Tag Archives: Ian Buchanan

February 2, 2024 – Two Surprise Returns, Agent Jagger, Goodbye Hello, Side Gigs, Her BFF, Closed Door, VanderScraps, Two For Ones, Grammy Stuff, Bowl Parties, Opossum Pirate, Pups In the Bowl, Two Fivers Of Quotes & Living

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Doc says he’s glad Laura is home, and she says she’s glad to be home. It took forever to get here. He asks what he can do. She says, hold her, and he does. He says he kept picturing her on that boat in the dark. He should have been there. She says, he was in the hospital, recovering. Thank God for that. And there was nothing he could do anyway. He says, there are few feelings in life like feeling helpless, and she says, when they got there, the search and rescue thing was well underway. Then at some point, Dante came over, and he said they couldn’t find them anywhere. All she could think was, it’s a mistake. It just can’t be. Not her Spencer. He says, she was in shock. She probably still is. She says she guesses. She and Trina stood on the deck of the boat for a very long time. She held onto hope so tightly, but then as the search went on, they could both feel it slipping away. He says, it’s good they were there for each other, and she says, everyone was really supportive. She starts to cry, and says, then Dante and Curtis took care of everything, every detail. She’s so grateful for that. She doesn’t know if she thanked them. He says he’s sure she did, but they’ll do it again. She says she feels like she blinked, and Nikolas was gone. Then Ace, and then Spencer. It’s like her whole family is just fading away before her eyes. He holds her as she cries.

Ava lets Nina in the penthouse, and Nina asks if she’s sure Sonny isn’t going to be home any time soon. Ava says, they got back from Puerto Rico, he got a phone call, and turned around and left. She hopes the call is about whatever’s going on in Paris. Nina says she heard about that. Ava must be worried sick about Trina. Ava says she’s beyond worried. It seems the universe decided one crisis at a time isn’t enough. She and Sonny are lucky to be alive. Nina asks, what the hell is going on? Who’s after Ava and Sonny?

Anna and Jordan hide their guns in a hotel room, and Anna sets up a camera. Jordan says, good coverage, and Anna says, all they can do is be prepared. Jordan says she hopes all of these precautions turn out to be unnecessary, and Anna says, for their target’s sake, so does she.

Carly tells the server at Bobbie’s that it looks like she has things covered, and she says, for the moment anyway. Carly says, if anything changes, don’t hesitate to call her, handing the server the keys. Until Carly hires a manager, she’s the cavalry. The server says, Carly’s got it, and Carly leaves, colliding into a good-looking guy in the doorway.

Trina is about to let herself into the dorm room when Josslyn comes out. She asks what Trina is doing here. Why isn’t she in Paris? Trina says she would have let herself in, but… She walks inside and Josslyn asks, what’s wrong? Trina says, Spencer’s dead.

Sonny knocks at Laura’s door and asks Doc if she’s back. Doc says, she is, and invites him in. Sonny asks Laura if it’s true, and she says, Spencer’s gone. They hug.

Jordan asks if Anna thinks they can count on Brennan’s information, and Anna says she thinks they can count on his opportunism. He doesn’t do anything that doesn’t work to his advantage. They’re in a position to help him, only the gun dealer is not. Jordan says, Brennan gave them the right referrals or O’Neal would have never agreed to meet them. Anna says, keep it short and sweet. If Jordan can get him talking about his clients who have bought guns from him, great. If not, they make a buy and spring their trap. Jordan says, the threat of federal charges should be enough to make him give up whoever bought the rifle used to shoot Curtis. Anna says she hopes so, and there’s a knock at the door.

Carly says she’s so sorry and asks if she spilled coffee on him, but the guy says, no. How about her? Is she okay? Carly says she’s fine. This isn’t how she wants to welcome people to her place. He says, she owns this place? and she says, yeah. He asks when she changed the name, and she says, recently. He says he used to work here when it was Kelly’s. He’s John. She says she’s embarrassed, and introduces herself. They shake hands, and she asks if it’s too late to welcome him back. He says, not at all. Thanks. It’s good to be back. She tells him to enjoy his meal, and he goes inside. Leo calls to Carly, and runs up to her, hugging her. He says he hasn’t seen her in forever, and she says, that means she gets an extra hug. Olivia suggests he go inside and look at his book. She’s going to talk to Carly about getting him some breakfast. Leo asks if they’re going to talk about extra powdered sugar on his waffles, and Olivia asks if he thinks this is her first time or what. He says, no, it isn’t, and goes inside. Carly asks, what’s up? and Olivia says, just so she knows, they’re not here just for the sugar rush. She wanted to check on Carly. Carly asks, why? and Olivia asks if she read the fashion article in the City Gazette, written by Gemma someone or other. Carly says, she came by the office and asked for a comment. Is the article out already? Olivia shows Carly her phone, and says, this morning. Carly reads, Drew Cain is leading with his heart, not with his head. This has Nina’s fingerprints written all over it. (Because no one else could possibly think that.) Olivia says, she quotes an anonymous source, and Carly says, they both know who that anonymous source is. Olivia says she wishes she could say she doesn’t agree with Carly. She was really hoping that Nina was going to try and make peace. That’s what’s best for everyone. Carly asks if that’s why Olivia kept Nina’s secret. Because it was best for everyone?

Ava says, if Dex hadn’t told her and Sonny to run for cover, she wouldn’t be sitting here telling Nina this story right now. Nina asks if Avery was with her, and Ava says, Avery was in her room. She didn’t know they were in any danger. She thought the gunfire was fireworks, thank God. Nina asks if she’s okay, and Ava says, yeah, just a couple of scratches. Nina looks at Ava’s hand and says, that’s more than a scratch. Is she in pain? Ava says, it’s fine. Like she told the doctor, it’s nothing a good, stiff drink can’t fix. Nina asks if Sonny has any idea who did this, but Ava says, nothing he’s talked about in any detail. She knows Sonny. He doesn’t really discuss his concerns. He just gets very, very, very quiet. Nina says, he doesn’t eat, he doesn’t sleep, he just moves on with the next thing. She doesn’t know how he does it. Ava says she got the feeling he thinks it’s a second attempt by the people behind Curtis’s shooting, and Nina says, that means they’re not going to stop until they succeed. Ava tells her not to worry though. She knows Sonny works with only the very best and takes every precaution. Nina says she’s just got to remind herself that he wouldn’t be where he is if he took chances, and Ava says, and he wouldn’t have been there for so long, right? Relax. She’s not going to be a widow anytime soon. Nina says she doesn’t even know if she’s still a wife.

Trina tells Josslyn, before she could even move, Esme and Spencer were in the water. They had helicopters and divers, but nobody could find them. Josslyn asks if they’re still searching, but Trina says, they can’t be rescued. It’s been too long. It’s impossible. Josslyn says, but they can bring him home? and Trina says, no. The police don’t expect to find their bodies. They think Esme and Spencer were carried out to sea. Josslyn says she’s sorry and hugs Trina.

Laura says she’s sorry she told Sonny about Spencer on the phone. It’s a horrible way to find out. He says, any way would be horrible. It’s good to face the truth. Any update from the French police? She says, they searched for the mandatory 48 hours. After that point, Spencer and Esme were presumed dead. Their bodies were taken by the current out to the English Channel. They’re just gone. She starts to cry again, and Sonny says, she’s going to be fine. Is she doing all right? Laura says he has to remind herself to breathe, and he says, if there’s anything he can do, but she says, there isn’t. He says, if something comes up… She says, it’s not going to, and Doc says, it’s good of Sonny to come by. Laura says, this is very difficult for her, and Sonny says he gets it. She says, it’s not just about Spencer. This is also about her brother. The way Sonny laid hands on him was unconscionable. Sonny says he doesn’t think Laura knows who Cyrus is, but she says she does. She knows what he’s capable of. She thought she knew Sonny. She thought he was a different man. He says he is, and she says she’s sure Cyrus goaded him, and she hopes Sonny just lost control because he nearly killed Cyrus with his bare hands. Sonny says he made a mistake. Cyrus played him. He went after him. He shouldn’t have done that. Is Cyrus worth her trouble? She says she doesn’t know, but Sonny is. Their friendship is, or that’s what she thought. She thinks they owe each other the truth, so she’s going to give it to him now. She’s had a lot of violence and bloodshed in her life and she can’t take it anymore. She won’t take it anymore, friendship or no friendship. He says he gets that, and she says she hopes he does. They hear Cyrus in the hallway saying he has every right… Doc says, impeccable timing. That must be her brother. Dex says he can’t let Cyrus in, and Doc opens the door.

Cyrus tells Sonny to call of his dog. He’s here to see his family. Laura nods, and Doc invites Cyrus in. Laura says, it’s not a good time, and Cyrus says, that’s why he’s here, so he can help his sister walk through this. Doc says he can start by respecting his sister’s wishes, and Cyrus says he has nothing but respect for his sister and the profound loss she’s suffered. Sonny asks how he found out about Spencer, and Cyrus says he watched over Spencer while he was in Pentenville, and he continued to stay abreast of his family’s movements. Sonny says, whether they wanted him to or not? and Cyrus says he laments that he wasn’t able to protect Spencer in the end and he grieves with his dear sister and for her. Sonny says, nobody wants to hear that, and Cyrus says, blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Laura says, stop it. This is not comforting her. Just go. Cyrus says he just hopes she can find some comfort knowing that there is a coming glory… She yells, stop it!

Nina says, it’s good that Ava is staying here with Sonny, and Ava says she doesn’t know how good it is, but it’s safe. There are guards everywhere. Avery’s happy being with her father. Nina says, of course (🍷). Sonny is such a great dad. Ava says, he talks about his family all the time, that’s for sure, and Nina asks if he’s said anything else. Ava says, they don’t exactly sit down at the end of the day and chat about what happened at the office, and Nina asks if he ever talks about his marriage. Ava says, no, sorry. He wouldn’t talk to her about that, of all people. She noticed he’s still wearing his wedding ring though. Nina says, that’s something. It’s easy enough to take off, so if he’s still wearing it, there must be something inside of him that says he doesn’t want to give up on their marriage. Ava says she hopes so. She really hopes that things work out for Nina and Sonny. Nina says, but…? and Ava says she just thinks Nina ought to prepare herself for a life without him, but Nina says she can’t. She can’t lose Sonny. She can’t lose his family because they’re her family too. She can’t lose Willow, Wiley, and Amelia; they’re her world. Ava says she knows, and Nina says, Ava has that beautiful gallery. Ava has Avery. Nina doesn’t have Crimson anymore, and if she loses Sonny and her daughter and her grandchildren, she has nothing.

Leo looks at his book, then looks outside at Carly and Olivia. He takes out his fidget spinner as John watches him from another table.

Olivia says she wasn’t trying to protect Nina, and Carly says, then who was she trying to protect? Because Nina was the only one who benefitted from her silence.

John comes over to Leo’s table and asks if he likes animals. Leo says he’s not supposed to talk to strangers, and John says, that’s a good rule. He taught his son the same rule, but – he sits down – he also told him that it was okay to talk to law enforcement. He shows Leo his badge and says he’s Agent John. Leo asks if he’s really from the FBI, and John says, yes, sir. Leo says, then he’s Leo Falconari, and John says, it’s nice to meet him.

Jordan lets O’Neal in, and he puts his case on the bed. He starts to frisk her, and she asks if it’s necessary. He says, can’t be too careful, and she says she wants to make a buy, not commit a robbery. He says, it’s for someone’s capacity, not their intentions. He’s covering all his bases. She says, no kidding. Buy her dinner first? He says, no wire, no gun. Good start. So who referred her? She says, Maloy, but he already knows that, and he asks how she knows Maloy. She says, book club. Him?… Yeah. That’s what she thought. It’s probably neither of their business. He moves his case to the credenza and opens it. He says he’s got a <insert complicated gun description> gun with the longest fair fight sniper shot in history. (This sounds like an oxymoron, but I swear that’s what he said.) He hands it to her, and she looks it over. She says, let’s talk price, and he says, it’s not a negotiation. She says, since when? and he says, if she wants quality and confidentiality, this thing’s untraceable. She’ll never know where it came from, and he’ll never know how she chose to use it. So, is it an agreement or not?

Trina tells Josslyn that she heard the sirens from police boats and turned away from Spencer just for a second. He was saying something, then he gasped, and when she turned around, he had the strangest look on his face. He looked surprised and he had fear in his eyes. Then she saw Esme with the needle and then Esme tried to come for her. Somehow, Spencer found enough strength to grab her, and they both went in the water.

Jordan says, all right, let’s do this, and hands the gun back to O’Neal. She takes out her phone and asks, what’s the routing number for the wire transfer? He says, it has to be an encrypted transaction, and she says, fine. Give her whatever device he wants to use, and she’ll make the transfer. He says he prefers human touch, and she says she’s aware. He says, she can make the transfer directly to his accountant, and she says, how quaint. Is he outside? Is he on his way here? O’Neal says he’s afraid not. They’re going to him.

Leo says his mom is outside arguing with Aunt Carly, and John asks, what makes him think they’re arguing? Leo says, the way they’re standing and what they do with their arms, and John looks outside. He says, kind of like a threat display from an animal, and Leo says, humans are animals. John says, that is very true. What kind of animals are in Leo’s book? Leo says, all kinds, and John asks if there are bears in there. Leo asks if he likes bears, and John says he does. Bears are smart and they’re strong. He wouldn’t want to meet one in the wild, but he likes reading about them.

Olivia tells Carly that Drew had already gone to prison. Carly’s accounts had already been frozen. Nothing she knew could have changed any of that. All she could do was stop the damage Nina had already done from going even further. Carly says, and the fact Olivia and Ned were also victims of Nina’s lies didn’t matter, but Olivia says, of course (🍷) it mattered. Carly asks if Olivia’s forgotten how furious she was at her for accusing Ned, because she hasn’t. Olivia says she hasn’t forgotten. She thinks about it every day. Carly says, then why would she shield the woman who was actually responsible? Nina stood back and let Ned take the blame.

Ava says she never, not in a million years, would have predicted that Drew would remove Nina from Crimson and replace her with Carly. Nina says, he’s not the same person as he was before he went to prison. He’s harder. Ava says putting Carly in a position Nina has held successfully for years adds a lot of uncertainty and risk to Crimson for no good reason. Nina says, making her suffer is reason enough in Drew’s book, and Ava says, he’s making choices he’s going to regret, that’s for sure. Nina thanks her, and Ava says, she’s welcome. She’s just stating the obvious here. Nina says she appreciates that, but she’s thinking, Ava doesn’t always agree with her choices, but she understands Nina’s reasoning behind it and doesn’t make her suffer. Ava doesn’t punish her for them. Ava says, nobody in this room has a monopoly on bad choices, and Nina says she’s very grateful for Ava’s friendship and her loyalty. She loves Ava so much and thanks her. Ava says she loves Nina too, and she’s welcome. Nina says she shouldn’t be bothering Ava about this. She’s worried about Trina. Ava says she can listen to Nina and worry at the same time, and Nina says, and she’s still coming down from being shot at and attacked. Ava says, the first time somebody shoots at you, it does come as a bit of a surprise, but with time and experience, you kind of get used to people trying to kill you. Nina laughs and says she’s very impressed by Ava’s resilience, more than she’ll ever know, but she must have been afraid in Puerto Rico. Avery could have lost both of her parents. She can’t always look out for Sonny anymore, no matter how much she wants to. Ava has to promise her that she and Sonny will always look out for each other.

Trina tells Josslyn, when they were in Greenland, and Spencer went missing, everyone lost hope. Not her. She didn’t believe he was gone. Josslyn says, and now? and holding back tears, Trina says she wants to believe so badly, but something tells her that this time there won’t be a happy ending.

Doc holds open the door, and Cyrus says he meant no harm. He gives them his word. Sonny says, they all know what that means. Let him walk out with Cyrus. Sonny tells Laura that he’ll call her, and Cyrus says, Laura may not believe in his spiritual awakening, but he prays she believes this. He cared about Spencer as he cares about her. Sonny says, that’s nice. Let’s go. Sonny steers Cyrus out, and in the hallway, Cyrus shakes him off. He says he gave Sonny a pass on the assault charges, but just the one. He’s a believer, not a saint. Sonny says, that makes two of them.

