to make this decision. She’s sorry. Trina says she knows they haven’t unpacked everything, and she’s still angry that Portia chose not to be honest with her, but she’s not as mad as she was anymore. Portia says, it means the world to hear Trina say that, and they hug.

Esme comes out of the elevator, and sees Spencer. He asks if she’s okay. Where’s Ace? She says, he’s with Spencer’s grandmother. She hated leaving him, but she had no choice. He asks what she’s doing here at the hospital, and she says she’s here to drug test for her new job. He says, she’s never worked a day in her life. Who would offer her a job? She says, his Aunt Alexis?

Alexis says she fully expected to get that look, and Sam asks if she has to remind Alexis what happened the last time she invited a snake into her life. Alexis says her eyes are wide open as to who Esme is, and isn’t. Esme isn’t snowing her. She really is doing this for the family. When she went to Laura’s, Esme was halfway out the door with that baby. She was going to take Ace and leave, with nowhere to go and not a penny to her name, because that’s how much she doesn’t trust Laura, Spencer, or anybody else. Sam says, Victor did try to steal her son. She knows what Alexis is doing. Alexis got her a job at the paper to keep her in Port Charles, which keeps her in close proximity to Alexis, a set of eyes… Alexis says, exactly. Laura asked her privately to help keep Esme here, so she and Spencer wouldn’t be separated from Ace. Sam says, that’s lovely for them, but Alexis is the one who has to work with Esme. What happens when this noble gesture comes back to bite her? Alexis says, duly noted. Now why doesn’t Sam tell her why she’s here? There’s a knock at the door, and the messenger has Alexis sign for the infamous envelope. Alexis says, looks like she got invited to the party too, and Sam says, she knows about this? holding another envelope up. Alexis says, Sam got one too? So did Laura and so did Anna. Sam says, Victor hated both of them, and Alexis says, he hated her too. He was never too fond of her for rejecting his call for family solidarity. Sam says, so anyone Victor disliked or downright hated was invited to the reading of his will? That doesn’t bode well, does it? Alexis says, no, it doesn’t.

Holly says she loves Robert – not just in the past, but in the present. She’s in love with him. He says, Holly… but she says, let her finish. They’ve been through so much since she returned last year. Victor taking Ethan… staging the fire in the cabin… Greenland. She hasn’t had time to dwell on her feelings, but now that Victor’s been dealt with, she realizes that she’s still hugely in love with him. She wants to be with him. She wants to devote herself to him. And them. But first she has to help her son. And if that takes her to shady places, so be it, but she refuses to pull him in. They played fast and loose enough with Scotty, but she won’t drag him down; he’s the DA. He says, yeah, and he takes those duties seriously, but there are things that are more important in life. She says she can’t keep asking him to cross the line for her; she doesn’t want to keep asking him to do that. She can handle this on her own. He says, she doesn’t have to. It’s you and me; it’s us. She doesn’t have to do it on her own, and shouldn’t have to. She asks if this is his choice, and he says, question. Where does this end?

Curtis goes to the club, and asks N’neka how everything is looking for tonight. She says, the sound system was glitching, but the technician is already on his way, and he thanks her. He asks if she’d wait for the delivery driver out back, and he’ll look over the paperwork. She gives him a folder and leaves. As he’s looking at it, Jordan comes in.

Dr. Navarro says she realizes this is a lot to process, but there are options, and Molly says, but conceiving a child isn’t one of them. The doctor says, it’s not impossible to get pregnant. Like she told them, the condition still isn’t fully understood, or how it affects fertility. Molly says, but the possibilities are slim, and TJ tells her, let’s not call it a day yet. There are still treatments. Dr. Navarro says, TJ’s right. She’s happy to discuss all treatments available for Molly’s condition, as well as alternatives to help her have a child. She’ll give them time to talk, but please don’t lose hope. They’ll find the best option. TJ thanks her, and she leaves. Molly clings to him.

Robert says, it’s a pattern with Holly. She gets involved in all these below board things with questionable payouts. If, as she says, she loves him, and doesn’t want to drag him in with her, he doesn’t get what kind of a relationship that is. She says, all she knows is that she loves him, and he says, love is certainly part of the equation, but if this is her life, and that life says she has to keep things from him, how does that work? Maybe they’re not compatible. Maybe there’s not meant to be a me and you. All he knows is, he’ll always be there for her. She tells him that he doesn’t have to say it. After all these years of fighting to make this work, maybe she missed her chance.

Curtis asks if this is official business, but Jordan says she just wanted to see if he was all right. Is that a problem? He says, of course (🍷) not; thanks. She asks if something is bothering him, but he says he’s good. She says, it’s her. What’s up? He asks if he made a mistake going through with that DNA test. He might be upending a perfectly healthy family.

