What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Franco paints a picture of Betsy’s basement stairs. Elizabeth stops by the art therapy room, bringing Jake’s painting. Franco tells her that Jake is talented, and she says Jake misses him. He misses Jake too, and asks her to tell Jake that he knows he made mistakes, but he’s doing what he can to fix them. Elizabeth hopes so.
Maxie arrives at the station. She looks at Nathan’s desk, which now belongs to Chase, and sees the Red Sox cup. Ned comes in and she asks if he’s there on mayoral business. He says he’s there for the same reason she is, to honor Nathan. He asks if she’s okay, and she tells him it’s the first time she’s been there since Nathan died.
Curtis meets Nina at Kelly’s. She wants him to investigate Peter.
Anna tells Andre the boarding school information isn’t narrowing the search as quickly as she’d hoped. She asks if he can use his profiling skills, and he says he’ll do what he can. Anna says she’s in a race of time against Jason. If he finds Henrik first – Andre says, things could get violent. Anna says she really couldn’t blame him.
At the hospital, Jason asks Finn for a minute. He has questions about the night Faison died.
Griff barges into Peter’s office, and Peter asks if there’s a problem with his test results. Griff says there’s a mistake with the paperwork regarding his name. He wrote Peter August, but his name is Henrik Faison. He tells Peter that he ran a DNA test, and he’s the son of Caesar Faison.
Jordan didn’t think Maxie would come, but is glad she did. She knows it’s hard enough being there, and asks if Maxie wants to skip the ceremony. Ned tells Maxie that they can forego the presentation, but she says Nathan is being given the Medal of Honor. He’d be proud, and she is too. Jordan asks if she’s ready, and Ned suggests they head up together. She takes his arm.
Elizabeth asks Franco how it’s going with Doc. Franco says he hasn’t seen him; he’s been busy. Elizabeth doesn’t understand. He seemed motivated to get to bottom of it. Franco says, he is, and she asks why he isn’t seeing Doc then? She tells him he can’t do it to please her, and she can’t push him. It’s his process to go through – if he goes through it. He says he will. She tells him to show her, takes the picture out of his hand, and leaves.
Doc knocks on the door, and asks Franco if it’s a bad time. Franco says, no; it’s an awesome time. He asks if there are really any good ones, and Doc says there can be. He’d expected Franco to come by. Franco says he’s been busy. Doc says from looks of things, he doesn’t seem busy now, and suggests they sit and talk.
Jason tells Finn that Faison left behind – Finn suggests misery. Jason says, that, and unanswered questions. Finn tells him that Faison died on someone else’s watch; he can only tell him what happened in the ER. Jason asks if there was anything out of the ordinary, and Finn asks if he means like kicking Jason out of the room. Jason asks if there were objects or people who shouldn’t have been there. Finn says he doesn’t know what Jason is looking for, but it better not blow back to Anna. He adds that Jason is the only one he saw that night.
Anna tells Andre if Jason finds Henrik first, and he’s doing something questionable – Andre says, a perceived threat – he won’t hesitate to take him out. She’ll never know if her son has any of her in him.
Peter says he came to Griff as a doctor for medical help. Griff apologizes, but Peter says he violated his privacy, the Hippocratic Oath, and the law. It is rather unsavory. Griff says he was at the clinic, and witnessed firsthand the lives affected by Faison’s plan. Peter says, his father’s plan, not his. Griff says his victims are still looking for answers. Peter says he kept Jason alive, but Griff says Jason was there five years. Peter tells Griff that he has no idea what he’s done. Griff says he thought long and hard about Peter’s privacy versus the patients’ rights to heal. Peter asks, what’s the plan? Is Griff going to turn him in, and make him pay for his father’s sins? Griff says Peter isn’t blameless. He knows. You don’t learn at knee of Faison and walk away with no issues. Griff suggests he face them, and turn himself in. Peter say his father would love that, and laugh in his grave.