Josslyn asks what Trina is going to do. Is she going to stay here? Is she going back to Paris? Maybe Josslyn could take some time off… Trina says she doesn’t think she could go back to Paris ever again, and Josslyn says she doesn’t want a new roommate. Trina should come live with her again. Trina says she appreciates it, but she’s going to live with her parents and she’s going to take a semester off. She can’t even think about school. All of this seems so trivial. Like, what’s even important anymore? Josslyn says she understands. It’s hard to act like there’s a tomorrow when you lose someone you love. Trina asks if that’s what it was like when Josslyn lost Oscar, and Josslyn says, kind of, but he was sick, so it was peaceful in the end. It’s different than what Trina just went through. But the way you feel like you can’t breathe and the way your heart actually hurts – she tears up – that’s the same. They both cry, and Trina says she feels like it took so long for her and Spencer to finally be together. Then they finally were, and they were in a happy place. Then, like in a heartbeat, all of that was over. She and Josslyn hug.

Olivia tells Carly that she and Ned looked at the situation and made a judgement call. Exposing Nina wasn’t going to help anybody fix anything. And a huge blow-up would have just made everything so much worse. Carly says, so that’s what she and Ned decided, and Olivia says, he took a little convincing, but… She looks inside, seeing Leo with John, and tells Carly, hold on a second. She goes inside, directly to Leo’s table, where he’s reading to John from his book. Olivia says, pretty friendly, huh? and Leo says, this is John. Olivia says hello to John and suggests Leo wash his hands before his waffle gets here. Leo leaves, and John stands up. He says, he’s a great kid, and Olivia says, yeah. He says, he’s on the spectrum? and she says, he has ASD, yeah. He says, so does his son. He’s sorry for approaching her boy, but he could tell Leo was getting agitated watching her and Carly. She says she should have realized he could see them out there and it would bother him, but John says, it’s fine. He thinks he distracted Leo. She says, looks like he did and thanks him. She asks, how old is his son? and he says, he’s grown now, and living independently. She says, so he’s doing well? and John says, he’s doing great. His phone rings, and he asks her to excuse him for a moment. She says, of course (🍷), and he steps away.

John asks, what’s the word?… Nobody moves until he gets there. He dashes out of the diner.

Jordan says, everyone and their cat knows you don’t go to a second location, and he says, suit yourself. He starts to pack up, and she says, there’s got to be a way they can make this happen, right here, right now. He says, it’s unusual for a customer to make this hard a sell. Why does this deal need to happen before he leaves this room? She says she thought she was paying for confidentiality, and he says, at the moment, he doesn’t know what she’s paying him for. She says, that’s too bad. Sorry they couldn’t get this done. She’s about to reach behind a chair pillow for a gun, but he grabs her and says, they’re not done until she tells him who she really is. Anna comes out of nowhere and says, remove your hand or I’ll remove it for you. O’Neal lets go of Jordan and puts his hands up.

As they approach the penthouse, Sonny asks Dex if he’s talked to Josslyn, but Dex says, not recently. Sonny says, Dex should go to her because she should hear about Spencer from him. Go ahead. He has a lot of protection. Dex leaves, and Sonny goes inside. Ava jumps up, and Sonny asks if she’s all right. She says, yeah. She just wasn’t expecting him back so soon. He asks if she has a problem with him being back, but she says, no. She’s just a little jumpy, for obvious reasons. When he left in such a hurry, was that about Trina and Spencer? He says, it turns out, Spencer’s dead, Ava says, oh no, and Nina walks out.

Nina says she’s so sorry, and Ava says, Trina. Sonny tells her, Trina’s safe, and Nina asks, what happened to Spencer? Sonny says, he went over the side of a boat in Paris, he and Esme, and Nina says she knows he loved his nephew. She can’t imagine what he’s going through right now. He says he can’t do this right now.

Doc gives Laura a mug of what I hope is whiskey, and says, this will help her keep up her strength. A little edge cutter was in order. She says she already regrets losing her cool with Cyrus, but the conversation with Sonny was long overdue. He tells her not to beat herself up over Cyrus. What happened was understandable, especially given the loss she’s feeling. She says, but she’s not the only one, is she? Esme was his niece. She knows he did everything he could for her. He says, they both did, and Laura says, the way she was with Ace, she’s never going to believe that was an act. He says, it wasn’t. Esme’s love for Ace was genuine and maybe the only pure emotion she felt in her life. When Nikolas took Ace away, she was isolated, afraid, angry, and she chose the worst possible course of action. Laura says she was the one who talked Esme into turning herself in for breaking into Windymere. If she hadn’t… He says, there is no way she could have predicted that would happen. She didn’t know that Esme had regained her memory, and there was no way to know Nikolas would come back and convince Spencer to let him run away with Ace. There was no way she could know that. He hopes she’s hearing him when he says that. She says, if she’s being honest, all she can hear is silence in a house that used to be filled with voices. He puts his arm around her and she puts her head on his shoulder.

Carly tells Olivia that Leo’s order is next up, and she did tell them extra powdered sugar. Olivia says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she’s going to crush at Crimson. She’s wicked smart, nobody can match her instincts, and she makes being a leader look easy. That’s why the employees at the MetroCourt are so loyal to her. And she’s going to make a whole new generation of customers fall in love with Bobbie’s. Carly thanks her for saying that, and Olivia says, it’s the truth. Which she’ll never hide from Carly in the future.

O’Neal says, his other clients don’t behave this way, and Anna says, they’re not his other clients. Sit. He sits on the edge of the bed and says, they’re not so different as they keep telling themselves. There must be something in the water here. Anna says she’s under no illusion as to who or what she is, and Jordan asks what he means, there must be something in the water here? He says he doesn’t mean anything, and she says, they’re not the only ones in Port Charles buying from him, are they? He says he can’t talk about his clients. It’ll end his business. Anna says, Einstein, your business is over. He’s been peddling guns stolen from the WSB. So he has a choice to make. He’s either going to tell them what they want to know, or he waits for the Bureau to get here and then they’ll pick him up. They’re not going to sweep this under the rug. He asks what they want to know, and Jordan says, they need to know the names of every person who purchased a weapon from that WSB shipment. The door busts in, and John comes in with some men, saying, freeze. Jordan says, guns down, and they all aim their guns at one another, except for O’Neal, still on the bed with his hands up. He says, don’t shoot, and John says, FBI. Drop your weapons now.

Nina says she didn’t want to make Sonny’s night worse by being here. That’s not what she wanted. She walks out of the apartment, and Ava says she’s sorry. She knows how he feels about Nina being here. He says, it doesn’t matter. Nothing really matters. She says, Spencer. She’s so sorry. That’s just terrible. Trina must be absolutely gutted. She’s going to call her. She puts her hand on Sonny’s shoulder, he thanks her, and she leaves.

Josslyn asks if Cam knows, and Trina says she doubts it. The word hasn’t gotten out yet. Josslyn says, they’ve got to tell him, and makes the call. She says she’s here with Trina and they have to tell him something. She starts to cry and says, they need him to hear it from them.

Olivia asks if Leo wants to say goodbye to his Aunt Carly. She’s got to get to work. He asks if they’re done arguing, and Carly says, sometimes friends disagree. Olivia says she and Carly haven’t been on the same wavelength for a while, but maybe pretty soon they can try to fix that. Carly says she thinks they’ve already started, and Leo says he can tell. Their body language is better. Carly says, you know what? He’s right. Olivia says, how’s this for body language? and hugs Leo. Carly pulls them in for a three-way hug.

Anna says she and her colleague are going to lower their weapons, and John says, do that, nice and slow. O’Neal gets up and says he’s just a bystander. Anna, Jordan, and John say, shut up, and O’Neal says, okay, sitting back down. Anna says she takes it John is the agent in charge, and he asks if she doesn’t recognize him. Anna says, wait… Jagger? and John smiles.

Laura looks at a photo of young Spencer on her phone, when there’s a knock at the door. Laura opens it, and Nikolas is standing there with Ace. He says, hello, mother, and Laura cries tears of joy.

On Monday, Laura asks if it’s occurred to Nikolas that he belongs in prison; Lucy asks Martin for another chance; Anna suggests they bring the case in together; and Dante asks Sonny if it was an inside job.

🪪 Something Old Is Something New…

So far, I’m thinking we should keep him.

🚑 Coming and Going…

The circle of soap life.

🤹‍♂️ No Idle Hands Here…

Teaching, directing, kicking ass as a spy. Is there nothing she can’t do?

Boogieing down for mental health.

🐶 Whiskey A Go-Go…

Including this because, dog.

🍑 They Hear Her Knocking…

IRL this makes sense, but in Bravoland, anything can happen.

🍸 Extra Rules…

Maybe she’s hoping for screen time since no one wants to film with him.

Totally understandable.

⚰️ Premiere Of Ones…

So be sure to watch the premiere before the premiere.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/amc-amc-presents-the-walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-premiere-event

🏆 One Grammy Coming Up…

If you just want the basics.

https://ew.com/2024-grammys-everything-we-know-8431969

Or the whole shebang.

https://live.grammy.com

🏈 Don’t Try This At Home…

 Super Bowl party fails.

Super Bowl party mistakes. These could go for any party.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/big-game/big-game-parties/game-day-party-mistakes

Real Bowl blunders.

🦡 He Was Hungry…

The opossum is always the last one they suspect.

https://people.com/opossum-caught-on-camera-stealing-birthday-cookie-delivery-8557650

🐕 Best Bowl Of All…

The Ravens and the pups.

https://www.discovery.com/shows/puppy-bowl/see/baltimore-ravens-hang-out-with-rescue-puppies-for-puppy-bowl-xx-

Up for adoption.

https://www.discovery.com/shows/puppy-bowl/see/adoptables

Guest appearances!

🐬 Quotes of the Week

Take your camera, and take your selfie stick, and take your dogs, and get the f*** out of here. – crazy Karen neighbor, Neighborhood Wars

You are your greatest asset. Put your time, effort and money into training. – Tom Hopkins

At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable. – Christopher Reeve

There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man (and woman) which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus. – Blaise Pascal

Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts. – John Wooden

You’re no scientist. You’re just crazy. – Yoon Chae-ok (Han So-hee), Gyeonsueong Creature

Judge a person by their questions rather than their answers. – Voltaire

Babies are supposed to cry and throw a fit. Not you. – Amanda Halterman, 1000-Lb. Sisters

One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself. – Lucille Ball

Geometry made me its bitch. – Vince (Louis Mustillo), Mike & Molly (I so relate.)

🎤 Accepting All the Grammys…

Go out and live real life, then join me on Monday really Tuesday for soap and perhaps a little Deck talk. Until then, stay safe, stay away from doom scrolling, and stay never going to a second location. Everyone and their cat knows that.

May 26, 2023 – Willow’s Transplant Begins, B&B Reunion, OC Coming Up, VanderNatter, Begging, Revelations, Who Is It, Fashion Cat, Half a Dozen Quotes Plus One & We Gotta

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly tells Sonny that Donna wants pancakes tomorrow, and he says, there’s plenty in the freezer. Carly tells him that Donna also wants to save some for Willow, and he says, it’s a great kid they’ve got. Carly’s phone rings, and she steps out to take it, leaving Sonny alone with the moss bowl🎍. Drew asks if there’s any word from the hospital, but Carly says, no, but they’re about to head over there because she wants to be there when Willow has her procedure. He says, of course (🍷). He’s sending good thoughts. She says, he’s not coming? and he says he thought he should stick around to see if he can dig up any dirt on Tracy to leverage Ned to use his influence on the SEC. She says, they’re going ahead with Plan A, huh? and he says, absolutely. There’s one way out of this, and they’re going to find it. She goes back in the kitchen, and Sonny tosses her a towel, and hands her a bowl to dry.

On the phone, Nina says, the patient’s name is Willow Corinthos… She is family. Nina Reeves. She’s Willow’s mother… Her daughter was scheduled to do a bone marrow transplant, and she just wants to see how she’s doing… She knows they can’t… There’s a knock at the door, and she says she’ll call them back. She tells them, thanks – she hangs up the phone – for nothing. She lets Diane in and says, Diane’s a lawyer. Diane agrees that she is, and Nina asks if there’s any way she can sue the hospital to get information on her daughter. Diane says she never – almost never – gives out free advice, but in this instance she will for the good of everyone involved. If Nina would like to find out about her daughter, ask her. Now will Nina tell Sonny that she’s here; he’s expecting her. Nina says, he’s not here. He had to share some news with Carly. Diane says, that’s right. May I? She says she heard congratulations are in order, and looks at Nina’s ring, adding, for the jeweler.

Anna meets Robert at the MetroCourt, and thanks him for making time in his busy schedule. He says, she made it sound important. Is it a business proposal? She says, personal. Holly. She’s trying to reach Holly, but she’s gone radio silent. Given their last conversation, she’s a little bit concerned something’s happened. Robert says, something has happened, and it’s all his fault.

Tracy says, that’s gratitude for you. After all she went through to get Brook and Chase back together. Olivia says, that explains the serenade on the terrace, and hugs Brook. She says she’s happy for Brook, and Ned says he’s glad Chase finally let Brook out of the doghouse. If only they could all be that lucky. Olivia says, it’s neither the time nor the place, and Brook says, Olivia still can’t think Ned is the one who blew the whistle on Carly and Drew, but Tracy says, of course (🍷) he did, and he deserves a medal. Ned says, no he doesn’t because he didn’t. Brook believes him. Why can’t his own wife? Drew comes in, and Olivia says she’d like to believe Ned. Drew says he’d like to believe Ned too. Just give him one good reason.

Sonny asks how the SEC situation with Carly and Drew is going (didn’t they just have this conversation?), and she says, they’re not going down without a fight. Sonny says his offer still stands. If she wants to turn him in to the Feds, she can. Just let him know what she’s going to do beforehand. She thanks him, but says, it’s too big of a risk, and he says, let him be the judge of that. She says, if the situations were reversed, would he turn her in? He asks what she thinks, when Josslyn walks in and asks, what’s he doing here?

TJ tells Willow that it’s not going to hurt. The donating was the hard part. The transplant itself isn’t that different from a blood transfusion. So all Willow needs to do is sit back and relax. Wiley knocks at the window, and says, hi mommy. Michael calls, and Willow asks, who is this, and how did you get my number? He says, her fan club misses her, but she says, not as much as she misses them. Wiley says he loves her, and she says, her too.

Ned asks how he could do this to Drew and Carly when Willow is so sick. The answer is simple; he couldn’t, and he didn’t. Drew says he would believe Ned, if he hadn’t threatened to do just that, and Olivia says, he’s right. Ned said he was going to do this. Ned tells her, he said he might consider it, which was an empty threat, but even if he had considered it, he never followed through with it. Brook says, that’s enough. Get back to their corners. Shame on Ned. And shame on Drew for focusing on the SEC and that whole mess. None of that matters compared to what Willow is facing today. Tracy says, exactly, and thanks Brook for reminding this family of what’s really important. Why can’t they come together instead of pulling each other apart? Olivia can’t believe this is what it’s come to, and Tracy says, when Brook is the voice of reason, no one is more surprised than she is. Olivia says, and Tracy being the voice of family unity, but Tracy says she’s always advocated for family unity. Drew asks if she didn’t withhold medication from Edward when he was having a heart attack (ha-ha!), and Brook says, she sure did. Ned says, famously, and Tracy says, if there was one person who could attest to her devotion to the well-being and the happiness and the harmony of this family, it would be her granddaughter. Olivia laughs, and says she gets it. Tracy got Brook and Chase back together, and now she wants Brook to feel like she owes her something. Tracy says, it’s not always quid pro quo. There are such things as altruism and sacrifice. Ned asks if Tracy is feeling well, but Olivia says, trust her. Tracy is feeling just fine. How exactly is doing right by her granddaughter’s heart a sacrifice? What exactly did she give up? Or by some chance did she stand to gain something. Brook says, of course (🍷) she’s grateful for her grandmother helping get her and Chase back together – Tracy says, Brook is more than welcome – but like her dad said, kindness in this house usually comes at a price. Ned says, whatever the price was, he hopes she can afford it, and Brook says, let’s just say she’s glad she’s back at work. Olivia asks, what work? and Brook says she’s back at Deception. Ned asks, what about her music? and she says, he knows she can’t sing anymore. He says he thought she was putting together a list of artists to manage. Things were going well, right? Why give that up?

