(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Judith’s voiceover says, the world is dark and broken, but we’re not. Not yet. We stare into the face of death every day, until one day, that face is our own. How do we come back from that? My dad wanted mercy to prevail. If we lose that, we lose everything.
Negan and the others work clearing the tracks, as Nameless Boss watches. Kelly signs to Magna that there are two around the perimeter, and four inside. Princess tells Ezekiel, that’s Tyler Davis from the rail yard, and he asks if that isn’t the guy who took Max hostage. She tells him, she didn’t say she liked it, but he’s got balls. Ezekiel watches him, and Magna tells Negan, two on the perimeter, four inside. Negan writes something on the back of the map, and looks around. Ezekiel walks over, and says, the map. A trooper tells Annie to move, and diverts Negan’s focus. Negan walks over, and asks what a person has to do to get a break. The trooper asks what he said, calling him prisoner, but Negan says, not for him; for his wife. The trooper says, the Commonwealth doesn’t recognize any unions here, but Negan says he’s not talking about the Commonwealth. He’s talking about the trooper. Another trooper comes over, and asks if there’s a problem. The first trooper says, just a prisoner mouthing off, and needing to be reminded of his place. Annie runs over to them, but the trooper knocks her down. She pops back up, and struggles with him, but the second trooper gets Negan down and holds a gun to his face.
Daryl and Carol watch from a distance.
Aaron, Jerry, Elijah, and Lydia have stopped the wagon to kill a zombie. Aaron tells them to stay alert. They don’t know if this is a one-time thing, or there are more of those things out here. He hears something, and Lydia says, it’s a human, not a walker. Aaron tells Lydia and Elijah to stay and protect the wagon. He and Jerry draw their swords, and walk toward the sound. Aaron says, come out now, and Luke and Jules appear. There are hugs all around, and Aaron says, it’s a pleasant surprise. They already know Lydia, and he introduces Elijah. He tells Luke and Jules, they were head to Oceanside if they want to join, but Luke says, it’s gone. Some guys in white gear showed up. Aaron says, the Commonwealth, and Julies says, they took over. Aaron says, they made a deal with the Commonwealth, but Jerry says, the deal must have changed because they’re being tracked. Jules says, if they’re found, they’re dead, and Luke suggests getting as far away as possible.
On the stand, Pamela says, it was the worst day of her life. Her trusted colleague Mercer was with her, and took her to the morgue. All she wanted was to hold her son, to keep him safe, but he was gone. There was nothing she could do. She cries, and says, Eugene took him from her. Eugene killed her boy, and this murderer needs to pay. There are rumblings from the gallery, and Yumiko objects, asking that it be stricken from the record, but the judge says, denied. Eugene tells Yumiko that there’s nothing they can do to dissuade the judge, who is a proverbial brick wall. Yumiko says, it’s not the judge they have to get to; it’s the people. Eugene looks at Max, and Yumiko gets up. She asks Pamela to tell them about the lottery. What does it mean to her? Pamela says, it means opportunity; hope for a better future. Yumiko says, or it’s a lie – there are murmurs from the crowd – just like Pamela’s son said. The prosecution objects, and the judge sustains it. Yumiko says, yes or no?It was on the recording; they all heard it. There’s a reaction from the gallery again, and Yumiko says, answer the question, governor. Pamela says, that wasn’t her son. She knows his voice, and that’s not it. The tape has been altered. Yumiko asks if Pamela actually expects them to believe it was altered. That someone… Pamela says, not someone; Yumiko’s client. He admitted that he played it, and caused chaos; not her son. A woman yells, free Eugene!
Daryl tells Maggie, it’s bad. He doesn’t think they’ll all make it. Carol says, they saw the adults, but not the kids, and Maggie says, they have to go in. Daryl says, they can’t, but Gabriel says, the Commonwealth turned their home into a prison after they promised to give it back. Daryl signs to Connie, you and me, down sh*t tunnel, and Connie signs that she’s going with Daryl. Daryl says, they’re going down into the sewer. Rosita wants to come, but Carol says, since she’s a sharpshooter, she should stay. They can keep in touch by radio. Maggie, Connie, Daryl, and Carol leave.
Ezekiel sees Tyler at mealtime, and he and Negan sit by him. Ezekiel says he knows Tyler stood up to Pamela, and wonders if Tyler wants out as much as they do. Tyler says he wants to live, but Negan says, this is not living; they’re barely surviving. Ezekiel says, they can take control, but Tyler asks if he doesn’t think it’s been tried. The same thing always happens; people who shouldn’t die, do. They have two choices; survival or that. They got a taste of it today. Try this, and they all die. Ezekiel says, or try it, and they all live. They’ve only got each other. If they lose faith in that and the idea they can change this – two troopers walk in – they’re as good as dead anyway. The troopers go over to Negan, and tell him, get up. He says, nope. Not until they tell him where his wife is. The grab him and take him out. Tyler tells Ezekiel, you’re on your own.
Negan is taken to a room where he’s told to sit. Nameless Boss tells a trooper – the same one who Negan asked for a break – that his transfer has been denied. The trooper says, his brother is sick, and Nameless Boss says, then the trooper should have told him directly instead of going around him and asking for a transfer. His duty’s been extended for six months. Negan sees the trooper make a fist, and the wheels turn in his head. Nameless Boss tells Negan they found this after Negan tussled with the guards, and hands him the map. Negan says, cool, and Nameless Boss says, what is it? Negan says, a poor man’s tic-tac-toe? He doesn’t know. Nameless Boss says, someone is keeping track of the guards; when they come and go, and how many are on a shift. Negan asks what that has to do with him, and Nameless Boss says, when the prisoners got here, he thought Negan was a leader, but he has other priorities. Real leaders cut themselves off from others because of what they do. Other people don’t have the stomach for it, and the ones that do are the real threats. There’s a threat in their midst, and he thinks it’s one of Negan’s people. Negan says, other than his wife, all these people hate him. He doesn’t know anything. Nameless Boss says he bets Negan can find out, and Negan says he bets he can’t. He hands back the map, and Nameless Boss says, that’s not really an option. Unless he’d rather not see his pregnant wife again.
A trooper lets Negan in to see Annie, and he sits on the bed. He asks if she’s okay, and not hurt, and she says she thinks he got the worst of it. He asks, how’s the little one? and she says, the baby kicked her so hard, she almost rolled off the bed. He says, going to be a badass like their mama, and Annie says, they’re going get out. He says, he knows; he’s working on it. She asks if that’s what he was doing on the tracks; working it his way. He tells her, old habits die hard, and she says, they can’t. They have to get to safety. He says he’d never risk them. Don’t worry. She says, that bad, huh? and he laughs. He says he’s known men like Nameless Boss his whole life. He used to be him. She says, no wonder everyone hated him, and he says, no sh*t. He’ll handle him. She says, sure. If she doesn’t do it first.
Daryl and Connie drop down into the sewer and look around with flashlights. He signs, is she okay? and she says, so-so. Is he okay? He says he’s good, and Carol radios that she and Maggie are good. Daryl says, them too, and signs to Connie that Maggie and Carol are here too. She signs, this will work? and he says, yes. They walk into an adjoining tunnel. In another area, Maggie removes the grating to the street.
Maggie and Carol sneak into one of their old houses, and go upstairs. A trooper is patrolling, and they stay out of sight. They hear him coming their way, and ambush him, Carol whacking him in the head with the butt of her gun. They drag him away.
Luke tells the others that they were behind the houses. He wanted to stay and fight, but Rachel wasn’t having any of it. He said, no way they were leaving them there, but she insisted they go, and warn everybody; tell them what’s coming. Jules says, they haven’t seen them since, and Luke says, they should have stayed. Jerry says, he found them, and now he has them. Aaron says, they were heading to Alexandria, and Lydia says, troopers are coming. They duck down, and Elijah says, they can’t outrun them. A bunch of zombies are headed for them on the other side, and Lydia looks at a body nearby. We all know what she’s thinking.
In his cell, the crowd chanting outside, Eugene says, Yumiko’s nerves mystify him. Does she hear what he hears? She got through to them. Yumiko says, that was the point, but there are still troopers doing Pamela’s bidding. If the troopers aren’t on their side, it doesn’t matter. Eugene says, she’s inspired an uprising, but she says, it might not be fast enough. Max asks if she’s saying they might lose, and Yumiko says she doesn’t think the people can stop it. Max asks, what happens next? and puts her hand on Eugene’s through the bars. Eugene says, perhaps this time they should accept the situation he finds himself in, but Max says, no. Eugene says, they knew this could come, and probably would come. He tears up, and says, they must prepare… if he’s declared guilty… let the troopers escort him to his… He starts to cry, and Yumiko says, Max’s brother commands respect here. If Max can get him on their side and to admit Pamela is corrupt in public… Max says, if he was going to, he would have when Princess was taken, and Yumiko asks if he knows. Pamela silos people off against each other. Eugene asks if Max thinks she could talk to Mercer, but she says, his men won’t let her near his office. Yumiko says, he might talk to her.
Mercer radios his men about a rendezvous, and walks into his office to find Yumiko. He says, she shouldn’t be here, and she says she came to convince him to do the right thing. He says, she should leave. He’s sure she doesn’t want to be late for the judge. She says, it doesn’t matter. They’re going to lose; she knows that. The man who Mercer’s sister loves is going to die, and her other friends might die too. Pamela’s men took them God knows where. Princess is with them. He says he knows, and Yumiko says she doesn’t believe he doesn’t care, and neither does his sister. She needs him to testify against Pamela in public to save Eugene. He says, doing what she’s asking won’t change a thing, but she says, people seeing him speak truth to power will. He says he has to get back, and she storms out.
Maggie and Carol hide in a janitorial closet with the unconscious trooper. Maggie peeks out at the troopers getting ready. She tells Carol that she hears Herschel’s voice; I want to be better. I want to do better. Sometimes she thinks it wasn’t fair to bring him into this world. Was she being selfish? Carol hugs her, and says, no. After Sophia and Henry, she felt that way, but she doesn’t believe it’s selfish to miss them and want them to come back. Maggie agrees, and Carol says, Maggie will try to make the world better because of him; that’s hope. They will find him.
Negan and Ezekiel shovel dirt, and Ezekiel asks if Negan is going to tell him what happened with the warden (i.e. Nameless Boss). Negan says he got put on latrine duty, and Ezekiel tells him not to go rouge again. They needed that map. Negan says he doesn’t really need to hear that sh*t again, and Ezekiel says, because he agreed to work with Negan, Negan thinks they’re friends now, but they’re not. He hasn’t forgotten for one minute what Negan took. Henry and his brother Benjamin were his family, and apologizing changes nothing, not for him. If it works out, and they get out of here, Negan doesn’t deserve a brand new life. He damn sure doesn’t deserve to be a father. Negan says he will be a father. Ezekiel can go ahead and live in the past. You do you, and I’ll do me, and you know what? I’m gonna do it for my kid. Negan walks away.
Nameless Boss gets up, and says, so. You got a name for me? Negan stands in front of him.
Outside, a zombie is tangled in vines, and Connie signs to Daryl, what’s going on? He stabs it in the head, and he signs, she’s scared too? She nods, puts her hand on his shoulder, and they move forward.
The judge thanks the prosecutor for him closing remarks, and says, they’re to be entered into public record. She asks if the defense rests, and Eugene says he’d like to address the court. Yumiko starts to protest, but he says, please, and the judge says she’ll allow it. He gets up, and says, the way he sees it, he was living on borrowed time for the past decade. Someone like him should have met their Maker on the first day the world fell apart. And he would have, if not for the aid of friends. Friends who have not only changed him, but the hearts and minds of so many others beyond here. He’s certain his fate won’t discourage them from keeping that going, and helping others find the courage to do what’s right. We see Mercer’s reaction off and on throughout Eugene’s speech. Eugene says, he was not always a good man. He fell in with a posse who thrived on downright unseemly acts, and he looked the other way. He valued order and safety above all other things. Then he realized, even though he wasn’t the one swinging the bat, nevertheless, he had blood on his hands. He knew his inaction made him culpable, and he hated himself. Then he did something in his own little way that changed the world. He learned that one person can do that. Sometimes all it takes is one person to do that. Thank you. That is all. He sits, and Yumiko says, the defense rests. In a surprise to no one, the judge says, the Commonwealth finds Eugene guilty of murder in the first degree. There will be a public execution in one hour. Pam is escorted out, and Max watches as Eugene is taken away.
Troopers rouse the railway workers, and tell them to get up and get outside. They move everybody along, and Ezekiel and Annie are both dragged out. Everyone is herded to the windmill, and Nameless Boss says, a traitor is in their in midst. Someone who thinks he’s above the rules. They bring out Negan, who looks pretty beat up, and Nameless Boss says, a prisoner has admitted to spearheading a rebellion. Any co-conspirators will be given the benefit of the doubt. He trusts they weren’t acting of their own free will. Only Negan will be punished, but it’s important they’re all here to see and to remember. Annie breaks away, but a trooper grabs her before she gets to Negan. Negan tells her, it’s okay. He loves her. Nameless Boss tells him to get on his knees. This is what happens when you don’t know your place. (I can hear Minister Mason from Snowpiercer saying, be a shoe!) Annie says, don’t let him. Listen to her. The troopers aim their guns, and Nameless Boss says, ready… aim…There are no martyrs here. He grabs Annie, dragging her up front, and Negan says, that’s not their deal. Nameless Boss says, he’ll feel this punishment, and Negan says, that’s not what he said. Ezekiel looks like he’s going to explode, and Negan says, take him; just him. Nameless Boss says, ready, and Negan sees that same trooper again. He says, you. You have a family. Don’t do this. Please. Nameless Boss repeats, ready, and Ezekiel walks to the front. Negan asks what he’s doing, and Ezekiel says he doesn’t know.
Princess goes up, and one by one, people start joining them, including Tyler. Nameless Boss says, he admires the bravery of the prisoners… Shoot them all. The troopers cock their guns, and Ezekiel says, they don’t have to do this. The world is broken; we don’t have to be. Our favorite trooper puts down his gun, then walks over to Nameless Boss. He’s about to shoot, and another trooper raises his gun, but the first trooper is faster, and kills him. Nameless Boss grabs Kelly, but he suddenly drops to the ground. We’re all like, what just happened? and then we see, Daryl is here!
Maggie hears Hershel yell for help. She kicks in the door to the room his cries are coming from, and Carol shoots the guard before he can react. Maggie asks if Herschel is okay, and he says he is. She hugs him, and Rosita comes in. She asks if Coco is here, but Herschel says he doesn’t know where she is, and Rosita runs out.
A zombie herd walks, Aaron’s group walking with them, using the covered-in-guts method. Jeeps patrol the perimeter of the herd, and shine searchlights into it. The group gravitates together, and a knife is dropped. Somehow, it’s swiftly retrieved, but it’s unclear by who. Or what.
Negan is about to go all Lucille on Nameless Boss, when Rosita runs up, saying, don’t kill him. She grabs Nameless Boss’s collar, and asks where her daughter is. Nameless Boss laughs, and she punches him in the face. She grabs the dead-now-zombie trooper, and drags him over, putting his face a few inches from Nameless Boss’s face. He says, she’ll lose everything, and she lets go of the zombie. Now it’s my turn to laugh as Nameless Boss screams while his eyeballs get pulled from his head.
Eugene is brought into the hall, wearing a hood. He’s walked through a series of hallways, and they stop. A trooper takes his hood off, and he stands in front of Mercer. His handcuffs are removed, and Mercer says, time to f*** sh*t up.
I cheer in my head.
Next time – two episodes left – Negan says, it’s not safe while Pamela is still breathing; Pamela wants to join the search for Eugene; and Mercer talks to Princess.
💭 What a great episode ending. What a great hero Mercer is.
🧛🏽♂️ Gives Great Vampire…
This show is so beautifully done, even if sad at times. The sets and costumes alone are worth watching for.
Moving on to Thanksgiving. You remember that holiday, don’t you? Apparently advertisers don’t, since I’m hearing Christmas carols in commercials already. Come on down for soap and yachting on the Med tomorrow. Until then, stay safe, stay enjoying the season you’re in before rushing to the next one, and stay changing the world by doing something in your own little way. Just because the world is broken, doesn’t mean we have to be.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
In a voiceover, Judith says, the only way she’s known is to fight. They’ve done so much, but there’s so much more to do. She wants to believe there’s hope, but together there’s hope. Isn’t there?
Maggie struggles to get out of the zip tie on her wrists, as the guard snoozes. She frees herself, then Gabriel, who frees Rosita, but the guard wakes up. Gabriel and Rosita jump out, and Maggie gets the guard’s gun, shooting the two troopers in front, and tossing the guard out the back. The truck crashes, and Maggie gets out, ducking down as the rest of the caravan passes crash.
Gabriel and Rosita lie in the woods, as the one of the troopers reanimates. Gabriel leaps up, shoving the zombie away from Rosita, and she slices its head open from behind. Gabriel asks if she’s okay, and she says, she’s been better. Him? He says he’s been worse. He takes the trooper’s radio, and a call comes in. The caller says, there’s been no sign of 525 and the escapees, but they found a set of boot tracks that looks like they might be 525’s. Gabriel and Rosita jet.