Jason tells Finn that he has no interest in causing Anna more pain. Finn says it was just him, and a nurse named Cindy; there was no one else hanging around. Jason asks at what point were Faison’s personal effects taken, and Finn has a vague memory of Cindy taking them. He says she goes by the book, so they would have been bagged up. Jason asks what happens to the bag, and Finn says it goes upstairs. Whoever took over might give him more insight. He hopes Jason finds what he’s looking for.
Jason sees Elizabeth, and asks, what’s wrong? He’s really starting to annoy me. Is there anyone whose business he can keep his nose out of?
Franco suddenly remembers he has an appointment, but Doc tells him to sit; he doesn’t have an appointment. Franco says he might have left the oven on. Doc says he stated how important this was, but when push comes to shove, he does everything to avoid it. Why? Franco says he’s an enigma and fascinating. Logically, he knows he’s a ticking time bomb, who no one wants to be around. Doc tells him if he wants to be around Elizabeth and the boys, he has to examine his past, especially the scary parts, or the cycle will never end. Franco knows what he has to do, but doesn’t want to do it. Doc says let’s see if they can figure out why.
Curtis tells Nina that Peter’s digital footprint is pristine. By all accounts, he’s the picture of a successful media CEO. Nina tells him to do some digging. Prove she has nothing to worry about, so she can sleep at night. Curtis jokingly asks if it’s about her beauty rest.
Peter tells Griff the evil didn’t take. Otherwise, why would he defy his father’s orders and keep Jason alive? Griff says he kept Jason captive, but Peter says he had no choice. He kept him in the to clinic recoup. Griff says for five years his family grieved and his children called another man father. Peter says he had no other choice. Griff asks what about letting him go, and Peter says he thought about it, but it would have been worse. Jason was still weak and recovering. How long does Griff think he would have survived?
Ned tells Maxie she did great. Jordan knows it wasn’t easy, and Maxie says that’s a relative term at this point. Jordan tells her what was said was true; they don’t make them braver or better than Nathan. She says if Maxie needs someone to vent to who can take it, her door is always open. She leaves, and Ned asks if Maxie wants to go to brunch. She says she’s going to hang out for a while to take in the new normal. He tells her that what Jordan said goes for him too. He leaves, and Maxie touches Nathan’s desk and chair. She sits in the chair. Chase comes out and asks what she’s doing. She tells him it was her husband’s desk.
Andre knows Anna doesn’t want it to be true, but what if Henrik was conditioned to take Faison’s place? She says she thinks about it every day. For all she knows, he has Faison’s catalog of dirty secrets. She has no way of knowing, but has to find him first to prove there’s good in him before Jason decides otherwise. Andre asks what if Jason is right; what happens then? She says it could be whatever good in him is long gone, but she has to know for certain. She has to find him. Andre says, before Jason. Then that’s what they’ll do.
Franco needs to justify Elizabeth’s faith in him, but just messes up over and over. Doc asks what’s the worst-case scenario, and Franco says, losing Elizabeth. Doc asks if that’s worse than finding out he had violent tendencies from the beginning and it wasn’t the tumor, just him. Franco says when he puts it like that, he’ll lose her no matter what. Doc asks what’s holding him back, but he doesn’t know. Doc suggests they start with his panic attack in Jim’s hotel room.
Elizabeth tells Jason that she’s fine, and asks why he’s there. He says he had a question for Finn about the night Faison died. He asks if anything was off or unusual, and she says everything was off and unusual with Faison. He’s looking for something more specific, and asks if she knows what Faison’s personal effects were. She says she can ask someone. She tells him, just so he knows, Franco moved out. She knows he wants Franco as far away from Jake as possible. Jason says if she wants him to say he’s sorry, he can’t. Yeah, yeah, we know you can’t sugarcoat.