Diane says, maybe she should just wait in the lobby until Sonny gets back, but Nina says, now that she and Sonny are engaged, she was hoping his friends can be her friends. Diane says she might just have to settle for cordial, and Nina says, in the spirit of cordiality, maybe they can get past their differences and try to get along. Diane says, their differences? Like the time she shredded Nina on the stand, and got a judge to deny her visitation to see her grandson? Nina says, Diane was doing her job; it wasn’t personal. Diane says, no, it wasn’t, and Nina says, the least she can do is admire Diane’s skill. Diane says, and she admires Nina’s, and Nina says she doesn’t think Diane is as cynical as she wants the world to believe. Diane says, Nina’s got her. She’s absolutely right. In fact, what Nina sees standing before her is the warm and fuzzy Diane. Nina says, let her just throw something out there. As one woman speaking to another… Diane says she’s going to be charging Sonny for this conversation, but Nina says, this isn’t legal advice. This is just a get to know ya thing. Diane says, now she’s charging him double, and I can totally see her in a Noel Coward play. Nina says she loves her job at Crimson, but it wasn’t until she was in Nixon Falls that she realized the magazine shouldn’t be her whole life. Diane asks if she’s considered a puppy, and Nina says she has a family, a small one; a daughter and two grandchildren who are in her thoughts. Is there someone in Diane’s? Is there anyone special in her life? If not, why? I’ve never thought of it before, but other than Max being a boyfriend for a time, we’ve never seen Diane’s family.

Carly says, Sonny stopped by to talk to Donna, and Donna insisted her daddy make her pancakes. I get distracted by the way they’re standing around the moss bowl🎍, and Josslyn asks if he told Carly that she stopped by his office. Carly says, he did; he did not tell her why. Sonny says, that’s because it was a private matter between Josslyn and him, and Josslyn says, she asked him for a favor, and he said no. Sonny says he told her to have her friend come to him, but they don’t need to rehash this. He’s got to go. He asks Carly to tell Michael and Willow that he’s praying for them, and she says she will. He leaves, and Josslyn says she thought there was a schedule for visitations. Carly says, there is, but some things need to be said face-to-face, and Josslyn says, like what? Carly says, like Sonny and Nina are engaged.

Wiley asks if Willow is coming home, and Willow says she’s going to do her best. TJ scraps his sterile jumpsuit, and Michael asks if there’s anything he can do to make things easier for Willow. TJ says, it looks like he’s already doing it. Seeing all of them is the best medicine she can get. Sasha joins them, and says, looks like a party. She takes the phone, and says, how’s the guest of honor? Willow says, just happy to see everybody, and Sasha suggests she keep the kids entertained so Michael can have some time with Willow. Michael asks if Wiley wants some playtime with Aunt Sasha, and Wiley says he’ll ask Amelia. He whispers to Amelia, then listens, and tells them, she says, yes. Sasha says, let’s do it, and TJ asks if he can join. Sasha says, the more, the merrier, and they leave. Willow thanks Michael for bringing them, and he says he didn’t have much of a choice; Wiley insisted. She says she’s so scared, and he says, him too. One thing he does know is, they didn’t make it this far, they didn’t go to hell and back just to lose each other now. She says she wishes she could kiss him one last time, and he says, she will, but it’s not going to be the last time. This is just the beginning.

Carly tells Josslyn that they need to get to the hospital. Willow’s procedure is starting soon, and she wants to be there for Michael. Josslyn says she doesn’t know if Michael wants to see her right now, and Carly asks, what’s going on? Josslyn says, they had a fight. And now Sonny wants to officially make Nina a member of the family that she set out to destroy? Carly says, first of all, this family is just fine, and Sonny and Nina being engaged is kind of a relief. Josslyn asks how Carly can say that, and Carly says, Sonny’s committed to Nina, and she’s committed to Drew. Josslyn says, so no harm, no foul? but Carly says, there was a lot of harm and a lot of foul, but it’s just like a clean break. Josslyn wonders why Sonny didn’t tell her when she was alone with him in his office, and Carly asks, why would he? He knows how she feels about Nina. Josslyn says she hasn’t made that a secret, and Carly says, the secret here is why Josslyn went to see Sonny in the first place. Josslyn says, she told Carly; she was asking him for a favor. Carly says, Dex, and Josslyn says, yes. She went to see him about Dex. Carly asks, why? Did she want Sonny to give Dex a raise? Josslyn says, no. She wanted Sonny to fire him.

Anna says, so Holly just left town without so much as a farewell, and Robert says, at least she didn’t have to fake an escape from the towering inferno, third degree burns, and hospitalization. This time it was just goodbye. Anna says, it never is just goodbye with the two of them though, is it? and Robert says, they decided you can’t recapture the past, no matter how much you might want to. And this time when they said their farewells, they really meant them. Anna takes his hand, and says, sorry. Did Holly tell him about Ethan? Robert says, yeah, and all the trouble he’s in, and she asks if Holly told him that she was willing to go back to the Bureau to pay off his debts. He says, apparently, she decided on a shortcut. A deal with the devil… Selina Wu. He told her there were alternatives; that he wanted to help. She doesn’t want him involved. Anna says, Holly’s protecting him, which proves she still does really care about him. He says, caring was never the issue, and she asks, what is the issue? Is her name Diane?

Diane tells Nina that she’s sorry. There seems to be some kind of confusion that she wants to dispel Nina of. They’re not friends, and as such, questions into her personal life and relationships are unwelcome. She knows Nina is going through a tough time, wanting to see Willow and not being able to do so. She feels for Nina. Nina say she gets it. She’s never been able to make friends very easily. Just so Diane knows, she’d be with Willow right now. She’d be in the hospital room if she didn’t owe Sonny so much. She didn’t want to run into Carly or Michael, and have another clash. She doesn’t want to make Sonny’s life more complicated than she already has. Diane says she admires that restraint, and just so Nina knows, she hopes Nina really does make him happy. Nina says she does, when Sonny walks in and asks if everything is okay. Diane says, yeah. Congratulations. Sonny says, thanks, and Nina asks how it went with Carly and Donna. He says he and Donna made pancakes, and Diane suggests they talk in private, but Sonny says he was going to tell Nina anyway. Diane says, there’s talk going around town, but Sonny already knows that, and Sonny says, it looks like the DOJ may have made Carly an offer. Nina asks if they’re pressuring Carly to turn on Drew, but Sonny says, no. They’re pressuring Carly to turn on him.

Drew says, it’s no secret how Brook feels about music. She must have had a compelling reason to go back to Deception. Brook says, after all the craziness with Linc, she was craving stability and a little less drama, and Ned says, but she really enjoyed being a manager, and she was damn good at it. Brook says she realized she wants to write music, not manage it, and working back at Deception allows her the freedom to do that. Drew says, she’s got romance, she’s got freedom, she’s got creativity. It’s almost like she has her own fairy godmother. He looks at Tracy, and Brook says, you could say that. Drew asks if Tracy doesn’t wish she had one. She could wish herself straight back to Amsterdam. Tracy says she could also buy a plane ticket, and everyone says, don’t let us stop you, in unison. Tracy says, wow. If she didn’t know better, she’d say her loving family couldn’t wait to get rid of her. Drew says, come on. They don’t feel that way… Do you? Everyone gives soap looks.

Tracy says, as much as she hates disappointing her loved ones, she has no plans on leaving any time soon. Don’t all cheer at once. Brook says she’s glad Tracy is here, and not just because Tracy helped get her and Chase back together. Tracy tells her that she’d say she did a little more than help, and Olivia says, and she has. Ned says, repeatedly, and Brook says, Tracy is always there when she needs her, even if it’s just to tell her no. Tracy asks when she’s ever denied Brook anything, and Ned says, this is all too much. Olivia says, on that happy note, she has to go. Big meeting at the MetroCourt. Tracy says, no words of reassurance for her mother-in-law? and Olivia says she has plenty of words for Tracy.

Ned follows Olivia out, and tells her that he’s not the one who turned them in. How can he convince her? Olivia says, as it happens, she ran into Carly at the MetroCourt last night. It was pretty tense. Carly was demanding to know why she didn’t kick him to the curb. He says, maybe because he’s her husband, and she says, and Carly’s her best friend. That’s not nothing. And asks much as she wants to believe him, the thing she can’t get out of her mind, he flat out accused Carly and Drew of insider trading, and the next thing anybody knows, somebody blows the whistle. He says, somebody, but not him.

Nina says, to think she felt sorry for Carly that she has to worry about Michael and Willow during all this, and now she’s going to throw Sonny under the bus to save herself? Sonny says, she won’t, but Nina asks how he can know that. Diane says she really thinks she and Sonny… but Sonny says, no. He wants Nina to hear it. It’s not the first time the Feds have come after him using someone who’s close to him. Nina says she knows Carly told him that she wouldn’t do it, but what else is she going to say? He’s making pancakes for the daughter he shares with her. She had to have been tempted. He says he told her that she should do it. The Feds come after him, he’s prepared. She made it clear she won’t do it. Nina says, what if the Feds come to Carly and make her choose between her children and him?

Michael tells Sasha that Willow’s asking for her, and she leaves. TJ says he should go check on the preparations. He’ll see Michael in a minute, and Michael sees Wiley coloring. He says he’s going to let Wiley in on a little secret. Color outside the lines. That hardly seems Michael type advice.

Carly asks if Dex wants out or does Josslyn want Dex out. Josslyn says, Dex wants out, and Carly says, then Dex can tell Sonny himself. Josslyn tells her, that’s what Sonny said, and Carly says, sounds like Sonny. What did Dex say? Josslyn says, he wasn’t happy about it at first, but… Carly says, he knew her heart was in the right place. Is this what’s going on with her and Michael? Josslyn says, Michael just doesn’t approve of her and Dex, and Carly says, overprotective big brother. Josslyn says, something like that, but if he needs them, that’s all that matters, and Carly says, he needs them. So let’s go.

Willow picks up the phone, and Sasha says, she rang? Willow says she did. She thought if anyone could understand, it was Sasha. She remembers when Sasha was in isolation. Sasha says she hated it, but she made it through, and so will Willow. Willow says, ever since she’s been in here, she’s felt like a soldier in a foxhole, and Sasha says, that just means Willow is a fighter, which they already knew. Willow says, it got her thinking. You hear about soldiers that with their last dying breath, call out for their mothers. If worse comes to worse, who does she call out for? The mother who raised her and turned out to be a fraud and a murderer, or the mother who gave birth to her and couldn’t stand her until she found out they were related? Sasha doesn’t need to answer that; she’s just being silly. Sasha says, it’s not silly. It’s just something she won’t know until it happens, and it’s not going to. Willow says, they don’t know that, but Sasha says, they know they’re in the homestretch. So don’t think about dying; think about living. Think about Michael and Wiley and Amelia. Think about all the people who love her so much, and need her. Today is just like any other day in her life, except she’s been given a great gift. Willow knows how precious life is, and how quickly it can disappear, so she can be the soldier who fights for every breath, for every second, and win. Willow says, no wonder Sasha was such a hit on TV. She can sell anything. Even hope.

Carly and Josslyn find Michael, and Carly asks if they missed the kids. Michael says, the nanny just took them home, but Wiley left him a crayon so he wouldn’t miss mommy. Carly says she loves Wiley, and she loves Michael so much. He says he loves her too, and they hug. He says, hi to Josslyn, and Carly says, everything is okay, right? Josslyn says, everything is fine. All that matters is that Willow gets better, right? Michael says, right.

Sonny says, Carly isn’t giving him up, and Nina says she’s sure he knows best. She has to go to the MetroCourt. She loves him. Just let her know how he is; let her know how Willow is. He says he’ll keep her posted. Willow is in good hands; so is he. Nina leaves, and Sonny tells Diane, go ahead. Tell him what she knows that he doesn’t.

Robert says, Holly’s a friend, and Anna says, he comes barging into her house, when she’s jetlagged and exhausted, demanding they talk. He bites Valentin’s head off, all because, she thinks, he’s love torn. He says he had a moment of weakness, but she says, no, he was flummoxed about how two bright, beautiful women could be interested in him. He says he wasn’t flummoxed or love torn, and she says, conflicted, confused, whatever. She thinks maybe Holly did him a favor by bowing out. Because while it might be disappointing not to have two women vying for his affections, on the bright side, he still does have one.

Olivia says she’s doing her best to stand by Ned. She knows how much ELQ means to him, and she knows how hurt he was when he felt pushed aside. He says he sided with Valentin because it was the right thing to do for ELQ. Yes, he lashed out when he thought the company – their family legacy – was being threatened by a hostile takeover, but he’s not a snitch and he’s going to prove it to her. She asks what he’s going to do, and he says, show her once and for all that he’s the man she married; a man deserving of her love and her trust. He kisses her, and she asks him to promise her that he’s not going to do anything stupid. She leaves, and Tracy says, that’s touching, but if he asks her, he’s wasting his time.

Drew says he gets the impression Brook is less than thrilled having her grandmother back, and she says she loves her grandmother, and owes her big time. He says, for helping her and Chase get back together, and she asks where he heard about that. He says, the tenth or eleventh time it was said, he picked up on it, and Brook says, she can be very generous, and he says, but? She says, but her grandmother’s generosity usually comes with a price.

Olivia asks if she’s late or Nina is early, and Nina tells her, let’s just say, we’re both here at exactly the right moment. Olivia says she’ll take it. She sees Nina’s ring, and says, that’s quite a rock. She sees why Nina and Sonny were in such a good mood last night. Nina says, they’re engaged, and Olivia says, congratulations. She wishes them every happiness, and Nina thanks her. She says, in case Olivia was wondering, Sonny already told the news to Carly and Donna, and they all made pancakes together. Olivia says, so Carly’s taking it in stride, and Nina says, apparently. She’s sure Carly will tell Olivia how she really feels, given how close they are. Olivia says, not anymore. Carly can’t understand why she hasn’t kicked Ned to the curb for what he did to her and Drew. Nina asks, what did Ned say? and Olivia says, Ned swears up and down he didn’t turn them in to the SEC, and Nina asks if Olivia believes him. Olivia says she’d really like to, but she keeps asking herself; if Ned didn’t do it, who did?

Diane says, it’s just a rumor, but Sonny said himself, it’s not the first time the Feds have come after him using someone close to him, and who’s closer to him than Carly? Sonny asks if the rumors say who gave up Carly and Drew, and Diane says, no. The insider trading tip was anonymous, but there’s a strong suspicion that it was Ned Quartermaine. He tells her, that’s what Carly says, but why would Ned do that to Carly and Drew a year after the fact? Now that the Feds are involved, he thinks Carly and Drew are just a means to an end. Diane says, so he thinks the Feds have been monitoring him, and saw Drew and Carly mess up, and pointed the SEC in her direction in order to pressure her to flip on him? That would mean there was no insider tip, and this whole thing was just an excuse to get this investigation rolling. That means the SEC is doing the Justice Department a favor. Sonny says, maybe, but he’s not letting Ned off the hook just yet, because he’s more than capable of stabbing Drew and Carly in the back. Do him a favor. Find out how and why the Feds got involved. Anything she can come up with. She says she’s pretty much exhausted all her resources, and he says, what about the DA? She says, Robert Scorpio? Why would the District Attorney of Port Charles have any information as to the government’s investigation? He says, it’s no secret that Robert has strong ties to DC through the Bureau, and she asks, what makes him think Robert would tell her? He says, because she’s the best. She has a way of being persuasive. She says she has to go, and he says, to see Carly? She says, confidential. She can’t possibly tell him. And as for Robert Scorpio, she’ll think about it. Before she goes, he tells her, don’t think too long. She leaves, and Sonny tells the guard, bring the car around now.

Carly and Josslyn come to the window, and Michael says, more of Willow’s fan club. Carly takes the phone, and says, they just want to tell her how much they love her. Josslyn says, she’s the best sister-in-law ever. Willow says, back at her, and TJ says he’s sorry, but he means it this time. Everyone leaves except Michael, and he says he had a speech planned, all these things he was going to say, but right now all that matters is she knows how much he loves her. She says she loves him too, and he leaves. She hangs up the phone, and tells TJ that she’s ready.

Robert tells Anna that as far as he knows, Diane isn’t interested anymore, beyond them sparring in court. Diane comes in, and Anna says, why doesn’t he ask her? She’s going to take her cue. She leaves, and Diane and Robert look at each other.

Nina says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she’s sorry Olivia has cause to doubt Ned, and Olivia says, her too. Nina tells her, she can’t believe she’s saying this, but poor Carly and Drew to be put in this position, and Olivia says, what position? Nina says, it’s just rumors; she shouldn’t have said anything. Olivia says, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and knowledge is power. Why doesn’t Nina tell her the rumors, and she’ll decide for herself if she wants to believe them. Nina tells her, like she said, it’s just talk, but it seems like the government is using Carly and Drew’s legal problems to get to Sonny.

In the foyer, Ned asks if Tracy is home to stay, and she asks if that would be a problem. He says, of course (🍷) not, but you know what they say about idle hands. She says, don’t worry. She knows how to stay busy. He says, that’s what he’s afraid of.