On the bus, Ezekiel comes to, and takes his hood off. The others slowly do the same. They hear banging, and when it stops, Ezekiel asks if everyone is all right. Kelly asks how long they were out for, and he says he doesn’t know, but his neck is still sore from the injection. Negan says, no sign of Maggie, Gabriel, or Rosita, and Annie says, the trucks are being unleaded. They stopped for a few minutes, and there was a crash. Does he think it was them? A guy gets on the bus, and tells them, welcome. Today is the day of a new beginning. The world works when everybody knows their place. Their place is at the bottom. The resources they used bring old world back sustains the Commonwealth. Their labor will be appreciated, and is their redemption; their salvation. The children safe, and if they play by the rules, they’ll see them again. They must work as one. Here, nobody has a name. There’s no need for them. He’s not going to tell them his name, and they won’t address each other by theirs. If he points to them, they’re to stand up, and go to the rear. Some troopers open the back of the bus, and he picks people out. He points to Annie, but not Negan, and Negan tells her that he’s going to get them out of here, all three of them. The guy tells those left on the bus that the others are being transported to another site. The one on the bus are going to work until the tracks are clear. If they work hard, they’ll be protected by the Commonwealth. Although they’ve been delivered from the utopia of the Commonwealth, it’s better to be here than the wasteland. One of the troopers tells them, get to work.
Maggie wanders in the woods, and sees a child zombie. She flashes back to seeing him when he was alive, and picks up a rock, but walks past him.
Gabriel asks Rosita, what’s the plan? and she says, to follow the convoy. He says, then what? There’s only two of them. What are they going to do? Knock on the door and ask for their daughter? She says, if he has a better idea, she’s all ears. She suggests splitting up, but he says, no way, he’s not leaving her, and she says, then come on. A couple of zombies come out of the woods, and Gabriel kills them, but Rosita gets knocked down in the melee. She says, her arm is dislocated, and tells him what to do. He pops it back in, which is obviously painful, and she gets up. She starts walking, and he tells her that she needs to rest. What good is torturing herself? She asks, what she always says to him, and he says, quit bitching, and move forward. They hear a train, but Gabriel says, it can’t be a train.
Daryl looks through binoculars at the train, and tells Carol, there’s six of them. Carol wonders if they should follow the train, but Daryl says, if they hang back, they’ll be fine. He sees a trooper bring Connie over, and the trooper says, he received a call, and she’s not a worker, but a Designation Two. Get her there safely. Carol wonders what the designation is, but Daryl says, they can’t bust her out, so they’ll look for the kids. She says, they should follow the train, and get everyone out at once.
They drive to the nearest junction, and Carol suggests they sit tight until the train gets there. Daryl says he doesn’t think he can, but she says, when she saw Connie get on the train, she thought the same thing he did; the cave. Does he remember what Kelly said when her sister disappeared? He says, they can’t help anyone if they’re dead, and she says, if they go it alone, they might make the same mistakes again. He tells her, all right, and she takes his hand.
Maggie hears a motorcycle and hides. A trooper stops, and radios that the crossing is clear, and there’s no sign of the escapees. He’s moving to the next stop. The zombie kid toddles toward him, and he raises his gun, but Maggie jumps out, and gives him a sharp stick to the armpit. She gets him down, kills him, and grabs his gun. Since no good deed goes unpunished, the zombie kid grabs at her. She fends him off for a while, then puts him in a hold. She cradles him for a moment, then tells him, it’s all right, and stabs him in the head. Carol and Daryl drive up.
Maggie tells Carol that they just ripped Herschel away from her. She wasn’t strong enough. Carol says, she’s just one person, but Maggie says, it’s on her. The not knowing is worse. She cries, and Carol tells her again, she’s just one person. Maggie says, it doesn’t matter, and Carol holds her as she sobs. Carol says, she barely saw Daryl after she got her job at the Commonwealth. They were doing their own thing like in the old world. After the fall, they were forced to become a family. Pamela had to come at them when they were separated. What does that say? Maggie tells her, that they scared the sh*t out of them, and Carol says, they’re not alone anymore. Rosita and Gabriel come out of the woods, and Gabriel says, they heard a train. Rosita asks where Daryl is, and Carol says, inside
In the depot, a trooper sits against the wall, covered in blood. Daryl tells him that he’s running out of time. Do something good in the time he has left. Where is the train going? He has a friend on it, and she’s Designation Two. What does that mean? He was like the trooper once, and joined the force when his family needed money. He’s guessing that’s the trooper’s story too. They took his kids, and he wants them back. He kicks the trooper, and the others come in. Carol says, the train is going to be here soon, and Daryl asks if the trooper wants to die quick or screaming. Gabriel says he knows the trooper. Every Sunday in the back pew, closest to the door. He came in late, and left early. It seemed like he wanted to talk about something. The trooper asks if God forgives people like him, and Gabriel says he wishes he knew. The trooper says he has guilt and shame, and Gabriel says, that’s because he’s a coward. He’s trying not to be, but fear can cause us to do things that make us feel shame. Or he can push to the light, and die trying to do the right thing. The trooper says he’s trying to have peace, and Gabriel says he wishes he had peace too. People remember the last thing you do. The end of a story is important. How does he want his to end? The trooper says, they punish exiles by making them do hard labor. Their friends are on railway duty. Daryl asks, where? but the trooper says he doesn’t know. He got called when the three escaped. They have to follow the train. He’s heard rumors that those in Designation Two are taken far away and never seen again. Daryl and Maggie go back outside, and he asks Gabriel to pray with him while he goes. Gabriel asks Carol to give them a minute, and takes out his Bible.
Daryl wants to get Connie off the train, but Rosita says, they’ll radio ahead. The the best way to get everyone out is them not knowing they’re coming. He says, they can’t leave her, but Carol thinks there’s a way do both.
While working on the railroad all the livelong day, Kelly tells Ezekiel, there are three guards. They can run; the troopers can’t catch them all. Ezekiel says, don’t do anything, and a trooper tells them, stop talking, and keep working. Negan says, his wife is on the bus, and the trooper whacks him with a stick. He says, they stop to eat and sleep. Keep working. Some of the group make a break for it, and Kelly starts to go too, but Ezekiel grabs her. The troopers shoot the escapees, and Negan looks supremely pissed.
There’s a train delay – zombie on the tracks. A trooper gets out and kills it. He walks over to a lever, but it won’t budge. He radios the engineer, and says, there’s stuck junction switch. Another zombie comes along, and he stabs it through one of its nostrils. The engineer radios Outpost 22, while Maggie slips on the train. Another trooper comes outside, and asks, how hard can it be? The trooper on the tracks says, come over here and he’ll show him. Daryl and Carol crawl under the train to the other side, while the troopers deal with more zombies. Maggie ties up the engineer, and a trooper comes in, saying, the woods are cleared; he’s heading back. Maggie grabs his gun, and outside, the skeptical trooper tries to pull the switch, and the other one mocks him, saying, how hard can it be? The other trooper says, it’s bent; somebody jammed it. Everybody needs to get back here now. Carol shoots at them, and a gunfight ensues, bullets pinging off of everything metal. Maggie shoots at a trooper, and Daryl comes at him, but he brings out Connie, holding a gun to her head. He tells Daryl to drop his weapon, and asks if Daryl cut the wire or shut it off. Answer him. It’s the old if you’re gonna shoot, shoot don’t talk situation, and Connie knocks his gun out of his hand, then grabs it. Daryl checks Connie out, and puts her on the train. The trooper gets away on a motorcycle, and they shoot at him, but miss. Daryl gets another bike, and takes off after him. The trooper rides into the woods, and Daryl follows. The trooper gets off the bike, and goes under a huge fallen tree branch, but even though Daryl is knocked off his bike, he reaches under the branch. He knocks the trooper down, and kills him.
Daryl and Maggie bring the engineer inside the depot, and he says his family lives in a nearby outpost. If the warden finds out he helped them – he looks at the dead trooper – he’ll end up like his friend. Daryl says, they took his children. He has a family. The engineer tells them, there’s a map in the engine room. Daryl goes to get it, and signs to Connie that he thought he wasn’t going to see her again. She signs back, she’s not going anywhere. Outside, the engineer holds a sharp stick to his throat, and tells Carol and Maggie, if he helps them, his wife and kids will die. Carol says, they’ll injure him just enough make it look like he barely got away, but he says, they’ll know he lied, and kill his family. He can’t. He’s sorry. He stabs himself in the neck, and everyone is bummed.
Gruel is served to the railway laborers for dinner, and Negan sits near Ezekiel, telling him, don’t turn around. Ezekiel asks what Negan wants, and Negan says, to get on the same page. Ezekiel says, he stayed away from Negan for years for a reason, but Negan says, he’s going to have to shelve that sh*t. Ezekiel says, melting people’s faces with irons, coercing women into marrying him, slaughtering Ezekiel’s people. That sh*t he has not forgotten. Negan says, neither has he. He probably deserves to be in a place like this. But the others don’t, especially his wife and baby. Ezekiel asks where they were taken, but Negan doesn’t know. He needs to find her; he promised. He’s coming to Ezekiel as a soon-to-be father and a man who’s led people. He’s asking Ezekiel to put that sh*t aside, and work together for everyone, Ezekiel asks what he’s thinking, and Negan says, he knows the warden’s playbook, using fear as a weapon. Ezekiel asks if he’s going to scare them into an uprising, but Negan says, that only works if you’re the one with the gun. Fear doesn’t work, but hope does, That’s Ezekiel’s thing, not his. Ezekiel says, they thrive by separating people and breaking them down. They need a spark that reaches their hearts and wakes them up. He doesn’t know how to do that; they can barely talk to each other. Negan says he can get Ezekiel a spark, but when he does, Ezekiel ought to know, he doubts he’ll getting out with them. Ezekiel asks what he means, but a trooper says, back to work. Now. Negan asks if Ezekiel is with him, and Ezekiel says, he’s with Negan… for now.
Connie signs to Daryl, asking him which way the others went, but he signs, he doesn’t know. Connie signs, Kelly is with them. She can’t lose her. Daryl signs, they won’t. He promises they’ll get her out. Connie signs, how? and Rosita says, they’re going back to the train, and getting the radio back up.
The trooper tells the railway workers to pack it in and load up. A zombie comes out of the woods, and the trooper shoots it, then tells them, move it along.
Rosita radios outpost 22, saying, the train she was on was overtaken. She’s lost in the woods, and needs help. She waits, then radios again, and an operator asks, what’s her original setback and location? Rosita says, junction seven. She’s the last one left. She needs to get home. The woman says, damn. Don’t worry. They’ll get her home. Does she still have her compass? Rosita says she does, and the woman tells her, head north through the woods until she reaches a bridge. Cross it, and go to Packard Avenue, then head south to where is breaches to Highway 30. Eventually, she’ll reach a suburban neighborhood. There’s a section shored up with walls, and she’ll see friendly faces in the guard tower. Go to the northeast gate, and they’ll let her in. She’s sorry they don’t have a spare vehicle to pick her up, but they have a convoy coming for reprocessing. Governor’s orders. Rosita asks if she just said they have a convoy coming in for reprocessing, and the woman says, word is some of the processees used to live here before the Commonwealth took over the territory and turned it into an outpost back when it was still called Alexandria. Keep eye out for hostiles, but if she has to engage, shoot to kill. Watch her six, and Godspeed. There’s silence for a moment, and Maggie says, Milton has underestimated us since day one. We’re going to get our kids, take back our home, and make it right. And Pamela will never see it coming.
Next time – 3 episodes left – Negan tries to save Annie; Rosita says, they need to go in now; Eugene’s trial happens; and Ezekiel says, this world is broken, but they don’t have to be.
Some of these are quite original. I was at Halloween karaoke last night, and the first place winner of the costume contest was a couple doing Barbie and Ken, complete with boxes. I thought they deserved it just for having to stand all night.
When you’re done trick or treating, drop by for some soap and what’s on Deck tomorrow. Until then, stay safe, stay doubly safe on Halloween, and stay not bitching, but moving forward.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Brook wakes up, and Chase is already up. He says he wanted to let her sleep in, and she asks why she’d want to when she could spend her morning with him. He gets back in bed, and they kiss.
On the phone at the hospital, Britt says, if an inmate needs treatment, bring her in. Just make sure she has a guard and orderly with her at all times. TJ asks for a private word, and they go where there are no people. She asks, what’s on his mind? and he says he hasn’t heard from Willow in several days. He’s starting to get concerned.
In the nook, Willow says, her one and only cup of coffee for the day, and Michael says he loves how conscientious she’s being with this pregnancy. He can’t believe it’s time for her second trimester check-up. She says she almost felt like they woudn’t get here, and he says, here’s hoping they get wonderful news today. She says, there’s a lot she wants to share with him today, when Ned comes in, saying, Michael saved him a phone call. Valentin has been missing in action for several days, so ELQ is still without it’s CEO. Is that something Michael orchestrated, or was it Drew?
Drew and Carly kiss in her kitchen, and she says, they’re back. She thanks him for helping her, and he thanks her for letting him help. He kisses her again, and I look desperately for the moss bowl 🎍, since I’m bored. He asks if she’s ready to hear some I told you so’s from their friends, and she says, all the people who said they saw sparks between them? No. She wants to hold off on telling anyone. She kind of likes having him all to herself.
Before Josslyn leaves, she asks Cameron if he’s sure Jake and Aiden don’t know she spent the night. He says, they were asleep when she got here, and left early for some pre-school activities, so he thinks they’re good. And she’s perfect. He kisses her, and says he knows this last year was rough for them, but he’s glad they’re finding their footing again… unless he’s going too fast. She says, not at all. She just remembered it’s Oscar’s birthday. He says he understands, and they walk out on the porch to find Finn.
Sitting alone in Terry’s car, Elizabeth remembers when she was a teenager, saying, she hates her family and hates everyone. Terry gets in the car, and says, Elizabeth’s mom and dad were shocked to hear from her, and more shocked to find out she was in town. Elizabeth asks if they’re going to meet with Terry, and Terry says, yes. She asks if everything is okay, and Elizabeth says, they’re at her parents’ house. She hasn’t been anywhere near them in decades. Terry says, it’s okay if she wants to go back, but Elizabeth says, no. She needs to find out the truth about what happened, once and for all.
As Brook gets dressed, she wonders why it can’t be the weekend. She and Chase could just stay in bed, and never leave this room. Still in bed, Chase says, that would be absolutely fine with him, but she’s the one who said they have to prep to meet Linc’s big pop star. Although he’d be happy to push that. She says, not on his life, but there’s no reason they can’t prep for the meeting in here. She goes to the door, and he asks where she’s going. She says, to get them some coffee and pastries. Don’t bother getting dressed.
Michael says, Valentin is a Cassadine, and they tend to go missing under murky circumstances, so what exactly does Ned think he did to Valentin? Olivia walks in with some pastries, and Ned says, called immigration; had him stopped at customs. Just like his dad did to Jax. Michael says he’s nothing like his father, but Ned says, he and Sonny are exactly alike, and Olivia says, that’s enough. Willow asks where she’s going, and Olivia says, to get reinforcements. She leaves, and Willow says, come on. It’s a big day for her and the baby. Can they focus on that?
Drew leaves, Bobbie comes in, and I see the glorious moss bowl 🎍, so all is right with the world. Bobbie asks, who was at the door? and Carly says, Drew. Bobbie says she didn’t realize they were flying back this morning, and Carly says, now that everything is reconciled with Virginia, she can focus on her family here. Bobbie says she thinks it’s really beautiful what Carly did for Virginia; scattering her ashes by the ocean. Carly says, it felt right. Bobbie coming to Jacksonville meant a lot. She knows it couldn’t have been east with that local station dredging up her past with Aunt Ruby. Bobbie says, she knows who she is, and owns her past, even the unsavory parts. She was more concerned about it being weaponized against Carly, but when she got to Jacksonville, she realized Carly already had all the support she needed with Drew.
Finn apologizes to Cameron for stopping by unannounced, but he was on his way to the hospital, and thought he’d stop by to check in. How are Aiden and Jake? Cameron says, they left already; they had some stuff to do before school. His mom asked Finn to check on them, didn’t she? Finn says, maybe. Got any proof? Josslyn says she’s going to go. She tells Cameron she’ll see him on campus, and tells Finn, it’s good to see him. She leaves, and Cameron invites Finn inside. He says, Josslyn just stopped by to drop off some books he needed before class, and Finn says, that’s his story, and he’s sticking to it? Cameron says, yeah, and Finn says, Cameron is a sophomore in college. He gets the plot. Joss spent the night here, didn’t she? Cameron says, maybe. Got any proof?
Terry says she thinks Jeff and Carolyn are going to have as many questions for her as she does for them. The coffee shop they agreed to is just around the corner, so they can’t count on traffic delays. She’ll stall them as long as possible. Is Elizabeth sure she knows her parents’ alarm code? Elizabeth says, they’ll see, but they never changed it when she was growing up, and Terry asks what she’s looking for, but Elizabeth isn’t sure. She thinks it’s one of those she’ll know it when she sees it kind of things. Both of her parents kept diaries of their years abroad. She’s just hoping it’s enough to help her connect the dots. Like how they all knew Reiko, who turned out to be Finn’s first wife. How could she have forgotten? Terry says, Elizabeth has been raising three boys, mostly by herself, along with a full-time career as a nurse. It makes sense to her why Elizabeth forgot the connection. Elizabeth says, they’re literally sitting in front of her parents’ house. There’s no way she can turn back now.
Out of the shower, Chase loses his towel and gets back in bed, striking a sexy pose. Olivia walks in, covers her eyes, blesses herself, then covers her eyes again.
Ned says, the merger was nothing more than an excuse to marginalize him, and Michael says, they offered Ned the job of COO; that’s hardly marginal. He asks if Brook can weigh in here, because her dad is going in circles. She says, just pretend she’s not here. She’s just getting a little breakfast to go. Ned asks why she’s holding two cups of coffee, when Olivia walks in, saying, it’s her bad, Chase following. She tells him, please forget she saw anything, and he says, he’s so sorry she saw anything. He thought she was – he sees everyone looking at them – Brook Lynn. Ned asks, what’s going on? and Olivia says she was looking for Brook and forgot to knock, and walked in on Chase. Ned says, in a guest room, and Brook says she and Chase spent the night together.