Nina tells Curtis that Peter is suddenly with Maxie all the time – at her apartment, at her appointments, looking at her bank statements. To be honest, he’s good too her. Curtis asks if she’s thinking, too good, and she says Peter is Maxie’s boss. There are all kinds of lines that shouldn’t be crossed. Curtis says, especially today, but Maxie is cool with it. Nina says she isn’t. Valentin thinks she’s overreacting, and she hopes she is, but Maxie is pregnant, and leaning on Peter. Curtis says, a guy who’s not her brother. Is it possible that she just resents Peter is there and Nathan isn’t? She says that’s 99% possible, but she doesn’t know him. She wants to make sure there’s not a skeleton in his closet that’s going to pop out and hurt her family.
Chase apologizes to Maxie, saying he should have left her alone. She says she doesn’t blame him, since she’s a complete stranger. He says he has big shoes to fill; Nathan was one helluva detective. He bets Nathan was a great husband too. Maxie says the baby was about to hit jackpot, and Chase says the baby is still lucky. He asks if it’s a boy or girl, but Maxie doesn’t know. He’s sorry for her loss. He tells her that’s one of the first things he should have said, but she’s glad it wasn’t. They introduce themselves. Maxie tells Chase that Nathan cared a lot about people. He gave more than he got, so if he really wants to fill his shoes, he needs to be kind, generous, and trustworthy. If he can do those things, he might do right by this desk. She leaves, taking a last look before going out the door.
Peter asks if Griff honestly thinks he hasn’t thought of revealing himself? Griff asks why he hasn’t, and he says he’d be signing his own death warrant. He removed himself as far as possible from who he was; he’s Peter August, CEO of Aurora Media. Griff asks why Port Charles, pointing out he works for Drew. Peter says his goal was to make sure his father’s victims were okay. He thought if he could look out for them, he’d be kind of making amends. Then the opportunity at Aurora opened up. The company was in bad shape. He had his pick of better jobs with more money, but he chose to keep Aurora afloat. He also wanted Jason to have a semblance of a good life. It’s not enough, and never will be, but he can’t tell them. They won’t believe he wasn’t in on it, and hates everything his father stood for. He knows he’s made mistakes, and isn’t blameless. He knew what he was doing is considered complicit, but he defied his father, broke ties, and tried to make it right, just not publicly. Griff asks what good it is if no one knows who he is and that he wants to change? Peter says he knows. Griff isn’t sure that’s good enough.
Elizabeth tells Jason that Franco has been twisting in knots, trying to find answers to what happened in the past. Jason says she knows he has zero sympathy. She says it’s ironic, considering his own situation. He tells her it’s never going to change, but hopes she’s okay. She tells him she’s been separated from a person she loves, and not because she wanted to; she’s not okay. She refrains from calling him an unfeeling lout.
Franco tells Doc about Jim saying Betsy would never believe him, just like back then. The way Jim kept calling him a liar, and said he’d been bad, he just froze. He couldn’t breathe. It was like he was there, but also someplace else. Doc asks where, but Franco doesn’t know. Doc asks if Franco thinks Jim is right, that he’s a liar and a bad seed. Franco says he did twisted things and remembers them. Maybe Jim is right, and that’s the whole story. Doc asks if he believes that, and Franco says, no.
As Andre looks over some records, Anna says it seems that Henrik was at private boarding school all year round. Andre says, vigorous academics, extreme physical activity, and a stern code of ethics. They can start with those. Anna tells him that his help is invaluable. He says that’s how he feels about her friendship. He asks how things are outside of the hunt, and she says, fine. He asks if she’s taking care of herself, and she says she just came from a phlebotomy appointment. He says, what about emotionally? Is she getting out to see people? She wonders if he means Finn. She wasn’t thrilled with Andre’s advice. It was an unmitigated disaster followed by embarrassment. Andre sees Finn walking into the restaurant, and says that’s his cue. They nod to each other. Finn walks over to Anna’s table, and says, always a mysterious exit with Andre. He asks how she is, and she says, great; him? He says never better, and continues on. She mumbles about Alexis being right, and he says, what?