Brook says, what makes Drew think he owes Tracy anything? and he says, maybe because she was trying so hard to sell everybody on the joys of being back at Deception. She says she loves her job; it’s steady and plays to her strengths. He says he knows what music means to her, writing it and managing artists, so if anything or anyone is making her choose… Tracy comes in and says she needs to borrow her granddaughter, and Drew leaves, turning to look at Brook before going out the door.

Sasha says, Willow may look fragile, but she’s tough as nails, and Michael thanks her for coming. She asks him to call her when Willow’s awake, and leaves. Josslyn says, Sasha’s right. Willow is unstoppable. Carly tells Michael that he and Willow love each other like crazy. Now there’s Wiley and Amelia, and their love is stronger than ever. Don’t forget that. She hugs him, and Sonny walks in.

TJ asks if Willow is ready, and she says she can’t wait. He tells her, like he said before, all she needs to do is sit back and relax. Let the bone marrow do its thing. If all goes well, she’ll have nothing but healthy cells in her body, and a whole new lease on life. The transplant begins, and Willow flashes back to bringing Amelia home, and telling Wiley that Amelia will need his help.

On (presumably) Tuesday, Curtis says he has two choices, give up or give in; Portia says she has other options; Spencer says, it’s funny how your life can change in an instant; and Drew says, the less someone knows, the better.

🕺🏻 Still Duke To Me…

He’s allowed in the clubhouse since he was once on GH.

🍊 What Happens In the OC…

Frankly, I was glad to see Tamra go. Now we have to watch her very lit throughout the season. Cringing at the thought.

🍸 Welcome To the Cheap Seats…

He’s not just the most awful human being on earth, a title once only held by Jax, he’s also an idiot.

Another genius and more tidbits.

About that open relationship thing.

Brittany deserves to be heard. Apparently she tamed the previously reigning king of awful people. Maybe. We’ll see.

🍑 Will Work For Hair Extensions…

I could definitely see her at the casino. It kind of bummed me out when the news of their divorce broke. Surprisingly, I liked their Don’t Be Tardy show with its kookie family vibe. Oh well.

👨🏻‍💼 Likes and Dislikes…

Andy reveals all. Well, some anyway.

⚰️ Guessing Game…

Something to ponder.

🐈‍⬛ Karl’s Furry Muse…

It’s not always about the dog… although it should be. (Just kidding. Kind of.)

🐡 Quotes of the Week

Ends are not bad things, they just mean that something else is about to begin. And there are many things that don’t really end, anyway, they just begin again in a new way. Ends are not bad and many ends aren’t really an ending; some things are never-ending. – C. JoyBell C.

When you’re through changing, you’re through. – Martha Stewart

The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.René Descartes

If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free; if our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed. – Edmund Burke

Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.Albert Einstein

Animals are such agreeable friends — they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. – George Eliot

🪦 By hero, we tend to mean a heightened man who, more than other men, possesses qualities of courage, loyalty, resourcefulness, charisma, above all, selflessness. He is an example of right behavior; the sort of man who risks his life to protect his society’s values, sacrificing his personal needs for those of the community. Paul Zweig

🙃 And In Confusion…

Enjoy your long weekend if weekends are on your agenda in this new world. If not, enjoy whatever you want to call it. Join me on Monday really Tuesday for what’s on Deck and a reunion of awful Summer people – GH will be a rerun. Until then, stay safe, stay not chewing with your mouth open, and stay remembering, it’s not always quid pro quo. There are such things as altruism and sacrifice.

February 10, 2023 – Willow Wants Arrangements Made, Duke Dialog, Reaction, His Honor, For Shame, Halftime, Puppies (!), One More Than Ten Quotes & Groove

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis comes downstairs in his tux. Marshall and Drew are there, and tell him how great he looks, but Curtis says, all eyes are going to be on his lovely bride. Drew asks if he has the jitters, but Curtis says, not one, and Marshall asks, what’s his secret? Curtis says, today, he gets to marry the woman he loves, and he’s never been more sure of anything in his life.

Jordan sees TJ at the hospital, and asks if he shouldn’t be with Curtis, getting ready for the big day, but TJ says he’s still a resident, and has to put in the hours. He’s just wrapping up. He wants to see if he can get Aunt Stella to come to the wedding, but she keeps insisting she’s not feeling well, and doesn’t want anyone to catch what she has. But they both know there’s more going on here, don’t they.

Portia flashes back to Jordan telling her, it might do her some good to unburden herself, when Josslyn knocks at the dressing room door. Portia asks where Trina is, and Josslyn says, she’s making a phone call.

On the phone, Spencer tells Trina that he almost crashed the rehearsal dinner, but realized it wasn’t about him. He didn’t want to pull the focus on the bride and groom. She says, he might be halfway decent at this father thing after all, and Portia overhears the end of the conversation.

Austin arrives at Windymere, and asks Ava, what’s so urgent? She says, they have to move her ex-husband.

Finn says, Nik is just gone? and Elizabeth says, after their argument, he must have realized she could confess to the police. Finn says, that changes everything.

Nina tells Sonny that she was going to attend Curtis’s wedding, but that was before they got the bad news about Willow. He says he’s sure Curtis will understand, but it would give them a few hours to get out of the hospital. He doesn’t think Willow’s condition is going to change tonight. She asks how she can leave her daughter’s side, even if Willow doesn’t want her near her.

Willow says, it’s time they have the talk, but Michael says he’s not giving up. She says she’s not giving up either, but they have to start thinking about his life without her. She says she needs him to face the truth; she’s going to die. I kind of don’t get this, since it’s not like he’ll have to fend for himself.

Laura comes to the church early, and Taggert says, it’s been ages since they’ve seen each other. He came early to double-check security, and she says, better safe than sorry. They can’t get the cop out of him, can they? He says, not when it comes to his daughter or her mom. Why is Laura hear earlier than everyone else? She says she’s officiating this wedding. Apparently, Stella wasn’t well enough to come.

TJ says, Aunt Stella might be feeling guilty, since she meddled with Portia and Curtis when they first got back together, but Jordan says, Stella gave all of Curtis’s girlfriends a hard time, including her. She eventually comes around. He says, they know Aunt Stella is the best at punishing herself; she’s probably overblowing an upset stomach. Jordan suggests Stella might be concerned about her own recent health scare. She just wants Curtis to be happy; they all do. He asks how she’s handling today. It must bring up a lot of emotions. She says she and Curtis weren’t meant to be; there were too many secrets between them. He asks if she thinks they’d still be together if things had been different, but she says, they couldn’t have been. The secrets she was keeping were because of her job. The only thing she could have changed is letting the truth come from her, instead of someone else. She tells him that he should go, and to wish Curtis well for her.

Curtis says he knows Drew has a lot on his plate with Willow, but Drew says he’s where he needs to be. Not that he has a lot to do. Curtis isn’t nervous, and didn’t even let Drew throw him a bachelor party. Curtis thinks they might be a little too old for that, and Marshall says, you always think you’re old until you get older. Then you realize how young you really were. Drew says, at least they’re going to have a toast, and goes to get the drinks. Curtis asks Marshall if everything is okay, and Marshall says he’s just a wee bit overwhelmed. All those years of not being there for Curtis, he never knew they’d have this relationship. They still have miles to go, but standing by Curtis’s side means everything to him. Curtis says, it means everything to him too.

Trina asks if Portia is ready to put on her dress, but Portia says, there’s plenty of time for that. Josslyn says she’s going to check in with Olivia, and make sure the MetroCourt ballroom is set up for the reception, and talk to Laura. She asks if Trina is sure she doesn’t want to talk to Laura, but Trina says, Josslyn is going to have to face Cam’s grandmother at some point. Josslyn leaves, and Portia says, with Stella under the weather, there’s going to be an extra seat at the main table if Trina wants to invite a friend.

Ava says, they have to move Nikolas to the Pine Barrens right away, and Austin asks, why? Nikolas’s body is safely tucked away in a tack room closet. Didn’t they agree to wait until the curiosity about his disappearance died down? She says, that was before she spoke to Elizabeth. Just as she feared, Elizabeth is feeling guilty about what she and Nikolas did to Esme. How long will it be after Elizabeth turns herself in, that the police will get here and discover her late husband’s body?

Finn asks if Elizabeth has reconsidered turning herself in, but she says she thought she made her position clear. He reminds her that she said she was going to sleep on it, and she says, she did. She woke up more convinced than ever of what’s right. She even had Scotty come over this morning. She didn’t get into particulars… He says, it’s good to get legal advice. He sort of spoke to a lawyer himself. He didn’t use any names and spoke in hypotheticals, but this lawyer said her best bet is to testify against Nik, and the prosecution will focus on the main culprit, but Nik took off. He’s probably long out of the range of the law. Doesn’t that change the calculus? She says, not for her.

Michael says, it’s a setback, a big one, but Willow can’t be certain she’s going to die. She says, they’re running out of time to make sure everything is in place, and he asks what she means. She says, what she wants for Wiley and Amelia, and for him. So she knows when she’s gone, arrangements will be made, and they’ll be okay. He doesn’t want to hear it, and gets up, but she says, if they don’t do this now, everything she’s done will have been for nothing. She risked her health and safety to make sure Amelia would have a fighting chance at life. She can live with those consequences, but if he doesn’t sit down and talk with her about arrangements for Amelia and Wiley, and what life she wants them to have, about who will help him take care of them, and what they’ll be told about her when she’s gone, she won’t be at peace. He sits back down, and she says she’s so scared about what’s going to happen to him. It would be easy for him to bury himself in work, but she doesn’t want he children raised by nannies. She needs to know he’ll keep going, and one day, the three of them will be happy again. She needs to know her family will be okay and someday move on. They’re both crying, and he says he doesn’t want to give up hope. She says she loves him so much for that, but right now she doesn’t need hope. She needs peace of mind. And he’s the only person who can give that to her. A nurse needs to check Willow’s vitals, Michael says, of course (🍷), and leaves.

Drew comes back with glasses and some scotch, and Curtis says, it’s a special occasion. He’s got the good stuff downstairs. He leaves, and Drew says he wants to apologize to Marshall for all the background check stuff that went down, but Marshall says, that’s all in the past. There is something Drew can do for him. His greatest fear is that he has some kind of episode today. He hasn’t had one in years, but given this big occasion, he’s afraid he might give in to the pressure. So if Drew gets any sense he’s going to cause a scene, promise he’ll get Marshall out of there without any disruption. Drew says, absolutely, and Marshall thanks him and says he doesn’t want to ruin Curtis and Portia’s big day.

Trina says, Josslyn is going to be there, so she’ll have a friend with her, and Portia asks if Trina is actually going to make her say it. Trina says, what? and Portia says, if Trina wants to invite Spencer, she’d be okay with that. She’s never going to say he’s her favorite person, but she’s noticed Trina getting closer to him. She wants her special day to be special for Trina too. Trina says she’ll think about it.

Austin says he’s confused. Last night and this morning, Ava was all out of sorts, and now she’s all business. She says she loved Nikolas. It was a dark and twisted kind of love, but it was love. He says he believes it, and she says she doesn’t know what his story is, or why he decided to help her, but they’re bound together now, and they’ve got to get going. Ava hears Spencer call her name, and he bursts into the sitting room. He says, sorry. He used his key and let himself in. She asks what she can do for him, and he says he wants to know what went down between her and his father last night. Spencer asks for some privacy, and Austin steps out of the room. Spencer asks what Austin is doing here, and Ava says, they became friendly after he treated her for her hook wound. Spencer says he played the blackmail video for his father, but he refused to sign over the rights to the baby. He got the definite impression Nikolas was going to come here to confront her. Since then, he hasn’t answered any of Spencer’s calls or texts. He just wants to know if Nikolas is going to fight him for custody. She says she doesn’t think Nikolas is going to be a problem for him anymore.

Elizabeth tells Finn that she can’t live with this hanging over her for the rest of her life, always wondering if Nikolas or Ava will change their mind, and throw her under the bus. Finn says, Nikolas can’t throw her under the bus without throwing himself too, and his answer was to skip town. She says she went along with the plan because she thought she was protecting her son and this entire town from Esme. Once they found out Esme wasn’t The Hook killer, she and Nikolas said nothing. They withheld the truth, and The Hook killed again, her colleague Britt Westbourne. Britt’s dead because of her.

TJ arrives at Curtis’s, and says he wanted to try and rally Aunt Stella into coming, but no luck. Curtis says, it would be nice to have his whole family there, and TJ says, how sick can she be? Curtis says, she’s probably just nervous about her recent health scare, and TJ says, that’s what his mom said; he ran into her at the hospital. Curtis says he hopes Jordan knows, despite everything that went down, he’d love to see her there tonight. TJ says, she knows that. Understandably, she’s a little in her head today, but wanted him to send her best, and tell him that she’s happy for him. All of them are.

Terry says, sorry she’s late; she got held up at the hospital. Portia says, with a family full of doctors, if anyone understands, it’s her. Trina, Josslyn, and Terry wait, and Portia comes out in her wedding dress. I suck at describing clothes, but it’s got long sleeves, which I appreciate, and is super low cut. It’s got tasteful cut-outs and sparkly adornments, and a train that she can attach to her hand – I love those. Trina says, she’s the most beautiful bride ever. She’s beyond gorgeous, but Trina thinks they’re forgetting something. Something old, blue, borrowed, new. Josslyn says, the dress is new, and Portia says, her brother Zeke gave her this brooch that belongs to her mom. We see it pinned to the bouquet, and Trina says, they have new and borrowed, so she’ll handle the old and blue. She opens a jewelry box to show a charm that has a doctor’s symbol on it, and says, remember the suffrage project she did in high school? Portia says, of course (🍷) she does, and Trina says, she read about a doctor named Priscilla Johnson and she had a charm like this one. She found this a while back and wanted Portia to have it. Portia asks, why? and Trina says, she was ahead of her time and it inspired her, the way Portia inspires her every day. Portia says she absolutely loves it, just like she loves Trina.

TJ says he knows the toast is the best man’s job, but asks Drew to indulge him. To his uncle, the man who spends so much time looking out for everyone else. It means so much that they get to stand up for him on the happiest day of his life. Drew tells them, he couldn’t have said it better himself, they clink glasses, and drink. Drew says, now they have to get the groom to the church. It’s time for him to get married.

The nurse says she’ll see Willow in an hour, and leaves. Nina slips in, and Willow asks what she wants. Nina says she understands that the stem cell transplant isn’t happening. She wanted to tell Willow that she’s really sorry, and she’s sorry she wasn’t a bone marrow match, and couldn’t save Willow’s life. Willow says, not everything is about Nina, and Nina says, she’s right. That’s actually why she came by. She takes off her half-heart necklace, and says she found this necklace with Madeline’s belongings. Willow asks if the story has a point, and Nina says, for years she convinced herself this was Madeline’s way of connecting her to her daughter. That’s how self-absorbed she is sometimes. She thought the necklace had to do with her, but it had nothing to do with her; the necklace was linking the sisters together. Her twin daughters Madeline separated from each other. She knows Willow wants nothing to do with her or her sister, but this necklace is Willow’s. Willow turns her back to Nina, and Nina stands there for a moment, then puts it on the nightstand and leaves, closing the door. I can’t stand Willow. There, I said it.

Elizabeth says, Britt was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but Britt is dead because of the choices she made. Finn says, Elizabeth has been beating herself up for a while, but he can’t help feeling she’s transferring residual guilt she feels about Reiko onto Britt. Please don’t do this because she thinks she needs to pay some kind of penance, or thinks he’s holding a grudge against her; he’s not. She doesn’t need to be absolved by him or anyone else. She says, maybe she needs to be absolved by herself, and he says, even if the police knew where Esme was, it wouldn’t have prevented anyone from getting hurt. The prosecution will be out for blood, and with Nik gone, she’ll be left to pay the price. Is that justice? The guy responsible for this is out walking free, while she risks being taken away from her boys? She says she woudn’t be someone they’d be proud of if she didn’t do this.

Ava tells Spencer that Nikolas came to Windymere last night. He was livid that she’d given Spencer material to use against him in his custody battle. He said he couldn’t trust that Ava wouldn’t turn him in after Spencer got custody. She’s so sorry. His father left town, probably the country. She doesn’t think he’s coming back to Port Charles, not after all the bridges he’s burned. The only two people in his corner are his mother and his Uncle Victor. Spencer says, he left without saying goodbye? and she says she’s so sorry. His phone dings, he looks at it, and says he has to go. All he can say is, good riddance. He leaves, and Austin says, she’s really good. She says, no time for compliments. They have a body to move. He says, that’s not going to happen.