Bobbie says, now that they have their coffee, back to Drew, and Carly says, she didn’t ask Drew to come to Florida; he showed up on his own. And it turns out, he was exactly the friend she needed. Bobbie says, so Carly is telling her that he’s just a friend? and Carly asks what’s going on with Bobbie’s wrist here? Bobbie says, it’s nothing serious. She was on her laptop on the plane, and her carpal tunnel’s been acting up. Carly massages Bobbie’s wrist, and asks how it feels. Bobbie says, better, thanks, and Carly says she still remembers some of her physical therapy training. Now that she’s starting over, she could renew her PT license, or finish her nursing degree. Bobbie says, that’s a very different path than running a luxury hotel, and Carly says, maybe not nursing school, but physical therapy can be fun. At least until she figures out her next passion project. Bobbie says she’s sure it won’t be long before Carly finds her next inspiration.
Drew goes to the rock in Oscar’s Meadow, and says he got back just in time for Oscar’s birthday. He didn’t want Oscar to think he’d forgotten. Oscar still inspires him. When things were bleak and so hopeless, he would just think that Oscar never gave up – never – and neither should he. On those bad days, he would close his eyes, and visualize Oscar’s face; his and Scout’s. And that’s the only way he survived, and managed to see the light again, even if it shines more dimly in a world without him in it. Josslyn arrives with flowers, and hugs Drew.
Britt says, Willow is TJ’s friend, but not his patient, and TJ says, but he’s been staying in regular touch with Willow about her condition. Unofficially, of course (🍷). He knows Willow is in her second trimester, and from what he understands, that’s what she was waiting for before starting her leukemia treatment. Britt asks what he’s looking for from her, and he says he noticed Willow had an appointment this morning. He was hoping he could sit in on a consult. She says, Willow does have an appointment with her this morning about her pregnancy. If Willow wants him to be there for moral support, it’s Willow’s choice, but let her be very clear. He would be there as Willow’s friend only. He says, yes, but, and she tells him, there are no yes, buts. She knows it’s a very difficult situation. On their best days as doctors, they provide a binary option of right and wrong, but on other days, the patient is left with an option of doing the least harm. And what they might think is the most palatable outcome, won’t be the same for every patient. It might not even be the same course they’d use for themselves or advise for their loved ones. It’s what’s right for that patient. And as doctors, they might not always agree, but they must respect the patient’s choices.
Elizabeth says, it’s been so long, she can’t remember the last time she saw her parents in person, and Terry asks, how long has it been again? Elizabeth says, over 20 years, and Terry asks why Elizabeth never told her that she was hurting. Elizabeth says, how do you explain your parents put the greater good over their own children? and Terry says, she doesn’t owe anyone an explanation. Elizabeth says, not to the world, but she owes one to herself. There are way more secrets being kept from her than she realizes. She thanks Terry for helping her, for coming all this way, and giving her the space to process it all, and Terry says, sometimes all a person needs is a little space and grace. She’s got Elizabeth. Terry’s phone dings, and she says, it’s Jeff and Carolyn. They’re at the coffee shop. Elizabeth says, this is it.
Josslyn says she didn’t know Drew was back in town, and he says, he and her mom just landed a couple hours ago; he just dropped her off at the house. He knows she’d love to see Josslyn. She says she hopes she didn’t interrupt his visit, but he says, no. He and Oscar just had a nice little chat, and he was on his way out. He’ll give her some privacy. He starts to leave, then says, his son’s life was cut way too short, but it was rich and full of meaning because she was in it. He thanks her for that, and leaves.
Bobbie says she’s always admired Carly’s resilience, her fierce spirit, and especially her tenacity. Carly says, even on days Bobbie wanted to kill her? and Bobbie says, it’s not always easy being Carly’s mother. That’s something she and Virginia Benson both understood. Still, she knows it won’t be long before Carly discovers her next chapter, and she can’t wait to read it.
Chase says, this is beyond embarrassing, and Brook says, now every woman in this house has seen her boyfriend naked. Olivia laughs nervously, and says, she doesn’t think Monica has, and it’s her house. Chase says, Alan gave it to her, and I die laughing. I love an ongoing soap joke. Michael tells Chase, it sounds like he’s going to fit in fine here, and suggests they go outside. On the patio, he tells Chase, welcome to your latest super awkward Quartermaine family moment. He’s sure Chase had plenty of those while pretending to be Bailey’s father. Michael’s phone rings, and he says, it’s Aurora. He has to take this. He steps away, and Chase tells Willow, he’s sorry. He didn’t mean to make things weird. She says, no. She’s happy for him; for him and Brook both. She kisses his cheek, and he says he hopes she knows how happy he is for her and Michael. Olivia comes out, and says, that felt like a father/daughter moment. What happened to Michael?
Brook tells Ned not to get patriarchal on her. If he has issues with this going on under the same roof, there’s nothing preventing him from moving out. He says he’s sorry if he made her feel like she needed to sneak around. Did she feel that way because of his reaction to her and Valentin? She says, Ned sure had an about-face on Valentin.
Willow says, Michael had to take a work call, and Olivia asks if Willow doesn’t have a doctor’s appointment. She’ll drive Willow over, and Michael can meet them there. Text him their plan. She goes back in, and Chase says, before she goes, maybe he can be Uncle Chase to her new little one. Put in a good word for him.
Terry says she’ll stall them for as long as she can, and Elizabeth thanks her. They hug, and Terry asks if Elizabeth is sure she knows how to pick her front door lock. Elizabeth says, it’s been a while, but she used to be good at it. If she remembers, she taught Terry that skill in high school. Terry says, Elizabeth was a bad influence on her back then, but she hasn’t been that girl for a very long time. Does she think she still has it in her? Elizabeth flashes back to when she was a bad girl and smoking cigarettes, and says, she better be. She gets out of the car.
Cameron says, Finn was right before. It’s actually none of his business. Finn tells him, relax. He’s not here to give Cameron the talk; clearly, he knows the drill. And it’s not his place to tell Cameron’s mom either. Although Cameron might want to come clean at some point. Cameron says, Finn is probably right. He can’t imagine his mom is going to be in the best headspace when she comes back. Finn says he thinks she’ll be more relaxed after enjoying the spa and hotel, and Cameron says, maybe, but it might not be easy spending time in the city where Grandpa Jeff and Grandma Carolyn live. Finn says, what? and Cameron says, Finn didn’t know, did he?
Willow checks in with Britt, who says, Dr. Ashford asked to sit in on their check-up if she’s comfortable with that. Willow says, of course (🍷). TJ is her friend, and she knows he’s still deciding on a specialty. Britt says, let’s go to an exam room, and Olivia asks if Willow wants her to stick around. Willow says, it’s sweet of her to offer, but no.
Ned says he can see Brook is still upset with him about siding with Valentin against Michael and Drew, and she says, sometimes it feels like it was all for nothing. He says he doesn’t want her to ever feel that way, and she says, she also learned there’s a different side to Valentin, when they were raising Bailey together. It really proved the point to her that none of us are all good or all bad. He says he appreciates her saying that, when Drew comes in. He says he’s sorry; he didn’t mean to interrupt. Brook says, she and her father were just having a moment of understanding, but she has to grab Chase and get to work. She leaves, and Ned says, the staff expected Drew back a few hours ago. Drew says, it’s Oscar’s birthday today, so he stopped by Oscar’s marker in the Meadow. Ned says, of course (🍷). He’s sorry. He didn’t remember the date. Drew says he hasn’t forgotten how incredible Ned and Olivia were to Oscar in his final days. So for Oscar’s sake, can they find a way to put aside their differences and fix what’s broken in this family?
Cameron can’t believe his mom didn’t tell Finn that she was going to be staying in the same town her parents live in. Did he just cause trouble for them? Finn says, not at all. There’s no need to make a big deal out of this. Cameron says, it’s probably nothing, but what are the odds she’s seeking out her parents after all these years? Finn says, he doesn’t know; he wishes he did. He’s been trying to help where he can, but he doesn’t want Cameron’s mom to resent him. To be honest, sometimes he knows what he’s doing, and other times, he doesn’t get it. Cameron says he thinks he does. He and his mother struggle with a lot of the same baggage. The people they care about tend to underestimate their family and what they’re capable of handling.
Josslyn puts the flowers on Oscar’s rock, and says, she knows it’s been a while since she visited, but she carries Oscar in her heart every day. If he’s been checking in, then he knows she and Cam are together. Although with all of the recent drama they’ve been a part of kind of threw them off. Things haven’t been the same since their first time went viral on the internet. Since then, she feels like she’s in this current. Not a riptide; nothing scary. She just feels herself drifting further away from Cam. She knows she should tell him that, and they should talk through it, but if she does… She’s just so scared he won’t be able to handle it.
Cameron tells Finn, people tend to confuse their manners with being weak, fragile even. His mom isn’t weak, and when Finn tries to fix her problems, or make decisions for her because he thinks she’s a victim, it takes her back to a time in her life when she did feel powerless. And trust him. She doesn’t want to go back there again, even if that means shutting things and people out. He knows Finn’s heart is in the right place, but she doesn’t need a hero. She’s already her own hero. Finn thanks him, says, good talk, and leaves.
Elizabeth gets into the house. She hears the alarm beeping, and puts in the code. It stops.
Carly says she’s been doing a lot of thinking lately, and she and Bobbie have come a long way. Bobbie had every reason to hate her forever, yet Bobbie still found a way to forgive her, and made a place in life for Carly. She’s always heard the stories about Bobbie’s upbringing, and going back to Jacksonville, and hearing again about Ruby and her house of ill repute, she was reminded that Bobbie started off with even less than she did. Bobbie made a name for herself, and Carly admires her so much. Bobbie says, first of all, Carly needs to visit Jacksonville more often. Secondly, right back at her. Carly says she told Drew that she felt like she was in an identity crisis, literally. She was no longer Sonny’s wife, and no longer the co-owner of the MetroCourt. Who is she anymore? But sitting here with her mom, she’s more sure of who she is than ever.
Michael walks in, as Drew tells Ned, maybe they can schedule another vote on Valentin’s leadership. What they need is for Ned’s vote to switch. Then Valentin is out. Ned says, what about the role of CEO? and Michael tells Drew, forget it. Ned’s too far gone to think of family over himself. Ned says, that’s rich. Biologically, Michael is AJ’s son, but whose last name does he use? Corinthos. He’s only a Quartermaine when it’s convenient. Drew says, there’s no reason for things to get escalated here, and Ned says, and Drew. His insistence on being the nice guy is really starting to wear thin. Drew says, Ned is tired of him being a nice guy? Fine. The gloves are off, and Ned’s not going to like the moves he makes to get Ned and Valentin out. Ned asks how Drew plans to do that when he’s fighting an insider trading charge.
Carly tells Bobbie, part of the reason she felt so lost is because her name didn’t provide any answers for her. She can’t be Carly Corinthos anymore because she doesn’t want people thinking her goal is to get back with Sonny, because it’s not. She can’t be Carly Benson or Carly Roberts because… she just can’t. Bobbie asks, what’s left? and Carly says, sitting here with Bobbie, looking into her eyes, she knows what the right answer is. She’s a Spencer. She thinks it’s time she took Bobbie’s name, if it’s okay with her. Bobbie says, it’s more than okay, it’s as it should be, and they hug.
Britt says, everything looks good with the baby. Developmentally, they’re right on track. Willow says, that’s good news, right? She asks Britt, what is it? and Britt says she’s feeling Willow’s lymph nodes, as she places her hands on Willow’s neck. Willow asks, why? and Britt says, oncology isn’t her specialty, but she noticed certain areas of the surrounding tissue appear inflamed. Just to be clear, this has nothing to do with that baby, but she wants to be extra cautious given Willow’s other health concerns. Dr. Randolph is away for a few days, but Britt’s going to give her a call. Hang tight. She leaves, and Willow asks TJ what Britt is concerned about.
On the phone, Terry tells Britt, she’s kind of in the middle of something with some family friends. What’s up? Britt says, she just did an ultrasound on Willow, and the baby is fine, but she noticed inflamed tissue nearby, and swelling in the lymph nodes. Terry says, Britt is worried about the enlargement of Willow’s liver, isn’t she? and Britt says she is, but Terry’s the expert. Terry says, have Dr. Carmichael do her bloodwork, and schedule and ultrasound on her liver. She should be back by the time the results are in. Britt thanks her, and Terry looks around for Jeff and Carolyn, but they’re gone.
Elizabeth sees family pictures on the mantel, and remembers her angst when she was younger from her parents being absent, and being expected to be like her sister Sarah. She remembers things she said about her parents as an adult, how the world needs them more than the family does. She focuses on a particular picture, and says, her and Sarah, 25 years ago.
Finn runs into Olivia at the hospital, and says, if she talks to Tracy, tell her that he’s waiting. She hasn’t made a move in their virtual backgammon game in weeks. Olivia says she’s not surprised. You’d never know Tracy is retired. She still keeps getting into all kinds of trouble. She puts her hand to her forehead, and he asks if she’s okay. She says, it’s so weird. Does he ever get the feeling like someone walked over his grave? The inmate is brought in, a woman in shackles, between an officer and an orderly, and she says, hello, Olivia. Olivia turns around, and lets out a blood-curdling scream.
Brook listens at the door, and Drew asks what Ned is talking about. Ned says, it’s right there in the name; insider trading. Brook steps away, telling Chase that she thinks talking’s a lost cause. Chase says he knows something to perk her up, and kisses her. Her phone dings, and he says, go ahead. She says, it’s Linc. He wants them to meet with his pop star today. Chase says, it’s so soon, but she says he has to get to know her if they’re doing a duet. He says he’s never met a pop star; any advice? She says, don’t mess this up for them.
Bobbie says, Carly Spencer has a nice ring to it, and Carly says, it really does. Josslyn walks in, and hugs Carly, saying, you’re home. Carly puts her arms around both of them, and says, I’m home.
Ned tells Drew, Michael’s mother knew about the potential merger. That’s why she bought the stock. That’s called insider trading, and it’s illegal. Martha Stewart went to prison for much less. Lucky for Michael and Drew, no one’s really looked into it, but it’s something they need to consider, and never forget. He walks out, and Michael says, Ned is bluffing; he wouldn’t go there. He has to meet Willow, but he can see Drew is worried. Don’t be.
TJ says, if she noticed inflamed tissue, Dr. Westbourne might be concerned that Willow’s liver is enlarged as well. Willow says, and that means? and TJ says, if her liver and lymph nodes are swollen, and her blood cell count has dropped even further, it may mean she’s advanced to stage 3, which may limit her treatment options. Britt says, she’d like Willow to come with her upstairs. They’d like to run some more tests.
Finn asks Olivia, what’s all this? Is she okay? The woman says, now there’s the scream she loves so much. And here she thought Olivia had gotten too classy to let her emotions out. After Olivia let her son rot in prison, and traded up to marry a Quartermaine. The officer says, sorry, ma’am. D’Archam patient. Don’t pay her any attention. The woman says, nice seeing you. Oops. I mean, I’ll be seeing you. She laughs as she’s led away, and Finn says, what’s going on? Who is that woman? Olivia says, doesn’t he know? That’s Heather Webber.
Elizabeth hugs the photo to her chest, and hears the door. She quickly puts it back, and Jeff comes in. He says, Elizabeth, and she says, dad.
On Monday, Anna says, as soon as she gets out of this cell, she’ll put Victor in his; Robert tells Olivia, she looks like she’s seen a ghost; and Elizabeth says, Jeff’s not supposed to be here.
💣 Wrong Guess Of Jacksonville…
I have to admit, I’m surprised. Not that I can’t see her in the role, but what happened to the old Heather?
I could have sworn it was the c-word, but in my defense, it was bleeped and I’m no lip reader. Ugly for sure, but it doesn’t make Kathy wrong about Erika and LisaR looking for a storyline.
I doubt this will be rebooted, but if it is, I doubt any previous cast members will be invited back. Although I did love Kameron’s stick figure graphics of the ping-pong ball show in Thailand.
I’ve seen enough horror movies to know that any weirdo wearing a mask is never friendly. – Lizabeth (Nancy McLaughlin), Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones. – Stephen King
Where there is no imagination, there is no horror. – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Villainy wears many masks, none so dangerous as the mask of virtue. – Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp), Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Halloween is not only about putting on a costume, but it’s about finding the imagination and costume within. – Elvis Duran
If human beings had genuine courage, they’d wear their costumes every day of the year, not just on Halloween. – Douglas Copeland
Being normal is vastly overrated. – Aggie Cromwell (Debbie Reynolds), Halloweentown
Some people are born for Halloween, and some are just counting the days until Christmas. – Stephen Graham Jones
There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch. – Robert Brault
Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see. – Edgar Allan Poe, The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether
Listen to them – the children of the night. What music they make! – Dracula, Bram Stoker
Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. – Linus, Charles M. Schulz, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
🦇 Going Batty…
Decorations are ready to be hung, costumes ready to be worn, and candy ready to be put in bags. Let’s hope it makes it there. In the meantime, you have an invitation to join me for some Dead on Sunday. Until then, stay safe, stay approaching life with a sense of adventure, and stay giving a little space and grace when a person needs it.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Nina and Sonny walk into the MetroCourt Garden, where there’s a large photo of Brando on display. Sonny says, Nina made the place look great; she even found a great photo of Brando. She says, planning the post funeral reception is the least she can do for Sasha. He kisses her and they hug. Michael and Willow walk in, and Willow says she sees the way Michael is looking at his dad. Keep telling himself, this day is about Brando, and they’re here to help Sasha and Gladys any way they can. He tells her that she’s right.