Doc tells Franco that he’s repressing the memories. Franco says his gut tells him that Jim is involved, or at least knows what happened, but his brain won’t remember. He adds it doesn’t exactly scream good times. Doc asks if he’s considered hypnotherapy, and Franco says, hell no. Doc tells him it’s effective in helping patients through blocked experiences, but only with full commitment. He has to be serious about it or it won’t work.
Elizabeth gets it; Jason hates Franco, and thinks he’s unworthy. Jason says it doesn’t matter, nothing is going to change, but Elizabeth says it does. The joy Franco has brought Jake alone is worth it. Jake loves him. Elizabeth says it’s frustrating. Love is precious, no matter who is giving it. She wonders when he’s going to know that, considering Sam loves him, but shouldn’t.
Griff says he hears Peter, but how is it any different than keeping Jason alive and hidden? Is Griff stupid? It’s a lot different. Peter says there’s no easy solution when a life is hanging in the balance. He’s building a life difference from his father. He’s different. He has friends, and people who count on him. Right on cue, Maxie walks in. She says she’s totally interrupting, but Griff says he was just leaving. He says he has a lot to think about, and Maxie tells him, good luck with that. She asks Peter if everything is okay, and Peter says he thinks so.
Finn asks Anna if she talked to Alexis about him. Anna is surprised Alexis didn’t tell him. She says they had a face-to-face conversation about him. They wanted to be straight. Women like the two of them say what they mean. Finn is like, oh yeah, you’re good at that, and Anna says, maybe not. He asks what they were being direct about, and Anna says Alexis wanted to know if she’d be stepping on Anna’s toes if she dated Finn. He says, wow, and asks if they sorted it out. Anna says, absolutely. Her toes are fine.
Nina gives Curtis a check to help convince him to take the job, and he says she has herself and investigator. She says he won’t regret it, and he says he won’t, as soon as he deposits the check. She tells him to start with the untraceable money wiring. She wants to know everything. Who Peter’s parents are, his shoe size, his prom date, right down to the socks he owns. She wants to know his agenda where Maxie is concerned.
Maxie tells Peter that she’s always barging in, but he says she’s always welcome. She jokes about her promise to lean on fewer shoulders. Peter says she’s just keeping him posted. He asks about the ceremony. She says she met the detective who took Nathan’s place, and he seems bearable. She didn’t scream at him. Peter says that’s progress, and she says there might be hope for her yet.
Elizabeth asks Jason if Sam has told Drew. He says she’s gone. She took the kids on trip for a while. She decided she need time to think and figure out what she wanted. Elizabeth asks if he thinks she should take a page out of Sam’s book, and says she doesn’t need him to tell her who she is or who to love. She knows those answers. He says he wasn’t going to tell her anything. Her phone dings, and she tells Jason that Faison’s things were signed over to Anna. Yeah, those ended up being a hot potato.
Franco tells Doc that he needs a hint, like, what you will find out will suck, but not break you. Doc says nothing gets better until you do the work. It will suck. It’s difficult and scary, but unless he does it, he’ll never get out of the place he’s in now. It’s his choice; Doc can’t make it for him. Franco says he needs to know what happened to him, no matter what. Let’s do it.
Tomorrow, Jason wants to know if Anna is keeping something from him, Nelle can’t back off Carly, and Sonny tells Mike that his parents are dead.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Still in Berlin, the ladies split into groups for the day Teddi, LisaR, and Kyle head out to see some sights. Kyle talks about the mix of old and new architecture. Erika, LVP, and Dorit go to a mall. Erika thinks they can do some damage there. The sightseers stop for coffee, and it’s a project discussing soy milk with the waiter. Kyle ends up sending back whatever it is she ordered, asking for it to be more well done. I hope they leave this poor guy a big tip; they’re really running him around. In her interview, Dorit says she loves shopping with friends on an international trip; it bonds you. Erika says they’re high maintenance, and a little nuts; these poor Germans. I’ll bet the personal shopper is happy with his commission though. He seemed to be having a lot more fun than the waiter.