Elizabeth asks Finn how she’s any better than her parents. How can she expect her boys to be better when she’s setting a bad example? How can she ever find peace? She’ll always care about him, and Violet will always be her niece, but if she’s honest, their underlying issues were exacerbated by his need to be her hero; protecting her instead of trusting her to handle things. She knows it’s from a good place, but needed to handle her trauma in her own way, and she did just that. Now she wants him to let her handle this in the way she sees fit. For the sake of the family they’ll always share, she’s asking him not to fight her.

Austin says he’s not helping Ava with the body right now, and she asks if he didn’t hear her. Elizabeth is having a crisis of conscience. If she goes to the cops, the first thing they’re going to do is search the property, and look for where Esme was being held captive. He says, people get caught when they’re impulsive, and they should be smarter than that, methodical. It’s the middle of the day. Her super handsome stepson just waltzed right in here. What would have happened if he’d seen them putting his tarp-wrapped papa in a rowboat to get him off the island? That would have been really uncomfortable. They would have been screwed. She says, that’s a fair point. Does he have a plan? He says, no, but he knows enough not to do it in broad daylight. They should wait for the cover of darkness. Isn’t she supposed to be at a wedding? They don’t want people asking why she was a no-show, or worse, stopping by to find out if she’s okay. She says, fine. After the wedding, they’ll meet back here, and take care of the body. She starts to leave, then says, she knows why she has experience in these extreme situations. Remind her to ask why it comes so naturally to him.

Terry says, the guests should be arriving soon; they should mingle. She and Josslyn leave, and Portia tells Trina that she loves the charm, because it reminds her of the amazing young woman Trina is. She’s going to carry it with her always. Trina says she’s grateful for Portia every day. Portia makes her so proud to be her daughter. Portia says, Trina makes her proud every single day, and Trina says she knows she didn’t always make it easy, but Portia says, she’s an angel. Stress is part of the job of being a parent. Trina says she meant she didn’t always make it easy for Portia and Curtis at first, but Portia says, that time has long past. Every choice she’s made in her life, it’s been with Trina in mind. Just because she’s walking down the aisle, doesn’t mean that will change. Trina is the love of her life.

Laura says, Curtis looks fantastic, and he says he’s just keeping up with his bride. He knows she’ll look amazing. Laura says she needs to prep, and jets, when Taggert walks in. He says he thinks it’s time he and Curtis had a talk.

Michael comes back to Willow’s room. He asks about the necklace, but she says, it’s nothing that matters. He says he’s sorry if he made her feel unheard, but she says he doesn’t need to apologize. They’re in this situation because of decisions she made without giving him a say. She doesn’t get to dictate how he deals with this. He says he’ll never give up hope on her, but if it gives her peace of mind to make preparations for a future she might not be part of, he can do that. She thanks him, and he asks where they start. She says, finally an easy question. He can start by marrying her.

Sonny asks how it went with Willow, and Nina says she didn’t expect it to be easy, but she thought if Willow knew there was a mom looking for her, it would give her the strength that she needs. She asks if they can get out of here, and he says, home or to the wedding? but she says they don’t have time to get ready for the wedding. He says he had Frank bring her dress just in case, so it’s ready if she is. He’ll follow her lead. She thanks him.

Finn tells Elizabeth that he doesn’t like it, and disagrees with it, but it’s not his decision to make, and he respects her choice. If she likes, he’ll be there with her every step of the way. She thanks him, and he says, for the record, he wasn’t trying to be a hero; he was just trying to do right by her. Do him one small favor. Don’t go to the station tonight. Call Scotty in the morning, and have him coordinate everything with the police. She says, okay. She’ll try not to let the family know anything is wrong. He says, she doesn’t have to wait alone. There’s a little shindig they’re both supposed to be at, and he thinks Portia would appreciate her being there. And if she needs anything, there’s a guy across the aisle who cares about her.

There’s a knock at Portia’s bedroom door, and Terry says, the church is starting to fill up. Her phone dings, and she says, Elizabeth’s on her way. Trina says she’ll see Portia out there, and Portia tells Trina that she loves her. Trina says she loves Portia too, and leaves.

Ava comes out all dressed up, and Austin says she looks really nice. She says, thanks, let’s go, but he says he thought he’d hang out here until she got back. She tells him that she said this binds them together, not that she trusts him. Come on. He follows her out.

Josslyn says, if she had to come to a wedding without a date, she’s glad she’s with Trina. Trina says she hates to break it to Josslyn, but she has a date. Josslyn says, what? Who? Spencer walks in.

Taggert says, he and Curtis never really talked about how Curtis and Portia got together back then, but Curtis says, this isn’t the time. Taggert says, just hear him out. Whatever happened back then doesn’t matter. Today is about the future, and he sees how great Curtis is for Portia, and the sacrifices he’s made for Trina. He sees they’re going to have a bright future. Curtis says he certainly didn’t expect that, and thanks Taggert. Taggert says he knows this doesn’t make them family, but he’s glad Curtis is part of his daughter’s. He’s a good man. They shake hands, and Curtis says, Taggert is a good man too.

Portia checks herself out in the mirror, when there’s a knock at the door. She opens the door and sees Jordan. She asks what Jordan is doing here, and Jordan says, stopping Portia from making the biggest mistake of her life.

On Monday, Jordan asks if Portia can really walk down the aisle with this hanging over her; Michael says he needs Willow to do something for him in return; and Nina asks if Carly will be joining Drew.

🕶 Live and In Person…

On YouTube anyway, February 17th.

👛 More Than Two Cents…

Why shouldn’t Bethenny comment? She’s done her time. Brandi really needs to go directly to the unemployment line, no passing go, no collecting Bravo dollars.

👨‍⚖️ You Should Be Watching…

It was so long between seasons, I’d actually forgotten about Your Honor, but it’s back, and worth the watch. Great story and an amazing cast. My advice though, start from the beginning.

https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/2023/01/22/bryan-cranston-on-exploring-grief-and-depression-in-season-two-of-your-honor/

https://www.salon.com/2023/01/22/rosie-perez-your-honor/

🤬 Blood Officially Boiling…

What possessed this woman to make a comment like this? Not to mention, Melanie Lynskey is a superb actor, while she’s a model who married Christopher Knight, and did a bunch of reality shows.

🥁 Bowl, Wings and Chill…

Halftime. That’s what it’s really all about, isn’t it?

https://parade.com/entertainment/super-bowl-2023-halftime-show-rihanna

In related RiRi news…

https://parade.com/entertainment/super-bowl-2023-halftime-show-rihannahttps://pagesix.com/2023/02/10/rihanna-gets-met-gala-inspired-wax-figure-before-super-bowl-2023/ 

I admire the audacity to rank.

https://www.avclub.com/super-bowl-halftime-shows-ranked-1850091017

🐶 And Of Course…

What it’s really all about for me.

https://parade.com/tv/puppy-bowl-2023

You get a puppy! And you get a puppy!

https://ew.com/tv/puppy-bowl-2023-puppies-kittens-you-can-adopt/

👩🏽‍🏫 Quotes of the Week

The rule is to dress for the job you want. 🔸  I can’t come to work dressed like an astronaut. – Mandy (Molly McCook) and Kyle (Christoph Sanders) respectively, Last Man Standing

Life is problems. Living is solving problems. – Raymond E. Feist

Every piece of the universe, even the tiniest little snow crystal, matters somehow. I have a place in the pattern, and so do you. – T.A. Barron (Don’t step on any butterflies.)

A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad. Theodore Roosevelt

As to wishing it had not happened, one can’t help momentary wishes: guilt begins only when one embraces them. You can’t help their knocking at the door, but one mustn’t ask them in to lunch.C.S. Lewis, from The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume III

Leaders who win the respect of others are the ones who deliver more than they promise, not the ones who promise more than they can deliver. – Mark A. Clement

No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has. – Henry Ward Beecher

Have no fear of perfection; you’ll never reach it. – Salvador Dalí

The opportunity of a lifetime is to pick yourself. Quit waiting to get picked; quit waiting for someone to give you permission; quit waiting for someone to say you are officially qualified… and pick yourself. – Seth Godin

That food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison. – Ann Wigmore

What did Columbus discover? People were already here. It’s like crashing your car into Starbucks & saying you discovered coffee. – Jimmy Kimmel

🥙 Bowl Me Over…

Make a return trip on Monday really Tuesday for soap, the latest Deck, and my derogatory comments about the godawful Summer House coming back. Until then, stay safe, stay taking it a minute at a time if you have to, and stay never moving a body in broad daylight. Wait for the cover of darkness.

September 28, 2021 – Carly Hunts Down Nina, New VanderBabies In Town, Times Two, Temp Nik, Special Guest, Frid Story, It’s Off, Dead Stuff & Jungle

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Crete, Greece. Anna and Valentin walk into a bar (not the start of a joke), and Anna says, that was totally unsatisfying. He says, just what every man wants to hear, and she laughs, saying, she meant retracing Chloe’s steps. They sit at a table, and Anna says she was hoping to find something more other than the site of the accident. He says they did find something more; they found a road to this quaint little town. He asks if they shouldn’t take a night off from sleuthing. Just one, and have themselves a little drinkie. She says she’s in, and he goes to the bar.

Drew is drowsing in his cell, when Russ comes in, and says he’s got company. Drew says Russ brought him a roommate; how thoughtful. Russ says, enjoy, and tosses Obrecht into the room, slamming the door behind her. She says, my God. Drew Cain? He’s alive? He says, Dr. Obrecht, right? She says he vanished; it’s been years. He says he’s guessing she’s not the reason he’s in there, which begs the question, who managed to capture her?

Michael and Willow sit with Wiley while he colors. Michael says his boy is the next Picasso, and she says, that’s his boy all right. He asks if she’s suggesting he’s not artistic, and she says she’s not saying he’s not not artistic. He says he’s wounded, but she says he’ll get over it. Yuri comes in, and tells them that Brook took Bailey upstairs for naptime, but he has a treat from Charlie’s for Wiley. He holds out a bag, and Willow says, how sweet. She thinks they’ll save it for dessert. Yuri lingers, and Michael asks if there’s something else. Yuri says, Wiley has a visitor, and Nina comes in.

Josslyn leads Maxie into the former home of the moss bowl🎍, and Carly asks, what’s up? Josslyn says, Maxie has something she wants to tell Carly, and Carly says, sounds serious. Josslyn says, it is, and Maxie says, she’s of two minds. A big part of her thinks, it’s not her business, just stay out of it (which gets my vote), but another part of her, also big, says she has information Carly has a right to because she’s Sonny’s wife. And if she were Carly, she’d want to know.

Jason tells Sonny, it was his idea to have the funeral. Carly wasn’t ready, nobody was ready, but he said they should do it. Sonny says he did right. Jason had to send a message that Sonny was gone, and he was in charge of the business. Jason says he hated every minute of it. He felt like he couldn’t actually grieve. Sonny says, the good news is, Jason doesn’t have to grieve anymore.

Valentin says, life is so strange, isn’t it? and Anna says, in what way? He says, it’s cyclical. It teaches us the most interesting lessons in the most unexpected ways. She says he’s in a mood, and he says he’s in an unburdening mood; is that a turn-off? She says, no. She likes it. Keep going. How is life unexpected and interesting? He says, being back in Greece for one. It helped him to see how after, in his mind, she rejected him because of the way he looked. She says, it had nothing to do with the way he looked, and he says, he told her, in his mind. He became obsessed with recreating himself, and getting his hands on the Cassadine inheritance. She says, and taking his place as that Cassadine, and he says, and all the evil crap. It was to pay for his expenses, his final surgeries, and also to fund his quest for the Cassadine fortune. It was also about circling back to her. He wanted to stand tall in front of her, and say, look at me, Anna Devane, I’m strong. And I’m rich. I’m a Cassadine. He doesn’t think he ever appreciated how much of a burden he was to himself.

Obrecht says, of course (🍷) she’s not the reason Drew is there. Does he think if she wanted to hold someone captive, she couldn’t come up with a better facility than this? He says he sees she’s not into the accommodations, but they grow on you. She says, that’s quite the professional beating he received, and digs in her bag, bringing out a syringe. He asks, what’s that? and she says, antibiotics. She’s been told to treat him for possible infection. He says he doesn’t think that’s a good idea, and she says, why not? He says, if memory serves – and he could be wrong about this – she was some kind of evil villainess, wasn’t she? She laughs, and says he has much bigger problems than her. He says, is that so? and she says, he really doesn’t know who’s holding him there, does he? He guesses she’s not about to tell him, but she says, on the contrary. She’d be delighted. She gives him the shot.

Michael tells Yuri, it’s okay; Nina is family. Yuri leaves, and Willow tells Wiley, look who’s here. Nina says she doesn’t know what kind of grow pill Wiley is taking, but it needs to stop right now. He’s grown a foot since she last saw him. She’s missed him so much. Willow says Wiley has missed her too, and Nina asks if she can have a hug. Wiley hugs her, and she says, it’s the best hug ever. She says she got him something, and hands him a box which probably contains toy trucks. He goes to the table with it, and Willow says, he loves it, although how she can tell, I’m not sure, because Wiley is not talking today. Nina says she heard Willow and Michael got back together; she’s so happy for them. Michael says they’re happy for them too, and Willow says, it seems like the whole family has been given a second chance now that Sonny’s home. Michael asks, what about Nina? Is this a quick visit, or is she back for good?

Sonny asks Jason for details of what happened when he was gone, and Jason says, ask him anything. Sonny says he knows Jason wouldn’t have had a funeral first of all, and he definitely woudn’t have gotten married to Carly if the situation didn’t require it. Jason says, they had no choice, and Sonny says, then Dante showed up when he came home. Was that as a policemen? Jason says, there was an explosion in a limo outside their wedding, and Sonny asks, who was in it? Jason says, Novak and Buscema, and Sonny says, what are the odds? He can’t see Jason inviting two guys to a wedding who he was going to blow up, but he could see them coming to a wedding to blow Jason and Carly up. He was one step ahead, right? Jason says, they owe it all to Ms. Woo, and Sonny says he always liked her. Jason says, him too.

Carly asks Maxie what it is they’re talking about. What does she know? Maxie says she’s going to tell Carly, and Carly says, then tell her. Maxie asks if she can do it her way, and in order. And please, try to reserve any judgement, which she knows will be difficult. It would be for her too. They’re kind of alike in that way. Josslyn says she gets that Maxie is trying to help, but the way she’s building this up is making it sound really bad. Maxie says, well, it is, and Carly says, what is it? Maxie says, fine. Nina has known for months Sonny was alive.

Valentin tells Anna, does he hate that Helena Cassadine is his mother? Of course (🍷) he does, but he’s free of it. She says, yes, he is, and he says he has two beautiful daughters that he loves and adores. He has money of his own; he’s his own man. Of course (🍷) they still have a messy history, and Anna says, so messy, but he says he’s not tethered by it. He doesn’t drag it around like a ball and… She says, chain? and he says, he’s free to pursue her because he wants to, because she’s gorgeous, and she captivates him, and he could make her dizzy with a dozen fancy words for why he just likes to be around her. She thinks that’s enough ouzo for him, but he says, maybe it’s not enough ouzo for her. She asks if he’s trying to get her drunk, and he says, hell yes. If she thinks he’s handsome now, wait until she gets a buzz going. She laughs, and he calls for two more. He says, this is the perfect atmosphere for this conversation. If they’d had this conversation back in Port Charles, she’d  be so guarded. She says she’s not guarded. She needs to keep up a professional demeanor. He says she’s guarded. She never lets her defenses down. Here, it’s just the two of them in the field. When the sun comes up, she can pretend this never happened. She can just dismiss his words as those of a drunken fool, but tonight, he’s saying everything.

Obrecht asks what was the last thing Drew did as a free man? and he says, he sent Andre Maddox back to Port Charles. He got on a charter plane to Afghanistan – at least he thought it was headed to Afghanistan. He was going to return the money his good buddy Archer stole, but somewhere along the line, they veered off course, and landed on some island. She says, then what? and he says, two guys with guns boarded the flight. He tried to resist them, then, lights out. For him, not them. He woke up in this place, and he’s been here ever since. She asks what that tells him, and he says she must really like the game Twenty Questions. It tells him that somebody wanted him abducted. He didn’t know who then, and still doesn’t. She says, it was two people, working in tandem, and he says, and those people would be…? She says, the first, the one who originally arranged for his abduction, is none other than Peter August.