Maxie comes in with Dante and Sam, and thanks them for the ride. Austin is still at the hospital, and she didn’t want to be alone. Olivia leads Gladys and Sasha in, saying, she knew the Garden would be the perfect place for the reception; they got a perfect Autumn morning. Sonny asks how Sasha is doing, hugging her, and she says she’s okay. She thanks him and Nina for coming, and Nina says, they woudn’t be anyplace else. She hugs Sasha and says, the funeral was very touching. No matter what Sasha and Gladys think, they’re all here for them. Sasha thanks her, and says, everything looks beautiful. Looking bottles on one table, Sasha says, of course (🍷) Brando would be the first person to say they shouldn’t have gone to so much fuss. She can just hear him. She walks over to the photo, and touches it.
Funeral program in hand, Josslyn knocks on Dex’s door. He asks what she’s doing here, and she says she could ask him the same thing.
Curtis goes to Jordan’s office, and says he got her message. It sounded important. She says, it is, and he asks if there’s a break in whoever attacked Diane and Ava, and killed Brando Corbin. She says she was just at Brando’s funeral, and after Diane telling them the attacker was a woman, they don’t have very much. That’s not why she asked him to come by. She hands him a large envelope, and asks him to read what’s in it. His future depends on it.
In an exam room, Ava tells Portia that she has a very busy day ahead. She has to figure out what she’s going to do now that she’s closing the gallery. She’d appreciate it if they can wrap this up. Portia is talking to Amy, and Ava says she’s feeling really good. Her wound is almost healed now, so is there something else wrong with her? Portia thanks Amy, who leaves, and Ava says, whatever it is, she can take it.
Nikolas closes the secret safe in the bookcase, and Victor says, counting his blessings? Nikolas says he was just adding some documents, and Victor says he assumes Nikolas will soon be adding another important document to that safe of his; his finalized divorce decree. But of course (🍷) Nikolas insisted on hiring his own lawyer, so Victor hopes he’s filed all the paperwork correctly. Nikolas tells Victor, he said he would handle it, didn’t he? and Victor says, he’s seen how Nikolas handles Ava, signing a false confession to a murdering Esme. That little mea culpa of his could have sent him to prison for life if Valentin hadn’t gotten it away from Ava. Fortunately, his ridiculous romantic gesture won’t be coming back to haunt them, and neither will Esme Prince, may she rest in peace.
Oz is zipped into a body bag at the docks, and I’m disappointed, since I thought his character would have made an interesting addition to the canvas. An officer tells the paramedics that they can take him, and radios, a dead John Doe found on Pier 55, apparent stab wound, no driver’s license or ID. They leave, and Esme comes down the stairs.
Sasha says she’s so grateful to Nina; all the trouble she’s gone to. Nina says, it’s no trouble at all, and Sonny says, she thought of everything, right? Like Brando’s favorite drink, beer; root beer. Gladys says, it was always his favorite, ever since he was a little boy. Michael – who I like less every time I see him – says he can’t watch this anymore, and asks if Willow would like a drink, but she says she’s good. He goes over to the bar, and Dante asks if he’s all right. Michael says, no, he’s not.
TJ brings Willow a club soda, and tells her, drink up; doctor’s orders. She raises her glass to him and takes a sip. Nina glances at them, and Sonny asks if everyone can gather around. Raise their glasses. They’re going to make a toast to Brando. Brando was an incredible son, a kind and loving husband. He left them way too soon. He had a big laugh, but most important, he had a big heart. To Brando, he’ll never be forgotten. Everyone raises their glasses or bottles, and takes a drink.
Josslyn asks why Dex isn’t at the hospital, and he says, then he wouldn’t be here to let her in. She says, he knows what she means. He’s covered in bruises from what Sonny did to him. He says he is a little sore, and she says, a little. He says, okay, he hurts everywhere, especially his wrists, but it could have been a lot worse if she hadn’t shown up. He never really got the chance to thank her for that.
Curtis says, it looks like the divorce papers are ready to go, and Jordan says, he can see it proves she submitted them to the court. She wants him to keep that. He says he doesn’t need proof. He takes her at her word that they were filed. Now they just need the court to sign off, and they’ll officially be divorced. She says she’d feel better if he held on to the receipt. It’s something he can show Portia, since she botched things the first time around. He says, this is what doesn’t make sense to him. She’s one of the most organized people he’s ever known, so it just doesn’t add up that she misplaced the original papers. She tells him, what can she say? Nobody’s perfect. She thinks she proved that during their marriage, right? He says, it takes two people to make a marriage, and two people to mess it up. Let’s be honest. They both knew their marriage was over long before they signed those papers. She says, maybe for him, but not for her.
Portia says, physically, Ava is recovering just fine. But as her doctor, it’s Portia’s job to treat the whole patient, and she wants Ava to take care of herself. To be honest, she’s a little worried about Ava’s well-being. Trina told her that Ava closed her gallery, and she knows it was far more than just a business deal. Ava says, it’s Portia’s fiancé’s fault really, and Portia asks, how that is exactly? Ava says, Curtis came to her and said he was worried about Trina working at the gallery with some serial slasher roaming around, and he was right. As much as she hates it that she won’t be working with Trina for now, she has to do whatever she can to protect Trina from any future attack. Portia says she thinks Ava did the right thing for Trina and for herself, but she needs Ava to know that working at the gallery was far more than just a job to Trina. And she never got a chance to thank Ava for arranging the Fellowship at The Chuck for her. Ava says, that was Curtis’s idea exactly. She just made a couple of phone calls, and gave Trina a sterling recommendation, which is well-earned. She’s just sorry Trina is upset with Curtis for setting it in motion. She said she already has one protective father looking out for her. If there isn’t anything else, she’s really spent more than her fair share of time at GH. Portia says, there’s just one more thing. She wants Ava to focus on keeping herself out of harm’s way, and since the gallery is already off-limits, at least Ava knows she’s going to be safe at Windymere, right?
Victor tells Nikolas, Esme is lying at the bottom of the harbor, thanks to Nikolas’s wife. And no one need be any the wiser, despite Nikolas’s ridiculous attempt to take the blame for the murder, in an attempt to woo Ava. So just proceed with this divorce as planned, and no more confessions in the name of love. Are they clear on that? Nikolas flashes back to making the videoed confession on Ava’s phone, and Victor says, Nikolas. He was always a poor judge of women, and a fool for their charms. So tell him the truth. What else has Ava got on him?
Esme says, bad for you, Oz, but good for me. She goes into her bag, and takes out her wallet, looking at how much money is in it. She says, this won’t get me through the day. Windymere, here I come.
Ava tells Portia, she’s no longer living at Windymere. She’s happy Nina’s offered her a place to stay; she’s staying with Nina. She’s grateful for that, and plus, there’s the added benefit that Sonny is looking out for Nina. Portia says, which means Sonny will be looking out for Ava, and Ava says, as Avery’s mother, Sonny wants to keep her safe. Portia says, she’s glad Ava has someplace to go but… Ava says, but what? and Portia says, Ava knows she has no love for Nikolas or his son, but she knows Ava is still in love with her husband. But for Ava’s sake, she hopes Ava finally leaves Nikolas and never looks back.
Curtis says he’s surprised to hear Jordan say that, but he’s with Portia now, and she says she knows. All she’s saying is, she never made it a secret about how she felt. She was ready to fight for their marriage if he had been. He says he couldn’t. By that point, there was too much damage for him to try again; too many secrets, too many lies. He’s a former cop, so he knows some of the deception comes with the job, but not all of it. She says, no, not all of it, and he’s a man who values honesty above everything else in a relationship. He tells her, he’s not saying he’s holier than thou, but in his book, if you can’t trust the person you love, who can you trust? She says, and he’s found what he’s look for in Portia? and he asks if that’s a question or a statement. She says she wants him to be happy. She hopes he knows that. He says, then why does she make it sound like there’s a reason they won’t be?
Josslyn points to Dex’s open shirt, and asks if it’s his look for the day, or is he going to button that? He tries to button it, obviously in pain, and he says, his wrists. He’ll just grab a T-shirt. She says she’ll do it, and she buttons it for him. He thanks her, and she says, he can thank her by making sure that Sonny never does this to anyone again.
Olivia asks Nina for a word, but Nina says, not today, for Sasha’s sake, please. Olivia tells her that she just wanted to say the set-up is really beautiful. It’s tasteful, it’s lovely, it’s well done. Nina thanks her, and says she appreciates that.
TJ asks how Willow is feeling, and she says she’s hanging in there. She tells him, don’t look now, but Nina is watching them as if they’re stealing the silverware. He asks what Nina’s problem is with them, and she says, Nina saw them hug the other day at the hospital, and has it in her head they’re having an affair. He says, what? and she says, don’t let it get to him; she doesn’t. It seems Nina judges everyone by her own shabby standards.
Michael hugs Sasha, and says he’s here for her, whatever she needs. She says, he may regret making that offer, but he says, never.
Sam tells Dante, she keeps trying to remind herself that Brando’s not alone; he’s got Mike. It’s just still really sad. He says, Brando was too young to die, but he sees Sasha is handling it so well; he admires her courage. It makes him more determined than ever to find out who did this. Maxie asks if she can borrow Sam for a second, and Sam says, sure. They leave, and Michael tells Dante that he hopes the investigation leads to the actual perp. Unlike their father. Dante asks what he’s talking about. Sonny?
Sonny sits with Gladys, and asks how she’s doing. She says she can’t do it. She can’t be brave like Sasha. He says, it’s normal. Brando was her only child; nothing hurts like that. She says she can’t fill up her mind with other things and forget, and he says he doesn’t think that’s what Sasha is doing. He thinks she’s holding it together for Brando’s sake. It’s what he would have wanted. She says she keeps thinking about when she came to town to see Mike. She told everyone Brando was dead. She couldn’t stand to admit she was ashamed of him and his addiction. Then one day, he showed up. She was given a second chance. She and her son had a chance for the kind of life their cousin Sonny had; picture perfect marriage, beautiful, loving children. He had it all. Sonny says, looks can be deceiving; time has proven that. He takes her hand, and says, nothing in life is guaranteed. He and Michael look at each other, and Gladys says she made a decision this morning. The best thing to do going forward is for her to pack up and go back to Bridgeport. Sonny says, he’s known her to be a lot of things over the years; a little greedy, a little selfish. But one thing he’s never known her to be is a coward.
Sasha thanks TJ and Willow for coming, and TJ says, of course (🍷). Molly had to stay at the courthouse, but asked him to pass along her condolences. Sasha asks him to thank Molly, and says she knows he and Brando had a little falling out, but it meant a lot to Brando that they patched things back up. She wishes they’d had more years of being friends. Nothing lasts forever. Willow asks TJ to give them a minute, and he steps away. Sasha says she’s okay, but Willow says, it’s the day of her husband’s funeral. No one expects her to be okay. She’s just sorry she hasn’t been around more for Sasha. Sasha says she understands why Willow stayed away, and Willow says, she does? Sasha says, Willow didn’t think she could handle her having Michael, and Wiley, and a baby on the way. Sasha is happy for her. Willow’s life is pretty perfect.
TJ says he appreciates Nina pulling out all the stops today for Sasha, but he’s not surprised, considering his Uncle Curtis is one of her biggest fans. She says she feels the same about him, and TJ says, what he doesn’t understand is why she’d stick her nose in, and suggest something is happening between Willow and him.
Jordan says she knows Curtis and Portia love each other. It’s plain to see when they’re together. They’ve done more than just buy a house together. They’ve done everything they can to create a family. Not just for the two of them, but his dad and Aunt Stella. He says, and don’t forget about Trina. Even though she’s away at college, living in the dorms, it’s her home as well. She says, of course (🍷), and it’s because of Trina that… He says, what about Trina? and Jordan’s phone rings. She says she needs to take this, and answers. She says, what?… When did this happen and where?… She’ll be right there. He asks, what’s wrong? and she says, we have another victim.
Amy asks if Ava and Portia have heard; it happened again. Portia says, they haven’t heard. She’s just trying to get her patient safely home. Ava asks, what happened again? and Amy says, a John Doe was just brought in. Another guy is dead after being stabbed. According to the coroner, it’s likely the same woman with a hook. They weren’t able to identify him, but she recognized him right away, because he’s been a patient here not too long ago. Ava asks, who is it? and Amy says, the bartender guy who testified at Trina’s trial. Portia says, Oz Haggerty? and Ava practically flies into the elevator, saying, she has to go.
Nikolas says, Victor just doesn’t get it. It’s not about what Ava has on him, or what he has on her. Victor says, tell that to the young lady Ava pushed over the parapet, and Nikolas says, Ava swears it was an accident. Victor says, fine. Say he believes that. Does Nikolas really think the police or a jury would? Ava had just discovered Nikolas had slept with his son’s girlfriend. They’ll think she was out for revenge, and to frame Nikolas for the crime. Nikolas says, it would be an act of love. Ava didn’t twist his arm; she didn’t threaten him. He proved she can trust him despite the terrible mistake he made with Esme. He earned Ava’s trust by putting his life in her hands. He did it willingly, with his eyes wide open. But Victor can’t understand that, can he? Victor says he can understand Nikolas acting like a damn fool, and Nikolas says, it’s sad. Despite all of Victor’s conquests, he’s never been in love.
Esme comes to the door at Windymere, and tells herself, who says you can’t go home again?
Sonny says, Gladys can’t cut and run. She has to be here for Sasha, and be strong for her, because Brando can’t be. Sasha has lost a child and a husband. No one knows that kind of pain, only Gladys does, because she’s lost a son and a grandchild. Gladys has got to be here for Sasha; they’ve got to be here for each other. Today, the next day, and the day after. Gladys says she wishes she was as strong as he thinks she is, and he says, she’s not going to have to do this alone. She doesn’t have to grieve alone; he’s going to be here for her. Brando used to come to him for advice, not for tuning up engines or business. Brando thought he had all the answers, but he told Brando he didn’t. Brando used to say, how can he be a better father, a better husband? and Sonny would say to him, there’s nothing more important than family – success, power, money. He just wants Gladys to know, she’ll always be a part of his family. They get up, and she says, of course (🍷) family’s the most important thing… A lot of money doesn’t hurt though, right? He says, that’s the Gladys he knows, and hugs her.
Willow says she knows her life looks perfect, but it’s not, and Sasha asks if there’s an issue with the baby. Willow says, no, the baby is fine, and Sasha asks if there’s an issue with Willow. Willow says, no, she’s fine. It’s just that it’s not all smooth sailing. Sasha says she gets it. Willow lost Harmony not long after she found out Harmony wasn’t her biological mother. That’s a lot. Willow says, if this year taught her anything, it’s that good and bad things can happen at the same time. Which is why she feels fortunate to have a friend like Sasha, and she hopes that never changes. Sasha says, never, and they hug.
Nina says, whatever is going on with TJ’s quote-unquote friendship with Willow, she’s just giving him a friendly warning. Take it from her. He does not want Michael Corinthos as an enemy.
Michael asks if the PCPD had legitimate reason to suspect Dex Heller, and Dante says, he can’t talk about the details of an ongoing investigation. But Dex was brought in as a person of interest until Diane told them her attacker was a woman. Why? Michael says, before Diane made her ID, Sonny took matters into his own hands, and almost played judge, jury, and executioner. Talk to Dex if he doesn’t believe it.
Dex says, he already told Josslyn, he doesn’t want to get the cops involved, and she says, but he didn’t tell her why. He’s not a fugitive, is he? He says, no, and she says, he’s not afraid to incriminate himself in his own kidnapping and torture? He says, no, and she asks, then why is he protecting Sonny? He says, she hates her stepfather; he gets it. She says, and he doesn’t? and he says, Sonny’s not his favorite person at the moment, no. She says, so many good people have been protecting Sonny; someone has to take him down. He says, she sounds like her brother, and she asks how Dex would know she sounds like Michael?
Esme tries her key, and says, they changed the locks? Like that’s going to stop her.
Victor says he will not be schooled in the art of love by a man who bedded his son’s ex-girlfriend, because his own wife wanted nothing to do with him. He’s experienced real passion, the kind Nikolas will never know. Nikolas asks if Victor is talking about what he had with Liesl Obrecht? He believes that’s called obsession, not passion, and she clearly wants nothing to do with Victor. What Nikolas and Ava have happens once in a lifetime. Victor asks if Nikolas doesn’t mean had; their divorce is well underway. Nikolas says, Victor can force him to divorce Ava, but the way he feels for Ava will never… The door rattles, and Victor holds up his hand, and moves quietly toward it. He unlocks it, and Ava comes in.
Dante tells Michael, they’re supposed to be here honoring Brando, and supporting Sasha and Gladys. Can he put it on hold just for today? Michael barrels on, saying, the PCPD brought in Dex for questioning. Sonny shows up to get him out, and Dex and Sonny leave together. Then Dex disappears for 48 hours. Dante knows their father as well as he does. Where does he think Dex was?
Gladys thanks Nina, and says, everything is so lovely. Nina says, there’s no need to thank her, and Gladys says, maybe she can repay them like this. She knows everyone thinks she’s self-absorbed, and sometimes she is. But she’s seen the strain between Sonny and Michael. She just spent two years trying to make things right with Brando. They were almost there, and then she ran out of time. Don’t make her mistake. Don’t think he has forever to make things right with Michael. Do it now.