Teddi says shopping is boring for her, and is glad to be in her element with the horses. The others join her for a ride. The stables are old and beautiful. LVP says it reminds her of when they lived in the countryside in England, and it’s like going back in time. LisaR says she rode a lot growing up. She had a horse until she realized it was a lot of work, and got a tennis racket instead. Kyle says she developed an allergy to horses a while back, but still loves them. She’s given a smaller horse, and in her interview, Erika compares Kyle’s legs hanging down to the Flintstones’ car. The dirt road is flanked by lush green fields, and wind turbines spin in the background. It’s gorgeous and peaceful, until LisaR’s horse decides to take her for an unscheduled ride. Teddi tells us a horse can tell a nervous rider.
Maybe this horse only knows German. Teddi comes to the rescue, instructing LisaR on what to do. She tells the others that LisaR should not have been in front. Kyle says she’s done; she’s not feeling so good. Erika says she had different plans for this excursion, and wonders if they’ll ever get it right. LVP says she’s used to Kyle making a big deal out of nothing, but her eyeballs are totally red. Her allergies have gotten the better of her, and her chest is tightening. She dashes off with the camera people to where the caretakers live, and gets something similar to an EpiPen. LVP puts on her fuzzy bejeweled hat, and Teddi wonders if Kyle is allergic to the hat. The ladies have champagne on the way back. Erika thanks Teddi for handling the situation, and Teddi says they were a team. In her interview, she says if it’s not Erika yelling at her, she’ll take it.
Getting ready for her dinner party, Erika gets dolled up like a 40s movie star. She’s going for a combination of Marlene Dietrich and a little Catherine Deneuve in The Hunger. I like it. Everyone is impressed with the presidential suite. Kyle should be in bed sleeping, but the FOMO would have been too strong. Most of the ladies pass on veal tartare, and in her interview, Erika accuses them of being afraid of international cuisine. I don’t think that’s it. I think because it’s a baby cow that’s still mooing. LisaR talks about Delilah being agoraphobic as a teenager. She says it was a freaky time. She’ll always have anxiety, but has the tools to deal with it now.
LVP tells them some hurtful things were said in New York, but she thinks they’re in a good place. Dorit interrupts, saying Kyle hurt her feelings by going to LVP about their private conversations. Kyle thought they were past that, and LVP says apparently Dorit feels hurt. Kyle is annoyed at LVP defending Dorit. She’d apologized for the last time, but actions speak louder than words. LVP thinks Kyle is still pissed about what happened at the Bella party. In her interview, LVP says Kyle is like a petulant child. She just wants Kyle to see Dorit’s side. Kyle says it started with her defending LVP, but LVP doesn’t return the favor. She says she’s never telling LVP anything again. She felt bad when Dorit made an issue about her at the beach house. Teddi says they’ll talk in circles, and never move on. Dorit says they don’t need a moderator, and starts yammering about the beach house, losing Kyle, and probably everyone else. Then she brings up pantygate, saying Erika wasn’t mad until Kyle got involved. Kyle says she had nothing to do with Erika’s reaction. In her interview, Erika says she never blamed Kyle for anything, but it’s difficult to follow Dorit’s line of thinking sometimes. No kidding. Dorit says she’d never do what Kyle did to her. LVP suggests they sleep on it. In her interview, Erika sighs, and says she might have to use the panic room. Dorit says they’re not fighting; they’ve cleared air. In her interview, Kyle says she expects non-supportive behavior from Dorit, but not from LVP.
Teddi leaves a message for her clients. She says her job doesn’t stop on vacation, but it doesn’t feel like a job. It keeps her in line too, so it’s a win-win. Dorit thinks Kyle is jealous of her relationship with LVP. Erika calls LisaR, and says she wants to see cultural stuff. She wants to get everyone together, not split into groups, and asks for LisaR’s help. LVP calls Kyle, and asks if she wants to go to the park. She says Kyle doesn’t sound happy, and Kyle says she isn’t; why would she be?