Sonny tells Jason, he assumes with Buscema and Novak out of the picture, nothing ties them to their deaths. Jason says he and Diane will have to go down to the station for a while, but there’s nothing to find. Sonny says, good, that means they’re in a decent position, but Jason doesn’t know, because Buscema and Novak wouldn’t have acted on their own. Even from prison, he’s still connected. Cyrus is definitely not gone. Sonny says, they’d better work on a strategy, and Jason says, what? Sonny says he can just picture that bastard sipping coffee, learning about the two guys that died, and he’s alive. He laughs, and says he’s standing in front of his grave, and he’s not in it. He feels like a winner. He cannot be touched. Jason says, then they need to have this conversation.

Nina tells Michael, it’s a little early to say if she’s back for good. TBD, how about that? Willow says, but no more… Nina says, Pennsylvania. She said goodbye to her time there. Michael says, when one chapter closes, another begins, and Nina tells him, that’s what they say. Wiley looks so happy. Willow says, they’re trying, and Nina says, they’re succeeding. She says there’s something she needs to tell them.

Josslyn asks if Maxie just said Nina knew, and Maxie says, yes. Josslyn says, so when she went to pick up her dad in Nixon Falls, Nina knew Sonny was there? Maxie says, yes, and Josslyn says, she was hiding him away, letting all of them grieve, and putting her mother through hell? Carly says she wants to know what Nina knew, and when, and when Maxie found out. Maxie swears she didn’t know when she planned the wedding. She didn’t find out until this morning when Nina came to her. She was really upset and very remorseful. She said she made a terrible mistake. Carly says, mistake? Is that what we’re calling it?  

Valentin says, Anna’s turn, and she says, to drink or talk? He says, both. They don’t have to talk about him all night; they can talk about her. What does she think of him? She says since he’s not even going to remember his name in the morning, she’ll tell him. She missed him. She missed what they were to each other; their friendship. She knows it was her who messed it up, but then when everything happened, and he came back into her life, there was a problem. He asks, what was the problem? and she says she likes him. She doesn’t want to, and it keeps getting worse. She thinks, in a way, he understands her better than anyone else. Robert is the closest obviously, but he’s a good soldier. That’s the difference; he never sold out. Robert never compromised himself like she did. He says, they both did, and she says she’s not saying Robert looks down on her. She’s saying, she looks down on herself when she’s with him. Valentin asks if she’s with him because he’s so much worse, and she says he is, but that’s not what she meant. He says, the first thing that changed his life completely was the birth of his daughter Charlotte. And she knows the second thing. It was her.

Drew says, oh my God. Of course (🍷). Peter was in Afghanistan. Peter paid David Archer to hand him over to Helena. Obrecht says, something he didn’t remember at first, but when it started to come back years later… He says, that son of a bitch didn’t want him to rat him out. She says, Peter was anxious to keep hidden what a demented human being he is. Someone who stole Drew from his life, and scrambled his memory. He says, Peter saw him as a threat, and she says, specifically Drew’s standing with the people Peter holds most dear – Maxie and his unborn child. So Peter went extreme, as they say. Not that she hasn’t been there herself, but there’s a difference between doing nefarious things because you’re blindly in love with the person you’re doing them for, and doing them just because it’s expedient. He asks what Peter did to Maxie.

Jason tells Sonny, Carly wanted to be there to talk about it, but since the moment came up, he will. How’s Sonny doing with his bipolar disorder? Has he been on his meds? How’s he dealing with it, because he seems like he’s doing okay right now. Sonny says he was lucky, because one of the people who took him in, Phyllis, is a nurse. She noticed his erratic behavior from the beginning. Jason asks if it was bad, but Sonny says, it didn’t get really bad. He didn’t sleep a couple nights, and Jason knows how he gets when he’s having a manic episode. Anybody else would have thrown him out or call the cops, but they were fantastic. They just told him to go to the doctor and get treatment. Jason says, it sounds like a real blessing, but that doctor was treating a bartender named Mike, so Sonny should see his psychiatrist.

Nina says she can’t tell Michael and Willow how much it means to her that they gave her a second chance. To be able to be with Wiley is such a gift. Michael says, what it boils down to is, Wiley loves her, and she loves him, and Nina says, so much. Willow asks how they could take that away from him, and Nina says she’s so grateful. Not only for that, but also, that they’re Wiley’s parents. They’re really great parents. They put Wiley first, and you can tell. He’s such a happy, all-around awesome kid. She gives them all the credit. Michael says he doesn’t know about that, but Nina says she does. They’re decent, kind, good people. They didn’t have to let her be part of Wiley’s life, but they did it anyway. She knows there was a little coercion with Jax, but she believes if they thought she was bad for Wiley, there’s no way they would let her in his life. They gave her a chance. Willow says Nina is very kind to say all that, but Nina says she means it; she’s grateful. Michael says, so are they.

Maxie tells Carly, the situation with Wiley had gone bad, as she knows, and Nina wanted to get out of town to clear her head. She stopped by Nixon Falls to say hello to a friend, and she was floored when she saw Sonny. Carly says, so floored, she couldn’t tell them? and Maxie says, Nina told her that she did call to tell Carly that she saw Sonny, but they got in some kind of argument? Josslyn says, so now this is her mom’s fault? and Maxie tells her, she didn’t say that. Josslyn says her mom wasn’t nice to Nina, so that gave her the right to lie, and keep Sonny a secret for months? That is crap. Really? We can’t do better than that line?

Anna says she changed Valentin’s life? This should be good. He says it was miraculous seeing her again. She’d completely changed her life around. She’d gone from a sad, flawed, compromised sellout… She says, don’t hold back, and he says she’s become so much better. He admires her. He could never reach the level she’s reached, but she’s showed him that he can make better choices. She says she can see that; she sees him. He says he knows she does, and she says, she knows he sees her better than anyone does. He shakes his finger at her, and she tells him not to get all juvenile about this. He says, where has he heard this before? Not the juvenile part, but the other part. He knows – from himself. He’s been saying that all along. He gets her, right down to her socks. She says she’s not wearing any socks, and he says, that’s a good start. They kiss, and I’m so in.

Obrecht says, Peter and Maxie conceived a child together, and Drew says he thought Maxie had better instincts then that. She says, he won her over, and he was convincing. He completely sold Maxie on the fact that he was reformed. She fell for it too for a while. Maxie was her daughter-in-law, and Obrecht wanted to be on good terms with her. Drew asks how that worked out for her, and she snorts. She says, when Peter’s past was on the brink of haunting him, he framed her for his own crimes, and had her shipped off to Steinmaur. He says, so she was at Steinmaur, and they sent her here, but she says, there was this whole interstitial with Maxie realizing how despicable Peter was, rejecting him, and him arranging to induce her labor, so he could kidnap her and his child. Drew asks, what happened? and Obrecht says, it backfired. The woman he hired to preside over the birth, ended up stealing the baby, handing her over to someone else, and meeting an untimely end. So now that precious baby is out there, and Maxie doesn’t know where to find her. He says, so she thinks this was a set-up by Peter? and she says she’s positive. The only thing Peter cares about is finding his daughter. Which is clearly why he’s working with Victor. Drew asks, who the hell is Victor?  

Nina sits down, and Michael says, they’d forgotten how much Nina came through in the original custody hearing. She told the truth about Nelle, and he knows it made a huge difference. Nina says, at the time, she didn’t know Wiley was her grandson, and Michael says, he thought about that; if knowing what they know now would have changed what Nina said, but Willow says, it doesn’t matter. Nina came through for Wiley when he needed her, and they’ll always be grateful. Michael says, it was definitely a turning point in the custody fight, and Nina says, what she remembers about that day is, she just generally wanted to do the right thing. Even though in her heart she wishes things could have been different for Nelle, and for her, the fact that things turned out the way they did for Wiley, she’s thankful for. That part, she’ll never question or regret, because Wiley has them.

Josslyn says she’s sorry. She’s not mad at Maxie; it’s Nina she’s mad at. But she’s got to say, it kind of seems like Maxie is defending her. Maxie says she’s not defending Nina. What she did is indefensible, but does she feel empathy for Nina? Yes, because she’s been at a place in her life where she convinced herself – out of fear, anger, or pain – that doing something wrong was okay. She’s been there, and isn’t in a position to judge Nina. Is Carly? Right now I want to knock Josslyn and Carly’s heads together, so I vote no.  

Sonny tells Jason, he really hadn’t thought about it, since he was on his medication. He was doing well. Jason says he’s glad, and Sonny says, but Jason’s right. He’s got to check it out, take care of himself. Did Jason and Carly talk about this, about him? Jason says, of course (🍷). It’s a big deal that he’s back; it’s a lot to figure out. Sonny says, sorry Jason got stuck with this. All the hell Jason has been through, and he wasn’t there. Jason says it’s not Sonny’s fault, and Sonny says, no, it’s not. It’s Nina’s.

Valentin tells Anna that she’s a good kisser, and she says, they need to sober up. He says she told him that she wasn’t drunk, and she says, he needs to sober up. He asks where the fun is in that? and she says she’s going to get them a gallon of water and a gallon of coffee. Then they’re going to sober up, and go back to the hospital. He asks, what about her socks? and she says, oh boy. She goes to the bar and asks for water and coffee, but when she turns around, Valentin is passed out, his head on the table.   

Drew says, Victor Cassadine didn’t die in that explosion at Creighton-Clark? and Obrecht says, no, he survived, and he’s been pulling strings ever since. To what extent she’s not certain. All she knows is, on her way to St. Lucia… He says, St. Lucia? and she says, to take care of Peter, as he so richly deserved. She was abducted and wound up there, with a pit stop at Victor’s lavish compound. He says he bets she’s missing that place right about now, but she says, the company is better here. He says, let him get this straight. Victor and Peter are working together because Peter wants to find his daughter. She says, yes, and he says, but Peter is an incredible lowlife; Victor’s got to know that. She says, please. Anyone who’s met Peter for five minutes knows that, and he asks, what’s in it for Victor? Obviously, he’s not doing this out of the goodness of his heart, so what’s he getting out of this arrangement?   

Michael says Nina probably wants some alone time with Wiley, and suggests he and Willow take a walk. Willow says she’d like nothing more, and they leave. In the foyer, Willow asks if Michael got the feeling something is going on with Nina. She seems upset, or lost, or… Willow doesn’t know. He says, that’s probably part of the reason she’s here; seeing Wiley will be good for her. Willow says, it always does wonders for her. In the living room, Nina asks if she can help Wiley with his coloring and sits on the floor. She says she’s sorry she was gone for so long. They have to make up for lost time, right? Wiley says, yeah, and she says, lost time might be all we have left.

Jason asks what Sonny is talking about. Nina who? Sonny says, Nina Reeves, and Jason says he doesn’t understand. Sonny says, remember the Phyllis he told Jason about? She hired him to work at the bar. She was friends with Nina, and Nina left Port Charles to come and see Phyllis. She saw him, and knew that he was dead, but she saw him alive. Jason asks, for how long? and Sonny says, pretty much most of the time. Jason says, she knew and didn’t say anything to anybody? but Sonny says, it’s complicated. Jason says, it doesn’t sound that complicated to him, and Sonny says, what happened was, Nina was upset with Carly over the whole Nelle thing and Wiley… Jason says, he knows, but they went through hell. Carly and the kids were devastated. Now Sonny is telling him that they didn’t have to be devastated? That Nina held the key to all this pain, and didn’t use it? Sonny says he gets that Jason is angry, and he is also. Jason says Sonny isn’t angry enough.

Carly tells Maxie that she’s done terrible, questionable things, but that doesn’t justify what Nina did. She stole Sonny’s life for months, and for what? Out of spite? She literally took Sonny’s free will, and sat back and watched his family grieve, so no, Nina doesn’t get an excuse. Maxie says she doesn’t disagree with Carly, and Carly says, what Maxie did today was the opposite of what Nina did to Sonny. She kept him a secret because it suited her. Maxie told the truth because she believed Carly deserved to know. Maxie says she’s going to feel bad if she doesn’t say this, but she still loves Nina, even though Nina did something very wrong. Carly says, that’s the painful part of loving someone who messes up, but this was Nina’s choice, and she’s going to have to live with the consequences.

Anna tucks Valentin in. She smooths back his hair, and turns out the light. She leaves, and we see the tattoo of the Cassadine crest on his forearm.

Obrecht says Drew is a very shrewd man; he cuts right to the heart of it. Victor never does anything without an ulterior motive. There’s always a goal he’s working towards. He says, Peter is helping him achieve that goal, and she says, Peter has something Victor wants or needs, or plans to acquire. She hopes he gets it. When Peter is no longer of use to Victor, that will be the end of Peter August. He says, none of which helps them. He doesn’t know about her, but he can’t wait until it plays out between those two psychos. How are they going to get the hell out of here? She says, music to her ears, and they hear the door. Drew gets back on the cot, and Russ comes in, saying, time’s up. Obrecht says, this man is very ill. His kidney may be bruised, and she needs to see him again soon. Russ says he’ll tell the boss. Let’s go. Before she leaves, Obrecht turns and gives Drew a slight nod.

Anna asks the bar musician if he speaks English, and he says, yes. She says she’s headed to the U.S. Consul hospital to check on a patient there. Her friend is asleep upstairs, and she may not be back until morning. He says, not to worry. He’ll make sure her friend gets the message. She thanks him, and says she loved his playing. She leaves, and as he closes his guitar case, we see a tattoo matching Valentin’s on his forearm.

Jason says, Nina took nine months from Sonny. Nine months where he wasn’t living his life with his wife and kids. Why isn’t he furious? Sonny says he was furious, but what’s the point? Nina is a sad woman. Her mother screwed her over, she went through a bad period in her life. Then she finds out she had a child, and it’s Nelle. That would mess anyone up. He’s not making excuses; she absolutely should have told the truth. She made a bad decision. Jason says, it’s more than one bad decision. She took so much from Sonny. Sonny says he’s not happy about that, but he doesn’t see the point in wasting his energy on hating her. Maybe he doesn’t want to let himself get angry. He’ll have to talk to his psychiatrist about that one. Jason says, sounds like a plan, and Sonny says, let’s get out of here. He points at his gravestone, and says, get rid of it. It should have been gone yesterday.

Nina tells Wiley to say cheese as she takes selfies with him. Yuri comes in, and says, Wiley has another visitor. Nina says, of course (🍷) he does, because he’s irresistible. Carly walks in, and Nina suggests Yuri take Wiley. She thinks she and Carly will need time alone. She gives Wiley a fist bump as Yuri takes him. Carly closes the door and says, you stole Sonny’s life, and bitch, you’re going to pay.   

Tomorrow, Trina says, today Esme and Spencer are going to get what’s coming to them; Scotty tells Ava that it’s her call if she wants to stay married; Sonny asks if Jason left Britt for Carly; and Carly says Nina is going to pay (again).

Vanderpump Rules

LVP and Ken discussed reopening after lockdown, and met with Nick Alain. James practiced his DJ skills in the living room, using the applause button on his keyboard for response. We saw Lala’s daughter Ocean, and Lala putting breast milk in her coffee. Scheana was also a new mother to Summer Moon Honey. Wow. Pick a lane. In LVP’s interview, she said they’d been locked up for a year, and everyone wanted to come out and party. We’re back baby. Schwartz and Katie were trying for a baby, but so far, had no luck. Luckier on the business end, Schwartz was opening a new place with Tom. We saw clips of them in the unfinished space, and talking about the features they wanted to install. Since the two of them are d*cks, LVP had to be the one to ask about what she’d heard through the grapevine, and they were too scared to tell her. Puffy! They admitted they were going to open a new bar/restaurant, and Tom said they were thinking of calling it Schwartz & Sandy’s. In Katie’s interview, she said she thought the name didn’t convey the funky and fresh vibe the Toms were going for. She told Ariana that she wanted to get involved with the new bar, and in Ariana’s interview, she said, she and Katie had gotten close, but Katie and Tom had always clashed. She wasn’t too sure how he was going to feel about that. LVP told the Toms that she and Ken were supportive, and it was all good.