Dex tells Josslyn, it’s no big secret that when he’s out with Sonny, and they run into Michael, Michael goes after Sonny with both barrels. He has to say, the way boss keeps his cool with Michael attacking him is impressive. She says, it sounds like he admires Sonny, and he says, Sonny looks after the people he cares about. She points to his wrists, and says, this is Sonny looking after the people he cares about? He says, he didn’t say he likes it, but he gets it. Josslyn asks if he doesn’t see. That’s exactly what Sonny is doing. He wants Dex to be able to give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s never going to do that for Dex. Dex needs to quit Sonny’s organization now, before he gets in deeper. Dex asks her, who says he wants out?
On the phone, Jordan says, the John Doe has been identified by a previous stay at GH. His name is Oz Haggerty. Portia takes Curtis aside, and asks what he’s doing here. He says, Jordan asked him to come by to show him a new set of divorce papers. They’ve officially been filed. She says, it won’t be long now, and he says, too late to back out. Jordan hangs up the phone, and asks if they don’t have a wedding to plan. Curtis says, they do, but if there’s anything Jordan needs to help find the attacker, they’re here to help. Jordan says, sadly, the files are getting thicker and thicker. The only thing they have to go on is, Diane said the attacker was a woman, but they’re not any closer. Portia says, there is something three of the victims have in common; her daughter.
Ava tells Victor, don’t touch her, and he says, listening at keyholes now, are we? She tells him, don’t flatter himself. She has zero interest in what he and Nikolas talk about. Nikolas asks what she’s doing here, and she says she wanted to tell him, there’s been another fatal attack. This time, the victim was that bartender, the one who Esme tried to keep from testifying for Trina. He thanks her for the update, but says, she could have just called. She says she was just going to get some of her clothes, but never mind. If he’d please ask the staff to pack up her things and send them to Nina’s. Victor says, perhaps he should come with her as added protection, and she says, suit himself. Nikolas thanks her for the warning, and Ava leaves, Victor following her. Outside, she says, on second thought, she can take care of herself. He says he has no doubt, but it’s a wicked world out there. They leave, and Esme comes out from behind the bushes, and goes in the door they stupidly left unlocked.
Esme looks around, and strides through the sitting room. She opens the bookcase, revealing the secret safe, and wonders what the combination is. She says, Spencer’s birthday, and puts it in. It opens, and Nikolas comes in the room. He asks, who the hell are you?
Nina says she knows it’s been a difficult day for everyone who loved Brando and loves Sasha. She tells Michael to make sure Willow gets home safe, and gets some rest. Willow says she can take care of herself, and asks TJ if he’ll give her a ride. He says, of course (🍷), and Michael thanks him, saying he’ll see Willow home. They leave, and Sonny asks if Nina can give them a minute. He wants to have a conversation with his son.
Portia says she doesn’t know how, but Trina is the common denominator. First, it was Ava, and she’s not just Trina’s boss; she’s Trina’s mentor, and supported Trina during the trial. Then Diane came in when Scotty had to step away, and was brilliant in defending Trina. Now there’s Oz Haggerty. It was his testimony, saying he sold the black market phone to Esme Prince and not Trina, that proved Trina was innocent. Jordan says, yes, at first glance, Portia’s theory seems correct; it seems to be a pattern. But what about Brando Corbin? Is there a connection to Trina that Jordan’s not aware of? Portia says, he’s the only exception; Trina barely knew Brando. Curtis says, unless… and Portia says, unless what? Jordan says, unless Brando wasn’t the target. Josslyn Jax had just been in that same alley behind Charlie’s, and Josslyn is connected to Trina.
Josslyn says, just so Dex knows, the next time Sonny turns against him, don’t wait for her to come rescue him. He says, there might not be a next time, but she says, yes, there will be. Sonny will betray Dex, like he has everyone else. She just hopes Dex can see the man Sonny really is, before it’s too late for him. She leaves, and Dex says, son of a bitch.
Nina goes to get some water, and Sonny says, Gladys shared something with him that he wanted to share with Michael. She said it was too late to make things right with Brando, but she thinks it’s not too late for him and Michael to get things right. He took that to heart, and just wants Michael to hear him out. He wants to make things right, whatever it takes.
Dante knocks on Dex’s door, and Dex asks how he can help Dante. Dante says he wants to ask Dex some questions about what happened between him and Dante’s father after Brando Corbin was killed.
Tomorrow, Trina tells Ava, something horrible is going to happen; Esme tells Nikolas that he’ll have to try harder next time; Valentin asks Nina for help; and Dex asks if he should call a lawyer.
Below Deck Mediterranean
Valletta, Malta. At the crew dinner, Storm leaves the table, having had enough of Natalya’s roller coaster ride. Natalya says, he’s the most dramatic person, and Mzi goes to find Storm in the restroom. Storm tells Mzi that he’s always the bad person every time, and it has nothing to do with her. She’s making him look like an idiot. Mzi tells him to calm down, and Storm says he’s going back to do anchor watch. He wants to go back to doing his job. This is bullsh*t. Storm leaves, saying, f*** all these people. He’s done with this sh*t. Mzi goes back to the table, and in his interview, he says, he’s trying to comfort Storm when he feels bad himself. Everything is everywhere. He’s not living his best life. Natalya tries to trash talk Storm some more, but Mzi tells her, please don’t talk. Storm gets back to the boat, and tells Jason that he’ll take over the watch. In Jason’s interview, he says, he’s done, and he’s pumped. Somehow, Tasha’s shoes have gotten wet, and Dave gives her a pair of his. It’s unclear whether he’s going barefoot, is now wearing heels, or he usually carries spare shoes. In Tasha’s interview, she says, she and Dave are still friends, and her boyfriend clearly wants her away from him, but she can’t because she has to work with Dave. It’s the worst thing about yachting; you have to put your work life first. Kyle says, let’s shake our caboose, and they get ready to move on to a club. They take a couple of taxis to the club, and in Mzi’s interview, he says, the lead deckhand situation was soul destroying, but Courtney’s happiness overrides his sadness. He’s going to drink to numb some emotions. Everyone cuts loose on the dance floor, and Tasha goes outside to call her boyfriend. She says she misses him, when Dave comes by. She tells Dave that she’s talking to her dogs, and he says, come dance. She blows him off, but her boyfriend has already overheard, and tells her, just leave me the f*** alone. F*** off. Tasha runs to the restroom, crying, and Kyle follows her. She tells him that her ex (another thing that’s unclear – sometimes she calls him her boyfriend, and sometimes her ex) told her to f*** off. She doesn’t want any men in her life; just Kyle. Kyle tells her to blow her nose, and take deep breaths, and she says she’s sick of men. He tells her, stop it. He means that out of love. She’s an outstanding woman, and doesn’t need a man to complete her. Get off the man train. Never cry over a man again. Say f*** you. I don’t need you in my life. Got it?
Courtney asks if Tasha is okay, and Natalya wonders why everyone is upset. Courtney grabs Kyle’s bag, and the crew starts walking to the taxi. Kyle walks Tasha out, and she says she loves him. They get in the taxis, and in Tasha’s interview, she says she was always in long term relationships. She gets attached to people very easy, and never experienced being single. She puts all her time and energy into one person, and makes them feel loved. She guesses she wants that feeling back. They take a regular taxi to the water taxi, and shakily get in. Kyle says he loves a boat ride, and Courtney suggests they go straight to the snacks. In Natalya’s interview, she says, Storm gets emotional when he’s drinking. For no reason, he literally stormed off. She’s just over it, and she’s not chasing anyone anymore.
At 6:30 everyone gets up, and Jason packs. Captain Sandy curses the wind gusts, and in Courtney’s interview, she says, becoming lead deckhand is amazing. She’s excited, but feels bad about the Mzi situation. She thinks he’s fine and doesn’t think his ego is hurt, but she doesn’t know. The captain radios the crew that they’re going back to the dock. When the guests come on board, the sun comes up, and this all blows away, they’ll get off the dock. Natalya complains that Kyle could offer to help with laundry, and in Kyle’s interview, he says, if they ran the boat Natalya’s way, there would be no guests, they’d be on top of the laundry, and there would be a good place to sleep in the guest beds. Natalya asks if Kyle wants her to be the supportive friend today. She has six personalities, and can pick one. Anchor is home, and Storm says, it’s cold, and not a vibe. Jason helps out with the docking, and Captain Sandy gripes that she has to dock in the rain. The boat docks without incident, and the captain tells them, good job. They prepare the boat for the guests, and Jason says goodbye to everyone. He says he enjoyed meeting them, and be true to themselves. Courtney wonders how guys pack so light, and Jason goes to the bridge to say goodbye to Captain Sandy. She says, it’s been a pleasure, and he says he’ll text her his information. In his interview, he says, he’s glad to go home, but he’s sad that he’s leaving because it’s not what he planned or expected. He came to this place, and there were three friends and one outsider. Unfortunately, the outsider was him. It makes him sad; the emotional part. Storm tells Courtney that Jason was amazing this last charter, but she says she guesses he didn’t want to be here. Captain Sandy calls Storm, Dave, and Tasha to the crew mess for the preference sheet meeting.
The captain says, it’s charter number seven, and what’s cool about this charter is, the co-primaries are repeats, Jonathan and Eric. We flash back to their charter, which I have no recollection of at all, and Captain Sandy says, Eric is an entrepreneur who was so successful, he was able to retire at 59. Jonathan is a personal trainer, and they’re coming with clients. One guest wants their cabin spotless at all times, and another is a professional dominatrix, and wants a BDSM evening. Dave has to explain what BDSM is to Tasha, and in her interview, she says, people think a yacht is elegant and posh, but this theme is quite seedy. The captain says, it’s going to be an awesome charter, and Storm says, as long as they keep doing what they’re doing, it will be fantastic. In Courtney’s interview, she says, it’s a lot more pressure for her now that she’s lead deckhand. She hopes the new deckhand is helpful, good at his job, and good looking.
New deckhand Reid arrives, and meets Captain Sandy, who radios Storm. Reid says he’s had 18 hours of flying, but he’s glad to be here. The captain introduces Reid to Storm, and says, Reid has worked on tugboats, so he knows lines. Storm says, they have less than an hour, so let’s get cracking. Storm introduces Reid to the crew, and Kyle introduces himself as Captain Kyle. Reid finds out Dave will be his roommate, and says, the boat is pretty. Kyle tells Tasha that Reid is handsome, and in Reid’s interview, he says he’s from Decatur, Alabama. It’s got small town charm, but no opportunities. He graduated, 4th generation, from the University of Alabama. Storm texts Natalya, asking to talk, and she tells him to come to the twin cabins where she’s working. She asks why he left the table last night, and he says he needed to come back to the boat. She says she knows he’s pissed off at her, and he says, she lectured him in front of everyone, when it should have been a private conversation. It must be fun to turn it into a sh*tshow. She says, when they get out to have a good time, and there’s drinking, it inevitably becomes a vibe she doesn’t want to be around. It’s too heavy too quick. In her interview, she says, she knows when she’s in love; the other person’s energy matches her own. She sees Storm as more of a friend than boyfriend. If she can’t see someone as the father of her children, why date them? Storm says, the last thing he wanted was to make her feel bad, and in his interview, he says, it’s his first time as bosun, and it’s more stressful. There are more feelings on his side with Natalya, so he has to switch to work vibe. He doesn’t want it to affect his work.
Provisions come in, and Natalya tells Courtney, this sh*t drives her up a wall. This is their life now. She complains to Kyle that there are 80 bottles of wine, and nowhere to put them. It makes her frustrated. He asks what the actual problem is, and she says, too much is being ordered, and everyone agrees. In Reid’s interview, he says, one of his best friends told him, when he gets on the boat, keep his head down and his mouth shut, and don’t piss anyone off. He’s good at putting his foot in his mouth. He asks Mzi, what happened with the other guy? and Mzi tells him, it wasn’t what he’d call a bad attitude, but he was beefing with everyone. In his interview, Reid says he gets nervous and cracks jokes only he thinks are funny. He has a sh*tty sense of humor. The only one who thinks he’s funny is him. Natalya bitches to Storm about provisions, and tells Tasha that they’re out of space. They can’t keep dumping sh*t here. Tasha tells her, calm down, and watch the way she’s speaking. Natalya tells Courtney that she’s going in hot, and Courtney relays the beef to Mzi. Tasha says, Natalya is a bit cranky, and Natalya says, they have five boxes of beer. Tasha says, that’s why she asked for help from the deck crew, and Natalya says, Tasha needs to learn how to delegate. Kyle is setting the table, and they don’t need that right now. Tasha tells her not to be disrespectful, and don’t shout at her. On her way upstairs, Natalya mumbles, she’s f***ing insane. Dave laughs, and says, he told Tasha that she’s a ticking time bomb.
Tasha says she’s going out for fresh air, and whines to Courtney that this is bullsh*t. Tasha tells Kyle that she won’t be spoken to like that. Natalya comes back, and says she’s right here, and she wasn’t yelling. If Tasha wants to have a chat with her, take it somewhere private; don’t bring it up with Kyle. In Tasha’s interview, she says, Natalya is trying to make her look bad at her job, and she’s not bad at her job. She’s Natalya’s boss, and Natalya is pissing her off. Natalya’s not respecting her. Natalya tells Tasha to speak to her, and not everyone else, and slams out. Kyle hugs Tasha, and tells her that they’re taking a second. Tasha says she won’t bring him into it, and he laughs, saying, ain’t nobody getting him down. The captain radios for the crew to change into their whites. She notes that the boat looks pristine, and tells them, really good job.
The guests arrive, and Captain Sandy welcomes them back. The guests meet the crew, have a champagne toast, and Tasha gives them the tour. She points out two chairs on the bow that I don’t remember seeing before, and tells the guests they can sit in them while the boat is moving. Mzi shows Reid what to do with the luggage, and Storm shows him how to watch during departure. Eric and Johnathan check out the galley, and Johnathan asks if Dave can do a whole sea bass. Eric says, the last time they were on the yacht, the chef was excellent. They’re foodies. We flash back to Chef Tom, and again, no clue. Did I lose time? In Dave’s interview, he says, the last chef was amazing; f*** off. When he’s challenged, he goes at twenty times his original pace. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, Reid worked on tugboats, and his family owns a towing company. He’s a line handler; it’s all they do. So she’s fine with him on lines. They pull out, and in Courtney’s interview, she says, it’s her first time as lead deckhand. The boat wasn’t crushed, so she’s doing good. Natalya unpacks BDSM outfits and accessories, and Kyle puts on a mask. She says, he doesn’t know where it’s been, and he throws it back down. The crew changes uniforms, and Eric does a solo Titanic pose on the bow. In Tasha’s interview, she says she didn’t mean to confront Natalya face-on, but she could see it getting more heated. The guests are on vacation. They don’t need negativity training. Two of the female guests get nakey, and Storm helps them into the bow chairs. In Storm’s interview, he says, what’s going on? He’s trying to be respectful. Captain Sandy looks out, and says, holy sh*t! They’re completely nude in the chairs. Tasha says, their vaginas are out, and in her interview, she says, she’s not jealous. It’s just the weirdest thing she’s ever seen. Maybe the panties could stay on. I thought one of them was a germaphobe. Wouldn’t that freak them out?
Storm coaches Reid on dropping anchor, and tells him, good job. In Storm’s interview, he says, Reid seems keen to get things done. Jason was in limbo, and he wants to be in more communication with Reid to avoid Jason-like problems. They arrive at Dwerja Bay, and Tasha says, they need someone to go to the beach. She asks if Natalya wants to go, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, she takes everyone to the beach, while they take the opportunity to relax on the yacht with no guests around. Because you can’t please this a-hole, and it’s not like there’s no work when guests aren’t there. Eric asks Kyle if they found a nude beach, and Kyle says, it’s a nude beach now that they’ll be there. Storm says, they’re going on a hike first, and Tasha checks in with Dave about lunch. He says he’ll come up with the food, and Tasha puts a few plates on the bar inside. Eric and Johnathan can’t help themselves, and pick at the food before it gets to the table. Eric apologizes to Tasha for them being pigs, and ruining the display. They have no will power. The deckhands get chairs and supplies ready for the beach. Dave tells the guests what they’re eating, and guest Amanda pronounces it the perfect lunch. Eric tells the other guests that in the center of every fig is a dead wasp. The fig reacts to the wasp, and dissolves its decomposed body parts. He tells them, look it up, so I did. See below.
The guests get ready for the beach and their hike. Storm tells Natalya that he’s going now, but he’s coming back to put the toys out. She says she hopes everything is fine with them, and he says, it is, but keeps working. She hangs around, even though he’s working, and she annoys me even more. The beach is weirdly cratered, and Mzi says, welcome to the moon. Reid says, NASA faked the moon landing, and this is where they did it. Natalya says, they need to make this place look like a Catalina wine mixer, whatever that means. Reid asks Mzi and Natalya how it’s been on the yacht, and Natalya says, being the only legend is hard. She has a lot to deal with. Courtney brings the guests to the beach, and Eric thinks it’s a great place to do nudes. In Courtney’s interview, she says, she wants to eat, drink, and be merry on a yacht. She’ll even pose nude if that’s what it takes. Courtney drops Mzi off at the boat, and returns to the beach. Reid leads the hike to the top of an incline, and tells the guests, it’s quad day. In Natalya’s interview, she says she hates physical activity, and doesn’t like someone telling her what to do. It’s not her thing. Tell us something we don’t know. The hike doesn’t look easy.
Eric takes some nude shots on the top of a cliff, Reid assisting. In Reid’s interview, he double face palms. He says, he came from a conservative background, and it’s awkward. Eric jokes that he has a tough life. While the guests are gone, Natalya finds a spot to dip herself in the water, sans pants, and is getting out just as a guest comes down. She admits she had to go to the bathroom. This is what we here at the shore call a shore pee. On the boat, Dave asks what Tasha is going to do about Natalya, and she says, they live in the present, not the past. Kyle makes welcome back drinks, and Courtney returns with the guests. Tasha asks Natalya how it was, and Natalya whines that it was hot and there was no shade. The guests play on and with the water toys, and in Natalya’s interview, she says she knows Tasha and Kyle were talking about her. The dream team has gone downhill.