Erika tells the girls that LVP and Kyle have stuff to work out, and will be meeting them later. LisaR thanks Erika for dinner. She says she’s frustrated by the whole thing, and Teddi says that’s why it’s good LVP and Kyle are hashing it out with just the two of them.
Kyle hopes LVP listens, because up to now, she hasn’t heard her. Kyle says she and Dorit had a disconnect, and LVP went out of her way to make Dorit’s point clear, but didn’t clarify Kyle’s side. Kyle feels taken for granted.
Teddi explains to Dorit that LVP shut her down when she tried to get in the conversation. In her interview, LisaR doesn’t think Dorit was ever in a place where she actually looked at herself. In her interview, Erika says there’s a lot of history between LVP and Kyle, and we flash back to some of that. Dorit awakened the division between them, and the unfinished business.
Kyle tells LVP that friendship is a two-way street. LVP says if Kyle is upset, she’s always there; Kyle knows that. Kyle says she wasn’t getting that last night. She feels it’s important enough to say this, and fix it. She’s worked things out with Dorit, and LVP will have to do the same for herself. LVP says they’ll deal with her individually, and she’s keeping out of Kyle’s friendship with her. Kyle says if she didn’t love LVP, they wouldn’t be having this conversation.
Erika likes experiencing the energy of different cities, and says it opens your mind and heart. Teddi asks a passerby to take a picture. Dorit says this is the kind of trip you should have with your Fräuleins. It’s thrilling and steeped in history. LVP and Kyle catch up with the group. Dorit asks LVP if she and Kyle are good. LVP thinks they’re fine, and Dorit needs to make sure she is too.
The Holocaust Memorial is massive. LVP says it’s just a portion of those who died. Kyle explains that Mauricio was born in Mexico, but his blood is Russian and Turkish. When his grandparents fled, they went to Mexico. Before they got married, Mauricio wanted her to convert because they lost so many. She says being reminded of the loss and sadness is overwhelming. Erika explains why the stones vary in height. The smallest signify when the Holocaust could still be ignored, and as they grow, it gets more overpowering. It represents the escalation of it. In her interview, Dorit tells us about her great-grandparents being thrown in a concentration camp, and how her grandfather came to reunite with his mother thirty years later. LVP says it’s like the entire population of England.
Next is the Berlin Cathedral. Another picture is taken, and they move on to what’s left of the Berlin Wall. Erika says it’s important to remember that freedom is fragile, and to see it in person. The presence of something like the Wall makes their differences feel insignificant. Kyle suggests German casual, and Erika says, coming right up. They’re going to Oktoberfest it.
The ladies start talking pretend Swedish again. Kyle FaceTimes with Portia, and the others contribute to the conversation. It’s on to Hofbrau Berlin. Erika says they can’t go to Berlin without going to a beerhall and having a pretzel and a beer. LisaR and Kyle start dancing around, even before dancing starts. Pretzels with mustard are the appetizer, and next is a variety of sausages. I’m reminded of the OC trip to Iceland, but without the yelling, crying, and trips to the hospital.
The Road to Yulin and Beyond is getting an award, so LVP is leaving Berlin early. Erika says she’ll miss the boat part, which I’m sure breaks LVP’s heart. Everyone gets up to dance. The do one of those circle dances where people bust out into the middle and do their own thing. Kyle says they argued last night, but tonight, they’ve put it aside and let their hair down. They’re having a good time, even if it involves eating carbs and drinking beer. The music stops, and everyone applauds. They’re having he time of their lives, but I’m sure it won’t last long.
Next time, the zoo, LisaR says bad things happen on the boat, and the ladies go to the new hot spot through an alley.
⛅ Summer House had their reunion, which consisted of a lot of weepy and/or angry, muddled conversation. Andy said he wouldn’t be in a house with them, and I concurred. His comment was followed by him asking one of the interchangeable blonde girls why they were crying. That about summed it up. It was also what I call a cheap reunion, since it took place in the clubhouse.
🎭 Something Amusing…
Quotes from movies that are misquoted the most.
😢 Holocaust Memorial – Berlin