At SUR, LVP asked Raquel about James, and in Raquel’s interview, she said James was two years sober, and had made progress. He’d been sober since she’d given him the ultimatum. We flashed back to that, and she said, but he still smoked weed. He was California sober. James met with LVP, and told her that he’d been self-reflecting. In his interview, he said he was actually doing better without the alcohol; his DJ’ing was on another level now. He wanted to get back into SUR, and LVP asked if he understood the boundaries. He said he never saw everything as clear as he did now, but she had some receipts showing the opposite. He’d sent Max a series of rage texts, calling Max a pr*ck, and saying Max was fat and nobody liked him, using the word fat in nearly every text. James has zero body fat, which isn’t necessarily complimentary, but I don’t know if he just knows it’s an extremely hurtful thing to say, or he actually has some huge aversion to essentially a normal body type. Regardless, I guess he’s not seeing things as clearly as he thinks. He told LVP that he and Max had a big blow-out. The sad part was, he’d known Max for a decade, and this had to do with splitting a plate of food in a restaurant. James said it was one of those little bumps in a friendship, and Max had blocked him all over the place. LVP said she’d block him too. He acted like an a-hole.

In Scheana’s interview, she told us that she and Brock were seeing each other, the pandemic hit, they moved in together, and nine months later, they had a baby. She was sure he was the one, and knew she’d said that before, but she’d never felt this secure and in love. He is really cute with the baby, and just plain cute, so I think this is a win for her. In Lala’s interview, she talked about being pregnant, and how her kid just flipped out of the cookie. Yes, we saw pictures. She’d written a book, Give Them Lala, and said she’d been writing it for a year. We saw a headline where she talked about shoving Randall’s toothbrush up her butt when they’d had a fight, and she said Randall’s reaction had been, WTF? but now when she was pissed, he thought twice about brushing his teeth. She told Katie she’d had two babies this week, Ocean and the book. While visiting Lala, Katie got a text invite to Scheana’s hibachi birthday dinner, hosted by Tom and Ariana.

Brock asked Scheana if she was going to invite Lala, and Scheana said that it was upsetting that Lala hadn’t been there for her during her miscarriage. Instead, she’d gone out to dinner with celebrities. We saw a clip of Scheana’s vlog, where she wept while talking about her miscarriage, and she told Brock, it had been devastating. She’d needed Lala, but Lala was having dinner with Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly. At Lala’s place, Lala asked Katie, and where was Brock? Golfing. Scheana had gone on a podcast, and talked about Lala not being there for her, and Lala had gotten some intense messages. In Lala’s interview, she said she got DM’s saying she deserved to miscarry. She was having intense hormonal depression, and it sent her into a full-on spiral. Scheana told Brock, from day one, she had Lala’s back, while Lala told Katie that Scheana was not getting an apology. You could only smack the bee’s nest for so long before getting stung.

In Tom’s interview, he said it was going to be their first get-together in the new house. When they first moved in, people were judgy about them having no furniture, but now they could shut up. You get a chair! You get a chair! Everybody gets a chair! Scheana called Tom and Ariana to thank them, but really to tell Ariana that Lala had been talking smack about her on a podcast. Ready with the evidence, Scheana played a clip for Ariana, where Lala said, with Ariana, it is what it is. Ariana didn’t give a f*** about her, and vice versa. In Ariana’s interview, she said she didn’t give a f*** about 99% of people, but she’d gone out of her way to give a f*** about Lala. She’d opened up about her anxiety and body issues, and had let Lala eat her cookie. Tom wondered if Lala just wanted to be controversial, but Ariana said, if that was the case, don’t use her to get attention. She was over being chill and reasonable. F*** her.

LVP wanted Max to work it out with James, because Max was in the restaurant five days a week. She’d invited James over, and in James’s interview, he said it was like being called to the principal’s office when he was five. If that really happened, he must have been pretty mature at five. Most of us weren’t even in regular school yet. Is he Benjamin Button emotionally? In LVP’s interview, she said out of all the people on the planet, her son was the only person on James’s side. She thought it was a relationship worth saving. Discussing it in the kitchen, Max asked why James had been so aggressive, and James said Max complained about them charging $10 to split a plate. He went off because they’d taken a pre-workout supplement. Um… steroids? I don’t know many supplements that would jazz you that much. James said it brought out the Alpha male in him, and Max said he took the same thing, so why had he been chill? James said, Max hadn’t been chill. Max bummed him out over a ten dollar charge. Max said James was playing the victim. When James used to drink, it was an escapade of belligerence every time they went out, and now this. James said he didn’t mean any of it, but Max said he didn’t want James at SUR. Because James still can’t take any pushback, he told Max that he was just the boring little boy he’d always been – which was really smart to do in front of his mom – and Max walked out. LVP said, that didn’t go well, and James started crying, one of his go-to moves. LVP said he was responsible for the situation, and James wondered why he treated his friend like that. Seriously. It was one of those times where anything other than an apology is a bad idea.

Katie wanted be involved in the new restaurant, and told Schwartz, since they didn’t have a baby, that could be their baby. She wanted to be Hot Bitch in Charge. In Schwartz’s interview, he said, Katie didn’t like people, and the industry revolved around people. The theme for Scheana’s birthday was Mom’s Night Out, and she’d asked everyone to wear pink or black, because the only cute thing that fit her was a pink dress. Ariana was wearing pink, but said her soul was black. Tom made a special cocktail called Summer’s Eve, not knowing that was the name of a douche. Ariana asked if Scheana and Lala were going to duke it out. Magician Ben was introduced, and in Lala’s interview, she said, really? A magician for a grown-ass birthday party? She loved magicians, and thought they were super cool – when Randall got them for his child’s party. Ben’s finale was making Scheana’s ring disappear on a balloon that rose to the sky, then reappear in a wrapped box. In her interview, Lala added, okay. That was pretty dope. The chef and server, both Jonathans, appeared, and dinner was hibachied and served.

Katie told Tom that she wanted to be the maître d of the new place, and Tom said, okay, but it was one of those okays that doesn’t really mean okay. Schwartz said, Schwartz and Sandy sounded like they should be serving matzo ball soup. Agreed. It sounds like a Jewish deli. Katie said it was uninspired, and in Tom’s interview, he said he’d like to see the receipts of what she’s done, and her achievements of amazingness. Then there was this huge deal about the name, and Tom told Schwartz that he was done arguing with Katie; no more. James stood up like he was going to give a toast, and invited everyone to Palm Springs. There wasn’t going to be a Coachella this year, so he thought they could recreate it. Tom said they’d make their own Coachella. Scheana told Brock that she still needed to have a conversation with Lala, and grabbed Lala as she was going inside. She asked if Lala would sit down with her, and Lala was like, now? but Scheana was insistent. She said she’d needed Lala in Palm Springs. Lala didn’t understand how hard it had been for her. Lala said she’d answered every phone call, and offered to come. Scheana said she wanted to be by herself. When Scheana said she was ready to see Lala, she was on her way to dinner. She wasn’t there for Scheana the way Scheana wanted her to be, but she was there. She wasn’t apologizing. Scheana asked if Lala ever considered she wasn’t thinking clearly; she’d just lost a baby. Lala said she got that, but what Scheana had done wasn’t cool. The day she found out she was having a baby girl was the moment Scheana chose to publicly say Lala wasn’t there for her when she miscarried. She was already fighting depression, and got messages saying people hoped she miscarried Ocean. From the stands table, Ariana relayed to the others that Lala was crying. Something is happening. Lala says she gets what Scheana went through, but Scheana should have called and told Lala that she’d hurt her. Scheana said, that’s how she reacted, but she understood; from Lala’s perspective, she felt she was there. She was sorry she’d expected Lala to be a mind reader. Lala said they needed to get on the same page. She hated that they didn’t share their pregnancy experiences. Those were moments they couldn’t get back. She wanted their kids to be friends.

Raquel asked Lala if they were all right, and in Raquel’s interview, she said, time and again, she’d experienced the wrath of Lala. But she’d rather lead with compassion and empathy, than worry if Lala was going to lash out. Lala told Raquel that she hated how she and Scheana couldn’t get their pregnancies back, and weren’t communicating. She thought they’d had a breakthrough with their friendship, and wanted to stop with the pattern. Raquel said she didn’t know what to expect from Lala. She didn’t know where she stood. Lala said she liked Raquel her right now, and Raquel said she no longer felt she needed Lala’s approval, although she did for a long time. She was over it. instead of realizing Raquel was telling Lala that she’d grown as a person, Lala took it as an insult, and asked if Raquel was trying to battle her. Raquel said she wasn’t. She wanted them to be on the same page, but had felt attacked. Lala said she thought they’d moved on from that. Raquel needed to be babied more, so she’d baby her. Raquel said, just a little bit, making a joke out of it, and Lala said she’d baby the f*** out of her. The next time she wanted to rage, she’d redirect it to Charli. She seemed like a bitch who could take it. Ariana said Lala had raged about her out of nowhere on a podcast. Lala said she talked sh*t a lot because she wore her emotions on her sleeve. She and Ariana had been surface for a while, and she didn’t even hear from Ariana ever. Ariana said that wasn’t true, and Lala asked if It wasn’t true that Ariana didn’t give a f*** about her. Ariana said Lala wanted it to be, and it wasn’t true before, but it was now. Lala said she didn’t need this, and left. Ariana said Lala consistently gaslighted her, and never apologized.

Next time, Schwartz tells Katie that he and Tom have to present a united front; Katie could have sworn Schwartz said til death do us part to her, not Tom; the group goes to Palm Springs; Raquel does the bend-and-snap; and Lala and Charli go at it. And not in a good way.

🕺🕺 Here’s my take on the Toms. They were on Watch What Happens Live afterward, and Tom Sandoval is sooo full of himself. He says Tom Schwartz has a voice and can be aggressive, but I don’t believe that for a second. I think Sandoval steamrolls right over him, as evidenced during the name argument. Which, BTW, Sandoval won. The restaurant is going to be called Schwartz and Sandy’s. When there was a vote as to who was top guy now that Jax – still the worst human being in the world – is gone, Sandoval won that too. Schwartz said he was happy being number two, and I believe that.

🤵🏽 Nikolas For Now…

GH is temporarily recasting Nikolas. There’s no explanation, but I’m guessing positive covid test, or family emergency and his scenes were already written.

🦽 Keep On Wheelin’…

It took 58 years, but she finally did it.

🧛🏻 Good Vampires Never Die…

This sounds intriguing, and Ian Buchanan is the perfect choice.

💔 Real Break-Up…

I guess Vicki realized even a wedding wasn’t going to save her.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1304102/real-housewives-vicki-gunvalson-and-steve-lodge-break-up-2-years-after-engagement

⚰️ Playing Dead…

And just for the record, contrary to EW’s belief, the TWD episode using the subway cars was not like Train to Busan.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-on-the-inside-connie-virgil-daryl-angela-kang-interview/

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-commonwealth-out-of-the-ashes-angela-kang/

Starlight, Starbright…

Join me tomorrow for some soap and a look into the life of Erika Jayne Girardi, otherwise known as RHOBH. Until then, stay safe, stay environmentally conscious, and stay knowing that when it’s your choice, you have to live with the consequences.

November 8, 2019 – Lucas Talks To His Father, Costumed Daytime, Today’s Ian, Emmy Changes, a Divorce Off, a Divorce Back On, a Reunion, a Survivor, a Bear, Close To a Dozen Quotes & Big Apple Autumn

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Sam tends to the guard. Jason shows up, and asks, what happened? Sam tells him, Cassandra escaped.

Cassandra asks if Nikolas is sure he’s not driving in circles. He tells her the trees only look similar; they’ll get where they’re going soon. She suggests perhaps he take a more direct route to the private airport, but he says they could get caught. He tells her, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. She says she doesn’t have much choice, and he says, that’s the spirit. Don’t worry. He’s taken care of everything.

There’s a knock on Ava’s door, and she says, go away. Jax comes in, saying the doctor cleared him for a visit. She asks what he’s doing there, and he says he thought he’d check on her. How is she? She says, okay. She’s tired because they gave her a sedative. Her mind is playing tricks on her. He says what happened to her is his fault.

Lulu, Charlotte, and Maxie walk into Kelly’s Charlotte asks if when she finishes her homework, she can check on her pony at Windymere. Lulu is sure Butterscotch is fine, but Charlotte is insistent, and Lulu says she’ll think about it. Charlotte asks if she can sit at the counter so she can concentrate, and Lulu says, of course (🍷). Maxie says she’ll have to remember saying she’ll think about it after the homework, when James is old enough. Lulu says Charlotte loves riding, and she’s glad Charlotte can share that with Nina and Valentin. Although she thinks Valentin bought the pony so Charlotte would spend more time there, and asks if she sounds paranoid. Maxie says, not in the least.

Willow sees Brad sitting at the counter, and asks if he’s okay. He says, it’s been a tough day, but Willow is sure when he gets home, and cuddles with Lucas and Wiley, his bad day will disappear. Brad flashes back to telling Lucas about Julian, and says Julian is falling apart. They can’t let Julian drag them down with them.

Julian goes to the hospital, and tells Bobbie that he’s looking for Lucas, and asks if Lucas is on duty. She suggests he try calling before bothering her. He says Lucas isn’t answering, and he needs to speak to Lucas; it’s very important. She checks the computer.

Lucas is at Tony’s grave. He says he misplaced his trust in Julian, and his husband is lying to him – again. Right now, the one thing he knows for sure is that he could really use Tony’s advice. He says, I miss you dad. I’d give anything to talk to you again. He turns, as someone walks into the cemetery. It’s Tony, who says, hello son. It’s been a while.

Jason tells 911, the guard is semi-conscious, and the paramedics are on the way. She tells him, there was another guard. Chase and another officer show up, and Chase tells Jason and Sam to freeze. Sam says, the guard was hit in the head; she’s in and out. Chase tells the officer to check the guard. He does, and says, her pulse is good, but she’s out of it. Chase says he got a call from 911, and Jason says it was him. Chase says, and there was an escaped prisoner. Sam tells Chase, it was Cassandra Pierce. She hit the guard in the head with a shovel, and took off.

Nikolas tells Cassandra, it will be a few minutes; he thinks they should talk. She says, about what? and he says they had a mutual understanding, until she chose to blackmail him. Cassandra asks what he wanted her to do. Continue rotting in that local penitentiary? He knows how dangerous the environment is to a person with her constitution. The mildew alone is deadly. He says perhaps she should have stayed away from Port Charles altogether. She says, lucky for both of them, she’s on her way out. Just get her to the airport. She’d be happy to continue their partnership with mutually agreed upon terms from a safe distance. He says, that’s the problem. Her actions have dissolved their partnership.

Lucas hugs Tony, and says it’s good see him. Tony says since Lucas conjured him up, it must be important. He sees Lucas is a doctor now, and Lucas says just like his old man. And Tony has a grandson, Wiley. Tony says he’s proud of Lucas, and asks what’s on his mind.

Willow says she didn’t see Brad at the hospital today, and Brad says he switched his schedule around; he had errands to run. She says, in case she wasn’t clear, she doesn’t just think of him as just Wiley’s dad. She thinks of him as a really good friend. He says it’s kind of her to say, and she says, because of him, she has a place in her little boy’s life. He guesses he did do that, and she says he did, so if something is troubling him… He tells her like he said, it’s been a day.

Lulu suggests she and Maxie talk about something more gratifying. Maxie says, as in hot Dustin? but Lulu says, as in Peter. The way Maxie has been smiling, he must have done something wonderful. Maxie says there might soon be a change in their living arrangements. Lulu says, he got the place? but Maxie says, that didn’t work out. He’s moving in with her. Lulu thinks that’s even better, and Maxie says it’s been her home forever; more important, James’s home. Lulu says, it’s about damn time. Maxie says she was afraid, then he was afraid, then they took turns being afraid. They’ve finally accepted that they can be happy together, and the world won’t go up flames.

Ava asks Jax how her vacation from sanity is his fault. He says they should have kept an eye on the message boards after they did… She says, that hatchet job? and he says they were her words. He knew the reaction would be strong, but didn’t expect the rudeness. Ava says, rudeness? It was hatred; a complete lack of humanity and compassion. He says he doesn’t want to provide a platform for trolls. It was brutal, and he should have put a stop to it. Ava says she’s going to be more merciful to him than he was to her. The reason she’s there isn’t his fault. He asks, then why? She says she’s being haunted by restless souls. The line between the living and the dead has become very blurry. She just wanted to reach out to Kiki now… Tell her something. Does he believe they can awaken the dead?

Jax knows Ava has taken some questioning paths to contact Kiki, and Ava says, Kiki wants no part of her. Eternity isn’t even long enough for her to stay away from Ava. She’s being haunted by another lost soul. He was there at the gallery. She had him at gunpoint, and told him to take off his mask – it was Halloween and he had a mask on. When he removed it, there he was; so real, she could have reached out and touched him. Jax asks, who? and she says, Nikolas Cassadine.