Spencer says, Esme is working for his aunt? and she says, believe her. It wasn’t her first choice. He asks when this happened, and she says, Alexis was visiting his grandmother, and she was about to leave with Ace… He says, to go where? and she says she hadn’t decided yet. Trina and Portia walk over to them, and Esme says she wasn’t sure, but Laura gave her a million different reasons why it was a bad idea. She said she wanted her independence – which she does – and that’s when his aunt offered her a job. Trina asks, what’s going on? and Spencer says, Esme got a job. Esme says, as a receptionist, and Spencer says, so Alexis just offered her a job out of the blue? Esme says, she didn’t do it out of the kindness of her heart. She had an agenda, just like every other member of his family, but she can play the game too. And if she’s going to build a life with Ace far away from here, then she’ll need money. He says, wherever she goes with his little brother, he’ll be right behind her, and she says she won’t let him take Ace away from her, but he says, that’s not what he means. She can leave Port Charles. She can go to the ends of the earth, and he’ll be right there to buy a home next to her. She says, as long as she’s with Ace, she really doesn’t care what he does. Wow. I’d have popped him in the nose by now. Esme leaves, and Spencer wonders, what was Aunt Alexis thinking? but Trina says, this is a good thing.

Sam says, whatever Victor had in mind, she’s not up for it, and Alexis suggests they be grateful that Spencer and that baby are back safe, Victor’s stopped, and nobody else was harmed. Sam says she is grateful for that, and the story Alexis put in The Invader was pretty amazing. Alexi says she had help, and Sam says, from whom? Alexis says, from Gregory, and Sam says, the last time they talked, Alexis thought she’d never see Gregory again. Alexis says, he’s full of surprises. After Sam left, he showed up. Sam asks if they worked things out, and Alexis flashes back to Gregory telling her that he has ALS. She says she thought so, and Sam asks what that means. Alexis says, Gregory told her what he’s been dealing with, and Sam says, that’s good, but Alexis says, it’s not good. It’s good he told her, but she hasn’t heard from him since.

Holly says she always thought one day it would be their moment, but Robert says, it never is. She says, and it never will be, and he says he’ll always love her. Nothing’s ever going to change that. He takes her hand, and she cries, saying, but you’ll always be you, and I’ll always be me. She so wishes he was wrong, but he’s not. Love can’t fix this. He says, what now? and she says she has to help her son, one way or the other. He asks how she’s going to do that, and she tells him not to ask questions he doesn’t want the answers to. But she’ll take care of it. He doesn’t have to worry about her. He says, too late.

Sam asks if Gregory and Alexis got into another fight, but Alexis says, they didn’t. In fact, after he told her what was wrong with him, she thought he’d be more accepting of her help. From what he told her, he could use the help. Sam assumes he swore Alexis to secrecy, and Alexis says, he asked her not to tell anyone. Sam says she won’t pry, but it must be pretty hard on Alexis, and Alexis says, what’s hard is, she doesn’t know if this radio silence means he’s in some kind of trouble. Apparently, she’s the only one who knows about this, but if he doesn’t tell her, how can she help him? Sam asks if she tried to talk to him, but Alexis says she’s not comfortable doing that. Sam says, why not? and Alexis says, because he insisted she respect his privacy. Sam says, she can respect his privacy without ignoring him, and Alexis says, if she recalls, Sam is the one who told her to trust him, and if he needs her, he’ll reach out. Sam says, he did. Didn’t that change everything?

Spencer says, if Esme can afford it, she’ll disappear with his brother, and Trina says, or the job can be the reason she stays. The longer Esme stays in Port Charles, the more time he has to convince her that his brother needs him. He and his grandmother can show Esme how important it is for Ace to have a support system. He says, what about Trina? The more Esme is involved with his family, the more Trina is exposed. She says, don’t worry about her. She’s gotten used to having Esme around. Portia listens, and Trina says, Esme will always be part of Spencer’s family, job or no job. That’s part of the deal when you have a family. He asks if he’s told her lately how amazing she is, and she says, about a thousand times, but he can tell her again. Portia doesn’t look thrilled as Spencer kisses Trina’s hand. Taggert asks, what’s wrong? and Portia says, just history repeating itself. This time she’s ready for it.

Jordan asks how Curtis is responsible for what happens to Trina’s family. Did he push for the DNA test? He says, no, Trina wanted that, and she says, then why is he blaming himself? He says, because he’s the complicating factor. Everything was perfect between Trina and the people who raised her. They had the perfect, stable dynamic for twenty years, and here he comes, complicating things. Jordan says, their so-called stable dynamic was already complicated, and not because of him. Portia made her choice, and right or wrong, it’s what she needed to do at the time. But with the revelation that she doesn’t know who Trina’s biological father is, that dynamic was bound to change. Curtis says, but it doesn’t have to. Taggert is always going to love Trina as his daughter, and Trina is always going to love him as her dad. So wouldn’t the best outcome be for those results to show he was her biological father? If that’s the case, Trina can go on living her happy life. Jordan says, spoken like a true father, and he says, honestly, he just wants what’s best for Trina. But selfishly, he wants those results to show that he’s her father. He wants that so bad, it hurts. The only thing that would hurt worse is finding out he’s not her father.