Tasha asks Dave when the dinner plans are, and he says he’s going to do the bass. In Dave’s interview, he says, it’s super difficult. He’s going to have to bend it to put it in the oven, and he wonders how he’s going to get it to look good. It’s going to almost fuse together. He shoves it in, and hopes for the best. In Kyle’s interview, he says, a BDSM party, it’s f***ing outstanding.We’re all animals who need to be tamed. Zookeeper Kyle to the rescue. The guests get dressed up, along with the interior. Natalya says, she wants a red district vibe, and hangs sheer red curtains. Tasha tells Dave to get dressed up and make that tip money, and in Dave’s interview, he says, Tasha looks so hot. The table is done in black with red accents, and the stews take pictures of it. Reid realizes he has the wrong size pants, and Natalya suggests he gain some weight. He says he just lost twenty pounds, and Storm says he’s talking to people who use the metric system. Reid asks if twenty pounds isn’t six meters, and I actually think he is kind of funny. Kyle takes pictures with Natalya and Tasha, and they ask if Captain Sandy wants to join, but she says she’s good. Kyle sees the clean freak guest sitting alone, and apologizes that they were late cleaning her cabin. He tells her the head of housekeeping wasn’t on the boat. The guest is cool with that, but Natalya tells Kyle that he’s pissed her off. There’s no head of housekeeping. They’re equally responsible, and the problem is time management. Make it better, and don’t try to blame her. He says he’s not blaming her, and she didn’t hear the full story. If she thinks she’s going to come for him, he’ll put her in her place. She will not come for him like she does everyone else. She’s 24, so act mature. He walks away, saying, he’ll switch this bitch off in two seconds. Not on his watch.
Next time, Reid inadvertently insults Courtney; Natalya is fed up with interior; and Kyle says, Natalya’s been talking trash, and tells her to stop spreading sh*t.
🦟 About Those Figs…
Eric wasn’t wrong, but it’s not as gross as it sounds. My concern is, how many wasps hang around fig trees?
Stop in tomorrow for soap, a cuppa tea, and a random musical interlude. Until then, stay safe, stay being well-read, and stay not thinking you have forever to make things right, and do it now. Don’t make Gladys’s mistake.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
At John F. Kennedy High school in Jacksonville, Drew asks if Carly forgot they’re supposed to meet the reporter at Virginia’s grave in 45 minutes. She says, her mom’s grave is less than 10 minutes from here, and he says he’s guessing this is where she went to high school. She nods, and says she had no intention of ever coming back. They were driving by, and she just needed to see this. She needed to see the spot where her life changed in an instant. So, they were in the same car? Did she just yell, stop, and jump out?
Ava goes into Ryan’s room, and asks if he’s surprised to see her. Knowing that Doc comes in from time to time, she’s updated on his condition, but she just had to see for herself. Doc assures her that he’s still incapable of movement, but she knows how deceitful Ryan is. She never really bought it. She still thinks he could be faking it.
Outside Kelly’s, Victor thanks Nikolas for meeting him, and Nikolas says, like he had a choice. Why has Victor summoned him? Victor says, Nikolas needs to divorce Ava – immediately.
Sitting in a private area at the MetroCourt, Valentin says, Michael is working hard at Aurora; the stock’s up. Michael says, it’s no secret they took a hit when Valentin blocked the merger, but they’re going in the right direction. Valentin says, in no small part thanks to Michael, but Michael says, Drew is doing a great job. He knows what he’s doing. Valentin says, the reason he wanted to meet with Michael is, he thinks Michael’s talents could be better utilized elsewhere. He wants Michael to consider leaving Aurora, and coming back to ELQ full time.
Carver asks Josslyn, what’s the matter; cat got her tongue? Who is she? She says, she’s Josslyn Jax, Sonny’s stepdaughter. She knows most of his guys. Is he new? He says he’s the new chef. He’s just getting the tools of his trade in peak condition. She says she left her jacket here. She’s just going to go grab it. He says, no, she won’t.
Looking pretty worn out, Dex sings The Star Spangled Banner. Wow. I never even noticed he’s hanging in a freezer. Isn’t it cold in there? Why does no one seem cold? Is this a freezer just dedicated to hanging people up? While I’m on the subject, does anyone outside of Sonny’s friends and family eat at this restaurant?
On the phone at the hospital, Sonny says, they’re taking Diane off the ventilator. He’ll call with an update when he gets one. TJ comes out and joins Sonny, along with Dante and Robert. TJ says, Diane is breathing on her own. She’s conscious, although she’s still pretty groggy. Sonny asks if he can see her, but Robert says he’s going to have to wait. If she’s up to it, he has a few questions. TJ gestures for him to go in.
Diane says, Mr. District Attorney. To what does she owe the pleasure? He says he has a good mind to book her for malicious intent. She scared the life out of them. She says she was attacked with a hook, just like Ava and Brando, and he sits down, saying, unfortunately, but she’s a tough cookie. He knows she just woke up, but tell him what she remembers.
Carly says she used to be a cheerleader. Did she ever tell Drew that? He says he doesn’t believe so, and she says, she and Reese made the varsity squad their freshman year; it was quite an accomplishment. I’d say so. I’ve never been a cheerleader, but I don’t think freshmen are normally on the varsity squad. He says, Peyton’s daughter, and she says, they were best, best friends. They were so close, like Josslyn and Trina close. Reese had it going on; country club girl, pretty, popular. It’s probably why they made the squad. Although Carly was a much better athlete and much better cheerleader, even if she does say so herself. He says he has no doubt, and she says, Reese gave her access to a life she wouldn’t have been able to touch. She was so grateful for that. They loved each other like besties, and by junior year, they ran that squad. Until that afternoon. Reese had been ignoring her all day. It was after practice, and Reese, Jody, Lisa, and her were headed to Reese’s car. She realized she forgot her sweater, and went back to grab it. When she came back to Reese’s car, the girls were already in the convertible, and she could tell Reese was talking about her; they were all laughing and whispering. Just like that, Reese looked at her, started the car, and pulled away. It was deliberate. She wanted Carly to know she was leaving her on purpose, and Carly yelled, I hope you crash and burn. Ten seconds later, Reese pulled onto the parkway, right in front of a semi. She saw the whole thing happen. Reese’s convertible disintegrated into a twisted pile of metal. Two girls dead and one in a coma, and Carly stood on this spot without a scratch on her.
Nikolas says he’s not divorcing Ava, and Victor says, come on. Nikolas and Ava have been on the brink of divorce at least three times to his knowledge. It’s time they just got on with it. Nikolas says, aside from the fact he loves his wife, they’re staying married to protect Ava. Victor says, Nikolas is referring to spousal privilege. It’s true as Ava’s husband Nikolas can’t be compelled to testify that he saw Ava and Esme struggling just before Esme plunged to her death. Nikolas tells him to keep his voice down. Why is he bringing that up? Victor assures him that they’re quite alone, but Nikolas says, this conversation’s over. He and Ava are remaining married. Nikolas starts to leave, and Victor says, Nikolas seems to be under the misconception that he has a choice in the matter. He doesn’t.
Ava says she’ll check to see how in control Ryan really is, and snaps her fingers in front of his face, then claps. He blinks once, and she says, that’s convincing enough. She drags a chair over, and grabs her side, saying, she may have overdone it there. That’s right. He doesn’t know about her injury, does he? Some maniac attacked her with a hook. But he knows all about that, doesn’t he? He used a hook on at least one of his victims, so she has to wonder, would he use one on her too, if he could get out of that chair?
Diane tells Robert, she was at Brando’s garage because she’d gone there to see Sasha. She’d been asked to file a continuance concerning Sasha’s guardianship. Sasha didn’t know where the papers were, but thought there was a copy in Brando’s office. He asks, what happened then?
Sonny says, Robert’s in there questioning Diane, and she’s not up for it. She’s still recovering. TJ says, she was stable when he left. He thinks she can handle it. Dante says, Diane is tough, and Sonny says, she’s tough in the courtroom; she’s like a barracuda. But she didn’t have a defense against whoever attacked her with that hook. Dante says, she survived, and if she can ID the attacker, they can finally get ahead of this psycho. Sonny says, give it their best shot, go through all the channels, but he’s telling Dante, he’s going to do what he has to do to make sure Diane gets justice.
Michael says he didn’t see that one coming. Why would Valentin want to bring him back on board after everything he’s done to get ELQ? He tore Michael’s family apart, and he’s sure Valentin doesn’t trust him. Valentin says he trusts Michael. Michael and Drew almost got the better of him, fair and square. It was a strong countermove, and it would have worked if Valentin hadn’t had Ned. Michael asks, why risk alienating Ned by bringing him back on board? and Valentin says, he knows ultimately that Michael will put the good of ELQ first. Michael says, good luck explaining that to Ned, and Valentin says he expects there to be pushback, and he’ll handle that. Michael has expertise Ned lacks. Michael says, that’s always been the case, so what changed? and asks if the company is in trouble, but Valentin says, it’s stronger than ever. He has certain operations he’s undertaking that are at a critical juncture, and he doesn’t want ELQ to suffer. Michael says, Valentin could always step aside, and Valentin says he’s not interested in giving up CEO, but come back to ELQ. He promises he and Michael will both have the time and the resources to devote to their outside projects.
Josslyn asks Carver, what part of her stepfather is his boss is unclear? and he says, Mr. Corinthos isn’t here. He can’t let her have free reign in the restaurant or his workspace, so today, her access is denied. As for Mr. Corinthos’s office, she’ll need his permission to go in there. She says, Sonny won’t be happy to hear he gave her a hard time, and Carver says, she thinks this is a hard time? She says, what she thinks is, he’ll regret being so rude to her, and he says he’ll tell Mr. Corinthos she stopped by. She slams out.
Ava tells Ryan that she was attacked on the Quartermaine grounds, at a picnic they were having to benefit GH’s pediatric wing. Josslyn Jax found her, and made sure she got to the hospital. Unfortunately, Sonny’s cousin Brando was attacked a few days later, and tragically, he did not make it. Diane, Sonny’s lawyer, was the most recent victim. So if it isn’t him or some sort of copycat, maybe it’s Sonny that’s the common denominator. In his mind, Ryan says, outrageous. Unacceptable. If anyone is going to gut you with a hook, my love, it’s going to be me. Don’t delude yourself.
Nikolas tells Victor, he’s the one in possession of the family fortune. Victor has no power over him. Victor says, Nikolas does not want to put that to the test. He’d really rather not waste his time and resources bringing Nikolas back in line, but he will if he has to. Nikolas says he won’t be intimidated into giving up his wife, and Victor says he can’t say he blames Nikolas. Ava is a spectacular woman; beautiful, ruthless, and that wicked sense of humor. But sadly, she’s too much for Nikolas to handle. Nikolas says, no one handles Ava, and Victor says, particularly not Nikolas. Nikolas is way out of his league with his callow tricks and childish games, provoking Ava into fights, so he can declare his love and win her back again. Nikolas says, marriages hit rough patches; they’ve hit one. They’ll get past it. Victor says, his marriage hasn’t hit a rough patch. He jumped into bed with Esme. Open his eyes. Ava came out of hospital, and declined to move back to Windymere. Nikolas says, but she will. She’ll believe in him again because he’s found a way to prove his love for her.
Valentin says, he has no doubt that Michael’s performance at ELQ will be effective, and his outside projects are his own business.. Josslyn walks in, and says she needs to speak with Michael right now. Valentin tells her to take his seat; he has somewhere he has to be anyway. He tells Michael, think about it, and leaves. Michael asks, what’s going on? and she says she thinks she knows why no one has seen Dex. She thinks Sonny is keeping Dex in his restaurant, and Michael needs to help her get in there before Sonny kills him.
Dex continues to sing The Star Spangled Banner, when Carver comes in. He says, don’t let him interrupt. Keep singing if he likes. He just wants to have things ready for when Sonny gets back. He unrolls his knives for the 200th time, and Dex says, don’t waste his time unpacking. Carver’s not going to get to use any of that on him, because he’s innocent. Carver says, Sonny seems unconvinced.
TJ says he has another patient he has to see, but he’ll be back to check on Diane. He leaves, and Dante stands in front of Sonny. Sonny says, what? and Dante says he knows it seems like Sonny is the common denominator with all these victims. He knows everything inside Sonny wants to go after this attacker and make them pay. Sonny says, that’s right, but Dante says, don’t do it.
Diane tells Robert, it’s really just a jumble. She doesn’t even know when Sonny and Sasha left, but they had to have left because she was alone when she was attacked. He asks, what’s the last thing she remembers? and she says, talking to Sonny. Then after that, she’s just trying to get the sequence of events right. Maybe if she could talk to Sonny again… He says, Sonny is right outside. He’ll get him.
Drew says, you can’t cause an accident by wishing or even screaming the words out loud, and Carly says she knows that, but she contributed to Reese’s state of mind when she pulled out on the parkway in front of that truck. They had been best friends since they were twelve years old. Reese would have never left her behind, never turned against her. That was before she found out Carly slept with her father.
Victor says, enlighten him. How does Nikolas plan to prove his love to Ava this time? Nikolas says, it’s private, between husband and wife. All Victor needs to know is that he’s proven to Ava that she can trust him. Victor says he’s going to need more than that, and Nikolas says he’s afraid Victor is going to have to learn to live with unanswered questions. Now if Victor will excuse him… Valentin blocks his way, and Nikolas says, surely Victor doesn’t expect him to answer to Valentin. Both of them can go to hell. Victor says he anticipated that Nikolas would be less than cooperative, so he reached out to his son for assistance, and don’t call him Shirley. He asks if Valentin was successful, and Valentin says, see for himself, handing Victor the envelope Nikolas gave Ava.
Sonny says, it’s about time Diane woke up. It’s good to see her. She says, thank you, boss. From what she understands, it was touch and go. He asks how she’s feeling, and she says, blissfully numb at the moment. Her mind is foggy, but it’s starting to clear. She’s just trying to piece together what led up to the attack. Dante says, that’s good; whatever she can remember. She asks if Sasha gave her permission to go through Brando’s papers, and Sonny says, yeah. She went into Brando’s office. Dante says, they can’t have Sonny influencing Diane’s memories. They need her recollections unprompted. She says, here she thought hearsay just applied to the courtroom, and Robert says he’s not concerned about admissibility at this point. He just wants to get this psycho. But Dante’s right. Sonny can corroborate, but the memories have to be hers. She says he remembers being in Brando’s office. She found the guardianship papers, but it was so dark in there, she came back out to the garage to read it. Robert asks if anyone was in the garage, when Sonny’s phone rings. She says, the next thing she remembers is seeing Dex.
Carver leaves Sonny a message, saying, he’s ready to get the truth out of that punk. Let him know if he can proceed on his own. Michael walks in with Josslyn, and Carver says, her again. Mr. Corinthos isn’t here. If she doesn’t get that, maybe her friend will. Michael tells him to consider his next move carefully. How Carver chooses to handle the situation could determine his future, as well as Sonny’s. If Carver blows it, Sonny won’t be so forgiving.
Carly tells Drew, she was a minor, and Reese’s father took advantage of her. The adult Carly knows that, but Reese was blindsided. She was devastated when she found out. He says, Reese’s father is dead, right? and she says, he killed himself not long after the accident. Drew tells her, what he did was reprehensible. One day Scout will be 16 years old, and if one of her friend’s fathers seduced her into an inappropriate relationship, Drew would annihilate him before the case ever reached trial. And he knows Carly would do the same thing if Joss, Avery, or Donna was ever in the same situation. She says she’d kill the bastard, and he asks if she’d blame them or think they brought it on themselves. She says, of course (🍷) not, and he asks, then why is she still blaming herself?
Ava tells Ryan, it must be hell, sitting here alone, all day every day. No mental stimulation of any kind; just sitting here waiting for somebody, anybody. She wonders if he’s still waiting for his precious Esme. His eyes shift to her, and she says, bingo.
Victor reads Nikolas’s confession, and Nikolas reaches for the letter, but Valentin steps between him and Victor. He says, easy, and Nikolas asks how the hell he got this. Valentin says, trade secret, and Victor says, the more pertinent question is why the hell a letter like this exists in the first place.
Carver asks what Josslyn wants, and she says, Dex. Where is he? Carver says he has no idea. He’s the chef. He has nothing to do with other employees. Michael says, this is what’s going to happen. His sister Josslyn is going to look around. If she sees Dex is being held anywhere in this restaurant, she’s going to bring him out, and they’re going to leave. If Carver interferes in any way, he’s going to call his brother Detective Falconari of the PCPD, and they’ll have the cops search the premises. If they find Dex is being held prisoner here, Carver is going to be arrested, as well as his boss. Sonny will claim Carver acted on his own, without his knowledge. If Carver thinks he can cut a deal and give Sonny up, they both know how he’ll retaliate. Carver’s best option, his only option, is not allow the police to get involved in the first place. What’s it going to be?
Robert says, Diane saw Dex in the garage with Sonny and Sasha before the attack, and she says, yes. He asks who Dex is, and she says, he works for Sonny. He was there at first, then he wasn’t there. She assumed Sonny sent him on an errand. Dante says, she found the guardianship papers, and took them into the garage where there was better light. Is that when she saw Dex? She says, no… wait. He wasn’t there then. He was there before the attack, then when she came to for a second, she saw him. Robert says, let’s get the sequence right. Diane came out of the office with the papers; who was there? She says, no one. The garage was empty. Sonny and Sasha had gone, and she started reading. That’s when she saw a glimpse of motion out of the corner of her eye. She turned around, and that’s when she saw her. She came at Diane with a hook. Sonny asks if Diane just said she, and Robert says, she saw her attacker? Diane says, she came right at me, and Dante says, she? Diane says, yeah. The attacker was a woman.