Chase tells Sam and Jason, the prisoners are heading back to Pentenville. There will be a second transport for Sam as soon as he gets her statement. Sam asks about the guard, and he tells her, the guard is stable, and she’ll regain consciousness. He asks her to take him through it, and Sam says she was on work detail with Cassandra, and they were assigned to plant a tree. Cassandra had a shovel, and faked a sprained ankle. She hit the guard with the shovel and took off. There was a van parked across the road, and as soon as she saw it, she took the first opportunity. She tried to get the guard’s gun, but Sam stopped her from getting a weapon. Chase says, well done, and asks her to describe the driver. She says, it was pretty far, but the driver was male, and the van was white and not too old. She’s sorry, but that’s all she’s got.

Julian tells Bobbie, he can see the animosity. He’s proved himself to Lucas, and was accepted back into Lucas’s life and Wiley’s. He’s not walking away now, or ever. Bobbie reminds him that, whatever ground he’s gained with Lucas, there’s only one man who will truly be Lucas’s father.

Lucas tells Tony about Wiley running around nakey after his bath, and Tony says Lucas was the same way. He and Bobbie called him the streak. Lucas says it’s brought back so much of his childhood. Things he hadn’t thought about. Tony would be exhausted, coming home from a 36 hour shift, and still sit with Lucas to do homework, or put Lucas on his lap to teach him guitar. He always had time for Lucas. Tony says he never wanted Lucas to think being a parent was a chore or a favor. He wanted Lucas to feel safe and loved. He never wanted Lucas to doubt that he was the most important thing in his life . Lucas says he succeeded, and Tony says, good to know. Lucas wants the same thing for Wiley; to feel as safe and loved as he did when he was a kid. But he thinks he just burned it to the ground.

Cassandra tells Nikolas not to let a couple of tiny misunderstandings and setbacks dismantle an otherwise profitable arrangement. He says she put the entire operation in jeopardy. She admits her time in the claustrophobic confines of Pentenville may have compromised her judgment, and compelled her to misstep. Now they’re back on even ground, and no harm done. Nikolas tells her that she said she could deliver information that could destroy Valentin, and so far she’s come empty-handed. That makes her a liability. She says he’s not taking her to an airport, is he?

Nikolas stops the van. He says she wouldn’t appreciate it if he broke his promise to her. How is he supposed to respond when she breaks her promise to him? She says, it’s just been delayed, and he tells her, good. He hopes she considers this drive as an incentive to honor her obligation. She says as far as incentives go, she doesn’t see them any close to an airport. He says her actions have forced him to make alternate arrangements. She jumps out of the van, and runs.

Maxie asks Lulu if the dance was romantic or nostalgic, but Lulu says, it was a nightmare. On one hand, she was surrounded by teenage angst and ricocheting hormones; it was exhausting. Maxie says, on the other? Lulu says, Dustin was… Maxie says, hot? Sexy? Gorgeous? Lulu says, he was adorable and funny, and surprising. He had the biggest collection of dad jokes. They were so lame, she couldn’t stop laughing. Maxie says it was less romantic than she was hoping for, but Lulu says, it was romantic. Let’s just say, the kids weren’t the only ones hoping to score that night. Maxie is happy to see Lulu caught up with someone again.

Willow tells Brad, she doesn’t mean to pry, but Julian mentioned he was worried about him. She knows it was her idea to keep Julian away from Wiley during the adoption process, but she thinks Julian only wants what’s best for Wiley.

Tony tells Lucas, every parent worth their salt worries that they’re going to ruin their child’s life. But he can’t believe that, even accidently, Lucas would compromise Wiley’s happiness. Lucas says he let his guard down, and Tony says he should with the people he loves. Lucas says the problem is, the person he loves, he doesn’t entirely trust as much as he wants to. He loves Brad so much. Tony says he knows, but tell him about the horrible mistake Lucas made that torpedoed Wiley’s life. Lucas says, long story long, from day one Brad was an anxious parent. It’s been over a year, and he’s only gotten worse. They found out the birth father is a psychopath, but even though Shiloh is dead, Brad didn’t get any better. It was the opposite. Tony asks how Wiley is handling it, and Lucas says, he smiles. One thing they’re good at is hiding their stress from him. They’re experts. They can’t share it with each other either. Tony asks, how can he help? Lucas says he just keeps asking himself, what would his dad do? It made him desperate enough to let Julian back into his life; he wanted a father to lean on so badly. Tony says he was never Julian’s biggest fan, and Lucas says, him neither. Not at first. But he wanted to believe in him so badly, he let Julian get close to his son.

Ava says Jax doesn’t believe her, but he says he does. She says he believes that she believes it; that’s what Laura said. But Nikolas was as real as he is. Jax asks if anybody else saw Nikolas, like Laura or Lulu, but she doesn’t think so. He wonders why Nikolas would come to her first, and she says they formed a special bond in the days before Nikolas was killed. Would it be enough for Nikolas to show his face to her before anyone else? Probably not. Jax says, she seems to be arguing that Nikolas wasn’t really there, and she says, he was definitely there. He wanted to punish her. She was there when he was murdered, and she was going to speak out and tell the court what Valentin did. She’d promised Spencer, but Valentin made her an offer she couldn’t resist. (Thank you for not saying couldn’t refuse.) She’d been terribly scarred in a fire, and he said he could have her face restored in exchange for her silence. In the end, she betrayed Spencer and his father’s memory. Jax says he thinks she made the right call. Valentin would have slipped out of the charges anyway, and she would have been left scarred for life. Ava says they’ll never know, will they? Jax says she doesn’t believe Nikolas came back to haunt her because she chose to live life. She says she doesn’t know what to believe. She doesn’t know what’s real. That’s why she’s there. He asks why she thinks this happened to her now. Did something happen? Did she see someone or something that reminds her of the Cassadines?

On the phone, Chase says they have personnel in civilian clothes watching the airports, bus stations, and train stations, and they have roadblocks and traffic stops at the main roads out of town. He tells Sam, good news; the guard is awake and alert. Sam says, that’s great, and Chase tells her to make sure her lawyer knows. He’ll back her up, and it’s got to help. Jason asks, what’s happening with Cassandra? and Chase says they’re combing the city for the van and Cassandra. But he’d like to know what Jason was doing at the park. And before he says he’s not answering questions about his attorney, they could say Sam was an accessory to Cassandra’s escape. Sam says she tried to stop Cassandra, and Chase says, the more Jason cooperates, the better it looks for Sam. Jason says Sam told him when he visited, she’d be on work detail there, and Chase asks if Jason thought he’d pop over to say hello. She says she wanted to make sure her kids didn’t come there, and Jason says when he got there, the guard was on the ground, and Sam was doing what she could to help. Chase asks if it occurred to her to run, but she says, no. She was helping the guard. Why would she take off, and look guilty when she’s not?

Nikolas slams the van door shut, and says, dammit.

Bobbie sees Julian looking at the wall of staff photos. Bobbie asks what he’s doing, and he says he never thanked Tony. Bobbie says, when Julian was hiding, pretending to be Derek Wells, or is he referring to a more cosmic gesture of gratitude? Julian says Bobbie doesn’t think he’s capable of gratitude, does she? She says, no, and he says he knows he’s done terrible things. His efforts to go legit – and he’s succeeded – are probably too late. She says, there’s no probably about it, and he says he’s still a person; a father and a grandfather, and their son is a good man. She says, no thanks to him. He says he understands she and Tony loved and raised Lucas, and he’ll be grateful for the rest of his life. She says they didn’t do it for him, but he tells her, take the win and the thank you. He’s not trying to fill Tony’s shoes, but wants to carve out a space of his own with his son. He leaves, and Bobbie looks at Tony’s picture, saying, fill his shoes. As if.

Tony tells Lucas, the great thing about being dead is, everyone forgets your faults, or at least forgives them. He wasn’t a perfect parent. Lucas disagrees, and Tony says that’s sweet, but Lucas is proving his point. Lucas says if he wasn’t perfect, he was within the margin of error, and Tony says, so is he. Lucas says it doesn’t feel like it right now, and Tony says that’s because he’s going through a bad patch. Everything is gloom and doom right now. Did he forget the first time saw his baby smile, and realized he could take it personally? You forget the feel of your child’s hand inside yours when you’re going to the post office. He thinks when things get rough – and they did between him and Lucas’s mother – these happy memories, these little gifts, these miracles, are his arsenal of weapons against doubt, uncertainty, and fear. Those same memories will build a foundation for Wiley to lead a happy life. Okay, I’m about to lose it.

Lucas says, say he’s adjusted his outlook. Now what? He still can’t decide what’s worse; that Julian framed Brad for having an affair, or that he believed Julian. That’s the state of his family. Tony thinks Lucas knows who the most important person is in all this. Lucas says, it’s Wiley. Now he has to decide who to trust and keep in his life and Wiley’s life. Lucas asks if Tony can’t just tell him what to do, but Tony can’t remember it ever being all that effective. Lucas guesses he’s right, and Tony says when Lucas’s sister died, he didn’t have the strength or motivation to get dressed. He’d pick up his shoes, and just stare. Lucas asks what he did, and Tony says, not a damn thing. It was what Lucas did; does he remember? Lucas says, no, and Tony says, he came into kitchen and Lucas had put out breakfast. He wasn’t old enough to use the stove, so he put all his favorite cereals into a big mixing bowl. Lucas says, it’s starting to ring a bell. Tony says, next to it, Lucas had packed his lunch. It was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, an apple, and a cookie. He’d had no intention of going in that day, but Lucas was having none of it. Lucas asks what he did, and Tony said he crawled next to him on the chair and said, dad, you have to go back to the hospital… Lucas says with him, all those sick people miss you. Lucas finishes, and they need you to make them feel better. Tony says, he remembers. He has a brave heart. All Wiley needs is for him trust it. He takes Lucas’s hand. Lucas’s phone rings. He answers, and I say, don’t go, Tony. It’s Bobbie. She asks if he’s okay, and Lucas says he’s fine. What’s up? Bobbie says Julian is combing the halls in the hospital, hellbent on finding him. He won’t leave. What should she tell him? Lucas says, tell Julian if he wants to see him, he’s with his father. He turns back, and Tony is gone.

Nikolas calls Jax, and tells Jax to call him back. Their situation has been compromised.

Ava thanks Jax. He reminded her of something she hadn’t realized she’d forgotten. He asks, what’s that? and she says she heard Laura call him after she’d seen Nikolas at the gallery. She overheard Laura tell him that he and Hayden shouldn’t ask her about the painting  of Helena. Now it makes sense why he’s there extending his sympathy. Jax insists it’s 100% genuine, and Ava says, right. He’s overflowing with sympathy for her; the woman he accused of killing Connie. The only thing he wants to unburden her of is the painting of Helena. Jax says he was going to ask her about it when she… She says, when she what? She sees him; him and his friend the mayor. So kind, thoughtful, and compassionate. Did they think they could take advantage of her? He says that’s not what’s going on, but she says, they’ll take nothing from her. Not now, not ever. She made the mistake of trusting him once, and she won’t make that mistake ever again. He’ll going to take advantage of her.

Maxie tells Lulu, so they spent Halloween with a mob of teenagers. What’s next? Lulu doesn’t know, and Maxie says, please tell her that she said she had a great time with him, and can’t wait to see him again. Lulu thinks she generally conveyed that message, and Maxie asks if she conveyed it with a kiss. Lulu can’t believe Maxie is asking her that, and Maxie says she’ll take that as yes. She looks at Lulu, and Lulu says, what? Maxie says them, having tea and gossiping about themselves and others. Lulu says, are they becoming normal? Maxie wouldn’t go that far, but they can allow themselves one normal night. They toast, to besties; no drama.

Willow tells Brad that he has an open invitation if he wants to talk about anything. Brad says he’ll remember that. She’s sure he’ll sort it out, and tells him to give Wiley a hug for her. She leaves, and Brad smiles. As she goes out the door, Willow smacks into Cassandra. She asks if Cassandra is okay, and Cassandra says she’s fine. She just needs her evening sugar fix. Willow says, insider tip; they have chocolate chip, and chocolate chip with bacon. Either way, she’s a winner. Cassandra says she’s a lifesaver. Cassandra looks inside, and sees Charlotte at the counter.

Brad leaves a message for Lucas that he’s at Kelly’s, and to let him know if he can bring Lucas anything.

Julian shows up at Tony’s grave. He tells Lucas that his mom said he could find Lucas there. Lucas asks what he wants.

Bobbie looks at Tony’s photo on the wall, and touches it. She wishes he could be there, and see their son becoming a father. He’d be so proud of their boy. She feels Tony behind her, touching her hand. He leans his head on hers, and fades away. She touches her cheek, and smiles.

Jax says he’s sorry Ava misunderstood. He’ll come back when she’s more herself. Ava says, no, he won’t. She won’t let him get his hands on the painting, but have fun searching. She’s stashed that monstrosity in a place no one will ever find it. He tells her, take care, and feel better. Ava says she may be crazy, but she’s not crazy. (If this was a Tarantino movie, that line would be slightly different. There would be another word before the second crazy.)

A guard tells Chase that he’s there to take Sam back to Pentenville. Chase asks him to give Jason and Sam a minute. Jason and Sam hug, and he says he’ll see her soon. Be safe. They exchange I love yous, and the guard takes her. Chase’s phone rings, and he says, put him through. He tells Jason, Cassandra has been spotted.

In the van, Nikolas says he saw the woman they’re looking for. She’s on Telegraph near Parkland. Chase asks him to describe her, and he does. He adds that he can’t be positive, but he’s pretty sure she has a gun. Chase thanks him, and he says he’s just trying to do his civic duty.

Cassandra walks into Kelly’s. Maxie gripes to Lulu about closet space, and Cassandra goes up to Charlotte, sitting next to her. She says, remember her? Charlotte opens her mouth, and Cassandra says, don’t scream or Nina will be in a lot of trouble. Charlotte asks what she means, and Cassandra says, shhh… Charlotte can save her, but she has to do everything Cassandra tells her.

On Monday, Julian asks Lucas not to do this, Obrecht asks Brad what he’s done to cover his tracks, and Cassandra tells Charlotte that no one is going to find them.

🎃 Never Gonna Let You Go…

More Halloween. And whoa. Amy.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/photos/stars-celebrate-halloween-3/

https://www.abc.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc-soap-star-halloween-2019-173339

🚕 Catching Up…

I’ve loved Ian Buchanan ever since he said he doesn’t drive and he’s not going to. If someone wants him somewhere, they’ll get him there.

https://www.abc.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital-catching-up-ian-buchanan-173453

🏆 Ch..Ch…Ch…Changes…

Unless they’re giving all the Emmys to Roger Howarth, I’m not sure it matters.

https://www.abc.soapsindepth.com/posts/daytime-emmy-awards-2020-changes-173432

💏 I Didn’t Even Know They Were Getting One…

Remember her? No reason you should want to. She was a d-bag.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1091268/shahs-of-sunset-s-lilly-ghalichi-and-her-husband-call-off-divorce

💔 And I Thought They Weren’t Getting One…

I can’t even keep up with this.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1091274/jim-edmonds-officially-moves-out-after-calling-police-on-meghan-king-edmonds

🌍 Reunited and It Feels Like Italy…

Juicy Joe gets a visit from the family. No, not that family.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1091032/see-all-sweet-photos-from-teresa-and-joe-giudice-s-family-reunion-in-italy

🌴 Remember Him…?

You really should. Not only the oldest ever, but he came in third.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1061643/survivor-s-oldest-contestant-rudy-boesch-dead-at-91

🐻 Don’t Try This At Home…

That Aquaman, always full of surprises.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1088949/jason-momoa-gets-a-bear-to-eat-an-oreo-out-of-his-mouth

🎯 Quotes of the Week

A point of view can be a dangerous luxury when substituted for insight and understanding.Marshall McLuhan

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. – William Arthur Ward

I don’t know how I know it. – dude on Cash Cab when surprising himself with his own correct answer

How do you fold egg? It’s impossible. It’s witchcraft. – Carrie Heffernan (Leah Remini), King of Queens

Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone. – Dorothy Parker

How are you late for work on a yacht? You have no commute. You roll out of bed, and you’re there. – Kate Chastain, Below Deck

What’s great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest.Andy Warhol

You can’t ride two horses with one ass.Dr. Phil

Love is a gross exaggeration of the difference between one person and everybody else. – George Bernard Shaw

Don’t compare yourself to others as you never know what others had to or are overcoming.Emily Liou

The question is not how much time you spend, but how much value you create. – Author Tony Schwartz, talking about energy management over time management.

🍂 Favorite Season, Favorite Place…

See you on the deadside. And don’t forget to thank a veteran.