Molly tells TJ that she’s sorry. She feels silly. He says, she just had a bomb dropped on her. Of course (🍷) she’s upset. She says, but she’s a logical person. Her brain completely understands that they can still have a child, and they’ll love that child whether she carries it or not. He says, they will, but her brain isn’t her heart. Her heart is broken. She cries, and says she feels like she just got hit with a baseball bat. She came expecting the worst, but when Dr. Navarro actually said the words, it’s unlikely you’ll get pregnant… He says, it’s not impossible, and she says she told herself it didn’t matter either way. They’re non-traditional people, and if they have a baby by non-traditional means, no one would be surprised. But she thinks it took finding out how unlikely it would be for her, to realize how badly she wanted to be pregnant; how badly she wanted to carry his baby. She cries and says she’s sorry. He puts his forehead against hers. and says he can’t imagine what she’s going through, but they’re here together; he’s with her. They’ll figure this out.

Alexis wonders how she can insert herself into Gregory’s life, and let him come to her at the same time, and Sam says she’s not telling Alexis to press him to talk. She’s just saying Alexis can reach out without being intrusive. She can just call. Send a text or a voicemail letting him know she’s there for him if he needs her help. Alexis asks if she means act like a normal grown up. How did Sam get to be so grown up and so wise? Sam hugs Alexis, and asks, what is normal anyway? It’s in her DNA.

TJ tells Molly that Dr. Navarro downloaded a bunch of information on endometriosis for them to look at… Whenever she’s ready. She asks if it’s okay if she’s not ready yet, and he says, more than okay. Like Dr. Navarro said, she has a lot to process. Molly says, they both do. He doesn’t have to just make this about her. He says he’s thinking positive. They can, and they will, expand their family. She says, just not in the way they thought they would, and he puts his arms around her.

Holly says she should go, and Robert says, right now? She says she wishes they could shut out the world, but they can’t. Letting go of him is going to be the hardest thing she’s ever done… It’s what they both need. She truly wants him to be happy, and she thinks the best is yet to come for him. She kisses his cheek, but it turns into a romantic kiss, and she tells him goodbye. He tells her to take care of herself, and she says she always does. She leaves the pier, and Robert says, goodbye Holly.

Spencer asks if Trina is ready for the DNA test, and says he’ll walk her. They leave, and Taggert says he’s just as upset as Portia is about this, but no good is going to come of her continually talking to Trina about Spencer. Portia says, this is beyond talking, and time for action. He asks what she’s saying, and she tells him that she’s not standing by and watching Spencer take their daughter down. She wants to make sure Spencer is out of Trina’s life for good.

Jordan tells Curtis that she’s sorry, but if there’s one thing she knows, it’s that Curtis Ashford is strong enough to weather whatever comes his way. And he won’t have to go though it alone. She takes his hand, and says, he has so many people who love him, and they’ll be right by his side, no matter what. They stare at each other for a moment, then kiss.

Tomorrow, Sasha tells Nina that she’s taking charge of her life again; Scotty tells Obrecht that he doesn’t want to ruin the surprise; Josslyn says she’s about to take Sonny up on that offer; and Portia tells Taggert that Jordan did that deliberately.

👯‍♀️ Footstep Following…

Now that they mention it, there’s quite a resemblance.

That Was Genie Francis’ Daughter, Eliza Frakes, as Julie on GENERAL HOSPITAL!

📝 Not Again…

He has said this before. They wouldn’t dare… would they?

Kin Shriner Announces Scott Has Been Written Out of GENERAL HOSPITAL

🚓 There’s This Thing Called Uber…

This explains the recast.

GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Haley Pullos Seen Entering Rehab (REPORT)

🏆 Waiting On Their Award…

No ETA on this or the strike.

The 2023 Daytime Emmy Awards Is Postponed

💐 Celebrating Moms…

What the soap stars did for their big day.

See How the Stars Celebrated Mother’s Day!

💍 Congrats, Mate…

I’m happy for him. I like Ben.

https://people.com/tv/below-deck-ben-robinson-engaged-kiara-cabral/

Apparently, everyone’s happy for him.

Below Deck: How Fans Reacted to Ben Robinson’s Engagement to Girlfriend Kiara Cabral

🍹 Hitting Pause…

Yeah, we’re all tired.

https://www.tvfanatic.com/2023/05/real-housewives-of-new-jersey-put-on-pause-following-exhausting/

🍸 Post Finale Tidbits…

It’s on the Today show, in the New York Times. Scandoval has reached every corner of the globe. Sandoval: Every woman wants to spit on him, and every man wants to distance themselves.

https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/ariana-madix-vanderpump-rules-scandoval-interview-rcna85063

Don’t believe it. If they were that good of actors, they be… actors.

https://nypost.com/2023/05/17/mounting-evidence-that-vanderpump-rules-scandoval-was-staged/

Wednesday morning quarterbacking.

https://www.vox.com/culture/2023/5/18/23729087/vanderpump-rules-finale-scandoval-tom-sandoval-ariana-madix-raquel-leviss

🐶 Who’s a Good Boy…?

Congratulations, Bobi!

https://people.com/pets/worlds-oldest-dog-bobi-turns-31-birthday-party/

🤸🏽‍♀️ Feeling It Still…

Let us join together tomorrow for soap, tea but no VanderSympathy, words to think about, and music for May. Until then, stay safe, stay not hogging the remote, and stay not asking questions you don’t want the answers to.