Dex sings My Country Tis of Thee, when Josslyn runs in. She asks what Sonny did to him, and he says, nothing yet, but they have to get out of here. Carver is a dangerous freak. Josslyn says he gave her the creeps too, and Dex says, Carver knows she’s here; she has to go. Josslyn tells him that her brother is dealing with Carver. She needs to get him untied. He tells her, use the knives; it will be faster. She asks if Carver used them on him, but he says, no and he never will. Josslyn grabs a knife and starts cutting the ropes on Dex’s wrists. It would be ironic if she cut him by accident. Just saying.
Dante asks if Diane can describe her attacker, and she says, a woman with a hook. He says he means other details like age, build, hair color, that kind of thing. Diane says, the attacker was about her height. She couldn’t tell her build because she was wearing a bulky coat with a hood, or a cloak; she wasn’t sure. And Diane couldn’t see her hair. Dante says, that’s good. Just take a minute. Robert says, she’s doing great. Can she remember any more details? Dante says, sounds. Does Diane remember hearing anything? Diane says, yes. She was wearing bracelets, and they jangled when she raised up that hook. Dante tells Sonny, bracelets, not dog tags, and Diane wonders why she can remember her bracelets and not her face. TJ comes in, and says, this is far too many visitors. He’s going to have to ask them to leave now. Robert tells Diane that she’s given them a lot to go on, and Sonny tells her, take it easy. Dante says, he’ll be back to check on her later, and Diane tells Robert, if she remembers any more details, she’ll call him. Or she’ll have her people call him. She laughs weakly, and he says, the most important thing is that she focuses that considerable energy of hers on recovering. She’s doing great; that’s the most important thing to remember. She laughs again, and he leaves.
Michael tells Carver, it’s never too soon to quit. If Carver isn’t here, he won’t have to answer to Michael’s brother the cop, or Sonny. Carver heads for the door, when Josslyn brings out Dex. Michael asks if he’s all right, and she says, Sonny had him in the freezer. He was tied by his wrists, hanging from a meat hook. Michael says, all right, let’s go, just another day. Still trying to save what little dignity he has left, and maybe his job, Carver says, they’ll leave when Sonny says they leave. Seriously, if I was Carver, I’d skip town asap after this. It won’t just be, he’ll never work in this town again; it will be a grave in the Pine Barrens.
Carly tells Drew, when Mr. Roberts started paying attention to her, she was flattered. She could tell he liked her, and she liked it. She even started flirting with him in her own way. She knew it was wrong, but she felt like she was doing something new. She should have stopped going to the Roberts’ house; she should have transferred out of the school. But she didn’t want to lose Reese. She didn’t want to stop being the popular girl on the cheerleading squad. She didn’t want to stop going to the country club, pretending she was a member. Reese gave her access to a life she didn’t want to give up, and that’s on her. Drew says, she was a child; he was a predator. She says, Reese found them in bed together. The next day, Reese wouldn’t talk to her, or even look at her. She thought. she hoped, they could talk after they dropped the other girls off, but Reese had already turned against her. Something had broken in Reese. She shouldn’t have been driving; she was too upset. She shouldn’t have been on the road. He says, wait. Did Reese’s mother tell her all this? and she says, Peyton is a vindictive snob, but she’s not wrong. He says, yes, she is.
Ava says, Esme was determined to intern at Spring Ridge so she could work with Ryan. She claimed she was fascinated with his case, which ofcourse (🍷) makes perfect sense now. Esme probably saw him as some kind of kindred spirit. In his mind, Ryan says, you have no idea, and Ava says, she knows Doc had her banned from seeing him, but that cunning Esme found a way around that, didn’t she? Ryan thinks, yes, my clever daughter. She says, in retrospect, she thinks Esme was blackmailing Nikolas, and Ryan thinks, because he betrayed you. Nikolas was never worthy of you. Only I’m worthy of you. She says, but all good blackmail schemes must come to an end, and Esme overstayed her welcome, and now she’s gone.
Victor asks, what possessed Nikolas to confess to a murder he didn’t commit? and Nikolas says he did it to protect his wife. He’d do anything to protect Ava. Victor says, which is precisely why he has to divorce her. Nikolas’s obsession with Ava is not only detrimental to him, it’s jeopardizing the whole family. Nikolas says he doesn’t give a damn, and Victor says, clearly Nikolas doesn’t give a damn. He didn’t give a damn when he alienated his son. He didn’t give a damn when he was unfaithful to his wife. And he obviously didn’t give a damn when he wrote this ridiculous confession. Fortunately, Valentin intercepted the letter before it fell into the wrong hands. Nikolas says, it belongs in Ava’s hands; it was meant for her. Victor says, until she hands it over to the police in a fit of pique. Nikolas says, she wouldn’t do that, and Victor says, because she’d be implicating herself, but Nikolas says, no, because she loves him. Victor says, be that as it may, it’s too late now to matter.
Drew says he can’t believe Peyton didn’t know what her husband was up to. That is a dysfunctional family. He bets Peyton was used to dealing with her husband’s indiscretions because she didn’t want to give up the wealth, and the status, and the social position. She couldn’t afford to confront her husband. It was way easier to blame Carly. The only person who did have an excuse is Reese, because she was a child. It was too painful and confusing and scary to confront her father about what he did, so she made it Carly’s fault too, but it wasn’t her fault. Yes, it was a tragedy, one where the parents acted badly, and the kids paid the price. He gets why she wants to run away. She’s been running her whole life, but it’s time to stop. Let go of the misguided guilt. Let it go. It wasn’t her fault. She says, what happened to Reese was a terrible accident. She hates that it happened, but it wasn’t her fault. He says, it wasn’t, and she says she’s been telling herself that for years, but she never believed it. Seeing Peyton brought it all out. But it’s over, right? He says, it’s over, and holds her.
Josslyn says, they need the police, but Michael tells her, hold on. He tells Carver, this is about to escalate in a way that will not end well. It’s best all-around if Carver just lets them go. Carver says, if he’s so confident Mr. Corinthos won’t mind his guests leaving, they can afford wait until he gets here and gives his okay. Josslyn says, to hell with this freak. She’s calling the cops. Dex says, no cops, and Josslyn says, why not? Sonny tried to kill him. Sonny walks in, and Michael says, hey dad. Look who we found in your freezer.
TJ says, Diane is doing well. He just wants her to try and rest. She says, sorry, doc. Now she can’t stop thinking about her attacker. She’s sure she knows this woman from somewhere. She just can’t place her, and she usually has a good memory for faces. He says, she went through a traumatic experience. The mind will go into protect mode, and keep the disturbing events at bay. She may start to remember in bits and pieces. That’s what happened to him when he went through something traumatic. But driving herself crazy trying to remember won’t do much good for her recovery. Be patient with herself. It’ll come back in time. She says, sorry, doc. That’s not going to work for her. Now she just wants this maniac caught.
Dante tells Robert, that was amazing. Diane just gave them some real valuable information. Robert says, thanks to her, they know the killer is a woman, and Dante says, it could change the direction of the investigation. There could be patterns they haven’t detected yet, or a way to tie the victims together aside from Sonny. Robert says, or it confirms their worst case scenario. The killings and the attacks are random after all.
Ava tells Ryan, Esme just disappeared one afternoon, at the height of Trina Robinson’s trial. She bets that topic never came up in conversation; how she framed an innocent young woman. She was just about to be exposed too, and she just vanished. She made a couple posts from the French Riviera, so the authorities are looking for her. In his mind, Ryan says, Esme would never abandon me for a place as banal as the French Riviera. She’d never abandon me at all. Ava says, she, for one, is glad Esme is gone. She found Esme to be a dangerously disturbed young woman; reckless too. She just kept pushing the boundaries, assuming nobody would ever push back. Windymere’s not a safe place. It can be downright dangerous if you don’t watch your step, and Esme failed to watch hers. She seriously doubts anyone will see Esme Prince ever again. Ryan clenches his fist.
Victor tells Nikolas, Ava is a practical woman. He’s sure she’s already begun to realize her marriage is toxic. It shouldn’t be too hard to convince her that it’s also jeopardizing her future. He’ll also offer her a generous divorce settlement, which he’s sure she’ll be more than happy to accept. Nikolas says, even if Ava agrees, he never will, and Victor tells him, stop being so tedious. Valentin asks if Victor isn’t overlooking something; Nikolas isn’t really necessary. If he were to disappear like Esme did, Spencer would inherit the Cassadine estate. Victor says, Valentin does have a good point. If Nikolas is intractable, there’s always Spencer. After all, accidents do happen. Nikolas says, threats. Victor wants him to choose his life over Ava. Victor says, it isn’t really a choice, is it? How can he be with Ava if he’s dead? Nikolas says he loves her, but Victor says, love is a luxury; survival is essential. Just remember that. Nikolas says, fine. He’ll do it. He’ll divorce Ava. Victor grabs Nikolas’s shoulders, and says, splendid. A hooded figure walks into the background, and Victor says, he’ll have his attorneys draw up the paperwork, and obtain the necessary signatures. Then with Nikolas divorced and Esme dead, he can finally turn his attention to more pressing matters. The hooded figure turns, and we see it’s… Esme.
Not a huge shock, considering all they did was talk about her once we knew it was a woman.
Tomorrow, Carly tells Drew, maybe it’s time she stopped being Carly Corinthos; Willow tells TJ that she has no other choice; Ava tells Ryan, she knew it was too good to be true; Josslyn says, it’s worse than she thought; and Sonny has a problem with that.
⚾️ And They’re Out…
I love how they act like everyone has this Friday off.
While I thought he did a great rendition of Feel It Still for the Nurses Ball, I’m not too sure how likely this would be to happen in any world. Nice try though.
Come back tomorrow for a dose of soap and the lowdown on how lowdown Beverly Hills can get. Until then, stay safe, stay never straddling the fence (metaphorically or physically – I can’t imagine that’s comfortable), and stay letting go of misguided guilt.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
We see Brando’s empty garage. Sasha sits in the dark, and says, Brando? Can you hear me? Please tell me you didn’t leave. She hears the door open, and someone comes in.
Nina visits Ava, and says she looks a lot better. Ava thanks her, and Nina gives her some flowers, saying, she’s so glad Ava is out of the ICU. Ava says, if only she could get out of this hospital altogether. She can’t wait to get out of here. Nina says, all in due time, right? and sits down. She says, since Ava told her about Nikolas sleeping with Esme, it sounds like her marriage is over. So has she thought about where she’s going to go when they discharge her?
Gregory knocks at Finn’s office door, and Finn asks what brings him by. Gregory says, just checking to see how Finn is doing. He sees the photo on Finn’s phone, and asks if that’s Reiko, and Finn says, it was taken in the Mariana Islands a long time ago. (Okay, my bad on the wrong island, and also in thinking it was Hayden. I did think it must be Reiko at first, but I couldn’t figure out a connection to Elizabeth. Apparently, there is one.) Gregory asks what’s got Finn thinking about his late wife, when Nurse Andrea comes in, and tells Finn, Mr. Sanchez is prepped and ready for him. He tells Gregory that he’s sorry; this might take a while. Gregory says he’ll walk Finn out, and they leave.
Elizabeth studies the portrait she sketched, which we now know is of Reiko. She says, who are you?
At the MetroCourt bar, Diane and Alexis clink glasses, and Diane says, to Alexis. Alexis says, first of all, Diane doesn’t have to toast her, and Diane doesn’t have to drink an iced tea because she can’t drink. Diane says she wanted an iced tea, just like she wanted to celebrate her best friend, especially after, Two Victims, One Hook. Definite clickbait. Brava, Madame Editor-in-Chief. Alexis says she had her reservations at first, but there was a lot of traffic on the website, and Diane says, well deserved. She asks how Kristina is doing. What did she think of the article? Alexis says she doesn’t think Kristina even read it, and Diane asks what she means. Alexis said Kristina walked in on the attack. Is she having a hard time? Alexis says, just the opposite. She doesn’t think witnessing the attack put her in any danger at all. She did manage to keep Kristina’s name out of the article, but what if the attacker saw her, and didn’t realize Kristina didn’t see the attacker? Diane says she doesn’t like that Kristina is taking this so lightly, but she’s not surprised. She’s always been a very gutsy girl. Even witnessing an attack won’t bring her down. Alexis says, she has her mother to do that for her.
Victor says, alone at last, and Lucy says, he sent the waiter away. Does that mean the meal is over? He says, not at all, my dear. It just means now it’s time to serve themselves.
Anna and Valentin hide, and Johann comes out on deck, drinking a beer. Valentin has to sneeze, and Anna puts her hand over his nose and mouth, pushing him back against the wall. Johann hears them, and takes out his gun. He moves toward where they’re hiding.
Sasha says, Brando? but Sonny says, it’s him. Did she think he was Brando? She says she knows that’s impossible. She just can’t believe he’s gone. Sonny says, it is hard to believe. He was one of a kind. Sasha cries, and he holds her.
Ava says, she’s been thinking a lot about what happens when she’s well enough to leave GH, and Nina says, proud as she is of the MetroCourt – and she’s super proud of it – she hates the idea of Ava camping out in hotel rooms, so Ava will just have to stay with her. Ava thanks her, but says she doesn’t want charity, and definitely doesn’t want pity. Nina says, come on. They’re way past that. She thinks by now they’re fully ensconced in the girlfriend zone. And friends help each other. There’s no charity; there’s no pity. Ava says she knows, but… Nina says, Ava really doesn’t want to stay with her because she’d prefer to go back home to Windymere. But Nikolas is there.
Alexis tells Diane, she’s not sure how it happened, but somehow in warning Kristina about the potential danger, she sort of blurted out that Kristina wasn’t living up to her full potential. Diane says, music to her ears, no doubt, and Alexis says, then to add to that, she sort of blurted out that Kristina was risking her life for a dead end job. Diane says she’s sure that worked. Alexis didn’t bring up law school, did she? Alexis says, no. Kristina’s sharp; she knew what was happening. That’s her point. Kristina is too smart to be spending her life making schedules for the waitstaff. Diane says, she completely agrees, but it’s Kristina’s life. Alexis says, she’s painfully aware of that. She’ll try to do better in keeping her opinions to herself. Diane laughs like it’s the funniest thing ever, and Alexis says, yeah, good luck with that. Nikolas approaches, and says he’s glad he ran into Alexis. He needs her help.
Elizabeth looks at the sketch, and flashes back to her memory, but this time she moves the woman’s hair, and sees her face. Nurse Andrea walks up with Finn, and says, Elizabeth is off today. What’s she doing here?
Dex walks into the garage, and Sonny says, call Gladys; they’re okay. Sasha asks how Sonny found her, and Sonny says, there are two places that Brando always wanted to be. One was with her, and the other was his garage. So he figured if she was looking for Brando, she would come here. She says, Brando really did love this place. She thinks Sonny giving it to him was the best thing that every happened to him. Sonny says, not at all – she was. Sasha starts to cry again.
Lucy says, so there’s more? and Victor says, whatever she desires. She deserves to be waited on hand and foot. He’s utterly at her service; her wish is his command. She says she can’t. This has all been so lovely, to ask for anything else would just be horrible. He says, please ask. She must promise to always be honest with him, no matter what.
Johann continues to move toward where Valentin and Anna are hiding. They go back toward the door to the deck, and Anna tells Valentin to give her his shoe. He says, no way; these things are Italian. He gives it to her anyway, and she throws it out the door so it hits something, and Johann turns around. He goes back to where he was, and as he reaches the opening in the railing, Valentin runs out the door, and kicks him into the water. They watch as he floats downstream.
Nikolas asks if they can talk, and Alexis says, about what? He says he’d rather speak in private, and Alexis looks at Diane, and they both say, Ava. Diane says, fear not. She has to be going anyway. She tells Alexis, it was lovely having half a drink with her. Go easy on Krissy, and herself. She nods to Nikolas, says, Prince, and leaves. Alexis says, there are therapy apps where he could find a marriage counselor, in person or virtually, but he says, that’s not what he wants to talk about. Alexis told him that Ava was too proud to forgive a stupid mistake. She understands the way Ava thinks – Alexis says, God help her – and clearly he and Ava have a volatile relationship. But when Ava was attacked, everything crystallized for him, and he wants Ava in his life. He doesn’t want to lose her. Alexis says she takes it Ava didn’t have the same epiphany, and he says, that’s why he needs some straight talk. Is it time to give up on his marriage?
Ava tells Nina, Windymere is huge, and she and Nikolas have lived there in the past when they’ve been estranged. Nina asks, is this like the strategy, keep your enemies close? and Ava says, something like that. Nina says, Ava told her before that she wanted to wait to pay for cheating on her. Now’s the time? She’s sure Scotty is just chomping at the bit to get Ava a generous divorce settlement. Ava says, she hasn’t spoken to Scotty about this yet, and Nina says, she’s stalling. Ava’s still in love with her husband.
Dex comes back, and Sonny says, he spoke to Gladys? Dex says, she told him to thank Sonny for finding Sasha, and Sasha says, she guesses she should go home. She just wants to stay here. Sonny tells her, stay, and tells Dex to go. Dex leaves, and Sasha says, it felt like Brando was here, working. Like any minute he would walk through that door with some part he forgot to order. He’d smile and kiss her, and say, thanks for waiting, like any other day. But Brando’s gone, no matter how many times she pretends, or wishes, or tries to convince herself this is just some horrible nightmare. She cries, and says, Brando isn’t here. He’s not anywhere. Sonny says, you know what? It’s like his son Morgan. With his dad it’s different; he got to say goodbye to his dad. But Morgan was like Brando; it was unexpected. It was sudden. One minute he’s here, and the next minute he’s gone. They didn’t even have a body to bury. He tears up, and says he has to confess something to her. A lot of times he goes into crowds, and wants to see Morgan. Sometimes the phone rings, and he thinks it’s Morgan. Sasha asks how long he felt that way, and he says, to tell her the truth, he still scans crowds for Morgan. He just wants to be able to see him one last time. His boy.
Victor asks, what does Lucy want from? Name it. She says, no, she can’t. He asked her not to ask him, so she can’t. She won’t ask him, but he also told her to wait, and she’s so bad at waiting. She was never good at it, and she’s just brimming with curiosity. She’s just always loved a man with a big plan. She’s so excited. Come on. Couldn’t he just give her a teensy weensy little hint? Please? The boat moves, and she says, what is that? Are they stopping? He says, they certainly shouldn’t be, and a man runs in. He tells Victor, there’s someone overboard, and Anna and Valentin hide near the inside exit to the room.
Diane comes into the garage, and Sonny asks what she wants. She tells him, Gladys said Sasha was here. She’d like to speak with her. Sonny says, she’s in Brando’s office, and doesn’t want to deal with anybody. Diane says she can wait. She needs to go over some legal issues that have arisen since Brando’s death. He says, it’s a hell of a time to be doing business, doesn’t she think? and she says she’s been asked to serve as interim counsel. Martin Grey is still out of town. He says, they’re dealing with Brando’s widow. Why should he trust her to represent Sasha when she grilled him on the stand? She says, believe her, she could have gone harder, and Sonny sees Dex lingering around, and yells at him to go. Dex goes outside, and Diane says, understand something; she liked Brando, a lot. She loved the fact that he came into town and rescued Carly. She loved the fact that he became a father figure to Dev Cerci, that boy Sonny was trying to keep in the country. He infiltrated Cyrus Renault’s organization, and saved Sasha. All he wanted was to make an honest living. Brando Corbin was a hero who deserved a much better hand than the one life dealt him. Sonny says, she’ll get no argument from him on that, and she says she’s not here to capitalize on tragedy. She’s just trying to do right by Brando by helping his widow at the request of her lawyer and Brando’s grieving mother. Sonny says, she expects him to ignore her grilling him on that stand at Nina’s hearing? How could she do that to him? She says she was fighting for Michael and Willow. She was doing her utmost to win the case for them, as she would for any client, no matter how ungrateful. She’s been through thick and thin with him; she’s been through good and bad. She’s protected him and his, and has done pretty much everything except dig a grave in the Pine Barrens. He says, she sided with Michael, and she says, Michael retained her to defend him in the petition by Nina for visitation. If Sonny recalls, he and Nina weren’t a couple formally at the time, so there was no conflict of interest. And it was Sonny who spontaneously volunteered to testify on Nina’s behalf. He asked Scotty to put him on the stand. She was only cross-examining him the way any halfway competent lawyer would. He says, she laid out his life for everyone to see. That’s personal to him. How can he forget that?
Ava tells Nina, in love with Nikolas?Hardly. She’s not the sort of woman who would let a man cheat on her and humiliate her and get away with it. Nina says, besides her, who knows Nikolas slept with Esme? and Ava says, just Spencer and Victor. Nina says she doubts they would throw it in Ava’s face if she decided to forgive Nikolas; she won’t. Ava asks why Nina is pushing her to get back with Nikolas, but Nina says she’s not. She just doesn’t want Ava’s pride to get in the way of her happiness. It’s Ava’s prerogative if she wants to expose Nikolas’s bad behavior or forgives him. She just wants Ava to be happy. Ava says she doesn’t know if she could live with herself if she gave Nikolas another chance. She’d be worried, wondering if it could happen again. She’s lived with that kind of betrayal in the past, and she lost her daughter because of it. Nina says, they’ve both made their share of mistakes, and they’ve both suffered, and paid terrible prices, but they’re still here. Ava says, just barely, and Nina says, she’s on the mend, and it’s pretty amazing how they both found love after everything they’ve been through. It’s kind of like a miracle. Whether or not Ava wants to forgive Nikolas is up to her. If she still loves him… Ava says, she blackmailed Nikolas into getting married in the first place, and that is hardly a foundation for everlasting commitment. She laugh/cries, and Nina says, Ava’s marriage may not have started as a love match, but it’s a love match now.
Alexis asks if Nikolas wants to give up on his marriage, and he says, no, but he’s at the end of his rope. Nothing he’s said has budged Ava, even a bit. She says, that’s because talk is cheap, and he asks if that’s the best she can do. She reminds him that he came to her. He’s more than welcome to vacate that barstool for a more nuanced commentary. He says he’s sorry. He’s just trying to figure out what to do. Does Alexis think he needs to take action? She says she doesn’t know what he should do. She doesn’t know what he did, and doesn’t want to. She’s just asking, whatever it is, will it cost Ava her pride to forgive him? He says, definitely, and she says, then he needs to give something back. He says, like what? but she says she doesn’t know. Something that shows Ava that he values his relationship with her; to put something on the line, to risk something for her. Just like he’s asking Ava to swallow her pride in order to take him back.
Elizabeth goes to Finn’s office, and tells him that she convinced Doc to hypnotize her again, since she was on the verge of remembering something. And then she did. She remembered the face of the woman at the bottom of the stairs. He says, that’s encouraging, and asks who she is, but Elizabeth says she doesn’t know. He says, she saw her face, but didn’t recognize her, and she says, she can’t place her. She has no memory of this person except for the moment on the stairs. Except she feels like the woman wasn’t a stranger. Finn’s phone dings, and Elizabeth picks it up to give it to him, and sees the photo. She stares at it, and he says, that’s Reiko, his late wife.
Anna and Valentin listen, and Victor asks if the man is sure somebody went overboard. The man says, he saw the body hit the water, and told the captain to stop. They’re circling back now. Victor says, what is he standing around here for? Help with the rescue operation. He hustles the man out, and Anna peeks in, gesturing to Lucy. Lucy runs to Victor, saying, oh my God. The man could drown. Victor has to help save him; he’s so strong. Victor says he should supervise. He won’t be long. She says she’ll be here when he gets back. Go… like the wind. He leaves, and she runs back, telling Anna and Valentin, he’s gone. They come out, and she says, wait a minute. Did they throw a man overboard? What happened to Valentin’s shoe? Valentin says, don’t worry about it, and Anna says, it’s just Johann; he never saw them. Valentin says, no one knows they’re here, but that could change at any moment. Lucy asks what they’re doing here, and Anna says, they’re rescuing her. Lucy says she doesn’t want to be rescued, and Anna says, they don’t have time for games. Victor could be back at any moment. They have to go now. Lucy says she’s not going right now, because then Victor will know she’s playing him, and probably know that Anna set her up to do this whole thing. He’s just starting to open up to her. Valentin says, obviously a scene of seduction; champagne petit fours… How does Lucy expect the scene is going to end? Lucy says, she can handle Victor. He is putty in her hand. She flashes the bracelet, and says she hasn’t felt this alive in years. She’s still got it.
Diane tells Sonny, there’s no need to keep discussing this. She would like to speak to Sasha, but if that’s not going to happen, please have Sasha give her a call. She starts to leave, but Sonny says, wait. Sasha needs a good lawyer. Diane says, good? when Sasha comes out. Diane says she’s so sorry about Brando. She was just telling Sonny how much she admired him. Sasha thanks her, and Diane says she doesn’t want to intrude on Sasha’s grief, but Martin Grey is still out of town, and he and her mother-in-law feel there might be some pressing legal issues that require Sasha’s immediate attention. So she’s been asked to serve as interim counsel, if that’s okay with Sasha. Sasha says she guesses, but what’s so important it can’t wait? Diane says, it’s a confidential matter, but Sasha says she can talk in front of Sonny. Diane says, it concerns her guardianship, and Sasha says, that’s settled. Brando… Diane says, Sasha’s agreement to avoid prison stipulates that she must have a legal guardian, and Sonny asks if Diane is saying it’s null and void. Sasha asks if she’s going to prison.
Gregory sees Alexis at the MetroCourt, and says, if it isn’t the women behind the headlines. How’s the response? She says, good and bad. She thinks the general public was glad they were alerted to the fact there’s a hook wielding maniac on the loose. The Police Commissioner is another matter. He says he’d like to hear more, and asks if she has time to join him for coffee. She says, sure. Why not?
Elizabeth says, this is Reiko? and Finn says, a long time ago. They were both with Doctors Without Borders; it was their first post. Elizabeth says, she looks so young. He doesn’t talk about her. Finn takes the phone, and says he knows. He was never able to make piece with how she died, infected with the same disease he was trying to cure. She says, Blackwoods Disease. What brings her up for Finn now? He says, a case he’s working on reminded him of something that he and Reiko went through when they were posted on the Mariana Islands. She says, near Guam, right? and he says, she amazes him. Most people don’t even know those islands exist. When they were there, they had a good friend, a good doctor; he died of a poisonous snake bite. She rubs her head, and he asks if she’s okay. Got a headache? She says, a little bit, and he says, from hypnotherapy? She says, probably. She’s so frustrated because she has these little pieces she can’t seem to put together to see the larger picture. He says, it’s okay. It’s coming. Every day she’s learning more. She says, none of it makes sense. She needs to go home and lie down for a little bit. He says he thinks she’s incredible, and kisses her. He says, she’s going to find the truth, and she leaves. In the hallway, she unfolds the sketch and looks at it.
Anna tells Lucy that she’s in way over her head. She can’t underestimate Victor. Lucy says, she knows, but listen to her. He actually told her that he has a plan. A big plan, and he wants to include her. Anna says, what plan? but Lucy says she doesn’t know because they interrupted. She’s getting thisclose to it. Valentin looks out the doorway to the deck and runs back, saying, someone’s coming. He keeps going out the other door, and Anna says, this is Lucy’s last chance. If she doesn’t come with them now, she’s on her own. Lucy says she’s fine. She’s got this, she promises. Anna leaves, and Lucy scrambles around, deciding to go behind the bar like she was making a drink. Victor brings in Johann, with a blanket around him, and Lucy asks, what happened? Victor says he’s not entirely sure. Johann went overboard, but he isn’t able to tell Victor how or why. He must have gotten a concussion when he hit the water. Lucy says, that’s awful. Drink this. She hands him a snifter of brandy, and Victor says, focus. Tell him what happened. Johann says he was on the deck. Maybe he lost his balance? Victor asks if he could have been pushed. Did he see anyone else? Johann says he doesn’t remember seeing anyone. He was… Victor says, what? and Johann says, having a drink. Lucy says, drinking on the job; that is really dangerous. She takes the brandy away from him, and Johann says, he wasn’t drunk. Victor tells him to go back to his stateroom and dry off. He’ll call the captain and see if they have a medic on board. Johann says he’s sorry for the trouble, and Victor says, they’ll deal with it later. Johann leaves, and Lucy says, poor Johann. Alcoholism is such a serious burden. She takes a sip of the brandy, and Victor says, something’s off.
Diane tells Sasha, the presiding judge needs to reevaluate the plea, and Sasha says she only agreed the first time because she trusted Brando. Now that he’s gone, it’s over for her. Diane says, legally it’s not, and Sonny says, Sasha shouldn’t have to go through this right now. Diane says she completely agrees. That’s why she’s prepared to file a continuance, pending Sasha’s approval. Sasha says, Diane has her approval, and Diane thanks her. She asks if Sasha knows where Brando kept his copy of the guardianship decree, and Sasha says, in his office. Or maybe their place; he didn’t say. Sonny asks if Sasha wants Diane to go in Brando’s office and check for the papers, and Diane says, the sooner they get this sorted, the better. Providing it’s okay with Sasha. Sasha says, it’s fine. She should go home. She’s tired. Sonny says, he’ll take her, and tells Diane, Brando’s office is in the back. Diane says, copythat; she’s on it. Sasha leaves, Sonny thanks Diane, and follows.
Alexis says she has it on good authority that the Police Commissioner is unhappy with their article, and Gregory asks if she’s surprised. She says she’s not insensitive to Jordan’s concerns, she just considers warning the public to be for the greater good. Gregory says, it doesn’t hurt that the readership is up, does it? and she says, 30%. Most people were glad for the warning, but a small amount said The Invader was fearmongering. He says, the article he read didn’t sensationalize the crime; it just gave the facts. He was very impressed. She says, now she can sleep at night, and he laughs. He says he knows his opinion doesn’t matter, but she says, actually it does. It matters to her.
Sonny calls Nina, and says, he found Sasha. He could use her help. Nina says she’s confused. Sasha was missing? Why didn’t someone call her? Sonny says, they’re at Brando’s garage. He’s going to take Sasha home. Can she meet them there? She says, of course (🍷). She needs to be there. She’ll see him soon. Ava asks if Sasha’s okay, and Nina says, no. Sasha is definitely not okay. She should be with her. Nikolas comes in, and asks if he and Ava can talk. Ava tells Nina, go help Sasha. She’ll be okay. Nina leaves, and Ava tells Nikolas, say whatever it is he came here to say. But know that it’s going to take more than words to make things right between them. He says he knows. That’s why he brought this. He holds out an envelope.
Sasha hugs Brando’s coffee cup, and Sonny tells Dex to make sure he locks up when Diane is finished. He’s taking Sasha home. Dex asks if she’s going to be okay, and Sonny says, she has her family to take care of her. He asks if she’s ready to go, and she says, yeah; she’s done. She sets the cup down, which surprises me, and leaves with Sonny. Dex says, don’t worry. He’ll take care of things here.
Finn looks at the photo of Reiko.
Elizabeth takes down a box from the shelf in her closet. She looks through it, and takes out a photo album. She turns the pages, and finds a loose photo of herself at a young age with another girl. On the back, it says, Sarah and Elizabeth, Mariana Islands, 1997.
Ava asks, what’s that? and Nikolas says he’s done talking. This is proof of how much he loves her.
Anna and Valentin walk out on Pier 54, and Anna says, the zodiac is docked. Are they coming after us? He says he doesn’t see any sign of a disturbance. He thinks they got away clean… except for his shoe. She says, he’ll live, and he says, she’s glowing. She calls him a smooth talker, and he says, she’s really in her element, isn’t she? She says, it’s fun working together. He says he’s sorry their rescue attempt fell flat, and she says she wanted Victor to be enamored with Lucy, but she’s still very concerned that putting her in his sight is such a risk. He says, it was her call. She didn’t want to leave. What can they do to keep an eye on the situation? If she needs them, they can help her. She says, her worry is that it’s not if, but when.
Lucy suggests she and Victor get back on track, and resume this date they’re having. He says he’s surprised she called it a date; she seemed determined to make it about business. She says she doesn’t know many business meetings she’s had where she’s been presented with diamonds. So she can safely assume this is a date. He says she doesn’t seem angry, and she says, she does feel compelled to tell him that she’s spoken for. She’s really very much in love with Marty. However, Victor is making it very difficult – she plays with his lapels, then his tie – to stay true. And she finds herself wondering what a future with Mr. Victor Cassadine looks like. He puts his hands on her shoulders, and says, well, let’s find out.
Alexis tells Gregory, this coffee is probably the last thing she needs right now. She’ll be up all night. Not that she needs an excuse. She’s still really worried about Kristina. She witnessed that attack, and that could make her a target. He asks if she’s given more thought to the idea of posting an open letter in The Invader to try and draw the killer out. Get them to give something away, some clue that could help the PCPD to catch them?Then Kristina will be safe. She says, she thinks if they engage the killer, keep them occupied, it could give the police more time to investigate. He says, start a dialogue; provide a distraction. She says, maintain balance though. She doesn’t want to give the attacker a platform, just enough rope to hang. She’s been a lawyer a long time, and she’s seen cases like this. And she doesn’t believe for one minute this killer is done.
Diane comes out of Brando’s office, and looks through a folder, her back to the door. We see someone with a hook outside. A hooded figure comes in, and raises the hook.
On Monday, Gregory asks Alexis when they start; Ava says she’s going to need much more; Valentin tells Anna that he’s going to have to murder his own father; and Diane lies in a pool of blood.
🧰 Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye…
Still nothing that really says why he left. It didn’t sound like he wanted to though. Maybe he was just a sacrificial lamb for the hook storyline. I’m really hoping Diane isn’t.
A coupla things. Kathy was pretty pissed about the tequila. Maybe she was drunk. Then again, there are those estrangement periods with Kyle. Which I can totally understand, since I find her annoying, but Kathy is her sister. Also, weren’t there others who talked about her creating a commotion at the last bar they went to?
Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do. – Voltaire
For it’s not light that is needed, but fire; it’s not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind and the earthquake in our hearts. – Frederick Douglass
If I was the toe that broke the camel’s back, I apologize. – Kathy Hilton, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Maturity is achieved when a person accepts life as full of tension. – Joshua L. Liebman
Fear imprisons, faith liberates; fear paralyzes, faith empowers; fear disheartens, faith encourages; fear sickens, faith heals; fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable – and, most of all, fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life, while faith rejoices in its God. – Henry Emerson Fosdick
The Ukrainians don’t even want to be in the Ukraine right now. – CaesarMack’s friend April, 90 Day: The Single Life, after finding out he was traveling there
Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost. – Robert H. Schuller
There is no sincerer love than the love of food. – George Bernard Shaw
🍂 Someone Turned Off the Heat…
Switching gears for the next two days, but put it in park on Monday for soap and a Deck birthday. Until then, stay safe, stay not getting distracted by the minutia, and stay remembering, talk is cheap.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 